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"I have warned many times about the guaranteed dangers of betting with your heart instead of your head - big darkness, soon come - but every once in a while you get a fair chance to have it both ways, and the annual NCAA basketball Tournament is one of them." ~ Hunter S. Thompson, Journalist and Author
Trending: Blackhawks slip to third place in Central with loss to Stars. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates). Let's go Hawks!!!
Trending; Joe Maddon: Cubs-White Sox is ‘legit’ rivalry. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Butler on track to return, Gasol out, Rose unknown. (See the basketball section for Bulls updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? L. A. Kings-Chicago Blackhawks Preview.
By SCOTT GARBARINI
(Photo/www.sportsrumble.com)
Road losses to their two chief competitors has the Chicago Blackhawks in position to begin the playoffs away from home.
It's a scenario the Los Angeles Kings are trying to avoid as well when they visit the United Center on Monday night for an important matchup between the past two Stanley Cup champions.
Chicago (41-22-6) has fallen from first place to third in the closely contested Central Division by losing five of its last eight games, the last two coming to its main rivals.
After being edged 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday at St. Louis, the Blackhawks allowed the first four goals en route to Friday's 5-2 defeat to Dallas that dropped them three points behind the Stars and Blues.
Poor special teams play was the culprit in the latest loss. Chicago went 0 for 5 on the power play and surrendered two goals in six short-handed situations to extend its ongoing penalty-killing issues.
"Our special teams had probably as bad a night as you could have," coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Blackhawks were 1 for 3 on the penalty kill against St. Louis and are a league-worst 61.9 percent since Feb. 9.
"We definitely have to focus on it more. That's what it comes down to," captain Jonathan Toews said. "Obviously, heading into the last number of games and the postseason, it's going to be a huge part of our game going forward."
Chicago hopes a return to the United Center, where it's 24-8-2 this season, can yield a bounce-back. The Blackhawks play four of their next five at home, culminating with a rematch with the Stars on March 22.
Home-ice advantage should help Corey Crawford recover from a dismal showing in Dallas, where he was pulled midway through the second period after permitting four goals on 20 shots. He's 20-8-2 with a 1.74 goals-against average at United Center this season.
Los Angeles (40-22-5) is also locked in a tight race in the Pacific Division, holding a two-point advantage on Anaheim and a three-point edge on San Jose. The Kings were able to gain a little separation on the Ducks with Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to New Jersey, managing a point despite falling behind 1:12 into the contest.
''I think the energy level wasn't where it needed to be, especially at the start,'' said center Anze Kopitar, who recorded the tying goal late in the second period. ''We just didn't play the way we need to win a game, especially at this time of the year.''
The Kings registered 23 shots - their lowest total since Dec. 17 - after scoring nine goals in winning their previous two. They did remain stingy on the defensive end, having yielded just 18 goals over a 7-2-1 stretch.
Los Angeles, losers of four of five on the road, begins a challenging back-to-back stretch that concludes Tuesday in Dallas. The Kings were dealt a fourth consecutive regular-season loss in Chicago with a 4-2 defeat on Nov. 22, in which the Blackhawks scored three unanswered third-period goals to support Crawford's 33 saves.
The Kings, 3-10-1 in their last 14 regular-season visits to Chicago, did hand the Blackhawks a 3-2 overtime defeat in Los Angeles on Nov. 28.
NHL points leader Patrick Kane has six over his past three games against Los Angeles and eight goals in his last 11 regular-season matchups.
Blackhawks slip to third place in Central with loss to Stars. (Friday night's game, 03/11/2016).
It's a scenario the Los Angeles Kings are trying to avoid as well when they visit the United Center on Monday night for an important matchup between the past two Stanley Cup champions.
Chicago (41-22-6) has fallen from first place to third in the closely contested Central Division by losing five of its last eight games, the last two coming to its main rivals.
After being edged 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday at St. Louis, the Blackhawks allowed the first four goals en route to Friday's 5-2 defeat to Dallas that dropped them three points behind the Stars and Blues.
Poor special teams play was the culprit in the latest loss. Chicago went 0 for 5 on the power play and surrendered two goals in six short-handed situations to extend its ongoing penalty-killing issues.
"Our special teams had probably as bad a night as you could have," coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Blackhawks were 1 for 3 on the penalty kill against St. Louis and are a league-worst 61.9 percent since Feb. 9.
"We definitely have to focus on it more. That's what it comes down to," captain Jonathan Toews said. "Obviously, heading into the last number of games and the postseason, it's going to be a huge part of our game going forward."
Chicago hopes a return to the United Center, where it's 24-8-2 this season, can yield a bounce-back. The Blackhawks play four of their next five at home, culminating with a rematch with the Stars on March 22.
Home-ice advantage should help Corey Crawford recover from a dismal showing in Dallas, where he was pulled midway through the second period after permitting four goals on 20 shots. He's 20-8-2 with a 1.74 goals-against average at United Center this season.
Los Angeles (40-22-5) is also locked in a tight race in the Pacific Division, holding a two-point advantage on Anaheim and a three-point edge on San Jose. The Kings were able to gain a little separation on the Ducks with Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to New Jersey, managing a point despite falling behind 1:12 into the contest.
''I think the energy level wasn't where it needed to be, especially at the start,'' said center Anze Kopitar, who recorded the tying goal late in the second period. ''We just didn't play the way we need to win a game, especially at this time of the year.''
The Kings registered 23 shots - their lowest total since Dec. 17 - after scoring nine goals in winning their previous two. They did remain stingy on the defensive end, having yielded just 18 goals over a 7-2-1 stretch.
Los Angeles, losers of four of five on the road, begins a challenging back-to-back stretch that concludes Tuesday in Dallas. The Kings were dealt a fourth consecutive regular-season loss in Chicago with a 4-2 defeat on Nov. 22, in which the Blackhawks scored three unanswered third-period goals to support Crawford's 33 saves.
The Kings, 3-10-1 in their last 14 regular-season visits to Chicago, did hand the Blackhawks a 3-2 overtime defeat in Los Angeles on Nov. 28.
NHL points leader Patrick Kane has six over his past three games against Los Angeles and eight goals in his last 11 regular-season matchups.
Blackhawks slip to third place in Central with loss to Stars. (Friday night's game, 03/11/2016).
By Tracey Myers
Health-wise, the Blackhawks and Dallas Stars seem to be going in different directions. The Stars have lost a few recently while the Blackhawks just got Marian Hossa back.
But on Friday, the Stars looked nothing like a hurting squad.
Teuvo Teravainen scored his 11th goal of the season but Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin each scored as the Stars beat the Blackhawks 5-2 at American Airlines Center. With their loss and St. Louis’ victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Blackhawks fall to third in the Central Division with 88 points. The Stars move into first with 90 points.
The Blackhawks were hoping to be better in a few areas, especially with their penalty kill. But once again the kill betrayed them, allowing two of the Stars’ five goals (Jason Spezza and Benn).
“Our special teams, that was probably as bad a night as we could have,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “You don’t even get a chance to get your feet under you to see how it’s going to look. We gave them that one on a platter and the next one was on a platter. But they have some great options; you don’t clear it, tough things happen.”
Corey Crawford was pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Seguin’s goal was his 33rd of the season; the same goes for Benn. The Stars, who were missing former Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, as well as defensemen Jason Demers, Jordie Benn and John Klingberg to injury, were nevertheless the better team.
Thus ended a two-game road trip on which the Blackhawks got just one point.
“It’s almost like that week [when] we were in Detroit then Boston, where I think we played well in the first game on the road. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted to in St. Louis, and we kind of had a drop-off the second game,” Jonathan Toews said. “Tonight was the same way and we ran into a team that was sitting here and ready for us and we didn’t have the speed and the work ethic in the battles in the corners that we needed. So eventually we ended up taking penalties and ended up hurting ourselves. We’ve got to be better than that.”
Tomas Fleischmann added a goal, his second since joining the Blackhawks, with 58.3 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks knew they had to be strong against a hungry, if injured, Stars team. They didn’t get the desired result. They’re obviously not in a serious predicament – just two points separate the first-place Stars from the third-place Blackhawks. But they know they have to get more of an effort than they did on Friday.
“Nobody’s panicking here,” Hossa said. “We have a great team here and we’re in a good spot. We just have to be better than we were tonight.”
But on Friday, the Stars looked nothing like a hurting squad.
Teuvo Teravainen scored his 11th goal of the season but Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin each scored as the Stars beat the Blackhawks 5-2 at American Airlines Center. With their loss and St. Louis’ victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Blackhawks fall to third in the Central Division with 88 points. The Stars move into first with 90 points.
The Blackhawks were hoping to be better in a few areas, especially with their penalty kill. But once again the kill betrayed them, allowing two of the Stars’ five goals (Jason Spezza and Benn).
“Our special teams, that was probably as bad a night as we could have,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “You don’t even get a chance to get your feet under you to see how it’s going to look. We gave them that one on a platter and the next one was on a platter. But they have some great options; you don’t clear it, tough things happen.”
Corey Crawford was pulled midway through the second period after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Seguin’s goal was his 33rd of the season; the same goes for Benn. The Stars, who were missing former Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp, as well as defensemen Jason Demers, Jordie Benn and John Klingberg to injury, were nevertheless the better team.
Thus ended a two-game road trip on which the Blackhawks got just one point.
“It’s almost like that week [when] we were in Detroit then Boston, where I think we played well in the first game on the road. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted to in St. Louis, and we kind of had a drop-off the second game,” Jonathan Toews said. “Tonight was the same way and we ran into a team that was sitting here and ready for us and we didn’t have the speed and the work ethic in the battles in the corners that we needed. So eventually we ended up taking penalties and ended up hurting ourselves. We’ve got to be better than that.”
