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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what... Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful." ~ Mark Victor Hansen, Inspirational and Motivational Speaker, Trainer and Author
Trending: Bears see MNF win over Chargers as 'starting point' for playoffs. (See the football section for Bears Updates).
Trending: U.S. Soccer makes right call in proposing youth ban on heading. (See the soccer section for updates).
Trending: Ray Rice Offers Surprisingly Insightful Comments on Greg Hardy's Domestic Violence. (See the last article on this blog for details).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears see MNF win over Chargers as 'starting point' for playoffs.
By John Mullin
Zach Miller’s one-handed TD catch from Jay Cutler lifts Chicago Bears to 22-19 victory over San Diego Chargers. (Photo/www.montrealgazatte.com)
In a 16-game season, pretty much every game is a statement, one way or the other. Monday’s 22-19 comeback win over the San Diego Chargers was indeed one of those.
It isn’t important to be an artistic success, only a success. And the Bears are daring to dream.
The Bears still need to beat someone other than AFC West also-ran’s. But going to St. Louis next weekend, “it definitely could be [a turning point],” said cornerback Tracy Porter, who forced a turnover and delivered a crucial pass breakup on the Chargers’ final drive. This is something to build on. This is just one win. It feels good but we still have a long season ahead of us.
“Our goal is to get to the playoffs. This could definitely be a starting point.”
After failing to hold off the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings in fourth quarters of consecutive losses, the Bears (3-5) underscored the statements made in similar victories over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. In those games, the Bears felt they had found an identity as fighters, such that no matter what went wrong in the first 55 or so minutes, they would be standing at the end.
“We’ve been in these types of games for several weeks now,” said tight end Martellus Bennett, who caught eight passes, one for a touchdown in the second quarter. "Everybody knew what it actually takes to win one of these and we were able to do it, make a play. The defense made a play at the end, [the offense] was able to make a drive."
“It was just one of those things. Every single week has been the same thing; we just haven’t been able to make those plays at the end. Today we made those plays.”
"Those plays" on Monday included 142 combined yards by rookie running back Jeremy Langford, with a one-yard TD run and a two-point plunge to put the Bears up by 3 points in the closing minutes.
They didn’t always make "those plays," but maybe that’s the point. The Bears had the football in San Diego’s end of the field on eight of their first nine possessions, yet scored only seven points total from the first six. They missed two field goals for only the third time in Robbie Gould’s 11-year career. They needed 15 points in the fourth quarter, the last coming on an epic one-handed catch by tight end Zach Miller of a Jay Cutler pass for a 25-yard touchdown with less than 4 minutes to play.
“It’s one of those things where instincts take over,” said Miller, whose last touchdown catch came in 2011 before a run of debilitating injuries. “I really didn’t have time to go with two [hands]. [Cutler] put some juice on it and I had to go get it with one and thankfully pulled it down and made the play when it was needed.”
They then gave themselves a three-point lead when Cutler checked out of a pass play and had rookie Jeremy Langford smash in for two points behind an offensive line delighted at the change of play.
“I don’t know what Jay’s rules were to check to it,” said center Matt Slauson, but as soon as soon as he did, we as a line were all, ‘Yeah, here we go!”
To the playoffs? They think so.
Cutler leads another comeback as Bears top Chargers on MNF.
Associated Press
Trending: Bears see MNF win over Chargers as 'starting point' for playoffs. (See the football section for Bears Updates).
Trending: U.S. Soccer makes right call in proposing youth ban on heading. (See the soccer section for updates).
Trending: Ray Rice Offers Surprisingly Insightful Comments on Greg Hardy's Domestic Violence. (See the last article on this blog for details).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears see MNF win over Chargers as 'starting point' for playoffs.
By John Mullin
In a 16-game season, pretty much every game is a statement, one way or the other. Monday’s 22-19 comeback win over the San Diego Chargers was indeed one of those.
It isn’t important to be an artistic success, only a success. And the Bears are daring to dream.
The Bears still need to beat someone other than AFC West also-ran’s. But going to St. Louis next weekend, “it definitely could be [a turning point],” said cornerback Tracy Porter, who forced a turnover and delivered a crucial pass breakup on the Chargers’ final drive. This is something to build on. This is just one win. It feels good but we still have a long season ahead of us.
“Our goal is to get to the playoffs. This could definitely be a starting point.”
After failing to hold off the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings in fourth quarters of consecutive losses, the Bears (3-5) underscored the statements made in similar victories over the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. In those games, the Bears felt they had found an identity as fighters, such that no matter what went wrong in the first 55 or so minutes, they would be standing at the end.
“We’ve been in these types of games for several weeks now,” said tight end Martellus Bennett, who caught eight passes, one for a touchdown in the second quarter. "Everybody knew what it actually takes to win one of these and we were able to do it, make a play. The defense made a play at the end, [the offense] was able to make a drive."
“It was just one of those things. Every single week has been the same thing; we just haven’t been able to make those plays at the end. Today we made those plays.”
"Those plays" on Monday included 142 combined yards by rookie running back Jeremy Langford, with a one-yard TD run and a two-point plunge to put the Bears up by 3 points in the closing minutes.
They didn’t always make "those plays," but maybe that’s the point. The Bears had the football in San Diego’s end of the field on eight of their first nine possessions, yet scored only seven points total from the first six. They missed two field goals for only the third time in Robbie Gould’s 11-year career. They needed 15 points in the fourth quarter, the last coming on an epic one-handed catch by tight end Zach Miller of a Jay Cutler pass for a 25-yard touchdown with less than 4 minutes to play.
“It’s one of those things where instincts take over,” said Miller, whose last touchdown catch came in 2011 before a run of debilitating injuries. “I really didn’t have time to go with two [hands]. [Cutler] put some juice on it and I had to go get it with one and thankfully pulled it down and made the play when it was needed.”
They then gave themselves a three-point lead when Cutler checked out of a pass play and had rookie Jeremy Langford smash in for two points behind an offensive line delighted at the change of play.
“I don’t know what Jay’s rules were to check to it,” said center Matt Slauson, but as soon as soon as he did, we as a line were all, ‘Yeah, here we go!”
To the playoffs? They think so.
Cutler leads another comeback as Bears top Chargers on MNF.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Zach Miller made a one-handed grab of a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler with 3:19 to go, and the Chicago Bears beat the San Diego Chargers 22-19 on Monday night.
Cutler, who overcame an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble to throw for 345 yards, calmly led the Bears on the winning 10-play, 80-yard drive after the Chargers opened a 19-14 lead on rookie Josh Lambo's 22-yard field goal.
Miller made a leaping grab with his right hand and scored. Rookie Jeremy Langford, subbing for the injured Matt Forte, ran in the 2-point conversion.
It was the first lead for Chicago, which scored 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Cutler's two TD passes broke the franchise record, giving him 139 with the Bears. He had been tied with Hall of Famer Sid Luckman.
The Bears (3-5) snapped a two-game losing streak. San Diego (2-7) lost its fifth straight.
Cutler never wavered in another tight game for Chicago. He continually attacked San Diego's depleted secondary, completing 27 of 40 passes.
Two plays before the TD throw to Miller, Cutler was hit and still completed a 12-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery on third-and-6.
San Diego's Philip Rivers was 26 of 42 for 280 yards. It was the first time in six games that he didn't throw for more than 300.
The Bears had a rough first half, but the Chargers couldn't put them away.
Cutler lost a fumble on a sack and then made an off-the-mark throw to Jeffery, which second-year cornerback Jason Verrett intercepted and returned 68 yards for a 13-0 lead.
The Chargers suffered even more injuries.
Verrett hurt his groin one play after his pick-six and came out, but remained on the sideline. Cornerback Patrick Robinson left with a neck injury.
Wide receiver Malcom Floyd, who is playing his last season, injured his left shoulder while diving trying to make a catch. Eight days earlier, San Diego's Keenan Allen, one of the NFL's leading receivers, suffered a season-ending lacerated kidney when he landed hard at the end of a spectacular touchdown catch in a loss at Baltimore.
Cutler broke the franchise record for touchdown passes when he found Martellus Bennett for a 1-yard score midway through the second quarter.
Cutler had been tied with Hall of Famer Sid Luckman with 137 with the Bears. Cutler began his career with the Broncos. Luckman threw his final touchdown pass as a member of the Bears on Sept. 17, 1950.
Langford scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter to start Chicago's comeback.
Bears' Jeremy Langford planned for this game 'all my life'.
By John Mullin
Running back is one of those positions where a rookie can come in and make an impact right from game one. Unlike offensive line and some other positions, you can know right away if you have something with a young tailback.
The Bears have something in Jeremy Langford, who anchored the offense with 72 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards, a touchdown and a crucial two-point conversion.
Langford had been planning for this game “all my life,” he said. “Monday night football… . I’m truly blessed to be in this situation and the coaches trusting me.”
One week after a deflating late-game pass drop in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the fourth-round pick of the Bears in the 2015 draft became the latest rookie to explode on the NFL in his first significant action. “That was my whole point, to make up for that last game,” Langford said. “You want to forget about those plays and have the coaches trust me and have [Jay] Cutler trust in me, and he did.”
Langford didn’t start; Ka’Deem Carey opened at running back and Langford entered late in the first possession. He and Carey combined for 25 carries for 100 yards, Langford with 18 for 72 and Carey seven for 28. Langford also caught three passes for those 70 yards, 31 coming on a layout diving catch in the first half.
Compare that to the first starts of the NFL’s current five leading rushers:
It's also worth mentioning that Matt Forte rushed 23 times for 123 yards in first NFL start in 2008.
“He’s dual-purpose,” said coach John Fox. “He can catch. The catch he made on the ‘go’ route – wide receivers have a tough time on that catch. He’s explosive. He can take short runs into longer runs. I thought he had a great night.”
