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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"I think if you're a good high school player that you have the ability to be a good college football player. If you're a good college football then you have the ability to be a great NFL player." ~ Robert Griffin lll, NFL Quarterback
Trending: NFL’s beauty pageant convening in Indy. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: Why the Cubs feel Ben Zobrist was the most important signing in baseball. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: CBT BRACKETOLOGY: Kansas remains No. 1 overall seed. (See the NCAABKB section for basketball and "March Madness Tournament updates).
Trending: CBT BRACKETOLOGY: Kansas remains No. 1 overall seed. (See the NCAABKB section for basketball and "March Madness Tournament updates).
Trending: Tim Tebow voted America's 5th favorite NFL QB, tops Russell Wilson. (See the last article on this blog for details).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks mailbag: So many trade deadline questions.
Ah, the trade deadline is approaching. The next week promises to offer a few deals around the league, some prognostication and way too many baseless rumors. We’ll gnash our teeth, and probably shoot down, at the thought of that last one.
I believe the Blackhawks absolutely will do something at the trade deadline, which is 2 p.m. next Monday. The question is, do they focus on just getting a left wing, just getting a defenseman or both? According to generalfanager.com, the Blackhawks are estimated to have approximately $4.76 million of salary-cap space on trade deadline day (please read the site to see the full explanation as to how it gets to that number). They’ll also have to be mindful of any season bonuses (among them, Artemi Panarin). So there is some wiggle room, but not a ton.
Of course, you all have questions on what could happen. Brandon Fisher (@BK_FiSH3R) asks, “Who else besides (Andrew) Ladd are the Hawks looking to acquire?” Ladd is on the Blackhawks’ list, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only guy on that list. Sure, it would be a great fit, a natural fit. But does he even leave Winnipeg? And if he does, what do the Jets want in return? Gary Lawless of TSN wrote of the interest Ladd is generating (that’s my way of telling you to read his story). Not surprisingly, there is plenty; Ladd is a proven winner in the final year of his current contract. He’s also playing very well lately. If the Jets part with Ladd, he’s going to the highest bidder. The Blackhawks have to be careful not to part with too much here. Leave the mortgaging-the-future packages to teams looking for their first Stanley Cup in a while, not their fourth in seven seasons.
Sean Fitzgerald (@Diesal3426) asks, “Do they acquire a defenseman at the deadline?” I still say the Blackhawks go the forward route. It all depends on what general manager Stan Bowman can swing. They got three players at last year’s deadline (Antoine Vermette, Andrew Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen), but they also had cap space from Patrick Kane going on long-term injured reserve.
Related to that, Pamela (@pamela22427464) asked about the possibilities of acquiring Ladd or Mikkel Boedker. This falls into the same answer in terms of what the Arizona Coyotes would like in return. Boedker might not have the familiarity of Ladd to the Blackhawks, but he could certainly pick teammate Antoine Vermette’s brain. That turned out well last season, didn’t it?
Mark St. Lawrence (@Markamos43) asks, “Do you see the Blackhawks adding (Kris) Versteeg back if the return price is reasonable?” Anything that’s reasonable is possible, though I’m not sure if I see Versteeg doing a third go-around with the Blackhawks. Depends on if the Blackhawks want to make more than one move at the deadline or shoot for a higher-priced forward rental.
And one more from Artem Kanarin (@ThatSportzGuy88), who asks, “What are the odds the Hawks include (Teuvo) Teravainen in a trade package? I think it would be a mistake.” I agree. A few years ago, Bowman was asked about possibly trading Teravainen. There was no chance at that time. Even though Teravainen isn’t having the season he or the Blackhawks envisioned, I would absolutely keep him. There’s too much potential.
Now, let’s get on to some other questions.
What do you think is ahead for (Andrew) Shaw? Does being such a fan favorite make him any more of a priority to keep? (Angelo Auriemma, @UhOhAngelo). Here’s one thing I can guarantee: How much fans love a player has nothing to do with whether he stays or goes. There’s a long list of Blackhawks favorites who have been traded. As of now, I see Shaw staying. Anything’s possible at the trade deadline, but I don’t foresee the Blackhawks packaging him in any deal. The Blackhawks certainly have offseason decisions to make and cap issues looming again, but Shaw’s proven his worth. He’s still one of the few guys willing to plant himself in front of the net — outside of Artem Anisimov now, of course — and he’s a guy coach Joel Quenneville will move up and down the lineup.
What changes do the Blackhawks alumni need to make to be more competitive? Do you blame Pat Foley for this loss? (Brian Morris @BMorris2711). Haha! I loved the alumni game. I could only imagine how heated those Blackhawks-North Stars games were back in the day, but to see these guys later in their careers, going out there and having a ball, was entertaining. I do not blame Mr. Foley for the loss. I just wish he was mic’d up for the entire game so we could have heard his call on Jimmy Waite’s third-period stop on Mike Modano.
Apologies if already known, but any news on return dates for (Marian) Hossa and (Marcus) Kruger? (Stu Haas, @stuhaas): The Kruger question has come up a lot. The Blackhawks said back in mid-December they’re not expecting Kruger (wrist surgery) back until the start of the postseason, and that hasn’t changed. As for Hossa (lower body), he’s also on schedule (Quenneville anticipated about two weeks from when he was injured on Feb. 13). When asked on Saturday if Hossa has started skating yet, Quenneville said, “I don’t think so.”
What was the most unbelievable Blackhawks comeback win you ever covered? (Hockey ebooks, @Hockey-ebooks). I wasn’t here for that ridiculous comeback over the Calgary Flames back in 2009, which I believe is the biggest comeback in franchise history. (Right?) So for me, it’s still the 17 seconds of Game 6 vs. the Boston Bruins. It might have just been overcoming a one-goal deficit, but the way it happened, the stage on which it happened and the speed in which it happened rank it my clear No. 1.
On average, what is the reaction time between a loss and the sky-is-falling crowd calling to break up the team? (Brian Cook, @bcookin). OK, I know you’re asking this in half jest, but it really is something how quickly some lose their minds. I make fun of it a lot; the fact that some panic over this team, this team that wins constantly, cracks me up. Also, most of this reaction comes from Twitter which, love it or not, isn’t the most rational haven. So you take it for what it is.
Good red wine recommendation, one to drink and cook with? (Jessica Geraci, @TheRealJay_Gee). Oh, we could be here for a while. Here’s my deal with red wine: I am not a connoisseur by any means. I just know what I like, which is pretty much everything but Merlot. As far as cooking, just get a red that doesn’t cost too much. Seriously, most of it is going to get burned off in the cooking process (or so I’m told by people who get more of a chance to cook than I do).
How bad of a postseason threat are the Caps? How does their depth and experience compare to ours? (Kathryn Marie, @Kati1727). This is more of a concern for their Eastern Conference opponents, but the Washington Capitals look pretty damn good. Barry Trotz is a great coach, and now he has the right blend of offensive talent and defense. Mix that with Braden Holtby’s great year, and the Caps are intimidating. But how will they fare in the playoffs? They’ve had a few early-round exits, so will they have the right combination of physical readiness and mental fortitude in the postseason? Don’t underestimate the mental toughness necessary in the playoffs; ask the Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, two of the best in that department. The Caps have a long way to go to get to the Cup. So do the Blackhawks, for that matter, just in case anyone was already penciling them in there.
Any stories on the Blackhawks’ public relations people? (Jenna, @brentseabs). I could tell stories, but then I’d probably meet the same fate as Luca Brasi.
Blackhawks plan practice, rest during slow week.
By Tracey Myers
When the Blackhawks hit the ice this week, they’ll be doing it more for practices than for games.
Such is the NHL schedule: after going at a breakneck pace through December and January, the Blackhawks face a very quiet week. So will they be watching what’s going on with the busier teams in the Central Division?
“Not a lot,” Andrew Shaw said. “I mean you want to seal your own fate. You want to go out there and win every game; you don’t want to worry on another team losing games. You just do what you can to win your games.”
Yes, but the Blackhawks won’t have many opportunities to win or lose this week. After a busy schedule, the Blackhawks will play just two games between now and next Tuesday (they host the Nashville Predators on Thursday and the Washington Capitals on Sunday morning). The Dallas Stars, who are one point behind the Blackhawks in the Central Division, will play five. That busy Stars' schedule begins tonight when they’re at the Winnipeg Jets and ends next Tuesday when they face the Predators.
So how does a team that does so well when it’s busy handle a very quiet week?
“It’s always a key when you have these days off – they seem pretty rare – to make the most of them. Whether it’s rest or recovery, whatever you need, capitalize on that because obviously down the stretch it’s going to be pretty intense,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “There are a lot of really meaningful games so you have to be prepared for that. Any extra days off, you should focus on making the most of them, controlling what you can.”
The Blackhawks are having a week similar to what the Stars had in early January, when Dallas had five days off (Jan. 10-14) between games. At that time, the Blackhawks were in the midst of a hot streak, eventually winning a franchise-record 12 consecutive games. Their winning streak, coupled with the Stars’ struggles at the time, catapulted the Blackhawks into first place in the Central Division. Will the Stars return the favor in this latest stretch? Maybe, maybe not, but the Blackhawks don’t plan on getting too caught up in what the Stars are doing this week.
“Some days you want to let your mind rest. Other times you want to watch and see how they’re doing,” van Riemsdyk said. “It’s just a daily thing; probably tune in here and there and other days make the most of the rest and take advantage of that.”
The Blackhawks have long been good about concentrating on their game and their needs instead of other teams. They’ll glance at the standings, they’ll make note of who’s doing what around them. But ultimately they need to worry about themselves and about playing well – when they do play this week.
“You always know where we’re at. We just try to focus on our game,” Teuvo Teravainen said. “That’s what we can really focus on, getting better and we’ll see what the other team’s doing.”
BRIEFLY
- Patrick Kane and Niklas Hjalmarsson had maintenance days on Tuesday. Both are expected to play on Thursday vs. the Nashville Predators.
- Erik Gustafsson, a healthy scratch on Sunday, should play Thursday against Nashville.
- Marian Hossa (lower body) should start skating later this week, coach Joel Quenneville said. Quenneville added that it was“tough to say” if Hossa would be ready for the Blackhawks’ Detroit/Boston back-to-back in early March.
- Marcus Kruger (wrist) skated on Tuesday but his timeline hasn’t change; he’s still not expected back until around the postseason’s start. Said Quenneville, “we know that his legs aren’t the problem. He’s still a ways away.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Washington Wizards-Chicago Bulls Preview.
By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Once a must-see matchup, the Derrick Rose-versus-John Wall showdown has lost a little luster in recent years. That may change with both playing well heading into this meeting.
In a clash between former first overall draft picks, Rose will try to stay hot while leading the suddenly high-scoring Chicago Bulls to a third straight win Wednesday night when Wall looks to help the Washington Wizards pick up their seventh victory in eight visits to the United Center.
Rose and Wall have been linked since both entered the NBA, not only because of their attacking style, but because Rose was selected first overall in 2008 after playing one season for coach John Calipari at Memphis and Wall was the '10 top pick after playing one year under Calipari at Kentucky.
Rose has always been motivated for the rivalry, averaging 25.6 points while leading the Bulls to four wins early on when both played until injuries forced him to miss eight consecutive meetings. He's also played well in the series recently, scoring 24.8 per game on 53.5 percent shooting in his last four.
"Derrick's playing at a high level right now," Wall said. "They're a team that's going to play physical. They're going to play up-tempo and you have to be ready to have your hard hat on."
More vocal Fred Hoiberg calling for more 'nasty' from Bulls.
By Vincent Goodwill
Two straight wins at home after the All-Star break isn’t quite enough to keep the distress light off at the United Center, as the Bulls aren’t out of the woods yet in terms of playoff positioning, and likely won't be for some time.
Those wins haven’t diluted the facts that the Bulls have given up 100 points in seven straight games, hence Fred Hoiberg’s call for a little more nastiness on the defensive end.
“You gotta come out and play with great urgency and energy. The big thing is we gotta get a little nastier defensively,” Hoiberg said. “We’re not hitting guys. The Lakers would get a stop, get the loose ball or the offensive rebound. We need to do much better with the 50-50 balls. We’re losing that battle pretty much every night right now.”
Many will remember Spurs coach Gregg Popovich calling for his team to get “a little nasty” once in a playoff game a few years ago. Without Joakim Noah, and to be honest, the general makeup of this roster, it’s not surprising Hoiberg has noticed a lack of physical toughness.
Mental toughness has been more a focus given the Bulls’ slide over the last month or so. Allowing the Lakers to come back after a 100-81 lead in the opening minute of the fourth to cut it to three should be a cause for alarm.
“That’s gotta be a big thing is the toughness, both physically and mental,” Hoiberg said. “We got up either 19 or 21 the other night, and just kind of let off the gas. Again, that’s something you’ve gotta do. You gotta pounce on teams when you get them down and put them away. We didn’t do that the other night.’’
With Washington coming in Wednesday, the Bulls still have a 14-point beating from last month fresh enough in their minds. The Wizards are 3.5 games back of the eighth playoff spot current occupied by these Bulls, and picked up talented but mercurial forward Markieff Morris from the Phoenix Suns in their push for a postseason berth.
Drew Gooden came off the bench to grab 12 rebounds with 10 points and the Bulls allowed Ramon Sessions to run wild for 16 off the bench in an easy 114-100 win where the Wizards were without big man Marcin Gortat.
“It’s got to come to a point where it bothers you,” Hoiberg said. “That’s the first thing is when you get out-hustled and outworked and knocked out of bounds, that’s where it starts. We did a drill today where you have to go hit, have to go make first contact. A lot of times we’re reacting.”
The Bulls out-rebounded the Wizards by one in that meeting but the Wizards shot 49 percent. This month as a whole, they’re being out-rebounded by an average of 47.9-42.7, which could be a direct effect of missing Joakim Noah.
“We get hit in the back first,” Hoiberg said. “Now we’re pushed underneath in the basket and you’re in terrible rebounding position. They don’t call that a lot. It’s physical. It’s a man’s game.”
If there is a player who has the nasty DNA, it’s Taj Gibson. And while he won’t call his team soft, he’s concerned about the state of the team’s physicality and the need to increase it.
“At times 50-50 balls are those plays where long 3-point shots just bounce around,” Gibson said. “We can be a little bit better closing out possessions. I feel like that’s where we need to pick it up a little better on. But we had a great practice today. Like I said every day is a learning curve.”
That curve has extended to Hoiberg, who has been more vocal in practices recently with the players. While he can’t change who he is at his core, Gibson said he’s been a little more aggressive as far as getting his point across.
“He’s been even tougher. He’s been cursing guys out. It’s been fun. I’m enjoying it,” Gibson said. “It’s kind of weird because he really doesn’t want to get after guys. But lately he’s been in guys’ tails. It's been real fun. I appreciate it. That’s the kind of things we need, especially this morning in practice. And shoot-around as far as watching film, that’s what we’re going to need. I told him I appreciate it.”
