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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player." ~ Jason Kidd, NBA Coach and Former Player
Trending: Blackhawks get back on track with big win over Maple Leafs. They play the Rangers tonight. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
"A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, you're going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player." ~ Jason Kidd, NBA Coach and Former Player
Trending: Blackhawks get back on track with big win over Maple Leafs. They play the Rangers tonight. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Why Cubs think their rock-star young players won’t believe all the hype. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: NBA Buzz: Should Bulls make a deal or not? (See the basketball section for Bulls updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks-New York Rangers Preview.
By ALAN FERGUSON
(Photo/Flickr)
The New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks each overcame the absence of a prominent player to win their latest game.
While Marian Hossa will remain out for Chicago, the Rangers might get captain Ryan McDonagh back Wednesday night when two of the NHL's powerhouses cap their season series.
McDonagh missed his fourth straight game because of a concussion - suffered in a shootout win over Philadelphia on Feb. 6 - when New York had a chippy rematch with the Flyers on Sunday. Derek Stepan scored twice in the third period in a 3-1 victory, which moved the Rangers to 5-0-1 in their last six games.
McDonagh might return for this game after being cleared for full contact before Tuesday's practice.
"Everything that I've seen so far, he looks fine. So we'll see how he responds," coach Alain Vigneault said. "Today was his first contact day. If he's all right (at the optional skate Wednesday), there's a good chance I'll put him in the lineup."
New York (32-18-6) is 8-0-2 in its last 10 home games and now seeks to earn a point in 11 straight for the first time since Feb. 16-April 4, 2008.
The Rangers lost 1-0 the last time Chicago came to Madison Square Garden on March 18, but that's their only defeat in the past five meetings. New York spoiled the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup banner raising with a 3-2 victory Oct. 7 to open the season after nearly facing them for the championship, having lost to Tampa Bay in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Both teams are back in position to make a run at the Cup finals, currently standing as the No. 3 seeds in their respective conferences.
Chicago (37-18-5) won't have Hossa for this matchup or at least the next two weeks because of an injured left leg. The Blackhawks had no trouble Tuesday in their first game without the veteran forward and one of their top two-way players, routing lowly Toronto 7-2 to end a three-game losing streak.
The team had only four goals during that skid before Tuesday's outburst which included four on the power play, one more than it generated in the previous 11 games. League scoring leader Patrick Kane tied a career high with four points, including three assists.
"We've been, I don't want to say struggling offensively, but we've been waiting for a game like this," said Kane, one shy of being the first Blackhawks player with 35 goals since Patrick Sharp in 2007-08. "Every game is different, but at the same time, we had a few guys score tonight. Maybe it gives them some confidence, maybe it gives the whole team confidence offensively."
Though the Rangers play the following night in Toronto, top netminder Henrik Lundqvist will be in net Wednesday. He has a 1.18 goals-against average during a personal five-game win streak and is 6-1-2 with a 1.98 GAA in nine games against Chicago.
"I think our total focus has to be on (Chicago)," Vigneault said. "It's going to take our best game as a group (Wednesday) night and I want our guys to be focused on that game alone."
The Rangers might need McDonagh to bolster what could be a short-handed defense.
Dan Boyle's status is unclear after he missed Tuesday's practice because of the flu.
Marc Staal might be out as well because he and his wife are expecting a child.
Chicago's Artermi Panarin scored against New York in his NHL debut and is the league's top rookie scorer with 19 goals and 35 assists, including eight points in five games this month.
Blackhawks get back on track with big win over Maple Leafs.
Marc Staal might be out as well because he and his wife are expecting a child.
Chicago's Artermi Panarin scored against New York in his NHL debut and is the league's top rookie scorer with 19 goals and 35 assists, including eight points in five games this month.
Blackhawks get back on track with big win over Maple Leafs.
By Tracey Myers
The Blackhawks’ latest home stand hadn’t gone nearly as well as they’d hoped.
Usually strong and successful at the United Center, the Blackhawks collected just one point in their first three games of this home stint. They wanted to get something out of Monday’s game, wanted to finish it on a positive.
Thanks to a very successful power play, they did.
Patrick Kane had a goal and three assists and the Blackhawks scored four of their goals on the power play as they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2 on Monday night.
The Blackhawks remain in second place in the Central Division behind Dallas, which beat the Nashville Predators in overtime. The Stars still have three games in hand.
Scott Darling stopped 35 of 37 shots in the victory.
The Blackhawks scored four of their six goals on the power play. Andrew Shaw, Brent Seabrook, Artemi Panarin and Teuvo Teravainen (5-on-3) had those goals. Duncan Keith had two assists; Shaw and Panarin also had two assists to go with their goals.
For coach Joel Quenneville, Monday’s outing was more like it – sort of. He liked the start, during which Brandon Mashinter scored his third goal of the season to put the Blackhawks up 1-0 just 2:33 into the game. But Quenneville still wasn’t thrilled with what the Blackhawks were giving up on the other end.
“I still think we can be better in our own end,” he said. “That’s been the one thing that’s been very noticeable on this home stand. Our defensive zone coverage, too much time, too many shots and too much possession against us: that’s something we have to rectify and improve upon.”
To that end, Darling was great. He was steady throughout and tremendous when needed; his diving second-period stop illustrated the latter. Only Mark Arcobello and P.A. Parenteau shots got through Darling.
“It was a timely save,” Darling said of his second-period sprawl. “Overall a good game. I wish I had that first one back. It kind of fooled me and I gave up a bad rebound. But overall I’m happy with my game.”
The Blackhawks were pretty happy with the power play, too. That, much like the rest of the Blackhawks’ offense, had been rather dormant lately.
“The power play is what jumped out at us,” Quenneville said. “It’s nice to see it break out after a very long stretch of not being as productive.”
The Blackhawks still aren’t where they want to be with their overall game. They’re giving up a lot on the other end. But for a team that needed to end this home stand on a positive, they’ll take what they produced on their end.
“We haven't played great [as of] late. You know, we weren't doing the little things right, we weren't winning those 1-on-1 battles,” Shaw said. “We keyed on that tonight, came out here had a good first [period] and built on it.”
Joel Quenneville wants less quantity, quality shots against Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
Coach Joel Quenneville came into Monday's postgame press conference sporting more of a scowl than a smile.
It wasn’t the look of a coach whose team just posted a 7-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Quenneville certainly recognized the positives in the game — you’re going to have a few when you score seven goals. But it was what the Blackhawks were giving up that he didn’t like.
“I still think we can be better in our own end,” Quenneville said. “That’s been one thing that’s been very noticeable on this home stand.”
The Blackhawks gave up 37 shots to the Leafs on Monday, 35 of which Scott Darling stopped in a victory that snapped a three-game winless streak. But it was one more example of how much the Blackhawks have allowed opponents in their last few games at the United Center. The Anaheim Ducks fired 44 shots on Corey Crawford. The Dallas Stars had 32, which isn’t too bad, but the quality was high.
If you look at the shots-per-game allowed by the Blackhawks this season, it’s not much different than last season: 30.2 per game last season compared to 30.8 this one. Again, it’s a combination of the shots allowed and the quality of those shots.
Darling had to make several big stops against Toronto, including a stunning diving stop on Leafs center Nick Spaling. Quenneville was wowed by the stop. The defense that led to that shot, not so much.
“I didn’t like what happened before that, which made that save much more appreciated as far as him at that end of it,” Quenneville said. “The other five guys, I wasn’t too pleased with.”
This is not a damning of the Blackhawks’ defense. It’s been good this season. Nevertheless there have been enough games in which the quality and quantity of shots against has been a concern. Quenneville saw several positives coming out of the victory. He was happy to see more goals and scoring opportunities for the Blackhawks. He’d just like to see fewer great chances against.
“Our defensive zone coverage, too much time, too many shots and too much possession against us,” Quenneville said. “That’s something we have to rectify and improve upon.”
Blackhawks place Rob Scuderi on waivers.
CSN STAFF
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Rob Scuderi era in Chicago could be short-lived.
According to multiple reports, the Blackhawks have placed the veteran defenseman on waivers.
The Blackhawks acquired Scuderi in exchange for defenseman Trevor Daley in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 14.
The 37-year-old Scuderi has played in 17 games for the Blackhawks this season and hasn't registered any points with a minus-6 rating. Scuderi has been a healthy scratch in six of the last seven games.
Scuderi, who is signed through the 2016-17 season, carries a cap hit of $2.25 million.
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"If assigned to AHL, Scuderi will be a $1.3M annual buried cap hit, $950,000 annual savings.
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If Scuderi clears waivers, the Blackhawks will have 30 days or the span of 10 regular-season games to send him to the Rockford IceHogs.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... NBA Buzz: Should Bulls make a deal or not?
By Mark Schanowski
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
With the Bulls sliding into the All-Star break having lost 13 of their last 18 games, it's only natural to wonder if the contending window has closed on the current roster.
The coaching change from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg was supposed to bring a new offensive system that would maximize the talents of the young players on the roster. Instead, Niko Mirotic, Doug McDermott and Tony Snell have failed to take advantage of expanded playing time, leaving the front office to wonder what changes are necessary to put the right personnel around All-Star guard Jimmy Butler.
Butler is expected to be out until early March after suffering a left knee strain, but the time off might turn out to be a blessing in disguise if the NBA's leader in average minutes played per game comes back refreshed for the stretch run.
The front office is also counting on Derrick Rose continuing his post-Christmas resurgence, and Mirotic should return in a few weeks to give the Bulls another scoring threat off the bench. Plus, the hope is Mike Dunleavy will be able to stabilize the small forward position as he gradually increases his minutes load following off-season back surgery.
That's why it's unlikely the Bulls will make a major trade before Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline.
John Paxson and Gar Forman still are hoping a healthy Bulls' team can compete with any of the Eastern Conference playoff teams, outside of Cleveland. Their thinking is if the "Big 3" of Butler, Rose and Pau Gasol can get a stretch of games together in March and April to build some chemistry, maybe this team can win a round or two in the playoffs. If it doesn't work out, the Bulls will have cap space and at least one first round pick to re-shape the roster this summer, maybe two if the Kings finish outside the bottom 10.
So, what's out there if the Bulls attempt to make changes now? Phoenix is desperately trying to unload talented but moody forward Markieff Morris (who had a heated bench confrontation with teammate Archie Goodwin last Wednesday), Minnesota has no use for 33-year-old swing-man Kevin Martin, the Pelicans are willing to trade just about anyone outside of superstar Anthony Davis, and Sacramento would certainly listen to offers about the consistently under-achieving Rudy Gay.
Now that Marc Gasol is out indefinitely because of a broken foot, would Memphis consider bringing Pau Gasol back to his original NBA home in a trade for a first round pick and an expiring contract?
And, with the Lakers still in tank mode to protect their first round pick that will go to Phoenix if it falls outside of the top 3, would the Bulls be interested in a proven perimeter scorer like Lou Williams (who's signed for reasonable money over the next two seasons), which would allow Butler to move back to small forward?
Right now, it's difficult to read what the Bulls' front office thinks about the roster long term. But if there is a deal available to land a young talent who can be part of the team's future along with Butler, Portis, Mirotic, McDermott and maybe Rose, why wait until the summer?
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
If the Bulls decide to delay their roster makeover, which players might they be able to pursue in free agency? With Gasol and Joakim Noah most likely moving on after the season, along with Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks, the Bulls could have between $20-21 million in cap room available to bid on the top free agents.
Here's the breakdown on the Bulls' salary commitments for next season, courtesy of CSN's resident capologist, Kevin "Bulldog" Anderson. Remember Gasol holds a player option for 2016-17, but has already indicated he will opt out and become a free agent.
That leaves approximately $21 million available for the Bulls to spend in free agency after they renounce their rights to Noah, E'Twaun Moore, Hinrich and Brooks.
Ok, we know Kevin Durant isn't coming to Chicago, but what about some other All-Star caliber players like Al Horford, DeMar DeRozan, and Mike Conley or productive two-way wing players Nic Batum, Arron Afflalo and Kent Bazemore? All would be great additions for the Bulls, with DeRozan and Batum in particular looking like good fits for the Hoiberg offense.
Another name to keep an eye on is Miami center Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside has continued to improve in his first full season with the Heat, and could be one of the most sought-after players on the free agent market, since he leads the league in blocked shots and is one of the NBA's most athletic centers. Whiteside will be available to the highest bidder since Miami doesn't hold his Bird rights, which means they can't offer an extra year, and can't go over the salary cap to re-sign him. The Heat doesn't figure to have much cap room available with big contracts on the books for Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic, and Dwyane Wade likely to tie up at least another $20 million after he signs his next deal. So, you can look forward to a wild west bidding war for a player who bounced around the D-League for a few years, and was basically out of basketball when the Heat signed him.
It was another crazy week on the NBA coaching front. Phil Jackson pulled the plug on his former player, Derek Fisher, after just a season and a half on the Knicks' bench, appointing Kurt Rambis as the interim head coach. While in Sacramento, George Karl earned another reprieve from the front office after another round of sniping from star center DeMarcus Cousins.
Jackson ran out of patience after watching the Knicks move into playoff contention at 22-22, then promptly lose nine out of 10 games. Jackson's insistence of running some semblance of the triangle offense might eliminate Thibodeau from consideration with early speculation centering on long-time Jackson disciples like Rambis, Luke Walton and Brian Shaw.