Bears' Jeremy Langford planned for this game 'all my life'.
By John Mullin
Running back is one of those positions where a rookie can come in and make an impact right from game one. Unlike offensive line and some other positions, you can know right away if you have something with a young tailback.
The Bears have something in Jeremy Langford, who anchored the offense with 72 rushing yards, 70 receiving yards, a touchdown and a crucial two-point conversion.
Langford had been planning for this game “all my life,” he said. “Monday night football… . I’m truly blessed to be in this situation and the coaches trusting me.”
One week after a deflating late-game pass drop in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the fourth-round pick of the Bears in the 2015 draft became the latest rookie to explode on the NFL in his first significant action. “That was my whole point, to make up for that last game,” Langford said. “You want to forget about those plays and have the coaches trust me and have [Jay] Cutler trust in me, and he did.”
Langford didn’t start; Ka’Deem Carey opened at running back and Langford entered late in the first possession. He and Carey combined for 25 carries for 100 yards, Langford with 18 for 72 and Carey seven for 28. Langford also caught three passes for those 70 yards, 31 coming on a layout diving catch in the first half.
Compare that to the first starts of the NFL’s current five leading rushers:
Player
|
First start
|
Carries
|
Yards
|
| Adrian Peterson | 2007 | 19 | 103 |
| Devonta Freeman | 2015 | 30 | 141 |
| Chris Johnson | 2008 | 15 | 93 |
| Todd Gurley | 2015 | 19 | 146 |
| Doug Martin | 2012 | 24 | 95 |
It's also worth mentioning that Matt Forte rushed 23 times for 123 yards in first NFL start in 2008.
“He’s dual-purpose,” said coach John Fox. “He can catch. The catch he made on the ‘go’ route – wide receivers have a tough time on that catch. He’s explosive. He can take short runs into longer runs. I thought he had a great night.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Duncan Keith could return to Blackhawks this weekend.
Keith skated again on Tuesday — it was otherwise an off-ice workout day for most of the team. It’s been about three weeks since Keith had surgery to replace the torn meniscus in his right knee; if Keith is ready for the weekend, it sounds like he’d be more likely playing vs. Calgary in Chicago on Sunday.
“He’s skating well, moving well, he feels good. We’ll see how he is tomorrow with some guys on the ice,” said coach Joel Quenneville of Keith, who has been cleared for contact. “So we’ll see what happens at the end of the week.”
Keith doesn’t foresee any limitations when he returns but he does want to make sure he’s completely ready to go.
“I’m trying to push it every day and do what I have to do to make sure, when I am ready to go, I’m feeling good and can just focus on what I need to focus on to do my job out there,” Keith said. “It’s just a matter of getting my skating legs back and getting going again. That’s it.”
Rozsival (left ankle), who like Keith is still on long-term injured reserve, is also possible for the weekend. The Blackhawks will have some salary-cap decisions to make once the two defensemen return. What cap allowances they got with both being on LTIR will disappear, so it’s doubtful the Blackhawks will have eight defensemen, as they have sometimes had in the past.
Meanwhile, forward Ryan Garbutt (illness) is feeling better. Garbutt did not play on Sunday vs. Edmonton.
Blackhawks' Patrick Kane named NHL's first star of the week.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Patrick Kane was named the NHL's first star of the week after recording nine points (four goals and five assists) in four games to help the Blackhawks pick up five out of a possible eight points.
The Blackhawks forward is currently on a 10-game point streak — the longest in the NHL this season — where he's compiled seven goals and 10 assists. Following a four-point night on Sunday, Kane is tied for first in the NHL' scoring race with 23 points in 15 games.
Kane kicked off the week by adding a goal and an assist in a win over Los Angeles and an overtime loss to St. Louis. He followed that up by scoring a goal against New Jersey, where he also logged a career-high 25:27 of ice time.
The 26-year-old Buffalo native concluded the week with a goal and three assists in a win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and has now scored at least a goal in his last four contests.
Dallas' Tyler Seguin and Montreal's Mike Condon were named the second and third stars.
The Blackhawks forward is currently on a 10-game point streak — the longest in the NHL this season — where he's compiled seven goals and 10 assists. Following a four-point night on Sunday, Kane is tied for first in the NHL' scoring race with 23 points in 15 games.
Kane kicked off the week by adding a goal and an assist in a win over Los Angeles and an overtime loss to St. Louis. He followed that up by scoring a goal against New Jersey, where he also logged a career-high 25:27 of ice time.
The 26-year-old Buffalo native concluded the week with a goal and three assists in a win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, and has now scored at least a goal in his last four contests.
Dallas' Tyler Seguin and Montreal's Mike Condon were named the second and third stars.
Blackhawks' Artemi Panarin regaining confidence with Kane, Anisimov.
By Tracey Myers
Artemi Panarin reveled in the reorganization of the Blackhawks’ second line. The line had so much chemistry from the start and, in Panarin’s words — aka Viktor Tikhonov’s translated words — it was even better the second time around.
So what made it that much better?
“Because I scored two goals,” Tikhonov said for Panarin, who had a sheepish grin on his face.
Panarin had his go-around on the Blackhawks’ top line — at this point, pretty much every left wing and those who have been converted to that position have been on that line. But it’s with Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane, especially Kane, with whom Panarin has thrived. And he was back with those two on Monday night, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Blackhawks’ 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
So what made it that much better?
“Because I scored two goals,” Tikhonov said for Panarin, who had a sheepish grin on his face.
Panarin had his go-around on the Blackhawks’ top line — at this point, pretty much every left wing and those who have been converted to that position have been on that line. But it’s with Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane, especially Kane, with whom Panarin has thrived. And he was back with those two on Monday night, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Blackhawks’ 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Coming off his two-goal night, the first goals he’s scored in nearly a month, Panarin was feeling better about his game again. Panarin, through Tikhonov, said he was “a little embarrassed” about how he played recently. Coach Joel Quenneville said Panarin was always pretty good, but there’s no doubt the young forward’s game got a boost from the second-line reunion.
“I thought he was much better,” Quenneville said. “I thought he was always fine but I still thought there was more pace to his game, and we saw that pace [Monday night].”
Panarin was put on the top line heading into the Blackhawks’ game against the Los Angeles Kings last Monday. It was done for two reasons: Panarin deserved a chance and Quenneville hoped the move would jolt the first line’s scoring. Entering that first game, Panarin said he’d have to adjust, make small changes, when playing with the captain.
“With Kane,” Tikhonov said for Panarin, “we have a little bit of a different style.”
Well, Panarin on the top line didn’t have the desired affect, at least this time around. Panarin and Kane just click. Perhaps it’s because the two have similar games and that creativity.
“I thought he was much better,” Quenneville said. “I thought he was always fine but I still thought there was more pace to his game, and we saw that pace [Monday night].”
Panarin was put on the top line heading into the Blackhawks’ game against the Los Angeles Kings last Monday. It was done for two reasons: Panarin deserved a chance and Quenneville hoped the move would jolt the first line’s scoring. Entering that first game, Panarin said he’d have to adjust, make small changes, when playing with the captain.
“With Kane,” Tikhonov said for Panarin, “we have a little bit of a different style.”
Well, Panarin on the top line didn’t have the desired affect, at least this time around. Panarin and Kane just click. Perhaps it’s because the two have similar games and that creativity.
“He’s a great kid, loves playing hockey and he loves trying to do well,” Kane said. “I know it was nice for him to get on the board again, score a few goals.”
Panarin was looking like a happy and relieved guy on Monday night. He was feeling like a champion after getting the team belt. He’s contributing again, which makes that second-line reunion that much better.
“There was a period when I was really, really trying hard to score. I kind of relaxed, trusted myself and started scoring,” Tikhonov said for Panarin. “It definitely feels good. I was waiting for this moment for a while.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... No one leader needed to help Bulls from lethargy, they say.
By Vincent Goodwill
The sluggish start to the Bulls’ season has left many scratching their heads in confusion, with everything from lineup changes to discussion about leadership being a point of discussion seven games into a long, seven-month journey.
No one player has been the proverbial “ass kicker” in the locker room, as it has turned into a leadership by committee situation, the one thing everybody is seemingly on the same page about.
“I think (Joakim Noah) has probably been the most vocal,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Pau (Gasol) with his experience. Jimmy (Butler) and Derrick (Rose) are guys who will talk when you get in. Taj (Gibson) has done a good job. Even Kirk (Hinrich) on the sidelines. Talking to (Mike) Dunleavy, he’s always telling me what he thinks and sees. It’s a group by committee. But your most vocal guy is Jo.”
Rose and Butler are in agreement on this not being that kind of team and even Noah bristles at the notion about him being the leader of this bunch. Rose is the most accomplished, Noah the most tenured and Butler the most consistent.
Those are likely the loudest voices in the room, the voices who should’ve been heard from after Saturday’s overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I mean we talk to each other. Every team is different. Every leader is different,” Rose said. “And they handle it in their own little way. I think with the team, I think we talked about it as far as making sure everyone is on the same page and making sure we give all our effort, I mean our best effort every night.”
If the two overtime games go in a different direction, losses to Minnesota and Detroit, the Bulls would be 6-1 and the narrative wouldn’t have anything to do with a perceived lack of leadership.
“To tell you the truth, if you win games nobody looks at it like that,” Butler said. “When you're losing, especially the way we've been losing, you've gotta blame it on something. I think it's more important to have team full of leaders, do their roles and do what's expected to do night in and out.”
Whatever is said behind closed doors, Rose believes, should be between the players and not even the coaching staff. But even he is slightly hesitant to speak up considering he isn’t playing to his own standards and has plenty of catching up to do after missing all of training camp.