And it’s clear everybody involved would appreciate a little more nasty and a few more wins.
In a clash between former first overall draft picks, Rose will try to stay hot while leading the suddenly high-scoring Chicago Bulls to a third straight win Wednesday night when Wall looks to help the Washington Wizards pick up their seventh victory in eight visits to the United Center.
Rose and Wall have been linked since both entered the NBA, not only because of their attacking style, but because Rose was selected first overall in 2008 after playing one season for coach John Calipari at Memphis and Wall was the '10 top pick after playing one year under Calipari at Kentucky.
Rose has always been motivated for the rivalry, averaging 25.6 points while leading the Bulls to four wins early on when both played until injuries forced him to miss eight consecutive meetings. He's also played well in the series recently, scoring 24.8 per game on 53.5 percent shooting in his last four.
"Derrick's playing at a high level right now," Wall said. "They're a team that's going to play physical. They're going to play up-tempo and you have to be ready to have your hard hat on."
Wall's Wizards have gotten the better of the matchup lately, winning nine of the past 13 - including a first-round playoff series victory in 2014 when Rose was out. Wall had 17 points and 10 assists and Rose scored 23 in Washington's 114-100 win Jan. 11 that marked its sixth victory in seven visits to the UC.
Rose is on a roll heading into this meeting, averaging 26 points over his last three games. Since scoring 92 per game with a 40.9 field-goal percentage in the last three of a five-game skid, the Bulls have averaged 121 on 53.5 percent shooting in back-to-back wins to open this three-game homestand.
"The biggest thing is Derrick, his consistency, ability to attack," forward Mike Dunleavy told the team's official website. "He's doing a good job with that. Let him keep rolling."
"The biggest thing is Derrick, his consistency, ability to attack," forward Mike Dunleavy told the team's official website. "He's doing a good job with that. Let him keep rolling."
Chicago (29-26) hopes to continue that production against a Washington team that has allowed an average of 110.1 points and 48.1 percent shooting during a 2-5 road stretch. The Wizards (26-29), though, held New Orleans to 34.9 percent in Tuesday's 109-89 home victory.
Wall finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists for his fifth career triple-double despite shooting just 5 for 17. Marcin Gortat contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds and Jared Dudley added 18 points as Washington improved to 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Gortat and Bradley Beal did not play in the first meeting with Chicago, which holds a three-game lead over 10th-place Washington for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Gortat has averaged 16.5 and 11.1 over the past eight games, while Beal had scored 19.7 over his previous nine before finishing with nine on 3-of-10 shooting on Tuesday.
Doug McDermott has totaled 46 points while hitting 7 of 9 from 3-point range in the last two games for the Bulls, who are playing without Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic. Pau Gasol has put up 20 per game over his past six and is expected to be in the lineup despite dealing with flu-like symptoms.
More vocal Fred Hoiberg calling for more 'nasty' from Bulls.
By Vincent Goodwill
Two straight wins at home after the All-Star break isn’t quite enough to keep the distress light off at the United Center, as the Bulls aren’t out of the woods yet in terms of playoff positioning, and likely won't be for some time.
Those wins haven’t diluted the facts that the Bulls have given up 100 points in seven straight games, hence Fred Hoiberg’s call for a little more nastiness on the defensive end.
“You gotta come out and play with great urgency and energy. The big thing is we gotta get a little nastier defensively,” Hoiberg said. “We’re not hitting guys. The Lakers would get a stop, get the loose ball or the offensive rebound. We need to do much better with the 50-50 balls. We’re losing that battle pretty much every night right now.”
Many will remember Spurs coach Gregg Popovich calling for his team to get “a little nasty” once in a playoff game a few years ago. Without Joakim Noah, and to be honest, the general makeup of this roster, it’s not surprising Hoiberg has noticed a lack of physical toughness.
Mental toughness has been more a focus given the Bulls’ slide over the last month or so. Allowing the Lakers to come back after a 100-81 lead in the opening minute of the fourth to cut it to three should be a cause for alarm.
“That’s gotta be a big thing is the toughness, both physically and mental,” Hoiberg said. “We got up either 19 or 21 the other night, and just kind of let off the gas. Again, that’s something you’ve gotta do. You gotta pounce on teams when you get them down and put them away. We didn’t do that the other night.’’
With Washington coming in Wednesday, the Bulls still have a 14-point beating from last month fresh enough in their minds. The Wizards are 3.5 games back of the eighth playoff spot current occupied by these Bulls, and picked up talented but mercurial forward Markieff Morris from the Phoenix Suns in their push for a postseason berth.
Drew Gooden came off the bench to grab 12 rebounds with 10 points and the Bulls allowed Ramon Sessions to run wild for 16 off the bench in an easy 114-100 win where the Wizards were without big man Marcin Gortat.
“It’s got to come to a point where it bothers you,” Hoiberg said. “That’s the first thing is when you get out-hustled and outworked and knocked out of bounds, that’s where it starts. We did a drill today where you have to go hit, have to go make first contact. A lot of times we’re reacting.”
The Bulls out-rebounded the Wizards by one in that meeting but the Wizards shot 49 percent. This month as a whole, they’re being out-rebounded by an average of 47.9-42.7, which could be a direct effect of missing Joakim Noah.
“We get hit in the back first,” Hoiberg said. “Now we’re pushed underneath in the basket and you’re in terrible rebounding position. They don’t call that a lot. It’s physical. It’s a man’s game.”
If there is a player who has the nasty DNA, it’s Taj Gibson. And while he won’t call his team soft, he’s concerned about the state of the team’s physicality and the need to increase it.
“At times 50-50 balls are those plays where long 3-point shots just bounce around,” Gibson said. “We can be a little bit better closing out possessions. I feel like that’s where we need to pick it up a little better on. But we had a great practice today. Like I said every day is a learning curve.”
That curve has extended to Hoiberg, who has been more vocal in practices recently with the players. While he can’t change who he is at his core, Gibson said he’s been a little more aggressive as far as getting his point across.
“He’s been even tougher. He’s been cursing guys out. It’s been fun. I’m enjoying it,” Gibson said. “It’s kind of weird because he really doesn’t want to get after guys. But lately he’s been in guys’ tails. It's been real fun. I appreciate it. That’s the kind of things we need, especially this morning in practice. And shoot-around as far as watching film, that’s what we’re going to need. I told him I appreciate it.”
And it’s clear everybody involved would appreciate a little more nasty and a few more wins.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Everything you need to know about the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine.
By Vincent Frank
The annual NFL Scouting Combine is set to kick off this week in Indianapolis. Held first in 1982, the combine has grown from an event in which a handful of teams participated to something even casual football fans pay attention to.
An argument could be made that some of the drills at the combine itself are archaic. For instance, 40-yard dash times for wide receivers, weight lifting for running backs and agility drills for interior offensive linemen don't tell you a whole lot outside of numbers. None of this will really amount to much when it comes to a player's ability to succeed on the field on Sundays.
What we do know is that every NFL team uses the combine as a strong barometer of where it is going to slot players as it relates to its big board. We also know that some of the drills give us a much better understanding of where specific players stand heading into the draft.
From a small-school quarterback in North Dakota to an elite-level pass rusher who found himself jettisoned from Ohio State, there are certain players with a whole heck of a lot to prove when the annual event kicks off Tuesday.
Here's what you should be looking for.
Five players to watch:
1. Connor Cook, quarterback, Michigan State
Firmly entrenched in as the No. 4 quarterback behind Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz, this Michigan State product needs to up his stock in Indianapolis.
Cook suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder back in November — an injury that clearly impacted his late-season performance.
More than this, there are legitimate questions regarding Cook's ceiling as a starting quarterback in the NFL and some personality issues that may have led him to not being named a captain for the Spartans as a senior in 2015.
On the field in Indianapolis, Cook needs to show that he can handle pressure from the inside while displaying accuracy outside of the pocket. With his arm strength and in-pocket accuracy, these are going to be two things we have to see Cook improve on at the combine. After all, he spurned the Senior Bowl in early February, which will lead to more importance being placed on his combine performance.
2. Laremy Tunsil, offensive tackle, Mississippi
Largely considered the top overall prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, Tunsil can cement this status with a solid showing in Indy.
The Mississippi product will be lining up against the top edge guys the draft has to offer, which will give him an opportunity to prove that his dominance in the SEC can continue at the next level.
Outside of his one-on-one matchups with elite pass rushers, the kick-slide drill will tell us just how fluid Tunsil is in pass protection. The drill to keep an eye on here is the three-point stance, the most difficult of the group.
3. Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State
Largely considered the top defensive player in the draft and someone who will ultimately end up selected within the top five, Bosa can join Tunsil in cementing his status as an elite prospect in Indy.
What we are going to want to see here from the Ohio State product is how he works himself around the edge. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Bosa provides the strength and frame necessary to bull rush.
He has, however, struggled in terms of forcing his way outside the shoulder of the blocker, something that could be an issue at the next level.
In this, Bosa will need to show plus-level ability in the rip technique drill. The key here is utilizing your hands to get around the blocker. We are primarily going to want to see how he performs against plus-level blockers in Indianapolis, including Tunsil and former Notre Dame standout Ronnie Stanley.
4. Reggie Ragland, linebacker, Alabama
With both Jaylon Smith and Myles Jack suffering knee injuries in college last season, Ragland is the only one of the top three inside linebacker prospects who's fully healthy heading into the combine. He's also the only one of the trio who played a natural middle linebacker role in college.
As to where the upside seems to be unlimited for Smith and Jack, this Alabama product has a relatively high floor. He will likely find himself drafted in the first round primarily due to the fact that he's going to be a safe pick.
If Ragland can prove himself to possess more speed than he showed at times with the Tide, that will go a long way in cementing his status as the potential top inside linebacker off the board.
He's also going to need to show an ability to shed blocks and cover down the field, two things that scouts have questioned leading up to the combine.
5. Sterling Shepard, wide receiver, Oklahoma
Shepard made his name known at the Senior Bowl. He's now going to have to show his stuff in comparison to other top wide receiver prospects, most of whom didn't participate in the annual All-Star game.
At 5-foot-10 and 193, the knock on Shepard is already going to be his size. There's really nothing he can do about that.
Though, there is one drill in particular in which Shepard can prove skeptics wrong in Indianapolis. The gauntlet is among the most popular position-specific drills at the combine. It forces a receiver to catch passes from six different quarterbacks while running in a straight line, maintaining route balance and displaying plus-level catch technique. In reality, it is not exactly the easiest drill at the annual event.
Known for straight-line speed and an ability to excel in his route running from a quickness standpoint, it's going to be important for NFL teams to see him control his body in this drill. As a borderline first-round pick, this could be very telling.
Positional previews:
Quarterback
CAL's Jared Goff heads into the combine as the near consensus top quarterback in the draft. That's unlikely to change after what we see in Indianapolis. Though, there are three other signal callers vying for looks in the first round.
We covered Connor Cook above. At this point, he seems destined to be a Day 2 pick. Instead of looking more at what he needs to prove, let's check in on the two other quarterbacks potentially slated to go in the first round.
At 6-foot-5 and 232 pounds, North Dakota State's Carson Wentz is your prototypical pocket passer. He boasts the arm strength and necessary accuracy to be successful.
It's his lack of real anticipation that some have drawn the conclusion Wentz will be somewhat of a project at the next level. He can change that narrative relatively quickly when it comes to performing at a high level when throwing the route tree in Indy.
An early riser of sorts, Memphis' Paxton Lynch has fallen off a bit leading up to the combine. It's not about the plus-level athleticism he displayed with the Tigers. Instead, it's all about whether he can be an accurate passer outside of the pocket. And much like Wentz, there are also concerns over his route anticipation.
Running back
We already know Ezekiel Elliott will be the top running back off the board, potentially as early as the top 10. He can't really up his stock any more than it is right now.
Instead, the primary focus here should be on reigning Heisman winner Derrick Henry. The Bama product isn't seen as anywhere near the can't-miss product that Elliott is.
With questions about his speed and athleticism, Henry's shortcomings could come out in force in the generic drills, such as the 40-yard dash and the three-cone drill. If he's somehow able to surprise there, that could push Henry to the top of Day 2.
Another player to check out here is Cal's Daniel Lasco, who could act the part of a workout warrior in Indianapolis. Unimpressive during an injury-plagued 2015 season, Lasco did put up nearly 1,500 total yards as a junior. With elite-level speed, Lasco needs to show that he can actually play football at the level that his athleticism suggests. This means showing field vision, lower pad level when running and an ability to absorb contact.
Wide receiver
Josh Doctson was among the most productive collegiate receivers this past season, going for 78 receptions, 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns for Texas Christian. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, the receiver's biggest asset outside of generic attributes is his ability to high-point the ball over defenders.
What we are going to want to see from the likely first-round pick is a strong performance in the weight room. That's where the behind-the-scenes drills at the combine will come in handy for the former Horned Frog.
But let's make no mistake about it, Mississippi's Laquon Treadwell is the receiver most people will have their eyes on. The consensus top pass catcher in the draft, Treadwell has everything scouts look for in a top-end prospect.
He tracks the ball well in the air, can leap over defenders, boasts strong hands and will beat the press consistently. One concern some have regarding the Mississippi product is a lack of elite-level speed. It will be interesting to see how Treadwell performs in those generic drills.
The only thing Treadwell needs to do at the combine is prove those who have scouted him correct. If he's able to display the talent we saw on tape at Ole Miss, this young receiver will find himself as a top seven pick.
Tight end
Probably the weakest tight end class in recent history, it's a toss-up between Hunter Henry and Nick Vannett as to who the best player at this position is. Outside of that, the likes of East Carolina's Bryce Williams and Florida's Jake McGee will be vying for attention. Outside of a stunning performance from one of these guys, it's highly unlikely a tight end will find himself selected in Round 1.
Guard
Much like the tight end position, it seems to be a pretty weak class at guard. LSU's Vadal Alexander seems to be getting the most play as the top guard in the draft, and he's going to have an opportunity to cement his status there.
At 6-foot-5 and 336 pounds, Alexander is a massive man who excels as a downhill blocker. Though, Alexander lacks the lateral movement to have success against more athletic inside pass rushers. This is where the position-specific drills will come in handy. Can Alexander excel when asked to block out of the three-point stance? We will have answers to this in Indy.
Meanwhile, Baylor's Spencer Drango is also someone to watch here. Playing left tackle in college, Drango may be more suited inside in the NFL. He has a strong finish to his blocks and does extremely well from a run-blocking standpoint in space, something that's going to be huge in the NFL.
Likely a mid-round pick right now, Drango can shoot up the boards simply due to the lackluster class this is at the guard position.
Offensive tackle
With as many as four tackles potentially slated to go in the first round, we already know that Laremy Tunsil and Ronnie Stanley will be the first two off the board, most likely both in the top five or so. After that, it gets really interesting.
