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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." ~ John C. Maxwell, Author, Speaker and Pastor
Trending: Be careful in writing the Blackhawks off. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: PGA of America pulls plug on Grand Slam. (See the golf section for PGA updates).
Trending: NCAA "March Madness" Tournament, 4 unexpected upsets. (See the college basketball section for NCAA "March Madness" Tournament updates).
Trending: Adam LaRoche retired after the White Sox asked him to limit his son's time with team. (Please see the baseball section for our opinion and What's our Take?)
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks-Winnipeg Jets Preview.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks-Winnipeg Jets Preview.
The rebuilding Winnipeg Jets jumped at the chance to receive a highly touted prospect and first-round pick from Chicago at the trade deadline, even if it meant giving up their captain and helping the Central Division rival Blackhawks in their pursuit of another championship.
That deal and the flurry of other moves haven't had the effect Chicago hoped, though.
Not only are the Blackhawks in the midst of a four-game skid, they'll be without goaltender Corey Crawford on Friday night as Andrew Ladd makes his first return to Winnipeg since the trade.
Contract talks ceased when the Jets (29-36-5) felt they couldn't afford the asking price of Ladd, who will be an unrestricted free agent following the season. Fearing losing him for nothing, Winnipeg struck a deal with Chicago to send Ladd to his former team in exchange for a package that included 21-year-old center Marko Dano.
The Blackhawks (41-24-6) also acquired Tomas Fleischmann, Dale Weise and Christian Ehrhoff in separate deals to help their bid for a second straight Stanley Cup title and fourth in seven seasons.
Ladd has two goals and two assists in eight games with Chicago, but it has gone 3-4-1 in that stretch while dropping to third place in the Central. The Blackhawks have been outscored 16-6 during their losing streak after falling 3-2 to Philadelphia on Wednesday.
"We're headed into a stretch here where we've got 11 games left and we've lost four in a row," said Patrick Kane, who had an assist to give him an NHL-leading 90 points. "Obviously, not the stretch we want. I don't want to say it's panic time, but at the same time we have to shore things up before playoffs come into play here."
Kane and Jonathan Toews scored in a 2-0 victory over the Jets in the last meeting Dec. 11, when Crawford stopped 25 shots for one of his league-high seven shutouts. It seemed coach Joel Quenneville simply gave Crawford the night off against the Flyers, but the club revealed Thursday that Crawford is dealing with an upper-body injury and won't make the trip to Winnipeg.
Scott Darling will get his second straight start in place of Crawford, who is considered day to day.
''We've got to get back to playing our kind of hockey,'' defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "This last stretch here, we've got to get some points to be where we want to be.''
Ladd scored the game-winner in Winnipeg's 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Oct. 29 and returns to the place he spent 4 1/2 seasons. He also spent a year with the organization in Atlanta when Chicago traded Ladd to the Thrashers after helping the Blackhawks win the 2010 Stanley Cup.
Dano has made a solid early impression with his new club, posting three goals and two assists over his last five. He had one of each in 13 games with Chicago after coming over in the offseason trade that sent Brandon Saad to Columbus.
The Jets failed again to win three straight for the first time all season when they allowed three first-period goals in Wednesday's 4-1 loss at Calgary.
"It's a challenge, mentally, to stay in what you believe in," winger Blake Wheeler said. "But we believe that doing that is going to pay off in the not-too-distant future."
Ondrej Pavelec has lost all six of his starts against Chicago with a 4.50 goals-against average. Coach Paul Maurice instead could go with Michael Hutchinson, who is 4-1-1 with a 1.33 GAA against the Blackhawks.
Be careful in writing the Blackhawks off.
Tracey Myers
That deal and the flurry of other moves haven't had the effect Chicago hoped, though.
Not only are the Blackhawks in the midst of a four-game skid, they'll be without goaltender Corey Crawford on Friday night as Andrew Ladd makes his first return to Winnipeg since the trade.
Contract talks ceased when the Jets (29-36-5) felt they couldn't afford the asking price of Ladd, who will be an unrestricted free agent following the season. Fearing losing him for nothing, Winnipeg struck a deal with Chicago to send Ladd to his former team in exchange for a package that included 21-year-old center Marko Dano.
The Blackhawks (41-24-6) also acquired Tomas Fleischmann, Dale Weise and Christian Ehrhoff in separate deals to help their bid for a second straight Stanley Cup title and fourth in seven seasons.
Ladd has two goals and two assists in eight games with Chicago, but it has gone 3-4-1 in that stretch while dropping to third place in the Central. The Blackhawks have been outscored 16-6 during their losing streak after falling 3-2 to Philadelphia on Wednesday.
"We're headed into a stretch here where we've got 11 games left and we've lost four in a row," said Patrick Kane, who had an assist to give him an NHL-leading 90 points. "Obviously, not the stretch we want. I don't want to say it's panic time, but at the same time we have to shore things up before playoffs come into play here."
Kane and Jonathan Toews scored in a 2-0 victory over the Jets in the last meeting Dec. 11, when Crawford stopped 25 shots for one of his league-high seven shutouts. It seemed coach Joel Quenneville simply gave Crawford the night off against the Flyers, but the club revealed Thursday that Crawford is dealing with an upper-body injury and won't make the trip to Winnipeg.
Scott Darling will get his second straight start in place of Crawford, who is considered day to day.
''We've got to get back to playing our kind of hockey,'' defenseman Brent Seabrook said. "This last stretch here, we've got to get some points to be where we want to be.''
Ladd scored the game-winner in Winnipeg's 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Oct. 29 and returns to the place he spent 4 1/2 seasons. He also spent a year with the organization in Atlanta when Chicago traded Ladd to the Thrashers after helping the Blackhawks win the 2010 Stanley Cup.
Dano has made a solid early impression with his new club, posting three goals and two assists over his last five. He had one of each in 13 games with Chicago after coming over in the offseason trade that sent Brandon Saad to Columbus.
The Jets failed again to win three straight for the first time all season when they allowed three first-period goals in Wednesday's 4-1 loss at Calgary.
"It's a challenge, mentally, to stay in what you believe in," winger Blake Wheeler said. "But we believe that doing that is going to pay off in the not-too-distant future."
Ondrej Pavelec has lost all six of his starts against Chicago with a 4.50 goals-against average. Coach Paul Maurice instead could go with Michael Hutchinson, who is 4-1-1 with a 1.33 GAA against the Blackhawks.
Be careful in writing the Blackhawks off.
Tracey Myers
“I’ve seen this movie before…”
I love the aforementioned phrase and I use it often – not so much on Twitter, but more in real life. You know the gist of it: You think you know how a situation is going to unfold based on the story you’ve seen thus far. But just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, there’s a twist, leading to an ending you didn’t think would occur.
When I use that phrase, it’s usually when someone asks or talks to me about the Blackhawks. “They’re down by too much.” “They don’t have it this season.” “This team won’t get out of the first round.” Heard that last one quite a bit last spring. My response to most of that is, yes, “I’ve seen this movie before…”
The Blackhawks haven’t looked good lately. They suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Wednesday, a 3-2 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. They’ve been inconsistent since completing their franchise-best, 12-game winning streak. The problems have been the same: They’re giving up too many goals on one end and not scoring enough on the other. The lines have been inconsistent, as has the defense. Coach Joel Quenneville has tried a myriad of combinations to try and stoke both. Corey Crawford, so great through most of his season, has had more bloated numbers in recent starts. Whether it’s because Crawford is just struggling or he’s worn down – he is currently day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not go to Winnipeg – remains to be seen.
But in each season/lengthy postseason, the Blackhawks have had concerns.
In 2013, they were down 3-1 to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals. Most had them done – I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find the half-completed “eulogy” I had written after that Game 4 loss.
Last season, the Blackhawks had line consistency issues until they hit upon the Kris Versteeg-Brad Richards-Patrick Kane combination in November/December. They lost four straight heading into the postseason. Losing Michal Rozsival after the second round was supposed to be their undoing. So were the Anaheim Ducks.
You get the point.
The Blackhawks have succeeded in the postseason for various reasons. They’ve clicked at the right time. They’ve relied on core players to push them through – please see Jonathan Toews vs. the Ducks, Game 7 – and they’ve maintained mental toughness. That last one is particularly important. Mental toughness is an underrated necessity in the playoffs, when players have to get past the physical grind, and as of now only the Los Angeles Kings match the Blackhawks in that category.
I’m not saying the Blackhawks will win the Cup this season. They could very well come up short. It’s a pretty damn hard trophy to win once let alone three times in the past six seasons as the Blackhawks have done. There’s also a reason no team has repeated for nearly 20 years – again, it’s pretty hard to do so, even when problems are at a minimum.
But the bottom line is this: the Blackhawks have usually found ways, even when it seemed they were done.
The Blackhawks have issues right now, ones they have to correct sooner rather than later, or it will be a short postseason. There’s no denying that. But even with what’s happening at the moment, be very careful about writing an ending you think is supposedly obvious.
I have seen this movie before. So have you.
Blackhawks take away positives despite fourth straight loss to Flyers. (Wednesday night's game, 03/16/2016).
By Tracey Myers
There were positives this time, things that coach Joel Quenneville liked that he couldn’t say in some of the Blackhawks’ previous few games.
“It’s been going against us,” he said. “But I look back over the last four games, this was our best of the four.”
Still, for any good things that came out of Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, one bad thing was the same: another loss.
Marian Hossa scored the 497th goal of his career but Radko Gudas had the winner as the Flyers beat the Blackhawks 3-2 at the United Center. The Blackhawks lost their fourth consecutive game and remain in third place in the Central Division. The Dallas Stars remain in first at the moment with 91 points while the St. Louis Blues also remain in second with 91 points following their loss to the Edmonton Oilers late Wednesday night.
Michal Neuvirth stopped 24 of 26 shots in the victory. Patrick Kane hit the 90-point mark for the first time in his career.
The Blackhawks looked better in some instances – they certainly looked better in this one than they did in the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-0 drubbing of them on Monday. But the bottom line is, the Blackhawks are still giving away critical points.
“It’s tough,” Brent Seabrook said. “We had our chances. We had some looks, we gave up some chances, but I think for the most part we played better than we did the other night, that’s for sure. It’s something we can build off, but we’ve got to start getting points here."
The Blackhawks got off to the desired start, with Hossa’s short-handed goal giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead about eight minutes into this one. Then they got a big break when, seven seconds after Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s high-sticking penalty, Chris VandeVelde was called for delay of game. The Blackhawks had 1:53 of 5-on-3. But that ended much like their night did: with nothing.
“It’s an area that’s been good for us this year. We had a couple of chances but nothing like we’d like to create with a full two minutes,” Kane said. “We had to chase the puck a couple of times and didn’t really get set up the way we wanted. So disappointed not to cash in.”