“I mean I would, yeah, but at the same time I’m dealing with my own problems too, so it’s all about finding that balance, and like I said getting everybody on the same page,” Rose said.
“It’s about catching up. These guys have been playing for a long time. When I was out I tend to just watch and see what’s going, and when you’re not playing you can’t voice your opinion like that. I don’t care who you are. With me being on the court, me getting back into a rhythm and just playing, I think that I should be able to voice my opinion a little bit more, and it’s slowly coming.”
Bulls bounce back, cruise past Sixers on the road.
By Vincent Goodwill
76ers' Richaun Holmes tries to hang onto the ball. (Matt Slocum/AP)
If there was anybody who needed a bounce back game in the worst way, Nikola Mirotic was the obvious candidate running in a one-person race.
And the surprise starter—yes, the guy who started all year was a surprise starter at the last second, benefitted most from Joakim Noah’s unexpected absence in the Bulls’ 111-88 win over the perpetually-rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center Monday night.
Noah was slated to start at center, as announced by the team minutes before tipoff, before his left knee flared up and Mirotic returned back to the place he started and broke out of his mini-slump to score 20, including three 3-pointers, while adding 10 rebounds in 29 minutes.
“It was tough for me the last couple games, last three games, playing without confidence the last game [against Minnesota], getting in trouble with fouls,” Mirotic said. “But I knew that I would be back soon with my offense. The last couple days, I was staying after practice to get my shots in, trying to get my confidence back, and [Monday] was the perfect day to get it back.”
Playing against a 76ers team that was already without Nerlens Noel, Robert Covington and Tony Wroten, the Bulls made quick work after a competitive first half where the home team surprisingly made it a game and tested Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg’s belief about his team’s ability to play a full 48 minutes—particularly against lesser competition.
“The one thing we talked about is how competitive they’ve been and how hard they play,” Hoiberg said. “Noel is a difference maker with his ability to protect the rim and his energy. We had to play hard, it was evident by that run. I was glad to see we stopped that and got the momentum back on our side.”
After leading by 15 midway through the first quarter, 31-16, the Bulls allowed the 76ers to take a brief lead before halftime and then quickly restored order. The 76er reserves began to chip away as the Bulls had their usual lull, falling behind 40-37 after a 24-6 run fueled more by energy than anything else.
But Mirotic finally began to hit a few jumpers to start the third, including a couple triples, to give the Bulls a little breathing room as the 76ers began to predictably, regress to the mean.
That dreaded pump fake which resulted in three free throws began to break him from his lethargy, which couldn’t have come quicker for the Bulls. Doug McDermott added a rare four-point play and they were back off and running.
Mirotic scored 12 in the third, officially breaking out his slump.
“He stuck with it, especially after missing a couple early,” Hoiberg said. “He even missed a couple free throws but it was great to see that ball go through the basket. That’s what shooters need,. To see that thing go in and take the lid off. Hopefully he can take off from here.”
A complete performance wasn’t necessary, especially as the 76ers shot 35 percent from the field and 18 from three-point range, and turned the ball over 17 times for 21 Bulls points.
Chicago native Jahlil Okafor actually outscored Mirotic in the period, scoring 14 on six of nine shooting, helping soothe an otherwise subpar shooting night although he achieved his first double-double with 21 and 15 rebounds, although he took 25 shots to get there.
Derrick Rose scored 12 with seven assists and five rebounds, while Pau Gasol scored 16 with nine rebounds and six blocked shots, as all their damage was done in the first three quarters of play.
McDermott scored seven in the fourth while reserve guard E’Twaun Moore scored nine to put things away and give the starters a breather with four days between games, completing a seven-game in 11-day stretch.
Dealing with White Sox is one of many ways Cubs can get creative in trade market.
By Patrick Mooney
Before Major League Baseball opened the general manager meetings at this fancy hotel, Cubs executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer had already made contact with the other 29 teams, trying to get a feel for where the trade market is heading and whether or not they could pull off a blockbuster deal.
Even if nothing happens this week at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, the Cubs will be a team to watch, because they have too many young hitters and not enough frontline pitchers. Plus some big-picture questions about the franchise’s immediate financial flexibility, which means they can’t just throw money at the problem and will have to get creative.
Like making a crosstown trade with the White Sox?
“I’d be up for it,” Epstein said Monday. “If it’s something that made sense, why not?”
“I don’t think on either side we’ve closed off an opportunity to get better,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. “It’s probably the added wrinkle that if you’re wrong, you have to live with it eight miles away.
“But certainly the way we approach (it) – and I’m confident Theo and those guys approach it – is if it’s something that makes your club stronger, you explore it.”
More likely, the Cubs will target another American League Central team tilted toward pitching and revisit discussions with the Cleveland Indians about Carlos Carrasco or make a play for Danny Salazar.
The Cubs could also go back to the San Diego Padres – another team they talked to leading up to the July 31 trade deadline – and try to make a deal for Tyson Ross.
Everyone knows how Cubs executives gravitate towards the players they got to know while working for the Boston Red Sox. Dave Dombrowski – Boston’s new president of baseball operations – won’t feel the same connection to a last-place team and might want to shake things up at Fenway Park. (Last week the Red Sox picked up their $13 million option on pitcher Clay Buchholz.)
With Addison Russell entrenched as the franchise shortstop, the Cubs can market a three-time All-Star (Starlin Castro) and a former first-round pick (Javier Baez) to any team looking for an up-the-middle solution. The Cubs could also try to move outfielder Jorge Soler after his breakthrough October performance (three homers and a 1.705 OPS in seven playoff games).
There are questions about Castro’s focus, whether or not Baez will strike out 200-plus times a year and if Soler can stay healthy for an entire season. But at a time when run-scoring is at a premium, the Cubs can offer risky/potentially explosive offensive talents.
“You can never say never,” Hoyer said. “If something makes sense where we would sort of trade out some surplus on the position-player side for some pitching depth, I think that’s something we have to explore.
“We loved our roster in September and the postseason as far as being flexible, versatile, deep. There’s a lot to be said for that. But I do think we may be approached on deals like that. And if it makes sense, we’ll certainly have to consider it, simply because we are somewhat lopsided.”
Epstein is on record saying he would love to keep this group of position players together, because it creates competition, insurance policies and matchup headaches for opponents. But the president of baseball operations is a realist.
“It also might not be possible,” Epstein said. “We have some other areas that we need to address. And we may be forced into a situation where the right move is to take away someone from that position-player group in order to add impact pitching.
“I’d love to keep that position-player group intact and just add pitching without giving up any players. I’m not sure that’s going to be possible, given the nature of our situation, given what happens in the market.”
Four days before the GM meetings began in South Florida, the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays had already engineered a six-player trade. Seattle acquired right-hander Nathan Karns, lefty C.J. Riefenhauser and minor-league outfielder Boog Powell, sending first baseman Logan Morrison, infielder/outfielder Brad Miller and right-hander Danny Farquhar to Tampa Bay – all before the free-agent marketplace even opened.
“I expect the conversations (this) week to become much more detailed,” Hoyer said. “As we already saw with the deal between the Mariners and the Rays, I think it could be a fast-moving trade market.
“There could be – if not action in Boca – I definitely think there could be action soon after that. Just because I think a lot of ground will be laid for deals. Some years, you go to the GM meetings and you’re kind of information gathering. I think there’s probably going to be a little more urgency for teams, given the fact there’s already been a trade.
“People realize that things could happen quickly – and I think people could be ready to move quickly.”
Theo Epstein doubts Cubs can sign two free agents in $100-million range.
By Patrick Mooney
As the free-agent rumors and predictions began surfacing at last year’s general manager meetings, Theo Epstein ruled out the idea of the Cubs signing two pitchers to nine-figure contracts that offseason.
“You can pretty much apply that one going forward, at least until we get a TV deal, and probably beyond,” Epstein said Monday at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. “That’d be a big winter.”
Even after winning 97 games and advancing to the National League Championship Series, that same-as-it-ever-was feeling still followed the Cubs to the GM meetings in South Florida.
It’s not that Epstein sounded frustrated or ready to wave a white flag as he spoke with a group of Chicago reporters in the hotel lobby. It’s just the financial reality for the president of baseball operations as he heads into the fifth and final year of his contract (which should be extended at some point).
The Cubs are still sorting through their media options – Comcast SportsNet Chicago holds exclusive cable rights through the 2019 season – and waiting out the leveraged partnership between the Ricketts family and Sam Zell’s Tribune Co. (which limits the baseball department’s spending power).
So forget about signing David Price for the top of the rotation and getting Jason Heyward to play center at Wrigley Field. The 2015 payroll had been set around $120 million, artificially inflated with the $20 million rolled over from last year’s losing bid for Masahiro Tanaka. The next TV contract is supposed to launch the Cubs into another economic stratosphere.
“If we want to do two things, we have to get pretty creative,” Epstein said. “Even if we want to do one really big thing, I think we have to get creative. Just because you guys know the situation – we’re going to have more money down the line than we have right now. So we just have to keep that in mind and be a little bit creative.
“We have the ability to add a little bit from where we are right now, but the arbitration raises cut into things quite a bit. I don’t necessarily think we have room to go do everything that’s been speculated in some areas, but we can get creative.”
Infielder Starlin Castro, catcher Miguel Montero and pitcher Jason Hammel represent almost $80 million in future salary commitments and areas where the Cubs have options or would like to upgrade. Moving any of those assets could help free up funds for a Price or Zack Greinke megadeal and/or allow Epstein’s front office to invest in other areas of the roster.
Because right now, it sounds like signing two frontline starters would be a stretch. When asked specifically about Montero, Epstein said there haven’t been any discussions about trading the veteran catcher, but the Cubs will have to think outside the box to build another World Series contender.
“Two sizable things – we have to definitely get creative,” Epstein said. “But that doesn’t make it impossible. There’s a lot of moving parts. (And) there’s always ways to get things done if they make sense for the club.”