Michigan State's Jack Conklin boasts the experience to step in to a starting right tackle role immediately. At 6-foot-6 and 325, the former Spartan has the prototypical size to fit on the outside. Add in a solid technique at the point of contact, and he could be a real steal somewhere in the bottom half of the first round. The combine will be all about his ability to show lateral quickness in position-specific drills.
On the other hand, Ohio State's Taylor Decker must show that he can maintain a low center of gravity at the point of contact. Likely the third tackle off the board due to solid core strength and an ability to push pass rushers off the line of scrimmage, his technique is what scouts are going to watch.
Center
Southern California's Max Tuerk will have to prove to scouts that he has the core strength to handle the center position in the NFL. He seemed to play much larger than his 269-pound frame suggested in college, but that's not necessarily going to cut it at the next level. If Tuerk is able to put in a solid performance in the weight room, he might very well jump up the board leading up to the draft.
Defensive line
Oregon's DeForest Buckner will have a lot to prove here. We already know what he's going to do in the generic drills and in the weight room. That's what has people talking top 10 for the underperforming defensive lineman.
Instead, it's going to be all about his ability to get underneath the block and move offensive linemen back at the point of contact in position-specific drills. At 6-foot-7, Buckner tended to get too high at the point of contact in college. This will need to change in Indy if he's going to be drafted at a level that his athleticism suggests.
On the other hand, Clemson's Shaq Lawson displayed both the build and production in college to be considered a solid pick in the first half of the initial round. The primary thing here will be his ability to show plus-level athleticism out on the edge from a defensive end position. Muddy would be the best term to describe some of Lawson's tape. This means that he looked to be pushing off from mud when going up against more athletic tackles at Clemson. That will need to change.
From an interior line position, I am especially interested to see how Alabama's A'Shawn Robinson performs at the combine. The likely top defensive tackle off the board come draft time, Robinson will have to prove that his technique issues in college have been fixed. He got too high at the point of contact with the Tide, something that will cause major issues in the NFL. If Robinson can show improved technique, the top 10 is not out of the question here.
Edge
We will have more on Noah Spence below, but his biggest area of concern heading into the combine will be individual team meetings. He needs to hit those out of the park to be considered a first-round pick. If not, the Eastern Kentucky product might see a dramatic drop down draft boards.
Looking at individual drills, Georgia's Leonard Floyd has the most to gain at the combine. At just 231 pounds, Floyd is going to struggle matching the bulk of blockers at the next level. He's not only going to have to show plus-level strength in the weight room, but he must prove he's added some weight to that incredibly thing frame.
Inside linebacker
We touched on the top three inside linebacker prospects in the draft above. However, there's an interesting candidate to potentially slip into the first round behind that trio. Ohio State's Darron Lee proved himself to be extremely productive with the Buckeyes.
Unfortunately for Lee, his compact 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame could be an issue at the next level, especially when it comes to shedding blocks. More importantly, Lee's on-field strength is nowhere near what his weight suggests. That's another issue he will need to address in Indy.
Cornerback
We are looking at three elite-level cover guys here. Jalen Ramsey (Florida State), Vernon Hargreaves III (Florida) and Mackensie Alexander (Clemson) should all hear their names called near the first half of the initial round.
For his part, Ramsey could potentially go as high as the top five. The speed-turn drill is going to be absolutely huge for the former Seminole. He's known to have tight hips on the outside and doesn't possess the best lateral quickness of the bunch. Improving in this area is going to be key for him here.
Outside of the top three, I am most intrigued to see how late riser Eli Apple performs in Indianapolis. A red-shirt sophomore, this former Ohio State standout will have questions raised about his experience level. One of the biggest keys here will be Apple's ability to turn his head and track the ball in mid-flight when it comes to the position-specific drills. You don't need to be a genius to understand just how big this aspect of the game is in the NFL.
Safety
This is also a relatively weak position group. While some will indicate that Ohio State's Vonn Bell or Duke's Jeremy Cash is the top safety in the class, I will primarily be focusing on former Boise State standout Darian Thompson.
Thompson may boast the numbers (19 career interceptions) and the frame (6-foot-1), but he did struggle tracking pass catchers in the defensive backfield. He also boasts extremely tight hips in coverage and an inability to change direction on a dime. If Thompson somehow shows these issues we saw on tape are behind him, he could very well jump both Bell and Cash as the top safety in the class.
Players with the most to gain:
Carson Wentz, quarterback, North Dakota State
When looking at team needs in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns are the only team without a potential starter already on the roster. This is a dramatic change from previous drafts.
With that said, teams like that Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers could very well look at add a signal caller early depending on how the Jared Goff sweepstakes plays out and who excels in the pre-draft events.
Wentz made a real name for himself down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. If he's able to follow that up with a tremendous performance in Indianapolis, it will go a long way in cementing his status as the second-best quarterback in the draft and a potential top 10 pick. If not, we could very well see the likes of Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook surpass him.
Kendall Fuller, cornerback, Virginia Tech
It wasn't too long ago (maybe it was) that Fuller was considered the consensus top corner in the draft. This came before many had even looked to the 2016 draft, but it was a reality at one point.
Sine then, Fuller's name has been thrown through the mud from those within the scouting community. The brother of Chicago Bears corner Kyle Fuller, this Virginia Tech product struggled a great deal in back-end coverage for the Hokies toward the latter part of his career. He allowed a whopping 16.7 yards per reception in 2014 before being slowed down to injuries this past season.
Two of Fuller's biggest issues were ball-tracking ability and stiff hips. These are two things he can show the scouting community he has improved on in the position-specific drills at the combine. If that happens, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see Fuller go as early as the late first round.
Nick Martin, center/guard, Notre Dame
About as position-flexible as any offensive linemen in the draft, Martin could very well up his value to the first round if he's able to prove he can play guard at a high level in the NFL. That opportunity will be there in Indianapolis. The biggest key for Martin at the combine will be to show scouts he can get low at blocks and realign his power source at the point of contact. Too often at Notre Dame he was thrown off the line of scrimmage by stronger pass rushers. That can't happen to a guard in the NFL.
Christian Hackenberg, quarterback, Penn State
There's really nowhere to go but up for this former freshman standout. After showing a ton of promise under Bill O'Brien in Happy Valley back in 2013, Hackenberg's performance over the past two years was nothing short of horrendous.
Under continual harassment due to a lackluster offensive line and mind-numbing scheme, Hackenberg found himself sacked more than any Power 5 quarterback. He also threw just 28 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions in his past two seasons with Penn State.
Not having to worry about the exterior factors that led to his lack of success over the past two seasons, Hackenberg has an opportunity to prove he's worthy of a selection in the first two rounds. All the issues that came to the surface over the past two years, including footwork and a lack of accuracy, will have to be addressed at the combine. If this happens, there's a chance Hackenberg's draft status could level out. If not, a free-fall of epic proportions could ensue.
Players with the most to lose:
Noah Spence, edge, Eastern Kentucky
Recovering addict is not necessarily a term NFL teams are going to be too excited with heading into the draft. Now use that term in relation to an extremely talented pass rusher, and the issue becomes risk/reward.
Just over a year after being jettisoned from the Ohio State football program for multiple failed drug tests relating to ecstasy, Spence has an opportunity to right a wrong he himself created.
A five-star recruit of Urban Meyer four years ago, Spence recorded 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a sophomore in 2013. He was considered a can't-miss prospect, a game changer of sorts.
Now, after playing one season with Eastern Kentucky, Spence enters the combine with more off-field concerns than questions about his ability to perform on the field. This is where individual team interviews are going to play a huge role in determining where he is drafted.
For an NFL that's long ignored character concerns, this aspect of the draft process seems to be in the minds of teams more than at any time in the past. In this, Spence will have to prove himself worthy of a top-round pick.
Eli Apple, cornerback, Ohio State
The speed-turn drill is going to be absolutely huge for Apple. Can he show that he boasts the ability to change direction and stay with a receiver immediately after back-peddling into coverage? This is an issue he had during his two years of playing time with the Buckeyes. It's also something he's going to have to fix in Indianapolis to be considered a lock to go in the first round.
Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama
Agility, quickness and speed — more than any other running back in this year's draft, Henry's performance in both the three-cone drill and the shuttle run is going to be under a microscope pretty big time in Indianapolis.
If he's somehow able to prove he has more on-field speed than what we saw in college, the attention will quickly turn to his ability to make cuts and show agility. This is where the position-specific drills will come in handy. It's also in this that Henry could fall back to a mid-round option for NFL teams heading into the draft.
Myles Jack, linebacker, UCLA
More than anything, Jack's performance in the weight room come combine time is going to be huge. A former running back, he still boasts somewhat of a lean frame and will need to show plus-level strength when all is said and done in Indy. All of this is magnified by the fact that Jack's potential draft window could be from the top 10 to the bottom of the first round.
Why the Cubs feel Ben Zobrist was the most important signing in baseball.
An argument could be made that some of the drills at the combine itself are archaic. For instance, 40-yard dash times for wide receivers, weight lifting for running backs and agility drills for interior offensive linemen don't tell you a whole lot outside of numbers. None of this will really amount to much when it comes to a player's ability to succeed on the field on Sundays.
What we do know is that every NFL team uses the combine as a strong barometer of where it is going to slot players as it relates to its big board. We also know that some of the drills give us a much better understanding of where specific players stand heading into the draft.
From a small-school quarterback in North Dakota to an elite-level pass rusher who found himself jettisoned from Ohio State, there are certain players with a whole heck of a lot to prove when the annual event kicks off Tuesday.
Here's what you should be looking for.
Five players to watch:
1. Connor Cook, quarterback, Michigan State
Firmly entrenched in as the No. 4 quarterback behind Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Carson Wentz, this Michigan State product needs to up his stock in Indianapolis.
Cook suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder back in November — an injury that clearly impacted his late-season performance.
More than this, there are legitimate questions regarding Cook's ceiling as a starting quarterback in the NFL and some personality issues that may have led him to not being named a captain for the Spartans as a senior in 2015.
On the field in Indianapolis, Cook needs to show that he can handle pressure from the inside while displaying accuracy outside of the pocket. With his arm strength and in-pocket accuracy, these are going to be two things we have to see Cook improve on at the combine. After all, he spurned the Senior Bowl in early February, which will lead to more importance being placed on his combine performance.
2. Laremy Tunsil, offensive tackle, Mississippi
Largely considered the top overall prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, Tunsil can cement this status with a solid showing in Indy.
The Mississippi product will be lining up against the top edge guys the draft has to offer, which will give him an opportunity to prove that his dominance in the SEC can continue at the next level.
Outside of his one-on-one matchups with elite pass rushers, the kick-slide drill will tell us just how fluid Tunsil is in pass protection. The drill to keep an eye on here is the three-point stance, the most difficult of the group.
3. Joey Bosa, defensive end, Ohio State
Largely considered the top defensive player in the draft and someone who will ultimately end up selected within the top five, Bosa can join Tunsil in cementing his status as an elite prospect in Indy.
What we are going to want to see here from the Ohio State product is how he works himself around the edge. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, Bosa provides the strength and frame necessary to bull rush.
He has, however, struggled in terms of forcing his way outside the shoulder of the blocker, something that could be an issue at the next level.
In this, Bosa will need to show plus-level ability in the rip technique drill. The key here is utilizing your hands to get around the blocker. We are primarily going to want to see how he performs against plus-level blockers in Indianapolis, including Tunsil and former Notre Dame standout Ronnie Stanley.
4. Reggie Ragland, linebacker, Alabama
With both Jaylon Smith and Myles Jack suffering knee injuries in college last season, Ragland is the only one of the top three inside linebacker prospects who's fully healthy heading into the combine. He's also the only one of the trio who played a natural middle linebacker role in college.
As to where the upside seems to be unlimited for Smith and Jack, this Alabama product has a relatively high floor. He will likely find himself drafted in the first round primarily due to the fact that he's going to be a safe pick.
If Ragland can prove himself to possess more speed than he showed at times with the Tide, that will go a long way in cementing his status as the potential top inside linebacker off the board.
He's also going to need to show an ability to shed blocks and cover down the field, two things that scouts have questioned leading up to the combine.
5. Sterling Shepard, wide receiver, Oklahoma
Shepard made his name known at the Senior Bowl. He's now going to have to show his stuff in comparison to other top wide receiver prospects, most of whom didn't participate in the annual All-Star game.
At 5-foot-10 and 193, the knock on Shepard is already going to be his size. There's really nothing he can do about that.
Though, there is one drill in particular in which Shepard can prove skeptics wrong in Indianapolis. The gauntlet is among the most popular position-specific drills at the combine. It forces a receiver to catch passes from six different quarterbacks while running in a straight line, maintaining route balance and displaying plus-level catch technique. In reality, it is not exactly the easiest drill at the annual event.
Known for straight-line speed and an ability to excel in his route running from a quickness standpoint, it's going to be important for NFL teams to see him control his body in this drill. As a borderline first-round pick, this could be very telling.
Positional previews:
Quarterback
CAL's Jared Goff heads into the combine as the near consensus top quarterback in the draft. That's unlikely to change after what we see in Indianapolis. Though, there are three other signal callers vying for looks in the first round.
We covered Connor Cook above. At this point, he seems destined to be a Day 2 pick. Instead of looking more at what he needs to prove, let's check in on the two other quarterbacks potentially slated to go in the first round.
At 6-foot-5 and 232 pounds, North Dakota State's Carson Wentz is your prototypical pocket passer. He boasts the arm strength and necessary accuracy to be successful.
It's his lack of real anticipation that some have drawn the conclusion Wentz will be somewhat of a project at the next level. He can change that narrative relatively quickly when it comes to performing at a high level when throwing the route tree in Indy.
An early riser of sorts, Memphis' Paxton Lynch has fallen off a bit leading up to the combine. It's not about the plus-level athleticism he displayed with the Tigers. Instead, it's all about whether he can be an accurate passer outside of the pocket. And much like Wentz, there are also concerns over his route anticipation.
Running back
We already know Ezekiel Elliott will be the top running back off the board, potentially as early as the top 10. He can't really up his stock any more than it is right now.
Instead, the primary focus here should be on reigning Heisman winner Derrick Henry. The Bama product isn't seen as anywhere near the can't-miss product that Elliott is.
With questions about his speed and athleticism, Henry's shortcomings could come out in force in the generic drills, such as the 40-yard dash and the three-cone drill. If he's somehow able to surprise there, that could push Henry to the top of Day 2.
Another player to check out here is Cal's Daniel Lasco, who could act the part of a workout warrior in Indianapolis. Unimpressive during an injury-plagued 2015 season, Lasco did put up nearly 1,500 total yards as a junior. With elite-level speed, Lasco needs to show that he can actually play football at the level that his athleticism suggests. This means showing field vision, lower pad level when running and an ability to absorb contact.