The Flyers scored on their late first-period power play to tie it. Still, the Blackhawks took another lead, this time on Jonathan Toews’ 25th goal of the season. But it wouldn’t last as Brayden Schenn, off a great pass from Claude Giroux on an odd-man rush, helped the Flyers tie it 2-2. Gudas had the winner midway through the third.
The Blackhawks can take more positives out of this one than in their previous games. The end result, however, isn’t changing. Neither is their place in the Central.
“We’re headed into a stretch here where we’ve got 11 games left and we’ve lost four in a row. Obviously not the stretch we want,” Kane said. “I don’t want to say it’s panic time but at the same time, we have shore things up before playoffs come into play here. We have 11 games to do that. We need to start playing the right way now. You could say tonight was a step in the right direction to do that. Still didn’t find a way to win, so not good enough.”
Blackhawks: Corey Crawford out with injury; Michael Leighton recalled.
By C. Roumeliotis
The Blackhawks announced that goaltender Corey Crawford will not travel to Winnipeg for their tilt against the Jets on Friday at 7 p.m. on CSN due to an upper-body injury. He's listed as day-to-day.
Due to Crawford's injury, Michael Leighton has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
In 46 starts with Rockford this season, Leighton, 34, is 28-8-8 with a 2.44 goals against average and .918 save percentage. Earlier in March, he set the AHL record by recording his 46th career shutout.
Leighton owns a 35-41-14 record with a 2.97 goals against average and .901 save percentage in 105 career NHL games. He's also 8-4 in 16 postseason contests. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in the sixth round (165th overall) of the 1999 NHL Draft.
Crawford is having his best season as a pro, carrying a 35-18-4 record with a 2.32 goals against average and .926 save percentage, which ranks fourth among goaltenders. His 35 wins is a new career-high and ranks second in the league this season, trailing only Washington's Braden Holtby (42).
Crawford also has seven shutouts this year, two more than the second-best goaltender, and is expected to be a Vezina Trophy finalist as the league's top goaltender.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls weather storm from Nets, climb back over .500.
I love the aforementioned phrase and I use it often – not so much on Twitter, but more in real life. You know the gist of it: You think you know how a situation is going to unfold based on the story you’ve seen thus far. But just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, there’s a twist, leading to an ending you didn’t think would occur.
When I use that phrase, it’s usually when someone asks or talks to me about the Blackhawks. “They’re down by too much.” “They don’t have it this season.” “This team won’t get out of the first round.” Heard that last one quite a bit last spring. My response to most of that is, yes, “I’ve seen this movie before…”
The Blackhawks haven’t looked good lately. They suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Wednesday, a 3-2 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. They’ve been inconsistent since completing their franchise-best, 12-game winning streak. The problems have been the same: They’re giving up too many goals on one end and not scoring enough on the other. The lines have been inconsistent, as has the defense. Coach Joel Quenneville has tried a myriad of combinations to try and stoke both. Corey Crawford, so great through most of his season, has had more bloated numbers in recent starts. Whether it’s because Crawford is just struggling or he’s worn down – he is currently day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will not go to Winnipeg – remains to be seen.
But in each season/lengthy postseason, the Blackhawks have had concerns.
In 2013, they were down 3-1 to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals. Most had them done – I’m sure if I looked hard enough, I could find the half-completed “eulogy” I had written after that Game 4 loss.
Last season, the Blackhawks had line consistency issues until they hit upon the Kris Versteeg-Brad Richards-Patrick Kane combination in November/December. They lost four straight heading into the postseason. Losing Michal Rozsival after the second round was supposed to be their undoing. So were the Anaheim Ducks.
You get the point.
The Blackhawks have succeeded in the postseason for various reasons. They’ve clicked at the right time. They’ve relied on core players to push them through – please see Jonathan Toews vs. the Ducks, Game 7 – and they’ve maintained mental toughness. That last one is particularly important. Mental toughness is an underrated necessity in the playoffs, when players have to get past the physical grind, and as of now only the Los Angeles Kings match the Blackhawks in that category.
I’m not saying the Blackhawks will win the Cup this season. They could very well come up short. It’s a pretty damn hard trophy to win once let alone three times in the past six seasons as the Blackhawks have done. There’s also a reason no team has repeated for nearly 20 years – again, it’s pretty hard to do so, even when problems are at a minimum.
But the bottom line is this: the Blackhawks have usually found ways, even when it seemed they were done.
The Blackhawks have issues right now, ones they have to correct sooner rather than later, or it will be a short postseason. There’s no denying that. But even with what’s happening at the moment, be very careful about writing an ending you think is supposedly obvious.
I have seen this movie before. So have you.
Blackhawks take away positives despite fourth straight loss to Flyers. (Wednesday night's game, 03/16/2016).
By Tracey Myers
There were positives this time, things that coach Joel Quenneville liked that he couldn’t say in some of the Blackhawks’ previous few games.
“It’s been going against us,” he said. “But I look back over the last four games, this was our best of the four.”
Still, for any good things that came out of Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, one bad thing was the same: another loss.
Marian Hossa scored the 497th goal of his career but Radko Gudas had the winner as the Flyers beat the Blackhawks 3-2 at the United Center. The Blackhawks lost their fourth consecutive game and remain in third place in the Central Division. The Dallas Stars remain in first at the moment with 91 points while the St. Louis Blues also remain in second with 91 points following their loss to the Edmonton Oilers late Wednesday night.
Michal Neuvirth stopped 24 of 26 shots in the victory. Patrick Kane hit the 90-point mark for the first time in his career.
The Blackhawks looked better in some instances – they certainly looked better in this one than they did in the Los Angeles Kings’ 5-0 drubbing of them on Monday. But the bottom line is, the Blackhawks are still giving away critical points.
“It’s tough,” Brent Seabrook said. “We had our chances. We had some looks, we gave up some chances, but I think for the most part we played better than we did the other night, that’s for sure. It’s something we can build off, but we’ve got to start getting points here."
The Blackhawks got off to the desired start, with Hossa’s short-handed goal giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead about eight minutes into this one. Then they got a big break when, seven seconds after Pierre-Edouard Bellemare’s high-sticking penalty, Chris VandeVelde was called for delay of game. The Blackhawks had 1:53 of 5-on-3. But that ended much like their night did: with nothing.
“It’s an area that’s been good for us this year. We had a couple of chances but nothing like we’d like to create with a full two minutes,” Kane said. “We had to chase the puck a couple of times and didn’t really get set up the way we wanted. So disappointed not to cash in.”
The Flyers scored on their late first-period power play to tie it. Still, the Blackhawks took another lead, this time on Jonathan Toews’ 25th goal of the season. But it wouldn’t last as Brayden Schenn, off a great pass from Claude Giroux on an odd-man rush, helped the Flyers tie it 2-2. Gudas had the winner midway through the third.
The Blackhawks can take more positives out of this one than in their previous games. The end result, however, isn’t changing. Neither is their place in the Central.
“We’re headed into a stretch here where we’ve got 11 games left and we’ve lost four in a row. Obviously not the stretch we want,” Kane said. “I don’t want to say it’s panic time but at the same time, we have shore things up before playoffs come into play here. We have 11 games to do that. We need to start playing the right way now. You could say tonight was a step in the right direction to do that. Still didn’t find a way to win, so not good enough.”
Blackhawks: Corey Crawford out with injury; Michael Leighton recalled.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Due to Crawford's injury, Michael Leighton has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.
In 46 starts with Rockford this season, Leighton, 34, is 28-8-8 with a 2.44 goals against average and .918 save percentage. Earlier in March, he set the AHL record by recording his 46th career shutout.
Leighton owns a 35-41-14 record with a 2.97 goals against average and .901 save percentage in 105 career NHL games. He's also 8-4 in 16 postseason contests. He was drafted by the Blackhawks in the sixth round (165th overall) of the 1999 NHL Draft.
Crawford is having his best season as a pro, carrying a 35-18-4 record with a 2.32 goals against average and .926 save percentage, which ranks fourth among goaltenders. His 35 wins is a new career-high and ranks second in the league this season, trailing only Washington's Braden Holtby (42).
Crawford also has seven shutouts this year, two more than the second-best goaltender, and is expected to be a Vezina Trophy finalist as the league's top goaltender.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Bulls weather storm from Nets, climb back over .500.
By Vincent Goodwill
It was a reprieve for 24 minutes, a slight deviation from the dangerous reality the Bulls find themselves in to date.
Then they were snapped back rudely by one of the worst teams in the NBA, a team so nondescript the team’s their starters are a combination of “Who?” and “He’s still in the NBA?”.
It wasn’t decided for sure until the last five minutes, when Doug McDermott hit a 9-1-1 Emergency triple followed by Derrick Rose doing the same thing to give the Bulls a 13-point lead over the Brooklyn Nets with three minutes remaining.
It closed the door on a Nets run and led to an 118-102 win at the United Center, yet another game where the Bulls were staring down the barrel of falling under .500 and this harder-than-it-should’ve-been win put them a half game up on the Detroit Pistons for the final playoff spot in the East.
Ugly as it may have been, equaled by the amount of “scary”, it’s a win.
“I thought we had good focus early on, defended well,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We lost it for a little but we did get it back.”
Not to be outdone by the schedule, the Nets will make a donation to the Pistons on Saturday night in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
It wasn’t before they put a genuine scare into the Bulls, who might not have won without McDermott’s 25 points in 29 minutes, as he hit five of the Bulls’ 10 triples.
“We needed it big time, we came off a tough loss in D.C.,” McDermott said. “We got off to a good start, had a big lead. I feel real comfortable out there. I got it going early, which always helps.”
Three straight games with 20 or more, his performances are coming at the most critical of times, especially with Pau Gasol out at least for the next game and possibly next two.
“His confidence is at a very high level right now,” Hoiberg said. “He’s finding good shots and taking him. They’re really hugging him at the half court so if he can free himself up in transition, he can get a good shot.”
Then they were snapped back rudely by one of the worst teams in the NBA, a team so nondescript the team’s their starters are a combination of “Who?” and “He’s still in the NBA?”.
It wasn’t decided for sure until the last five minutes, when Doug McDermott hit a 9-1-1 Emergency triple followed by Derrick Rose doing the same thing to give the Bulls a 13-point lead over the Brooklyn Nets with three minutes remaining.
It closed the door on a Nets run and led to an 118-102 win at the United Center, yet another game where the Bulls were staring down the barrel of falling under .500 and this harder-than-it-should’ve-been win put them a half game up on the Detroit Pistons for the final playoff spot in the East.
Ugly as it may have been, equaled by the amount of “scary”, it’s a win.
“I thought we had good focus early on, defended well,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We lost it for a little but we did get it back.”
Not to be outdone by the schedule, the Nets will make a donation to the Pistons on Saturday night in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
It wasn’t before they put a genuine scare into the Bulls, who might not have won without McDermott’s 25 points in 29 minutes, as he hit five of the Bulls’ 10 triples.
