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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him." ~ Henry Miller, Writer
Trending: Bears playing for this year and next year in 2015's final stretch. (See football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Retiring soccer great Wambach says US must fire Klinsmann. What's Your Take? (See the soccer section for details).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings Preview.
By Alan Ferguson
The Minnesota Vikings are still in good shape for a playoff berth and the NFC North crown remains well within reach.
A short-handed defense, however, could make it difficult for them to earn a key victory in Sunday's visit from the Chicago Bears.
Minnesota (8-5) has a two-game lead on a postseason spot even after back-to-back losses and is just one game behind Green Bay in the division. The Vikings end the regular season with a visit to the Packers on Jan. 3.
They'll first try to return to their winning ways against a team that's on the verge of elimination.
It's unknown how many defensive starters will be healthy enough to face Chicago (5-8) after Minnesota had four missing in a 23-20 loss in Arizona on Dec. 10: linebacker Anthony Barr (groin/hand), nose tackle Linval Joseph (foot), and safeties Andrew Sendejo (knee) and Harrison Smith (hamstring).
Joseph missed a second straight game and backup linebacker Brandon Watts was also out with a rib injury.
Sendejo, Smith and Watts reportedly practiced this week, but the statuses of Barr and Joseph are a little murkier and now defensive end Everson Griffen (shoulder) didn't practice Wednesday.
"The reason you have a football team, that you comprise a football team of two and three deep is because there's injuries," said cornerback Terence Newman, who moved to safety against the Cardinals. "There's 100 percent injury rate. So, the coaches do a good job of finding guys that are able to fit in to what they like to do; guys that, first off know what to do and know how to do it."
The Vikings were also forced to use rookies Anthony Harris and Trae Waynes in the secondary, and first-year defensive tackle Edmond Robinson made his first start.
"I think guys grew a little bit of confidence, the guys who went out there and stepped up," Harris said. "It's just all about believing in one another. I feel like guys definitely believed in us going out there. It brings a little more to it, I think."
The Vikings were also forced to use rookies Anthony Harris and Trae Waynes in the secondary, and first-year defensive tackle Edmond Robinson made his first start.
"I think guys grew a little bit of confidence, the guys who went out there and stepped up," Harris said. "It's just all about believing in one another. I feel like guys definitely believed in us going out there. It brings a little more to it, I think."
Minnesota is close to securing its first playoff berth since 2012, and there's an outside chance the Vikings could clinch one Sunday. That would begin with getting a win or tie against Chicago and the completion of some complicated scenarios involving losses or ties from Tampa Bay, Washington, the New York Giants, Atlanta, Philadelphia or Seattle.
The Bears, meanwhile, are on the verge of elimination following back-to-back losses that featured missed field goals from the usually reliable Robbie Gould. The veteran kicker, who has converted at 85.1 percent for his career, missed a tying 50-yard try with 1:40 remaining in a 24-21 loss to Washington last Sunday.
Gould missed from even closer - 36 yards - in the final seconds of regulation in a 26-20 overtime defeat to San Francisco on Dec. 6.
"My teammates rely on me, and the last two weeks I just haven't got it done," he said.
Gould went 2 for 3 against Minnesota last month and converted a season-best 55-yard attempt, but a 51-yard miss in the third quarter proved significant in a 23-20 loss.
Blair Walsh's 36-yarder as time expired gave the Vikings their second win in the past 15 trips to Chicago and a chance for their first season sweep since 2007.
Adrian Peterson had 103 yards on 20 carries in the first meeting and faces another favorable matchup with a Bears defense that allows an average of 4.7 yards per carry to rank 30th in the NFL.
Gould went 2 for 3 against Minnesota last month and converted a season-best 55-yard attempt, but a 51-yard miss in the third quarter proved significant in a 23-20 loss.
Blair Walsh's 36-yarder as time expired gave the Vikings their second win in the past 15 trips to Chicago and a chance for their first season sweep since 2007.
Adrian Peterson had 103 yards on 20 carries in the first meeting and faces another favorable matchup with a Bears defense that allows an average of 4.7 yards per carry to rank 30th in the NFL.
The Vikings have won the last three home meetings and the past four in Minnesota have been decided by a combined 18 points. Teddy Bridgewater's 44-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter proved key in a 13-9 win Dec. 28.
That was Chicago's final game under Marc Trestman, and current coach John Fox is 2-2 there all-time. He's also led the Bears to three consecutive road wins and put them on the verge of their longest road streak since a five-game run in 2010.
Fox's team is also dealing with ailments on the defensive side with safety Antrel Rolle (knee) going on injured reserve Monday. Linebacker Pernell McPhee didn't play against Washington because of a nagging knee injury.
Marquess Wilson sat out with an ailing foot, and fellow receiver Kevin White officially will have to wait for his NFL debut. The No. 7 overall pick is remaining on the physically unable to perform list because of a stress fracture in his left leg.
Bears playing for this year and next year in 2015's final stretch.
By John Mullin
From the day of his arrival as Bears coach, John Fox has been about the business of reshaping the culture, beginning with minicamps, OTAs, training camp and even into added emphasis on winning in the preseason. The changed mindset was apparent through the early regular season, with the Bears shaking off even a shutout loss at Seattle to rebound with two comeback wins to start the climb in the right direction.
But now a Bears team that had just won three out of four (all three on the road) has lost three out of four (all three at home) in gut-twisting fashion, all with missed efforts to tie or win within the final seconds. The nature and number of the losses could conceivably undo some of the positive culture change sought by Fox and his staff.
“All of us are ultimately trying to get better every week,” Fox said. “That, in turn, will at some point flow into next season.”
Unless the Bears are different than most of the NFL — or mankind, for that matter — the result of repeated defeats and the missed opportunities will leave scar tissue.
“We just have to get back to work, put it behind us,” defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins insisted. “It’s that simple.”
But is it?
Contrary to the claim that every season is its own entity and momentum does not carry over, the reality is that there can be scar tissue that carries over into the offseason. That, like it or not, in fact adds urgency to the Bears’ final three games. Confidence can be built or shaken, and people have memories.
“Last year we finished good, and I think that gave us, maybe, a push into the offseason and kind of go from there,” Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “Guys felt good about being here.”
Zimmer has had to deal with a slump in team confidence, surprising perhaps in a Vikings team standing 8-5 and in possession of the sixth playoff spot.
After the Bears were shut out in Week 3 by the Seahawks, they rebounded. The Vikings won five in a row to reach 7-2, but after they were crushed by the Seahawks, 38-7, two weeks ago, they suffered a crisis of confidence that might have leaked over into last weekend in a loss to Arizona.
“We just got our butts kicked pretty bad against Seattle,” Zimmer said. “It was a game we just didn’t do anything well — special teams, offense or defense. I just think sometimes that causes you a little bit of doubt maybe, but we have a pretty resilient group.”
The Bears have been resilient. So far.
After losing the first three, they rallied for two wins. They failed to win a third (OT loss in Detroit) and reach .500 and lost two straight. Then they again rallied, with road wins over San Diego and St. Louis six days apart. The loss to Denver, then the Thanksgiving win at Green Bay.
Then the San Francisco and Washington losses, the third two-loss brace this season.
Fox hasn’t had to coach back from two straight losses since early in the 2012 season with the Denver Broncos, who then ripped off 12 wins in the next 13 games. But this is not then, and the Bears are not a team with Champ Bailey, Peyton Manning, Von Miller and Demaryius Thomas in Pro Bowl seasons.
Fox is in fact coaching for the present as prelude for the future.
“Our goals are no different right now than they were five weeks ago, four weeks ago, two weeks ago, last week,” Fox said. “We’re trying to get better, improve, evaluate our team and do everything we can to get better as a team.”
This year. And next.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Top line on full display as Blackhawks shut out Oilers.
But now a Bears team that had just won three out of four (all three on the road) has lost three out of four (all three at home) in gut-twisting fashion, all with missed efforts to tie or win within the final seconds. The nature and number of the losses could conceivably undo some of the positive culture change sought by Fox and his staff.
“All of us are ultimately trying to get better every week,” Fox said. “That, in turn, will at some point flow into next season.”
Unless the Bears are different than most of the NFL — or mankind, for that matter — the result of repeated defeats and the missed opportunities will leave scar tissue.
“We just have to get back to work, put it behind us,” defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins insisted. “It’s that simple.”
But is it?
Contrary to the claim that every season is its own entity and momentum does not carry over, the reality is that there can be scar tissue that carries over into the offseason. That, like it or not, in fact adds urgency to the Bears’ final three games. Confidence can be built or shaken, and people have memories.
“Last year we finished good, and I think that gave us, maybe, a push into the offseason and kind of go from there,” Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “Guys felt good about being here.”
Zimmer has had to deal with a slump in team confidence, surprising perhaps in a Vikings team standing 8-5 and in possession of the sixth playoff spot.
After the Bears were shut out in Week 3 by the Seahawks, they rebounded. The Vikings won five in a row to reach 7-2, but after they were crushed by the Seahawks, 38-7, two weeks ago, they suffered a crisis of confidence that might have leaked over into last weekend in a loss to Arizona.
“We just got our butts kicked pretty bad against Seattle,” Zimmer said. “It was a game we just didn’t do anything well — special teams, offense or defense. I just think sometimes that causes you a little bit of doubt maybe, but we have a pretty resilient group.”
The Bears have been resilient. So far.
After losing the first three, they rallied for two wins. They failed to win a third (OT loss in Detroit) and reach .500 and lost two straight. Then they again rallied, with road wins over San Diego and St. Louis six days apart. The loss to Denver, then the Thanksgiving win at Green Bay.
Then the San Francisco and Washington losses, the third two-loss brace this season.
Fox hasn’t had to coach back from two straight losses since early in the 2012 season with the Denver Broncos, who then ripped off 12 wins in the next 13 games. But this is not then, and the Bears are not a team with Champ Bailey, Peyton Manning, Von Miller and Demaryius Thomas in Pro Bowl seasons.
Fox is in fact coaching for the present as prelude for the future.