White Sox GM Rick Hahn: Alexei Ramirez is still in play.
By Dan Hayes
They didn’t want him at $10 million, but the White Sox could still reunite with Alexei Ramirez on a lesser deal.
White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said on Monday the team hasn’t entirely ruled out a reunion in 2016 with the 2014 All-Star and Silver Slugger winner.
But Hahn also expects Ramirez to find a robust market in free agency, which could severely hurt chances the band gets back together. Hahn spoke on the first day of the GM meetings at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, less than a week after the White Sox paid $1 million to buy out Ramirez’s $10 million club option. Ramirez became a free agent at 11:01 p.m. CST on Friday.
Essentially the decision made (Wednesday) is we weren’t going to pay Alexei $10 million for 2016,” Hahn said. “We haven’t closed the door on potentially bringing Alexei back. He served us extremely well for eight years in a White Sox uniform and obviously middle infield is a position of interest for us going into the offseason. We’ll continue talking to his guy. Nothing has been shut for the future just yet.”
What could slam the door shut is a market thin on options at shortstop. Ramirez is clearly the most attractive option in free agency and should command at least a two-year deal in the $14-16 million range.
Ramirez has stated his desire to stay on the South Side, his only baseball home since he left Cuba. But the White Sox know Ramirez could be tempted by bigger offers.
“He’s a proven commodity and (you have) a decent idea of what you’re going to get going forward,” Hahn said. “Again, it’s a fairly scarce position, so I’m sure his market will be strong.”
Currently the team’s best option at shortstop is Tyler Saladino, whom the club would be comfortable with from a defensive standpoint. While Saladino is clearly a strong defender, his bat could leave the team wanting more after he produced a .602 OPS lasts season. However, the White Sox have several needs and could go in any number of directions this offseason, which unofficially begins with the GM meetings. Last week, executive vice president Kenny Williams said Hahn would use this week’s meetings to survey the landscape and determine the club’s direction.
Though he was specifically asked about improvement at catcher, Hahn sounds open to anything.
“I don’t think we can cut off any avenues of getting better right now,” Hahn said. “We’re entering this offseason looking any way we can get better at any spot. We don’t feel we’re in a position to say we’re too good or set at any individual spot and that includes catcher.”
Hahn wouldn’t make any official announcements on Monday, even as reports continue to pour in suggesting former Cubs manager Rick Renteria is set to take over as Robin Ventura’s bench coach.
“We’re optimistic about having an announcement this week,” Hahn said with a laugh.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Spieth back on top of world golf rankings, Knox to 31st after WGC.
AFP
Double 2015 major winner Jordan Spieth is officially back on top of the world after leapfrogging Australia's Jason Day in the new global golf rankings released Tuesday.
Spieth's tied seventh place in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai on Sunday was enough to take the Masters, US Open and FedEx Cup champion back to world number one as Day opted not to play to be at the birth of his second child.
Rory McIlroy started the year as number one, but he lost that position to Spieth after the US Open in June and dropped to third after missing the defense of his British Open crown when he injured an ankle playing football.
Day has won six tournaments in 2015, including the PGA Championship in August during a run of four titles in six starts as he reached number one for the first time.
Meantime Russell Knox has soared into the world's elite top 50 on the back of his victory Sunday at Sheshan International Golf Club.
Meantime Russell Knox has soared into the world's elite top 50 on the back of his victory Sunday at Sheshan International Golf Club.
The Scot has risen to 31st in the rankings from 85th after picking up the first win in the $8.5 million WGC event.
The official world golf rankings are usually released every Monday but were delayed by the late finish at the PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship.
Ryder Cup carrot dangled in front of Knox.
By Doug Ferguson
Russell Knox was the center of attention after winning the HSBC Champions, and not just with the sponsors.
After his press conference, he posed with four flight attendants from Emirates Airlines. Next up was a photo with the owner and executive staff of Casillero del Diablo, which supplied the wine for the week.
When he sat back down to sign flags and caps for HSBC, another man approached whom Knox did not recognize.
When he sat back down to sign flags and caps for HSBC, another man approached whom Knox did not recognize.
"Hello, Russell. I'm Keith Waters with the European Tour."
Waters is the chief operating officer, and he was equipped with all the answers Knox did not know and was too overwhelmed to ask at the moment — mainly, the process of becoming a European Tour member and how that relates to the Ryder Cup.
Sensing that the 30-year-old from Scotland was still trying to digest his first big win — a World Golf Championship, no less — Waters gave him a business card with his mobile number and told him he would be available any time. And there was one more thing.
"Also just so you know, Darren Clarke is going to be calling you," Waters said.
"We'll be in touch for sure," Knox replied with a grin.
Clarke is the European captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. Odds are, he has been on the phone with Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thomas Pieters and any other European who appears to have even a remote chance of qualifying.
To be realistic, Knox barely has that.
Clarke is the European captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. Odds are, he has been on the phone with Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thomas Pieters and any other European who appears to have even a remote chance of qualifying.
To be realistic, Knox barely has that.
Is he interested in the Ryder Cup? Of course. Even though he has lived in Florida his entire professional life, he grew up in Inverness and is proud of his Scottish heritage. His sister, Diane, is a popular radio DJ in Scotland.
"Obviously, it's going to be a goal of mine to make the European Ryder Cup team, and this obviously springboards me to a place where ... I mean, yesterday I was nowhere near it," Knox said. "I have no idea where I stand on making the team or what I need to do. But I look forward to finding out and giving it a run, that's for sure."
Much will depend on what European Tour chief Keith Pelley announces next week in Dubai on a new membership policy.
One of the options is to require a minimum of five European Tour events (down from 13), but that number would not include the majors or WGCs. So it really would be no change at all, except for making it practical for players who have slipped out of the top 50 — such as Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell — and no longer are automatically eligible for the eight biggest events in world golf.
For Knox, that would mean adding four tournaments to what he already plays.
Knox is among dozens of Europeans who live in America and play the majority of their golf on the PGA Tour. But his career is more closely in line with the likes of Carl Pettersson and Martin Laird than with McDowell, Ian Poulter or a resurgent Paul Casey.
Pettersson was born in Sweden and moved to North Carolina when he was in high school. Laird is from Glasgow, played at Colorado State and never went back to Europe until he already had his PGA Tour card. One year he played the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, and a local radio reporter aware only of his accent innocently asked Laird why it had taken so long for him to do well on his home soil.
"This is my first event," Laird said.
Knox played 99 times on either the PGA Tour or the Web.com Tour before making his European Tour debut last year in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, not far from where he grew up. He played his first British Open this year — he was the alternate who replaced Rory McIlroy when he tore up his ankle playing soccer.
"Obviously, it's going to be a goal of mine to make the European Ryder Cup team, and this obviously springboards me to a place where ... I mean, yesterday I was nowhere near it," Knox said. "I have no idea where I stand on making the team or what I need to do. But I look forward to finding out and giving it a run, that's for sure."
Much will depend on what European Tour chief Keith Pelley announces next week in Dubai on a new membership policy.
One of the options is to require a minimum of five European Tour events (down from 13), but that number would not include the majors or WGCs. So it really would be no change at all, except for making it practical for players who have slipped out of the top 50 — such as Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell — and no longer are automatically eligible for the eight biggest events in world golf.
For Knox, that would mean adding four tournaments to what he already plays.
Knox is among dozens of Europeans who live in America and play the majority of their golf on the PGA Tour. But his career is more closely in line with the likes of Carl Pettersson and Martin Laird than with McDowell, Ian Poulter or a resurgent Paul Casey.
Pettersson was born in Sweden and moved to North Carolina when he was in high school. Laird is from Glasgow, played at Colorado State and never went back to Europe until he already had his PGA Tour card. One year he played the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, and a local radio reporter aware only of his accent innocently asked Laird why it had taken so long for him to do well on his home soil.
"This is my first event," Laird said.
Knox played 99 times on either the PGA Tour or the Web.com Tour before making his European Tour debut last year in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, not far from where he grew up. He played his first British Open this year — he was the alternate who replaced Rory McIlroy when he tore up his ankle playing soccer.
Knox was the only player keeping the third round from being completed Saturday evening at Sheshan International because he thought it was too dark to play the final hole. That led some in the British press to jokingly refer to him as the "American" because of the minor inconvenience. When he returned the next morning and made birdie, and then never lost the lead on Sunday, he became a Scot again.
It was all in good fun, but to be fair, only the diligent golf press in the U.K. knew much about Knox, and for good reason. This was his first win on any of the six main tours around the world. Knox had never been remotely close to the top 50 in the world until he won the HSBC Champions and shot all the way up to No. 31. Now he's the 10th-highest European in the world ranking.
It was all in good fun, but to be fair, only the diligent golf press in the U.K. knew much about Knox, and for good reason. This was his first win on any of the six main tours around the world. Knox had never been remotely close to the top 50 in the world until he won the HSBC Champions and shot all the way up to No. 31. Now he's the 10th-highest European in the world ranking.
He is guaranteed two majors (Masters, PGA Championship) and a WGC, and he's likely to get in the other two WGCs. Whether he takes up European Tour membership and makes a run at the Ryder Cup, Knox ultimately concluded that "it's a great problem to have."
Besides, it beats the alternative.
"I always joked with my caddie that if I ever won," he said, "I was going to retire."
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Kyle Busch at No. 1.
By Nick Bromberg
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Fun fact: the top four finishers in Sunday's race were the top four finishers in the 2014 fall race at Texas. Last year, Johnson won, Harvick was second, Keselowski was third and Busch was fourth. Harvick and Keselowski simply swapped spots this year. Kyle Busch also had this to say about Phoenix, where Harvick has been dominant: "I do not think it's a winnable race until Kevin Harvick gets beat. He's shown that he's certainly go the stranglehold on the Phoenix racetrack."