“We needed it big time, we came off a tough loss in D.C.,” McDermott said. “We got off to a good start, had a big lead. I feel real comfortable out there. I got it going early, which always helps.”
Three straight games with 20 or more, his performances are coming at the most critical of times, especially with Pau Gasol out at least for the next game and possibly next two.
“His confidence is at a very high level right now,” Hoiberg said. “He’s finding good shots and taking him. They’re really hugging him at the half court so if he can free himself up in transition, he can get a good shot.”
It helped build a 24-point lead in the first half, as the Bulls were buoyed by the presence of Taj Gibson, a man who didn’t seem likely to play after pulling his hamstring 24 hours ago in Washington D.C.
“If you can go, then you go,” Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said. “If you can’t, you can’t. Taj was like, ‘Yo, I’m going’. You respect him for it.”
Gibson was a game-time decision but played 27 minutes and scored 12 with six rebounds while defending Brook Lopez and keeping him out of comfort zones, along with help from Cristiano Felecio, who played 20 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Lopez only mustered nine points and three rebounds in 31 minutes. Had he gotten going, it would’ve been an even scarier situation.
“I thought Bobby (Portis) and Cris were key,” Hoiberg said. “I thought our whole bench gave us a lot all night.”
Portis had some miscues but played with extreme energy and scored 12 points with 14 rebounds. Butler scored 22 with seven assists and Rose, who wasn’t aggressive most of the night, had 12 with five assists in 29 minutes.
The Nets made it interesting, with a 37-point third quarter that brought back all the Bulls’ demons—demons that have come to life and are no longer a talking point. Open shots, open layups and more than anything, a new lease on life.
“Obviously we want to have good habits and that third quarter, we can learn from it,” Hoiberg said. “I thought we had pretty good urgency. You give a team rhythm like that, then they get comfortable. Some of the shots they were hitting was tough shots. It was because of us.”
They allowed the Nets to have confidence and it carried through the entire second half. Critical plays from the Bulls were countered by a carefree style, a team with no expectations and nothing to lose.
Point guard Donald Sloan scored 11 in the period, being joined by Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 11 of his 26 as the Nets shot 64 percent for those 12 minutes.
“We won, man. We just wanted to win the quarter,” Butler said. “We’re not supposed to give up that many points in a quarter.”
Meanwhile, that pressure continues to mount on the Bulls and it showed, as they allowed themselves a moment to breathe—with this team, they don’t have that luxury.
Their third-quarter output equaled what they accomplished in 24 minutes and cut it to single digits by the fourth, coming to within five early in the period and hanging around like a nuisance until the Bulls got serious—or the Nets simply ran out of pro talent.
Thaddeus Young had 16 with 14 rebounds, but the Bulls keeping Lopez in check, it led to a win that was a wee bit tougher than it should’ve been.
John Wall has a triple-double as Wizards embarrass Bulls in D.C. (Wednesday night's game, 03/16/2016).
By Vincent Goodwill
Derrick Rose’s inbounds pass resulted in a give-and-go with Mike Dunleavy, but both Rose and Dunleavy were missing the crucial part of the unintended play — Rose getting his feet back inbounds.
Just when you think the Bulls are close to getting their feet back on solid ground, boom, John Wall embarrasses you with a triple-double performance.
Just when you think the Bulls are getting back to some form of relative health, boom, Taj Gibson grabs his already-tight right hamstring and heads to the locker room after gamely playing on it, missing the second half.
It wasn’t a contest for most of the night because the Bulls failed to contest anything the Washington Wizards did in the Wizards’ 117-96 win at the Verizon Center, as the Wizards surged to within 1 1/2 games of the eighth spot in the East currently occupied by the Bulls.
The Wizards put a 40-point whipping on the other team tied for eighth, the Detroit Pistons, two nights earlier.
Clearly surging and playing at a different pace and speed was Wall, as you wonder if the Bulls were looking ahead to a four-game home-stand starting Thursday night at the United Center.
If they were, Wall’s blur-like speed sent the Bulls back home, heads spinning. His eyes forced a cheating-over defense to leave shooters open on skip passes, leading to the Wizards hitting 13 triples at a 62-percent clip.
“It was an all-out sprint. Show a wall to Wall,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “And we didn’t do it. It’s a concerted effort to get back.”
Reserve Garrett Temple hit five of them and was perfect in the first half as the Wizards led by 11. Wall himself, a notoriously bad 3-point shooter, hit two of his own, and Otto Porter had three triples.
“It’s disappointing going into this game, the biggest key if you want to win this game is getting back into transition,” Hoiberg said. “It’s all we talked about.
“We didn’t get back, didn’t execute, and they got it right down our throats. Got right to the rim or spread it out for open shots. That was the game.”
Wall was at a different level, chasing down Jimmy Butler for a block on a fast break, hitting outside jumpers and despite his eight turnovers tattooing his name on the game, being a plus-38 while on the floor.
And it didn’t help that the Bulls had turnover issues with 16 and issues altogether, as they shot under 40 percent and couldn’t do much right from the jump.
There was a little hope after a super-slow start, as the Bulls looked to restore order.
Rose’s drives in his first game back and some crisp execution resulted in a couple triples for Doug McDermott, as the Bulls took a 39-38 lead. It stretched to 43-38 on a Justin Holiday layup before it began to dramatically turn, predictably.
“We knew it was coming. That was a point of emphasis Fred stressed to us before the game,” said McDermott, who led the Bulls with 20. “We weren’t able to execute. That's on us, not on him.”
It went downhill from there, as the Wizards erased the lead two minutes later and stretched it to 13 before halftime. It became evident Pau Gasol was a valuable piece as easy perimeter shots weren’t easy to find and those precious backdoor cuts he created with McDermott and Butler weren’t available.
Rose and Butler weren’t able to piece together consistent offense, making it easier for the Wizards’ defense to camp out in the lane and shut down minute driving lanes.
Butler shot 4-for-12 and Rose 7-for-19.
“I’m terrible,” Butler said. “I can’t make a shot as you can see, but it will come. I don’t expect it to right away, but I need it to come sooner rather than later. That’s why I’m here.”
A lot of stagnant offense was the prevalent action, and the Wizards easily ran away.
“It hurts (McDermott) more than anything,” said Hoiberg of the lack of ball movement. “A team like this, the pressures, you miss Pau. He had a triple-double the last time we played. Gotta play through the elbows.”
Cristiano Felecio and Bobby Portis had to play big minutes when Gibson went out in the second quarter after clutching his right hamstring, clearly ill-equipped to handle the physicality of Nene and the end-to-end speed of Wall.
“The guys that come in have to do their job,” Rose said. “We know that we want to be in the playoffs, and we have to take it one game at a time. Find ways to manipulate the game.”
They can’t manipulate the standings or the lack of healthy bodies in suits or away from the team — as the Wizards are yet another team breathing down their necks.
By John Mullin
When it was agreed early last season by both sides that defensive end Jared Allen was not working out in the Bears’ new 3-4 defensive scheme, the Bears worked with his agent to find an agreeable alternative, which turned out to be a trade to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-round draft choice.
Last offseason the Bears were content to grant Brandon Marshall his ticket to New York and its NFL media opportunities, dealing the wide receiver and a seventh-round pick to the New York Jets for a fifth-round selection.
Now the Bears have granted another starter an exit visa, dealing unhappy 2014 Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett along with a sixth-round pick (No. 204) to the New England Patriots in return for a fourth-round selection (No. 127) in the 2016 NFL Draft. The sixth-rounder is the one the Bears received from the Patriots in return for linebacker Jon Bostic last season.
“We will continue to pursue all avenues to make our team better as we prepare for the 2016 season,” General manager Ryan Pace said. “In a perfect world a trade is a win-win for both sides and we believe there is upside to all parties involved in this deal. We were able to acquire a higher pick to help us continue to build our team. We wish Martellus nothing but the best as he continues his career in New England.”
The trade nets the Bears a pick in the same round where they have selected players such as Alex Brown, Ka’Deem Carey, Jeremy Langford, Henry Melton, Kyle Orton and Nathan Vasher over the past 15 years.
It also gives the Bears something for a player that Pace had given permission to seek a trade, a step that typically signals to the league that the player will be released if no deal is forthcoming. It also follows the Bears reaching an agreement with Zach Miller on a two-year deal that potentially addresses some of the pass-catching firepower at the position.
The problem is that Bennett, when motivated, was one of the better all-around tight ends in the NFL, with enough size and speed to be a three-down tight end and not merely restricted to situational use.
Bennett, who caught 65 passes in 2013 and 90 in 2014 before missing four games and finishing with 53 last season, has had his scrapes during his Bears tenure. He was suspended for a week and fined in 2014 after throwing rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller to the ground using Fuller’s facemask during a fight in practice. He stayed away for the entire offseason program last year in an effort to get a contract renegotiation following his 90-catch 2014 despite having two years remaining on the four-year deal, $20 million deal he reached with the Bears in 2013.
Bennett, due to make $5.185 million in 2016, including a $100,000 workout bonus, was unhappy with the tilt of the offense in the red zone toward Miller as 2015 played out and became a distraction in practice prior to the Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers. He was placed on the inactive list for that game, surprising for a player who hadn’t missed a game in more than three seasons and who was back on the field the following game against the San Francisco 49ers.
A rib injury landed Bennett on injured reserve for the final three games, the first time in his eight-year career that he’d missed more than two games in an entire season.
Despite the glitches, Bennett finished tied for ninth among tight ends with his 53 catches in 2015.
For Shea McClellin, Patriots set up as nice end to rough Bears time.
By John Mullin
Shea McClellin did not have a lot of fun times as a member of the Bears, and little of it was any direct fault of his own.
McClellin was the 19th pick of the 2012 draft, an all-around standout at Boise State who was immediately slotted as a hand-on-the-ground defensive end and assigned to rush the passer.
It never worked. Then-GM Phil Emery, who made the draft selection, admitted after two seasons that trying to fit McClellin in as a pure defensive end that the force-fit was a mistake. Unfortunately for McClellin, who arrived with all the usual expectations assigned to any first-round draft pick, he was never able to play his way into the hearts of fans.
“I think as a rookie coming in, it’s hard to feel accepted,” McClellin told CSNChicago.com. “You have to earn it and I didn’t really feel like I did overall. So it was tough, difficult. But for the most part, the guys around the Bears organization are great guys. I’ve heard stories about other teams where it was a lot worse. So I’m glad I landed [in Chicago], of all places.”
In a touch of roster irony, McClellin arrives in New England just as Chandler Jones leaves for the Arizona Cardinals — the player that many around the league were surprised that Emery passed over in favor of McClellin.
McClellin was moved to strong-side linebacker in 2014, which produced only marginal improvement on a defense that was a collective two-year catastrophe.
Last offseason the Bears were content to grant Brandon Marshall his ticket to New York and its NFL media opportunities, dealing the wide receiver and a seventh-round pick to the New York Jets for a fifth-round selection.