“Our goals are no different right now than they were five weeks ago, four weeks ago, two weeks ago, last week,” Fox said. “We’re trying to get better, improve, evaluate our team and do everything we can to get better as a team.”
This year. And next.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Top line on full display as Blackhawks shut out Oilers.
By Tracey Myers
The Blackhawks’ top line has shown decent glimpses of what it can do. On Thursday it was on full display.
Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and an assist and fellow top liners Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa also had three-point nights as the Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-0, at the United Center. Toews had a goal and an assist, and Hossa finished with three assists. Artemi Panarin added his fourth goal of the season late in regulation.
The Blackhawks, however, might be without Marcus Kruger. The fourth-line center slid hard into the boards in the second period and immediately headed to the bench, favoring his left hand/wrist. He went to the locker room not long after and never returned. Coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that he should know more about Kruger’s status on Friday. He did not know if Kruger’s injury is serious or not.
Corey Crawford stopped all 33 shots he faced for his third shutout in his past four games. Crawford has allowed just four goals in his last six starts. Crawford said his focus and the Blackhawks’ defense were both good on Thursday.
“My thoughts are our defensive game is strong again, guys who come back for our D, second opportunities,” Crawford said. “We’re getting rid of pucks in front of the net and tying up guys.”
Offensively, it was the top-line show for the Blackhawks. Toews gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the first period. Teravainen scored his first of the night in the second period, waiting in the slot and firing immediately after getting the pass from Toews.
“Certainly have a lot of upside there and a lot of potential for production. Defensively you know there’s a lot of reliability,” coach Joel Quenneville said of that line. “Nice to see them being a threat off the rush, and they had the puck in the zone as well. It was a dangerous line tonight; nice to see the finish. They’re starting to get more chances and nice to see them go in for once.”
Teravainen scored his second of the night with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, tapping in a rebound near the Oilers net. The young Finn, who looked so hesitant playing with Toews and Hossa earlier this season, has looked more confident since that line was reassembled.
“We’re getting to know each other better every game and just get the feel for each other, the confidence going,” Teravainen said. “We need a couple of good ones to get us going, and we have to find our confidence and have some fun on the ice. Sometimes we get too angry with ourselves. We have to make good plays, stay patient.”
The Blackhawks were looking for a good rebound game following Tuesday’s all-too-quiet loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Crawford was once again doing his part in net. And the Blackhawks’ top line is becoming the possible force Quenneville envisioned at the start of this season.
“They looked fast out there, made some good plays and were able to finish off a lot of their chances tonight,” Duncan Keith said. “Obviously they’re a huge part of our offense and our team game. When they’re able to capitalize, it makes us that much harder to play against.”
Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and an assist and fellow top liners Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa also had three-point nights as the Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-0, at the United Center. Toews had a goal and an assist, and Hossa finished with three assists. Artemi Panarin added his fourth goal of the season late in regulation.
The Blackhawks, however, might be without Marcus Kruger. The fourth-line center slid hard into the boards in the second period and immediately headed to the bench, favoring his left hand/wrist. He went to the locker room not long after and never returned. Coach Joel Quenneville said after the game that he should know more about Kruger’s status on Friday. He did not know if Kruger’s injury is serious or not.
Corey Crawford stopped all 33 shots he faced for his third shutout in his past four games. Crawford has allowed just four goals in his last six starts. Crawford said his focus and the Blackhawks’ defense were both good on Thursday.
“My thoughts are our defensive game is strong again, guys who come back for our D, second opportunities,” Crawford said. “We’re getting rid of pucks in front of the net and tying up guys.”
Offensively, it was the top-line show for the Blackhawks. Toews gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the first period. Teravainen scored his first of the night in the second period, waiting in the slot and firing immediately after getting the pass from Toews.
“Certainly have a lot of upside there and a lot of potential for production. Defensively you know there’s a lot of reliability,” coach Joel Quenneville said of that line. “Nice to see them being a threat off the rush, and they had the puck in the zone as well. It was a dangerous line tonight; nice to see the finish. They’re starting to get more chances and nice to see them go in for once.”
Teravainen scored his second of the night with less than four minutes remaining in regulation, tapping in a rebound near the Oilers net. The young Finn, who looked so hesitant playing with Toews and Hossa earlier this season, has looked more confident since that line was reassembled.
“We’re getting to know each other better every game and just get the feel for each other, the confidence going,” Teravainen said. “We need a couple of good ones to get us going, and we have to find our confidence and have some fun on the ice. Sometimes we get too angry with ourselves. We have to make good plays, stay patient.”
The Blackhawks were looking for a good rebound game following Tuesday’s all-too-quiet loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Crawford was once again doing his part in net. And the Blackhawks’ top line is becoming the possible force Quenneville envisioned at the start of this season.
“They looked fast out there, made some good plays and were able to finish off a lot of their chances tonight,” Duncan Keith said. “Obviously they’re a huge part of our offense and our team game. When they’re able to capitalize, it makes us that much harder to play against.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls Preview.
By JEFF MEZYDLO
The Chicago Bulls continue to take advantage of playing at home.
That's usually been the case when they face the Detroit Pistons.
"On to the next game."
They've beaten the Pistons in 17 of the last 18 regular-season meetings at the United Center, holding them to an average of 86.7 points. Detroit (15-12) reached 100 once during that stretch.
Amid fuss over starting five, Bulls bench finding its groove.
By Vincent Goodwill
Of all the shuffling to find the right mix and energy for the starting five, the Bulls have seemingly stumbled upon an identity and consistency with their bench.
Perhaps unknowingly, moving Nikola Mirotic to the bench in favor of Taj Gibson to play with Doug McDermott and Joakim Noah has turned the second unit into a ball moving, sharpshooting group that can raise holy hell on opponents.
And suddenly it seems both groups are finding a comfort level with each other, though one can say the bench is a few steps ahead of forming an identity than the starters.
Noah starts as a hub offensively, with cutters and movers all around. It’s led to decisive actions from McDermott and Mirotic either to the basket or on the perimeter. Being quick, yet not in a hurry or out of control has paid plenty of dividends for the group.
McDermott hit four triples in the Bulls’ 98-85 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, most of them coming in the fourth quarter when Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler were resting and the Bulls were fighting their season-long trend of giving up decent-sized leads.
Mirotic nailed five triples in the Bulls’ 115-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, a game that saw the Bulls trailing at halftime before waking up.
Noah, perhaps still the emotional leader of this entire bunch, had a tangible impact in Saturday’s 98-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans with 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and four blocks.
If one thinks about it, all likely believed they’d be starters going into the season, with big minutes and even bigger effects. But they've seemed to settle into their roles now, which can be easily accepted under the guise of winning.
“You know what, it is a very unselfish team,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “When guys are accepting of change and roles, they may not always like it but they're accepting of it, they don't complain about it and it's important. If you change something based on what you see, it's easier on the coach when guys accept it.”
Noah can cover McDermott and Mirotic’s deficiencies on defense, so long as they put forth effort to provide some resistance to offensive players, and the Bulls are a top-three rebounding team whenever Noah is on the floor, so they can close possessions better.
Mirotic and McDermott’s presence makes it easier for him to be a playmaker on offense without clogging up the driving lanes, because at the least, he’s active and not just an afterthought.
“Yeah, that and I think offensively it just gives us another spacer out there with you,” Hoiberg said. “Jo and Taj had pretty good chemistry as far as the high-low stuff, but this opens up the paint a little bit, it gets Doug more dribble-handoff type actions. You've got a true floor spacer out there with Niko. With the way the two five-man groups are playing, I think it's a little bit better fit.”
Mirotic didn’t take his demotion as one and has been more decisive in shooting — perhaps by the osmosis of watching McDermott launch whenever he’s open.
“He was great,” said Hoiberg of the conversation he had with Mirotic. “He said whatever feels best for the team, I talked to him about the different role that he was going to have.”
McDermott has benefitted from Hoiberg’s system more than anyone, knowing he has the freedom to launch triples at virtually any time so long as it’s a good shot, and playing with Butler and Rose leaves defenses stressed out and stretched thin, when he’s on.
Aside from a scoreless game against the Clippers, McDermott has been consistent in recent memory, scoring in double figures in six of the last eight games and for the season, he’s shooting 44 percent from 3, good for eighth in the league.
Safe to say, it’s necessary.
“I just feel so much more confident. Last year I was kind of scared out there,” McDermott said. “It starts with the defensive end, I’m starting to understand things more. And I don’t think about stuff on offense much either. I really want the ball. I feel like I can make it the majority of time.”
And they need this group to play with continuity while the starters catches up.
Rose, Butler lead Bulls to efficient win over Grizzlies. (Wednesday night's game, 12/16/2015).
By Vincent Goodwill
The narrative surrounding the Bulls dictates a team that goes nine deep and has more who are capable of playing heavy, productive minutes, giving Fred Hoiberg the best of options if he so chooses.
But Wednesday night displayed who the real Chicago Bulls are, or at least who they should aim to be this season.
Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler leading the charge and everybody else following behind, and Rose told his coach after shoot-a-round he would have a great game.
The guard duo had arguably its most complete and efficient game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies, combining for 43 points on 41 shots and it led to an 98-85 win at the United Center, a sight for sore eyes, so to speak.
If Hoiberg had any doubt to Rose’s text message vow, Rose hit three field goals in the first four minutes, being more aggressive to start than he’d been in the last game against Philadelphia as a whole.
“You could see it on the first possession. He really went hard to the basket,” Hoiberg said. “I loved his energy. He set the tone right from the start."
Doug McDermott hit big triples in the second half to keep the Grizzlies at bay while Butler and Rose were on the bench, and Aaron Brooks hit one to offset an uneven ballgame.
Rose had silky, under control drives with confident finishes at the rim while Jimmy Butler started off hitting tough shots but decided to make the game easier as the night went on.
Rose finished with 19 and five assists while Butler lead the Bulls with 24, four rebounds and four assists. McDermott hit four triples to score 17 as the Bulls hit nine triples to the Grizzlies’ five, albeit on 26 percent shooting.
“People want me to go out and shoot 25, 30 times,” Rose said. “You have to wait, especially being the point guard. You gotta see who’s hot. We have to find our identity as a team and we’re trying to figure all that out early in the season, too.”