Thibodeau served as an assistant coach with the Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy, and reportedly told confidants running the Knicks would be his "dream job", but the egos involved with Thibs and Jackson could make for a combustible working relationship. It would be fascinating to watch, but not an option Jackson is likely to consider at this point in his life.
As for Karl, ESPN's Marc Stein reported early last week that the Kings were prepared to make a change in the next few days. But after meeting with GM Vlade Divac last Tuesday, the two men decided they would work through the team's many issues together. Karl is expected to keep his job through the remainder of the season, so we'll see if his meeting with Divac will result in any roster changes before the trade deadline.
A number of contending teams are keeping their eye on veteran wing scorer Joe Johnson to see if he's able to negotiate a buyout with the Nets before the March 1 deadline. Johnson has been playing much better of late, including his game-winning three-pointer against Denver last Monday. According to ESPN stats and info., Johnson has hit seven game-winning buzzer beaters over the last 10 years, more than any other player in the league. Monta Ellis and Andre Iguodala are next with four apiece. If Johnson hits the buyout market, look for the usual teams to pursue him, including Cleveland, San Antonio, Miami, Houston and the Clippers.
Speaking of the Cavs, LeBron James has been busy giving GM David Griffin some trade ideas to strengthen the team for a possible re-match with Golden State in the NBA Finals. Players linked to the Cavs on the trade rumor circuit include a pair of former Bulls' players, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik.
WARRIORS PURSUIT OF 72 WINS
Another perfect week for Steve Kerr's Warriors. They head into the break with a 48-4 record and they're unbeaten at home. Barring an injury to one of their key players, it seems almost a foregone conclusion they can go 25-5 over their remaining 30 games and break the 1995-96 Bulls single season record. I'm jumping their odds all the way up to 70 percent.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
We told you about Johnson's big night against Denver which also included that embarrassing crossover move on Nuggets' young big man, Jusuf Nurkic.
At least Nurkic was able to maintain his sense of humor, sending out the following tweet, "Don't worry guys, my ankles are okay. Just need a little ice. Good play by Johnson."
And finally back to where we began with the plight of the Bulls. Here's a sampling of some of the quotes following last Wednesday's embarrassing loss to Atlanta.
Taj Gibson: "You have to really deep down love each other and play hard, knowing that guy is going to battle for you." "It hurts my heart."
Hoiberg: "I challenged them, whatever they got to do over the break, look themselves in the mirror, find a way to get committed to this team where we can come out and go on a run. And that's all we can do right now is look forward. It's been a bad, bad stretch of basketball. Hopefully we'll get healthy and move forward."
And finally this from Rose: "Come back, got 30 games left and we got to decide whether we want to play or not."
It will be fascinating to watch how the Bulls' players come out of the All-Star break with the very real possibility of missing the playoffs staring them in the face.
The coaching change from Tom Thibodeau to Fred Hoiberg was supposed to bring a new offensive system that would maximize the talents of the young players on the roster. Instead, Niko Mirotic, Doug McDermott and Tony Snell have failed to take advantage of expanded playing time, leaving the front office to wonder what changes are necessary to put the right personnel around All-Star guard Jimmy Butler.
Butler is expected to be out until early March after suffering a left knee strain, but the time off might turn out to be a blessing in disguise if the NBA's leader in average minutes played per game comes back refreshed for the stretch run.
The front office is also counting on Derrick Rose continuing his post-Christmas resurgence, and Mirotic should return in a few weeks to give the Bulls another scoring threat off the bench. Plus, the hope is Mike Dunleavy will be able to stabilize the small forward position as he gradually increases his minutes load following off-season back surgery.
That's why it's unlikely the Bulls will make a major trade before Thursday's 2 p.m. deadline.
John Paxson and Gar Forman still are hoping a healthy Bulls' team can compete with any of the Eastern Conference playoff teams, outside of Cleveland. Their thinking is if the "Big 3" of Butler, Rose and Pau Gasol can get a stretch of games together in March and April to build some chemistry, maybe this team can win a round or two in the playoffs. If it doesn't work out, the Bulls will have cap space and at least one first round pick to re-shape the roster this summer, maybe two if the Kings finish outside the bottom 10.
So, what's out there if the Bulls attempt to make changes now? Phoenix is desperately trying to unload talented but moody forward Markieff Morris (who had a heated bench confrontation with teammate Archie Goodwin last Wednesday), Minnesota has no use for 33-year-old swing-man Kevin Martin, the Pelicans are willing to trade just about anyone outside of superstar Anthony Davis, and Sacramento would certainly listen to offers about the consistently under-achieving Rudy Gay.
Now that Marc Gasol is out indefinitely because of a broken foot, would Memphis consider bringing Pau Gasol back to his original NBA home in a trade for a first round pick and an expiring contract?
And, with the Lakers still in tank mode to protect their first round pick that will go to Phoenix if it falls outside of the top 3, would the Bulls be interested in a proven perimeter scorer like Lou Williams (who's signed for reasonable money over the next two seasons), which would allow Butler to move back to small forward?
Right now, it's difficult to read what the Bulls' front office thinks about the roster long term. But if there is a deal available to land a young talent who can be part of the team's future along with Butler, Portis, Mirotic, McDermott and maybe Rose, why wait until the summer?
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION
If the Bulls decide to delay their roster makeover, which players might they be able to pursue in free agency? With Gasol and Joakim Noah most likely moving on after the season, along with Kirk Hinrich and Aaron Brooks, the Bulls could have between $20-21 million in cap room available to bid on the top free agents.
Here's the breakdown on the Bulls' salary commitments for next season, courtesy of CSN's resident capologist, Kevin "Bulldog" Anderson. Remember Gasol holds a player option for 2016-17, but has already indicated he will opt out and become a free agent.
| Player | Salary |
| Derrick Rose | $21,323,252 |
| Jimmy Butler | $17,552,209 |
| Taj Gibson | $8,500,000 |
| Nikola Mirotic | $5,782,450 |
| Mike Dunleavy | $4,837,500 |
| Doug McDermott | $2,483,040 |
| Tony Snell | $2,368,327 |
| Bobby Portis | $1,453,680 |
| Cristiano Felicio (non-guaranteed) | $874,636 |
| Cameron Bairstow (non-guaranteed) | $980,431 |
| Charge first round pick (Currently No. 18) | $1,420,100 |
| Total | $68,119,096 |
2016 Salary Cap Prediction
| $89,000,000 |
That leaves approximately $21 million available for the Bulls to spend in free agency after they renounce their rights to Noah, E'Twaun Moore, Hinrich and Brooks.
Ok, we know Kevin Durant isn't coming to Chicago, but what about some other All-Star caliber players like Al Horford, DeMar DeRozan, and Mike Conley or productive two-way wing players Nic Batum, Arron Afflalo and Kent Bazemore? All would be great additions for the Bulls, with DeRozan and Batum in particular looking like good fits for the Hoiberg offense.
Another name to keep an eye on is Miami center Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside has continued to improve in his first full season with the Heat, and could be one of the most sought-after players on the free agent market, since he leads the league in blocked shots and is one of the NBA's most athletic centers. Whiteside will be available to the highest bidder since Miami doesn't hold his Bird rights, which means they can't offer an extra year, and can't go over the salary cap to re-sign him. The Heat doesn't figure to have much cap room available with big contracts on the books for Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic, and Dwyane Wade likely to tie up at least another $20 million after he signs his next deal. So, you can look forward to a wild west bidding war for a player who bounced around the D-League for a few years, and was basically out of basketball when the Heat signed him.
It was another crazy week on the NBA coaching front. Phil Jackson pulled the plug on his former player, Derek Fisher, after just a season and a half on the Knicks' bench, appointing Kurt Rambis as the interim head coach. While in Sacramento, George Karl earned another reprieve from the front office after another round of sniping from star center DeMarcus Cousins.
Jackson ran out of patience after watching the Knicks move into playoff contention at 22-22, then promptly lose nine out of 10 games. Jackson's insistence of running some semblance of the triangle offense might eliminate Thibodeau from consideration with early speculation centering on long-time Jackson disciples like Rambis, Luke Walton and Brian Shaw.
Thibodeau served as an assistant coach with the Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy, and reportedly told confidants running the Knicks would be his "dream job", but the egos involved with Thibs and Jackson could make for a combustible working relationship. It would be fascinating to watch, but not an option Jackson is likely to consider at this point in his life.
As for Karl, ESPN's Marc Stein reported early last week that the Kings were prepared to make a change in the next few days. But after meeting with GM Vlade Divac last Tuesday, the two men decided they would work through the team's many issues together. Karl is expected to keep his job through the remainder of the season, so we'll see if his meeting with Divac will result in any roster changes before the trade deadline.
A number of contending teams are keeping their eye on veteran wing scorer Joe Johnson to see if he's able to negotiate a buyout with the Nets before the March 1 deadline. Johnson has been playing much better of late, including his game-winning three-pointer against Denver last Monday. According to ESPN stats and info., Johnson has hit seven game-winning buzzer beaters over the last 10 years, more than any other player in the league. Monta Ellis and Andre Iguodala are next with four apiece. If Johnson hits the buyout market, look for the usual teams to pursue him, including Cleveland, San Antonio, Miami, Houston and the Clippers.
Speaking of the Cavs, LeBron James has been busy giving GM David Griffin some trade ideas to strengthen the team for a possible re-match with Golden State in the NBA Finals. Players linked to the Cavs on the trade rumor circuit include a pair of former Bulls' players, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik.
WARRIORS PURSUIT OF 72 WINS
Another perfect week for Steve Kerr's Warriors. They head into the break with a 48-4 record and they're unbeaten at home. Barring an injury to one of their key players, it seems almost a foregone conclusion they can go 25-5 over their remaining 30 games and break the 1995-96 Bulls single season record. I'm jumping their odds all the way up to 70 percent.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
We told you about Johnson's big night against Denver which also included that embarrassing crossover move on Nuggets' young big man, Jusuf Nurkic.
At least Nurkic was able to maintain his sense of humor, sending out the following tweet, "Don't worry guys, my ankles are okay. Just need a little ice. Good play by Johnson."
And finally back to where we began with the plight of the Bulls. Here's a sampling of some of the quotes following last Wednesday's embarrassing loss to Atlanta.
Taj Gibson: "You have to really deep down love each other and play hard, knowing that guy is going to battle for you." "It hurts my heart."
Hoiberg: "I challenged them, whatever they got to do over the break, look themselves in the mirror, find a way to get committed to this team where we can come out and go on a run. And that's all we can do right now is look forward. It's been a bad, bad stretch of basketball. Hopefully we'll get healthy and move forward."
And finally this from Rose: "Come back, got 30 games left and we got to decide whether we want to play or not."
It will be fascinating to watch how the Bulls' players come out of the All-Star break with the very real possibility of missing the playoffs staring them in the face.
Bulls return to practice with Nikola Mirotic still 'several weeks away'.
By Vincent Goodwill
Nikola Mirotic is still a ways away from returning to any kind of basketball activity, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg revealed after the team’s first practice from the All-Star break.
Mirotic underwent an appendectomy in late January and subsequently a hematoma removal several days later, as his return went from “days away” to “weeks away.” Having lost 15 pounds after the hematoma removal, he’s gradually gaining it back but hasn’t been evaluated for any return to basketball activities yet.
“Yeah, he’s gained some of his weight back,” Hoiberg said. “He’s still down 10 or 11 pounds. He has not been cleared to get out on the floor and do any type of running.”
Mirotic has been out of action since Jan. 25, an 89-84 loss to the Miami Heat and even when he was there, had been battling consistency issues much like the team as a whole.
“He’s been in the weight room gradually doing some things,” Hoiberg said. “ He still has pain in his abdomen. It will start in the pool, but it’s still several weeks away.’’
When asked if Mirotic would miss the whole season given Hoiberg’s ominously vague timeline, Hoiberg said, “I don’t think so. No, no. (It’s) kind of general right now. A lot will be determined on how quickly that pain goes away, but he’s still very tender down there.”
In the category of relief, Taj Gibson returned to practice after leaving the last game with a left foot strain and will play Thursday in Cleveland, but that seems to be where the positivity ends given the evidence at hand.
The Bulls’ season has 30 games remaining and the team sits just two games above .500, in the seventh spot in the East. Figuring out the inconsistency was the chief concern for Hoiberg and everybody as his players departed for the break.
“We know we’re in a tough stretch right now,” Derrick Rose said. “We still have 30 games to play. We still believe in each other. It’s just that we just didn’t catch that rhythm yet. Things can change.”
With Mirotic out, along with Jimmy Butler being scheduled to be out for 3-to-4 weeks with his left knee injury, more could be placed on Rose to help carry the team—or keep them afloat.
“When I come out, just try to be as aggressive as I can,” Rose said. “Try to run, speed up the game a little bit and have the trust in my teammates to follow behind me. I’m just going to play my game. When I’m out there, try not to think about that. Read the game a little, try to play smart and give my all to win the game.”
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears, Alshon Jeffery on the clock as franchise-tag period opens Tuesday.
By John Mullin
As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday the Bears can assure themselves the services of Alshon Jeffery for 2016. More or less.