Now the Bears have granted another starter an exit visa, dealing unhappy 2014 Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett along with a sixth-round pick (No. 204) to the New England Patriots in return for a fourth-round selection (No. 127) in the 2016 NFL Draft. The sixth-rounder is the one the Bears received from the Patriots in return for linebacker Jon Bostic last season.
“We will continue to pursue all avenues to make our team better as we prepare for the 2016 season,” General manager Ryan Pace said. “In a perfect world a trade is a win-win for both sides and we believe there is upside to all parties involved in this deal. We were able to acquire a higher pick to help us continue to build our team. We wish Martellus nothing but the best as he continues his career in New England.”
The trade nets the Bears a pick in the same round where they have selected players such as Alex Brown, Ka’Deem Carey, Jeremy Langford, Henry Melton, Kyle Orton and Nathan Vasher over the past 15 years.
It also gives the Bears something for a player that Pace had given permission to seek a trade, a step that typically signals to the league that the player will be released if no deal is forthcoming. It also follows the Bears reaching an agreement with Zach Miller on a two-year deal that potentially addresses some of the pass-catching firepower at the position.
The problem is that Bennett, when motivated, was one of the better all-around tight ends in the NFL, with enough size and speed to be a three-down tight end and not merely restricted to situational use.
Bennett, who caught 65 passes in 2013 and 90 in 2014 before missing four games and finishing with 53 last season, has had his scrapes during his Bears tenure. He was suspended for a week and fined in 2014 after throwing rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller to the ground using Fuller’s facemask during a fight in practice. He stayed away for the entire offseason program last year in an effort to get a contract renegotiation following his 90-catch 2014 despite having two years remaining on the four-year deal, $20 million deal he reached with the Bears in 2013.
Bennett, due to make $5.185 million in 2016, including a $100,000 workout bonus, was unhappy with the tilt of the offense in the red zone toward Miller as 2015 played out and became a distraction in practice prior to the Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers. He was placed on the inactive list for that game, surprising for a player who hadn’t missed a game in more than three seasons and who was back on the field the following game against the San Francisco 49ers.
A rib injury landed Bennett on injured reserve for the final three games, the first time in his eight-year career that he’d missed more than two games in an entire season.
Despite the glitches, Bennett finished tied for ninth among tight ends with his 53 catches in 2015.
For Shea McClellin, Patriots set up as nice end to rough Bears time.
By John Mullin
Shea McClellin did not have a lot of fun times as a member of the Bears, and little of it was any direct fault of his own.
McClellin was the 19th pick of the 2012 draft, an all-around standout at Boise State who was immediately slotted as a hand-on-the-ground defensive end and assigned to rush the passer.
It never worked. Then-GM Phil Emery, who made the draft selection, admitted after two seasons that trying to fit McClellin in as a pure defensive end that the force-fit was a mistake. Unfortunately for McClellin, who arrived with all the usual expectations assigned to any first-round draft pick, he was never able to play his way into the hearts of fans.
“I think as a rookie coming in, it’s hard to feel accepted,” McClellin told CSNChicago.com. “You have to earn it and I didn’t really feel like I did overall. So it was tough, difficult. But for the most part, the guys around the Bears organization are great guys. I’ve heard stories about other teams where it was a lot worse. So I’m glad I landed [in Chicago], of all places.”
In a touch of roster irony, McClellin arrives in New England just as Chandler Jones leaves for the Arizona Cardinals — the player that many around the league were surprised that Emery passed over in favor of McClellin.
McClellin was moved to strong-side linebacker in 2014, which produced only marginal improvement on a defense that was a collective two-year catastrophe.
But last year marked something of a career recovery as McClellin was moved to inside linebacker in the new 3-4 scheme installed by coach John Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio. The latter was consistent in his assessment that McClellin was a positive element in the defense, handling most of the defensive signal-calling and the assignments that went with that.
Earlier this offseason GM Ryan Pace stated that the Bears still considered McClellin’s arrow as pointing up. But the Bears made inside linebackers Jerrell Freeman from the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos' Danny Trevathan two of their first three free-agent pickups and McClellin’s future was clearly no longer in Chicago.
“I kind of wished I could’ve played ‘Mike’ [linebacker] from the start because I could’ve learned from Brian Urlacher coming in,” McClellin said. “That would’ve been a lot of help.”
Cubs might be giving sneak preview of Opening Day lineup.
The Lineup is an evolving concept for Joe Maddon, a manager who will run numbers and play matchups with a Cubs roster that seemingly has unlimited possibilities. But this might be a rough outline for what you’ll see on Opening Day:
1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Ben Zobrist, 2B
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
5. Kris Bryant, 3B
6. Kyle Schwarber, C
7. Jorge Soler, LF
8. Addison Russell, SS
9. Jason Hammel, P
At least that’s how Cubs instructor/ESPN broadcaster Rick Sutcliffe framed it Wednesday on Twitter (before it was released to the Chicago media):
1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. Jason Heyward, RF
3. Ben Zobrist, 2B
4. Anthony Rizzo, 1B
5. Kris Bryant, 3B
6. Kyle Schwarber, C
7. Jorge Soler, LF
8. Addison Russell, SS
9. Jason Hammel, P
At least that’s how Cubs instructor/ESPN broadcaster Rick Sutcliffe framed it Wednesday on Twitter (before it was released to the Chicago media):
"Bell is about to ring for 2016 @MLB season! Just saw @Cubs lineup for our @espn game tomorrow! It could be their Opening Day lineup!"
Heyward essentially told the same thing to a reporter with the Associated Press, that Thursday night’s lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Sloan Park in Mesa will be sort of a sneak preview.
Obviously, Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta will face the Los Angeles Angels on April 4 and the Cubs will need a designated hitter in an American League ballpark. Maddon also downplayed the idea of showing off his A-team on St. Patrick’s Day for a national audience.
“It’s spring training,” Maddon said. “It’s March 17th. Everybody’s still getting ready.”
But it probably gives some insight into what the Cubs are thinking now. If Schwarber, as a catcher/outfielder, is going to focus on working with one pitcher, it might be Hammel. And Maddon could bump Russell up to the seventh or eighth spot after consulting with the analytics department.
“The geeks got back to me,” Maddon said. “I got some really good information. I’m looking at that stuff right now. It is (still under evaluation). It could be versus righties and versus lefties having something to do with that.
“I’ll say I’ll probably lean (toward) the pitcher hitting ninth this year, more than we did eighth last year. A lot of that had to do with the development of Addison. It’s a different animal this year, so you may see the pitcher hit ninth.”
Dale Sveum's takeaways after Royals beat Mets team that shut down Cubs.
By Patrick Mooney
Dale Sveum has been in this game long enough to know how it works.
When the Cubs fired Sveum after 96 losses in 2013, the story became about his tough-love approach being too tough, some personality quirks and how the manager’s hitting philosophy clashed with Theo Epstein’s front office.
When the Kansas City Royals won the World Series last year, the narrative shifted into Sveum being the common-sense hitting coach who helped a young core of players grow up and figure out how to beat the New York Mets team that shut down the Cubs in the playoffs.
Sveum never converted to Small Ball or pretended he had a super-secret blueprint to attack Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and the power pitching that swept the Cubs out of the National League Championship Series.
Sveum’s low-key news conferences and brutal honesty didn’t always play well with his bosses and players in Chicago. But he’s always been willing to answer direct questions and explain big-picture concepts in detail.
— “It comes (down) to personnel,” Sveum said Wednesday before Kansas City rolled to a 10-0 Cactus League win over the Cubs at Surprise Stadium. “It’s not like ‘The Royals Way’ of hitting.
“Eight years from now, we could have different personnel where we’re going to have to take another track. But because of our ballpark, because of our (hitting profiles), we have to really concentrate on putting the ball in play and being good in 3-2 counts. We’re not going to walk much.
“We do have the hand-eye coordination where we do put the ball in play. We’re not going to hit home runs. We’re just not going to do that at our ballpark. Yeah, you put our team in Houston or Miller Park or Wrigley on nice days ... we’d hit 160, maybe 200 home runs. But in our park, we know that we have to do things. We have to get the line moving.”
— The Cubs understand they will never become the Royals, but they hoped to change their offensive identity by investing $240 million in Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist this offseason.
The Cubs tried to trade for Zobrist last summer but didn’t have the kind of blue-chip pitching prospect (Sean Manaea) the Oakland A’s wanted. Zobrist became a trade-deadline difference-maker, hitting .303 with an .880 OPS during Kansas City’s magical playoff run.
“He brings a lot of things (to the table as) a switch-hitter that can drive the ball,” Sveum said. “He’ll give you a good at-bat all the time.
“It makes the other manager do different things. The biggest thing (for us) was he just solidified our lineup. It was just another threat from the left side of the plate. On a constant basis, it made the pitchers work harder.
“People always want to kind of come up with that ’04 and ’05 Red Sox lineup. Theo was always (about that). I’m like: ‘Theo, come on, dude.’ First of all, we had like three or four switch-hitters. One day we get (bleeping) eight left-handers in the lineup and our only righty was Manny Ramirez. Not a bad lineup. The next day, we could have eight right-handers and our left-hander was David Ortiz. And they were all 30 years old and in their prime and obviously pretty good, too. You fell into that lineup. Don’t think that’s ever happening again.
“But it does really make your lineup a lot tougher to get through when you can put (a guy like Zobrist) and more left-handers (in there).”
— As a coach in Boston — and the manager at Wrigley Field — Sveum impressed Epstein with his ability to break down film, interpret data and create a game-planning system. Sveum said he watched the NLCS but didn’t consult with any Cubs personnel before facing the Mets.
“Obviously, I dissected that series,” Sveum said. “It’s the same kind of hitters. (The Cubs are) pretty aggressive. They do walk, obviously, more than we do and strike out a lot more. But there are some free-swingers (on both teams) and the same kind of numbers across the board on fastballs and breaking balls.
“Besides Harvey (in Game 5 throwing) a heck of a lot more fastballs (in the World Series), they pitched us pretty much the same way they pitched the Cubs. Which I thought was going to happen, because the numbers didn’t lie.”
— Joe Maddon is the perfect manager for this team and this market. But Sveum certainly would have done better than a .392 winning percentage with this type of talent and actual big-market resources.
“You can talk until you’re blue in the face,” Sveum said. “But we have nine guys that care about winning every single day. It’s being winning hitters. That’s why people are like: ‘Oh, why did you bunt in that situation?’ Well, we’re not going to walk, so we’re going to do things.
“Everybody picks (each other) up and there’s no egos here. Nobody ever talks about stats. Nobody says: ‘Oh, I’m going to hit 30 and drive in 120 this year.’ There’s no crap like that, (which) you hear everywhere else.