The backcourt took nearly half the shots but it was necessary and welcomed, as they for once, dictated the terms of the evening together and in concert.
“They were absolutely playing off each other, they were taking turns on the ball screens,” Hoiberg said. “We did a better job getting their bigs away from the basket.”
Rose admitted he wants to elevate his level of play and considering he’s had the luxury of the Bulls being one game out of the top spot in the East despite a choppy start.
Sometimes unsure, many times passive, Rose shook himself from his lethargy and illness to produce an impactful game.
“We’ll see. Jimmy’s been playing consistent,” Rose said. “He’s been playing great basketball. I gotta come along. It may become that but we still have to find that identity.”
Butler and Rose were the catalysts in the third quarter, after the Bulls had a turnover-filled end to the first half where only Butler hit field goals in the last five minutes of the second quarter, allowing the Grizzlies to take a 3-point halftime lead.
Butler had steals for layups while Rose had an impressive stretch where he took control of matters. He cleanly penetrated to the rim before Marc Gasol came over to help, leaving the lane open for Pau Gasol for a layup and 3-point play.
Then Rose beat Mike Conley off the dribble for an easy layup before following it up with a steal off Conley and another layup. By the end of the third, the Bulls held the Grizzlies to just 13 points and only needed to actually finish the ballgame in the way they didn’t finish the first half.
“I think our leadership came from the right people,” said Joakim Noah, who had six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.
Pau Gasol didn’t do much scoring but he didn’t force his offense, becoming the 10th Bull to make a field goal early in the third quarter and his 3-point play with a little over three minutes left gave the Bulls an 11-point lead he played solid defense on his brother, the Grizzlies’ leading scorer, to just eight points. Wings Courtney Lee and Jeff Green, who seemed to be more featured than Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph as Randolph comes off the bench for a smaller starting unit, could only keep up for so long.
Lee went scoreless in the fourth to finish with 18, and Rose did a good job defending Conley, holding the cagey guard to just eight points on 3 of 13 shooting.
The Bulls are struggling to find an identity while winning but for this night, the identity revealed itself—and the Bulls shouldn’t run from it.
That's usually been the case when they face the Detroit Pistons.
The Bulls can continue that dominance of the Pistons at the United Center by completing a perfect five-game homestand Friday night.
Chicago (15-8) has consistently shined while going 11-3 at home. No team has played away from home less than the Bulls, who have gone 4-5 on the road. In home games, the Bulls lead the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage (40.8) and rank second in points allowed at 93.8 per contest.
Since giving up an average of 103.3 points during a three-game slide, Chicago has yielded 88.8 per game through the first four of this homestand. The Bulls haven't won five straight anywhere since last December.
"(There's) a great vibe," guard Derrick Rose said after scoring 19 in Wednesday's 98-85 win over Memphis. "As long as we're winning games we don't care about anything else. Everything else gets swept under the rug. We're playing together, finishing games together.
"On to the next game."
They've beaten the Pistons in 17 of the last 18 regular-season meetings at the United Center, holding them to an average of 86.7 points. Detroit (15-12) reached 100 once during that stretch.
The Pistons, though, won the only meeting this season with a 98-94 overtime victory Oct. 30 in Detroit as they held Rose to eight points on 4-of-13 shooting with five turnovers. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 23 points and has totaled 47 in his last two contests.
The Pistons are 2-8 in road games since winning their first three. They hadn't surpassed 100 points during that stretch, averaging 89.6, before winning 107-95 at league-worst Philadelphia last Friday.
Beginning with that victory, Detroit has averaged 111.8 points and shot 46.6 percent to win three of four. However, the Pistons yielded their second-most points of the season while holding on for a 119-116 win over Boston on Wednesday to close a three-game homestand.
"There were a lot of good things from an offensive standpoint," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We didn't play very good defense."
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored a career-high 31 on 10-of-16 shooting. The third-year guard averaged 12.7 points and shot 38.2 percent in the first 20 games, but he's at 18.3 points and 47.4 percent in the last seven.
''I never lost confidence in myself, because I know offense is one of those things that comes and goes,'' Caldwell-Pope said. ''I just kept playing hard on defense and stuck to my routine. I knew I would start hitting shots at some point.''
One of his worst games of the season came against Chicago, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting. Caldwell-Pope has averaged 7.6 points and shot 36.0 percent in eight career matchups.
One of his worst games of the season came against Chicago, scoring six points on 2-of-12 shooting. Caldwell-Pope has averaged 7.6 points and shot 36.0 percent in eight career matchups.
Pistons leading scorer Reggie Jackson has averaged 24.8 points in the last four games. He's scored 22 in each of the last three against the Bulls while averaging 9.0 assists.
The NBA leader with 23 double-doubles, Andre Drummond recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds against the Bulls in October.
Amid fuss over starting five, Bulls bench finding its groove.
By Vincent Goodwill
Of all the shuffling to find the right mix and energy for the starting five, the Bulls have seemingly stumbled upon an identity and consistency with their bench.
Perhaps unknowingly, moving Nikola Mirotic to the bench in favor of Taj Gibson to play with Doug McDermott and Joakim Noah has turned the second unit into a ball moving, sharpshooting group that can raise holy hell on opponents.
And suddenly it seems both groups are finding a comfort level with each other, though one can say the bench is a few steps ahead of forming an identity than the starters.
Noah starts as a hub offensively, with cutters and movers all around. It’s led to decisive actions from McDermott and Mirotic either to the basket or on the perimeter. Being quick, yet not in a hurry or out of control has paid plenty of dividends for the group.
McDermott hit four triples in the Bulls’ 98-85 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, most of them coming in the fourth quarter when Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler were resting and the Bulls were fighting their season-long trend of giving up decent-sized leads.
Mirotic nailed five triples in the Bulls’ 115-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Monday, a game that saw the Bulls trailing at halftime before waking up.
Noah, perhaps still the emotional leader of this entire bunch, had a tangible impact in Saturday’s 98-94 win over the New Orleans Pelicans with 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists and four blocks.
If one thinks about it, all likely believed they’d be starters going into the season, with big minutes and even bigger effects. But they've seemed to settle into their roles now, which can be easily accepted under the guise of winning.
“You know what, it is a very unselfish team,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “When guys are accepting of change and roles, they may not always like it but they're accepting of it, they don't complain about it and it's important. If you change something based on what you see, it's easier on the coach when guys accept it.”
Noah can cover McDermott and Mirotic’s deficiencies on defense, so long as they put forth effort to provide some resistance to offensive players, and the Bulls are a top-three rebounding team whenever Noah is on the floor, so they can close possessions better.
Mirotic and McDermott’s presence makes it easier for him to be a playmaker on offense without clogging up the driving lanes, because at the least, he’s active and not just an afterthought.
“Yeah, that and I think offensively it just gives us another spacer out there with you,” Hoiberg said. “Jo and Taj had pretty good chemistry as far as the high-low stuff, but this opens up the paint a little bit, it gets Doug more dribble-handoff type actions. You've got a true floor spacer out there with Niko. With the way the two five-man groups are playing, I think it's a little bit better fit.”
Mirotic didn’t take his demotion as one and has been more decisive in shooting — perhaps by the osmosis of watching McDermott launch whenever he’s open.
“He was great,” said Hoiberg of the conversation he had with Mirotic. “He said whatever feels best for the team, I talked to him about the different role that he was going to have.”
McDermott has benefitted from Hoiberg’s system more than anyone, knowing he has the freedom to launch triples at virtually any time so long as it’s a good shot, and playing with Butler and Rose leaves defenses stressed out and stretched thin, when he’s on.
Aside from a scoreless game against the Clippers, McDermott has been consistent in recent memory, scoring in double figures in six of the last eight games and for the season, he’s shooting 44 percent from 3, good for eighth in the league.
Safe to say, it’s necessary.
“I just feel so much more confident. Last year I was kind of scared out there,” McDermott said. “It starts with the defensive end, I’m starting to understand things more. And I don’t think about stuff on offense much either. I really want the ball. I feel like I can make it the majority of time.”
And they need this group to play with continuity while the starters catches up.
Rose, Butler lead Bulls to efficient win over Grizzlies. (Wednesday night's game, 12/16/2015).
By Vincent Goodwill
The narrative surrounding the Bulls dictates a team that goes nine deep and has more who are capable of playing heavy, productive minutes, giving Fred Hoiberg the best of options if he so chooses.
But Wednesday night displayed who the real Chicago Bulls are, or at least who they should aim to be this season.
Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler leading the charge and everybody else following behind, and Rose told his coach after shoot-a-round he would have a great game.
The guard duo had arguably its most complete and efficient game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies, combining for 43 points on 41 shots and it led to an 98-85 win at the United Center, a sight for sore eyes, so to speak.
If Hoiberg had any doubt to Rose’s text message vow, Rose hit three field goals in the first four minutes, being more aggressive to start than he’d been in the last game against Philadelphia as a whole.
“You could see it on the first possession. He really went hard to the basket,” Hoiberg said. “I loved his energy. He set the tone right from the start."
Doug McDermott hit big triples in the second half to keep the Grizzlies at bay while Butler and Rose were on the bench, and Aaron Brooks hit one to offset an uneven ballgame.
Rose had silky, under control drives with confident finishes at the rim while Jimmy Butler started off hitting tough shots but decided to make the game easier as the night went on.
Rose finished with 19 and five assists while Butler lead the Bulls with 24, four rebounds and four assists. McDermott hit four triples to score 17 as the Bulls hit nine triples to the Grizzlies’ five, albeit on 26 percent shooting.
“People want me to go out and shoot 25, 30 times,” Rose said. “You have to wait, especially being the point guard. You gotta see who’s hot. We have to find our identity as a team and we’re trying to figure all that out early in the season, too.”
The backcourt took nearly half the shots but it was necessary and welcomed, as they for once, dictated the terms of the evening together and in concert.
“They were absolutely playing off each other, they were taking turns on the ball screens,” Hoiberg said. “We did a better job getting their bigs away from the basket.”