Tomas Fleischmann added a goal, his second since joining the Blackhawks, with 58.3 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blackhawks knew they had to be strong against a hungry, if injured, Stars team. They didn’t get the desired result. They’re obviously not in a serious predicament – just two points separate the first-place Stars from the third-place Blackhawks. But they know they have to get more of an effort than they did on Friday.
“Nobody’s panicking here,” Hossa said. “We have a great team here and we’re in a good spot. We just have to be better than we were tonight.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Toronto raptors Preview.
By SCOTT GARBARINI
Though wins have become increasingly rare for the Chicago Bulls over the season's second half, they've been plentiful in recent matchups with the Toronto Raptors.
Desperate for a victory, the Bulls hope Jimmy Butler's expected return leads to a season sweep when they visit the Atlantic Division leaders on Monday night.
A two-month long free fall has dropped Chicago (32-32) one game behind Detroit for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, with injuries contributing greatly to its 10-20 record since Jan. 9. The Bulls have lost 11 times during a 16-game stretch in which Butler's played just twice due to a left knee strain.
Bulls: Butler on track to return, Gasol out, Rose unknown.
By Vincent Goodwill
When one comes back, another Bull is out as they embark on a two-game road trip with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
Jimmy Butler returned to Bulls practice and didn’t have any setbacks with his left knee strain that required a visit to Dr. James Andrews last week, and he’s on track to play Monday in Toronto.
But the Bulls’ most available high-performing player won’t make the trip, as in center Pau Gasol, who’s had some swelling in his right knee over the last couple of days and underwent a MRI that didn’t show any structural damage.
Gasol will miss the game in Toronto and Washington on Wednesday as he’ll recover in Chicago with hopes of getting back sooner rather than later. Butler will be on a minute restriction but that number wasn’t revealed in Sunday’s practice.
“We’ve got a plan together for Jimmy and we’ll stick to it, and hopefully he reacts well and we can keep him out there rest of the year,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.
As for Derrick Rose, he’ll travel to Toronto but his status is still very much in the air as he battles a groin injury he suffered in San Antonio Thursday night.
“It’s still too early to tell. He feels significantly better than he did the other day,” Hoiberg said. “It’s just a matter of how he feels in the morning and if he can get through shoot-around.”
Desperate for a victory, the Bulls hope Jimmy Butler's expected return leads to a season sweep when they visit the Atlantic Division leaders on Monday night.
A two-month long free fall has dropped Chicago (32-32) one game behind Detroit for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, with injuries contributing greatly to its 10-20 record since Jan. 9. The Bulls have lost 11 times during a 16-game stretch in which Butler's played just twice due to a left knee strain.
While the All-Star is slated to play after practicing fully on Sunday, the Bulls will still be short-handed as they vie for a ninth consecutive win over Toronto (44-20) and fourth this season. Derrick Rose is expected to miss a second straight game with a groin strain and Pau Gasol will be held out of the next two due to a swollen right knee.
Gasol is averaging 19.5 points and 14.5 rebounds over his last four games and had 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in Friday's 118-96 home loss to Miami, in which the Bulls were again hurt by defensive lapses and an inability to protect the ball.
Chicago committed 18 turnovers - five during a 22-2 fourth-quarter run that gave the Heat a 23-point lead - and allowed Miami to shoot 51.6 percent. It's averaged 20.8 giveaways over the last four games and is permitting 108.3 points per contest over its past 16.
"The dominoes started falling and it was one of those things where we could not stop their momentum," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It started with turnovers and it's been the theme the last few games. The fourth quarter we just lost our mind out there."
The Bulls attempt to avoid their first nine-game road skid since Jan. 7-Feb. 2, 2004 in a venue where they last lost on April 12, 2013. Chicago recorded its fifth straight win at Air Canada Centre on Jan. 3 behind an epic performance from Butler, who broke Michael Jordan's franchise record by scoring 40 of his 42 points in the second half in a 115-113 victory.
Rose had 26 points and Doug McDermott scored a career-high 30 on 13-of-17 shooting as Chicago extended its series streak with a 116-106 home win on Feb. 19.
McDermott has been slumping lately, though, having shot 34.9 percent over his last five.
McDermott has been slumping lately, though, having shot 34.9 percent over his last five.
Toronto's DeMar DeRozan remained hot with a 38-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist effort in Saturday's 112-104 overtime victory over Miami, the Raptors' third consecutive win and 15th in its last 16 at home. The 2016 All-Star is averaging 30.2 points over a six-game stretch.
''He played fantastic, did what he's supposed to do (Thursday) and that's what an All-Star does,'' said backcourt mate Kyle Lowry. ''He laid it down and he's been playing that way the whole season."
Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help offset an off night from Lowry, held to 4-of-16 shooting while managing 16 points - his lowest total since Feb. 10. The standout point guard averaged 27.0 points on a 56.8 percent field goal rate over his previous six.
Bulls: Butler on track to return, Gasol out, Rose unknown.
By Vincent Goodwill
When one comes back, another Bull is out as they embark on a two-game road trip with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
Jimmy Butler returned to Bulls practice and didn’t have any setbacks with his left knee strain that required a visit to Dr. James Andrews last week, and he’s on track to play Monday in Toronto.
But the Bulls’ most available high-performing player won’t make the trip, as in center Pau Gasol, who’s had some swelling in his right knee over the last couple of days and underwent a MRI that didn’t show any structural damage.
Gasol will miss the game in Toronto and Washington on Wednesday as he’ll recover in Chicago with hopes of getting back sooner rather than later. Butler will be on a minute restriction but that number wasn’t revealed in Sunday’s practice.
“We’ve got a plan together for Jimmy and we’ll stick to it, and hopefully he reacts well and we can keep him out there rest of the year,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.
As for Derrick Rose, he’ll travel to Toronto but his status is still very much in the air as he battles a groin injury he suffered in San Antonio Thursday night.
“It’s still too early to tell. He feels significantly better than he did the other day,” Hoiberg said. “It’s just a matter of how he feels in the morning and if he can get through shoot-around.”
The Bulls are one full game behind the Detroit Pistons for the eighth seed in the East, and going against the Washington Wizards is another team that is looking up at the Bulls as the Bulls are desperately fighting to remain in the postseason.
Bringing Butler back, a player who dropped a bomb on Toronto in their first visit, will certainly help. Losing Gasol could negate that advantage.
“He’s been dealing with some issues with his IT band,” Hoiberg said. “It’s right here. (points) He’s been dealing with that. He has had the kinesio tape. They didn’t have all this high-tech stuff when I was playing. But he’s had some irritation down there. He’s been fighting through it, battling through it. And the knee just swelled up. It’s time to figure out exactly what it is with the swelling and then put a treatment plan together.”
Bringing Butler back, a player who dropped a bomb on Toronto in their first visit, will certainly help. Losing Gasol could negate that advantage.
“He’s been dealing with some issues with his IT band,” Hoiberg said. “It’s right here. (points) He’s been dealing with that. He has had the kinesio tape. They didn’t have all this high-tech stuff when I was playing. But he’s had some irritation down there. He’s been fighting through it, battling through it. And the knee just swelled up. It’s time to figure out exactly what it is with the swelling and then put a treatment plan together.”
Heat surge in fourth to pull away from ailing Bulls. (Friday night's game, 03/11/2016).
With no Derrick Rose and no Jimmy Butler, the Bulls didn’t have enough star power to hold off the stalking Heat, falling back to .500 with a 118-96 loss at the United Center Friday.
Rose was a scratch with a groin strain he suffered in San Antonio, and Butler’s status is still uncertain for the moment.
And it was an old bugaboo that killed the Bulls as they held a lead for the better of two and a half quarters but as the final score indicated, they couldn’t hold onto it, nor could they keep it close when things started going in the opposite direction.
“Guys are doing their best,” said center Pau Gasol. “At the end of the day, we’re playing against some good teams that have good rhythms, that are healthier than us and especially in the fourth quarters, we can’t keep up.”
More turnovers did the trick, as they have it away 18 times and appeared to start a new streak of giving up 100 points in games.
“It started with us not taking care of the basketball,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “That has to stop if we want any chance of going on a run this last half of the schedule.”
After Goran Dragic kept the Bulls in it early, with wizardly layups and creative drives to the basket, the rest of the Heat joined the party, and the party was over for the Bulls who were buoyed early by the likes of Justin Holiday and Gasol.
Dragic scored 26 with nine assists, hitting 10 of 16 field goals and being a plus-26 while on the floor.
Gasol scored 17 with 12 rebounds and nine assists but also had six turnovers, the biggest single culprit as no other Bull had more than two. Holiday hounded Dwyane Wade, who was playing with an injured shoulder, and scored 24 points in 38 minutes.
“We were in it, we played hard,” said Taj Gibson, who scored 13 points with six rebounds in 24 minutes. “We were a couple plays away from making big things happen. We kept fighting, kept playing but it got out of hand late.”
The Heat got hot and the Bulls ran out of gas late—along with good players.
Joe Johnson got cooking again, a chief reason why many feel the Heat can give more than a cursory challenge to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a NBA Finals berth, scoring 15 in 28 efficient, low-maintenance minutes.
An alley-oop from Luol Deng to Hassan Whiteside took all the air out of the floor and seemingly the building as the Bulls had no fight left. Deng spearheaded the decisive 26-4 run that took an 84-83 Heat lead to 110-87 with 3:52 left. In a stretch, he hit a wing triple to put them up 91-85, followed by a steal and then an inside basket, two of Miami’s 62 points in the paint.