“Those kind of goals get in your way. We’re just lucky to have the (Eric) Hosmers of the world. It doesn’t matter if he punches out four times or gets four hits — he’s the same guy every day.
“Our best players are pretty special people. You have the Alex Gordons of the world — they treat rookies with a lot of respect. This is one of the first teams I’ve been around where rookies are real comfortable.”
As Kansas City found out while waiting 30 years in between World Series titles, it takes time to create a culture, allow young hitters to learn from their failures and build a championship nucleus.
Or as Sveum might say: Ya think?
Adam LaRoche retired after White Sox asked him to limit son's time with team. What's Your Take?
By Dan Hayes
By Dan Hayes
White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams confirmed Wednesday that the slugger announced his retirement a day earlier after the club asked him to limit clubhouse appearances by Drake LaRoche.
Drake LaRoche has been a fixture in the clubhouse both at home and on the road since Adam LaRoche signed with the White Sox last season and long before. By retiring early, LaRoche is forfeiting a $13 million salary this season.
Unpopular as the decision might be, Williams said he wants to establish a precedent as the White Sox try to rediscover a winning formula after three losing seasons. Williams also clarified his decision had nothing to do with the younger LaRoche’s behavior — that no concerns had arisen from players regarding his presence.
“It’s not because the young man was a distraction,” Williams said.
“As we embarked on this season, in the offseason, one thing we talked about the most was let’s check all the columns with regards to our preparation.
“But in management sometimes you’ve got to make some unpopular decisions, and sometimes they center around things that you don’t necessarily want to. In order to maintain consistency, in order to have an answer for the next person that comes along that wants to have his child on the field 100 percent of the time — that’s kind of where we were, was 100 percent of the time, every day — and so yeah I asked him just to dial it back. Even 50 percent is probably too much. But there’s a wide range between zero and 50 percent. So I was a little surprised at the stance he took. It’s unfortunate.”
Williams said he and Adam LaRoche discussed the topic twice in the last week, including Sunday.
While Drake LaRoche didn’t attend all 162 games last season, he constantly accompanied the club or road trips and had his own locker next to his father’s in the clubhouse, just as he did with the Washington Nationals.
Williams said he still wants for the White Sox clubhouse to boast a “kid-friendly environment.” He just hoped Adam LaRoche would reduce his son’s appearances to less than 50 percent.
Adam LaRoche — who tweeted “#FamilyFirst” after he retired Tuesday — said he stayed home on Monday to avoid making an emotional decision. He informed manager Robin Ventura of his choice Monday night and that he wanted to inform teammates of his plans during Tuesday’s morning meeting. Williams and outfielder Adam Eaton both said players rallied around Adam LaRoche during the lengthy meeting. Though he agreed to reconsider for a day or two, LaRoche didn’t think he’d budge off his decision.
“I’m confident I am stepping away from baseball,” LaRoche told reporters Tuesday. Williams believes Adam LaRoche won’t change his mind, either. The long-time club executive said he admires the veteran’s conviction and willingness to stand up for his family.
Williams said the White Sox would look at their own options first to determine if they can fill the void internally. But Williams also said general manager Rick Hahn provided a preliminary list of external options, too.
While Williams knows he might take flack for the decision, he felt it a necessary one to make.
“Every now and then you have to step in as management and kind of steer the ship in the right direction,” Williams said. “That’s all this is about.
“Sometimes you have to make decisions in this world that are unpopular. I’ve been unpopular before.”
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: We believe in Family First also, however, Mr. LaRoche is a professional baseball player and that is his job. He gets paid very well for performing his job. If he would like to bring his son to work with him, that's okay too, but if your employer request you to reduce his time at practice and in the clubhouse to below 50% percent attendance then that's the way it is. We all have jobs however, if the employer says, you cannot bring your kid to work, you can't bring your kid to work." You have two alternatives, 1. Don't bring him to work or 2. Quit. He chose to retire leaving $13 million dollars on the table. America was great because everyone followed rules and the law. Now everyone does what he/she wants to do and then take offense when they're called out on it. Enough is enough. Obviously, Mr. LaRoche feels strongly and is committed to his position. God bless him. But the fact remains that if his employer requested he reduces his son's appearance at spring training, that's the employer's prerogative. We'll never know the whole story because I'm sure there is more to it than this. It's been inferred that some players did not like the situation but we'll never know. The bottom line is the team has spoken, Mr. LaRoche has taken a position and the team which had a chance to compete this year will have this issue hanging over it's head all season. I just hope they can overcome it.
As usual, we've stated our opinion. Some will like it and some will not but we call them as we see them. What do you think? What's your take? Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your position with us. We love hearing from our readers because we respect their opinions.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
Report: Upset White Sox players considered boycotting game after Adam LaRoche retirement.
By Dan Hayes
Multiple reports suggest that White Sox players considered a boycott of Tuesday’s game after Adam LaRoche announced his sudden retirement. Players were reportedly so upset by the front office’s request for a reduced number of appearances by LaRoche’s son, Drake, that they considered sitting out against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"F-bombs aplenty flew during the White Sox's meeting with Kenny Williams. Players so pissed they considered boycott, as
---Jeff Passan@Jeff Passan
Though one White Sox player didn’t confirm or deny the reports on Thursday, he said “lots of actions were discussed.” Ultimately, White Sox players didn’t participate in their regularly scheduled workout before Tuesday’s game as a form of protest. But they did play and went on to beat the Dodgers 8-6. The White Sox — who are off on Thursday — also played on Wednesday, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2.
“We were backing Adam in the whole aspect,” outfielder Adam Eaton said Wednesday. “That’s why we didn’t stretch. We wanted Drake in the clubhouse and we were backing Adam in every aspect. In that sense we’re going to miss him. He chose family over allowing his son to be in the clubhouse and we respect what he had to do. The man and the character that Adam LaRoche is, we’re not surprised he chose his family. He’s a God-fearing man and you have to respect that. It is what it is, a tough little go at it, but I respect his decision.”
Executive vice president Kenny Williams also confirmed a passionate response from players during LaRoche’s announcement. Multiple reports have suggested Chris Sale — who is set to make his 2016 Cactus League debut on Saturday — was one of those players most vocal about his concerns.
Williams said Wednesday he knew his decision might be an unpopular one in the clubhouse.
He said he appreciates how players rallied together in support of LaRoche.
“I really have felt really good about is we felt that they were banding together,” Williams said. “But the way that they banded together to try to protect this young man, and their teammate and everything — I told them, it’s admirable and I love the bond that’s been created.”
Williams said the club asked LaRoche to reduce the number of appearances by his son to below 50 percent. While Drake LaRoche isn’t around the White Sox 100 percent of the time, he’s often in the clubhouse and even has his own stall and jersey.
The longtime club exec insisted the move isn’t related to the younger LaRoche’s behavior, but is rather intended to set a precedent for future players. Williams said Adam LaRoche’s contract includes no language about his son’s involvement with the team. However, CSN’s David Kaplan has reported LaRoche had a verbal agreement in place with the White Sox to allow his son to be around the club.
"Just so we're clear: Sox agreed to let LaRoche have son be around 100% of the time. Condition of him agreeing to sign w/the White Sox. 100%."
---David Kaplan@thekapman
LaRoche hasn’t addressed the topic since Tuesday when he told reporters from The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune he would retire and was confident in his decision even though he agreed to sleep on it for a few days. Later that day, LaRoche sent out a Tweet with “#FamilyFirst” included in the message.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Jason Day's big finish gives him lead at Bay Hill.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Jason Day, of Australia, tees off on the ninth hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, March 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Willie J. Allen, Jr.)
Jason Day felt he was playing better. He finally had a score to show for it Thursday at Bay Hill.
Day one-putted his last seven holes, including a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th to take the lead and two tough par saves at the end for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Among those one shot behind was Adam Scott, which was no surprise. Scott is the hottest player in golf, coming off two straight victories at the Honda Classic and the Cadillac Championship at Doral, and he played bogey-free in benign weather and on a course where no blade of grass seems to be out of place.
Day hasn't played enough to have serious problems with his game, though he missed the cut at Torrey Pines and finished a combined 35 shots out of the lead in the other three tournaments he entered this year. In the five tournaments since his last victory in September, he hasn't finished within seven shots of the lead.
''There was no sense of urgency at all for me, really,'' Day said. ''I just kept on saying, 'Just make sure you stay patient and things will happen, it will happen.' I just got to make sure I get the reps under my belt and hope it will work. This is one good round, one good round in the right direction. ... So that helps.''
Rory McIlroy made a pair of double bogeys and opened with a 75, leaving him in danger of missing his second straight cut against a full field.
He hit his opening tee shot out-of-bounds and made his other double bogey with a shot into the water on No. 8. McIlroy hit two other shots into the water and escaped with par, and he made par putts of 10 feet, 15 feet and 25 feet.
''It probably could have been a few worse,'' McIlroy said. ''I end up shooting this. I'll get some good work done on the range tonight and come out tomorrow and play a good round of golf to get myself into the red numbers, at least be here for the weekend (and) I can make a charge.''
Henrik Stenson, Marc Leishman, Brendan Steele and Troy Merritt also were at 67. The group at 68 included the resurgent K.J. Choi and Justin Rose, who made two eagles.
Day doesn't have a great history in his limited time at Bay Hill. Going into Thursday, he had broken 70 only three times in 14 rounds, nothing lower than 68. He only had one bad swing, a tee shot that soared right and out of bounds on the ninth hole for a double bogey. But he played the last seven holes in 5 under, including the 6-iron he hit to within 10 feet on 16.
Equally satisfying were the par saves from the bunker on the par-3 17th, where he blasted out to 5 feet, and a par on the final hole when he chipped to 10 feet.
Day has Bay Hill and the Dell Match Play next week before preparing for the Masters.
''I'm just trying to win a tournament right now,'' Day said. ''I'm really thinking about this week and not trying to think about too far ahead with what's coming up with the Match Play and obviously Augusta. It's good to shoot the score that I did today because it does a lot for my confidence, and I'm just hoping that I can keep it going for the next three days after this.''
Scott wasn't sure if he hit the ball badly, or it just seemed like that because the way he has been playing.
"I hit so many good shots the last few weeks,'' he said. ''Didn't hit terribly bad shots today. My short game was there. That's the kind of days you're almost most satisfied with are days like today when you shoot your lowest.''
But he doesn't suspect that will last, especially with the course in such great shape and so many scores in the 60s.
''On one day, that's OK,'' he said. ''But I'm going to have to sharpen up, I think, to contend this week. The course is so pure, conditions are really good. Someone who is hitting it good is going to make a lot of putts because the greens are rolling pure. If you can get it inside 20 feet you're feeling like you're going to make everything.''
DIVOTS: Matt Kuchar had three of his fingernails painted green in honor of St. Patrick's Day. ... Ian Poulter was challenging for the lead until making two double bogeys over his final four holes. Poulter is the first alternate for the Dell Match Play next week. ... Former British Open champion Ben Curtis, playing for the first time since August, opened with an 82. He is playing on a sponsor's exemption. ... Maverick McNealy of Stanford had a 69.