The option available for the Pro Bowl wide receiver is the franchise tag accorded each NFL team under terms negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement. It would guarantee Jeffery one year at $14.5 million but is a situation that typically neither the player nor the team like. Indeed, players have held out in protest over being tagged.
Teams have until 3 p.m. on Mar. 1 to put either a franchise tag or transition tag in place. The two sides have until mid July to reach agreement on a long-term contract or the tag remains in place.
Last year the Dallas Cowboys placed their franchise tag on Dez Bryant and the Denver Broncos used theirs on Demaryius Thomas. Both wideouts signed $70 million contracts hours before the July deadline.
Players dislike the tag because, while it pays well for one year, the amount is typically less than the guaranteed money that comes with a longer-term deal. Teams dislike the tag because it loads the entire amount into the season at hand with no flexibility to amortize the lump sum.
The underlying issue with any long-term contracts for Jeffery is his injury riddled 2015 season, missing most of training camp and preseason in addition to seven games during the season. But the Bears have not given indications that they now regard him as injury prone and a health risk, and they have made changes in the staffing and programs involved with player health.
“The previous two season he’d been healthy and highly productive,” said GM Ryan Pace in his season-ending remarks. “He was frustrated by his injuries. We were frustrated by his injuries. We got to get a better grasp of that. Part of the evaluation of a player is his injuries and his availability. We’ll take that into account.”
The tag, when signed by the player, guarantees one year at the average of the top five salaries at that player’s position. If the tag is the “exclusive” option, the one-year salary is based on the current season. Exclusive-rights players cannot negotiate with any other teams.
The more common “non-exclusive” option is based on the average of the top five at the position for the previous five seasons. If the player signs with another team, the tagging team has the option of matching the deal or receiving the signing team’s next two first-round draft choices.
The Bears used non-exclusive franchise tags in 2012 on running back Matt Forte and in 2013 on defensive tackle Henry Melton. The Bears were able to negotiate a long-term deal (four years) with Forte but lost Melton to Dallas in 2014.
They used the exclusive-rights franchise tag in 2007 on Lance Briggs. The perennial Pro Bowl linebacker played that year under the tag, then agreed to a six-year contract in March 2008.
Matt Forte situation means looking beyond simple conclusions.
By John Mullin
Something doesn’t feel quite right about the Bears’ decision not to pursue a new contract with Matt Forte. Not suggesting any skullduggery or unseemliness here, just that it is difficult to conclude something like the letting of Forte exit without an offer signaling that the Bears are giving up on 2016 or other impulse conclusion.
Ostensibly, Forte represented a quality, continuity linchpin in a Chicago offense that is transitioning from Adam Gase to Dowell Loggains at offensive coordinator. Forte has the unqualified trust of quarterback Jay Cutler, a proven receiver and pass protector beyond his obvious effectiveness at carrying the football. The Bears cannot afford any slippage in Cutler’s buy-in with the offense under Loggains.
The Fox Factor
The notion of the Bears of John Fox already deciding, before both free agency and the draft, that 2016 will involve acceptable losses, i.e., eschewing playoff aspirations, makes no sense. That has not been Fox’s pattern with Carolina or Denver; why now? Maybe; but I don’t buy it.
For perspective purposes, Fox and the Panthers let go of their top two rushers of 2001 when Fox was hired, and the win total increased by six. They let go their top two again the next year, and the win total went up another four and the team went to the Super Bowl.
Fox’s Denver Broncos won 13 games in 2012 with Willis McGahee at age 31 rushing for 4.4 yards per carry and backup Knowshon Moreno averaging 3.7, kind of Jeremy Langford’esque. The next year, McGahee was gone, Moreno netted 1,038 yards and 4.3 per carry, and the Broncos were in the Super Bowl.
No team improves directly because of getting rid of a good football player. But neither does parting with a solid player ensure backsliding.
Money matters
Be careful about simply looking at a hefty amount of money under a salary cap, or that cap increasing, and concluding that it means a team can afford pretty much anything it wants. The reality is that as the cap goes up, contracts escalate proportionately. Agents are nothing if not savvy practitioners of at least one element of Keynesian economics: The more money there is pursuing goods and services, the more the prices go up.
Forte's agent Adisa Bakari secured a better-than-market deal for Forte in 2012. The surprise would be if Forte and his representatives do not already have a read on the market, how much interest in Forte and from whom it will come (start with any of the playoff teams other than Denver).
Frank Gore last offseason set a market for quality running backs at or approaching age 30. The Indianapolis Colts signed Gore away from San Francisco for a deal based on $6.5 million guaranteed. Chris Johnson at age 30 signed a one-year deal last season for $2 million. Gore failed to average four yards per carry for the first time in his 11 NFL seasons. Johnson fractured a leg but did rush for more than 800 yards.
Simply having the money doesn’t mean automatically spending it.
Offensive adjusting
Neither Langford nor Ka’Deem Carey averaged four yards per carry last season, which Forte did. But the Chicago offense was virtually without a coherent passing component due to the blizzard of injuries that took down, at one time or another, every important receiver in the offense.
The Bears are expected to retain wideout Alshon Jeffery via either franchise tag or multi-year contract. They are also on track to have Kevin White recovered from his stress fracture. With Eddie Royal then able to assume his intended role as No. 3, the question is not whether the stretched field will benefit Langford and Carey, but rather how much.
Best guess is that no one single reason lay behind the Forte decision, which takes out of Chicago one of the true elite, if underrated, talents in the game. The Bears did not get better when they stepped away from Forte; but it is difficult to believe that, under a coach who turned 61 last week, they made a move that they believe makes them worse big-picture.
By Vincent Goodwill
Nikola Mirotic is still a ways away from returning to any kind of basketball activity, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg revealed after the team’s first practice from the All-Star break.
Mirotic underwent an appendectomy in late January and subsequently a hematoma removal several days later, as his return went from “days away” to “weeks away.” Having lost 15 pounds after the hematoma removal, he’s gradually gaining it back but hasn’t been evaluated for any return to basketball activities yet.
“Yeah, he’s gained some of his weight back,” Hoiberg said. “He’s still down 10 or 11 pounds. He has not been cleared to get out on the floor and do any type of running.”
Mirotic has been out of action since Jan. 25, an 89-84 loss to the Miami Heat and even when he was there, had been battling consistency issues much like the team as a whole.
“He’s been in the weight room gradually doing some things,” Hoiberg said. “ He still has pain in his abdomen. It will start in the pool, but it’s still several weeks away.’’
When asked if Mirotic would miss the whole season given Hoiberg’s ominously vague timeline, Hoiberg said, “I don’t think so. No, no. (It’s) kind of general right now. A lot will be determined on how quickly that pain goes away, but he’s still very tender down there.”
In the category of relief, Taj Gibson returned to practice after leaving the last game with a left foot strain and will play Thursday in Cleveland, but that seems to be where the positivity ends given the evidence at hand.
The Bulls’ season has 30 games remaining and the team sits just two games above .500, in the seventh spot in the East. Figuring out the inconsistency was the chief concern for Hoiberg and everybody as his players departed for the break.
“We know we’re in a tough stretch right now,” Derrick Rose said. “We still have 30 games to play. We still believe in each other. It’s just that we just didn’t catch that rhythm yet. Things can change.”
With Mirotic out, along with Jimmy Butler being scheduled to be out for 3-to-4 weeks with his left knee injury, more could be placed on Rose to help carry the team—or keep them afloat.
“When I come out, just try to be as aggressive as I can,” Rose said. “Try to run, speed up the game a little bit and have the trust in my teammates to follow behind me. I’m just going to play my game. When I’m out there, try not to think about that. Read the game a little, try to play smart and give my all to win the game.”
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears, Alshon Jeffery on the clock as franchise-tag period opens Tuesday.
By John Mullin
(Photo/chicagobears.com)
The option available for the Pro Bowl wide receiver is the franchise tag accorded each NFL team under terms negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement. It would guarantee Jeffery one year at $14.5 million but is a situation that typically neither the player nor the team like. Indeed, players have held out in protest over being tagged.
Teams have until 3 p.m. on Mar. 1 to put either a franchise tag or transition tag in place. The two sides have until mid July to reach agreement on a long-term contract or the tag remains in place.
Last year the Dallas Cowboys placed their franchise tag on Dez Bryant and the Denver Broncos used theirs on Demaryius Thomas. Both wideouts signed $70 million contracts hours before the July deadline.
Players dislike the tag because, while it pays well for one year, the amount is typically less than the guaranteed money that comes with a longer-term deal. Teams dislike the tag because it loads the entire amount into the season at hand with no flexibility to amortize the lump sum.
The underlying issue with any long-term contracts for Jeffery is his injury riddled 2015 season, missing most of training camp and preseason in addition to seven games during the season. But the Bears have not given indications that they now regard him as injury prone and a health risk, and they have made changes in the staffing and programs involved with player health.
“The previous two season he’d been healthy and highly productive,” said GM Ryan Pace in his season-ending remarks. “He was frustrated by his injuries. We were frustrated by his injuries. We got to get a better grasp of that. Part of the evaluation of a player is his injuries and his availability. We’ll take that into account.”
The tag, when signed by the player, guarantees one year at the average of the top five salaries at that player’s position. If the tag is the “exclusive” option, the one-year salary is based on the current season. Exclusive-rights players cannot negotiate with any other teams.
The more common “non-exclusive” option is based on the average of the top five at the position for the previous five seasons. If the player signs with another team, the tagging team has the option of matching the deal or receiving the signing team’s next two first-round draft choices.
The Bears used non-exclusive franchise tags in 2012 on running back Matt Forte and in 2013 on defensive tackle Henry Melton. The Bears were able to negotiate a long-term deal (four years) with Forte but lost Melton to Dallas in 2014.
They used the exclusive-rights franchise tag in 2007 on Lance Briggs. The perennial Pro Bowl linebacker played that year under the tag, then agreed to a six-year contract in March 2008.
Matt Forte situation means looking beyond simple conclusions.
By John Mullin
Something doesn’t feel quite right about the Bears’ decision not to pursue a new contract with Matt Forte. Not suggesting any skullduggery or unseemliness here, just that it is difficult to conclude something like the letting of Forte exit without an offer signaling that the Bears are giving up on 2016 or other impulse conclusion.
Ostensibly, Forte represented a quality, continuity linchpin in a Chicago offense that is transitioning from Adam Gase to Dowell Loggains at offensive coordinator. Forte has the unqualified trust of quarterback Jay Cutler, a proven receiver and pass protector beyond his obvious effectiveness at carrying the football. The Bears cannot afford any slippage in Cutler’s buy-in with the offense under Loggains.
The Fox Factor
The notion of the Bears of John Fox already deciding, before both free agency and the draft, that 2016 will involve acceptable losses, i.e., eschewing playoff aspirations, makes no sense. That has not been Fox’s pattern with Carolina or Denver; why now? Maybe; but I don’t buy it.
For perspective purposes, Fox and the Panthers let go of their top two rushers of 2001 when Fox was hired, and the win total increased by six. They let go their top two again the next year, and the win total went up another four and the team went to the Super Bowl.
Fox’s Denver Broncos won 13 games in 2012 with Willis McGahee at age 31 rushing for 4.4 yards per carry and backup Knowshon Moreno averaging 3.7, kind of Jeremy Langford’esque. The next year, McGahee was gone, Moreno netted 1,038 yards and 4.3 per carry, and the Broncos were in the Super Bowl.
No team improves directly because of getting rid of a good football player. But neither does parting with a solid player ensure backsliding.
Money matters
Be careful about simply looking at a hefty amount of money under a salary cap, or that cap increasing, and concluding that it means a team can afford pretty much anything it wants. The reality is that as the cap goes up, contracts escalate proportionately. Agents are nothing if not savvy practitioners of at least one element of Keynesian economics: The more money there is pursuing goods and services, the more the prices go up.
Forte's agent Adisa Bakari secured a better-than-market deal for Forte in 2012. The surprise would be if Forte and his representatives do not already have a read on the market, how much interest in Forte and from whom it will come (start with any of the playoff teams other than Denver).
Frank Gore last offseason set a market for quality running backs at or approaching age 30. The Indianapolis Colts signed Gore away from San Francisco for a deal based on $6.5 million guaranteed. Chris Johnson at age 30 signed a one-year deal last season for $2 million. Gore failed to average four yards per carry for the first time in his 11 NFL seasons. Johnson fractured a leg but did rush for more than 800 yards.
Simply having the money doesn’t mean automatically spending it.
Offensive adjusting
Neither Langford nor Ka’Deem Carey averaged four yards per carry last season, which Forte did. But the Chicago offense was virtually without a coherent passing component due to the blizzard of injuries that took down, at one time or another, every important receiver in the offense.
The Bears are expected to retain wideout Alshon Jeffery via either franchise tag or multi-year contract. They are also on track to have Kevin White recovered from his stress fracture. With Eddie Royal then able to assume his intended role as No. 3, the question is not whether the stretched field will benefit Langford and Carey, but rather how much.
Best guess is that no one single reason lay behind the Forte decision, which takes out of Chicago one of the true elite, if underrated, talents in the game. The Bears did not get better when they stepped away from Forte; but it is difficult to believe that, under a coach who turned 61 last week, they made a move that they believe makes them worse big-picture.