It didn’t hurt the Miami Heat franchise has found a jewel in guard Josh Richardson, a second round pick who’s begun to find his way in the last month. Richardson hit four triples and scored 22 points in 31 minutes off the bench, outperforming Aaron Brooks, who went just four of 12 and often found himself running into Whiteside in the paint, who altered or blocked his shot altogether.
“We started turning over the ball, we lost a lot of possessions which resulted in them running out and getting wide open layups and three’s,” Hoiberg said. “Especially in the fourth quarter when they went on a run. It snowballed and went in the wrong direction.”
Deng scored 19 with six rebounds while Whiteside obliterated the interior with 13 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.
To say the Bulls provided little resistance on the defensive end was a mild understatement, as the game looked like an instant replay of their earlier meeting in Miami that saw the Heat put up 129 points.
The Heat didn’t quite get there this time, but shooting 62 percent from three and 52 percent overall was more than enough to pull away when things got tight.
Aggressive defenses have their way with the Bulls, and Friday was no exception as the Heat followed the playbook established by the Rockets, Bucks and San Antonio Spurs.
“Last night was a product of our guys bringing the ball down and trying to squeeze it in small places,” Hoiberg said. “Tonight, same thing. They converge, they have strong hands and are physical, and we can’t put ourselves in that position.”
Again, the Bulls didn’t themselves no favors on the other end, forcing just eight turnovers and their only saving grace was Wade being unable to get himself going and forcing the action early to kill their momentum.
But the Heat kept stalking the Bulls and as their best talent was in suits or any other place besides a uniform, it became quick work as the Bulls squandered an opportunity to take advantage of a Pistons loss in Charlotte.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bill Wade, former NFL QB and No. 1 draft pick, dies at 85.
AP - Sports
This is a 1964 photo showing Chicago Bears quarterback Bill Wade. Bill Wade, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who spent 13 seasons as an NFL quarterback with the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, has died, Thursday, March 10, 2016. (Photo/Chicago Tribune via AP)
Bill Wade, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who played 13 seasons in the NFL and helped the Chicago Bears win the 1963 championship, has died. He was 85 years old.
Sharon Wade Kinser, Wade's daughter, said Thursday he died of natural causes Wednesday night at The Meadows senior community in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Los Angeles Rams selected the former Vanderbilt quarterback with the top overall pick in the 1952 draft. After serving two years in the Navy, Wade threw for 124 touchdowns and 18,530 yards while playing for the Rams from 1954-60 and for the Chicago Bears from 1961-66.
The Los Angeles Rams selected the former Vanderbilt quarterback with the top overall pick in the 1952 draft. After serving two years in the Navy, Wade threw for 124 touchdowns and 18,530 yards while playing for the Rams from 1954-60 and for the Chicago Bears from 1961-66.
Wade threw for 2,301 yards and 15 touchdowns in that 1963 championship season. Wade rushed for the Bears' two touchdowns as they defeated the New York Giants 14-10 in the championship game.
''Bill Wade was a gentleman in every sense of the word,'' Bears chairman George McCaskey said in a statement released by the team. ''He carried himself with dignity in all aspects of his life. Even in more recent years when he experienced health challenges, Bill maintained a positive disposition and expressed gratitude for everything he had. Those qualities were what made him a great leader and a favorite of Papa Bear (former Bears coach and owner George Halas).''
During his NFL career, Wade also rushed for 1,334 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Wade played for Vanderbilt from 1949-51. He was the Southeastern Conference player of the year and an Associated Press All-America second-team selection his final season with the Commodores. He threw for 3,397 yards and 31 touchdowns during his college career.
''I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Wade on a number of occasions,'' Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams said. ''I just think he was one of the greatest guys I've ever met.''
During his NFL career, Wade also rushed for 1,334 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Wade played for Vanderbilt from 1949-51. He was the Southeastern Conference player of the year and an Associated Press All-America second-team selection his final season with the Commodores. He threw for 3,397 yards and 31 touchdowns during his college career.
''I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Wade on a number of occasions,'' Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams said. ''I just think he was one of the greatest guys I've ever met.''
As a junior for Vanderbilt in 1950, Wade threw for 16 touchdowns, which remained a school single-season record for over three decades before Whit Taylor threw 22 touchdown passes in 1982. Wade was part of the Vanderbilt athletic department's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2008.
''I just can't think of anything that's not positive about him, not only what he did here, what he did in the pros but as he got older and started having health issues,'' Williams said. ''I never heard the man complain about anything.''
''I just can't think of anything that's not positive about him, not only what he did here, what he did in the pros but as he got older and started having health issues,'' Williams said. ''I never heard the man complain about anything.''
Wade was the son of W.J. Wade, a captain of a Vanderbilt team that went 7-0-1 in 1921.
Bears bolster front seven, sign DL Akiem Hicks to two-year deal.
By John Mullin
Money always matters in matters of free agency but it is increasingly apparent that John Fox is nothing if not a salesman.
First it was linebacker Danny Trevathan, who played for Fox in Denver and said that Fox was most definitely a major factor in his decision to choose the Bears on the first day of free agency.
Now comes defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, a massive (6-5, 324 pounds) part of a very good New England Patriots defense and whom the Patriots wanted to re-sign. The Patriots understood Hicks’ wish to explore his options in his first opportunity to reach the open market and typically as players in that situation for the chance to match or top any serious offer to the four-year veteran of both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes.
The Patriots were no match, however, for Fox and the Bears, who landed Hicks on a two-year deal Sunday night as a critical addition to a defense intent on taking a huge step from year one to two under Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio.
Need trumps best-available in free agency
While the successful drafting is based on securing best players available rather than over-drafting a player based on a need, free agency is precisely the opposite, where need is typically trump.
The Bears were among the NFL’s poorest at stopping the run, ranking 26th by giving up 4.5 yards per carry and 103 rushing first downs, tied for 25th. Part of problem traced to losing anticipated defensive starters Ego Ferguson, Ray McDonald and Jeremiah Ratliff for various reasons (Ferguson to knee surgery), and even rookie Eddie Goldman to injured reserve for game 16.
Accordingly, the Bears made Hicks a priority in their initial wave of targets in free agency. Hicks, No. 2 on CSNChicago.com’s ranking of interior defensive linemen (behind only Jaye Howard, who opted to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs for $6 million per year)), was a stout part of a New England Patriots defense ranked ninth against the run. Hicks was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by the New Orleans Saints while Bears GM Ryan Pace was with the Saints’ personnel department as director of pro scouting.
Hicks, 26, was traded from New Orleans to the Patriots for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. He is regarded as an ascending player with significant upside after netting three sacks in 13 New England games last season and playing as an end in the 3-4 schemes with New Orleans and New England. His top sack total of 4.5 came in 2013 when the Saints finished 11-5 with the NFL’s No. 4 defense.
Building power base
Where once not all that long ago the Bears had no defensive linemen bigger than Ratliff’s 303 pounds, Hicks at one of the defensive end/tackle spots puts 324 pounds alongside Goldman’s 334. The Bears have Ferguson under contract for two more years.
And they have the 2016 draft, widely regarded as one of the best ever for defensive linemen.
The defenses of Lovie Smith utilized smaller defensive linemen tasked with penetration of one gap between two offensive linemen. The 3-4 of John Fox/Vic Fangio is anchored by a nose tackle and linemen capable of preventing blockers from reaching linebackers and second levels of the defense.
Like Goldman (4.5 sacks in ’15), Hicks is considered a pocket collapser.
Bears bolster front seven, sign DL Akiem Hicks to two-year deal.
By John Mullin
Money always matters in matters of free agency but it is increasingly apparent that John Fox is nothing if not a salesman.
First it was linebacker Danny Trevathan, who played for Fox in Denver and said that Fox was most definitely a major factor in his decision to choose the Bears on the first day of free agency.
Now comes defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, a massive (6-5, 324 pounds) part of a very good New England Patriots defense and whom the Patriots wanted to re-sign. The Patriots understood Hicks’ wish to explore his options in his first opportunity to reach the open market and typically as players in that situation for the chance to match or top any serious offer to the four-year veteran of both 3-4 and 4-3 schemes.
The Patriots were no match, however, for Fox and the Bears, who landed Hicks on a two-year deal Sunday night as a critical addition to a defense intent on taking a huge step from year one to two under Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio.
Need trumps best-available in free agency
While the successful drafting is based on securing best players available rather than over-drafting a player based on a need, free agency is precisely the opposite, where need is typically trump.
The Bears were among the NFL’s poorest at stopping the run, ranking 26th by giving up 4.5 yards per carry and 103 rushing first downs, tied for 25th. Part of problem traced to losing anticipated defensive starters Ego Ferguson, Ray McDonald and Jeremiah Ratliff for various reasons (Ferguson to knee surgery), and even rookie Eddie Goldman to injured reserve for game 16.
Accordingly, the Bears made Hicks a priority in their initial wave of targets in free agency. Hicks, No. 2 on CSNChicago.com’s ranking of interior defensive linemen (behind only Jaye Howard, who opted to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs for $6 million per year)), was a stout part of a New England Patriots defense ranked ninth against the run. Hicks was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by the New Orleans Saints while Bears GM Ryan Pace was with the Saints’ personnel department as director of pro scouting.
Hicks, 26, was traded from New Orleans to the Patriots for tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. He is regarded as an ascending player with significant upside after netting three sacks in 13 New England games last season and playing as an end in the 3-4 schemes with New Orleans and New England. His top sack total of 4.5 came in 2013 when the Saints finished 11-5 with the NFL’s No. 4 defense.
Building power base
Where once not all that long ago the Bears had no defensive linemen bigger than Ratliff’s 303 pounds, Hicks at one of the defensive end/tackle spots puts 324 pounds alongside Goldman’s 334. The Bears have Ferguson under contract for two more years.