3. Jeff Gordon (LW: 3): Gordon said they were going to use the race at Texas as a bit of a test session for Homestead given his guaranteed spot in the final round. He finished ninth on Sunday, so for Gordon's sake, hopefully the No. 24 team got a lot of valuable data from the race. It would be a shame if Gordon had a terrible race at Jeff Gordon Raceway on Sunday, wouldn't it? And we hope those ponies Gordon got at Texas Motor Speedway made it back to North Carolina safely.
4. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Did anyone else have flashbacks to last year when Truex and Keselowski made contact while racing for the lead? We'll admit that the words "Not again" might have floated through our brains. But Truex and Keselowski shook hands after the race and all was good. They were racing for the lead; "quintessential NASCAR" if you will. It's just that the sport's increased reliance on aerodynamics have exponentially heightened the consequences of contact.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 9): Keselowski had no shot of holding Jimmie Johnson off. He did everything he could and the chess match between the two entering each corner was fascinating. He was especially wrestling his car off turn 2, where the pavement falls off sharply. Keselowski was letting his car push to the wall as hard as possible to keep speed. Ultimately it didn't work as the run Johnson got down the backstretch to make the winning pass was all too much.
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW: NR): Jimmie Johnson is back. Eh, he never left. Johnson has won a couple of races like he did Sunday in 2015 and it speaks to the talent of his team and crew chief Chad Knaus. He's had speed to start but with every pit stop the car gets better and better and before you know it, Johnson is at the front of the field. This time, there was no tire strategy involved.
7. Joey Logano (LW: 1): Is this the most abrupt change in Cup Series fortune since ... ? Not long after it looked like he was heading to a fourth-straight win, Logano must win a race to make the final round. And he has to do it at a track that has been owned by his main nemesis (outside of Matt Kenseth, of course). It's a fascinating subplot to a race that could be a tad underwhelming. Age Phoenix pavement, age!
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 6): That was one hell of a comeback by Junior. We'd like to have him higher in the rankings but the guys that vaulted above him finished first and second respectively. He smacked the wall so hard while racing up front that the right rear of the car separated from the deck lid. The team got the damage taped up and his car had speed again. Junior ended up finishing sixth and is, along with Johnson, the favorite among non-Chasers to win at Homestead.
9. Carl Edwards (LW: 8): Edwards finished fifth and he was open about his team's desire to have Jimmie Johnson win on Sunday. "My guys never cheered so hard for Jimmie (Johnson), we needed that for the points going to Homestead," Edwards said. Why? Because if Keselowski had won, there are only two spots available on points at Phoenix. One if Kurt Busch or Logano wins Sunday.
10. Kurt Busch (LW: 10): Busch is in pretty much the same situation Logano is now. He finished seventh at Texas but because of his Martinsville accident he's on the outside looking in. Maybe we should be bullish on Busch's chances? He can always commandeer Harvick's car and crew and drive it to the win. Unless Harvick is a key part of that Phoenix magic. If so, Busch may need a bit of a miracle.
11. Jamie McMurray (LW: NR): McMurray finished 10th, the third-highest non-Chaser in the field. And really, we aren't sure who else to give 11th to at this point. After two good weeks, McMurray gets the nod. He attempted to hold off Harvick last year at Phoenix so maybe he'll be in position to do it again. McMurray is currently 13th in the standings, a place below where he would be if there was no Chase.
12. Erik Jones (LW: NR): We'll give Jones some love after finishing 12th in Kenseth's car. Jones ran all three races at Texas over the weekend and the Cup Series race was his lowest finish. Not bad for a 19-year-old. He's got a bright future ahead of him, the only question is where it will be. An easily-guessable scenario sees Furniture Row expanding to two cars in 2017 with Jones behind the wheel of one of them. That's just our idea, however.
The Lucky Dog: Austin Dillon was 12th.
The DNF: Kyle Larson finished 37th. He wants 2017 to begin.
Dropped Out: Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth.
SOCCER: U.S. Soccer makes right call in proposing youth ban on heading.
By Leander Schaerlaeckens
Prince Osei Owusu (3rd l) of Germany challenges l-r Nick Hinds, Henry Martin, Sebastian Elney of team USA for a header during the U19 Mercedes-Benz Elite Cup at Gazi Stadion on October 6, 2015 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Deniz Calagan/Bongarts/Getty Images)
If it's up to the United States Soccer Federation, heading in youth soccer games under the age of 10 will soon be a thing of the past, and those up to the age of 13 would eschew headers in practice.
That's what U.S. Soccer will recommend to the country's youth soccer programs like the behemoth U.S. Youth Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Association organizations – although it has no jurisdiction to enforce such rules uniformly – as well as its own Development Academy leagues and youth national team programs.
That's what U.S. Soccer will recommend to the country's youth soccer programs like the behemoth U.S. Youth Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Association organizations – although it has no jurisdiction to enforce such rules uniformly – as well as its own Development Academy leagues and youth national team programs.
The federation also announced new concussion protocols for the Development Academy and youth national teams on Monday. They will allow a player who is suspected of having a concussion to be substituted and, if cleared, brought back into the game without costing his team any of its limited subs.
In August 2014, a group of former youth soccer players and parents brought a suit against U.S. Soccer and FIFA, alleging that neither had done enough to mitigate the risk of concussions or injury from headers. A federal judge in California dismissed the suit in July. She did allow the plaintiffs to amend their suit against U.S. Soccer, but not FIFA, by providing more evidence.
However, in a joint statement released on Monday, U.S. Soccer and the plaintiffs said this action had now been resolved.
"We filed this litigation in effort to focus the attention of U.S. Soccer and its youth member organizations on the issue of concussions in youth soccer," said Steve Berman, lead counsel for the plaintiffs. "With the development of the youth concussion initiative by U.S. Soccer and its youth members, we feel we have accomplished our primary goal and, therefore, do not see any need to continue the pursuit of the litigation."
"In constructing the concussion component, U.S. Soccer sought input from its medical science committee which includes experts in the field of concussion diagnosis and management, as well as from its technical advisors, and worked with its youth members to develop a true consensus-based program," said Dan Flynn, U.S. Soccer's CEO and secretary general. "We are pleased that the plaintiffs and their counsel recognize the steps we have taken and look forward to sharing the benefits of the youth concussion initiative with players, coaches, officials and parents."
While the announcements of these new rules and recommendations coincide with the end of the suit, they aren't direct results of it. U.S. Soccer has gone to considerable lengths to stay with the times – or even ahead of them – when it has come to preventing traumatic brain injury. It already conducted baseline testing on all the players in its national team programs and the Development Academy and has for years engaged experts.
These initiatives nevertheless address a real problem. While concussions are common in soccer, sub-concussive blows from heading, which can be just as harmful in the long run, are believed to be even more prevalent – if harder to diagnose and prevent.
Recently, The Guardian cited a study from Purdue University that found heading of goal kicks and hard shots as damaging as helmet-to-helmet impact in football or the punches landed by boxers. "The percentages of 100g hits was effectively the same between women's college soccer and American Football, which really surprised us," Eric Nauman, director of the Human Injury Research and Regenerative Technologies Laboratory at Purdue, told the English newspaper. "And while American football players tend to take more hits overall in a given practice session and game, the college soccer players were getting hit every day and so it evened out."
U.S. Soccer deserves praise for being proactive in its attempt to solve an odious issue, taking drastic measures to help end the concussion epidemic in youth sports. There will be skeptics aplenty who will argue that heading is as much a part of soccer as full-body contact is of football, or body checking of ice hockey. But then the federation probably also has the advantage that soccer isn't as deeply entrenched in American culture, making it easier to tinker without upsetting the traditionalists.
To some, perhaps overlooking the bigger picture, the biggest concern will probably be the effect on the long-term development of the American player if entire generations don't start heading the ball regularly until age 14. Whatever health risks are avoided for the large masses could be questioned when a much smaller but more visible pool of players pushing into the national teams is judged to be deficient in the aerial game.
Curbing heading in youth soccer will probably prove controversial. And whatever issues American soccer might face in a decade or so might be blamed on it.
But today, given the enormous stakes of a significant health risk to millions of American children, it was the right thing to do.
It's time for Klinsmann to play Johnson and Yedlin at their club positions.
U.S. Soccer deserves praise for being proactive in its attempt to solve an odious issue, taking drastic measures to help end the concussion epidemic in youth sports. There will be skeptics aplenty who will argue that heading is as much a part of soccer as full-body contact is of football, or body checking of ice hockey. But then the federation probably also has the advantage that soccer isn't as deeply entrenched in American culture, making it easier to tinker without upsetting the traditionalists.
To some, perhaps overlooking the bigger picture, the biggest concern will probably be the effect on the long-term development of the American player if entire generations don't start heading the ball regularly until age 14. Whatever health risks are avoided for the large masses could be questioned when a much smaller but more visible pool of players pushing into the national teams is judged to be deficient in the aerial game.
Curbing heading in youth soccer will probably prove controversial. And whatever issues American soccer might face in a decade or so might be blamed on it.
But today, given the enormous stakes of a significant health risk to millions of American children, it was the right thing to do.
It's time for Klinsmann to play Johnson and Yedlin at their club positions.
Goal.com
Jurgen Klinsmann loves to try players at different positions. This habit has been a staple of his tenure as U.S. national team coach, and has produced successes such as DaMarcus Beasley's evolution into a left back, while also giving us failed experiments like Jermaine Jones' turn in central defense, and head scratchers like Jose Torres at left back.
Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin know all about that, having both played multiple positions for Klinsmann in recent years. Johnson has mostly settled in at right back, a position he starred in for the U.S. at the World Cup. Yedlin also has settled into a regular role on the right wing, a position he first patrolled at the very same World Cup.