Wide receiver
Josh Doctson was among the most productive collegiate receivers this past season, going for 78 receptions, 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns for Texas Christian. At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, the receiver's biggest asset outside of generic attributes is his ability to high-point the ball over defenders.
What we are going to want to see from the likely first-round pick is a strong performance in the weight room. That's where the behind-the-scenes drills at the combine will come in handy for the former Horned Frog.
But let's make no mistake about it, Mississippi's Laquon Treadwell is the receiver most people will have their eyes on. The consensus top pass catcher in the draft, Treadwell has everything scouts look for in a top-end prospect.
He tracks the ball well in the air, can leap over defenders, boasts strong hands and will beat the press consistently. One concern some have regarding the Mississippi product is a lack of elite-level speed. It will be interesting to see how Treadwell performs in those generic drills.
The only thing Treadwell needs to do at the combine is prove those who have scouted him correct. If he's able to display the talent we saw on tape at Ole Miss, this young receiver will find himself as a top seven pick.
Tight end
Probably the weakest tight end class in recent history, it's a toss-up between Hunter Henry and Nick Vannett as to who the best player at this position is. Outside of that, the likes of East Carolina's Bryce Williams and Florida's Jake McGee will be vying for attention. Outside of a stunning performance from one of these guys, it's highly unlikely a tight end will find himself selected in Round 1.
Guard
Much like the tight end position, it seems to be a pretty weak class at guard. LSU's Vadal Alexander seems to be getting the most play as the top guard in the draft, and he's going to have an opportunity to cement his status there.
At 6-foot-5 and 336 pounds, Alexander is a massive man who excels as a downhill blocker. Though, Alexander lacks the lateral movement to have success against more athletic inside pass rushers. This is where the position-specific drills will come in handy. Can Alexander excel when asked to block out of the three-point stance? We will have answers to this in Indy.
Meanwhile, Baylor's Spencer Drango is also someone to watch here. Playing left tackle in college, Drango may be more suited inside in the NFL. He has a strong finish to his blocks and does extremely well from a run-blocking standpoint in space, something that's going to be huge in the NFL.
Likely a mid-round pick right now, Drango can shoot up the boards simply due to the lackluster class this is at the guard position.
Offensive tackle
With as many as four tackles potentially slated to go in the first round, we already know that Laremy Tunsil and Ronnie Stanley will be the first two off the board, most likely both in the top five or so. After that, it gets really interesting.
Michigan State's Jack Conklin boasts the experience to step in to a starting right tackle role immediately. At 6-foot-6 and 325, the former Spartan has the prototypical size to fit on the outside. Add in a solid technique at the point of contact, and he could be a real steal somewhere in the bottom half of the first round. The combine will be all about his ability to show lateral quickness in position-specific drills.
On the other hand, Ohio State's Taylor Decker must show that he can maintain a low center of gravity at the point of contact. Likely the third tackle off the board due to solid core strength and an ability to push pass rushers off the line of scrimmage, his technique is what scouts are going to watch.
Center
Southern California's Max Tuerk will have to prove to scouts that he has the core strength to handle the center position in the NFL. He seemed to play much larger than his 269-pound frame suggested in college, but that's not necessarily going to cut it at the next level. If Tuerk is able to put in a solid performance in the weight room, he might very well jump up the board leading up to the draft.
Defensive line
Oregon's DeForest Buckner will have a lot to prove here. We already know what he's going to do in the generic drills and in the weight room. That's what has people talking top 10 for the underperforming defensive lineman.
Instead, it's going to be all about his ability to get underneath the block and move offensive linemen back at the point of contact in position-specific drills. At 6-foot-7, Buckner tended to get too high at the point of contact in college. This will need to change in Indy if he's going to be drafted at a level that his athleticism suggests.
On the other hand, Clemson's Shaq Lawson displayed both the build and production in college to be considered a solid pick in the first half of the initial round. The primary thing here will be his ability to show plus-level athleticism out on the edge from a defensive end position. Muddy would be the best term to describe some of Lawson's tape. This means that he looked to be pushing off from mud when going up against more athletic tackles at Clemson. That will need to change.
From an interior line position, I am especially interested to see how Alabama's A'Shawn Robinson performs at the combine. The likely top defensive tackle off the board come draft time, Robinson will have to prove that his technique issues in college have been fixed. He got too high at the point of contact with the Tide, something that will cause major issues in the NFL. If Robinson can show improved technique, the top 10 is not out of the question here.
Edge
We will have more on Noah Spence below, but his biggest area of concern heading into the combine will be individual team meetings. He needs to hit those out of the park to be considered a first-round pick. If not, the Eastern Kentucky product might see a dramatic drop down draft boards.
Looking at individual drills, Georgia's Leonard Floyd has the most to gain at the combine. At just 231 pounds, Floyd is going to struggle matching the bulk of blockers at the next level. He's not only going to have to show plus-level strength in the weight room, but he must prove he's added some weight to that incredibly thing frame.
Inside linebacker
We touched on the top three inside linebacker prospects in the draft above. However, there's an interesting candidate to potentially slip into the first round behind that trio. Ohio State's Darron Lee proved himself to be extremely productive with the Buckeyes.
Unfortunately for Lee, his compact 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame could be an issue at the next level, especially when it comes to shedding blocks. More importantly, Lee's on-field strength is nowhere near what his weight suggests. That's another issue he will need to address in Indy.
Cornerback
We are looking at three elite-level cover guys here. Jalen Ramsey (Florida State), Vernon Hargreaves III (Florida) and Mackensie Alexander (Clemson) should all hear their names called near the first half of the initial round.
For his part, Ramsey could potentially go as high as the top five. The speed-turn drill is going to be absolutely huge for the former Seminole. He's known to have tight hips on the outside and doesn't possess the best lateral quickness of the bunch. Improving in this area is going to be key for him here.
Outside of the top three, I am most intrigued to see how late riser Eli Apple performs in Indianapolis. A red-shirt sophomore, this former Ohio State standout will have questions raised about his experience level. One of the biggest keys here will be Apple's ability to turn his head and track the ball in mid-flight when it comes to the position-specific drills. You don't need to be a genius to understand just how big this aspect of the game is in the NFL.
Safety
This is also a relatively weak position group. While some will indicate that Ohio State's Vonn Bell or Duke's Jeremy Cash is the top safety in the class, I will primarily be focusing on former Boise State standout Darian Thompson.
Thompson may boast the numbers (19 career interceptions) and the frame (6-foot-1), but he did struggle tracking pass catchers in the defensive backfield. He also boasts extremely tight hips in coverage and an inability to change direction on a dime. If Thompson somehow shows these issues we saw on tape are behind him, he could very well jump both Bell and Cash as the top safety in the class.
Players with the most to gain:
Carson Wentz, quarterback, North Dakota State
When looking at team needs in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns are the only team without a potential starter already on the roster. This is a dramatic change from previous drafts.
With that said, teams like that Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers could very well look at add a signal caller early depending on how the Jared Goff sweepstakes plays out and who excels in the pre-draft events.
Wentz made a real name for himself down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl. If he's able to follow that up with a tremendous performance in Indianapolis, it will go a long way in cementing his status as the second-best quarterback in the draft and a potential top 10 pick. If not, we could very well see the likes of Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook surpass him.
Kendall Fuller, cornerback, Virginia Tech
It wasn't too long ago (maybe it was) that Fuller was considered the consensus top corner in the draft. This came before many had even looked to the 2016 draft, but it was a reality at one point.
Sine then, Fuller's name has been thrown through the mud from those within the scouting community. The brother of Chicago Bears corner Kyle Fuller, this Virginia Tech product struggled a great deal in back-end coverage for the Hokies toward the latter part of his career. He allowed a whopping 16.7 yards per reception in 2014 before being slowed down to injuries this past season.
Two of Fuller's biggest issues were ball-tracking ability and stiff hips. These are two things he can show the scouting community he has improved on in the position-specific drills at the combine. If that happens, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise to see Fuller go as early as the late first round.
Nick Martin, center/guard, Notre Dame
About as position-flexible as any offensive linemen in the draft, Martin could very well up his value to the first round if he's able to prove he can play guard at a high level in the NFL. That opportunity will be there in Indianapolis. The biggest key for Martin at the combine will be to show scouts he can get low at blocks and realign his power source at the point of contact. Too often at Notre Dame he was thrown off the line of scrimmage by stronger pass rushers. That can't happen to a guard in the NFL.
Christian Hackenberg, quarterback, Penn State
There's really nowhere to go but up for this former freshman standout. After showing a ton of promise under Bill O'Brien in Happy Valley back in 2013, Hackenberg's performance over the past two years was nothing short of horrendous.
Under continual harassment due to a lackluster offensive line and mind-numbing scheme, Hackenberg found himself sacked more than any Power 5 quarterback. He also threw just 28 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions in his past two seasons with Penn State.
Not having to worry about the exterior factors that led to his lack of success over the past two seasons, Hackenberg has an opportunity to prove he's worthy of a selection in the first two rounds. All the issues that came to the surface over the past two years, including footwork and a lack of accuracy, will have to be addressed at the combine. If this happens, there's a chance Hackenberg's draft status could level out. If not, a free-fall of epic proportions could ensue.
Players with the most to lose:
Noah Spence, edge, Eastern Kentucky
Recovering addict is not necessarily a term NFL teams are going to be too excited with heading into the draft. Now use that term in relation to an extremely talented pass rusher, and the issue becomes risk/reward.
Just over a year after being jettisoned from the Ohio State football program for multiple failed drug tests relating to ecstasy, Spence has an opportunity to right a wrong he himself created.
A five-star recruit of Urban Meyer four years ago, Spence recorded 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a sophomore in 2013. He was considered a can't-miss prospect, a game changer of sorts.
Now, after playing one season with Eastern Kentucky, Spence enters the combine with more off-field concerns than questions about his ability to perform on the field. This is where individual team interviews are going to play a huge role in determining where he is drafted.
For an NFL that's long ignored character concerns, this aspect of the draft process seems to be in the minds of teams more than at any time in the past. In this, Spence will have to prove himself worthy of a top-round pick.
Eli Apple, cornerback, Ohio State
The speed-turn drill is going to be absolutely huge for Apple. Can he show that he boasts the ability to change direction and stay with a receiver immediately after back-peddling into coverage? This is an issue he had during his two years of playing time with the Buckeyes. It's also something he's going to have to fix in Indianapolis to be considered a lock to go in the first round.
Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama
Agility, quickness and speed — more than any other running back in this year's draft, Henry's performance in both the three-cone drill and the shuttle run is going to be under a microscope pretty big time in Indianapolis.
If he's somehow able to prove he has more on-field speed than what we saw in college, the attention will quickly turn to his ability to make cuts and show agility. This is where the position-specific drills will come in handy. It's also in this that Henry could fall back to a mid-round option for NFL teams heading into the draft.
Myles Jack, linebacker, UCLA
More than anything, Jack's performance in the weight room come combine time is going to be huge. A former running back, he still boasts somewhat of a lean frame and will need to show plus-level strength when all is said and done in Indy. All of this is magnified by the fact that Jack's potential draft window could be from the top 10 to the bottom of the first round.
Why the Cubs feel Ben Zobrist was the most important signing in baseball.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
When anybody looks at the Cubs' offseason, the easy names to point to are Jason Heyward and John Lackey.
But the Cubs feel Ben Zobrist was the most important signing and not just for them — in all of baseball.
But the Cubs feel Ben Zobrist was the most important signing and not just for them — in all of baseball.
When the Cubs pulled off the Starlin Castro trade with the New York Yankees at the Winter Meetings in December and wound up inking Zobrist to a four-year, $56 million deal, it was a perfect fit.
"There have been signings this offseason that have been more celebrated," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said, "but in my mind, there's no one more important as far as bringing in a guy that can be part of our culture, a switch-hitter, playing in the middle of the field and obviously the experience he was winning in Tampa and winning in Kansas City.
"He has so much to add to our group. ... I think (experience) matters a lot. Anytime you've been through the grind of a season and come out on top, you realize how many twists and turns it's going to take to get there. That experience is invaluable."
Hoyer and Theo Epstein have had their eye on Zobrist since they were running the Boston Red Sox.
With the Cubs, Hoyer admitted they had tried to trade for Zobrist last season, after hearing how much Joe Maddon — who managed Zobrist for nine years in Tampa Bay — talked him up.
"Joe's vouched for him from Day 1," Hoyer said. "He felt (Zobrist) was kind of a glue guy in any clubhouse. Great teammate, selfless, all he cares about is winning."
Maddon believes Zobrist brings a certain "matter-of-factness" to a Cubs team filled with young players who just got their first taste of the postseason life last season.
"'Zo' will never get caught up in the crowd," Maddon said. "He'll listen to you respectfully, also, but I promise you, he'll never come back and agree with you just for the sake of agreeing with you and not wanting to present a different concept.
"He will tell you exactly what he's thinking. His motivations are simple in the best ways. Truly, he wants to win. That's it. Period.
"So if he sees something going on that's counterproductive to that, whether it's attitude or just somebody's not working, he will address it in his really nice, calm, spiritual way. ... There's a real strength to his calmness, and I think the players will feel that."
Zobrist was the right player at the right time for the Kansas City Royals last year, hopping in midseason and riding the wave all the way to a World Series championship.
"He fit in just like that," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "You know what kind of player Ben is. He fit in with a bunch of players that are exactly like him, so it was a natural fit.
"He was fantastic. He was the last piece to the puzzle that really helped us get to become world champions. ... He's one of the finest players that I've ever had play for me."
Zobrist hit .303 with an .880 OPS in the postseason for the Royals, shoring up second base and the top of the lineup.
Hoyer said Royals general manager Dayton Moore was hell-bent on acquiring Zobrist at the trade deadline.
Want to see Moore's face light up? Ask him about Zobrist.
"I think Ben's a perfect player for everybody," Moore said. "I really do. I think he's one of the best players I've ever been around — on the field, off the field.
"Great with the fans, great with the community, great teammate, great husband, great father. He's a leader. He's a winner."
Zobrist is 34 and back in the Midwest (he is a native of Eureka, Ill.).
There's no guarantee he's going to help lead the Cubs to the promised land the same way he gave the Royals a boost last season, but the Cubs like their chances a lot better with the veteran utility man in tow.
"(Winning a World Series) is incredible," Zobrist said. "It's really satisfying as an individual player. Every player wants to do that.
"But getting the chance to be a part and seeing how that team did that together was something that's invaluable. I couldn't put a price on that.
"And that's something I wanna try and help this team understand."
'Match made in heaven': Russell, Zobrist already clicking for Cubs.
By Tony Andracki
It didn't take long for Ben Zobrist to fit in with this Cubs team.
Zobrist is apparently something of a master at blending seamlessly into a clubhouse.
Cubs position players haven't even had their first official workout yet and Addison Russell and Zobrist are already firing on all cylinders up the middle.