Rose admitted he wants to elevate his level of play and considering he’s had the luxury of the Bulls being one game out of the top spot in the East despite a choppy start.
Sometimes unsure, many times passive, Rose shook himself from his lethargy and illness to produce an impactful game.
“We’ll see. Jimmy’s been playing consistent,” Rose said. “He’s been playing great basketball. I gotta come along. It may become that but we still have to find that identity.”
Butler and Rose were the catalysts in the third quarter, after the Bulls had a turnover-filled end to the first half where only Butler hit field goals in the last five minutes of the second quarter, allowing the Grizzlies to take a 3-point halftime lead.
Butler had steals for layups while Rose had an impressive stretch where he took control of matters. He cleanly penetrated to the rim before Marc Gasol came over to help, leaving the lane open for Pau Gasol for a layup and 3-point play.
Then Rose beat Mike Conley off the dribble for an easy layup before following it up with a steal off Conley and another layup. By the end of the third, the Bulls held the Grizzlies to just 13 points and only needed to actually finish the ballgame in the way they didn’t finish the first half.
“I think our leadership came from the right people,” said Joakim Noah, who had six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes.
Pau Gasol didn’t do much scoring but he didn’t force his offense, becoming the 10th Bull to make a field goal early in the third quarter and his 3-point play with a little over three minutes left gave the Bulls an 11-point lead he played solid defense on his brother, the Grizzlies’ leading scorer, to just eight points. Wings Courtney Lee and Jeff Green, who seemed to be more featured than Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph as Randolph comes off the bench for a smaller starting unit, could only keep up for so long.
Lee went scoreless in the fourth to finish with 18, and Rose did a good job defending Conley, holding the cagey guard to just eight points on 3 of 13 shooting.
The Bulls are struggling to find an identity while winning but for this night, the identity revealed itself—and the Bulls shouldn’t run from it.
CUBS: What will Joe Maddon’s lineup look like in 2016?
By Patrick Mooney
The short answer is there is no answer – at least in the sense of a static 1-through-9 batting order. It will depend on the matchups, the scouting reports, the hot hands and whatever inspiration strikes Maddon while riding his bike or listening to a Pandora station in his office.
It all starts with Jason Heyward.
Beyond whatever Maddon’s beloved “Geek Department” discovers while sifting through the numbers, this still isn’t fantasy baseball. The Cubs manager needs to find out what makes the new $184 million man tick.
“Lineup-wise, of course, having a conversation with Jason is going to be really important,” said Maddon, who’s bouncing around this old Pennsylvania coal-mining town this week, trying to grow his Hazleton Integration Project through another series of charity events.
“His comfort level regarding hitting leadoff would be an example. I’m not saying he’s going to hit leadoff. I want to know his comfort level before I make up my mind.”
Heyward has a career .353 on-base percentage and three seasons with at least 20 stolen bases on his resume. He’s hit .280 and gotten on base more than 35 percent of the time in 570 plate appearances as a leadoff guy.
Ben Zobrist – who played nine seasons on Maddon’s unconventional Tampa Bay Rays teams – is another fill-in-the-blanks guy who can make contact, hit elite pitching and create even more defensive versatility.
Heyward and Zobrist (.355 career on-base percentage) can set the table for Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber – and set a patient, focused example for a lineup that had boom-or-bust potential.
“Zobrist can hit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9,” Maddon said. “He doesn't care. He’s just out there to win. Primarily, when you look at it, you can start writing names down (and) I do like to go right-left, right-left as often as possible to mitigate the other team’s bullpen.
“However, if I don’t see a real negative left-hander on the other side – Rizzo’s hit lefties really well, so I don’t even look at him as left-handed – you can stack a little bit sometimes based on the other team’s bullpen. Sometimes you really don’t want to stack, because that could really take one of your guys out of the game, based on your ability to match up late.”
The Cubs led the majors with 1,518 strikeouts last season – no other team even reached 1,400 – and featured nine players who finished with double-digit home runs. A Cubs official admitted the New York Mets did a great job of identifying weaknesses and breaking down their young hitters while sweeping the National League Championship Series.
“Rizz has his preferences,” Maddon said. “But you saw what he did last year – he moved up and down great. KB, same thing. Schwarber, again: ‘Hit me wherever, I don’t care.’ The catchers, they’ll probably be more towards the bottom of the batting order. But my biggest concern is balancing out 1, 2, 3, 4 and trying to keep a right-left, right-left kind of component. Zobrist being a switch-hitter helps.”
It’s unclear if Heyward’s left-handed swing and 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame can replicate his 27-homer season with the Atlanta Braves in 2012, or how much more room he still has to grow as a player at the age of 26, after more than 3,400 plate appearances in the big leagues.
Heyward is getting paid like a middle-of-the-order bat, but realistically the Cubs would feel like it’s a good return on their investment if he keeps being a productive hitter, Gold Glove outfielder and strong clubhouse presence.
The point is Theo Epstein's front office is giving an outside-the-box thinker so many options, especially if the Cubs keep Jorge Soler and Javier Baez instead of trading for a young pitcher, and Chris Coghlan and Tommy La Stella become valuable role players again.
“I’ve written a couple things down,” Maddon said, “primarily right-left, right-left, right-left kind of stuff. But conversationally, I need to talk to Jason first. It’s really important. To some guys, it matters a lot. And I really want to know how people feel.”
No doubt, Cubs fans and the national media feel like the possibilities for this team are endless.
Big surprise: Cubs the favorite to win 2016 World Series.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
In a move that should not shock anyone, the Cubs are the favorites to win the 2016 World Series by Bovada's most recent odds.
The Cubs are now listed at 6/1 odds, but they aren't alone atop the World Series odds. The San Francisco Giants - hot on the heels of their big signings of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija - are also pitted at 6/1 odds of winning it all.
It's also an even year, which means the Giants - who won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014 - are natural contenders.
The Cubs have only lost Starlin Castro as a main cog from a team that won 97 games last year and made it to the National League Championship Series.
They've since retooled with starting pitcher John Lackey, utility man/second baseman Ben Zobrist and top free agent position player Jason Heyward while also bringing back Trevor Cahill and adding Rex Brothers and Adam Warren as pitching depth.
The Boston Red Sox are 9/1 favorites for the 2016 title after inking David Price to a megadeal this winter.
Here are the rest of Bovada's Top 10:
4. Kansas City Royals - 14/1
4. New York Mets - 14/1
6. Los Angeles Dodgers - 16/1
6. St. Louis Cardinals - 16/1
6. Toronto Blue Jays - 16/1
9. Houston Astros - 18/1
9. Pittsburgh Pirates - 18/1
9. Washington Nationals - 18/1
The Cubs opened the offseason at 11/1 odds of winning the World Series, which put them alone atop the rankings on Nov. 2.
Robin Ventura: White Sox didn't empty cupboard for Frazier, Lawrie.
By Dan Hayes
Though the White Sox surrendered three major-league ready players in Wednesday’s trade, Robin Ventura likes how his general manager has operated.
Despite making deals for Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, Rick Hahn has managed to keep the cupboard partly stocked with some pretty solid goods. The White Sox have made a push to win now in the primes of Chris Sale and Jose Abreu, yet they’ve managed to retain top prospects Tim Anderson and Carson Fulmer as well as Carlos Rodon.
“Any time you’re giving up some prospects to get somebody like Todd and Brett, you’re trying to put your best foot forward for 2016,” Ventura said. “You’re not really looking that much further down the road. You’re not giving up everything. You still have some guys that Rick had valued very high that wouldn’t have made sense to do this trade. So he did have something in the back that we have some guys coming up that we feel can help us in different positions.”
The White Sox sent Frankie Montas, Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson to the Dodgers in the three-team deal that netted Frazier, a two-time All-Star. Of that group, Montas is considered the big prize as he throws a 100-mph fastball and has worked hard to develop his secondary pitches. Montas -- who entered last season as the No. 91 prospect in baseball -- followed a strong performance in the minors by posting a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings and striking out 20 for the White Sox.
But the “wild card” in the deal, according to one American League scout, is Thompson.
Thompson put himself squarely on the map (the White Sox even touted him as a potential everyday center fielder while in Nashville) with a stellar two-month run in Chicago that far outshined any of his recent minor-league performances.
Though Thompson’s .295/.363/.533 slash line is much-improved over what he produced in the minors, many observers feel Thompson is capable of providing strong defense from all three outfield positions and hitting 20-25 home runs.
One AL scout calls Thompson Chris Young-lite. From 2007-11, Young averaged 23 1/2 home runs and produced 12.5 Wins Above Replacement.
No matter what he does in the future, the White Sox know Thompson’s value improved exponentially because of his 2015 performance. Short of Anderson, Thompson had been one of the most sought after position players in the organization this offseason.
“We saw all the improvements,” Ventura said. “He was a very good player for us. He came up and earned the right to play every day, and that’s why he played every day. I think other teams did their homework. I know the Dodgers did their homework on the three guys they’re getting. They can all do something at the big league level to help you win games.
“For Trayce, it’s just a credit to him of how far he’s come in a year to be able to be included in this.”
Rick Hahn: White Sox to stay 'aggressive on numerous fronts'.
By Dan Hayes
Last time Rick Hahn said something similar, it ultimately resulted in the acquisition of Todd Frazier.
Though the White Sox general manager thinks his team has significantly improved its offense with trades for Frazier and Brett Lawrie and the signings of Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro, Hahn’s roster enhancement might not yet be complete. After a three-team trade on Wednesday netted Frazier, a two-time All-Star third baseman, Hahn wouldn’t rule out more moves when asked about available high-profile players.
“We shall see,” Hahn said. “We’re going to continue to be aggressive on numerous fronts and certainly continue to talk to various free agents as well as other clubs about trades, and we’ll have to see how the coming weeks unfold.”
The White Sox always seem to have a surprise move in their bag. You can attribute that to club chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, whom last offseason one baseball source described as a “wild card” because of his desire to win. Following the club’s 99-loss season in 2013, Reinsdorf said he wished it was a just a bad dream.
Few within the industry could have predicted the team’s three-year contract for Melky Cabrera last December, a shocking move that came on the heels of a deal for David Robertson and trade for Jeff Samardzija.