Arnold Palmer Invitational given even higher stature by PGA Tour.
By Ryan Ballengee
This year, just seven of the top 22 American players are in the field for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Consider the tournament the victim of a jam-packed Florida Swing.
There's The Honda Classic, which, with Jack Nicklaus' involvement, is essentially the Florida version of the Memorial. Doral is home to a World Golf Championships event, meaning no cut, free money and easy world-ranking points. The Valspar Championship at Innisbrook has its loyalists, typically the ball-strikers who fancy a course that challenges them from tee to green.
Then there's the API at Bay Hill, which is a great tournament with an incredible host on a fun course. Solid field? Definitely. Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson are nothing to scoff at whatsoever. But notice, none of them are Americans. No. 4 Bubba Watson had intended to play but kept himself out with a back strain. So, the highest-ranked American in the field is No. 17 Brandt Snedeker.
And with the WGC-Dell Match Play slotted for March in the next few years in the Austin, Texas, area, the Bay Hill event could have been in line to fall off the perch it deserves. That's why the PGA Tour took steps to protect the tournament this week, announcing a $2.4 million purse increase for 2017 and beyond, bumping the prize pool to $8.7 million. With the 120-player field and a three-year -- instead of the typical two -- exemption to the winner, the Palmer should become a must-play again.
Tim Finchem said the change “positions this week as one of the premiere weeks from the standpoint of financial benefits to the players.”
With only the majors, four World Golf Championships and The Players the only PGA Tour events with higher purses, the Arnold Palmer Invitational should have an even better field next year and beyond.
PGA of America pulls plug on Grand Slam.
By DOUG FERGUSON
The PGA Grand Slam of Golf, canceled last year because it was on a Donald Trump golf course, ended for good on Wednesday when the PGA of America decided it no longer fit in the changing landscape of golf.
The Grand Slam was a 36-hole exhibition for the four major champions of the year that dates to 1979 and had been played continuously since 1986 in Chicago, the California desert, Hawaii and Bermuda. It took place after the final stop on the PGA Tour.
It was to be played at Trump National in Los Angeles last year until the PGA of America decided to move it because of all the attention on Trump's remarks about Mexican immigrants when he announced he was running for president. It never found another golf course and canceled the event for the year.
Now, the PGA says it no longer makes sense to play.
''After carefully evaluating the PGA Grand Slam of Golf over the past few years and studying how this event fits with today's golf landscape and the PGA of America's long term strategic plan, the PGA has decided to discontinue the event,'' it said in a statement.
The PGA cited the PGA Tour wraparound schedule, which starts in October; the European Tour having its lucrative final series ending in November; and other international events (such as the Olympics this year) making it hectic for major champions to attend.
It also said the Grand Slam struggled to attract fans, TV viewers and media interest.
Martin Kaymer won the last Grand Slam in 2014 in Bermuda.
Tiger Woods played for the first time as an alternate in 1998 and won the first of seven titles, including one year when he won by 14 shots in 36 holes. Woods won all of his PGA Grand Slam events at Poipu Bay in Hawaii. That also was where Phil Mickelson shot 59 in 2004.
Jim Furyk won it twice, even though he won only one major. Furyk played three times as an alternate.
If a major champion couldn't attend, or if a player won multiple majors, the PGA of America selected a former major champion as an alternate. There was only one exception over the years: former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka. He played in 1990 at Kemper Lakes outside Chicago when the format was a pro-am and U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange had to withdraw for what was described as ''intestinal issues.''
The Grand Slam had its longest run at Poipu Bay, where it was held for 13 years. It moved in 2007 to Bermuda and stayed for eight years until moving to Trump National in Los Angeles, where it was never played.
The PGA of America still has two majors scheduled for Trump courses: the Senior PGA Championship in 2017 at Trump National outside Washington, and the PGA Championship in 2022 at Trump National in New Jersey.
NASCAR: Kyle Busch ready to pick up where he left off at Fontana.
By Jerry Bonkowski
There’s just something about Auto Club Speedway that gets Kyle Busch marching toward Victory Lane seemingly more often than not.
Although he grew up about three hours away in Las Vegas, the younger Busch brother has taken to the 2-mile, high-speed track like a duck to water, becoming one of the most successful racers ever to compete there.
Although he grew up about three hours away in Las Vegas, the younger Busch brother has taken to the 2-mile, high-speed track like a duck to water, becoming one of the most successful racers ever to compete there.
Busch heads into this weekend’s Sprint Cup and Xfinity races having captured the checkered flag 11 times at ACS over the years, including three in Sprint Cup, six in the Xfinity Series and twice (in two tries) in the Camping World Truck Series.
In a sense, ACS owes Busch another Cup win – or at least a strong performance. After winning the Cup races there in 2013 and 2014, he was unable to compete in last year’s race (as well as the Xfinity race) because he was in the midst of recovering from injuries sustained in an Xfinity race at Daytona Beach in February 2015.
Now fully healed, Busch is hoping to resume his winning streak and good fortune there.
“The finishes of both of those races (2013 and 2014) were pretty exciting,” Busch said in a media release. “Of course, I won both so that makes it even better for me.
“The track is just down the road from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) headquarters, and our wins there were the first two Sprint Cup wins for them at their hometown track.”
“I’m hoping we can get our M&M’s Camry back to victory lane there and win three races in a row – at least in the races I’ve been able to run in.”
Busch’s scorecard at ACS is stout:
* In 17 Sprint Cup starts, 3 wins, 8 top-fives and 12 top-10s, plus one pole.
* In 16 Xfinity starts, he has a track record six wins, 10 top-fives and 13 top-10s, plus three poles. That includes wins in six of his last nine starts there, the most recent being in 2013.
* In 2 Truck Series starts, he won both times.
ACS is one of the fastest and widest tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Drivers are able to go pretty much wherever they want – and Busch certainly falls in that category.
He’s been part of several four- and five-wide packs heading into one of the track’s turns. And while the track has aged over time, it’s aged gracefully. Still, it’s one rough customer.
“That place is tough,” Busch said. “It’s really a hard racetrack to get ahold of, now, especially when it’s hot and the sun is out.
“There are two completely different types of racing when you run the top versus the bottom groove. You can run from the top to the bottom, but when you run the bottom, you really feel like you’re puttering around the racetrack. You feel like you aren’t making up any time on the bottom.
“But when you are running the top groove, you feel like you’re getting the job done. The guys who run the bottom have a little bit more patience and handle it better than the guys who are on the gas on top.”
Having visited Victory Lane 11 times thus far at Fontana, Busch looks to make it an even dozen with a win either Saturday or Sunday – and potentially a baker’s dozen of 13 if he’s able to sweep both ends of the weekend racing action there.
“It’s a fast racetrack and you just have to be able carry a lot of speed through the corners,” Busch said. “You’re in the corner for a long time but, the more speed you carry through the turn, the better it makes your straightaways.
“It’s a big, fast racetrack and I’m hoping we can get M&M’S their first win during their 75th anniversary celebration year.”
Biggest differences in NASCAR between '15 and '16.
By NBC Sports
The NASCAR America crew discusses the biggest changes in the sport from last year to this year, including the number of winners we could see this season and the impact of the low downforce package.
NASCAR’s three-week trip to the West Coast concludes this weekend when the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series convene at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
The Xfinity Series will be preparing for the TreatMyClot.com 300 by Janssen while the weekend culminates with the Sprint Cup Series’ Auto Club 400.
Here’s the full weekend schedule with TV and radio info.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, March 18
10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open
noon – 10:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series garage openNASCAR’s three-week trip to the West Coast concludes this weekend when the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series convene at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.
The Xfinity Series will be preparing for the TreatMyClot.com 300 by Janssen while the weekend culminates with the Sprint Cup Series’ Auto Club 400.
Here’s the full weekend schedule with TV and radio info.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, March 18
10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open
1:30 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
3 p.m. – 4:25 p.m. – Xfinity practice (Fox Sports 1)
5:30 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (Fox Sports 1)
7:45 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, March 19
9 a.m. – Xfinity Series garage opens
9 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open
11 a.m. – 11:55 – Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 2, MRN)
12:15 p.m. – Xfinity Series qualifying; single car/two rounds (Fox Sports 1, MRN)
2:15 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver-crew chief meeting2:30 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. – Final Sprint Cup practice (Fox Sports 1, MRN)
3:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver introductions
4 p.m. – TreatMyClot.com 300 by Janssen; 150 laps, 300 miles (Fox Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXm NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, March 20
9:30 a.m. – Sprint Cup garage opens
1:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup driver-crew chief meeting
3 p.m. – Driver introductions
3:30 p.m. – Auto Club 400; 200 laps, 400 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
SOCCER: Fire's Matt Lampson hopes familiarity will help against Crew.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Playing against a former team can stir up some strong emotions in professional athletes.
Some go about their business as usual, some get too excited and fall short of expectations and some fire up in a positive way and deliver consistently in that scenario.
Chicago Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson will face his former team, the Columbus Crew, on Saturday (4 p.m. CSN+) and find out how he will be affected when the game kicks off.
“I certainly want to play well, but I need to go out and perform to the utmost of my capability every game regardless," Lampson said. "It’s fun because you get to go against the guys you were playing with for four years, but nothing malicious, nothing deep-seated or anything like that. It’s going to be a fun experience and hopefully I can go out and show them that I can still play.”
Lampson signed as a homegrown player for the Crew after a collegiate career at Ohio State. He played with the Crew for four years and made 16 appearances with the club. However, he wasn't in Columbus' plans going forward so both parties moved on after last season.
The 26-year-old said he holds no ill will towards his old team, but still talks about having something to prove.
“I think it was mutual from both sides that they didn’t see me in their plans and I needed to go somewhere and be able to play," Lampson said. "Certainly I think I’ve earned the opportunity here and hopefully I’ll go out on Saturday and show that I’m more than capable of playing at this level.”
While Lampson is saying all the politically correct things about taking it like any other game, his current coach, Veljko Paunovic, boasted about how he performed when playing former teams.
“I think it depends on how you manage that emotion that you may have in a game against your former club," Paunovic said "I’m sure that he has a lot of friends there and first we are professionals. If you manage those emotions in the right way it could be very helpful for you, for the team. It can motivate in the best possible way in order to perform well for our team. I’ll tell you in my career, almost every time I played against my former teams I scored goals. For me it was very motivational, but we have to manage it.”
The Crew have started 0-2, but after making it to the MLS Cup final in December, expectations remain high. There's also plenty of attacking talent in the form of Federico Higuain, one of the top playmakers in the league, and Kei Kamara and Ethan Finlay, who are both coming off All-Star seasons.
Lampson's familiarity with these players could come into play when he faces one of them charging in on goal.