Why Cubs think their rock-star young players won’t believe all the hype.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/newslocker.com)
In the middle of the champagne-soaked celebration at Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein name-dropped Eddie Vedder, comparing this team to the band that bursts onto the scene and blows up with an amazing first album.
The Cubs had just eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the playoffs, and the president of baseball operations understood this joyride through October wouldn’t last forever. It would only get more complicated, the way it once did for Pearl Jam, having to deal with new expectations, extra pressure and the backlash.
There would be more money involved and even bigger egos. Tanking had given this front office a kind of artistic freedom during the rebuilding years. And after getting swept by the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series last season, there will be more creative differences.
This is the end of the innocence, the Cubs reporting to spring training this week as a World Series favorite. Anything less than the franchise’s first title since 1908 will be considered a major disappointment.
“Our priorities are clear,” Epstein said. “I don’t have any worry whatsoever that having accomplished so much (last) year that our players – and our young players – will show up complacent (or) take things for granted, thinking they’re going to sort of walk their way through the regular season and then sprint towards the postseason.
“Baseball doesn’t work that way. I think the opposite’s true from looking at their eyes (as) they watched the Mets celebrate and seeing their feelings in the clubhouse after we were done playing. They’re going to come back extremely hungry and extremely focused and in great shape and ready to take this to the next level.”
This is an organization, a media market and a social-media environment that treats prospects like rock stars. And a city that caters to Cubs players and makes it easy to feel like you’ve already made it.
“I just think in general our young players are really mature, really grounded and are in it for the right reasons,” Epstein said. “(They) have experienced a lot already in their young careers, and that will help them avoid the quote-unquote ‘sophomore slump’ and help them adjust to playing with some greater expectations on their shoulders.
“We’re aware of sort of the new expectations this year and how a team might respond. But we’re not concerned about it, because we really trust the makeup of these players.”
At this time last year, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber hadn’t even made their big-league debuts yet. A reasonable prediction would have been the Cubs winning 84 games and calling it a great learning experience with Russell and Schwarber getting September call-ups.
“You can’t really coast on your past,” said Schwarber, who within about four months last year went from playing at Double-A Tennessee to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in postseason home runs (five). “You get a big head. And that’s not me.
“I’m just a down-to-earth guy. I want to work hard. I want to bust my butt. And I want to help this team win.”
Bryant is now an All-Star third baseman and a Rookie of the Year. But nonstop attention is pretty much the default setting for a player hyped as a franchise savior from the moment the Cubs drafted him No. 2 overall in 2013. This is the pitchman who had his own adidas billboard across from Wrigley Field and shot a Red Bull commercial with a goat – all before his first at-bat in the big leagues.
Russell got only 14 career games on the Triple-A level before the Cubs forced him to learn how to play a new position in the big leagues – and then watched him seamlessly transition from second base to back shortstop in the middle of a pennant race. He turned 22 in January but has a chill personality that makes him come across as much older.
“This guy looks like he’s a vet – nothing bothers him,” pitcher Jon Lester said. “I’ve seen over the years how successful players go about their routines and figure out ways to get ready for a game. And all these guys had it from Day 1.
“That’s something that took me probably two or three years in the big leagues to harness and understand what works, what makes me tick. These guys had it from Day 1.”
But that first impression glosses over how Bryant had to wait until his 21st game before hitting his first home run in The Show – and bounce back from a July (.639 OPS) where he looked physically tired and mentally drained, working through 199 strikeouts to finish with 26 homers and 99 RBI.
Russell paid attention, made some mechanical fixes and boosted his OPS by almost 100 points after the All-Star break. Before Schwarber’s playoff laser show, his last home run came on Sept. 12 against the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that lost 99 games and has this year’s No. 1 overall pick.
“With experience, Kris is going to make better adjustments,” hitting coach John Mallee said. “You saw ‘Schwarbs’ struggle for a little bit there (last year) and then he made the adjustment back.
“The more times they face (good pitching), they know how this guy gets them out.
They know what to expect now from that long season, how to train their bodies.”
Can Javier Baez become the next Ben Zobrist and play all over the field as a super-utility guy? Can Jorge Soler finally stay healthy and live up to his enormous potential?
Those talented young hitters will deflect some of the attention and become storylines in spring training. The Cubs also have a manager in Joe Maddon who loves to be the front man and perform in front of the cameras.
“Joe makes the environment so conducive for them not to have stress,” Mallee said. “That really has helped these young kids, because if you had a dictatorship-type manager in there, they could have folded.
“And the core of the veteran (clubhouse is there) to help these guys through, (Anthony) Rizzo and David Ross saying: ‘Hey, we’ve been through this, bro. It’s going to happen. Just hang with it and you’re going to fight through it.’”
Winter is almost over for the hottest team in baseball. Cubs pitchers and catchers officially report to camp on Friday in Arizona. Believe the hype or not, it’s time to get the band back together again.
Cubs banking on Jason Heyward’s Gold Glove defense.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs are paying Jason Heyward like a middle-of-the-order hitter, whether or not he ever evolves into that kind of offensive force. The age-26 runway, a .353 career on-base percentage and Gold Glove defense made eight years and $184 million seem like a safe investment in this market.
How Heyward responds to a different clubhouse, a new city and an unfamiliar position will be one of the many storylines for a Cubs team that will have World Series ambitions when pitchers and catchers officially report on Friday in Arizona.
There were times the Cubs looked unsure and sloppy in the field while getting swept by the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series, but that team had been built on a shaky defensive foundation and arrived ahead of schedule last year.
No doubt, Heyward is an elite defender in right field, where he won three Gold Gloves in the last four years with the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. He led all NL
right fielders in putouts and assists in 2012 and 2014. He led the majors in Defensive Runs Saved in 2014 (32) and finished fourth in that category last season (22).
Only Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (30) posted a higher Ultimate Zone Rating than Heyward (20.2) last year. Only Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (25) finished with a better UZR than Heyward (24.1) in 2014.
Heyward has already played almost 7,000 defensive innings in The Show, but only 3 percent of that time has been in center field.
“I’m going to give my best effort all the time,” Heyward said. “On defense, I can affect the game every pitch. But on offense, I only get one (key) at-bat or (it) comes around only so many times a game. On defense, there are 27 outs you need to make in nine innings to win a ballgame. And I’m not asleep for any of those.
“I try and do what I can to help my team, whether it’s cutting a ball off, throwing somebody out or making a nice diving play. You can score 10 runs, but if you can’t stop somebody from scoring 11, you’re not going to win.”
The qualifying offer has dragged down Dexter Fowler’s market, with teams like the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles apparently reluctant to give up a draft pick for a defender who doesn’t pass the eye test or grade out well on the metrics. (Though Fowler still remaining unsigned in the middle of February would have been inconceivable at the end of a walk season where he scored 102 runs for a 97-win team and got on base almost 35 percent of the time.)
The Cubs wanted to upgrade in center field and create more of a defensive identity. Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber will be projects for bench coach Dave Martinez, an enthusiastic teacher who played 16 seasons in the big leagues.
Soler has already missed out on so much development time while defecting from Cuba and recovering from injuries. Schwarber looked like a designated hitter coming out of Indiana University and he doesn’t want to give up on the idea of catching.
But it’s not like the Cubs are making this a lifetime appointment for Heyward. It could wind up being a one- or two-year solution while someone like Albert Almora continues to develop in the minors. Maybe Javier Baez smoothly transitions to the outfield or the Cubs eventually get a trade offer they can’t refuse.
Theo Epstein’s front office has already given manager Joe Maddon a deep roster to make in-game adjustments and create good matchups with versatile players like Baez, Ben Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Chris Coghlan.
And as long as Soler and Schwarber crush the ball, most of those defensive concerns will be going, going, gone.
“We love the offensive upside that Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber present at the corner-outfield positions,” Epstein said. “But it’s a long contract. Things will inevitably change over time. I’m sure there’s a time where Jason’s going to be playing plenty of right field for us. We’re excited about seeing him play center field day in and day out.
“(With) all the research that we’ve done and all the scouting reports we have, we feel like he’s going to handle himself very well in center field.
“(It’s) a great match (that) allows for some different combinations through the years as we move forward.”
Maddon – who had to focus on the little things with the small-market Rays and likes to say he comes from The Land of Run Prevention – won’t try to turn Heyward into something he’s not.
“Believe me, I will talk to him a lot,” Maddon said. “My expectation is that he comes out, gets ready to play and knows where to set up on defense, works a good at-bat and just keep running the bases (the same way), because I love the way he runs the bases.
“(It’s the) process. Don’t worry about the outcome of anything. Just go play.”
The Cubs had just eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals from the playoffs, and the president of baseball operations understood this joyride through October wouldn’t last forever. It would only get more complicated, the way it once did for Pearl Jam, having to deal with new expectations, extra pressure and the backlash.
There would be more money involved and even bigger egos. Tanking had given this front office a kind of artistic freedom during the rebuilding years. And after getting swept by the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series last season, there will be more creative differences.
This is the end of the innocence, the Cubs reporting to spring training this week as a World Series favorite. Anything less than the franchise’s first title since 1908 will be considered a major disappointment.
“Our priorities are clear,” Epstein said. “I don’t have any worry whatsoever that having accomplished so much (last) year that our players – and our young players – will show up complacent (or) take things for granted, thinking they’re going to sort of walk their way through the regular season and then sprint towards the postseason.
“Baseball doesn’t work that way. I think the opposite’s true from looking at their eyes (as) they watched the Mets celebrate and seeing their feelings in the clubhouse after we were done playing. They’re going to come back extremely hungry and extremely focused and in great shape and ready to take this to the next level.”
This is an organization, a media market and a social-media environment that treats prospects like rock stars. And a city that caters to Cubs players and makes it easy to feel like you’ve already made it.
“I just think in general our young players are really mature, really grounded and are in it for the right reasons,” Epstein said. “(They) have experienced a lot already in their young careers, and that will help them avoid the quote-unquote ‘sophomore slump’ and help them adjust to playing with some greater expectations on their shoulders.
“We’re aware of sort of the new expectations this year and how a team might respond. But we’re not concerned about it, because we really trust the makeup of these players.”
At this time last year, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber hadn’t even made their big-league debuts yet. A reasonable prediction would have been the Cubs winning 84 games and calling it a great learning experience with Russell and Schwarber getting September call-ups.
“You can’t really coast on your past,” said Schwarber, who within about four months last year went from playing at Double-A Tennessee to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in postseason home runs (five). “You get a big head. And that’s not me.
“I’m just a down-to-earth guy. I want to work hard. I want to bust my butt. And I want to help this team win.”
Bryant is now an All-Star third baseman and a Rookie of the Year. But nonstop attention is pretty much the default setting for a player hyped as a franchise savior from the moment the Cubs drafted him No. 2 overall in 2013. This is the pitchman who had his own adidas billboard across from Wrigley Field and shot a Red Bull commercial with a goat – all before his first at-bat in the big leagues.
Russell got only 14 career games on the Triple-A level before the Cubs forced him to learn how to play a new position in the big leagues – and then watched him seamlessly transition from second base to back shortstop in the middle of a pennant race. He turned 22 in January but has a chill personality that makes him come across as much older.
“This guy looks like he’s a vet – nothing bothers him,” pitcher Jon Lester said. “I’ve seen over the years how successful players go about their routines and figure out ways to get ready for a game. And all these guys had it from Day 1.
“That’s something that took me probably two or three years in the big leagues to harness and understand what works, what makes me tick. These guys had it from Day 1.”
But that first impression glosses over how Bryant had to wait until his 21st game before hitting his first home run in The Show – and bounce back from a July (.639 OPS) where he looked physically tired and mentally drained, working through 199 strikeouts to finish with 26 homers and 99 RBI.
Russell paid attention, made some mechanical fixes and boosted his OPS by almost 100 points after the All-Star break. Before Schwarber’s playoff laser show, his last home run came on Sept. 12 against the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that lost 99 games and has this year’s No. 1 overall pick.
“With experience, Kris is going to make better adjustments,” hitting coach John Mallee said. “You saw ‘Schwarbs’ struggle for a little bit there (last year) and then he made the adjustment back.
“The more times they face (good pitching), they know how this guy gets them out.
They know what to expect now from that long season, how to train their bodies.”
Can Javier Baez become the next Ben Zobrist and play all over the field as a super-utility guy? Can Jorge Soler finally stay healthy and live up to his enormous potential?
Those talented young hitters will deflect some of the attention and become storylines in spring training. The Cubs also have a manager in Joe Maddon who loves to be the front man and perform in front of the cameras.
“Joe makes the environment so conducive for them not to have stress,” Mallee said. “That really has helped these young kids, because if you had a dictatorship-type manager in there, they could have folded.
“And the core of the veteran (clubhouse is there) to help these guys through, (Anthony) Rizzo and David Ross saying: ‘Hey, we’ve been through this, bro. It’s going to happen. Just hang with it and you’re going to fight through it.’”
Winter is almost over for the hottest team in baseball. Cubs pitchers and catchers officially report to camp on Friday in Arizona. Believe the hype or not, it’s time to get the band back together again.
Cubs banking on Jason Heyward’s Gold Glove defense.
By Patrick Mooney
The Cubs are paying Jason Heyward like a middle-of-the-order hitter, whether or not he ever evolves into that kind of offensive force. The age-26 runway, a .353 career on-base percentage and Gold Glove defense made eight years and $184 million seem like a safe investment in this market.