"We got out there [Monday] and took some ground balls and it was almost like a match made in heaven," Russell said. "Our feeds were perfect to each other without even talking to each other beforehand about the feeds.
"That's always a good sign where his mindset is on covering second base and how he turns double plays is right up my alley, too.
"He just kinda has this swagger about him that I could relate to. It's really easy to turn that whenever you're on that same page."
To be clear, Russell wasn't taking a shot at Starlin Castro or anything like that, just simply talking up Zobrist.
Right now, Zobrist is penciled in to play second base with Russell at shortstop.
But Zobrist has made a career out of moving around the diamond under Joe Maddon and Russell actually wants to stay versatile, too.
Russell admitted it might be a little bit easier to just stick at his natural position of shortstop this year instead of worrying about switching positions to second base, as he did last year when he was first called up to the majors. But he also wants to make sure he stays sharp on the other side of the infield.
"I want to go to the second base side and play a little bit so I don't get too dusty over there," Russell said. "Just having something in my back pocket is more beneficial for me."
Will he play some second base still? In Zobrist and Javy Baez, the Cubs do have several options at shortstop beyond Russell.
"Possibly. You never know with Joe," Russell said. "I'm actually kinda looking forward to playing second base."
Wherever he played last year (86 games at second base, 61 at shortstop), the 22-year-old Russell gave the Cubs a boost with his glove.
According to FanGraphs, Russell tallied 19 defensive runs saved between the two positions - nine at second and 10 at short.
Does that have him thinking Gold Glove?
"That'd be pretty nice," Russell said. "I just want to make the plays. I'll let them judge who wins the Gold Glove, but that would be pretty nice.
"But when it comes down to it, I just wanna make the plays."
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred responds to Donald Trump tweet about Cubs owners.
CSN Staff
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump entered the baseball news cycle Monday, tweeting the following regarding the Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs.
"I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!" ~ Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump (From Donald J. Trump tweet February 22, 2016, 8:42 AM).
That forced the response of Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, who was asked about the tweet during Cactus League media day on Monday.
"There are so many things that have been out there as part of the political process. If each and every thing that gets said was the subject of concern or something you should be concerned about, people would be walking around with their heads spinning due to concern," Manfred said. "The Rickettses have been great owners. I'm gonna see Mr. Ricketts tomorrow — a prearranged meeting. I'm very comfortable with the idea that the Ricketts have been great trustees for baseball and Chicago and will continue to be."
Brett Lawrie believes White Sox roster is 'World Series caliber'.
Brett Lawrie has some pretty high expectations for the 2016 White Sox and that’s before they signed Jimmy Rollins.
The new second baseman said Monday he thinks the White Sox have the talent requisite for winning it all this season. An hour later, the White Sox added Rollins, a former National League MVP, on a minor-league contract with an invite to big league camp. Same as new teammate teammate Todd Frazier said Sunday, Lawrie, who was acquired from the Oakland A’s for two minor-leaguers in December, likes the look and feel of the White Sox roster.
“We’ve got so much talent, it’s World Series caliber, 100 percent,” Lawrie said. “It’s just about refining that and coming together as a group and having some fun out there and that’s one of the biggest things. Any time we play against the White Sox, you know who’s over there and the damage that they can do.”
With an entirely new infield, White Sox manager Robin Ventura intends to use the spring to get his charges accustomed to one another. Whether it’s Rollins or Tyler Saladino at shortstop, Lawrie at second and Frazier at third, White Sox players have to get a feel for one another, one of Ventura’s goals of camp. He said Monday he’ll give them ample opportunities to do so. While he stopped short of Lawrie’s World Series assessment, Ventura said he’s enthusiastic about the team in front of him.
“We like the guys that we have,” Ventura said. “Everybody wants to make predictions and everything else, but it depends on how we play. We want to get them focused on baseball down here, hungry to win these games first.”
Beyond Rollins — who’s expected to arrive in camp on Thursday — the White Sox potentially could be in line for another addition. General manager Rick Hahn said he’s not ready to designate his roster as finalized. Recently, Hahn has dropped more than a few hints he’s still searching for complementary pieces and one direction the White Sox could go would be the addition of an outfielder.
“We’re looking for any way to get better,” Hahn said, when asked if he liked to add another outfielder. “The final couple spots on the roster will come down to a combination of platoon advantage, speed, defense and positional flexibility.”
Any more additions could add some height to Lawrie’s already impressive 41-inch vertical leap (and his 66-inch box jump). Asked a second time, the energetic second baseman — with his self-described “Canadian fire” and “hockey player mentality” — doubled down on his World Series-caliber comment.
“No doubt,” Lawrie said. “That’s the thing about baseball, anything can happen. It’s a long year, it's definitely a marathon not a sprint and we just have to come together as a group and have some fun and just enjoy each other’s company and go play baseball.”
Giants couldn't match White Sox offer for Jimmy Rollins.
By Dan Hayes
The San Francisco Giants could offer Jimmy Rollins the same money as the White Sox, a homecoming and an opportunity to play in an even year.
But as tempting as that combination was, the White Sox could offer the one thing the Giants couldn’t — the potential for playing time. Giants general manager Bobby Evans confirmed the team’s interest in Rollins at an MLB event Monday at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, noting his team’s offer was similar to the White Sox, who will pay Rollins $2 million if he reaches to the majors. Rollins signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp.
“We just didn’t have an everyday role, and that’s really what made it tough for us,” Evans said. “We’d love to bring a Bay Area guy back, and have a lot of admiration for him. But there’s an opportunity there in Chicago that we couldn’t offer.”
Though there are no guarantees, Rollins has a chance to take the starting shortstop job away from White Sox second-year man Tyler Saladino. Were he to have signed in San Francisco, Rollins would have had no regular chance to start as shortstop Brandon Crawford recently signed a six-year extension.
Still, the money was in the same neighborhood, and Rollins hails from just across the bay in Oakland. And though they would never include it in their pitch, the Giants can boast that they have won World Series titles in each of the previous three even years: 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Evans saw enough from Rollins in 2015 to offer him a role as a super utility man.
“I just still think he’s very athletic,” Evans said. “Thought he had some good tough at-bats and some good periods of time where he did very well. I think as Corey Seager came up, his time changed a little bit. But there’s a lot of value there.”
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported San Francisco’s interest in Rollins.
Golf: I got a club for that..... 6 weeks left for players to qualify for Masters.
The new second baseman said Monday he thinks the White Sox have the talent requisite for winning it all this season. An hour later, the White Sox added Rollins, a former National League MVP, on a minor-league contract with an invite to big league camp. Same as new teammate teammate Todd Frazier said Sunday, Lawrie, who was acquired from the Oakland A’s for two minor-leaguers in December, likes the look and feel of the White Sox roster.
“We’ve got so much talent, it’s World Series caliber, 100 percent,” Lawrie said. “It’s just about refining that and coming together as a group and having some fun out there and that’s one of the biggest things. Any time we play against the White Sox, you know who’s over there and the damage that they can do.”
With an entirely new infield, White Sox manager Robin Ventura intends to use the spring to get his charges accustomed to one another. Whether it’s Rollins or Tyler Saladino at shortstop, Lawrie at second and Frazier at third, White Sox players have to get a feel for one another, one of Ventura’s goals of camp. He said Monday he’ll give them ample opportunities to do so. While he stopped short of Lawrie’s World Series assessment, Ventura said he’s enthusiastic about the team in front of him.
“We like the guys that we have,” Ventura said. “Everybody wants to make predictions and everything else, but it depends on how we play. We want to get them focused on baseball down here, hungry to win these games first.”
Beyond Rollins — who’s expected to arrive in camp on Thursday — the White Sox potentially could be in line for another addition. General manager Rick Hahn said he’s not ready to designate his roster as finalized. Recently, Hahn has dropped more than a few hints he’s still searching for complementary pieces and one direction the White Sox could go would be the addition of an outfielder.
“We’re looking for any way to get better,” Hahn said, when asked if he liked to add another outfielder. “The final couple spots on the roster will come down to a combination of platoon advantage, speed, defense and positional flexibility.”
Any more additions could add some height to Lawrie’s already impressive 41-inch vertical leap (and his 66-inch box jump). Asked a second time, the energetic second baseman — with his self-described “Canadian fire” and “hockey player mentality” — doubled down on his World Series-caliber comment.
“No doubt,” Lawrie said. “That’s the thing about baseball, anything can happen. It’s a long year, it's definitely a marathon not a sprint and we just have to come together as a group and have some fun and just enjoy each other’s company and go play baseball.”
Giants couldn't match White Sox offer for Jimmy Rollins.
By Dan Hayes
The San Francisco Giants could offer Jimmy Rollins the same money as the White Sox, a homecoming and an opportunity to play in an even year.
But as tempting as that combination was, the White Sox could offer the one thing the Giants couldn’t — the potential for playing time. Giants general manager Bobby Evans confirmed the team’s interest in Rollins at an MLB event Monday at the Arizona Biltmore Resort, noting his team’s offer was similar to the White Sox, who will pay Rollins $2 million if he reaches to the majors. Rollins signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp.
“We just didn’t have an everyday role, and that’s really what made it tough for us,” Evans said. “We’d love to bring a Bay Area guy back, and have a lot of admiration for him. But there’s an opportunity there in Chicago that we couldn’t offer.”
Though there are no guarantees, Rollins has a chance to take the starting shortstop job away from White Sox second-year man Tyler Saladino. Were he to have signed in San Francisco, Rollins would have had no regular chance to start as shortstop Brandon Crawford recently signed a six-year extension.
Still, the money was in the same neighborhood, and Rollins hails from just across the bay in Oakland. And though they would never include it in their pitch, the Giants can boast that they have won World Series titles in each of the previous three even years: 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Evans saw enough from Rollins in 2015 to offer him a role as a super utility man.
“I just still think he’s very athletic,” Evans said. “Thought he had some good tough at-bats and some good periods of time where he did very well. I think as Corey Seager came up, his time changed a little bit. But there’s a lot of value there.”
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported San Francisco’s interest in Rollins.
Golf: I got a club for that..... 6 weeks left for players to qualify for Masters.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Whether the road to the Masters started at Riviera (Rory McIlroy), PGA National (Rickie Fowler) or Doral (Jordan Spieth), qualifying for the most restricted field of the majors starts with the Florida swing.
Last year ended with 89 players having earned invitations to Augusta National. Seven weeks into the new year, the number is likely to be unchanged.
The only PGA Tour winner to earn a spot so far is Vaughn Taylor, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The other addition was Paul Chaplet, who won the Latin America Amateur Championship. While there have been no official subtractions, Jim Furyk had wrist surgery and is hopeful of a return in May at The Players Championship, and the latest report on Tiger Woods is no report at all. It would be surprising if he returned to the Masters.
There are six PGA Tour events left for players to earn a spot in the Masters, and two of them are World Golf Championships: the Cadillac Championship at Doral, and the Dell Match Play in Texas. The latter has the top 64 in the world, and currently only seven of those players are not yet eligible for the Masters.
After two years of the Masters field coming close to 100 players or more for the first time since 1966, it most likely won't come close to that this year. Augusta National will take the top 50 in the world ranking after the Match Play. As of Monday's world ranking, everyone in the top 50 already is exempt.
Among those not yet eligible are Matt Jones (No. 52), Rafael Cabrera Bello (No. 58), Thorbjorn Olesen (No. 60), Thomas Pieters (No. 61), Marcus Fraser (No. 62), Gary Woodland (No. 63) and Ryan Palmer (No. 64).
Jones lost a good opportunity when he missed the cut at Riviera. The top 50 effectively get a free start at Doral, though Jones can still qualify if he were to move into the top 50 after the Honda Classic this week. Cabrera Bello and Fraser earned spots in Doral by being in the top 10 on Europe's money list. Pieters narrowly missed out when Nathan Holman won in Malaysia.
Woodland and Palmer are playing in the Honda Classic this week.
Let the race begin.
CHOI'S RESURGENCE: K.J. Choi was the vice captain at the Presidents Cup in South Korea. He turns 46 this year and is in the final year of his exemption from winning The Players Championship. He ended last year at No. 302 in the world.And he is quietly making a big move.
Choi was a runner-up at Torrey Pines and he was among those tied for the lead on the back nine at Riviera until he tied for fifth. One reason for the resurgence might be his desire to play in the Olympics this summer.
''I want to play for South Korea, but I need to have wins,'' he said. ''That's why I'm training the last two months, three months, very hard.''
Choi already is up to No. 102. To make the Olympic team, he would need to move past K.T. Kim (currently No. 72) by July 6. Byeong Hun An is ranked No. 28.
HARRINGTON'S HERO: Padraig Harrington posed Tuesday with the top players from U.S. Kids Golf, 13-year-old Yae Eun Kim and 12-year-old Luke Clanton, who cited Jordan Spieth and Jason Day as their favorite players.
''You'd want to be a little older than 12 to look up to me as his idol,'' Harrington said.
His sporting heroes at age 12 were in soccer, and he really didn't pay attention to elite golf until he was 16. That would have been about the time Nick Faldo was winning his first major and Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman were battling for No. 1 in the world.
His hero? Bernhard Langer. Harrington called him the ''professional's professional.''
''Got the most out of his game,'' he said. ''Came back from the yips twice. That's just unheard of. Absolutely phenomenal how much he got out of the game from his work and dedication. I've always admired that much more so than people who it comes easy to. Bernhard Langer, it never came easy to him, and definitely a hero of mine.''
SLUMBERS ON TURNBERRY: If the British Open returns to Donald Trump-owned Turnberry, it won't be until at least 2022.
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, in a meeting with British golf writers this week, said negotiations have begun for the 2020 and 2021 championships. One of them will be in England to balance between English and Scottish links in the rotation.
''At no point during those discussions has Turnberry been part of that,'' Slumbers said. ''So that's where we are. And 2022 and beyond it is something we don't have to think about for a few years.''
Historically, that would not be unusual.
Turnberry last hosted The Open in 2009 after an absence of 15 years. The main reason for waiting were the roads leading to the Ayrshire town. Then again, Trump pledged big upgrades to the hotel and the golf course when he bought the property.
Slumbers didn't say whether Trump's views during his campaign for the GOP nomination are causing the R&A to think twice about staging The Open there.
''We're asking the very best players in the world to come and put their names to a championship which we've written down in history, and we feel deeply that the quality of the golf course and the challenge we give them should be commensurate with the quality of the players and the commitment that the players make,'' he said. "But we are also very focused on the macro environment. We as an organization have said that we believe golf should be open to all, regardless of gender, race, nationality or religion, and that's where we sit.''
RANKING GAME: While the Honda Classic has been gaining in strength over the last five years, this year's field is not as strong at the top as it has been in recent years.
RANKING GAME: While the Honda Classic has been gaining in strength over the last five years, this year's field is not as strong at the top as it has been in recent years.
Attribute that to a change in the world rankings. And to Tiger Woods.