So while the White Sox have improved at second and third base, where they had the lowest OPS in the majors at each spot in 2015, and believe they’ve upgraded at catcher, they might not be done.
Though Jason Heyward already is off the board, attractive free-agent outfielders Justin Upton, Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes are still available.
After they surrendered Trayce Thompson — their best defensive outfielder — in Wednesday’s deal, the White Sox likely want to improve in that area before the offseason ends.
“We still have a fair amount of time to address that,” Hahn said.
How they’ll address it remains to be seen.
The White Sox have maintained all along they’d like to improve the team without giving away any of their top draft picks. They see their top three picks — all of which should land in the top 45-50 selections of the draft — as a shot in the arm for the farm system.
The team’s first overall pick is protected because the White Sox had the 10th-worst record in the majors last season. But if the White Sox signed Upton or Gordon, they’d have to surrender the compensatory pick — and the all-important signing bonus attached to it — they’ll receive for losing Jeff Samardzija, which is expected to land between No. 25-29 in the draft.
Their preferred method of acquisition this offseason has been through trades or in signing picks that don’t require giving up a pick. But after Wednesday’s move to acquire Frazier, one that makes them more complete than they’ve been in a while, the Reinsdorf competitive factor cannot be ruled out.
“We certainly feel better than we did at the end of the season,” Hahn said. “At the same time, the way we approach things, we are not satisfied at this point. We are going to continue to look for other means of upgrading the club over the coming weeks and months.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Nicklaus sees big challenge awaiting Woods.
Despite making deals for Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie, Rick Hahn has managed to keep the cupboard partly stocked with some pretty solid goods. The White Sox have made a push to win now in the primes of Chris Sale and Jose Abreu, yet they’ve managed to retain top prospects Tim Anderson and Carson Fulmer as well as Carlos Rodon.
“Any time you’re giving up some prospects to get somebody like Todd and Brett, you’re trying to put your best foot forward for 2016,” Ventura said. “You’re not really looking that much further down the road. You’re not giving up everything. You still have some guys that Rick had valued very high that wouldn’t have made sense to do this trade. So he did have something in the back that we have some guys coming up that we feel can help us in different positions.”
The White Sox sent Frankie Montas, Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson to the Dodgers in the three-team deal that netted Frazier, a two-time All-Star. Of that group, Montas is considered the big prize as he throws a 100-mph fastball and has worked hard to develop his secondary pitches. Montas -- who entered last season as the No. 91 prospect in baseball -- followed a strong performance in the minors by posting a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings and striking out 20 for the White Sox.
But the “wild card” in the deal, according to one American League scout, is Thompson.
Thompson put himself squarely on the map (the White Sox even touted him as a potential everyday center fielder while in Nashville) with a stellar two-month run in Chicago that far outshined any of his recent minor-league performances.
Though Thompson’s .295/.363/.533 slash line is much-improved over what he produced in the minors, many observers feel Thompson is capable of providing strong defense from all three outfield positions and hitting 20-25 home runs.
One AL scout calls Thompson Chris Young-lite. From 2007-11, Young averaged 23 1/2 home runs and produced 12.5 Wins Above Replacement.
No matter what he does in the future, the White Sox know Thompson’s value improved exponentially because of his 2015 performance. Short of Anderson, Thompson had been one of the most sought after position players in the organization this offseason.
“We saw all the improvements,” Ventura said. “He was a very good player for us. He came up and earned the right to play every day, and that’s why he played every day. I think other teams did their homework. I know the Dodgers did their homework on the three guys they’re getting. They can all do something at the big league level to help you win games.
“For Trayce, it’s just a credit to him of how far he’s come in a year to be able to be included in this.”
Rick Hahn: White Sox to stay 'aggressive on numerous fronts'.
By Dan Hayes
Last time Rick Hahn said something similar, it ultimately resulted in the acquisition of Todd Frazier.
Though the White Sox general manager thinks his team has significantly improved its offense with trades for Frazier and Brett Lawrie and the signings of Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro, Hahn’s roster enhancement might not yet be complete. After a three-team trade on Wednesday netted Frazier, a two-time All-Star third baseman, Hahn wouldn’t rule out more moves when asked about available high-profile players.
“We shall see,” Hahn said. “We’re going to continue to be aggressive on numerous fronts and certainly continue to talk to various free agents as well as other clubs about trades, and we’ll have to see how the coming weeks unfold.”
The White Sox always seem to have a surprise move in their bag. You can attribute that to club chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, whom last offseason one baseball source described as a “wild card” because of his desire to win. Following the club’s 99-loss season in 2013, Reinsdorf said he wished it was a just a bad dream.
Few within the industry could have predicted the team’s three-year contract for Melky Cabrera last December, a shocking move that came on the heels of a deal for David Robertson and trade for Jeff Samardzija.
So while the White Sox have improved at second and third base, where they had the lowest OPS in the majors at each spot in 2015, and believe they’ve upgraded at catcher, they might not be done.
Though Jason Heyward already is off the board, attractive free-agent outfielders Justin Upton, Alex Gordon and Yoenis Cespedes are still available.
After they surrendered Trayce Thompson — their best defensive outfielder — in Wednesday’s deal, the White Sox likely want to improve in that area before the offseason ends.
“We still have a fair amount of time to address that,” Hahn said.
How they’ll address it remains to be seen.
The White Sox have maintained all along they’d like to improve the team without giving away any of their top draft picks. They see their top three picks — all of which should land in the top 45-50 selections of the draft — as a shot in the arm for the farm system.
The team’s first overall pick is protected because the White Sox had the 10th-worst record in the majors last season. But if the White Sox signed Upton or Gordon, they’d have to surrender the compensatory pick — and the all-important signing bonus attached to it — they’ll receive for losing Jeff Samardzija, which is expected to land between No. 25-29 in the draft.
Their preferred method of acquisition this offseason has been through trades or in signing picks that don’t require giving up a pick. But after Wednesday’s move to acquire Frazier, one that makes them more complete than they’ve been in a while, the Reinsdorf competitive factor cannot be ruled out.
“We certainly feel better than we did at the end of the season,” Hahn said. “At the same time, the way we approach things, we are not satisfied at this point. We are going to continue to look for other means of upgrading the club over the coming weeks and months.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Nicklaus sees big challenge awaiting Woods.
By Larry Fine, Editing by Sudipto Ganguly
Jack Nicklaus believes Tiger Woods will resume his chase of the Golden Bear's all-time record of 18 major professional golf titles but believes he may have trouble with the emerging young guns.
Nicklaus, in New York to accept the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award presented to him by Sports Illustrated magazine on Tuesday, said he thought Woods should make sure he is healed from his back woes before returning to competition.
"I don't know how much he'll return next year. I don't know whether his health will allow him to return next year," Nicklaus told Reuters before being given the award for embodying the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy.
"I know he'll want to, but I think he needs to be patient. Don't come back too soon, let him get healthy."
Woods, who will turn 40 this month, recently revealed he had undergone a second procedure in less than two months on his lower back and third in 18 months and did not know when he would be able to return to practice.
"He's such a great athlete and such a good competitor. I think he'll come back, but don't hurt yourself. Be patient. He's got a lot of good golf left in him," said Nicklaus.
That said, Nicklaus believes Woods will find the competition stiff upon his return.
That said, Nicklaus believes Woods will find the competition stiff upon his return.
"We've got a bunch of young players that are really good. They have benefited from Tiger's misfortune," Nicklaus said of the likes of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy.
"Instead of Tiger just dominating the game, they've had the ability to learn how to win without having somebody dominate over them.
"I firmly believe Tiger will be back and when he does, he's going to have a bunch of guys that are pretty hungry and trying to win and know how to do it."
Asked if he thought his record haul of 18 was safe from Woods, the 75-year-old Nicklaus said: "Who knows? I don't know whether it's safe or not. If it isn't, it's OK. I think Tiger will come back and he's got more to win."
New PGA Tour rule may mean new faces for Hilton Head's RBC Heritage.By Jeff Shain
Low country golf fans might stand a better chance of seeing Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson or Adam Scott at Harbour Town under a pending PGA Tour regulation that will require members to schedule an event they haven't played in the past four seasons.
At the same time, there's a possibility the RBC Heritage could lose a marquee player or two who takes Hilton Head off his schedule to accommodate the new addition.
"That's tough to tell," Tournament Director Steve Wilmot said. "I think it will certainly help us with some players. And unfortunately we might lose some each year, too, knowing they have to pick and choose other events as well.
"But it's good for the tour, and what's good for the tour is good for us."
The tour informed its members via email recently that starting with the 2016-17 season, players will be required to add one event they have not visited in the previous four seasons. Major championships, World Golf Championship events and FedExCup playoffs do not count as add-ons, nor invitational fields at the Memorial Tournament and Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Members who made at least 25 starts the previous season are exempt, as are life members (20 wins and 15 years on tour) and veterans age 45 and older. Players with significant injuries also may be granted waivers. For everyone else, violations will draw a minimum $20,000 fine or suspension.
"We do need a bit of movement by the players," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem told reporters at the recent Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. "We think it changes the culture a little bit."
The rule has been discussed in various forms for nearly two decades, proposed as a way to help events that have struggled to attract popular names.
Tiger Woods, for instance, rarely deviated from a 16- or 17-event template that effectively divided the schedule – and viewer attention – into "Tiger events" and "non-Tiger events." Phil Mickelson, too, settled into a pattern that often loaded up on West Coast stops and select events before majors.
"When we sell the event, unfortunately what we can't sell is who's going to be in the field," Wilmot said. "Without question, I think it's great for the tour, great for spectators, great for sponsors."
The LPGA has had its own "one-in-four" rule for more than a decade, requiring every U.S. event be played by members at least once every four years.
Of the top 65 players in the current world rankings, 39 have played the RBC Heritage at least once in the past four years. That includes such marquee regulars as two-time champion Jim Furyk, former winners Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker and reigning British Open champion Zach Johnson. World No.1 Jordan Spieth has made three visits.
Of those that haven't played the event, all but eight are either non-members, exempt life members or PGA Tour rookies.