And they have the 2016 draft, widely regarded as one of the best ever for defensive linemen.
The defenses of Lovie Smith utilized smaller defensive linemen tasked with penetration of one gap between two offensive linemen. The 3-4 of John Fox/Vic Fangio is anchored by a nose tackle and linemen capable of preventing blockers from reaching linebackers and second levels of the defense.
Like Goldman (4.5 sacks in ’15), Hicks is considered a pocket collapser.
Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan impact multiple areas of Bears 3-4 'D'.
By John Mullin
Not many teams would replace two of their three leading tacklers from the previous season and believe they’re improving. But the Bears are in the process of doing exactly that.
The makeover of the Bears defense that began effectively a year ago with the hirings of coach John Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio took another step on Saturday when the Bears signed former Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman to a three-year contract. This follows by a matter of hours the addition of former Denver Broncos inside linebacker Danny Trevathan.
The signings presumably foreshadow the exits of Christian Jones and Shea McClellin as the Bears retool their 3-4 linebacker corps closer to players from that scheme rather than attempting to staff the defense with players specifically acquired for another system, which inside linebackers Jones and McClellin were.
Jones was second to rookie safety Adrian Amos on the Bears last season with 98 tackles. McClellin was third with 96, with Pernell McPhee a distant fourth at 64.
Running the defense
McClellin primarily and Jones in his absence were tasked with handling defensive signals, assignments and positioning in the Bears’ scheme. Both Freeman and Trevathan have done precisely those duties at a demonstrably higher level.
“My greatest strength is understanding and knowing my job and understanding the defense,” Freeman said. “I'm a big studier. You may not know a lot about [Div. III] guys, but we don't get athletic scholarships. We get academic ones. Speed, being able to run around and tackle. Just a lot of things that make me who I am.”
Freeman was surprised when the Colts made no effort to re-sign him after four years with them, chalking it off to the NFL simply being a business. “It was just like a, 'good luck in free agency,'” Freeman said. He said he didn’t realize that the Colts were on the Bears’ 2016 schedule, but being informed of that on Saturday brought a healthy laugh.
In the meantime, Freeman was clear on what Fangio and Fox expect of him.
“Being a three-down linebacker,” Freeman said. “Being able to stay on the field, cover, my understanding and being able to dissect plays, just being a playmaker. Just doing what I've been doing. I guess that's plenty.”
Coverage issues
Freeman and Trevathan are unique upgrades in part because they are inside linebackers with coverage skills, which neither Jones nor McClellin demonstrated. Neither has an interception in their Bears careers. Jones had 4 pass breakups last season, McClellin two. For purposes of perspective: little-used backup cornerback Alan Ball had 5, as did linebacker Jonathan Anderson who spent the first five weeks of the season on practice squad and played fewer than half the ’15 snaps that Jones and McClellin did. Reserve defensive tackle Will Sutton had four. Defensive end Willie Young had three.
Freeman is one of three NFL linebackers since 2012 to record at least eight forced fumbles and four interceptions along with Lavonte David and Thomas Davis. Freeman has 17 pass breakups in his four Indianapolis seasons, more than Jones and McClellin combined for their four years as Bears linebackers (McClellin was played at defensive end his first two years).
The Freeman and Trevathan signings combine to dramatically dial down any need to address that position, beyond on a best-player-available basis, in the draft, which is generally considered below average in 2016 at the inside-linebacker position.
Bears stay busy in free agency, re-sign wide receiver Marc Mariani.
By Scott Krinch
While most of Chicago is out celebrating St. Patrick's Day this weekend, it doesn't look Bears general manager Ryan Pace has left Halas Hall.
After signing inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman and defensive lineman Mitch Unrein on Saturday afternoon, Pace moved on to the other side of the football.
The Bears announced they have re-signed wide receiver/returner Marc Mariani to a one-year deal.
The 28-year-old Mariani appeared in all 16 contests with the Bears last season, including five starts at wideout, recording career-highs in receptions (22) and receiving yards (300). Mariani also returned 29 points for 192 yards (6.6 AVG) and 16 kickoffs for 418 yards (26.1 AVG).
Mariani, a seventh-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans out of the University of Montana, has appeared in 54 games over six seasons with the Titans (2010-13) and Bears (2014-15). He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2010 as a return specialist.
Bears re-sign defensive lineman Mitch Unrein to two-year deal.
By Scott Krinch
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has had a busy Saturday.
Shortly after the signing of former Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman, the Bears announced they have re-signed defensive lineman Mitch Unrein to a two-year deal.
The 28-year-old Unrein joined the Bears last September after being waived by the San Diego Chargers. Unrein spent the first four years of his career with the Denver Broncos and John Fox. He appeared in 16 games (14 with the Bears) last season, recording 19 tackles and one sack.
Joe Maddon: Cubs-White Sox is ‘legit’ rivalry.
The makeover of the Bears defense that began effectively a year ago with the hirings of coach John Fox and coordinator Vic Fangio took another step on Saturday when the Bears signed former Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman to a three-year contract. This follows by a matter of hours the addition of former Denver Broncos inside linebacker Danny Trevathan.
The signings presumably foreshadow the exits of Christian Jones and Shea McClellin as the Bears retool their 3-4 linebacker corps closer to players from that scheme rather than attempting to staff the defense with players specifically acquired for another system, which inside linebackers Jones and McClellin were.
Jones was second to rookie safety Adrian Amos on the Bears last season with 98 tackles. McClellin was third with 96, with Pernell McPhee a distant fourth at 64.
Running the defense
McClellin primarily and Jones in his absence were tasked with handling defensive signals, assignments and positioning in the Bears’ scheme. Both Freeman and Trevathan have done precisely those duties at a demonstrably higher level.
“My greatest strength is understanding and knowing my job and understanding the defense,” Freeman said. “I'm a big studier. You may not know a lot about [Div. III] guys, but we don't get athletic scholarships. We get academic ones. Speed, being able to run around and tackle. Just a lot of things that make me who I am.”
Freeman was surprised when the Colts made no effort to re-sign him after four years with them, chalking it off to the NFL simply being a business. “It was just like a, 'good luck in free agency,'” Freeman said. He said he didn’t realize that the Colts were on the Bears’ 2016 schedule, but being informed of that on Saturday brought a healthy laugh.
In the meantime, Freeman was clear on what Fangio and Fox expect of him.
“Being a three-down linebacker,” Freeman said. “Being able to stay on the field, cover, my understanding and being able to dissect plays, just being a playmaker. Just doing what I've been doing. I guess that's plenty.”
Coverage issues
Freeman and Trevathan are unique upgrades in part because they are inside linebackers with coverage skills, which neither Jones nor McClellin demonstrated. Neither has an interception in their Bears careers. Jones had 4 pass breakups last season, McClellin two. For purposes of perspective: little-used backup cornerback Alan Ball had 5, as did linebacker Jonathan Anderson who spent the first five weeks of the season on practice squad and played fewer than half the ’15 snaps that Jones and McClellin did. Reserve defensive tackle Will Sutton had four. Defensive end Willie Young had three.
Freeman is one of three NFL linebackers since 2012 to record at least eight forced fumbles and four interceptions along with Lavonte David and Thomas Davis. Freeman has 17 pass breakups in his four Indianapolis seasons, more than Jones and McClellin combined for their four years as Bears linebackers (McClellin was played at defensive end his first two years).
The Freeman and Trevathan signings combine to dramatically dial down any need to address that position, beyond on a best-player-available basis, in the draft, which is generally considered below average in 2016 at the inside-linebacker position.
Bears stay busy in free agency, re-sign wide receiver Marc Mariani.
By Scott Krinch
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
While most of Chicago is out celebrating St. Patrick's Day this weekend, it doesn't look Bears general manager Ryan Pace has left Halas Hall.
After signing inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman and defensive lineman Mitch Unrein on Saturday afternoon, Pace moved on to the other side of the football.
The Bears announced they have re-signed wide receiver/returner Marc Mariani to a one-year deal.
The 28-year-old Mariani appeared in all 16 contests with the Bears last season, including five starts at wideout, recording career-highs in receptions (22) and receiving yards (300). Mariani also returned 29 points for 192 yards (6.6 AVG) and 16 kickoffs for 418 yards (26.1 AVG).
Mariani, a seventh-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans out of the University of Montana, has appeared in 54 games over six seasons with the Titans (2010-13) and Bears (2014-15). He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2010 as a return specialist.
Bears re-sign defensive lineman Mitch Unrein to two-year deal.
By Scott Krinch
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Bears general manager Ryan Pace has had a busy Saturday.
Shortly after the signing of former Indianapolis Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman, the Bears announced they have re-signed defensive lineman Mitch Unrein to a two-year deal.
The 28-year-old Unrein joined the Bears last September after being waived by the San Diego Chargers. Unrein spent the first four years of his career with the Denver Broncos and John Fox. He appeared in 16 games (14 with the Bears) last season, recording 19 tackles and one sack.
Joe Maddon: Cubs-White Sox is ‘legit’ rivalry.
By J.J. Stankevitz
Joe Maddon has been a part of forced and real rivalries, and a year into it sees Cubs-White Sox falling into the latter category.
A standing-room-only crowd of 15,417 showed up to Sloan Park on Saturday for the 2016’s first Crosstown game, even if it came in a laid-back Cactus League setting with the Cubs playing only a handful of regulars. But there were loud cheers for Dexter Fowler’s solo home run off Erik Johnson, and fans successfully urged someone to lob Avisail Garcia’s seventh inning home run back on to the field.
The Cubs won Saturday, 9-2.
“I think, I went through the Angels and Dodgers, which I thought was a legitimate rivalry,” Maddon, who previously was the Angels’ bench coach and Rays’ manager, said. “For years, they were trying to make the Rays versus the Marlins a rivalry, which I thought was contrived and wasn’t necessarily true. Obviously the Cubs and White Sox are real.