For the first time since 2012, the Honda Classic will not have the No. 1 player at PGA National. Rory McIlroy was No. 1 in 2013 and 2015, and Woods was atop the ranking in 2014. Woods, out with an injury since Augusta, is now at No. 445. McIlroy is No. 3, having wasted a good chance to go back to No. 2 by closing with a 75 at Riviera.
For the first time since 2012, the Honda Classic will not have the No. 1 player at PGA National. Rory McIlroy was No. 1 in 2013 and 2015, and Woods was atop the ranking in 2014. Woods, out with an injury since Augusta, is now at No. 445. McIlroy is No. 3, having wasted a good chance to go back to No. 2 by closing with a 75 at Riviera.
The Honda Classic has four of the top 10 in the world: McIlroy, Rickie Fowler (No. 5), Patrick Reed (No. 9) and Branden Grace (No. 10).
DIVOTS: This will be only the third time this year that either the No. 1 or No. 2 player in the world ranking was not competing. ... Charley Hoffman and Kevin Streelman have been elected co-chairs of the Player Advisory Council. They will replace Bo Van Pelt and Mark Wilson on the PGA Tour policy board next year and serve three-year terms. ... The R&A and the Ladies Golf Union have agreed to merge. ... Simon & Schuster says it will publish a biography on Tiger Woods, to be written by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian. The title and publication date have not been determined.
STAT OF THE WEEK: Bubba Watson was only the second player in the top 10 in the world to win on the PGA Tour this season. No. 1 Jordan Spieth won at Kapalua.
FINAL WORD: ''Nobody is looking at records when it comes to tournament records. All we're looking at is trophies.'' - Bubba Watson.
Florida Swing: Honda Classic Preview.
By Ryan O'Sullivan
Bubba Watson held off Adam Scott and Jason Kokrak to claim the Northern Trust Open title for the second time in his career, ending the West Coast Swing and turning the PGA TOUR’s attention towards Florida for The Honda Classic. Padraig Harrington returns as defending champion, and here is a preview to get you off and running with your research.
Before we dive into the specifics, let’s remind ourselves that the TOUR will spend the next month in Florida. That means Bermuda greens. This must be pointed out, as there are certain guys that love those putting surfaces and others that hate them. George McNeill, for example, is a Floridian that historically plays quite well on the Florida Swing but hasn’t made a cut in 2015-16. While he is not a prime candidate for a huge week, he has more value than most people yet to cash a check in the current season.
Bermuda putting surfaces are grainy, and reading that grain is a learned art. The grain can make a straight putt break and a breaking putt straight.
OK. Now we can proceed.
The Course
PGA National (Champion) serves as the host course, and has for every year since 2007. For course history buffs, that means that course history research begins in ’07, and not before. It is a par-70 layout of 7,158 yards. PGA National is known for the “Bear Trap”, which is comprised of the par-3 15th, par-4 16th and par-3 17th holes. The stretch is named after Jack Nicklaus, who handled the 1990 redesign, and traditionally plays well over par.
As a typical par 70, it features just two par 5s. That tends to keep the scoring a little on the high side and places a premium on pars throughout the course. Especially the par 3s.
The Stats
Attention should be paid to players that can find the putting surface in regulation. Russell Knox and Paul Casey are two guys that have contended with regularity on this course, and both are known to be among the best at finding GIRs.
It seems obvious, but par 3 and par 4 scoring average also take on plenty of value.
Analysis
In addition to course history, current form and stats, two categories of players have done well here over the last nine years. European players have found this course to be a fit, as have players with ties to the Southeastern United States. The latter seems obvious, but the former can be overlooked. Harrington won last year, but we’ve also seen Rory McIlroy win here, and numerous European’s play well.
With that as the backdrop, here we go!
1. Rory McIlroy – Was tied for the lead in his first Northern Trust Open with 17 holes to play last week. Returning to the site of a past win and runner-up finish should have him flying high.
2. Paul Casey – A nod to his course history, as he was a mere T39 at Riviera last week, the transplanted Brit has gone T4-MC-T12-T3 in his four trips to PGA National. Expect him to receive plenty of action in various formats, including the one-and-done.
3. Hideki Matsuyama – Fell victim to a WD in his only trip here back in 2014, but is one of the hottest players on the planet entering this week. A T11 last week came just two weeks after his win in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
4. Russell Knox – Anytime a guy’s course history, limited as it may be, includes a T2 and a T3, one has to take notice. His current form is a red flag. After finishing T27 in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, he’s missed his only other two PGA TOUR cuts since. Something’s got to give.
5. Patrick Reed – Form quietly meets history, as he had top 10s in both his most recent PGA TOUR start and his last trip to The Honda Classic.
6. Rickie Fowler – Known for doing his heavily lifting on the par 5s, which could be why his course history here is only average. Still, he’s been strong all of 2016 on the PGA TOUR and beyond, so expect him to be a factor.
7. Branden Grace – All he’s done in his last three worldwide starts is finish inside the top five every time including a win in Qatar in his last outing. Forget about his T71 here in 2013. He’s now a top 10 player in the world and should be treated as such.
8. Freddie Jacobson – Missed his most recent PGA TOUR cut after back-to-back T4s. True to the European charge in this event, the Swede is 6/7 with five top 25s and two top 10s at PGA National.
9. Luke Donald – One of the few events he’s maintained a solid foothold on the PGA TOUR of late, with back-to-back top 10s in this event coming well after his runner-up here in 2008. He’s a shell of his former self, but this is a possible soft landing.
10. Phil Mickelson – Playing like a guy who wants to make the Ryder Cup, Phil has two top threes and another T11 in four 2016 starts. He’s gone MC-T17 at PGA National the last two years, so this is no lock.
11. Zach Johnson – Has two top 15s in his last three PGA TOUR starts, so the form is there. PGA National has managed to keep him outside of the top 30 in each of his three appearances, so temper expectations. It’s probably due to the Bermuda greens, as he’s on record in regards to his dislike.
12. Sergio Garcia – It’s all about what one makes of his missed cut at Riviera. Does it matter? With him, maybe or maybe not. He’s five-for-five here, with one top 10 and another top 15.
13. Adam Scott – Big week for the Aussie at Riviera, finishing as a runner-up. That speaks volumes for what could be expected going forward. He missed the cut at PGA National in 2011 and tied for 12th in 2014. A top-15 finish this week would really back up what he did in the Northern Trust Open last week.
14. Graeme McDowell – A European who hits lots of GIR and has three top 10s in six trips to PGA National. Other than some better current form, what else is there to want?
15. Jamie Donaldson – Hasn’t missed a cut at The Honda Classic in three tries, with a top 10 last year the obvious highlight. Enters off a T54 at the Northern Trust Open.
Worth a Mention
Daniel Berger – Last year’s runner-up enters a bit chilly, but the Florida boy should be right at home.
Lucas Glover – Now a Florida resident, and putting better in 2015-16 to boot, he could draw off the T4 he earned here in 2013. Don’t forget about the T11 at Pebble Beach.
Padraig Harrington – Not only did he win here last year, he also won at the previous venue. Something about this event brings out the best in an otherwise over-the-hill Irishman.
Russell Henley – Going to sound like a broken record, but southern boy (Georgia) who is also a past champ.
Smylie Kaufman – Fifth in the FedExCup standings and returning to his part of the country.
Brooks Koepka – Florida native and elite player. Course history isn’t all that great, but he is.
David Lingmerth – The Swede has a good history in his adoptive state of Florida, with a T8 and a T25 in this event to go with a near miss up the road in THE PLAYERS Championship.
Ben Martin – Had a T31 here last year in his first trip and tied for 16th at Riviera next week. Quietly trendy.
George McNeill – Mentioned him above as a Bermuda / Florida expert.
Ian Poulter – Never missed a cut here in four tries and tied for third last year.
Best of luck to all!
Woods's agent slams reports of setback as 'false'.
AFP
Tweets indicating Tiger Woods has suffered a serious setback in his return from a third back surgery are "absolutely false" the 14-time major golf champion's agent Mark Steinberg said Monday.
Twitter posts from two different handles -- one of them longtime golf writer Robert Lusetich -- suggest that the 40-year-old superstar's rehabilitation was not going well and that his condition had deteriorated.
"The tweets that appeared this weekend about Tiger's health are ridiculous, and absolutely false," Steinberg said in a statement. "It's reprehensible that every few months someone makes something up and it's treated like a real story.
"Tiger continues to work on his rehabilitation and we will have an accurate update at the appropriate time."
According to the Twitter handle Secret Tour Pro, Woods was eyeing a return to golf in May at the Players Championship in Florida but that plan has been scrapped due to the lack of progress with his health.
Lusetich posted in a tweet: "I'm told #TigerWoods condition worsened. He can't move well; painful to sit. Sits in car with seat fully reclined. No foreseeable return. Sad."
As recently as last Friday, Steinberg told ESPN there was no update on Woods's status.
Woods hasn't played competitively since August of 2015, when he tied for 10th at the Wyndham Championship.
Woods, who turned 40 in December, had microdiscectomy surgery on March 31 of 2014 to treat a herniated disk.
He underwent a second procedure on September 16, 2015 to deal with a disk fragment that was pinching a nerve, and six weeks later underwent another procedure to address continuing discomfort.
He said during the World Challenge tournament he hosted in December that there was no timetable for his return, telling reporters: "Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don't know."
Woods's 14 major titles -- the last won in 2008 -- are four shy of Jack Nicklaus's record of 18. He owns 79 PGA Tour victories, three off the career best held by Sam Snead, the most recent coming at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 -- one of five wins for him that season.
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Famous Daytona 500 finishes.
By Nick Bromberg
BEST DAYTONA 500 FINISHES
1. 1979: Yeah, Sunday's finish was great, but it can't usurp the 1979 Daytona 500 from the top spot. You don't need us to explain the greatness of the finish – if you're a NASCAR fan you know all about it – so we'll simply leave the video of it below. If you're not a NASCAR fan, you'll understand why this is No. 1 after watching the side-by-side racing, bumping and subsequent fighting.
2. 1976: The two-car battle for the lead at the end of the race between David Pearson and Richard Petty was great without a crash. When they crashed off turn 4 on the final lap it became epic.
Petty passed Pearson – who blocked significantly in the corner – through turn 4 and then the two cars went spinning.
1. 1979: Yeah, Sunday's finish was great, but it can't usurp the 1979 Daytona 500 from the top spot. You don't need us to explain the greatness of the finish – if you're a NASCAR fan you know all about it – so we'll simply leave the video of it below. If you're not a NASCAR fan, you'll understand why this is No. 1 after watching the side-by-side racing, bumping and subsequent fighting.
2. 1976: The two-car battle for the lead at the end of the race between David Pearson and Richard Petty was great without a crash. When they crashed off turn 4 on the final lap it became epic.
Petty passed Pearson – who blocked significantly in the corner – through turn 4 and then the two cars went spinning.
Petty's car crashed the furthest forward as it came to rest near the finish line. Pearson's car was still stuck in the entrance of the tri-oval. However, Petty was unable to quickly refire his car. Pearson was and he drove his mangled car across the finish line before Petty did.
3. 2016: Sunday's race is perhaps elevated in its greatness because the finish was so unexpected. With Toyota's Joe Gibbs Racing cars lined up five deep on the preferred low line as the last lap began, it was tough to envision the teammates going after each other for the win in order to ensure the manufacturer's first win.
And if you believe winner Denny Hamlin, his move to the top line on the backstretch was initially an attempt to make sure his team won the race. Hamlin moved up in front of Kevin Harvick – to block, Hamlin said – and Harvick bumped the hell out of Hamlin's bumper to push him ahead of third-place Kyle Busch. Hamlin then got around the perhaps ill-advised block of Matt Kenseth and snuck past Martin Truex Jr. for the closest finish (0.01 seconds) in Daytona 500 history.
4. 2007: Sunday beat out the 2007 for the closest electronically-timed finish in 500 history and had the potential to be incredibly similar to the 2007 checkered flag.
Harvick beat Mark Martin by 0.02 seconds as the two cars dueled by themselves for a win. A crash in turn 4 on the final lap had eliminated all the cars behind them from contention. Sunday, we were perilously close to a crash too. Had Matt Kenseth not saved his car from spinning, much of the entire field behind Truex and Kenseth would have been junked.
5. 1959: This is the original Daytona 500 finish. The 1959 race was the first at Daytona International Speedway. Johnny Beauchamp was declared the winner after he crossed the line side-by-side with Lee Petty. However, after the finish was reviewed over the week, Petty was declared the winner three days later despite Beauchamp celebrating in victory lane after the race.
Fun fact: the 1959 500 went caution-free throughout the entire event.
POST-DAYTONA 500 POWER RANKINGS
1. Denny Hamlin: Enough said.
2. Matt Kenseth: While we'll always focus on Hamlin's move to the front and his side-by-side finish when we look back on this race, we need to always remember Kenseth's save. Yeah, he probably made the wrong decision moving up ahead of Hamlin. But damn, that save kept millions of dollars worth of race cars intact and showed why he's considered one of the best in NASCAR.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex said after the race that he'd likely be remembered similarly to Martin after the 2007 finish. If you ask us, there are many, many worse drivers to be compared to.
4. Kyle Busch: While Truex and Kenseth are playing the what-if game, so is Busch. He said he thought about moving ahead of Hamlin on the final lap, but by the time the thought crossed his mind it was too late.
5. Carl Edwards: Edwards made contact with Chase Elliott when Elliott spun earlier in the race and was subsequently involved in another crash. And he was somehow in the picture for the win at the end.
6. Kevin Harvick: How far would Harvick have gotten towards the front had Hamlin not moved in front of him?
7. Joey Logano: The defending champion didn't like the handling on his car all day. He still finished sixth.
8. Kyle Larson: Larson ran a sneaky-great race. He was up near the front all day and was one of the best non-Joe Gibbs Racing cars.
9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led 18 laps in a backup car. Those 18 laps led were the most of any non-JGR driver.
10. Regan Smith: Smith finished eighth in his second-straight Daytona 500. This time he was driving a car he's scheduled to be in all year.
11. Austin Dillon: The driver of the No. 3 finished ninth after he lost the draft early in the race.
12. Michael McDowell: McDowell was in a second entry for Circle Sport-Levine Family Racing and was not guaranteed to make the race. He qualified via his qualifying time and ended up 15th on Sunday.
Motor racing-NASCAR looking to build international presence.Reuters; By Lewis Franck, Editing by Andrew Both and Frank Pingue
NASCAR are eyeing a strategy to help build their international presence but the preeminent stock car racing organization have no immediate plans to schedule races outside the United States.
Citing another made-in-America sports league, the National Basketball Association, NASCAR has decided to take a bottom-up approach in the hope of nurturing international drivers who might one day make the leap to the United States.
"The NBA model is a great one," Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's executive vice-president and chief racing development officer, told Reuters. "You have a (local league)in a particular country or region but the ultimate goal is to play in the NBA."