Fabian Johnson and DeAndre Yedlin know all about that, having both played multiple positions for Klinsmann in recent years. Johnson has mostly settled in at right back, a position he starred in for the U.S. at the World Cup. Yedlin also has settled into a regular role on the right wing, a position he first patrolled at the very same World Cup.
As the next World Cup qualifying cycle prepares to kick off on Friday, Johnson and Yedlin look ready to stay in those same roles for Klinsmann, but there is a very good argument for the pair to swap roles.
Johnson has enjoyed considerable success playing on the left wing for German Bundesliga side Borussia Moenchengladbach since his transfer there after the 2014 World Cup. He has been very effective in that spot, providing speed and service on the flank and the sort of technical quality we simply haven't seen from other U.S. wing options, Yedlin included.
You can understand why Klinsmann likes having Johnson at right back. The reality is Johnson is the best American option at four different positions. He's the best wing midfield option on either side, and best fullback option either side. So why move him into a left midfield role?
For one, it's where Johnson is playing on the club level, and giving him some continuity could help maximize Johnson's contributions. Second, the U.S. attack has been stagnating in recent months and is in dire need of some consistent contribution from the flanks. Gyasi Zardes has produced at times, but he's a natural forward. Johnson has played on the left wing before for the U.S. and done very well there. In those perofmances, the 27-year-old has shown a good connection with Jozy Altidore in the attack.
There is also the fact that Johnson has looked less and less effective at right back during the past year. He hasn't been able to duplicate his World Cup form at the position since he left Brazil, and you can't help but wonder whether that has anything to do with the fact he doesn't play there at all for his club, and maybe he's just not into being a defender anymore when he's used to being an attacking player in one of the best leagues in the world.
There is also the fact that Johnson has looked less and less effective at right back during the past year. He hasn't been able to duplicate his World Cup form at the position since he left Brazil, and you can't help but wonder whether that has anything to do with the fact he doesn't play there at all for his club, and maybe he's just not into being a defender anymore when he's used to being an attacking player in one of the best leagues in the world.
Then you have Yedlin. He has started to earn regular playing time at right back for Sunderland, and is drawing respectable reviews at the position and gaining invaluable experience playing in the pressure-packed English Premier League. It is no secret Yedlin left MLS for Tottenham still needing to learn quite a bit about playing right back, and particularly about defending. After spending a year mostly training with Tottenham, and not playing much, Yedlin badly needed regular playing time to help him develop his defensive qualities. He is starting to receive that playing time now, and facing top competition at that. The experience he's getting will only expedite Yedlin's education at the position.
Klinsmann has shown a reluctance to play Yedlin at right back lately, and you can understand that to a certain extent given his defensive flaws. But here he is now, playing right back regularly in a top league, and gaining the kind of experience that should help him grow into the position.
Klinsmann has shown a reluctance to play Yedlin at right back lately, and you can understand that to a certain extent given his defensive flaws. But here he is now, playing right back regularly in a top league, and gaining the kind of experience that should help him grow into the position.
The U.S. also happens to be preparing for its first round of World Cup qualifying, a round that offers the perfect level of opposition for a young defender honing his craft. Why not start Yedlin at right back in the upcoming qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago? By starting Yedlin there, and starting Johnson on the left wing, you help boost the attack while also helping a promising young right back gain valuable experience.
If the CONCACAF Cup loss to Mexico showed us anything, it's that the Americans need more dynamic options in attack. Moving Johnson into a wide midfield role is a big step toward helping boost the struggling U.S. attack. Meanwhile, committing to a steady diet of Yedlin at right back could help him develop into a player who could lock down that position through the 2018 World Cup.
If the CONCACAF Cup loss to Mexico showed us anything, it's that the Americans need more dynamic options in attack. Moving Johnson into a wide midfield role is a big step toward helping boost the struggling U.S. attack. Meanwhile, committing to a steady diet of Yedlin at right back could help him develop into a player who could lock down that position through the 2018 World Cup.
Now is as good a time as any to make these changes. If one or both fail to adjust to their new national team roles, Klinsmann can always go back to the status quo in 2016. However, if the positional swaps pan out, it help make the U.S. that much more dynamic, and could give him two fewer positions to worry about and experiment with as he tries to rebuild a U.S. team in transition.
MLS Cup Playoffs: The How-To-Root Guide For Neutrals/Eliminated Fans.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
I know, that probably does nothing to make you feel even the slightest bit better, especially if you’re a fan of the Seattle Sounders or Montreal Impact — brutal way to go out on Sunday, guys. But you’re still watching the rest of the playoffs. You know you are.
What’s the fun in not having a team to root for, even if only halfheartedly, though? In truth, there’s a lot to like — and very little to dislike — about this year’s last four standing. Still not sure which of the remaining four teams best suits your personal soccer ideology, likable characters and/or need for U.S. national stars of the present/future? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered…
New York Red Bulls
What’s to like: They’re built on the smallest on-budget payroll in the league, yet they finished top of the league in the regular season; they got rid of D.C. United for the rest of us – thanks, Red Bulls; Dax McCarty is the hardest-working man in MLS, yet so often he goes unnoticed; they’ve never won an MLS Cup
What’s not to like: They’re “the New York team” (though they play in New Jersey), which on its own is enough to put off half the nation.
Who can/can’t root for them: Can’t – D.C. United or New York City FC fans; Can – Those hoping Matt Miazga is the savior of the USMNT
Root-a-bility ranking: 4th-of-4
Portland Timbers
What’s to like: Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, Lucas Melano, Rodney Wallace and Fanendo Adi is an extremely enjoyable attacking unit to watch, when set out properly; the Providence Park atmosphere (Timbers Army); they’ve never won an MLS Cup
What’s not to like: Does Caleb Porter rub anyone else the wrong way? Perhaps I hold a slight grudge over his refusal to accept that the Timbers could have been a dominant counter-attacking side for two full seasons, until October of this year.
Who can/can’t root for them: Can’t – Still-hurting Sporting Kansas City or Vancouver Whitecaps fans; Seattle Sounders fans; Can – Those hoping Nagbe is the savior of the USMNT; pretty much anyone else
Root-a-bility ranking: 3rd-of-4
Columbus Crew SC
What’s to like: Lightning-quick, counter-attacking soccer that completely overwhelms opponents – they know no other way to play, for better or for worse; Kei Kamara‘s breakout season (22 goals) at age 30; Wil Trapp, Wil Trapp and Wil Trapp; their secondary kits (black checkered) are the best in the league, hands down
What’s not to like: If Plan A isn’t working, there is no Plan B, which can make them extremely frustrating to watch against a bunkered midfield and defense.
Who can/can’t root for them: Can’t – Still-hurting Montreal Impact fans; Chicago Fire and Toronto FC fans; Can – Literally everyone else
Root-a-bility ranking: 2nd-of-4
FC Dallas
What’s to like: The youngest core unit in MLS, by some way (14 players appeared in 20 or more regular-season games — average age: 25.4 years old); they’re proof that academies are the way forward in MLS – all hail Oscar Pareja; Mauro Diaz and Fabian Castillo combined to create arguably the best one-two punch in MLS; they’ve never won an MLS Cup
What’s not to like: Blas Perez’s antics could singlehandedly make you hate any team in the world, unless you the type that roots for the villain.
Who can/can’t root for them: Can’t – Still-hurting Seattle Sounders fans; Houston Dynamo fans; Can – Those who enjoy the constructing of a team as much as the playing of actual games
Root-a-bility ranking: 1st-of-4
NCAAFB: CFP rankings: Clemson stays at No. 1, Notre Dame jumps into Top 4
By Sam Cooper
Though Clemson stayed at No. 1 for a second straight week, there was quite a bit of movement in the second installment of the 2015 College Football Playoff rankings.
One-loss Alabama, coming off its impressive 30-16 win over LSU, jumped from No. 4 to No. 2, while the Tigers dropped from No. 2 all the way down to No. 9.
Undefeated Ohio State remained at No. 3 after its win over Minnesota, while Notre Dame moved up one slot from No. 5 to No. 4.
Iowa and Baylor both stayed unbeaten with wins over the weekend, but it was the Hawkeyes who jumped into the No. 5 slot while Baylor stayed at No. 6.
Another notable jump came from Oklahoma State, which remained unbeaten with a commanding victory over previously unbeaten TCU. The Cowboys jumped six spots from No. 14 to No. 8, while the Horned Frogs dropped from No. 8 all the down to No. 15.
The top two Pac-12 teams – Stanford and Utah – also made their debuts in the Top 10. Stanford won its eighth straight game and moved four spots from No. 11 to No. 7 while the Utes jumped from No. 12 to No. 10 after a road win over Washington.
Michigan State suffered its first loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion to Nebraska, and the committee dropped the Spartans from No. 7 down to 13.
Notably, the American Athletic Conference now has four teams in the Top 25, led by Navy, which debuted at No. 20 after delivering Memphis its first loss of the season. The Tigers had a significant drop from No. 13 down to No. 21. Temple stayed pat at No. 22 while Houston jumped up a spot to No. 24.
North Carolina (No. 23) and Wisconsin (No. 25) also made their first appearances in the rankings. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Toledo all dropped out of the Top 25.
The full Top 25:
College Football Playoff rankings - Week 11
Alabama-Mississippi St. Preview
AP - Sports
AP - Sports
Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland has been around Nick Saban long enough to take some satisfaction when the coach is smiling after a game.
The challenge now is keeping Saban happy. The third-ranked Crimson Tide's celebration of a win over LSU is tempered by the reality of another tough game Saturday at No. 20 Mississippi State, but it did bring some joy even to the ever-intense coach.
''Y'all will never see coach smile or happy like that unless something good happens on the field,'' Ragland said Monday.