“I think it helps," Lampson said. "Tendencies don’t really change player to player and everybody scouts so we know what they want to do, what they try to do. They’re a very good team and we need to respect our opponent, but we also need to show them that we’re just as good and hopefully we’ll come out with a win.”
Week 31: Top 5 Premier League Storylines — Derbies in Manchester, London, Northeast and much more.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
This season’s wild nature has made the task of choosing the top Premier League storylines in a given week anything but pedestrian.
In past seasons, we’ve had maybe 2-3 teams jostling for movement inside the Top Six, and a couple relegation candidates tangling for their top-flight lives.
Throw in the fact that this week includes a trio of derbies that will play a late-season part in both the UEFA Champions League qualification picture and in what’s left on the relegation scrap heap, and you’ve got a weekend with spell-binding potential.
The Manchester Derby that could seal Louis Van Gaal‘s fate
Manchester City vs. Manchester United — Sunday, Noon ET (NBC)
Do you really think Manchester United’s brass and fan base could stomach losing to City and Liverpool in the same week, with the former loss booting them out of Europe? Me neither, at least not come May. City is struggling with injuries on its back line, but United played Thursday against Liverpool and didn’t exactly rest any stars (Apologies to Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin). Van Gaal will surely be hoping Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford‘s youthful legs help them run through a depleted defense. Will they?
The Tyne-Wear Derby that could edge a loser into the Championship
Newcastle United vs. Sunderland — Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (NBCSN)
The Black Cats carry all the bragging rights in this derby, unbeaten in nine against their hated rivals, with wins in an almost absurd six-straight matches. All it would take to set that vibe on its head, though, would be a Newcastle win that would send Sunderland into the drop zone. Sam Allardyce is considered by some to be a great relegation-fighting manager, while Rafa Benitez doesn’t have much experience against the drop. That said, Newcastle deserved at least a point at Leicester and now gets the bumbling Black Cats at St. James Park, where the Magpies have fared alright this year. How will this one play out?
Is West Ham capable of securing a Top Four slot?
Chelsea vs. West Ham United — Saturday, 11 am. ET (USA)
This London Derby sees the Blues and Hammers in flipped positions of power. West Ham could legitimately find itself in a tie for third on points with a win here, while Chelsea needs a bevy of things to break its way just to sniff sixth or seventh come the end of the year. West Ham seeks its first season sweep of Chelsea since 2002-03.
Can Arsene halt his Gunners’ slide?
Everton vs. Arsenal — Saturday, 8:45 a.m. ET (NBCSN)
The Gunners haven’t won in three trips to Goodison Park (1L-2D), but that win is Everton’s only three-point pull in the series since a March 18, 2007 win. Arsenal has also struggled in general, picking up one point in its last three PL matches while sliding 11 points back of Leicester City. Arsenal’s Top Four fortunes are in jeopardy, but Everton has underperformed in the league all year long. How does it shake out Saturday?
The title fight goes on, but is a Leicester slip-up overdue?
Crystal Palace vs. Leicester City — Saturday, 11 a.m. ET (Premier League ExtraTime)
The Foxes remain on top of the Premier League, and we’re not trying to take anything away from them when we ask, “How?!?” That’s not to the same sort of “How?!?” from earlier in the year, when Leicester was piling up goals and taking big name pelts. This is a sort of disbelief that Leicester has caught a bunch of breaks and still managed to barely get past Norwich, Newcastle and Watford (not to mention that bonkers and inexplicable 2-2 draw with West Brom). Meanwhile, Crystal Palace is still without a league win in 2016. That seems overdue as well. Could this be the week?
Europa League roundup: Final eight set as Manchester United, Spurs, Lazio exit.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the star man of Thursday’s Europa League Round of 16 second legs, scoring a pair of goals at White Hart Lane as Borussia Dortmund knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the competition.
That wasn’t the only decisive tie, as Sparta Prague and Braga also cruised into the quarterfinals.
Manchester United 1-1 (1-3 agg.) Liverpool — RECAP
A lively Old Trafford only got more electric when Anthony Martial won and converted a first half penalty, but the noise was almost all Anfield when Philippe Coutinho dazzled his way to an impactful road goal. Jurgen Klopp became the first Liverpool manager to win his first visit to Old Trafford as Reds boss.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 (1-5 agg.) Borussia Dortmund
With apologies to reigning champion Sevilla and exciting Shakhtar Donetsk, BVB joins Liverpool as the favorites of the tournament after thoroughly dismantling Spurs over two legs. It was decided before kickoff, really, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the first of his two in the 24th minute to give Dortmund a powerful road goal. Son Heung-Min nabbed Spurs’ only marker.
Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 (0-2 agg.) Villarreal
There was neither magic from Javier Hernandez nor Admir Mehmedi as Bayer couldn’t find the net at home, giving El Submarino Amarillo a spot in the next round.
Lazio 0-3 (1-4 agg.) Sparta Prague
After an even first leg in the Czech Republic, Sparta exploded for a trio of road goals in the first half at the Stadio Olimpico. Borek Dockal, Ladislav Krejci and Lukas Julis scored for the visitors.
Valencia 2-1 (2-2 agg.) Athletic Bilbao
Hard-luck Gary Neville entered the second leg with his Valencia side down a goal, and got goals from Santi Mina and Santos to put his side within 53 minutes of advancing to the quarters. But a controversial goal from Aritz Aduriz not only sent Neville to the stands, it sent Valencia out of the tournament. Oscar de Marcos handled the ball, with no call, just before the deciding goal.
Anderlecht 0-1 (1-4 agg.) Shakhtar Donetsk
Eduardo’s stoppage time goal meant very little to the tie, as Shakhtar cruised past an Anderlecht side that didn’t manage a single shot on target. Serigne Mbodji took a 86th minute red card for the hosts, two minutes after Olexandr Kucher took a second yellow card for Shakhtar.
Braga 4-1 (4-2 agg.) Fenerbahce
The Turkish powers did not bow out in style, taking three red cards in the final 24 minutes of the match. Braga entered with a 1-0 lead and doubled it through Ahmed Hassan in the 11th minute. Alper Potuk (above) scored before halftime to set the stage for the second half, but Braga netted three times in the frame to advance to the quarterfinals.
Sevilla 3-0 (3-0 agg.) Basel
The reigning champs didn’t need to worry about away goals after Adil Rami scored in the 35th minute and Kevin Gameiro added two goals in two minutes before halftime to salt it away for Sevilla.
NCAABKB: 2016 NCAA "March Madness" Tournament Scores. Thursday, March 17 (First Round)
SBNation.com
SBNation.com
No. 4 Duke def. No. 13 UNC Wilmington, 93-85
No. 9 Butler def. No. 8 Texas Tech, 71-61
No. 9 Connecticut def. No. 8 Colorado, 74-67
No. 4 Iowa State 94, No. 13 Iona 81
No. 12 Yale 79, No. 5 Baylor 75
No. 1 Virginia 81, No. 16 Hampton 45
No. 1 Kansas 105, No. 16 Austin Peay 79
No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock 85, No. 5 Purdue 83 (2 OT)
No. 3 Miami 79, No. 14 Buffalo 72
No. 5 Indiana 99, No. 12 Chattanooga 74
No. 1 North Carolina 83, No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast 67
No. 3 Utah 80, No. 14 Fresno State 69
No. 11 Wichita State 65, No. 6 Arizona 55
No. 4 Kentucky 85, No. 13 Stony Brook 57
No. 9 Providence 70, No. 8 USC 69
No. 11 Gonzaga 68, No. 6 Seton Hall 52
No. 9 Butler def. No. 8 Texas Tech, 71-61
No. 9 Connecticut def. No. 8 Colorado, 74-67
No. 4 Iowa State 94, No. 13 Iona 81
No. 12 Yale 79, No. 5 Baylor 75
No. 1 Virginia 81, No. 16 Hampton 45
No. 1 Kansas 105, No. 16 Austin Peay 79
No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock 85, No. 5 Purdue 83 (2 OT)
No. 3 Miami 79, No. 14 Buffalo 72
No. 5 Indiana 99, No. 12 Chattanooga 74
No. 1 North Carolina 83, No. 16 Florida Gulf Coast 67
No. 3 Utah 80, No. 14 Fresno State 69
No. 11 Wichita State 65, No. 6 Arizona 55
No. 4 Kentucky 85, No. 13 Stony Brook 57
No. 9 Providence 70, No. 8 USC 69
No. 11 Gonzaga 68, No. 6 Seton Hall 52
No. 11 Gonzaga rolls past No. 6 Seton Hall. (Upset)
By Raphielle Johnson
The sophomore from Lithuania led the way with 21 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, and despite shooting 9-for-20 from the field he (and his teammates) set the tone from a physicality standpoint. Seton Hall began the game defending him straight up and not sending over help, but the change to doubling the post didn’t do much to deter Sabonis either. Wiltjer chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds, and while Gonzaga had its moments on the offense it was their defense and rebounding that decided the outcome.
As a team Seton Hall shot 32.3 percent from the field and 4-for-21 from three, with their talented point guard struggling mightily. Whitehead shot 4-for-24 from the field, which is incredibly tough to overcome despite the fact that he dished out eight assists. The sophomore played tired for most of the game in Denver, and while the altitude can be cited Gonzaga’s defense had a lot more to do with it. The Bulldogs used multiple defenders on Whitehead, making him work for everything, and more often than not he settled for challenged shots or looked to force the issue.
With Derrick Gordon being the lone rotation player out of eligibility, the Pirates will enter next season with the expectations of being a contender in the Big East. But Thursday night Kevin Willard’s group ran into a program that’s now won at least one game in each of their last seven NCAA tournament appearances.
Next up for Gonzaga is No. 3 Utah, which took care of No. 14 Fresno State in its tournament opener. And with the Runnin’ Utes being led by center Jakob Poeltl, the Bulldogs will need another high-level performance from their front court Saturday night while taking better care of the basketball (20 turnover vs. Seton Hall).
After evisceration of No. 6 Arizona, can we say No. 11 Wichita State was seeded too low? (Upset)
By Rob Dauster
By Rob Dauster
Kentucky head coach John Calipari had himself a nice little rant on ESPN after the news became official that his Wildcats would be a No. 4 seed in the same region as Indiana and North Carolina.
Most of his rant was directed at his players. At heart, it was a motivational tactic — oh, they hate us, they don’t respect us, it’s us against the world — but Cal did speak some truths during that rant: When a team gets miss-seeded, the people that actually get hurt are the ones that have to play the team that is seeded too low.
Just ask No. 6 Arizona.
The Wildcats drew No. 11 Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and the Shockers — owners of the nation’s No. 1 adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com — totally stifled Arizona, beating them 65-55. The Wildcats managed just 19 first half points and found themselves down 53-29 before they finally were to string a couple of baskets.