How Heyward responds to a different clubhouse, a new city and an unfamiliar position will be one of the many storylines for a Cubs team that will have World Series ambitions when pitchers and catchers officially report on Friday in Arizona.
There were times the Cubs looked unsure and sloppy in the field while getting swept by the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series, but that team had been built on a shaky defensive foundation and arrived ahead of schedule last year.
No doubt, Heyward is an elite defender in right field, where he won three Gold Gloves in the last four years with the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. He led all NL
right fielders in putouts and assists in 2012 and 2014. He led the majors in Defensive Runs Saved in 2014 (32) and finished fourth in that category last season (22).
Only Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (30) posted a higher Ultimate Zone Rating than Heyward (20.2) last year. Only Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (25) finished with a better UZR than Heyward (24.1) in 2014.
Heyward has already played almost 7,000 defensive innings in The Show, but only 3 percent of that time has been in center field.
“I’m going to give my best effort all the time,” Heyward said. “On defense, I can affect the game every pitch. But on offense, I only get one (key) at-bat or (it) comes around only so many times a game. On defense, there are 27 outs you need to make in nine innings to win a ballgame. And I’m not asleep for any of those.
“I try and do what I can to help my team, whether it’s cutting a ball off, throwing somebody out or making a nice diving play. You can score 10 runs, but if you can’t stop somebody from scoring 11, you’re not going to win.”
The qualifying offer has dragged down Dexter Fowler’s market, with teams like the White Sox and Baltimore Orioles apparently reluctant to give up a draft pick for a defender who doesn’t pass the eye test or grade out well on the metrics. (Though Fowler still remaining unsigned in the middle of February would have been inconceivable at the end of a walk season where he scored 102 runs for a 97-win team and got on base almost 35 percent of the time.)
The Cubs wanted to upgrade in center field and create more of a defensive identity. Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber will be projects for bench coach Dave Martinez, an enthusiastic teacher who played 16 seasons in the big leagues.
Soler has already missed out on so much development time while defecting from Cuba and recovering from injuries. Schwarber looked like a designated hitter coming out of Indiana University and he doesn’t want to give up on the idea of catching.
But it’s not like the Cubs are making this a lifetime appointment for Heyward. It could wind up being a one- or two-year solution while someone like Albert Almora continues to develop in the minors. Maybe Javier Baez smoothly transitions to the outfield or the Cubs eventually get a trade offer they can’t refuse.
Theo Epstein’s front office has already given manager Joe Maddon a deep roster to make in-game adjustments and create good matchups with versatile players like Baez, Ben Zobrist, Kris Bryant and Chris Coghlan.
And as long as Soler and Schwarber crush the ball, most of those defensive concerns will be going, going, gone.
“We love the offensive upside that Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber present at the corner-outfield positions,” Epstein said. “But it’s a long contract. Things will inevitably change over time. I’m sure there’s a time where Jason’s going to be playing plenty of right field for us. We’re excited about seeing him play center field day in and day out.
“(With) all the research that we’ve done and all the scouting reports we have, we feel like he’s going to handle himself very well in center field.
“(It’s) a great match (that) allows for some different combinations through the years as we move forward.”
Maddon – who had to focus on the little things with the small-market Rays and likes to say he comes from The Land of Run Prevention – won’t try to turn Heyward into something he’s not.
“Believe me, I will talk to him a lot,” Maddon said. “My expectation is that he comes out, gets ready to play and knows where to set up on defense, works a good at-bat and just keep running the bases (the same way), because I love the way he runs the bases.
“(It’s the) process. Don’t worry about the outcome of anything. Just go play.”
By Dan Hayes
The acquisitions of Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie have once again raised expectations. ZiPS projects 84-85 wins for the White Sox while USA Today called for 90 victories and a first-place finish in the American League Central in a Monday article.
Whether or not the White Sox have a successful season is bound to hinge on a number of factors.
Here’s a look at five key players who could impact the White Sox season:
1. Carlos Rodon
After he struggled with command over the first four months of the season, Rodon made critical adjustments over his final eight starts, which resulted in a reduction in walks. The left-hander trimmed his walks per nine innings from 5.31 to 3.46 and excelled. Rodon went 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA in his final eight starts.
With Jeff Samardzija gone, the White Sox need Rodon to perform as he did late in the season. If he continues to throw strikes as he did in August and September, there’s no reason to think Rodon can’t improve upon last season’s performance.
2. Avisail Garcia
The young outfielder’s overall 2015 offensive numbers left plenty to be desired. What Garcia needs is to find middle ground and eliminate much of the inconsistency that dominated his season. Last month, he and hitting coach Todd Steverson worked for three days on Garcia’s stance in hopes it allows him to better see the ball. The White Sox see spring training as a critical period as it will allow Garcia to get comfortable with his new stance.
3. Adam LaRoche
For the offense to rebound from its dismal performance last season, the White Sox need either Garcia or LaRoche to step up. LaRoche, 36, is coming off the worst full season of his career. But he has the potential to be one true left-handed power bat in the lineup and the White Sox need him to rebound. At SoxFest, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said LaRoche — who has at least 20 home runs in 10 seasons — would be given an opportunity but also has to prove he’s deserving of playing time.
4. Mat Latos
Could be a bargain. That’s how the White Sox view their latest free-agent signee, who inked a one-year deal for $3 million last week. Latos has been dogged by knee injuries for the past two seasons. Before that, he was a top-50 pitcher. The increase in Latos’ velocity last season from 2014 could be an indication his health has improved. The White Sox have a good history with maintaining the health of their players, too. Were Latos to bounce back, an already strong rotation would get much better.
5 Tim Anderson
Ian Desmond interest aside, Tyler Saladino appears to have a lock on the starting job as the White Sox head into camp. The club loves Saladino’s glove, but could use more from his bat. If Saladino doesn’t hit enough, Anderson could make himself a viable candidate to aide the major league club by forcing the issue at Triple-A. Anderson had a fantastic season at Double-A but the club would like to give him more time to refine his game.
Golf: I got a club for that..... AP source: McIlroy and Fowler set for primetime match.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 2nd hole during 3rd round of the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)
For the first time in more than a decade, golf is getting another prime-time exhibition. Except this one will be live - under the lights.
Quicken Loans is finalizing details for a match involving Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler a week before the U.S Open, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.
For the first time in more than a decade, golf is getting another prime-time exhibition. Except this one will be live - under the lights.
Quicken Loans is finalizing details for a match involving Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler a week before the U.S Open, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the match has not been announced.
The match would be at Detroit Golf Club on June 7, the Tuesday before U.S. Open week begins at Oakmont outside of Pittsburgh.
The first two hours would be televised live by Golf Channel, followed by the 9-11 p.m. slot shown live on CBS. It was not clear how many holes would be broadcast under the lights.
Unlike the Monday night matches involving Tiger Woods in 1999 and 2000, there would be a celebrity component with this exhibition. The person said it would be ''Team Rory'' against ''Team Rickie.''
Still to be determined are the celebrities and the format.
Quicken Loans, the Detroit-based mortgage company, is no stranger to offbeat sporting challenges. It already has staged the first college basketball game on an active aircraft carrier, and two years ago offered $1 billion to anyone who completed a perfect bracket in the NCAA basketball tournament.
In golf, it became title sponsor of the Quicken Loans National, hosted by Woods, in 2014 and has a personal endorsement deal with Fowler. As part of its PGA Tour involvement, Quicken Loans has a sweepstakes in which it pays someone's mortgage for a year when a PGA Tour player makes a hole-in-one.
In golf, it became title sponsor of the Quicken Loans National, hosted by Woods, in 2014 and has a personal endorsement deal with Fowler. As part of its PGA Tour involvement, Quicken Loans has a sweepstakes in which it pays someone's mortgage for a year when a PGA Tour player makes a hole-in-one.
McIlroy, who is No. 3 in the world going into the Northern Trust Open this week at Riviera, and Fowler (No. 4 in the world) are two of the most popular figures in golf.
Both live in South Florida, and Fowler last year played in the Irish Open to help out McIlroy because of McIlroy's involvement.
Both live in South Florida, and Fowler last year played in the Irish Open to help out McIlroy because of McIlroy's involvement.
Golf has a heritage of such exhibitions. A century ago, the value of winning a major was to be selected to compete in such exhibitions, where the prize money was greater than anything won at a major.
Woods resurrected that concept in 1999 with the ''Showdown at Sherwood'' against David Duval (they were No. 1 and No. 2 in the world at the time), and a year later against Sergio Garcia.
Woods resurrected that concept in 1999 with the ''Showdown at Sherwood'' against David Duval (they were No. 1 and No. 2 in the world at the time), and a year later against Sergio Garcia.
Those Monday night exhibitions got away from head-to-head matches and switched to team events that included women and seniors. They stopped in 2005.
The rating peaked in 2000 at 7.6, and dropped to 3.0 in 2005 when Woods and John Daly played Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen at the Bridges on Rancho Santa Fe. Lights were only used at those matches when it got too dark.
Woods and McIlroy played a stroke-play exhibition in 2012 in China that was available through live streaming in America.
Power rankings: Northern Trust Open.
By Ryan Ballengee
The PGA Tour moves down the California coast to the Los Angeles area for the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
Hogan's Alley West is home to an excellent field, headlined by world No. 1 Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, who is making his debut in this event.
James Hahn defends a title he won in a playoff last year over Dustin Johnson, who has been second here each of the last two years, and Paul Casey.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Jordan Spieth -- The world No. 1 scored a T-21 at Pebble after making the 54-hole cut on the number. Admitted he was playing cocky golf and this knocked him down a peg. Should be a good lesson. He learns fast.
2. Hideki Matsuyama -- The Phoenix Open winner was T-4 here last year, and should give himself plenty of chances with his impressive GIR numbers.
3. J.B. Holmes -- A pair of T-6s and a T-11 in his last three starts is great momentum. He also has an excellent track record here.
4. Charl Schwartzel -- Making his U.S. debut in 2016, Schwartzel already has two European Tour wins this season, including an eight-shot win last weekend in South Africa. A pair of top fives in 2013 and '14 in this event.
5. Rory McIlroy -- First time at Riv for McIlroy, who played well in his two United Arab Emirates starts but faded just before big flurries at the end. Still class player in the field.
Tiger Woods Foundation looking at possible link with Riviera.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Tiger Woods got caught in the rain without an umbrella, shot a 74 and made the cut on the number at Riviera. He withdrew the next day with the flu and hasn't been back. That was 10 years ago.
That's not to suggest Riviera has seen the last of Woods.
This will be the last year Northern Trust is the title sponsor at Riviera. Northern Trust will take over the first FedEx Cup playoff event in the New York area (formerly The Barclays), and Hyundai is leaving Kapalua to become title sponsor at Riviera.
How does this involve Woods?
How does this involve Woods?
There have been discussions in recent months for the Tiger Woods Foundation to have a significant charitable component of the Riviera event. It would be the perfect fit for Woods, mainly because the first Tiger Woods Learning Center is located down the road in Anaheim, and the foundation headquarters also is in Southern California.
The foundation is the designated charity for the Quicken Loans National, and the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas. The World Challenge was held at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks from 2001 until 2013, giving the foundation a local presence.
Woods' foundation also is primary charity of the Deutsche Bank Championship, though Deutsche Bank is not expected to renew its sponsorship after this year.
The announcement about Hyundai becoming title sponsor at Riviera starting in 2017 did not include what the tournament will be called, and any discussions about getting Woods' foundation involved are not expected to progress until after this year's Northern Trust Open.
Woods has played in all of his foundation events when healthy, and that's another part of the equation. He has not played since August, has gone through two more back surgeries and has no idea when he will be fit enough to start practicing, much less playing.
Woods made it clear last December, though, that he wants to get healthy to play again.
Woods played his first PGA Tour event at Riviera as a 16-year-old amateur. He speaks highly of Riviera, without any great success on the course. His best result was a tie for second in 1999. He never finished out of the top 20 when completing the tournament.
EAST LAKE CHANGES: The PGA Tour made it official Tuesday by saying it would flip the nines at East Lake for the Tour Championship, along with Rees Jones making a few other changes.
Jones was walking the course last year and talking to various players about the changes.
By flipping the nines, the Tour Championship - and possibly the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus - now will be decided on a par 5 instead of a par 3. The tour said in a release that the final five holes now will have the potential for more lead changes.
Previously, the back nine was a strong test from the 13th hole onward, with the exception of the par-5 15th.
Jones was walking the course last year and talking to various players about the changes.
By flipping the nines, the Tour Championship - and possibly the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus - now will be decided on a par 5 instead of a par 3. The tour said in a release that the final five holes now will have the potential for more lead changes.
Previously, the back nine was a strong test from the 13th hole onward, with the exception of the par-5 15th.
Now, the final stretch will start with the 14th hole (previously No. 5), which is one of the most difficult par 4s at East Lake. It will be followed by the par 3 over the lake to a peninsula green, with two holes that will be modified before reaching the par 5 final hole.
The tour said the landing area on the new 18th would be modified with bunkers added to the second landing area and around the green.
One reason for the change that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem told The Associated Press last year made sense.