As both the Cubs and White Sox struggled to win games, the rivalry cooled a bit. But the Cubs’ 97-win 2015 season helped rekindle it on both sides of town, and if the White Sox are even close to being the best team in the American League (as USA Today boldly projected), there should be some sizzle to this year’s four-game Crosstown series.
As both the Cubs and White Sox struggled to win games, the rivalry cooled a bit. But the Cubs’ 97-win 2015 season helped rekindle it on both sides of town, and if the White Sox are even close to being the best team in the American League (as USA Today boldly projected), there should be some sizzle to this year’s four-game Crosstown series.
“I really think that’s pretty cool,” Maddon said. “It’s legit, and I’m glad that it’s there. You grew up where I did and it was all these rivalries in high school that I loved and collegiately all these rivalries, I think they’re wonderful for any sport. It’s legit. It’s not contrived, and that’s why I appreciate it.”
White Sox fifth starter battle still coming into focus.
By J.J. Stankevitz
Erik Johnson and Mat Latos both pitched on Saturday and had mixed results as each right-hander vies to win a spot in the White Sox rotation coming out of spring training.
Johnson allowed five runs on seven hits in three innings against the Cubs at Sloan Park, and had his fastball sit between 85 and 89 miles per hour, according to a scout. He gave up a solo home run to Dexter Fowler on a fastball low in the zone, and said he’s still working on building up strength in his arm.
“I know I’m not there yet,” Johnson said. “Pitch count-wise I’m getting to where I need to be but as far as innings go, I’d like to achieve more than that. I know the stuff is there. I’m throwing strikes with all of my pitches. The arm strength will come along.”
Johnson felt like he was aggressive in the strike zone and threw some good off-speed pitches, but manager Robin Ventura said the 26-year-old fell behind in too many counts Saturday for those pitches to be effective.
“You can make quality pitches but if you’re doing it in a hitter’s count and it’s not perfect, you’re going to get hit a little bit,” Ventura said. “It’s a good lineup and you just gotta be better early.”
Johnson felt like he was aggressive in the strike zone and threw some good off-speed pitches, but manager Robin Ventura said the 26-year-old fell behind in too many counts Saturday for those pitches to be effective.
“You can make quality pitches but if you’re doing it in a hitter’s count and it’s not perfect, you’re going to get hit a little bit,” Ventura said. “It’s a good lineup and you just gotta be better early.”
Latos allowed three runs over four innings of work in a B game against the Texas Rangers in surprise Saturday morning, though all three of those tallies came in the first inning (two on a home run).
An American League scout who watched Latos’ start told CSNChicago.com it was “pretty underwhelming,” though the right-hander said he was more concerned with commanding his fastball in the relatively laid-back setting of a B game.
“Most importantly I was worried about hitting my spots and hitting each side of the plate with my fastball,” Latos said. “The one big thing we had been working on in my side sessions was big today, able to keep the fastball to the side of the plate I wanted it to.
“Earlier in the game I threw a couple real nice two-seamers into some righties. (I) threw one that didn’t move at all, made that mistake and it got hit for a home run. But I settled in after that, everything came out of my arm, easy flow, go through the motions and making my pitches.”
Ventura was in attendance for Latos’ outing and said he was “alright,” though noted the 28-year-old ramped up his intensity after giving up those runs in the first inning.
“After that, the competition part in him came out, which is good,” Ventura said. “A good outing — B games are going to be a little tough to get going, I think once you get knocked around a bit it helps that.”
Latos said he wasn’t going to read into the outcome of his start, instead focusing more on how he felt.
“I could care less about the results,” Latos said. “Come April, I’ll care about the results. From the way it looked, the first inning cost me but the last three were really good.”
Johnson, Latos and right-hander Jacob Turner, who allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his only Cactus League start to date, are battling to win that final spot in the White Sox rotation. All three have had some level of success in the past (Latos had the most, with a 3.27 ERA from 2010-2014) but have struggled in recent years.
The White Sox have a little over three weeks until Opening Day, with each of those three pitchers getting plenty of opportunities to stake their claim to a gig in the starting rotation. Saturday’s games were just one part of the evaluation process for Ventura, Don Cooper & Co.
“You have to go out there and pitch well,” Ventura said, answering a question about what Johnson has to do to make the team. “There’s a chance you’re going to make the team, but you just gotta pitch well.”
White Sox finding transition to new catchers a smooth one.
By J.J. Stankevitz
The White Sox haven’t broken in two new catchers in 11 years, back when A.J. Pierzynski and Chris Widger were brought in before the 2005 season. Since then, either Pierzynski or Tyler Flowers has been the team’s regular starting catcher, providing uncommon consistency for the team’s pitching staff.
White Sox finding transition to new catchers a smooth one.
By J.J. Stankevitz
The White Sox haven’t broken in two new catchers in 11 years, back when A.J. Pierzynski and Chris Widger were brought in before the 2005 season. Since then, either Pierzynski or Tyler Flowers has been the team’s regular starting catcher, providing uncommon consistency for the team’s pitching staff.
The White Sox jettisoned Flowers and signed veterans Dioner Navarro and Alex Avila in the offseason, but pitchers said the adjustment to both has been quick and smooth.
“It’s been great,” left-hander John Danks said. “Two veteran guys who’ve had a lot of success in the big leagues and have seen me a lot, so it’s an easy transition for me personally. Love having them back there."
Left-hander Jose Quintana echoed Danks' sentiment.
“I feel really good with them,” Quintana said. “They have a lot of experience in the big leagues. I think they can help this team. I feel really good with them.”
Between them, Avila and Navarro have caught 11,827 2/3 innings over a combined 19 seasons in the majors. Both rate as good defensive catchers, though Statcorner.com had both as below-average pitch framers in 2015.
There was a certain comfort level many pitchers on this staff had with Flowers that was disrupted by his departure. Flowers, who ironically enough is slated share time with Pierzynski again with the Atlanta Braves, was widely praised for his ability to handle the pitching staff — especially Chris Sale, who heaped praise on Flowers during his streak of eight consecutive games with 10 or more strikeouts last year.
But whatever disruption that existed apparently was been short-lived.
Avila said he and pitching coach Don Cooper had periodic conversations throughout the offseason to familiarize the ex-Detroit Tigers catcher with the repertoires and tendencies of his new teammates. And Navarro said he quickly learned about White Sox pitchers after arriving in Arizona last month — on Friday, he had left-hander Carlos Rodon drop his trusty slider and throw nothing but fastballs and sliders, something the 2014 first-round pick said was “awesome.”
“I’ve been around so many teams for so many years,” Navarro, who’s on his seventh club, said. “One of the things I try to focus on in spring training is to get to know my guys, talking, sharing information with whoever. I just want to see what they’ve got. We don’t go into a game plan. We just want to see what they’ve got and see what happens. Right now is the time to find out what we’re made of and work on the things we need to work on.”
Whether Avila and Navarro represent a marked upgrade over Flowers and last year’s backup, Geovany Soto, remains to be seen. Avila and Navarro combined for 0.8 WAR on the Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays last year; Flowers and Soto were at 1.5 WAR (though it’s worth noting an 0.7 difference isn’t incredibly significant).
Both Avila and Navarro have better on-base skills than Flowers, who has a career .289 on-base percentage. Navarro’s success against left-handers (career .775 OPS) and Avila’s against right-handers (career .781 OPS) could form a solid offensive platoon behind the plate, though.
If the White Sox do see an offensive improvement from their catchers, the expectation about a month through spring training is that it won’t come at the expense of deftly handling the pitching staff.
“Each team has their philosophies and way they like to do things,” Avila said. “At the end of the day, too, it’s just baseball. It’s the same everywhere. I’m not going to say it hasn’t been challenging. There’s a lot of new experiences, new faces, obviously new things to learn. But at the same time it’s gone very smooth.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Schwartzel outlasts Haas to win US PGA Valspar title.
AFP
South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, parred the first playoff hole Sunday to defeat American Bill Haas and capture the US PGA Valspar Championship.
Schwartzel won his 15th professional title worldwide, his first since last month's European Tour Tshwane Open and his first in a US event since he birdied the last four holes at Augusta National to win his first major title five years ago.
Haas was right of a cart path with his tee shot on the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th, and found a bunker with his second shot while Schwartzel landed his ball in the middle of the green.
Haas, 33, blasted out to 25 feet with his third shot while Schwartzel, 31, left his birdie putt two feet short. Haas tapped in for bogey but Schwartzel tapped in for par and the triumph.
Schwartzel made the greatest last-day rally to win in tournament history, one better than the four-stroke comeback of Australian John Senden in the 2014 final round.
Haas and Schwartzel each finished 72 holes at the Innisbrook resort's Copperhead course on seven-under par 277 after 54-hole leader Haas shot a 72.
Schwartzel birdied three of the last six holes in regulation to fire a four-under par 67, the day's low round. He missed by inches on a 40-foot birdie putt at 18.
Schwartzel birdied three of the last six holes in regulation to fire a four-under par 67, the day's low round. He missed by inches on a 40-foot birdie putt at 18.
"That was a really good round," Schwartzel said. "I think everyone's goal was just to keep bogeys off the card. You were just surviving. It was just really tough."
American Ryan Moore, who parred the last 12 holes, was third on 279 with 22-year-old amateur Lee McCoy, the playing partner of world number one Jordan Spieth on Sunday, fourth on 280.
- McCoy says fourth 'surreal' -
Spieth, the reigning US Open and Masters champion, faded quickly out of contention. He took a bogey at the second, birdied the par-5 fifth, but made double bogey at the par-3 eighth and a bogey at 11 to doom his title bid, shooting a 73 to share 18th on 284.