Although the NBA has played games overseas, NASCAR do not intend to export their premier Sprint Cup series, which includes the Daytona 500.
In the distant past the mostly oval track racing series had non-points races for its stars in Australia and Japan. But those exhibitions do not fit with current NASCAR plans.
"It was an idea before its time and we learned from that," said O'Donnell. "Just taking a race to another country does not help build the sport.
"Our model for success is to grow at the grassroots level."
As part of the strategy implementation, a relatively new series, called the Whelen Euro Series, promotes racing on a variety of circuits in six countries, including former Formula One venues at Brands Hatch in England and Zolder in Belgium.
As a result, fans too young to have seen the legendary battles for the F1 world championship between Austrian Niki Lauda and Briton James Hunt have been treated to ones between their sons, Mathias Lauda and Freddie Hunt.
The younger Lauda, who also races in the World Endurance Championship, explained from Spain why he also chose a stock car-based formula.
"NASCAR is pure racing without politics," the 35-year old Lauda told Reuters in an interview from Spain. "Fans always look for heroes connecting with the driver ahead of the car."
Hero-worship aside, he feels that driver-skill plays more of a part in the outcome of a NASCAR race than Formula One.
"As a driver you can make a difference" he said. "It's very close racing, fun racing."
SOCCER: Fire still finalizing roster in final week of preseason.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
While it doesn't sound like there will be any new major signings of players not currently in camp, there are decisions to make regarding trialists and potential loans to affiliate Saint Louis FC.
For example, even after John Goossens has been a standout performer in the preseason, coach Veljko Paunovic remained mum on his status.
"Obviously you saw the game, he performed very good," Paunovic said during his weekly conference call with media on Monday. "What I can say right now is his status as a trialist is still the same and if something changes about him, we will let you know.”
The Major League Soccer roster compliance date of March 1 sets a firm deadline for teams, but Paunovic did tease that there could be some announcements in the next week ahead of that date. He added that there will "probably" be some players loaned to St. Louis, but that they want to see how players perform this week. Other than that the first-year coach didn't give much away.
"Obviously we have some guys and trialists who we will try in different positions for the games to come so we can have a better insight of what they can bring to our team," Paunovic said.
Paunovic was complimentary of the central defense pairing of Johan Kappelhof and Joao Meira. Both players are new to the league and are from different European countries, which made their first game together a challenge. Paunovic said they did well against Vancouver on Sunday given the circumstances.
On the tactical side, Paunovic spoke about the team's high press. It created the first goal against Vancouver, with a Matt Polster takeaway giving Goossens the ball just outside the box before he scored.
"There were a couple of times where we had sets of two or three minutes of the high pressing and where we scored one goal," Paunovic said. "We scored the first goal and we pushed Vancouver a couple of times into an uncomfortable zone with the possession they tried to have. That was very, very good. We have to work on that still.”
Brazilian newcomer Rodrigo Ramos has joined the team in Portland and Monday will mark his first full session with the team. Paunovic said he wants to see him play in at least one of the two remaining preseason games, but that will depend on his fitness.
Also, David Accam sat out the game on Sunday due to illness. Paunovic addressed his status.
“He has some issues and we didn’t want to make him push hard for this game even though he is recovered now," Paunovic said. "We are working on his fitness and he is doing great. He is very engaged this preseason and we have a special approach for him knowing that he had issues earlier."
Arsenal 0-2 Barcelona: Messi’s second half brace undoes solid Gunners effort.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Arsene Wenger‘s solid plan to stop Barcelona almost worked, but the reigning champion Blaugranas got a second-half road brace from Lionel Messi to take a 2-0 advantage back to Spain after Tuesday’s first leg in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The second leg is March 16 at the Camp Nou.
Arsenal worked a brilliant spell of possession but found a weak bit of finish as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t get enough mustard on his 10-yard shot, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen got low to collect his shot.
Luis Suarez was a hair off, and that helped Arsenal get to halftime after the Uruguayan just missed putting the Blaugranas ahead with a left-footed miss and a just-wide header.
"6 – Lionel Messi has faced Petr Cech six times in the Champions League and is yet to score past him. Barrier. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2016"
Petr Cech was a difference maker in the first half, and he started the second frame with a sliding stop of Neymar.
Ter Stegen was no slouch himself getting low to stop a header from Olivier Giroud in the 60th minute.
Arsenal employed a high press whenever Barca’s backs got the ball, and it was fairly effective. Plus attack-minded players like Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud made some critical tackles in their own third.
The second leg is March 16 at the Camp Nou.
Arsenal worked a brilliant spell of possession but found a weak bit of finish as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain couldn’t get enough mustard on his 10-yard shot, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen got low to collect his shot.
Luis Suarez was a hair off, and that helped Arsenal get to halftime after the Uruguayan just missed putting the Blaugranas ahead with a left-footed miss and a just-wide header.
"6 – Lionel Messi has faced Petr Cech six times in the Champions League and is yet to score past him. Barrier. — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 23, 2016"
Petr Cech was a difference maker in the first half, and he started the second frame with a sliding stop of Neymar.
Ter Stegen was no slouch himself getting low to stop a header from Olivier Giroud in the 60th minute.
Arsenal employed a high press whenever Barca’s backs got the ball, and it was fairly effective. Plus attack-minded players like Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud made some critical tackles in their own third.
Thing is, all it takes is a moment, one that came on a Barca counter. Messi was on the business end of a prime chance after a neat 1-2 between Luis Suarez and Neymar down the left wing, and he made Petr Cech slide free of the net before finishing his chance.
It should’ve been 2-0 after Messi teed up Neymar and then Suarez. The Brazilian had his shot blocked and the Uruguayan cranked one off the right post to keep it 1-0.
At the other end, Ter Stegen made a point-blank parry on Aaron Ramsey to keep the score line the same.
It all fell apart in the 83rd minute, as Per Mertesacker fluffed a clearance and Mathieu Flamini, fresh into the contest, took down Messi in the box. No other outcome. 2-0.
Cech made a terrific stop in stoppage time on a substandard Neymar header, and Arsenal can still dream of an upset in Spain.
Juventus comeback stuns Bayern Munich in 2-2 Champions League draw.
By Joe Lago
Juventus' Stefano Sturaro celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League, round of 16, first-leg soccer match between Juventus and Bayern Munich at the Juventus stadium in Turin, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Both circumstances were equally astounding. Bayern Munich manufactured a commanding 2-0 lead over Juventus after 55 minutes in their Champions League round of 16 first leg on Tuesday in a convincing manner that has come to be expected from the Bundesliga power. Just as shocking was the way Bayern let that lead slip away, as Juve battled back to salvage a 2-2 home draw.
Bayern Munich still has the advantage, with two precious away goals, going into the March 16 return leg at the Alllianz Arena. But that didn't diminish feelings of an opportunity lost by the Bavarians.
"We could have done better," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said. "We lost our composure amidst all the chaos."
Before the frantic 13-minute stretch that saw Juve pull even on goals by a pair of 22-year-olds – Paulo Dybala and substitute Stefano Sturaro – all had been calm for Pep Guardiola's side. Bayern Munich was doing Bayern Munich things in controlling the ball, enjoying 62 percent of possession in the first half and completing 370 first-half passes to Juventus' 132.
That dominance finally led to a Bayern breakthrough in the 43rd minute. Arjen Robben galloped down the right wing and floated a cross to the back post to Douglas Costa, who volleyed the ball back across the goal into the path of Thomas Muller. The German carefully placed his right-footed strike into the right corner for a 1-0 lead.
Ten minutes into the second half, Bayern looked to have put the game – and perhaps the tie – to bed with away goal No. 2. Robben finished off a counterattack with his trademark move, cutting in from the right wing and skipping into the center of the box to blast a left-footed strike past Gigi Buffon for a 2-0 lead.
Juventus had reasonable complaints on both Bayern goals as Lewandowski looked to be offside on the first and the Polish striker looked to have fouled Leonardo Bonucci in the build-up for the second. That didn't stop the Serie A champions from mounting a spirited comeback.
Dybala scored his first-ever Champions League goal to pull one back for Juve in the 63rd minute. Paul Pogba took advantage of a poor touch by Joshua Kimmich, Bayern's 21-year-old center back, to play Dybala into space for the predatory left-footed strike past Neuer.
The Juventus Stadium was rocking again 13 minutes later when substitutes Alvaro Morata and Stefano Sturaro combined on the equalizer.
The unusual situation of Guardiola having already announced his departure for Manchester City at season's end figured to be one of the few obstacles to a Bayern run to the May 28 Champions League final in Milan. The looming questions: Can the planet's most sought-after manager still motivate one of the world's most talented sides to European glory? Does the coach himself already have an eye toward his next adventure in England? A tale of two halves on Tuesday will only continue the speculation and uncertainty.
Despite the collapse in Turin, Bayern Munich remained upbeat. "We played very, very well," Philipp Lahm said. "We're in a good position."
"It's a shame we didn't win," Guardiola said. "But that's football."
Klinsmann senses Copa America opportunity.Goal.com
Handed a difficult Copa America Centenario draw, Jurgen Klinsmann has eyed an opportunity for the U.S. national team.
U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has challenged his team to step up after being handed a tough Copa America Centenario draw.
The tournaments host was drawn to face Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay in a tricky Group A at the event, which will be played in June.
Only Paraguay is ranked below USA in the world rankings, giving Klinsmann – who has been under pressure at the helm – plenty to think about. But the German prefers to see the draw as an opportunity for his players to prove themselves.
"When you have an opportunity like playing one of the top teams in South America, you want to take it all in," Klinsmann said. "You obviously want to do well and you want to measure yourself. For our players now, this is a huge opportunity, go into that game and showcase yourself and show them that you'll compete with them, eye to eye.
"We don't see ourselves as outsiders or underdogs or whatever you want to call it, we see ourselves as eye to eye in this tournament and we want to go through the group and then take it one game at a time."
The U.S. starts the tournament against one of the teams expected to contend for the title – Colombia – on June 3. Acknowledging the difficulty of the group, Klinsmann said there was nothing else he could have expected.
"If you look at all four groups, probably ours is maybe the toughest for the outside kind of perspective, but it is a Copa America, there is no easy group," he said. "For us, it's exciting and we can't wait to get started."
NCAABKB: CBT BRACKETOLOGY: Kansas remains No. 1 overall seed.
Only Paraguay is ranked below USA in the world rankings, giving Klinsmann – who has been under pressure at the helm – plenty to think about. But the German prefers to see the draw as an opportunity for his players to prove themselves.
"When you have an opportunity like playing one of the top teams in South America, you want to take it all in," Klinsmann said. "You obviously want to do well and you want to measure yourself. For our players now, this is a huge opportunity, go into that game and showcase yourself and show them that you'll compete with them, eye to eye.
"We don't see ourselves as outsiders or underdogs or whatever you want to call it, we see ourselves as eye to eye in this tournament and we want to go through the group and then take it one game at a time."
The U.S. starts the tournament against one of the teams expected to contend for the title – Colombia – on June 3. Acknowledging the difficulty of the group, Klinsmann said there was nothing else he could have expected.
"If you look at all four groups, probably ours is maybe the toughest for the outside kind of perspective, but it is a Copa America, there is no easy group," he said. "For us, it's exciting and we can't wait to get started."
NCAABKB: CBT BRACKETOLOGY: Kansas remains No. 1 overall seed.
By Dave Ommen
The First Four remains a revolving door. It was a bad week(end) for LSU. The Tigers RPI is approaching 90 and a quick turnaround is needed to regain any momentum. Another group of Tigers (Clemson) also has some high-end wins, but they continue to struggle away from home. And while it’s a weird scene, today’s bracket is missing Gonzaga. The Zags are short on quality wins and lost a second game to Saint Mary’s over the weekend. It could be a West Coast Conference tourney title or bust for the Bulldogs.
On a closing note: although Michigan, Colorado, and Florida have been bracket fixtures for a while, there’s work to be done. They are among the last four teams with byes today. Enjoy your week of college hoops.
BRACKET UPDATE: February 22, 2016
Teams in CAPS represent the projected AUTOMATIC bid. In the event of a tie in the loss column, RPI is first tiebreaker. Notes: To simulate actual bracket conditions, we’ve used current conference leaders to receive the automatic bid. Exceptions are made for teams that use an abbreviation (ex: UCLA)
Several new bracketing principles were introduced a couple of years ago. You can read them for yourself at http://www.ncaa.com. For example: teams from the same conference may now meet before a Regional final, even if fewer than eight teams are selected. The goal is to keep as many teams as possible on their actual seed line.
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS – Dayton (First Round)
- Oregon State vs. Cincinnati | South Region
- Alabama vs. St. Bonaventure | East Region
- BUCKNELL vs. WAGNER | East Region
- HAMPTON vs. TEXAS-SOUTHERN | Midwest Region
| MIDWEST – Chicago | EAST – Philadelphia | |
| Des Moines | Brooklyn | |
| 1) KANSAS | 1) VILLANOVA | |
| 16) TX-SOUTHERN / HAMPTON | 16) BUCKNELL / WAGNER | |
| 8) Saint Joseph’s | 8) Syracuse | |
| 9) Wisconsin | 9) Florida | |
| Denver | Spokane | |
| 5) Duke | 5) Texas | |
| 12) ARK-LITTLE ROCK | 12) VALPARAISO | |
| 4) KENTUCKY | 4) Utah | |
| 13) AKRON | 13) STONY BROOK | |
| Spokane | Brooklyn | |
| 6) Notre Dame | 6) Purdue | |
| 11) Michigan | 11) St. Bonaventure / Alabama | |
| 3) OREGON | 3) West Virginia | |
| 14) S.F. AUSTIN | 14) PRINCETON | |
| Des Moines | Raleigh | |
| 7) Pittsburgh | 7) South Carolina | |
| 10) VCU | 10) Colorado | |
| 2) IOWA | 2) North Carolina | |
| 15) MONTANA | 15) BELMONT | |
| WEST – Anaheim | SOUTH – Louisville | |
| Raleigh | Oklahoma City | |
| 1) Virginia | 1) Oklahoma | |
| 16) NORTH FLORIDA | 16) WINTHROP | |
| 8) Texas Tech | 8) Providence | |
| 9) Seton Hall | 9) Connecticut | |
| Oklahoma City | Denver | |
| 5) Indiana | 5) Baylor | |
| 12) MONMOUTH | 12) SAN DIEGO ST | |
| 4) Iowa State | 4) Arizona | |
| 13) HAWAII | 13) CHATTANOOGA | |
| Providence | Providence | |
| 6) Dayton | 6) Texas AM | |
| 11) TEMPLE | 11) Cincinnati / Oregon State | |
| 3) Maryland | 3) Miami-FL | |
| 14) NC-WILMINGTON | 14) UAB | |
| St. Louis | St. Louis | |
| 7) California | 7) USC | |
| 10) WICHITA STATE | 10) SAINT MARY’S | |
| 2) Xavier | 2) Michigan State | |
| 15) NEW MEXICO ST | 15) IPFW |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Kansas is the No. 1 overall seed followed by Villanova, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Next in line: Xavier, North Carolina, Michigan State, Iowa
Last Four Byes (at large): Wisconsin, Florida, Colorado, Michigan
Last Four IN (at large): Alabama, Cincinnati, Oregon State, St. Bonaventure
First Four OUT (at large): Tulsa, Butler, George Washington, Gonzaga
Next four teams OUT (at large): Vanderbilt, UCLA, Washington, Ohio State
Breakdown by Conference …
ACC (7): NORTH CAROLINA, Virginia, Miami-FL, Duke, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Pac 12 (7): OREGON, Arizona, Utah, California, USC, Colorado, Oregon State
Big 12 (7): KANSAS, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech
Big 10 (7): IOWA, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan
SEC (5): KENTUCKY, Texas AM, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama
Big East (4): VILLANOVA, Xavier, Providence, Seton Hall
Atlantic 10 (4): VCU, Dayton, Saint Joseph’s, St. Bonaventure
American (3): TEMPLE, Connecticut, Cincinnati
West Coast (1): SAINT MARY’S
Mountain West (1): SAN DIEGO STATE
Missouri Valley (1): WICHITA STATE
ONE BID LEAGUES: Monmouth (MAAC), UAB (C-USA), Ark-Little Rock (SBELT), Princeton (IVY), Montana (BSKY), Valparaiso (HORIZON), Stephen F. Austin (SLND), Chattanooga (STHN), Hawaii (BWEST), Akron (MAC), North Florida (ASUN), Belmont (OVC), UNC-Wilmington (CAA), Winthrop (BSO), Hampton (MEAC), IPFW (SUM), New Mexico State (WAC), Stony Brook (AEAST), Bucknell (PAT), Wagner (NEC), Texas-Southern (SWAC)
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Note: It should be noted that these are just projections and subject to change. There will be some changes but we don't think there will be many, however, with all of the NCAA basketball parity, anything is possible.