Those eight, though, make up a pretty strong pair of foursomes. McIlroy heads the group, which includes five others among the current top 12 – Scott, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. Brooks Koepka and Jimmy Walker round out the list.
"Strength of field is certainly important to our sponsors, without question," Wilmot said.
He pointed to the buzz created by Spieth's presence last April, days after his runaway Masters victory. Galleries for his group were the event's biggest since at least 1999, when Woods made his only appearance at Harbour Town.
"It was unbelievable," Wilmot said. "I'd never seen anything like it."
Likewise, Woods' first visit to the Wyndham Championship in August – a last-ditch effort to get into the FedExCup playoffs – was met by a surge in those crowds and TV viewership. It also may have been the catalyst that finally got the new rule passed.
"He changed that tournament forever, just by him being there that one time," Jason Gore told Golf Channel. "Now people are sitting there thinking, 'I'm going to go watch Tiger.' And they had such a good time last year – 'Let's go out there again next year, whether he is there or not.' It's good for the event."
NASCAR champion Busch undergoes surgery.
By Andrew Both, Editing by Larry Fine
Busch had two metal plates in his left foot and a metal rod and screws in his right leg removed, the team said.
The plates, rod and screws had been inserted to help stabilize Busch's injuries after he incurred a broken leg and fractured foot in a crash at Daytona in February.
Busch, 30, missed the first 11 races of the NASCAR season but returned in style, winning four races in five starts in June and July, before taking the season-ending event in November to claim the Sprint Cup title on the U.S. stock car circuit.
Thought for the Day: NASCAR should reward regular-season champ with bye.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
In a nod to the importance of consistency during the 26 races before the Chase begins, Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch says that the points leader after the “regular season” deserves an added prize.
Some have said that the points leader after the September Richmond race should receive a bonus in money for the driver and the team. Others have said they should receive extra bonus points for the Chase.
Busch’s idea is different.
“I think it would be pretty neat if they got a first-round bye,’’ he said earlier this month in Las Vegas.
That would leave 15 drivers fighting for 11 spots in the second round with the points leader receiving a bye.
I like the idea, and it’s something NASCAR should do.
As the season gets closer to Richmond, less attention is paid to those at the top of the standings or near it. Instead, the focus is on those trying to secure a Chase spot.
Leading the points almost seems irrelevant – unless the points leader has yet to score a win, then they make the Chase regardless. It’s a good exception to have, but one that is unlikely to happen too often.
That’s why Busch’s idea is a good one. It provides an added value on scoring the most points, on winning the points race after 26 races.
Hasn’t NASCAR Chairman Brian France repeatedly talked about the importance of winning? Here’s another way to prove it.
NHRA: Bringing back former stars may bring back fans, attract new ones.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
As Peter Clifford prepares for his first full season as president of the National Hot Rod Association in 2016, one of his chief priorities is to build the sport and attract new fans.
In NHRA parlance, “new” is another word for “young.” And in trying to attract new, young fans, the NHRA is showcasing many of its younger drivers as attention getters for fans, like sisters Courtney and Brittany Force, two-time Pro Stock champ Erica Enders, five-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Andrew Hines, Morgan Lucas, Richie Crampton, Leah Pritchett, Shawn Langdon and many more.
When it comes to Clifford’s and NHRA’s strategy, I get it. The earlier a young fan can get hooked, then you typically will have him or her for life.
But in its quest to attract a generation of new, young fans, NHRA has inadvertently forgotten about its older, lifelong fans – not to mention some of its all-time greats.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from older fans that have followed NHRA for 20, 30, 40 or more years, and the theme is almost always the same: they miss the old days, and in particular, the stars of yesterday.
Where’s Kenny Bernstein? What’s Don “Snake” Prudhomme up to these days? How about Joe Amato or Gary Scelzi? We miss Shirley Muldowney. What’s Tom “Mongoose” McEwen doing in retirement? How about Bob Glidden? Ed “Ace” McCulloch? Frank Hawley? “Big Daddy” Don Garlits?
The list can go on and on.
Those names and many more like them were the foundation upon which the NHRA was built upon. They had the greatest star power, the biggest followings and an aura that fans connected with.
Unfortunately, we rarely hear about – let alone see – any of them anymore. Sure, a few of the former greats may be trotted out each year at races like the U.S. Nationals, the Winternationals or the World Finals to hob-nob with the fans and relive so many great memories.
But it never seems to be enough.
Which got me thinking about how the NHRA could not only re-introduce some of the sport’s greats to new fans today, but also use them as lures to bring back old fans to drag strips from Englishtown to Pomona.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, when I covered the NHRA for USA Today, one of the most popular sidelight shows was celebrity races. I was in more than my share of them, but one stood out in, I believe it was, 1989.
It was at the season-opening Winternationals and among the celebrities I got to race against included budding country music superstar Dwight Yoakum and actress Christina (“Married With Children”) Applegate, Los Angeles TV weathercaster Dallas Rains (quite appropriate name, indeed) and the immortal actor Stoney Jackson (who?).
We all raced identically-prepared cars and took our tasks very seriously. I don’t remember who ultimately won, but fans were stuck to their seats in the stands watching all of us channel our inner Garlits or Prudhomme or Bernstein.
And after we mashed the gas, all of the celebs mingled with hundreds of fans, signing autographs, taking photos, etc.
The celebrity races eventually morphed into media races, but the concept was still the same: equally-prepared cars and talent was the ultimate arbiter.
The more I reflected on past races I competed in, the more I thought how much fun it would be to see some of yesteryear’s greats back behind the wheel.
I’m not talking about a Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car, but equally-prepared street cars. The greats of yesteryear could participate in, say, eight races per season at some of the NHRA’s largest markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York (Englishtown), Reading, Gainesville and a few other select places.
I’m willing to bet Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Toyota would all be willing to pop for, say, eight equally-prepared cars to have the former greats compete in. And it’d likely attract some big-name sponsors, maybe organizations like AARP and the like. It would be a Senior Tour unlike any we’ve seen in any other sport to date.
If having the chance to watch Bernstein or Prudhomme race again was promoted right, fans would turn out. In other words, build it and they (fans) will come.
Have the celebs stick around for photos and autograph sessions, and I almost guarantee you that by the time the day was over, it’d be a toss-up to see who had more enjoyment: the fans or former drivers.
I’ll even go so far as to encourage NHRA to form a panel of former drivers to serve in an advisory capacity to help the sanctioning body improve performance and attendance.
Look at IndyCar’s Long Beach Grand Prix and its celebrity race. It’s not unusual to see crowds of 40,000 to 50,000 watching some of their favorite actors, singers and athletes racing to the finish line – and potentially trading some paint along the way (much to the chagrin of race promoters who have to pay for the damage).
Tell me, NHRA fans, if you’ve scaled back or simply stopped attending NHRA races over the last decade or so, would you be inclined to come back if it meant having the chance to mingle once again with your favorite drivers of a bygone era?
The NHRA will find itself in a very difficult position when the last remaining superstar retires – if he ever retires – namely, John Force. That’s why there is such a great push to ingratiate fans and ingrain them with today’s young stars, who likely will be around for another 10-20 years or more.
But in promoting upcoming races and using the names of Enders, the Force sisters and others, I can guarantee if the NHRA throws in “special appearances” and “celebrity races” including the likes of Bernstein, Scelzi, Prudhomme and others, that would likely sway many a fan to buy a ticket to take a walk down memory lane.
One of the biggest problems NHRA faces today is having older fans relate to younger drivers – and vice-versa. But if you bring back Cha Cha, Snake, Mongoose, Big Daddy, Ace and the like, even if they’re just there to shake hands, sign autographs and pose for pictures, the goodwill – and ticket sales – would be immeasurable.
What do you think? Are you an old-time NHRA fan who misses some of your favorite drivers?
SOCCER: Jose Mourinho out as Chelsea manager.
By Leander Schaerlaeckens
Not quite seven months after Jose Mourinho claimed Chelsea's fifth Premier League title, his third with the club, and just over four months since he extended his contract with the Blues through 2019, the controversial Portuguese manager's second stint in London is over.
Almost halfway into the third season of his return, he has left the club "by mutual consent" per a statement from the club.
All at Chelsea thank Jose for his immense contribution since he returned as manager in the summer of 2013.
His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history. But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways.
The club wishes to make clear Jose leaves us on good terms and will always remain a much-loved, respected and significant figure at Chelsea. His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge.
The club's focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential.
There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made.
Chelsea's title defense, after the swashbuckling triumph in 2014-15, had gone disastrously and was statistically the worst in Premier League history. Through 16 games, Chelsea occupied 16th place out of 20, and sat just a point above the relegation zone with an incomprehensible 4-9-3 record. The nine league losses were already three times as many as in all of last season.
Indeed, Mourinho's return, after an initial run with the club from 2004 until 2007 in which he won the Premier League twice, was generally less successful.
According to the BBC, Mourinho waived his 50 million euro buyout clause to enable his departure. The Guardian and the Telegraph both reported that Dutch manager Guus Hiddink will step in as an interim manager for the second time, after fulfilling that same role in 2009 when Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked in February.
According to the BBC, Mourinho waived his 50 million euro buyout clause to enable his departure. The Guardian and the Telegraph both reported that Dutch manager Guus Hiddink will step in as an interim manager for the second time, after fulfilling that same role in 2009 when Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked in February.
Ironically, the loss that did Mourinho in seems to have been Monday's 2-1 stumble at surprise league leaders Leicester City, whose manager Claudio Ranieri had been fired by Chelsea to make way for Mourinho in 2004.
Whereas Chelsea had reigned supreme last season, leading the league for all 38 rounds of play and winning it by eight points with their zippy play and decisiveness in gaining results, the magic was suddenly gone this time around. Perhaps a winless preseason was an omen.
A fairly young yet experienced team that should have gone on a dominant run of several years badly regressed. Forward Eden Hazard, last season's Player of the Year, playmaker Cesc Fabregas and striker Diego Costa – who openly rebelled against his manager in recent weeks – looked like cheap knockoffs of themselves.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was injured for three months. Not even the arrival of winger Pedro from Barcelona could make a difference.