''If we get into a close finish or a playoff situation and you come to the last hole, those minutes are really valuable,'' he said. ''People are streaming back to the telecast. They hear it's a playoff. They hear it's tight. When you get there, you want that last hole to be as impactful as possible. You want it to last a while. If it's a three-shot hole or a reachable par 5, there's more golf to see than if it's tied or a one-shot lead and you're playing a par 3.''
JORDAN'S DECISION: Ten years ago in the Rose Bowl, Texas beat Southern California in one of the best college football championship games, and a 12-year-old in Dallas was watching.
Just don't get the idea Jordan Spieth was flashing the ''Hook 'Em Horns'' sign.
Just don't get the idea Jordan Spieth was flashing the ''Hook 'Em Horns'' sign.
''At the time, I was looking into visiting both schools on unofficial visits once I was really a sophomore in high school,'' he said Tuesday. ''No, that didn't convince me to go to either. I was still equally considering, but I was rooting for Texas given I was in Dallas with a lot of family and friends who are obviously Texas fans.''
Spieth wound up going to Texas for three semesters before turning pro, but the appeal of USC was strong.
''A huge thing for me with USC was I heard that they had four playing memberships at Riviera,'' he said. ''So when I came out on my visit, I was offered one of the memberships at Riviera for the time you're at USC. And that's a pretty awesome perk.''
But it wasn't amazing enough to turn down Texas, and he still got to play Riviera. The Longhorns won the national championship at Riviera in 2012.
MALNATI'S THEORY: Peter Malnati has an endorsement deal with MLB.com, and he uses the popular app to justify the amount of rest he gets during baseball season.
MALNATI'S THEORY: Peter Malnati has an endorsement deal with MLB.com, and he uses the popular app to justify the amount of rest he gets during baseball season.
''It's really important in any line of work, especially in what I do with golf, to be well rested,'' Malnati said during a visit to MLB.com studios in New York. ''Sleep is really important. But I have this theory. As long as I'm all ready for bed - teeth brushed and everything - and I'm tucked in bed, everything I do from there still counts almost as sleep. So I watch the Royals on my iPad a lot.''
And if he wasn't in bed watching baseball on TV.
''I would feel bad staying up so late watching some of the games that I do,'' Malnati said. ''That way it's just completely justified.''
''I would feel bad staying up so late watching some of the games that I do,'' Malnati said. ''That way it's just completely justified.''
If he says so.
DIVOTS: Jordan Spieth will be playing the opening two rounds at Riviera with Justin Thomas, whom he beat in the NCAA finals at Riviera in 2012, which included Spieth holing out for eagle on the 15th hole. Joining them will be 56-year-old Fred Couples. ... Graeme McDowell's ''Best of Ireland'' dinner at the New York Athletic Club last week raised $600,000. The G-Mac Foundation has partnered with the Children's Medical Research Foundation to bring the event to New York in 2012. Since then, it has raised more than $2.7 million to help fund the building of an in-patient cardiac unit that cares for 500 seriously ill children each year in a Dublin hospital. ... Charlie Danielson shot a 68 in the Northern Trust Open Collegiate Showcase, earning him a spot in the tournament.
STAT OF THE WEEK: Vaughn Taylor's victory at Pebble Beach was the first time since Bay Hill in 2013 that he played a tournament that featured the No. 1 player.
FINAL WORD: ''I am sure that the Framers of the Constitution, aware of the 1457 edict of King James II of Scotland prohibiting golf because it interfered with the practice of archery, fully expected that sooner or later the paths of golf and government, the law and the links, would once again cross, and that the judges of this august Court would some day have to wrestle with that age-old jurisprudential question, for which their years of study in the law have so well prepared them: Is someone riding around a golf course from shot to shot really a golfer?'' - The late Justice Antonin Scalia, writing the dissenting opinion in 2001 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Casey Martin's lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
NASCAR: Charter deal means driver contracts are being reworked.
By Nick Bromberg
Because of the ownership structure agreement that helps ensure equity for team owners at the time of sale, driver contracts are being renegotiated and recalculated as a result of the financial changes across the sport in the 2016 season.
"I think anyone would like to know before the terms of their employment changes but that is not the situation," Brad Keselowski said. "I am aware of the fact that I am a race car driver and no matter what happens I am still going to be okay and I am not looking for anyone to feel bad for me. On the other side it is not ideal.”
Keselowski hits the major point of this post; it's not to feel sorry about Sprint Cup drivers. They're still some of the most financially fortunate people on the planet and will continue to probably make more than you, me and your best friend combined. But this is to rather point out that the charter system is changing things for drivers too, even if it's primarily in the language of their contracts.
Most, if not all, driver contracts include a percentage of purse earnings. While a lot of big time drivers also receive a set salary from his or her team, and up and coming or part-time driver may be on a contract primarily contingent upon purse money from race winnings.
NASCAR recently changed the public nature of race purse winnings; Sprint Cup Series box scores will not longer have a driver's winnings listed. It's because the numbers were likely to be substantially different than they were in 2015 and other years.
The overall percentage of revenue NASCAR teams receive didn't change, however charter teams are now guaranteed a certain amount of money divvied from a fund dispersed at the end of the season. Since the way that money was distributed changed, contracts reflecting the previous setup had to change as a result.
"Every driver has a concern if you’re paid based on the purse, right?" Jamie McMurray rhetorically asked. "That’s how most contracts were structured is that you get a salary and you get paid based on the purse; and so, that structuring changed, right? It’s all for the better but everyone’s contracts has to be re-looked-at and re-worked. From what I know, from talking to the drivers and our team and listening to what other teams are saying, like all the owners are really fair in making that right, it just takes a different contract than what we had.”
Indeed, the pervasive sentiment about contract renegotiations was overwhelmingly positive. Drivers spoke confidently that their employers would do what's necessary to make things right.
"I may go into the Daytona 500 not actually knowing what I’m earning, but I think the relationship I have with my team has been good," Casey Mears said. "All the conversations have been, ‘Hey, how can we get you back to, based on this new format, what we negotiated?’ There’s definitely a lot of internal conversations going on having to do with that. I would think if there’s anything, I don’t want to say it was negative, but the timing of it was not good for the drivers going into the race. But I think the majority of the teams are going to settle it and make it right."
And some said their teams had already taken care of the new contracts.
"I think everybody knew there was going to be some contractual stuff that we had to work through," Harvick said. "For me, I wanted it to happen as openly and as quick as possible because I didn't want it to linger and have things be brought up that really didn't need to be brought up and cause tension between teams."
"That was my ultimate goal. I'm not going to sit around and pinch pennies just because of the fact I think I'm being treated unfairly. I want to just be treated fairly. That was really all that I was looking for. I felt like our team did that."
Drivers renew push to eliminate grass near racing surface at tracks.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Getty Images)
With energy-absorbing barriers being added at tracks, NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers say more safety improvements still can be made.
Reigning champion Kyle Busch, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman each say that grass should be eliminated near the racing surface.
The issue returned to prominence after Johnson damaged the front of his car when he slid through the backstretch grass in last weekend’s Sprint Unlimited.
Johnson noted his crash, Newman’s barrel roll in the 2003 Daytona 500 (after sliding into the grass) and Busch’s accident in last year’s Xfinity race that sidelined him for about three months, as examples of grass playing an unnecessary role in those incidents.
“Grass belongs on golf courses,’’ Johnson said Tuesday at NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. “We need asphalt around here to slow the cars down, control the cars.’’
Busch has been an outspoken critic of tracks having grass near the racing surface. His car skidded off the track and ran through grass before slamming head-on into a concrete wall in last year’s Xfinity season opener at Daytona. He suffered a fractured left foot and broken right leg, missing the first 11 Cup races of the season.
Busch said last year that his car left the track at 176 mph and hit the wall going 90 mph. His car skipped over the grass and didn’t slow as much as if there had been asphalt. Daytona International Speedway officials responded by paving part of that area and adding SAFER barrier to the inside wall.
Busch, who joined the nine-member drivers council this year, said the group ran out of time in last month’s meeting with NASCAR to address the issue of grass near the racing surface.
“Our next meeting is a few months from now and, hopefully, we’re able to regroup and get on that,’’ Busch said. “A lot of drivers have the same sentiment as I do. We’d like to know the explanation as to why (grass remains in certain areas) and how we can see getting rid of more of it.’’
Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, cited the track’s use by multiple racing series as an element to be factored when making any changes.
“Daytona is operated about 250 days a year, so we do have other forms of racing out here,’’ Chitwood said. “We have to make sure we provide everyone a good racing opportunity, whether its sports cars, whether its motorcycles. Right now that balancing act of the right kind of safety, whether its grass, whether its SAFER barrier and how it fits in everything we do, we just have to balance all of those things.
Newman said Johnson was lucky in his incident through the grass last weekend.
“If his nose would have snagged the grass wrong, the car would have flipped over
and he could have ended up, if not in the lake, close to it,’’ Newman said.
Newman also said that he would like to see tracks add a wall to protect pit road. Daytona International Speedway does not have a wall because of the large section of grass in the tri-oval.
“I’ve always said that every race track should have a pit wall to protect the crews, something like Michigan, places like that,’’ he said. “There’s a lot of race tracks that we go to still (that don’t have a wall) and they’re mostly, for the better part, (Speedway Motorsports Inc.) tracks, Charlotte, Texas, Atlanta.
“You always have to play out the worst-case scenario card and we’ve seen it happen at different race tracks.’’
SOCCER: Should MLS be worried about China’s big-spending?
Reigning champion Kyle Busch, six-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman each say that grass should be eliminated near the racing surface.
The issue returned to prominence after Johnson damaged the front of his car when he slid through the backstretch grass in last weekend’s Sprint Unlimited.
Johnson noted his crash, Newman’s barrel roll in the 2003 Daytona 500 (after sliding into the grass) and Busch’s accident in last year’s Xfinity race that sidelined him for about three months, as examples of grass playing an unnecessary role in those incidents.
“Grass belongs on golf courses,’’ Johnson said Tuesday at NASCAR Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. “We need asphalt around here to slow the cars down, control the cars.’’
Busch has been an outspoken critic of tracks having grass near the racing surface. His car skidded off the track and ran through grass before slamming head-on into a concrete wall in last year’s Xfinity season opener at Daytona. He suffered a fractured left foot and broken right leg, missing the first 11 Cup races of the season.
Busch said last year that his car left the track at 176 mph and hit the wall going 90 mph. His car skipped over the grass and didn’t slow as much as if there had been asphalt. Daytona International Speedway officials responded by paving part of that area and adding SAFER barrier to the inside wall.
Busch, who joined the nine-member drivers council this year, said the group ran out of time in last month’s meeting with NASCAR to address the issue of grass near the racing surface.
“Our next meeting is a few months from now and, hopefully, we’re able to regroup and get on that,’’ Busch said. “A lot of drivers have the same sentiment as I do. We’d like to know the explanation as to why (grass remains in certain areas) and how we can see getting rid of more of it.’’
Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, cited the track’s use by multiple racing series as an element to be factored when making any changes.
“Daytona is operated about 250 days a year, so we do have other forms of racing out here,’’ Chitwood said. “We have to make sure we provide everyone a good racing opportunity, whether its sports cars, whether its motorcycles. Right now that balancing act of the right kind of safety, whether its grass, whether its SAFER barrier and how it fits in everything we do, we just have to balance all of those things.
Newman said Johnson was lucky in his incident through the grass last weekend.
“If his nose would have snagged the grass wrong, the car would have flipped over
and he could have ended up, if not in the lake, close to it,’’ Newman said.
Newman also said that he would like to see tracks add a wall to protect pit road. Daytona International Speedway does not have a wall because of the large section of grass in the tri-oval.
“I’ve always said that every race track should have a pit wall to protect the crews, something like Michigan, places like that,’’ he said. “There’s a lot of race tracks that we go to still (that don’t have a wall) and they’re mostly, for the better part, (Speedway Motorsports Inc.) tracks, Charlotte, Texas, Atlanta.
“You always have to play out the worst-case scenario card and we’ve seen it happen at different race tracks.’’
SOCCER: Should MLS be worried about China’s big-spending?
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
There may be a few people at Major League Soccer’s headquarters looking rather nervously over their shoulders. You can’t blame them.
Something big is going on in China. Really big.
Ahead of the 2016 Chinese Super League (CSL) season plenty of teams in China’s top-flight have been spending money like it’s going out of fashion in recent weeks as star names have flocked to China.
With the transfer window in China s still open for another 10 days ahead of the start of the season on March 4, there could be even more big-money moves to come.
Not only has the huge sums spent on individual players been eye-catching, but the fact that most of these players are in their prime proves the CSL is doing something MLS has been trying to do — and having mixed results with — for years. Getting players to leave established leagues in their prime. Sebastian Giovinco is the best example of this MLS has and after that, there’s not too many others to choose from.
In a 10-day spell this month the CSL transfer fee record was broken three times. First Ramires left Chelsea for Jiangsu Suning for $30 million, then Jackson Martinez left Atletico Madrid for Guangzhou Evergrande for a fee of $45 million and then came Jiangsu Suning’s capture of Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk for $56 million. All of these players are on astronomical wages and it’s tough to question their motives about leaving some of the biggest teams and competitions in the world for the riches China offers.