23 days until the 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament starts and 19 days before you can pick your brackets, Are you in?
The 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament is just around the corner, you ready? Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica is having it's annual office pool again. You've played in our pool before, you're a terrific competitor and that what makes our pool a success. The entry fee is low ($12.00), the risk is minimal and the rewards are equitable, what more can you ask for? Here are few particulars about our pool:
It's going to be a great tournament this year because there is so much parity in college basketball today. Anyone can win. The small and intermediate size colleges have just as much talent as the big guys. Their teams have played together longer as the big schools recruit with the policy of one and done, off to the NBA. There seems to be a new #1 every week and then they get beat. Usually the winner of our pool needs 75% skill and 25% luck. This year it's going to be the other way around, 25% skill and 75% luck. Four weeks until the tournament starts; now is the time to get serious and start following the college teams and preparing for the conference tournaments. The precursor to the big dance. It's really going be a great tournament with plenty of upsets. For those of you that have played before, you know how much fun it is. For those of you that haven't, play for the first time and enjoy the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat."
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Big East's top 2 teams set for high-stakes rematch at Xavier.
By JOE KAY
A win over No. 1 Villanova on Wednesday night would amount to a huge breakthrough for a Xavier team that's put together the best season in school history so far.
The fifth-ranked Musketeers (24-3, 12-3) have a chance to knock off the top-ranked team in the country, something they've done numerous times. But they've never beaten the Wildcats (24-3, 13-1) in Big East play. They've never won the regular-season league title, either, and need a win to keep that in play.
''They're (high) stakes,'' senior forward James Farr said. ''We played terrible at Villanova.''
The game marks the first time in the reconfigured Big East that a pair of Top 5 teams has played each other. In the last three seasons, Xavier is 0-6 against the Wildcats, including a 69-52 loss in the league tournament last season and a 95-64 defeat on Dec. 31 in Philadelphia.
In that last game, freshman point guard Edmond Sumner fell hard in the early minutes and had to be wheeled off the court to a hospital. Xavier never recovered from the fright and the loss of its point guard.
Sumner missed three games with a concussion and soreness and took some time to get fully back into form. He's scored at least 20 points in two of the last five games and is coming off a 22-point performance in an 88-70 win at Georgetown on Saturday.
''People ask me all the time: Do you think the game would have ended differently if Edmond had not gotten hurt?'' coach Chris Mack said. ''I don't know. We can't think backward. We've got to think forward.''
A win would keep the Musketeers in the running for a league title and put them in line for no worse than a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament; they've never done better than a third seed. Villanova finishes with games at Marquette and home against DePaul and Georgetown. Xavier plays at Seton Hall and hosts Creighton.
Mostly, it would challenge Villanova's claim as the league's dominant team.
''Oh, yeah, it's very important,'' Farr said. ''We've beaten every team in the league except Villanova. I don't want to go out in my career saying, 'Hey, we never beat those guys. I wish we could have beaten those guys.' Maybe we'll see them in the Big East tournament as well, but it would be very special to beat them here at Cintas on the home court.''
It's the first time a top-ranked team has visited the Cintas Center since it opened for the 2000-01 season. The Musketeers have won three of their last seven games against No. 1 teams at other venues, including a pair of wins over crosstown rival Cincinnati.
It'll be the fourth time that Villanova has played a Top 10 team this season. The Wildcats have lost to Oklahoma and Virginia and beaten Xavier without its point guard.
''Losing Edmond did a lot for us,'' Farr said. ''But you know, we pride ourselves on being a deep team. We got challenged and we didn't answer the challenge at Villanova. It's going to be a different story tomorrow. Tomorrow is a players game - who wants it more? So we'll be ready.''
NCAAFB: New coordinators in spotlight as spring football blooms.
By RALPH D. RUSSO
Spring comes early in college football - or at least spring practice does.
Arizona, Duke and Northwestern have already started spring practice. Stanford does Tuesday. Soon after the calendar flips to March there will be football on college campuses all over the country.
Off campus, too. Michigan opens its spring practice on Monday in Bradenton, Florida, at the IMG Academy. Maybe you have heard?
Coaches get 15 practices to sort through their rosters and implement new schemes, leading up to a spring game which in some places will pack game day-sized crowds into stadiums.
At Arizona, Rich Rodriguez has decided to take a different approach this spring. The Wildcats are focusing almost exclusively on fundamentals instead of schemes, and they won't be playing a spring game.
''Half the scrimmages you have, or the spring game, you either don't play your top guys or you cross your fingers that nobody gets hurt,'' Rodriguez told reporters last month. ''It's good to look at schemes, but what are you trying to win? Beat your own team? It's not nearly as important as teaching them how to play.''
At Pitt, the Panthers are taking their spring game back to the big stage.
Pittsburgh will wrap up its workouts with an intra-squad game on April 26 at Heinz Field. It will be the first time since 2011 the Panthers have held a spring game at the home they share with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Construction at Heinz last year forced Pitt to hold its spring game at nearby Highmark Stadium, a 4,000-seat facility used by a professional soccer team. In three seasons under previous coach Paul Chryst, Pitt either played its spring game at local high schools as a way for the new staff to build relationships in the area or did not have one.
The Panthers' average attendance last year was 48,150, up 17 percent from the year before as new coach Pat Narduzzi helped excite fans.
Coming off an 8-5 season, Narduzzi hopes playing the spring game at Heinz helps Pitt develop a home-field advantage that has been challenging to cultivate off campus.
''It's always important to get into your home field and get our kids comfortable with playing in that stadium,'' Narduzzi said.
While Narduzzi and Rodriguez are taking different approaches to spring, they do have something in common: Both are breaking in new coordinators on the side of the ball that is not their specialty.
Narduzzi, the architect of Michigan State's great defenses while working under Mark Dantonio, brought in former North Carolina State offensive coordinator Matt Canada to replace Jim Chaney, who left for Georgia.
Rodriguez parted ways with longtime assistant Jeff Casteel, who had been his defensive coordinator at West Virginia, and brought in Marcel Yates from Boise State to fix an Arizona defense that ranked 93rd in the nation in average yards allowed per play.
Here are six more teams breaking in coordinators for whom much will be expected next season.
Brady Hoke, Oregon.
Second-year coordinator Don Pellum, who has been on staff for 25 years, was demoted after the Ducks' defense finished 98th in the nation in average yards allowed per play. Oregon prides itself on being a promote-from-within program, but coach Mark Helfrich knew the Ducks were in need of a fresh perspective. Hoke, the former Michigan coach, came through the ranks as a defensive line coach but has never been a coordinator.
Joe Moorhead, Penn State
The Nittany Lions' first two seasons under James Franklin have produced some ugly offenses, despite having a quarterback with an NFL skill set in Christian Hackenberg. There was plenty of blame to go around, but offensive coordinator John Donovan was the one who got fired. In steps Moorhead, who spent the last four seasons as the head coach at Fordham, leading the Rams to three straight FCS playoff appearances with a high-powered spread offense.
Noel Mazzone, Texas A&M
The swag left Texas A&M's offense with Johnny Football. Highly recruited quarterbacks have not developed. The running game has been spotty at best. The overall inconsistency led to the dismissal of 30-year-old Jake Spavital, who as it turned out was not quite ready to be the next Kliff Kingsbury. Coach Kevin Sumlin hired the veteran Mazzone away from UCLA hoping to trade some swag for production.
Bob Shoop, Tennessee.
The Volunteers' defense was OK last season (39th in the country in yards per play) so it was a little surprising when coach Butch Jones fired coordinator John Jancek. Then it all made sense when Jones quickly pulled Shoop away from Penn State. Even burdened by limp offenses, Shoop's Penn State defenses were excellent. The Vols have talent (DL Derek Barnett, CB Cameron Sutton) and high expectations. There will be no patience in Knoxville.
Sterlin Gilbert, Texas
The Baylor offense has been ripping up the Big 12 for most of Art Briles' eight years as coach of the Bears. But can it save Charlie Strong at Texas? The Longhorns coach plucked the 37-year-old Gilbert from Briles' coaching tree, luring him away from Tulsa, where he was the offensive coordinator last season under former Baylor OC Philip Montgomery. One of the best parts of Baylor's offensive system is it usually doesn't take long to get it up and humming. For Strong's sake, that better be the case for Gilbert in Austin.
Manny Diaz, Miami
Diaz has fully rehabbed his reputation after it was dragged down by Mack Brown's sinking ship at Texas. The Hurricanes will have one of the best quarterbacks (Brad Kaaya) in the country, leading an experienced offense for new coach Mark Richt. If Diaz can fix a defense that has been an underachieving mess, maybe Miami can finally reach the ACC title game.
Butch Jones, 15 Vols coaches stage pep rally to defend UT’s culture.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Getty Images)
At a press conference Tuesday morning, the 16 head coaches of the university’s varsity sports programs, including football’s Butch Jones, defiantly defended the culture surrounding the athletic department that’s come under heavy fire in recent days. Most damning, a federal lawsuit filed by six former UT students in which it’s claimed the university “has created a student culture that enables sexual assaults by student-athletes, especially football players.”
Over the weekend, Jones stridently defended his program — a handful of incidents related to sexual assault have come on his watch — and claimed “we have a good culture in place.” A couple of days later, Jones, as well his fellow coaches, were hell-bent on keeping up that positive tack.
"Karen Weekly says the culture is “wonderful” at UT. Says it’s “the best it’s ever been.” — Dustin Dopirak (@TennesseeBeat) February 23, 2016"
"Karen Weekly: The image that’s being displayed of our culture is unfair. And that’s why we are here. — Kelsey Leyrer (@WVLTKelsey) February 23, 2016"
"WBB coach Holly Warlick: if I had a daughter, I wouldn’t hesitate to have her here at Tennessee. This is a special place. — Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) February 23, 2016"
"WSoccer coach Brian Pensky: Our athletics department has been taking a beating for years. It was time for us to step up and say something. — Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) February 23, 2016"
"@UTCoachJones says the team leaders are embarrassed & upset about the perceptions of the culture at @UTKnoxville — MJ Slaby (@mjslaby) February 23, 2016"
According to men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes, the coaches decided to conduct the press conference on their own and weren’t prodded by the athletic department to do so. Whether the public display of unity will do anything to change the current perception of the school remains to be seen, although it was likely a necessary step to help stem the negative recruiting that’s impacting all sports — especially football, which is the sport at the root of most of accusations made by the victims in the lawsuit.
"Jones: “Our competitors are using (the culture perception) against us.”— Dustin Dopirak (@TennesseeBeat) February 23, 2016"
"Jones: We’re being stereotyped here, and I take it personally. We’ve had some kids make tough choices, but we have great character kids.— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) February 23, 2016"
Poll: Tim Tebow voted America's 5th favorite NFL QB, tops Russell Wilson."Jones: “Everything is about the alleged victims. We feel for them. We hurt for them. It starts there first and foremost.”— Dustin Dopirak (@TennesseeBeat) February 23, 2016"
By John Breech
Tim Tebow is really still popular. (Photo/Instagram/Tim Tebow)
In the poll of 410 "self-described NFL fans" taken on Feb. 2 and 3, 7 percent of respondents said that Tebow was their favorite quarterback. That makes the unemployed NFL quarterback more popular than Russell Wilson (6 percent), Eli Manning (6 percent) and Drew Brees (4 percent).
It's probably hard for America to dislike Tebow when he's doing things like hosting 32,000 special needs teenagers at a prom event that spanned the entire globe.
The only quarterbacks who were more popular than Tebow were Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton.
Although Tebow technically isn't in the NFL right now, Public Policy Polling still uses his name "because he's such a lightning rod." It should also be noted that Tebow was on the Eagles preseason roster in 2015.
Although Tebow's pretty popular in America, he also seems to be kind of polarizing. The 28-year-old received 10 percent of the vote in the "least favorite quarterback" category. Only Brady, who's apparently disliked by 29 percent of America, had a higher total than Tebow.
Ben Roethlisberger and Newton also ranked high on the disliked list. The two quarterbacks tied for third behind Tebow and Brady with 9 percent each.
As for Tebow, it's probably a good thing he's not a starting quarterback because once you have a starting job, everyone starts to hate you unless you win and Tebow's proven he can't do that in the NFL.
Wait, that's not true! He had an 8-6 record as a starter. Chip Kelly needs to sign him. Again.
On
1937 - Lou Gehrig did a screen test for the role of Tarzan. Johnny Weissmuller eventually got the part.
1980 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) became the first player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season before the age of 20.
1980 - In Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. hockey team defeated Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games.
1982 - Wayne Gretzky (Edmonton Oilers) scored his 77th goal of the season to break the NHL record of 76 held by Phil Esposito. Gretzky ended up with 92 goals for the season and 212 points. He was the first player to finish a season with more than 200 points.
1987 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, of the Los Angeles Lakers, got his first three-point shot in the NBA.
1993 - Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) scored his 1,000th career point.
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