Chelsea lost three of its first five league games and then five of its most recent seven. And if the Blues' play improved in the most recent defeats to tiny Leicester and tinier Bournemouth, they had no business losing to clubs with a fraction of Chelsea's means and talent.
Things were amiss from the start. In the league opener, first team doctor Eva Carneiro rushed onto the field late in the game to tend to Hazard, who appeared to be injured. Mourinho excoriated her for interrupting the game in a key moment and she would later leave the club. In hindsight, it was clearly a situation that the manager misjudged. And then he bungled the aftermath of it – Carneiro is now suing the club.
Still, Mourinho remained very popular with fans, who sang his name until late in his time with the club. They felt that the underperforming squad was as much to blame as their manager, and they are perhaps loath to see the managerial revolving door at Stamford Bridge go spinning again.
Because whoever succeeds Mourinho now – or Hiddink in the summer, if he does indeed return – will step into a difficult job. And he will be the 11th Chelsea appointment in just over a decade. But there are no obvious candidates.
Liverpool snapped up Jurgen Klopp earlier in the season. And Carlo Ancelotti, who was Chelsea manager from 2009 to 2011 – and was the only one at the club to win the league not named Mourinho since 1955 – has apparently been betrothed to Bayern Munich. There, the Italian will succeed Pep Guardiola, who is set to become Manchester City manager, or perhaps Manchester United manager – but from the looks of it certainly not Chelsea manager.
Perhaps Atletico Madrid's masterful Diego Simeone can be coaxed from Spain. But past him, the list of realistic candidates who can stand up to a powerful and entitled squad and are equipped to handle Mourinho's inheritance is ever so short.
It's perhaps telling that when word of Chelsea's search for a replacement spread, the name Juande Ramos got out. The Spaniard spent a disastrous year with Tottenham Hotspur from 2007 to 2008 and then lasted just seven months in the Real Madrid job. After that, he got a month and a half at CSKA Moscow and then spent a few seasons with Dnipro in Ukraine.
That he was a candidate at all suggests that the pool of managerial talent Chelsea can dip into is shallow. And certainly, no manager who isn't significantly damaged goods will be overly eager to jump into a job that has harmed as many careers as it's helped.
If it is Hiddink who steps into the fray, for now, the job has gone to a 69-year-old coming off the spectacular post-World Cup flameout of the Dutch national team. After Louis van Gaal's tactical savvy took the Netherlands to third place at Brazil 2014, Hiddink's naiveté was responsible for its total collapse in qualifying for Euro 2016. He brought Oranje to the brink of elimination, which was ultimately overseen by Danny Blind after Hiddink bailed out.
A few weeks before his sacking, Mourinho, in his typical brashness, said that firing him would be a terrible mistake because he was the best manager Chelsea had ever had. Until this season, Mourinho had always produced the results to buttress his outsized ego – once moving him to label himself "a special one." His track record of success goes back to his rapid ascent from the day Van Gaal promoted him from translator to a coach at Barcelona in 1997. At length, 2015-16 was his first significant failure.
But for his hubris, Mourinho was usually right. And it's hard to argue that he was Chelsea's best manager of all time. Even in the seasons that he managed Inter Milan and Real Madrid between his two stints at Chelsea, it felt like the Blues were his team, his club.
Now, somebody will have to step into that gaping void, and Chelsea will have to figure out what it is without the man who embodied it in the six years that he was there, and even the six years that he wasn't.
Retiring soccer great Wambach says US must fire Klinsmann. What's Your Take?
AFP
American Abby Wambach, whose 184 goals make her the top scorer in international football history, retired with a bang on Wednesday, saying the US Soccer Federation should fire men's coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
The 35-year-old striker helped the Americans win this year's Women's World Cup.
Her comments on Klinsmann overshadowed her final match, in which the United States fell 1-0 to China in a friendly in New Orleans on Wednesday night.
Honored by US Soccer before the match, Wambach wore the captain's armband before departing to a standing ovation from the crowd of 32,950 in the 72nd minute.
She handed the armband to Carli Lloyd, then hugged each of her teammates.
"I think it was pretty fitting in that I played 70 minutes and we weren't able to score a goal," Wambach told broadcaster Fox Sports.
"It's like, 'OK, you know what? It is time to go.' These younger players have so much to look forward to. I've been the blessed one for so many years to be a part of this team."
US President Barack Obama had already tweeted his congratulations to Wambach before the match -- won by a 58th-minute goal from China's Wang Shuang.
"For the goals you've scored and the kids you've inspired, you're the GOAT (Greatest of All Time)!" Obama tweeted.
But it was Wambach's own controversial comments that defined her farewell.
She even apologized to US Soccer president Sunil Gulati for remarks on a podcast blasting Klinsmann, the man charged with getting the US men to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
- 'I would fire Jurgen' -
"I would definitely fire Jurgen," Wambach said.
"Sorry Sunil. Sorry US Soccer, but I don't think Jurgen and this litmus test on him has worked. He hasn't really focused, I feel, enough attention on the youth programs. Although he says he has, I don't think that he has."
- 'I would fire Jurgen' -
"I would definitely fire Jurgen," Wambach said.
"Sorry Sunil. Sorry US Soccer, but I don't think Jurgen and this litmus test on him has worked. He hasn't really focused, I feel, enough attention on the youth programs. Although he says he has, I don't think that he has."
Wambach also took issue with many of the dual citizens that Klinsmann has recruited to the American team, many of them with American and German citizenship.
"The way that he has brought in a bunch of these foreign guys is not something I believe in wholeheartedly," she said.
"I just think that this experiment that US Soccer has given Jurgen isn't one that personally I'm into.
"It seems to me there are too many egos in our men's program right now and the bigger ego of all of them is the one who is leading the charge," she said.
Gulati told ESPN: "Abby has never been shy of speaking her mind, but today it's best to celebrate a wonderful career and character."
Klinsmann has been under pressure lately despite a strong US run to the knockout stages at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The Americans were semi-final losers to Jamaica in the Gold Cup and lost to Mexico when playing for a berth in the Confederations Cup.
Wambach, who has won two Olympic gold medals and was named FIFA 2012 Women's Player of the Year, argued for women to be paid as well as men for their efforts on the pitch.
"The men get paid way more than the women in soccer, yeah, I understand logically the argument about the ratings and that is more global," she said.
"The men get paid way more than the women in soccer, yeah, I understand logically the argument about the ratings and that is more global," she said.
"But that doesn't mean that it makes it right. Equality isn't something that actually costs anything."
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: We have addressed the issue of the USMNT's progress several times previously. We realize it takes time to put a good team together and chase a championship. It just seems that the progress is stagnant and the team's play is just frustrating. What's the problem? Is it a personnel concern? Don't we have any players from the MSL and college teams that we can put together and become competitive? We're a very competitive country, surely we have some players in this great land of ours that can compete. Again, what is the problem(s)?
If you're a diehard soccer fan and follow American soccer, please share your thoughts with us. What do you feel our shortcomings are? Soccer has been played at the little league, high school and college levels for years and I can't see why our national team is struggling so much. The USWNT is very competitive around the world and has won the World's Cup, again what's our men's team problem? Is Amy right? Is it time for a coaching change? At CS&T/AA, we don't know, we would love for our diehard soccer fans to share their opinions and what's their take with us. Just go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and tell us what you really think. We look forward to hearing from you as we truly value your thoughts.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Fire sign homegrown players Joey Calistri, Drew Conner.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Fire made the first player acquisitions of the offseason by signing homegrown players Joey Calistri and Drew Conner to professional contracts.
Calistri, a 22-year-old forward from Deerfield, was a four-year starter at Northwestern. He tallied 30 goals and 10 assists in 68 appearances, 65 of which were starts. As a freshman in 2012 he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a first team All-Big Ten honoree. Calistri was also first team All-Big Ten in 2013 and earned second team honors in 2014 and 2015. He was a two-time all state selection for Deerfield while playing all four years in high school.
Calistri represented the Chicago Fire Academy team when he was in high school and later the PDL squad when he was at Northwestern.
“Coming up through the Fire youth system, the dream has always been to play for the first team,” Calistri said in a club statement. “It’s an incredible honor to play for my hometown club. With the new technical staff in place, this is a fresh start not only for me but for the club, and I can’t wait to get going with this new team and see what the future holds.”
Conner, a 21-year-old midfielder from Cary, was also a four-year starter in the Big Ten. He tallied six goals and 12 assists in 73 matches, all starts, for Wisconsin. Conner was named Illinois Gatorade boys soccer Player of the Year in the 2011-2012 school year after playing his only year of high school for Cary-Grove. He was an All-Freshman team pick in the Big Ten in 2012 and followed up with second team All-Big Ten honors a year later.
“It's exciting to play for the club that invested so much in my development as a player over the years,” Conner said in the statement. “I remember going to Fire games ever since I was a kid, and it's awesome that this moment is here and I'm getting this opportunity. Hopefully I can be an inspiration to younger players in the Fire youth system.”
Calistri and Conner join current homegrown players on the Fire roster Harry Shipp, Patrick Doody and Collin Fernandez. The club has now signed eight homegrown players in its history.
They are the first additions since the hiring of coach Veljko Paunovic.
“We're very excited to have Drew and Joey with us,” Paunovic said. “I like their personality on the field and their overall character. They have a great desire to learn, improve and give their best. They share the same values and passion as our community and we can't wait to start working together. We welcome them to the Chicago Fire family.”
NCAAAFB: AP Little All-America Team.
By The Associated Press
The Associated Press Little All-America team for Division II, III and NAIA players.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback - Jason Vander Laan, senior, Ferris State.
Running backs - Cameron McDondle, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Ja'Quan Gardner, sophomore, Humboldt State.
Linemen - Corey Tucker, senior, Slippery Rock; Joe Ray, senior, Lenoir-Rhyne; David Simmet, senior, St. Thomas (Minnesota); Jordan Morgan, junior, Kutztown; Colin Egan, senior, Johns Hopkins.
Receivers - Jon Schnaars, senior, East Stroudsburg; Jessie Ramos, senior, Hardin-Simmons; Jameson Parsons, junior, St. Cloud State.