The sheer fact that clubs are forking out these kind of transfer fees — MLS historically doesn’t like to pay big fees for incoming foreign talent — shows you the wealth they possess, with many owned by state run companies. Of course there are other issues around China as a country and the pollution levels present, but at the end of the day these players are heading to the CSL to do one thing: get money. At least right now, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Other impressive names to join the CSL include Demba Ba, Gervinho, Fredy Guarin, Paulinho and Asamoah Gyan, plus former Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero has also arrived. With each CSL team allowed four overseas players on their roster, plus one player from another Asian Football Confederation nation, there is some limit to their spending which keeps it from spiraling out of control and it is not unlike the Designated Player rule in MLS.
The biggest question you and I have is: will this model be sustainable?
Well, let’s wait and see but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the majority of people who pump their money into owning and running a soccer team never actually make money. That’s the way it works all over the globe and China is no different. The crowds have been steadily on the rise among the CSL’s 16 teams with attendance figures for the 2015 season up by 16.8 percent from the previous year and the average gate was 22,193.
Given all of the positives and hubbub around the CSL, you have to remember that the long-term infrastructure of clubs is still not there. MLS is way more advanced in that respect, even though it’s average attendance for 2015 was slightly lower at 21,574. With academy teams producing more and more North American talent, MLS has put the building blocks in place to be a sustainable league capable of producing its own players while also improving the off-field product which Soccer Specific Stadiums across the league are an example of. There is still plenty of work to do in MLS, but over two decades the respect levels for it have grown steadily.
However, due to the huge splash the CSL is making with these monster signings, it’s evident that China’s clubs want to catch up fast to MLS and try to overtake other emerging domestic leagues outside of the Europa and South America. For instance, following Corinthians winning the Brazilian title they sold four of their players in one week. All four went to China and all were paid salaries which made their livings in Brazil look paltry. It’s not just the players either as Sven-Goran Eriksson and Luiz Felipe Scolari manage two of the top teams in Shanghai SIPG and Guanghzou Evergrande respectively. The latter has won the title five times in a row and also won the AFC Champions League in 2013 and 2015.
The CSL is only 11 years old but with President Xi Jinping putting a huge emphasis on soccer with 20,000 schools enrolled in a mandatory program to have students play the game, plus recently he visited Manchester City on a trip to the UK — weeks later City announced they’d sold a 13 percent stake in the club for $400 million to state-owned companies in China — and the Premier League side is now exploring many opportunities to expand their brand in China. It seems like there’s a huge push for the sport to become mainstream. With many top class teams traveling to China over the past few years to play in preseason tournaments, expect that to continue and not far from now the CSL will go head-to-head with MLS for players heading towards the end of their career.
I’m talking about Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi. If those guys ever want to move abroad, would China or North America be a better option?
We know the kind of money on offer in the CSL is incredible. And it is the same in MLS for the DPs, but even those levels have dropped off in recent years following the departure of David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The proof will be in the pudding in years to come as the CSL continue to sell its TV rights for huge sums of money — the TV deal for the next five years is at $1.18 billion, over 30 times larger than the last deal — and the level of play continues to rise with more players arriving in their prime.
In the past the Middle East offered huge sums for a players at the end of their careers — remember images of Gabriel Batistuta and the De Boer brothers playing in Qatar’s Stars League about a decade ago? — and many would claim MLS have done the same for most of the last decade in attempts to become more popular and grow their brand. That has now become a part of MLS’ model but not the main part. The CSL has taken a huge step forward in recent weeks to becoming the overseas league players in Europe will want to join purely from a financial standpoint. Even if many would prefer to live in the U.S. and Canada to see out their playing days, going to China to play in the emerging and mega-wealthy top-flight is becoming hugely attractive.
That in itself is perhaps the biggest reason why MLS should be worried. It’s ability to attract star names to fill stadiums could be impacted in the future as the CSL’s dramatic rise continues.
Olympic qualifying semis set as Canada, T&T win; USWNT learns opponent.
By Nicholas Mendola
The United States women’s national team wrapped up group stage play with a 10-0 win over Puerto Rico on Monday, and Canada used Tuesday to serve notice there were two powers in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.
Canada clobbered last-place Guatemala on Tuesday, ringing up a 5-0 halftime lead en route to its own 10-0 final score. Duke University junior Rebecca Quinn (above) and Ohio State junior Nichelle Prince recorded hat tricks for Canada, which totaled the most goals of the group stage.
Come Friday, the Canadians will get Group A runners-up Costa Rica while the USWNT stare down Trinidad and Tobago. Both matches will be on NBC Sports Live Extra.
And both will be played in Houston, as will Sunday’s championship. The latter is more for bragging rights, as the semifinal winners both make this summer’s Olympics in Rio.
Something big is going on in China. Really big.
Ahead of the 2016 Chinese Super League (CSL) season plenty of teams in China’s top-flight have been spending money like it’s going out of fashion in recent weeks as star names have flocked to China.
With the transfer window in China s still open for another 10 days ahead of the start of the season on March 4, there could be even more big-money moves to come.
Not only has the huge sums spent on individual players been eye-catching, but the fact that most of these players are in their prime proves the CSL is doing something MLS has been trying to do — and having mixed results with — for years. Getting players to leave established leagues in their prime. Sebastian Giovinco is the best example of this MLS has and after that, there’s not too many others to choose from.
In a 10-day spell this month the CSL transfer fee record was broken three times. First Ramires left Chelsea for Jiangsu Suning for $30 million, then Jackson Martinez left Atletico Madrid for Guangzhou Evergrande for a fee of $45 million and then came Jiangsu Suning’s capture of Alex Teixeira from Shakhtar Donetsk for $56 million. All of these players are on astronomical wages and it’s tough to question their motives about leaving some of the biggest teams and competitions in the world for the riches China offers.
The sheer fact that clubs are forking out these kind of transfer fees — MLS historically doesn’t like to pay big fees for incoming foreign talent — shows you the wealth they possess, with many owned by state run companies. Of course there are other issues around China as a country and the pollution levels present, but at the end of the day these players are heading to the CSL to do one thing: get money. At least right now, and it shows no signs of stopping.
Other impressive names to join the CSL include Demba Ba, Gervinho, Fredy Guarin, Paulinho and Asamoah Gyan, plus former Seattle Sounders forward Fredy Montero has also arrived. With each CSL team allowed four overseas players on their roster, plus one player from another Asian Football Confederation nation, there is some limit to their spending which keeps it from spiraling out of control and it is not unlike the Designated Player rule in MLS.
The biggest question you and I have is: will this model be sustainable?
Well, let’s wait and see but it doesn’t take a genius to realize that the majority of people who pump their money into owning and running a soccer team never actually make money. That’s the way it works all over the globe and China is no different. The crowds have been steadily on the rise among the CSL’s 16 teams with attendance figures for the 2015 season up by 16.8 percent from the previous year and the average gate was 22,193.
Given all of the positives and hubbub around the CSL, you have to remember that the long-term infrastructure of clubs is still not there. MLS is way more advanced in that respect, even though it’s average attendance for 2015 was slightly lower at 21,574. With academy teams producing more and more North American talent, MLS has put the building blocks in place to be a sustainable league capable of producing its own players while also improving the off-field product which Soccer Specific Stadiums across the league are an example of. There is still plenty of work to do in MLS, but over two decades the respect levels for it have grown steadily.
However, due to the huge splash the CSL is making with these monster signings, it’s evident that China’s clubs want to catch up fast to MLS and try to overtake other emerging domestic leagues outside of the Europa and South America. For instance, following Corinthians winning the Brazilian title they sold four of their players in one week. All four went to China and all were paid salaries which made their livings in Brazil look paltry. It’s not just the players either as Sven-Goran Eriksson and Luiz Felipe Scolari manage two of the top teams in Shanghai SIPG and Guanghzou Evergrande respectively. The latter has won the title five times in a row and also won the AFC Champions League in 2013 and 2015.
The CSL is only 11 years old but with President Xi Jinping putting a huge emphasis on soccer with 20,000 schools enrolled in a mandatory program to have students play the game, plus recently he visited Manchester City on a trip to the UK — weeks later City announced they’d sold a 13 percent stake in the club for $400 million to state-owned companies in China — and the Premier League side is now exploring many opportunities to expand their brand in China. It seems like there’s a huge push for the sport to become mainstream. With many top class teams traveling to China over the past few years to play in preseason tournaments, expect that to continue and not far from now the CSL will go head-to-head with MLS for players heading towards the end of their career.
I’m talking about Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi. If those guys ever want to move abroad, would China or North America be a better option?
We know the kind of money on offer in the CSL is incredible. And it is the same in MLS for the DPs, but even those levels have dropped off in recent years following the departure of David Beckham and Thierry Henry. The proof will be in the pudding in years to come as the CSL continue to sell its TV rights for huge sums of money — the TV deal for the next five years is at $1.18 billion, over 30 times larger than the last deal — and the level of play continues to rise with more players arriving in their prime.
In the past the Middle East offered huge sums for a players at the end of their careers — remember images of Gabriel Batistuta and the De Boer brothers playing in Qatar’s Stars League about a decade ago? — and many would claim MLS have done the same for most of the last decade in attempts to become more popular and grow their brand. That has now become a part of MLS’ model but not the main part. The CSL has taken a huge step forward in recent weeks to becoming the overseas league players in Europe will want to join purely from a financial standpoint. Even if many would prefer to live in the U.S. and Canada to see out their playing days, going to China to play in the emerging and mega-wealthy top-flight is becoming hugely attractive.
That in itself is perhaps the biggest reason why MLS should be worried. It’s ability to attract star names to fill stadiums could be impacted in the future as the CSL’s dramatic rise continues.
Olympic qualifying semis set as Canada, T&T win; USWNT learns opponent.
By Nicholas Mendola
The United States women’s national team wrapped up group stage play with a 10-0 win over Puerto Rico on Monday, and Canada used Tuesday to serve notice there were two powers in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.
Canada clobbered last-place Guatemala on Tuesday, ringing up a 5-0 halftime lead en route to its own 10-0 final score. Duke University junior Rebecca Quinn (above) and Ohio State junior Nichelle Prince recorded hat tricks for Canada, which totaled the most goals of the group stage.
"Goal CAN – No. 5 Rebecca QUINN @TheQuinny5 | @CanadaSoccerEN @Fedefut_oficial #CWOQ2016 https://t.co/iZsDaVH769
— CONCACAF (@CONCACAF) February 17, 2016"Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago rebounded from a blowout loss to Canada to end Guyana’s Olympic dreams with a 5-1 win thanks to a pair of goals from ex-Seattle Reign and Brisbane Roar striker Kennya Cordner.
Come Friday, the Canadians will get Group A runners-up Costa Rica while the USWNT stare down Trinidad and Tobago. Both matches will be on NBC Sports Live Extra.
And both will be played in Houston, as will Sunday’s championship. The latter is more for bragging rights, as the semifinal winners both make this summer’s Olympics in Rio.
NCAABKB: NCAA Top 25 Basketball Poll, February 15, 2016.
AP
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
POINTS
|
RECORD
|
PREVIOUS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Villanova (44) | 1601 | 22-3 | 1 |
| 2 | Kansas (21) | 1578 | 21-4 | 6 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 1471 | 20-4 | 3 |
| 4 | Iowa | 1349 | 20-5 | 4 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 1343 | 21-4 | 9 |
| 6 | Maryland | 1248 | 22-4 | 2 |
| 7 | Virginia | 1188 | 20-5 | 7 |
| 8 | Xavier | 1174 | 22-3 | 5 |
| 8 | Michigan State | 1174 | 21-5 | 8 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 1094 | 20-5 | 10 |
| 11 | Miami (Fla.) | 1036 | 20-4 | 12 |
| 12 | Arizona | 823 | 21-5 | 17 |
| 13 | Iowa State | 742 | 18-7 | 14 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 692 | 19-6 | 22 |
| 15 | Dayton | 681 | 21-3 | 19 |
| 16 | Oregon | 529 | 20-6 | 11 |
| 17 | Purdue | 497 | 20-6 | 18 |
| 18 | Louisville | 494 | 19-6 | 13 |
| 19 | Notre Dame | 489 | 18-7 | NR |
| 20 | Duke | 462 | 19-6 | NR |
| 21 | SMU | 441 | 21-3 | 16 |
| 22 | Indiana | 232 | 20-6 | 27 |
| 23 | Providence | 125 | 19-7 | 20 |
| 24 | Texas | 123 | 16-9 | 24 |
| 25 | Baylor | 97 | 18-7 | 21 |
- Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M 90, Utah 75, St. Joseph's 57, Wisconsin 47, South Carolina 39, USC 38, Michigan 17, Syracuse 17, Wichita St. 14, Stony Brook 13, Monmouth 10, California 8, Hawaii 5, N.C. Wilmington 4, Yale 3, San Diego St. 3, Cincinnati 2
Duke is back in Top 25 after 2 weeks out of poll.
By JIM O'CONNELL
There is a number in front of Duke again. After two weeks of being one of the unranked, the Blue Devils are finally back in The Associated Press Top 25.
One of the longest streaks of consecutive poll appearances ended two weeks ago when Duke dropped out of the rankings. Its run of 167 consecutive polls started with the preseason Top 25 of 2006-07. A run of four losses in five games knocked the Blue Devils from the ranks of the ranked.