The 30-16 victory over the then-No. 4 Tigers, coupled with a Mississippi loss, left Alabama (8-1, 5-1 SEC) needing only to keep winning to make the league championship game with a shot at a return trip to the playoffs. The Crimson Tide jumped from fourth to second in Tuesday's College Football Playoff rankings, leapfrogging Ohio State.
One loss against the Bulldogs (7-2, 3-2) or Auburn - with a mismatch against Charleston Southern in between - takes all that away. And Saban's postgame smiles will be replaced by the scowl that's more familiar to fans watching games on TV.
''Any time you have an emotional win, you've got to get your team to respond the right way and make sure that they're focused on what they need to do to play just as well the next week or better,'' Saban said.
The Tide are trying to replicate last season's run to the playoffs - also after an early loss to Ole Miss - that included a 25-20 win over a top-ranked Mississippi State team.
''They don't give me a vote but they are the best team in America,'' Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said.
The Tide's task now moves from defending LSU tailback Leonard Fournette to trying to contain Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott. They intercepted three of his passes in last season's win.
The senior only has one INT this year and has thrown for more than 300 yards in three straight games while totaling 10 touchdown passes. Prescott has added 198 yards and four TDs on the ground in that span.
Helping Prescott has been the resurgence of 2014 leading receiver De'Runnya Wilson, who has 360 yards and six touchdowns over the past four games.
The Bulldogs need Wilson to create some matchup problems against Alabama's talented defense, which is giving up 16.3 points per game. Wilson ranks fourth in the SEC with 626 yards receiving and second with eight touchdowns.
Saban said Wilson was ''difficult to cover because of the mismatch he creates using his body and his size to help himself, and he has really good hands.''
Ragland said the presence of Wilson and Prescott - third in the league with 2,351 yards passing - is a major concern for the Tide defense.
''Any time you've got a quarterback like (Prescott) and you've got guys like Wilson who can go up and get it at any time they need a big play, you've got to do your job,'' Ragland said.
Fred Ross leads the Bulldogs with 51 catches and has been so effective that opponents have started to pay more attention to him, helping open up some room for Wilson and re-establishing him as one of the best playmakers in the league.
Ross said the two will have to play well to snap Mississippi State's seven-game losing streak against the Crimson Tide.
''We're going to have to make plays we're not necessarily supposed to make,'' Ross said. ''Somebody's going to have to make a catch in tight coverage or somebody's going to have jump over the top of a defender and make a play.''
Alabama's riding a six-game winning streak that has already included lopsided road wins over teams ranked in the top 10 at the time, Georgia and Texas A&M. Both times the follow-up game presented more of a challenge.
The Tide held on 27-14 over Arkansas following the Georgia win. Then a late touchdown drive and forced fumble preserved a 19-14 victory over Tennessee after Texas A&M.
So there is some cause to worry about avoiding a letdown.
''I don't think it will be that hard this week,'' linebacker Dillon Lee said. ''Since Ole Miss lost, we're kind of back in control of what happens from here on out and I think the guys will be more excited this week, going into the next game knowing that every game we win from here on out is taking us where we want to go.''
The performance against LSU came after some critics weren't enamored of Alabama's inclusion into the playoffs. Before the Ole Miss loss, though, the Tide could have been shut out of the SEC title game even after winning the rest of the way.
Then came a convincing performance when Derrick Henry plowed through the LSU defense for 210 rushing yards, and Alabama's defense held Fournette to 31.
Tide center Ryan Kelly felt it was ''the most overall complete game we've played as an offense,'' something that would have been easy to overlook considering the defensive performance.
Ragland said he'd be addressing with his teammates the importance of putting that much-talked about game in the past.
''Since you control your own destiny you have to keep getting better and worry about yourself,'' he said. ''You can't take anybody for granted. The teams (ahead) are good teams. We have to stay focused and just keep getting better.
''If we've got guys that don't want to get better and don't want to help us out, they can get on. Because a bunch of the older guys, we're ready to go. If you're not with us, we'll kick you out. It's time to go now.''
Purdue-Northwestern Preview.
By CHRIS ALTRUDA
Northwestern is eagerly looking forward to 2016.
That's because the Wildcats are aiming to start next year by playing in a high-profile bowl game. To get there, though, they must put themselves in position to do so starting with Saturday's home game against lowly Purdue.
Third in the Big Ten's West Division, No. 24 Northwestern (7-2, 3-2) would have to win out and get help to reach the conference title game, but a strong finish would let the Wildcats gain ground in the College Football Playoff rankings and possibly realize their goal of a January finale.
"We try to take everything week by week. But the bigger picture was addressed, to play in a New Year's Six Bowl was addressed," guard Matt Frazier told the team's official website Monday. "But then we brought it down to how do we get there. That's by winning each week."
And getting to that point would lead to a loftier, unprecedented status for Northwestern.
"A big thing for our senior class, the legacy we want to leave, if we win out the rest of our games, we'll be the first Northwestern team to have won 11 games in a season," cornerback Nick VanHoose added. "But you've got to look it as 1-0 each week. It's step by step. If you start thinking of things long term, you forget about what's in front of you."
Coach Pat Fitzgerald expects quarterback Clayton Thorson to start after he suffered a lower-body injury in the first quarter of last Saturday's 23-21 victory over Penn State. Backup Zack Oliver ran for a touchdown and threw for a second in a 20-point second quarter as Northwestern won on Jack Mitchell's 25-yard field goal with nine seconds left.
Justin Jackson will try to build on his career-high 186-yard rushing effort which left him 83 shy of becoming the fifth back in school history to reach 1,000 in back-to-back seasons. The sophomore had been held to 95 yards in his previous three games but has been hard to contain at home, where he's racked up 732 yards and an average of 5.2 per carry in six games.
Justin Jackson will try to build on his career-high 186-yard rushing effort which left him 83 shy of becoming the fifth back in school history to reach 1,000 in back-to-back seasons. The sophomore had been held to 95 yards in his previous three games but has been hard to contain at home, where he's racked up 732 yards and an average of 5.2 per carry in six games.
Jackson is also 77 yards shy of passing Kain Colter for eighth on the school's all-time rushing list.
While the Wildcats bear down on a bowl, the Boilermakers (2-7, 1-4) will not participate in the postseason for the third time in as many years under Darrell Hazell, whose job has been under season-long scrutiny as he enters this game with a 6-27 mark that includes three victories against FCS schools.
Purdue was unable to build on the biggest win of his tenure, getting routed 48-14 at home by Illinois last Saturday one week after a surprising 55-45 victory over Nebraska. A Boilermakers offense that played turnover-free and rolled up 457 yards against the Cornhuskers reverted to form against the Illini, finishing with 263 yards and a pair of giveaways, while the defense was gashed for a season-worst 382 rushing yards and 595 overall.
Trying to slow down Jackson could prove too much for a Boilermakers run defense that ranks 107th among FBS teams at 205.1 yards allowed per game. He had a 68-yard scoring run and finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns when Northwestern rolled to a 38-14 victory at Purdue on Nov. 22.
Trying to slow down Jackson could prove too much for a Boilermakers run defense that ranks 107th among FBS teams at 205.1 yards allowed per game. He had a 68-yard scoring run and finished with 147 yards and two touchdowns when Northwestern rolled to a 38-14 victory at Purdue on Nov. 22.
"A lot has to do with the maturity of the football team, being able to handle that adverse situation early in football games," Hazell said when asked about his team's inconsistency. "I think if you can get a spark, that will get things to start to roll, but we need that spark on Saturday in some phase of that game early."
Clemson-Syracuse Preview.
By PETE IACOBELLI
Clemson faces perhaps its most difficult challenge now that the top-ranked Tigers have successfully navigated the toughest games out of the way, avoiding missteps on the way to the College Football Playoffs.
The top-ranked Tigers (9-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference; No. 1 CFP) made a strong statement with their 23-13 victory over Florida State in their much anticipated showdown last Saturday. The victory clinched a berth in the ACC championship game, but between now and the title contest, Clemson faces three opponents where the only statements the Tigers can make to the playoff selection committee are bad.
Clemson plays struggling Syracuse (3-6, 1-4) on Saturday, but even a video game-type blowout victory and the Tigers would have only done what's expected. Lose, and it's likely bye-bye national title hopes.
Clemson plays struggling Syracuse (3-6, 1-4) on Saturday, but even a video game-type blowout victory and the Tigers would have only done what's expected. Lose, and it's likely bye-bye national title hopes.
''Right now, it is what it is,'' Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson said. ''We just have to go back to work and keep doing what we're doing.''
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney has drilled the one-game-season approach into his players all year. Swinney's reasoning is sound: If you lose to lesser opponents, it does not matter what you've done against the big boys.
Clemson's used that blueprint to win 12 consecutive games dating to last season and rise to No. 1 for the first time since it captured its lone national championship in 1981.
Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott understands too well the pitfalls of losing focus.
He was freshman receiver for the Tigers in 2000 when the team's 8-0 start dissolved into a 1-3 finish. Elliott was Clemson's first-year running backs coach in 2011 and was sickened when that team lost three of its final four regular-season games after also opening 8-0.
He was freshman receiver for the Tigers in 2000 when the team's 8-0 start dissolved into a 1-3 finish. Elliott was Clemson's first-year running backs coach in 2011 and was sickened when that team lost three of its final four regular-season games after also opening 8-0.
Elliott said senior leaders like offensive linemen Eric Mac Lain and Ryan Norton, along with running back Zac Brooks and receiver Charone Peake set the tone for younger players by keeping focused.
''We've been in similar situations where we're having success and we didn't handle the success right,'' Elliott said. ''So they're constantly reminded of that.''
On paper, Syracuse does not look like much of challenge for high-powered Tigers.