Fred VanVleet led the way for the Shockers with 16 points while Ron Baker chipped in with 13 points and six assists.
Arizona committed 19 turnovers, as Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Kadeem Allen and Gabe York were totally out of sorts as they tried to get Arizona into offensive sets. It was as bad as we’ve seen Arizona player this season, and this isn’t a typical Arizona team.
And it begs the question: Should the Shockers have been seeded higher?
The story was beaten to death throughout Championship Week, but the bottom-line is this: Wichita State had the most unique tournament profile that we may ever see.
Their résumé, whether you subscribe to KenPom or the RPI, consisted of wins over one top 50 team and three more top 100 teams. That’s not enough to be considered for an at-large bid in any year, even one where two tournament teams were ineligible and Syracuse got a No. 10 seed.
But Wichita State, prior to Thursday’s beat-down of the Wildcats, was the No. 9 team in the country according to KenPom.com, which is widely regarded as the most accurate ranking metric in college basketball. It’s not often that you see a team get seeded lower than their ranking on KenPom.com, but that’s precisely what happened in this situation.
Here’s the catch: KenPom’s formula is not designed to measure accomplishment. It’s a measure of possession-by-possession efficiency. It’s predictive, a way to determine who will be whom on a neutral court. The RPI is a measure of what a team has accomplished based on how good their opponents are. It was invented in 1980, and it’s terrible. (You can take my word for it, or you can let Andy Glockner explain it to you.)
KenPom isn’t perfect either, though. Just like there are way to game the RPI, there are ways to game KenPom’s numbers: You beat the brakes off of mediocre-to-bad competition. That’s why Wisconsin and Pitt always ended up higher in his formula that they should have been.
I say all that to say this: None of the metrics are perfect. No rankings system is perfect.
But hopefully, after seeing the Shockers go from the play-in game to the second round, to Selection Committee will realize that maybe — just maybe — when the outlier happens to be a KenPom ranking that is completely out of whack, we should believe what the number is telling us.
I’m not saying that the Shockers should have been a top three seed.
But maybe it would have made sense to have them on the No. 6 seed line instead of playing a No. 6 seed on the opening day of the Big Dance?
Josh Hagins, No. 12 Little Rock knock off No. 5 Purdue in 2OT. (Upset)
By Raphielle Johnson
Leading by 13 with 3:19 remaining, No. 5 seed Purdue looked to be well on its way to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The problem for the Boilermakers: they took their foot off the gas too early.
No. 12 Little Rock ramped up the defensive pressure, forcing multiple turnovers while doing enough offensively to get themselves in position tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. Josh Hagins delivered, hitting a three-pointer with 6.8 seconds remaining to force overtime. From there the Trojans and Boilermakers traded punches through two overtimes, with Little Rock ultimately winning in double overtime 85-83.
Essentially the difference was Hagins, who ran the point well for the Trojans and finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. Little Rock’s been one of the best stories in college basketball thanks to the work of first-year head coach Chris Beard, and the presence of a point guard as good as Hagins has certainly helped the Sun Belt champions.
As for Purdue, the questions about their perimeter play and whether or not they had enough to be a factor in the NCAA tournament have been asked all season long. And down the stretch against the Trojans it was easy to see why many remained concerned.
Purdue struggled to take care of the basketball against the Little Rock defense, committing 18 turnovers with many of those coming as they were trying to put the game away. Just as bad for the Boilermakers was their inability to get A.J. Hammons the ball, thus failing to take advantage of the one matchup that was in their favor. Hammons finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks, but after scoring with 16:28 remaining in regulation he didn’t score again until the second overtime.
Hammons got the occasional touch, with Little Rock doubling down to get the ball out of his hands, but far too often Purdue’s offense consisted of wasted motion followed by a challenged shot late in the shot clock. That kind of execution won’t get it done in March, especially against a team that defends as well as Little Rock.
Next up for the Trojans is No. 4 Iowa State, which took care of No. 13 Iona in the first game of the day. And after picking up the program’s first NCAA tournament victory in 30 years, Little Rock has designs on their first-ever Sweet 16 appearance.
No. 12 Yale picks up first-ever NCAA tournament victory. (Upset)
By Raphielle Johnson
West region No. 5 Baylor entered the NCAA tournament looking to erase the memory of last season’s early NCAA tournament exit, with a veteran group having designs on playing deep into this season’s event. Unfortunately for Scott Drew’s Bears they drew ran into Ivy League champion No. 12 Yale, and throughout most of the contest James Jones’ Bulldogs outplayed Baylor.
And despite some nerve-wracking moments late the Bulldogs pulled out the 79-75 victory, picking up the first NCAA tournament win in program history.
Makai Mason was the star for the Bulldogs, scoring 31 points (a school NCAA tournament record) as he managed to go just about wherever he wanted against the Baylor defense. Baylor’s standard matchup zone was no match for what Yale threw at them offensively, as the Bulldogs were able get through for quality looks inside the arc. The game reached a point to where Baylor had to come out of the zone and play man, and that didn’t work all that well either.
Normally in upsets the underdog gets hot from three, but that wasn’t the case in Providence. Yale shot 5-for-16 from three but made 63.6 percent of their two-point attempts. And to be fair to the Bulldogs, they looked nothing like an underdog for most of this game.
There were moments of frustration for Baylor, most notably an argument between Rico Gathers Sr. and Taurean Prince (28 points) during a second half timeout, and Yale had a lot to do with that. The Bears made a late run thanks in large part to Prince, and defensively they forced turnovers with full-court pressure to close the gap to one in the game’s final minute.
But they were unable to get any closer than that, and down two with 6.8 seconds remaining a Lester Medford turnover resulted in Baylor not getting off a shot to either tie the game or take the lead.
Baylor’s ability to control the glass has been key for them throughout the season, and they did managed to grab 14 offensive rebounds Thursday. But Yale is a good rebounding team in its own right, as they entered the game ranked in the top ten nationally in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. Thanks to the presence of players such as Justin Sears, Nick Victor, Sam Downey and Brandon Sherrod (in total seven Bulldogs average at least 2.5 rebounds per game), won the battle on the boards Thursday afternoon. Add in Yale’s superior offensive execution, and Jones’ Bulldogs were able to advance.
Next up for Yale is No. 4 Duke, which beat No. 13 UNCW in the first game of the day in Providence.
NCAAFB: How Jim Harbaugh classified negative feedback to his Florida trip.
By Nick Bromberg
Attention college coaches and any others who expressed disapproval of Michigan's spring break practices in Florida: Jim Harbaugh doubts your authenticity.
Harbaugh was on ESPN's Mike and Mike on Wednesday and said he thought any backlash towards his team's camp in SEC territory was fake if it had to do with students missing out on spring break.
“I thought it was fake outrage, I thought it wasn’t really real,” he said. “The moral high ground of the sanctity of spring break and that’s what people chose to use as their moral stance, I thought it was fake, I thought it was fake outrage.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took issue with Harbaugh's camp for time demands reasons and Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he thought the NCAA would eventually look at the practices.
Michigan's staff is also taking to Texas this summer. Baylor coach Art Briles, who is a keynote speaker at Harbaugh's coach camp, is having his team host a camp with Harbaugh and his staff in attendance in July. Apparently the Big 12 can get along with Harbaugh.
"Pumped to have Jim & crew down - two top-5 programs giving student athletes the opportunity to learn! #RealityNoHype"
Coach Art Briles@CoachArtBriles
Urban Meyer 'looking into' copying Jim Harbaugh's spring tactics.
By Nick Bromberg
Oh no, Ohio State fans. Your coach may be getting inspiration from the school up north.
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said he's looking into doing something similar to what Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh did this year by having practices over spring break in Florida. Meyer called the practice "creative," the same word Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio used to describe Michigan's spring practices.
"I think it's creative," Meyer said. "I just worry about taking their spring break from them. I'm looking into it for next year and the future too. It's creative and if it's good for the players we'll probably do it.
"Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer says he might pull a "Jim Harbaugh" and hold spring practices in Florida next year."
Sara Perlman@saraperlman
And if there's one Big Ten school that can make a Florida camp a bigger deal than Michigan it's Ohio State and Meyer. Just imagine Meyer bringing a bunch of former Florida players (*cough* Tim Tebow *cough*) to a week-long camp with team. And it could strengthen Florida recruiting ties that Meyer already has in the state.
Plus it'd be a fun jab to the SEC coaches that dislike Big Ten teams infringing on their territory. If there's one thing Ohio State and Michigan fans can unite behind, it's trolling the SEC, right?
Factoid: 99.999 percent of NCAA tourney brackets already busted.
By Jay Hart
Yale celebrates beating fifth-seeded Baylor. (Photo/AP)
Five hours into the NCAA tourney, nearly 94 percent of Yahoo Sports brackets were busted. Within seven hours, 99 percent were toast. By the end of the night 99.999 percent were imperfect.
You can thank Yale, Arkansas Little Rock, Wichita State and Gonzaga for that.
Or, on the flip side, you knew at least one 12 seed always advances, so you picked Yale and Little Rock for the upset, and you also picked a pair of 11 seeds to upset and, well, you're now among the .00129 percent still standing after Day 1.
(Count Jordan Spieth among those who picked Yale, though don't count Jordan Spieth among those who should be gloating over his bracket.)
Yale knocked off fifth-seeded Baylor in a 79-75 thriller, the first true upset of the 2016 tournament. Two hours later, Little Rock upset fifth-seeded Purdue 85-83 in double overtime. Eleventh seed Wichita State blew up Arizona by 10 and another 11 seed Gonzaga capped off the day with a 68-52 victory over Seton Hall.
Nearly 83 percent of Yahoo Sports users picked Baylor to win – 82.9 to be exact – while 88 percent had Purdue. Those two upsets accounted for the most carnage. Ironically, had Seton Hall won, fewer perfect brackets would still be standing.
While the Yale victory was no doubt an upset, Vegas had Baylor favored by only 5 points.
Really though, aspiring for perfection is a lesson in futility, considering only once in the 17 years Yahoo Sports has hosted a tourney challenge has anyone gotten through the first round unscathed. That would be the currently immortal Brad Binder.
A little more than 3,200 perfect brackets remain heading into Day 2. So Brad, if you're reading, keep the champagne on ice for one more day.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1892 - Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, announced that he had purchased a trophy to be presented to the hockey champion of Canada.
1945 - Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to score 50 goals.
1953 - The National League owners approved the move of the Braves from Boston to Milwaukee. It was the first major league franchise shift since 1903.
1970 - The NFL selected Wilson to be the official football and scoreboard as official time.
1990 - The 32-day lockout of baseball players ended.
1990 - In Tampa, FL, a little league player was killed after being hit with a pitch.
2002 - Brittanie Cecil became the first NHL fan fatality directly related to action on the ice. She had been hit by a puck during a game two days before between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames. Her death was caused by a rare injury caused when her head snapped back after being hit.
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