Spieth, the reigning US Open and Masters champion, faded quickly out of contention. He took a bogey at the second, birdied the par-5 fifth, but made double bogey at the par-3 eighth and a bogey at 11 to doom his title bid, shooting a 73 to share 18th on 284.
McCoy, whose boyhood home was near the first tee, sank a 28-foot birdie at the 12th and a tap-in birdie at the par-5 14th on the way to a 69 to finish on 280, becoming only the fifth top-five amateur finisher in a PGA event since the tour's last amateur winner, Phil Mickelson in 1991 at Tucson.
"Surreal to say the least," McCoy said. "I've just always dreamed of getting a tee time here. To be in contention playing with the number one player in the world was just unbelievable. I had to pinch myself several times."
Haas led at eight-under when the day began and sank an 18-foot birdie putt at the second. He stumbled with bogeys at the third and par-3 fourth and found a greenside bunker on his way to a bogey at the ninth, making the turn at six-under just one ahead of Moore with five others only two adrift.
Schwartzel sank a 64-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th -- saying, "that was just perfect" -- to pull within a stroke but a tap-in birdie by Haas at 11 boosted the American's edge and an 11-foot Haas birdie putt at the 12th stretched his lead to three strokes.
But Schwartzel sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th to close within two again, and added a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th to move within one stroke.
Haas sank a testy nine-foot par putt at the par-3 15th to stay in front but found a bunker at 16 and missed a 10-foot par putt, falling into a tie with Schwartzel.
But Schwartzel sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th to close within two again, and added a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th to move within one stroke.
Haas sank a testy nine-foot par putt at the par-3 15th to stay in front but found a bunker at 16 and missed a 10-foot par putt, falling into a tie with Schwartzel.
Hend holds off local challenger to win Thailand Classic.
AP - Sports
Scott Hend (Photo/yahoosports.com)
Scott Hend of Australia shot a final-round 68 to beat Piya Swangarunporn of Thailand by a stroke to win the Thailand Classic at the Black Mountain Golf Course on Sunday.
Hend rolled in five birdies against one bogey for an overall total of 18-under-par 270 to win his second European Tour event.
The win marked the 43-year-old golfer's second Asian Tour title in Thailand after the 2013 Chiang Mai Classic and the eighth on the Asian Tour.
''I'm very proud to win this title,'' Hend said.
Piya, 32, enjoyed his best result on the Asian Tour after he shot a tournament record 63 on Sunday that included seven birdies and an eagle on the 10th to finish one back.
''Today was one of the best rounds I have ever played,'' said Piya. ''Everything about the game was good and it all came together for me. It is a big day for my career and I hope to play more big tournaments like this one in the future because this week has given me a lot of confidence.''
Thomas Pieters of Belgium was three strokes off the lead after final-round 68 for a 15-under 273.
NASCAR: Kevin Harvick beats Carl Edwards by 0.01 seconds at Phoenix.
Well, the winner of Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix was predictable. But damn, the finish sure wasn't.
Kevin Harvick held off Carl Edwards in an amazing last half lap to win by mere inches. Edwards got underneath Harvick in turns 3 and 4 and the two cars bounced off each other multiple times exiting turn 4. The final piece of contact pushed Harvick's car past Edwards' by 0.01 seconds.
It's the second finish of 0.01 seconds in the Sprint Cup Series in 2016. Denny Hamlin beat Martin Truex Jr. by the same margin in the Daytona 500.
"I should have wrecked him," Edwards joked after the race. "Those guys were doing a great job all day. They hung on with those tires. But we were faster, so I thought 'Man, I'll just move him out of the way and get by.' I just didn't move him far enough. And the he got up to the door and I was trying to time it, I thought 'I think he's going to beat me' so I tried to sideswipe him before he got there but I needed to be in front of his front tire."
Harvick has won five of the last six races at Phoenix and six of the last eight. He was leading with five laps to go when Kasey Kahne hit the wall after he cut a right front tire. Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Austin Dillon didn't pit. Edwards was the first car to pit and took two fresh tires.
Edwards got to second immediately off the restart and charged towards Harvick on the last lap. Without fresh tires, the race was all Harvick's. But Edwards had a speed advantage and came oh-so-close to making it work for him.
"Well I knew he was better in 3 and 4, that was not the car I wanted to see behind me," Harvick said. "I knew I could beat him down there [in turns 1 and 2] and I tried to protect the bottom in 3 and 4 and I just missed the bottom with all the rubber buildup on the tires and everything. All in all I knew it was going to be on defense down there. I got up too high and wasn't able to stay on the bottom like I wanted to and he got into me -- like he should have -- and I knew I needed to get a good run off the corner and I was going to have to get in his door and it worked out just barely."
Harvick didn't seize control of the race until the second half. But when he did, his car was really damn good. On the next-to-last restart Harvick cruised past Edwards when the two were on equal tires. Had the caution not come out for Kahne's crash, Harvick would have won the race easily over Earnhardt Jr., the only driver to beat Harvick at Phoenix since 2013. And even Junior's win came as the result of a pit road timing and scoring quirk.
There were no quirks on Sunday. Just a race that almost had a surprise winner because of a late caution.
Kyle Busch takes Phoenix for 3rd straight Xfinity Series win.
By MIKE CRANSTON
Kyle Busch celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Phoenix International Raceway, Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ralph Freso)
Kyle Busch made it 3 for 3 in the Xfinity Series this season, cruising to another victory at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday.
A week after leading all but one lap at Las Vegas, Busch led 175 of 200 laps on the mile oval to win for the record 79th time in the second-tier series.
Busch also posted a dominating win at Atlanta. He didn't race in the opener at Daytona.
Busch also posted a dominating win at Atlanta. He didn't race in the opener at Daytona.
In the past three weeks, Busch has led 493 of 563 laps.
''Some people will say I'm a failure for just joining this field,'' the Sprint Cup regular said. ''I get plenty of criticism, whether I'm winning, losing or participating. For me, I don't really pay attention to any of that. I do what I need to do to help support my team.''
Busch's biggest obstacle was lapped traffic and the lone competition his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. Busch and series rookie Erik Jones raced side-by-side for several laps before their green-flag pit stops with 24 laps left. Busch beat Jones to the line and built as much as a 3-second edge.
''Some people will say I'm a failure for just joining this field,'' the Sprint Cup regular said. ''I get plenty of criticism, whether I'm winning, losing or participating. For me, I don't really pay attention to any of that. I do what I need to do to help support my team.''
Busch's biggest obstacle was lapped traffic and the lone competition his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates. Busch and series rookie Erik Jones raced side-by-side for several laps before their green-flag pit stops with 24 laps left. Busch beat Jones to the line and built as much as a 3-second edge.
When Brad Keselowski finally pitted with 13 laps left, Busch took the lead for good and secured his ninth Xfinity Series win in 20 races at Phoenix.
''A knack for this place, I guess,'' Busch said. ''We've been off a little bit on the (Sprint) Cup side for years, but this year we seem to be a lot better. ... The Xfinity Series program has always been good. I'm not sure why.''
Jones finished second, 2.3 seconds back. But his car failed the post-race laser inspection and his team could be fined.
Daniel Suarez, who scraped the wall early, was third. It gave JGR a top-three sweep for the second straight week.
''That pit stop we lost a lot of ground to him,'' Jones said about Busch. ''It just got too tight after that and he ran away.''
Busch started third behind Jones and Suarez on the sunny and breezy day and shot to the lead on the sixth lap. He worked his way from fourth to first after three drivers took only two tires on a mid-race pit stop.
Justin Allgaier finished fourth and Chase Elliott fifth.
With Elliott winning at Daytona, a Sprint Cup regular has won every Xfinity race this season.
The series switched to a playoff format similar to the Sprint Cup this season. But Jones and Suarez haven't been able to take advantage of the win-and-you're-in format, not with their teammate dominating.
''They made me run hard all day long,'' Busch said about his JGR mates. ''There's nothing left in this car.''
Suarez opened an eight-point lead over Elliott Sadler in the season standings. Sadler finished eighth.
SOCCER: Fire hold on for draw in Orlando after first half red card.
''A knack for this place, I guess,'' Busch said. ''We've been off a little bit on the (Sprint) Cup side for years, but this year we seem to be a lot better. ... The Xfinity Series program has always been good. I'm not sure why.''
Jones finished second, 2.3 seconds back. But his car failed the post-race laser inspection and his team could be fined.
Daniel Suarez, who scraped the wall early, was third. It gave JGR a top-three sweep for the second straight week.
''That pit stop we lost a lot of ground to him,'' Jones said about Busch. ''It just got too tight after that and he ran away.''
Busch started third behind Jones and Suarez on the sunny and breezy day and shot to the lead on the sixth lap. He worked his way from fourth to first after three drivers took only two tires on a mid-race pit stop.
Justin Allgaier finished fourth and Chase Elliott fifth.
With Elliott winning at Daytona, a Sprint Cup regular has won every Xfinity race this season.
The series switched to a playoff format similar to the Sprint Cup this season. But Jones and Suarez haven't been able to take advantage of the win-and-you're-in format, not with their teammate dominating.
''They made me run hard all day long,'' Busch said about his JGR mates. ''There's nothing left in this car.''
Suarez opened an eight-point lead over Elliott Sadler in the season standings. Sadler finished eighth.
SOCCER: Fire hold on for draw in Orlando after first half red card.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
However, after host Orlando City and the Fire both scored early goals the Fire defense tightened up. Despite playing down a man for an hour, the Fire were able to hold on for a 1-1 draw on the road.