The Orange have given up at least 41 points in four of their past five losses. They allowed 34 straight points in a 41-17 defeat to Louisville last weekend for their sixth consecutive loss. Plus, Syracuse has lost to Clemson each of the past two seasons while getting held to a combined 20 points.
''Obviously, we've got to win more games to improve and do the things that we want to do and reach our goals, but it's the way you approach the difficult times that makes you a good character young man,'' Orange coach Scott Shafer said. ''That's our focus right now.''
Clemson is chasing the biggest prize in the game, albeit one step at a time.
Backup guard Maverick Morris, who subbed for injured starter Tyrone Crowder against Florida State, broke into a grin when asked about the series of milestones the team achieved in the past week, including its first win over the perennial ACC champion Seminoles in four years.
''It's nice,'' he said. ''But we don't go around bragging, 'We're No. 1.'''
At least not yet.
After Syracuse, the Tigers close their home schedule - they've won 15 straight at Death Valley - against Wake Forest (3-6) before ending at the rival Gamecocks, who have lost two of three games since iconic coach Steve Spurrier's resignation in mid-October.
Watson also faces the distraction of a rising Heisman Trophy profile. After entering the season as a contender, Watson's sluggish early play dropped from the top tier of Heisman chasers. But his play over the past month (he's accounted for 13 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 yards the past four games) has lifted him back to the running.
''Obviously, we've got to win more games to improve and do the things that we want to do and reach our goals, but it's the way you approach the difficult times that makes you a good character young man,'' Orange coach Scott Shafer said. ''That's our focus right now.''
Clemson is chasing the biggest prize in the game, albeit one step at a time.
Backup guard Maverick Morris, who subbed for injured starter Tyrone Crowder against Florida State, broke into a grin when asked about the series of milestones the team achieved in the past week, including its first win over the perennial ACC champion Seminoles in four years.
''It's nice,'' he said. ''But we don't go around bragging, 'We're No. 1.'''
At least not yet.
After Syracuse, the Tigers close their home schedule - they've won 15 straight at Death Valley - against Wake Forest (3-6) before ending at the rival Gamecocks, who have lost two of three games since iconic coach Steve Spurrier's resignation in mid-October.
Watson also faces the distraction of a rising Heisman Trophy profile. After entering the season as a contender, Watson's sluggish early play dropped from the top tier of Heisman chasers. But his play over the past month (he's accounted for 13 touchdowns and nearly 1,500 yards the past four games) has lifted him back to the running.
''I am?'' Watson asked playfully.
The outside noise won't bother the Tigers much, said senior defensive tackle D.J. Reader.
''We've been waiting a long time for this,'' he said. ''We're excited for what we have in front of us.''
NCAABKB: Blue blood programs shut out of preseason AP All-America team.
By Kyle Ringo
It doesn't happen often, but every now and then a college basketball season begins without a player from one of the sport's blue blood programs being named to the Associated Press All-American first team.
It doesn't happen often, but every now and then a college basketball season begins without a player from one of the sport's blue blood programs being named to the Associated Press All-American first team.
This is one of those seasons.
The AP preseason team was released Monday and it featured four familiar names to college hoops fans and one newcomer. Gonzaga’s Kyle Wiltjer, who began his career at Kentucky, received more votes than any other player. He is joined on the team by fellow seniors in Iowa State forward Georges Niang and Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield.
Providence junior guard Kris Dunn is widely considered the most NBA ready player in college basketball entering the 2015-16 season, which begins Friday. And LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons is the new guy and is a player fans around the nation are eager to see play.
All-America teams in the sport almost always include at least one player from Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina or UCLA the teams universally considered the blue bloods of the college game. It's true whether you're talking about the preseason or postseason teams.
But it's not as if those programs annually dominate the All-America selections. The 2013 preseason team for instance, included only Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins as a blue blood representative and the only such player on the 2012 preseason AP team was Indiana forward Cody Zeller.
The last time the postseason AP All-America team didn't include at least one player from blue blood schools was the 2003-04 season when Josh Childress from Stanford, Ryan Gomes from Providence, Jameer Nelson from Saint Joseph's, Emeka Okafor from UConn and Lawrence Roberts from Mississippi State were honored.
UConn is certainly about as close as it gets to a blue blood program but isn't technically considered one and certainly wasn't at the time that 2003-04 team was selected.
Fans who don't cheer for blue blood programs will certainly see this as a positive harbinger for the season to come. While fans of those traditional powers probably won't lose much sleep. Each of those six blue blood rosters features plenty of talent and several of those teams should contend for a national title again this year. The postseason All-America team could look much different in April.
Ray Rice Offers Surprisingly Insightful Comments on Greg Hardy's Domestic Violence.
By Julie Zeilinger
NFL player Ray Rice was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife in February 2014. While some on the Baltimore Ravens initially defended their teammate, Rice's NFL contract was terminated after video of the incident surfaced. Now a free agent, it seems that these punitive actions may have led Rice to understand the magnitude of his actions.
When asked about the photo evidence published Friday of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's physical abuse of his ex-girlfriend, Rice argued that claims of domestic violence should be taken seriously regardless of photographic evidence.
NFL player Ray Rice was arrested and charged with assaulting his wife in February 2014. While some on the Baltimore Ravens initially defended their teammate, Rice's NFL contract was terminated after video of the incident surfaced. Now a free agent, it seems that these punitive actions may have led Rice to understand the magnitude of his actions.
When asked about the photo evidence published Friday of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy's physical abuse of his ex-girlfriend, Rice argued that claims of domestic violence should be taken seriously regardless of photographic evidence.
"It really shouldn't take photos or anything to understand the severity of domestic violence," he told ESPN's SportsCenter on Sunday. "It happens every eight seconds, as we speak." Rice then offered his condolences to all domestic violence survivors.
"I totally understand what my visual did and the effect it had on society and the survivors of domestic violence," Rice said. Rice added that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions and now has "made a lifelong decision" to raising awareness about this issue, in no small part out of consideration for his own daughter as well as the fact that parents dissuading their children from looking to him as a role model "haunts" him.
Addressing domestic violence in sports. Between 2006 and 2014, 50 domestic violence cases were pursued against NFL players, USA Today reported in 2014. However, 14 of these cases yielded only minor suspensions (usually just one game) and 16 cases didn't warrant any suspension at all. Fifteen players — mostly marginal players — were not resigned to NFL teams after their arrests, according to USA Today.
While NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a letter to NFL owners that they "had to do better," many have argued that the league's concerted efforts to address domestic violence have been few and inadequate. Rather than implement preventative measures, for example, the league has responded retroactively, Mike Tanier argued at Bleacher Report. One representative from the National Network to End Domestic Violence told Refinery29 that training imparted to new players is "far too brief to have real impact."
"Anybody, in my opinion, who lays a hand on a woman, I don't care who you are, my friend: You never come back in this league," Bradshaw said during one Fox NFL Sunday pre-game show, according to the Huffington Post. "I really, really seriously hope, eventually, we never have a place in the NFL for people who ... strike a woman."
Hopefully, other players — and the NFL at large — will heed these calls and truly commit to addressing the violence that pervades their organization and, in doing so, set an example for their millions of viewers and fans.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1868 - The first indoor amateur track and field meet was held by the New York Athletic Club.
1944 - The New York Rangers set an NHL record of 25 games without a win (0-21-4).
1946 - The New York Knickerbockers (later the Knicks) played their first game at Madison Square Garden. New York lost the game 78-68 to Chicago.
1963 - Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings) tied Rocket Richard's record of 544 career goals.
1981 - Fernando Valenzuela (L.A. Dodgers) became the first pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young award in the same season.
1981 - The Minnesota North Stars scored 8 goals in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets. The North Stars won the game 15-2.
1984 - The Houston Oilers ended their streak of 23 consecutive road losses when they beat Kansas City 17-16.
1990 - Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs) set an NFL record when he had 7 sacks in a game against the Seahawks.
1997 - Roger Clemens (Toronto Blue Jays) became the third major league player to win the Cy Young Award four times.
2002 - Barry Bonds became the first major league baseball player to win the leagues Most Valuable Player title five times.
2002 - The NHL suspended Krzysztof Oliwa (New York Rangers) for five games for a cross-check against Grant Marshall (Columbus Bluejackets) on November 9. Coach Bryan Trottier (New York Rangers) was suspended for two games for sending several enforcers on the ice for the final 2.5 seconds of the same game.
2004 - Shaquille O'Neal (Miami Heat) hit 22,000 career points.
1944 - The New York Rangers set an NHL record of 25 games without a win (0-21-4).
1946 - The New York Knickerbockers (later the Knicks) played their first game at Madison Square Garden. New York lost the game 78-68 to Chicago.
1963 - Gordie Howe (Detroit Red Wings) tied Rocket Richard's record of 544 career goals.
1981 - Fernando Valenzuela (L.A. Dodgers) became the first pitcher to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young award in the same season.
1981 - The Minnesota North Stars scored 8 goals in the second period against the Winnipeg Jets. The North Stars won the game 15-2.
1984 - The Houston Oilers ended their streak of 23 consecutive road losses when they beat Kansas City 17-16.
1990 - Derrick Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs) set an NFL record when he had 7 sacks in a game against the Seahawks.
1997 - Roger Clemens (Toronto Blue Jays) became the third major league player to win the Cy Young Award four times.
2002 - Barry Bonds became the first major league baseball player to win the leagues Most Valuable Player title five times.
2002 - The NHL suspended Krzysztof Oliwa (New York Rangers) for five games for a cross-check against Grant Marshall (Columbus Bluejackets) on November 9. Coach Bryan Trottier (New York Rangers) was suspended for two games for sending several enforcers on the ice for the final 2.5 seconds of the same game.
2004 - Shaquille O'Neal (Miami Heat) hit 22,000 career points.
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