All-purpose player - Dayton Winn, junior, Hendrix.
Kicker - Austin Morton, sophomore, Emporia State.
Defense
Linemen - Alex Hoff, senior, Linfield; Matt Judon, senior, Grand Valley State; Joshua Gordon, senior, Minnesota State-Mankato; Collin Bevins, senior, Northwest Missouri State.
Linebackers - Brock Long, senior, Fort Hays State; Jewell Ratliff, senior, Tuskegee; Max Nacewicz, senior, Springfield (Mass.).
Backs - Solomon St. Pierre, senior, Sioux Falls; Michael Jordan, senior, Missouri Western State; Victor Bunce, sophomore, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; Carlo Thomas, sophomore, Johnson C. Smith.
Punter - Matt Klingler, Lindenwood, senior.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback - Joe Callahan, senior, Wesley (Del.).
Offense
Quarterback - Joe Callahan, senior, Wesley (Del.).
Running backs - Sam Benger, sophomore, Carnegie Mellon; Damian Baker, senior, Carson-Newman.
Linemen - Eric Knaperek, senior, North Central (Ill.); Sam Hart, senior, Amherst; Chris Reaper, senior, Findlay; Jim Walsh, senior, Grand Valley State; Shane Smith, senior, Northwest Missouri State.
Receivers - Reece Horn, senior, Indianapolis; Kevin Jennings, senior, Carroll (Wisc.); Xavier Ayers, junior, Western New Mexico.
Kicker - Thomas Woodburn, senior, Utica.
Defense
Linemen - Andrew Cohen, senior, West Chester; Morgan Fox, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Tom Lally, senior, Mount Union; Dylan Donahue, junior, West Georgia.
Linebackers - Kyle Kitchens, sophomore, Catawba; Alex Wahl, senior, Upper Iowa; Justin Dischler, senior, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Backs - Marqui Christian, senior, Midwestern State; Jordan Shaw, senior, Shorter; Anthony White, senior, Huntingdon; Austin Davis, sophomore, Kean.
Punter - Bret Benes, junior, Charleston (W.Va.).
THIRD TEAM
Offense
Quarterback - Jeff Ziemba, junior, Shepherd.
Running backs - Austin Ekeler, junior, Western State; Mason Zurek, senior, Wabash.
Linemen - Zach Martinez, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Herschel Prater, senior, Minnesota State-Mankato; Shane Thompson, senior, Texas A&M-Commerce; Michael LaSala, junior, Washington & Lee; Orion Awa-Dubose, senior, West Georgia.
Receivers - Keelan Cole, senior, Kentucky Wesleyan; Krishawn Hogan, sophomore, Marian (Ind.); Bill Brown, junior, Shepherd.
All-purpose player - Sheldon Mayer, senior, Shippensburg.
Kicker - Brent Wahle, senior, Ohio Dominican.
Defense
Linemen - Justin Woods-West, senior, Central State (Ohio); Clayton Callicut, senior, Angelo State; Brandon Jones, senior, Widener; Teidrick Smith, junior, Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Linebackers - Ben Kullos, senior, Dakota State; Marquez Gollman, junior, Grand Valley State; Connor Harris, junior, Lindenwood.
Backs - Frank Laterza, senior, St. Norbert College; Philip Lanieri, III, senior, Rensselaer; Kevin Berg, junior, Northwest Missouri State; Antion McBee, senior, Southwest Baptist.
Punter - Ryan Anderson, sophomore, Olivet.
Rebuilding UAB signs 19 junior college football players.
AP Sports
UAB's recently restarted football program has signed 19 junior college players.
Rebuilding UAB signs 19 junior college football players.
AP Sports
UAB's recently restarted football program has signed 19 junior college players.
All 19 are expected to enroll in January for the Blazers, who return for the 2017 season. Coach Bill Clark is rebuilding a team that UAB dismantled last December, along with two other sports programs, citing expenses.
The university opted to bring football, bowling and rifle back.
The NCAA is allowing UAB to sign extra players in the mid-year period and in February to speed up the rebuilding process.
Clark says Blazers coaches ''started with a wide net and a long list at each position.'' The class includes two quarterbacks, seven linemen, four defensive backs and four linebackers.
By Nick Bromberg
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz wins Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. (Photo/yahoosports.com)
Iowa's undefeated regular season has netted coach Kirk Ferentz the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.
The award is voted on by the Football Writers Association of America.
“It is rewarding to see the hard work of our entire coaching staff and every member of our football program being recognized on the national level,” Ferentz said in a statement. “I appreciate the acknowledgement of our accomplishments. I am honored to share this recognition with our staff, our players, and our great fans, and I am grateful to the University of Iowa for providing the necessary support for our success.”
The Hawkeyes went 12-0 and won the Big Ten West. Iowa lost in the Big Ten Championship Game to Michigan State thanks to a late Spartans touchdown to finish the season 12-1. Iowa will play Stanford in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Ferentz was also named the AP Big Ten Coach of the Year.
TCU coach Gary Patterson won the award in 2014. The Horned Frogs entered the final week of the season at No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings and finished No. 6 after Ohio State beat Wisconsin. 2013's winner was Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who took the Tigers to the BCS Championship Game vs. Florida State.
Ferentz will be presented with the award on Jan. 9 in Scottsdale, Arizona, in advance of the College Football Playoff Championship Game on Jan. 11.
NCAABKB: Appeals court won't reconsider ruling on athlete payment.
AP - Sports
A federal appeals court said Wednesday that it had decided not to reconsider its ruling striking down a plan to pay college football and basketball players.
The payment plan emerged from a lawsuit against the NCAA by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it had decided 2-1 against having a larger panel of judges rehear the case, and none of the other judges on the court requested a vote on whether to hold such a new hearing. A message for an attorney for O'Bannon, Michael Hausfeld, was not immediately returned.
The panel in a September ruling struck down a plan to allow schools to pay players in the top division of college football and in Division I men's basketball up to $5,000 per year. The money would have been put in a trust fund and given to them when they left school.
The majority of the 9th Circuit panel said giving the athletes cash compensation would jeopardize their amateur status, which underpins the market for NCAA sports.
In a dissenting opinion, Chief Judge Sidney Thomas said the majority wrongly dismissed expert testimony that found paying student athletes small amounts above their cost of attendance most likely would not have a significant effect on consumer interest in college sports.
Thomas was the lone member of the panel who voted to rehear the case.
Tennessee State beats Lipscomb 89-86 for 6th straight win.
AP - Sports
Keron Deshields scored eight of his 16 points in the final two minutes and Tennessee State beat Lipscomb 89-86 on Thursday night for its sixth straight victory.
AP - Sports
Keron Deshields scored eight of his 16 points in the final two minutes and Tennessee State beat Lipscomb 89-86 on Thursday night for its sixth straight victory.
Tahjere McCall scored a career-high 31 points to lead Tennessee State (8-2). J.C. Hampton had 25 points for Lipscomb (4-10).
Deshields converted a 3-point play and the Tigers took a 78-76 lead with 2:16 to play. Deshields made 3 of 4 free throws and McCall had a 3 as part of a 8-6 spurt to stretch Tennessee State's lead to 86-82.
Nathan Moran scored on a 3-point play and Hampton split a pair of free throws to pull Lipscomb to 87-86 with 19.3 seconds remaining. Deshields followed with a pair of free throws.
Wayne Martin blocked Hampton's layup attempt, and the rebound went out of bounds with 5.3 left to give the Bisons another shot. Moran's 3-point attempt hit the rim to end it.
Serena accepts Sportsperson of Year, eyes more slams.
By Larry Fine, Editing by John O'Brien
Serena Williams added to one of the longest resumes in sports by collecting the Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated, becoming only the third individual woman to claim the honor since its 1956 inception.
Williams, 34, won the first three grand slam singles titles of 2015 after taking last year's U.S. Open to hold all four crowns at once for her second career 'Serena Slam'.
She logged a 53-3 record, reigned as world number one every week for the second successive year and took her total of grand slams to 21, one less than Steffi Graf for most in the Open Era, at an age when most players have been long retired.
"I've been doing what I do for over 20 years professionally and that's a long time to be playing," Williams told Reuters before Tuesday's awards dinner. "And this is the first time I was ever recognized as Sportsperson of the Year.
"So it really, really meant a lot to me. And being a woman and being only the third to be recognized is pretty awesome."
Williams said that joining gymnast Mary Lou Retton and speed skater Bonnie Blair on the list of women to claim the award motivated her to succeed on court next year and target even more milestones.
"There's numbers," she said at the awards dinner, referencing Graf's 22 slams and the 24 singles titles won by all-time leader Margaret Court of Australia.
"I never looked at numbers until recently. I want to at least try to reach a couple of numbers that I won't mention. Just go one at a time and hopefully will be there one day."
Williams won out over such strong contenders as NBA star Stephen Curry, golfer Jordan Spieth and racehorse American Pharoah, the first to win the U.S. Triple Crown in 37 years, who won the magazine's readers poll for the award.
Her Sportsperson cover photo for the magazine, picturing her in a black leotard and high heels lounging on a golden throne, also generated a lot of buzz as well as delighting Williams.
"The cover I thought was really amazing," she said. "You can never be too hot."
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1961 - Wilt Chamberlain scored 78 points against Los Angeles.
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain scored 62 points against the St. Louis Hawks.
1983 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 100th point of the season.
1983 - The San Diego Clippers ended a 29 game road losing streak.
1993 - The NFL announced a new 4-year agreement with ABC, ESPN, TNT and FOX. FOX had taken the NFC championship package from CBS.
1994 - Darryl Strawberry pled not guilty to tax evasion charges.
2001 - John Rocker was traded to the Texas Rangers.
2001 - The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced that they would ban all bottles, including plastic, from Giants Stadium.
2002 - A press conference was held to announce Robert Johnson as the new owner of the NBA's new Charlotte expansion franchise.
2006 - The NBA announced fines and suspensions related to a fight that occurred during a game between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks on December 16, 2006. Both teams were fined $500,000, Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games and Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith were suspended 10 games.
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