Cyle Larin got Orlando (0-0-2, 2 points) on the board in the fourth minute. He found some space between Fire defenders Jonathan Campbell and Johan Kappelhof, but Campbell recovered to block Larin's initial shot. However, the ball then landed right at Larin's feet and he fired home.
The Fire (0-1-1, 1 point) struggled to keep possession for much of the first half, but were able to find some chances on the counter thanks to the speed of David Accam and Kennedy Igboananike. In the 14th minute one of those chances turned into a goal. The Fire cleared the ball from the defensive zone and Accam chased the bouncing ball on the Citrus Bowl turf and burned Seb Hines to create a breakaway on goal. Accam finished for his second goal in as many games.
The match took a turn in the 32nd minute when Michael Harrington received a red card for going into a tackle with a high foot. Orlando held nearly 70 percent of the possession in the first half, dominating even before Harrington was sent off. Once the Fire played down a man, they were forced to sit back and play on the counter the rest of the way.
Orlando finished with 65 percent of the possession, but the Fire were able to absorb the pressure. Fire coach Veljko Paunovic went with a three-man back line with rookie Jonathan Campbell making his first start alongside Joao Meira and Johan Kappelhof. Brandon Vincent and Harrington played as wing backs, pushing up for wide play when they could.
Orlando did get a few good chances in the second half, but goalkeeper Matt Lampson came up with some big saves. In the 78th minute Kevin Molino hit a laser of a shot off the outside of the post. A minute later Larin was free on the left side for a shot, but Lampson was able to get a piece of it and that one also ricocheted off the post. A minute after Larin's chance, Molino got free in the middle of the Fire defense, but Lampson got off his line to snuff out the chance.
After being derided in the opening loss to NYCFC, Lampson had a solid game. He wasn't put under as much pressure in terms of distribution, but made the saves he needed to on Friday.
Friday's match also marked the debut of John Goossens. Goossens played 73 minutes before being replaced by Razvan Cocis. He had a quiet game other than a nice chipped pass to Kappelhof that nearly resulted in a Fire goal in the second half.
One point through two matches is less than ideal for the Fire, but coming up with a point on the road while playing down a man for so long is a positive. Accam was again the Fire's best player by a wide margin and will surely again play a big role when the Fire host Columbus on March 19.
Note: Fire-NYCFC match draws record international ratings. (Sunday's Game, 03/06/2016).
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Fire-New York City FC match was Sky Sports' highest rated Major League Soccer game ever. It averaged 100,000 viewers and peaked at 200,000. Sky Sports airs in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Most of the appeal to the match likely came from well-known players Andrea Pirlo and David Villa suiting up for the visitors. Either way, the British station received some reward for giving the American league a bit more attention.
Overall, the match was shown in 140 countries. Ranging from Latin America to the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
While the numbers aren't gigantic yet, the slow, gradual growth of MLS both domestically and abroad continues to show.
Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham: Harry Kane double pulls Spurs within two of the top.
By Kyle Bonn
The masked man Harry Kane does it again. Two more goals brought his season tally to 19 in 30 matches, and brought Spurs within two points of Leicester City at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday.
Spurs started on the front foot, with Harry Kane just inches high in the fourth minute, clattering the crossbar from a good distance out under pressure from a charging Brad Guzan.
Villa pushed forward past the 12-minute mark, and put Spurs under a bit of pressure, but they struggled to find anything in front of goal. Kane had an even better chance in the 24th minute dragging a Danny Rose cross on net, but it was shot right at Guzan who saved with his legs. Somehow Spurs were kept out again bang on the half-hour mark when Erik Lamela‘s dragged shot was tipped onto the bar by Guzan. The rebound struck Guzan’s back and rolled back towards the goal mouth, but it was scrambled away by Alan Hutton before rolling over the line.
Villa saw its first opportunity on 39 minutes, when a free kick from the left edge of the box met the foot of Rudy Gestede, who had pulled free from the mark of Harry Kane. The shot was powerful, but straight into the waiting arms of Hugo Lloris.
Spurs found the opener in first-half added time, as a quick free-kick by Dele Alli caught Villa off-guard. The midfielder looped it over the back line to a streaking Kane, who finished from a tight angle past a helpless Guzan.
They’d hit again with a clinical second goal just two minutes after halftime. Alli down the left edge of the box sent a scything cross through the middle. A dummy from Erik Lamela saw the ball through to Kane who ripped the ball into the top of the net.
The game was clinical from that point on. Villa tried pumping balls forward, and Spurs countered with venom, although the final ball was just out of reach for a third. As time ran down the fans held up a “Lerner Out” banner and applauded the movement.
The win for Spurs pushed them within two points of Leicester City, a much-needed narrowing of the gap. The Foxes still hold a game in hand. Meanwhile, Aston Villa continues to languish at the bottom of the table, on just 16 points this season, eight back of anyone else.
FA Cup roundup: Defending champions Arsenal upset, United and West ham need replay.
By Kyle Bonn
Spurs started on the front foot, with Harry Kane just inches high in the fourth minute, clattering the crossbar from a good distance out under pressure from a charging Brad Guzan.
Villa pushed forward past the 12-minute mark, and put Spurs under a bit of pressure, but they struggled to find anything in front of goal. Kane had an even better chance in the 24th minute dragging a Danny Rose cross on net, but it was shot right at Guzan who saved with his legs. Somehow Spurs were kept out again bang on the half-hour mark when Erik Lamela‘s dragged shot was tipped onto the bar by Guzan. The rebound struck Guzan’s back and rolled back towards the goal mouth, but it was scrambled away by Alan Hutton before rolling over the line.
Villa saw its first opportunity on 39 minutes, when a free kick from the left edge of the box met the foot of Rudy Gestede, who had pulled free from the mark of Harry Kane. The shot was powerful, but straight into the waiting arms of Hugo Lloris.
Spurs found the opener in first-half added time, as a quick free-kick by Dele Alli caught Villa off-guard. The midfielder looped it over the back line to a streaking Kane, who finished from a tight angle past a helpless Guzan.
They’d hit again with a clinical second goal just two minutes after halftime. Alli down the left edge of the box sent a scything cross through the middle. A dummy from Erik Lamela saw the ball through to Kane who ripped the ball into the top of the net.
The game was clinical from that point on. Villa tried pumping balls forward, and Spurs countered with venom, although the final ball was just out of reach for a third. As time ran down the fans held up a “Lerner Out” banner and applauded the movement.
The win for Spurs pushed them within two points of Leicester City, a much-needed narrowing of the gap. The Foxes still hold a game in hand. Meanwhile, Aston Villa continues to languish at the bottom of the table, on just 16 points this season, eight back of anyone else.
FA Cup roundup: Defending champions Arsenal upset, United and West ham need replay.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
Watford secured a surprising place at Wembley by upsetting the two-time defending holders Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates. The Hornets got goals from Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura after halftime as they held off a wasteful home side.
A number of chances for the Gunners in the opening 20 minutes went by the wayside. Danny Welbeck came off the bench and scored with two minutes remaining in regulation, but it wasn’t enough to pull even.
“Our fantastic run has come to an end on a day where we felt that our performance deserved a win,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said after the game. “Credit to Watford, they created few chances but took them all.”
That places Watford alongside Everton and Crystal Palace in an unlikely semifinal lineup, needing one more party.
That last place will be filled by either Manchester United or West Ham, who will need a replay after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday. Dmitri Payet scored an absolutely delightful free-kick in the 68th minute to put the Hammers ahead, but Anthony Martial pulled the Red Devils level with seven minutes left.
Payet likely should have been sent off prior to his goal, as he dove already on a caution, but was not shown a second yellow by referee Martin Atkinson. He later scored his beauty, but Martial got to the end of an Ander Herrera cross at the far post and leveled things up. The two sides will now need a replay at Upton Park to decide the last semifinal participant.
La Liga & Serie A roundup: Real Madrid, Napoli, Roma all victorious.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo/AP Photo/Gerado Ojeda)
A roundup of Sunday’s action in Spain and Italy’s top flights:
Las Palmas 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid won away to Las Palmas, via goals scored by Sergio Ramos and Casemiro on a pair of corner kicks (below videos) — not exactly the glitz and glamor of world-class screams scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema or James Rodriguez, is it? — to remain right where they started the weekend: third place in the league table, 12 points back of leaders Barcelona and four off the pace of their capital city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Sevilla 4-2 Villarreal
In the race for UEFA Champions League qualification (top four places), 4th-place Villarreal got hammered away to a 10-man, 5th-place Sevilla side. The gap between fifth and fourth is now just five points. Vicente Iborra opened the scoring for Sevilla on 23 minutes, but a quick-fire double (27th and 39th minutes) by Cedric Bakambu put the visitors a goal ahead before halftime. Victor Ruiz leveled the game once again with an own goal in the 51st minute, and Yevhen Konoplyanka scored the eventual winner on 65 minutes. Reyes provided the late insurance goal (91st minute), 12 minutes after Ever Banega was sent of and Sevilla were reduced to 10 men.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Levante 1-0 Valencia
Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Real Betis
Palermo 0-1 Napoli
Juventus’ lead atop the Serie A table remains just three, thanks to Napoli’s 1-0 away win over Palermo on Sunday. Gonzalo Higuain scored the game’s only goal, from the penalty spot. That makes it 27 goals in 29 league games for the Argentine, nearly double that of Serie A’s next closest scorer (Paulo Dybala – 14).
Udinese 1-2 Roma
Roma also won away on Sunday, 2-1 over 15th-place Udinese, on the back of goals scored Edin Dzeko (15th minute) and Alessandro Florenzi (74th). Bruno Fernandes grabbed Udinese’s late consolation goal in the 85th minute. Roma remain eight points back of Udinese, and are now five points clear of Fiorentina and Inter Milan in the race for Italy’s third and final Champions League place.