A four-game winning streak has Duke (19-6) at No. 20 and if the Blue Devils go on a run similar to their last one they will be ranked until sometime in the 2024-25 season.
ON TOP AGAIN
Villanova is starting its second week at No. 1. The Wildcats no longer have to worry about being one of those eight schools that was No. 1 for just one week.
Villanova is now one of six schools to have been No. 1 for two weeks and it's quite a group they joined.
Louisville is the only one of the six to have split their weeks at the top between two seasons - 2008-09 and 2012-13. Two others made the jump to the top in recent years - Alabama in 2002-03 and Texas in 2009-10.
The other two schools have had a long run without being on top: Duquesne was No. 1 for two weeks in 1953-54 and Saint Louis was No. 1 in the first two AP polls ever in 1948-49.
NEW GUYS
In addition to Duke, No. 19 Notre Dame and No. 22 Indiana also returned to the Top 25 this week. All three were ranked in the preseason poll with Duke No. 5, Indiana No. 15 and Notre Dame No. 19.
Notre Dame (18-7) was ranked for the first two regular season polls, fell out and returned as No. 25 three weeks ago only to fall out again. The Fighting Irish return on a three-game winning streak and having won four of five with two of the wins over North Carolina and Louisville.
Indiana (20-6) had the same start to the season as Notre Dame but the Hoosiers returned for a three-week stint before dropping out last week. The Hoosiers come back to the rankings having lost two of their last three games - the win was over No. 4 Iowa. Before that they had won six of seven.
SEE YA
Texas A&M had the biggest drop of the three schools to fall out of the Top 25. The Aggies (18-7), who were No. 15 last week, had been ranked for nine straight weeks reaching as high as No. 8. A four-game losing streak did in the Aggies, who started the Southeastern Conference 7-0 and are now 7-5 in the league.
Southern Cal fell from 23rd after losing both games on its trip to the Arizona schools. The Trojans (18-7) had been ranked for two weeks before dropping out for one.
Wichita State (18-7) saw its 43-game home winning streak snapped by Northern Iowa and that dropped the Shockers out from No. 25. Wichita State was No. 10 in the preseason rankings and was ranked for two more weeks before falling out until returning three weeks ago.
GOOD WINS
Kansas and Oklahoma joined Iowa at the top of the list with five wins over ranked teams this season. They are taking advantage of being in power conferences that give you plenty of opportunities to face other good teams.
Among the group of eight schools with four wins over ranked teams, three are not in the Top 25 - Alabama, Syracuse and Wisconsin. The other teams with four wins over ranked teams are Iowa State, Providence, Texas, Virginia and Xavier.
CONFERENCE CALL
How about this stat: The Big 12 has had at least five teams in the poll for 33 consecutive weeks.
The Big 12 has six again this week but it was joined on top by the Atlantic Coast Conference which picked up Duke and Notre Dame.
Indiana returning to the poll gives the Big Ten five teams. The Big East has three, the Pac-12 two and the Atlantic 10, American Athletic Conference and Southeastern Conference have one each.
DOUBLE-RANKED GAMES
Four teams will be in two games involving two ranked teams this week. West Virginia, Texas, Baylor and Duke will all face another Top 25 team twice.
On Tuesday, it will be two Big 12 games as No. 10 West Virginia is at No. 24 Texas and No. 13 Iowa State is at No. 25 Baylor.
On Wednesday, No. 20 Duke is at No. 5 North Carolina in the first of their two Atlantic Coast Conference matchups and No. 23 Providence is at No. 8 Xavier in the Big East.
On Saturday, No. 3 Oklahoma is at West Virginia; Duke is at No. 18 Louisville; No. 17 Purdue is at No. 22 Indiana in a key Big Ten game; and Baylor is at Texas.
NCAAFB: Lawyer in Title IX case says focus is UT, not Peyton Manning.
By STEVE MEGARGEE
In this Jan. 1, 1996, file photo, Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning (16) is congratulated by an unidentified cheerleader after Tennessee defeated Ohio State 20-14 to win the Citrus Bowl, in Orlando. The lawyer for six women suing the University of Tennessee on its handling of sexual assault complaints by student-athletes is focused on the school's systemic problems he believes exist and is surprised at the attention the complaint's brief mention of Peyton Manning generated. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
The lawyer for six women suing the University of Tennessee over its handling of sexual assault complaints by student-athletes is focused on what he considers the school's systemic problems and is surprised at the attention the complaint's brief mention of Peyton Manning generated.
''It's certainly unanticipated,'' attorney David Randolph Smith said.
Smith said he included events from the last two decades - one involved Manning in 1996 - to show how Tennessee has handled reports of misconduct.
''We included one small paragraph about the Manning situation in the complaint, just as part of the overall background and history,'' Smith said.
''Peyton Manning is not a party to our lawsuit,'' he added. ''All these reports that say he's in the lawsuit, well he's referenced, but it's part of the historical'' background.
The lawsuit filed last week in federal court in Nashville states Tennessee has violated Title IX regulations and created a ''hostile sexual environment'' through a policy of indifference toward assaults by student-athletes.
The suit focuses on five cases that were reported between 2013 and 2015, but it also references incidents involving Tennessee student-athletes dating to 1995.
The suit focuses on five cases that were reported between 2013 and 2015, but it also references incidents involving Tennessee student-athletes dating to 1995.
One paragraph in the 64-page document refers to a sexual harassment complaint made by a Tennessee trainer in 1996 involving an incident that occurred in a training room while she was treating Manning, the quarterback at Tennessee from 1994-97 who just helped the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl.
Smith did say that as he prepares discovery for the Title IX lawsuit, he would look into some of the allegations in the 2003 document that details how former Volunteers trainer Jamie Ann Naughright perceived Tennessee was handling her sexual harassment complaints against the men's athletic department.
Smith did say that as he prepares discovery for the Title IX lawsuit, he would look into some of the allegations in the 2003 document that details how former Volunteers trainer Jamie Ann Naughright perceived Tennessee was handling her sexual harassment complaints against the men's athletic department.
Manning's father, Archie, declined comment via text.
After giving his ''State of the University of Tennessee'' address Tuesday in Nashville, school President Joe DiPietro read from a statement in which he said he couldn't take any questions related to pending litigation, specifically the Title IX lawsuit.
DiPietro instead reiterated a statement issued last week by the school's attorney, Bill Ramsey, that said ''any assertion that we do not take sexual assault seriously enough is simply not true.
After giving his ''State of the University of Tennessee'' address Tuesday in Nashville, school President Joe DiPietro read from a statement in which he said he couldn't take any questions related to pending litigation, specifically the Title IX lawsuit.
DiPietro instead reiterated a statement issued last week by the school's attorney, Bill Ramsey, that said ''any assertion that we do not take sexual assault seriously enough is simply not true.
''To claim that we have allowed a culture to exist contrary to our institutional commitment to providing a safe environment for our students or that we do not support those who report sexual assault is just false.''
DiPietro also said, ''We're always concerned about our students' safety and we always strive to keep a safe environment.''
In the current legal proceedings, U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger denied on Tuesday the six unidentified women's motion to temporarily restrain the university ''in their official capacities, from utilizing the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act in its investigation and adjudication of campus sexual assault cases involving university students.''
The plaintiffs in the Title IX lawsuit say the school's use of the ''discriminatory'' Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act in its investigation of sexual assault cases ''allows only accused perpetrators of sexual assaults (and not victims) to have the right of confrontation, cross-examination and a right to an evidentiary administrative hearing.'' The complaint adds that Tennessee is ''unique among U.S. colleges and universities'' in using this procedure.
Ramsey had said in a statement that every state agency in Tennessee has been required to comply with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act since 1974, so ''the implication that the UAPA is a process created by the University of Tennessee and reserved for student-athletes is ludicrous.''
Ramsey added Tuesday that if a student allegedly involved in a sexual assault has this type of hearing, the person making the complaint is permitted to have a lawyer who can intervene on her behalf and cross-examine witnesses.
Naughright reached a $300,000 settlement with the school in 1997 regarding her sexual-harassment complaints against the men's athletic department.
She sued Manning for defamation in 2002 in Florida after he discussed the incident in a book and said she had a ''vulgar mouth.'' That lawsuit was settled a year later, but the New York Daily News released a 74-page document Saturday that Naughright's lawyers had filed on her behalf in 2003 while the defamation suit was in litigation.
Her 1996 sexual harassment complaints against the Tennessee men's athletic department included an incident in which Manning exposed his buttocks as Naughright, then known as Jamie Whited, bent over to examine his foot. Manning said at the time it was a prank intended for another athlete. The sexual harassment complaint described the incident as a ''mooning,'' but in the defamation lawsuit, Naughright alleged Manning placed his ''naked butt'' on her face.
The UltraViolet women's group issued a statement Tuesday urging Nationwide Car Rental and Papa John's Pizza to drop Manning as a spokesman and mentioned his inclusion in the Title IX lawsuit.
Her 1996 sexual harassment complaints against the Tennessee men's athletic department included an incident in which Manning exposed his buttocks as Naughright, then known as Jamie Whited, bent over to examine his foot. Manning said at the time it was a prank intended for another athlete. The sexual harassment complaint described the incident as a ''mooning,'' but in the defamation lawsuit, Naughright alleged Manning placed his ''naked butt'' on her face.
The UltraViolet women's group issued a statement Tuesday urging Nationwide Car Rental and Papa John's Pizza to drop Manning as a spokesman and mentioned his inclusion in the Title IX lawsuit.
Ronda Rousey contemplated suicide following Holly Holm loss.
By Andreas
Ronda Rousey (Photo/yahoosports.com)
Ronda Rousey was so broken by being knocked out by Holly Holm last year that the fighter said she had thoughts of suicide following the bout.
The star fighter made that shocking claim during an emotional interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that airs Tuesday.
“In the medical room, I was down in the corner, I was sitting in the corner and I was like ‘what am I anymore if I’m not this?'” Rousey said as DeGeneres passed her a tissue. “And I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself in that exact second, I’m nothing. Like what do I do anymore? And no one gives an [expletive] about me anymore without this.”
The star fighter made that shocking claim during an emotional interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that airs Tuesday.
“In the medical room, I was down in the corner, I was sitting in the corner and I was like ‘what am I anymore if I’m not this?'” Rousey said as DeGeneres passed her a tissue. “And I was literally sitting there and thinking about killing myself in that exact second, I’m nothing. Like what do I do anymore? And no one gives an [expletive] about me anymore without this.”
Rousey's quick finishes and sheer dominance in her previous fights catapulted her to the top of popular culture. She landed film roles, magazine covers, endorsement deals and helped push mixed martial arts into the mainstream. But on the night of Nov. 15, Holm brutally halted much of Rousey’s momentum that was built upon her perceived invincibility.
It was assumed that she thought it was the end of the world when she lost. In fact, those assumptions may have been closer to the truth than we imagined.
It was assumed that she thought it was the end of the world when she lost. In fact, those assumptions may have been closer to the truth than we imagined.
Fortunately, she says, her contemplation of suicide was short-lived as she focused on her boyfriend, fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne, who was in the room with her.
“I just looked up at him and I was just like I need to have his babies, I need to stay alive.”
“I just looked up at him and I was just like I need to have his babies, I need to stay alive.”
Rousey's father committed suicide when she was 8 years old and the mere thought of losing her father may have also been a reason why Rousey quickly shook off any thoughts of taking her own life.
Rousey stayed quiet for weeks after the loss. But three months removed from the loss, Rousey was more open to go in depth about what went wrong against Holm in the octagon.
“I was knocked off my feet the first time I was hit. It’s hard to really know what was going on,” Rousey said. “With that first hit I cut open my whole mouth and knocked my teeth loose … it was weird I had no perception, I felt like I couldn’t see. I could see but I couldn’t tell how far my hand was from my face or how far she was from me … I was swinging blindly… I really don’t remember most of it.”
Rousey stated that she is looking forward to being the first fighter to defeat Holly Holm. Holm is slated to face Miesha Tate in March. Should Holm defend her title, it is expected that a rematch with Rousey will take place some time in November.
Rousey stated that she is looking forward to being the first fighter to defeat Holly Holm. Holm is slated to face Miesha Tate in March. Should Holm defend her title, it is expected that a rematch with Rousey will take place some time in November.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1924 - Swimmer Johnny Weissmuller set a world record in the 100-yard freestyle. He did it with a time of 57-2/5 seconds in Miami, FL.
1943 - Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) joined the U.S. Army as a voluntary inductee.
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 67 points against St. Louis.
1967 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored the first of an NBA record 35 consecutive goals without a miss.
1968 - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Springfield, MA.
1979 - Jerry Sloan became the first player for the Chicago Bulls to have his number retired. He wore #4.
2003 - Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys) and owner Jerry Jones agreed that releasing Smith from the team was a "win-win situation." The formal announcement was made on February 27.
1943 - Joe DiMaggio (New York Yankees) joined the U.S. Army as a voluntary inductee.
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 67 points against St. Louis.
1967 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored the first of an NBA record 35 consecutive goals without a miss.
1968 - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Springfield, MA.
1979 - Jerry Sloan became the first player for the Chicago Bulls to have his number retired. He wore #4.
2003 - Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys) and owner Jerry Jones agreed that releasing Smith from the team was a "win-win situation." The formal announcement was made on February 27.
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