Fiorentina 1-1 Hellas Verona
Fiorentina were within three points of Roma heading into the weekend, but the Viola dropped a pair of points at home against Verona on Sunday. Mauro Zarate scored the game’s opening goal in the 40th minute, but having failed to find a second goal, Fiorentina conceded the equalizer to Eros Pisano in the 86th minute.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Chievo 0-0 AC Milan
Genoa 3-2 Torino
Carpi 2-1 Frosinone
Lazio 2-0 Atalanta
NCAABKB: 2016 NCAA Tournament Conference Breakdown.
Las Palmas 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid won away to Las Palmas, via goals scored by Sergio Ramos and Casemiro on a pair of corner kicks (below videos) — not exactly the glitz and glamor of world-class screams scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema or James Rodriguez, is it? — to remain right where they started the weekend: third place in the league table, 12 points back of leaders Barcelona and four off the pace of their capital city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Sevilla 4-2 Villarreal
In the race for UEFA Champions League qualification (top four places), 4th-place Villarreal got hammered away to a 10-man, 5th-place Sevilla side. The gap between fifth and fourth is now just five points. Vicente Iborra opened the scoring for Sevilla on 23 minutes, but a quick-fire double (27th and 39th minutes) by Cedric Bakambu put the visitors a goal ahead before halftime. Victor Ruiz leveled the game once again with an own goal in the 51st minute, and Yevhen Konoplyanka scored the eventual winner on 65 minutes. Reyes provided the late insurance goal (91st minute), 12 minutes after Ever Banega was sent of and Sevilla were reduced to 10 men.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Levante 1-0 Valencia
Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Real Betis
| Team |
GP
| W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Barcelona | 29 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 84 | 22 | 62 | 14-1-0 | 10-2-2 | 75 |
| Atlético Madrid | 29 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 45 | 12 | 33 | 10-3-1 | 11-1-3 | 67 |
| Real Madrid | 29 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 83 | 28 | 55 | 12-1-2 | 7-5-2 | 63 |
| Villarreal | 29 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 35 | 23 | 12 | 11-2-2 | 4-6-4 | 53 |
| Sevilla | 29 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 43 | 31 | 12 | 13-0-2 | 0-9-5 | 48 |
| Athletic | 29 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 37 | 10 | 8-3-3 | 6-2-7 | 47 |
| Celta Vigo | 29 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 41 | 51 | -10 | 7-4-4 | 6-2-6 | 45 |
Palermo 0-1 Napoli
Juventus’ lead atop the Serie A table remains just three, thanks to Napoli’s 1-0 away win over Palermo on Sunday. Gonzalo Higuain scored the game’s only goal, from the penalty spot. That makes it 27 goals in 29 league games for the Argentine, nearly double that of Serie A’s next closest scorer (Paulo Dybala – 14).
Udinese 1-2 Roma
Roma also won away on Sunday, 2-1 over 15th-place Udinese, on the back of goals scored Edin Dzeko (15th minute) and Alessandro Florenzi (74th). Bruno Fernandes grabbed Udinese’s late consolation goal in the 85th minute. Roma remain eight points back of Udinese, and are now five points clear of Fiorentina and Inter Milan in the race for Italy’s third and final Champions League place.
Fiorentina 1-1 Hellas Verona
Fiorentina were within three points of Roma heading into the weekend, but the Viola dropped a pair of points at home against Verona on Sunday. Mauro Zarate scored the game’s opening goal in the 40th minute, but having failed to find a second goal, Fiorentina conceded the equalizer to Eros Pisano in the 86th minute.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Chievo 0-0 AC Milan
Genoa 3-2 Torino
Carpi 2-1 Frosinone
Lazio 2-0 Atalanta
Team
|
GP
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GF
|
GA
|
GD
|
Home
|
Away
|
PTS
|
29
| 21 | 4 | 4 | 51 | 15 | 36 | 11-2-1 | 10-2-3 | 67 | |
| 29 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 59 | 23 | 36 | 11-3-0 | 8-4-3 | 64 | |
| 29 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 61 | 30 | 31 | 10-3-1 | 7-5-3 | 59 | |
| Fiorentina | 29 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 50 | 32 | 18 | 10-3-2 | 6-3-5 | 54 |
| Inter Milan | 29 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 39 | 27 | 12 | 10-2-3 | 6-4-4 | 54 |
| AC Milan | 29 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 39 | 30 | 9 | 9-3-2 | 4-6-5 | 48 |
NCAABKB: 2016 NCAA Tournament Conference Breakdown.
By Scott Phillips
The 2016 NCAA tournament is here and it is time to see which conferences fared the best when it comes to bids.
PAC-12 (7): Oregon, Utah, USC, Arizona, California, Oregon State, Colorado
BIG TEN (7): Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan
BIG 12 (7): Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Baylor, Texas, Iowa State, Texas Tech
ACC (7): North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
BIG EAST (5): Seton Hall, Villanova, Xavier, Providence, Butler
AAC (4): UConn, Temple, Cincinnati, Tulsa
ATLANTIC 10 (3): Saint Joseph’s, VCU, Dayton
SEC (3): Kentucky, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
MISSOURI VALLEY (2): Northern Iowa, Wichita State
ONE-BID LEAGUES: America East (Stony Brook), Atlantic Sun (Florida Gulf Coast), Big Sky (Weber State), Big South (UNC Asheville), Big West (Hawaii), CAA (UNC Wilmington), Conference USA (Middle Tennessee), Horizon (Green Bay), Ivy (Yale), MAAC (Iona), MAC (Buffalo), MEAC (Hampton), Mountain West (Fresno State), Northeast (Fairleigh Dickinson), Ohio Valley (Austin Peay), Patriot (Holy Cross), Southern (Chattanooga), Southland (Stephen F. Austin), SWAC (Southern), Summit (South Dakota State), Sun Belt (Arkansas-Little Rock), West Coast (Gonzaga), WAC (CSU Bakersfield)
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT SEED LIST.
By Rob Dauster
PAC-12 (7): Oregon, Utah, USC, Arizona, California, Oregon State, Colorado
BIG TEN (7): Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan
BIG 12 (7): Kansas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Baylor, Texas, Iowa State, Texas Tech
ACC (7): North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia, Miami, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
BIG EAST (5): Seton Hall, Villanova, Xavier, Providence, Butler
AAC (4): UConn, Temple, Cincinnati, Tulsa
ATLANTIC 10 (3): Saint Joseph’s, VCU, Dayton
SEC (3): Kentucky, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
MISSOURI VALLEY (2): Northern Iowa, Wichita State
ONE-BID LEAGUES: America East (Stony Brook), Atlantic Sun (Florida Gulf Coast), Big Sky (Weber State), Big South (UNC Asheville), Big West (Hawaii), CAA (UNC Wilmington), Conference USA (Middle Tennessee), Horizon (Green Bay), Ivy (Yale), MAAC (Iona), MAC (Buffalo), MEAC (Hampton), Mountain West (Fresno State), Northeast (Fairleigh Dickinson), Ohio Valley (Austin Peay), Patriot (Holy Cross), Southern (Chattanooga), Southland (Stephen F. Austin), SWAC (Southern), Summit (South Dakota State), Sun Belt (Arkansas-Little Rock), West Coast (Gonzaga), WAC (CSU Bakersfield)
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT SEED LIST.
By Rob Dauster
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT EAST REGION: Instant Analysis
By Rob Dauster
North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the East Region, entering the tournament on a five game winning streak that saw them win the outright ACC regular season title and the ACC tournament in Washington D.C. The Tar Heels don’t have the best overall profile, but when you win a dual-title in a league like the ACC, you’re going to be a No. 1.
The Tar Heels will take a ride to Raleigh for the first two rounds, where they will get the winner of a Florida-Gulf Coast-Fairleigh Dickinson play-in game.
The South Region is absolutely loaded, with a No. 4 and No. 5 seed with the ability to get to a Final Four, a No. 7 seed that spent much of the season ranked in the top ten and play-in game participants that can both legitimately win three or four games in the tournament.
Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the South Region after winning the Big 12 by two full games and taking home the Big 12 tournament title. The Jayhawks have the best profile of anyone in the country; they had a No. 1 seed locked up weeks ago. No one can complain about the Jayhawks being a top seed.
They’re headed to Des Moines to kick things off, where they will face off with OVC tournament champion Austin Peay.
Former Big 12 rival Colorado is the No. 8 seed in the South, and they will be locked up with UConn in the first round. The Huskies won the AAC tournament in large part due to a 65-foot buzzer beat in double-overtime.
The No. 5 seed Maryland Terrapins will head out to Spokane, Washington, to take on a good South Dakota State team with talented guards. The No. 4 seed in the West is Cal, who is one of the most dangerous teams in the country with a pair of lottery picks on the roster, and they’ll get Hawai’i in the opening round. The Rainbows are tough.
Villanova is headed to Brooklyn in the opening round as the No. 2 seed, and they’ll get the Big South tournament champions UNC Asheville. The Wildcats have something to prove this season after they’ve been knocked out early the last couple of seasons while being ranked high.
Iowa and Temple are the No. 7 and No. 10 seed in the South, respectively. Iowa spent much of the season ranked in the top five, but they’ve lost six of their last seven games, falling from a potential No. 1 team in college basketball to a No. 7 seed.
Miami is the No. 3 seed in the South, heading to Providence for the opening round where they will face off with No. 14 Buffalo, the MAC tournament champions. The other pod in Providence? No. 6 Arizona squaring off with the winner of a play-in game between Vanderbilt and Wichita State. We all know about the Shockers, but Vanderbilt is a team with three potential NBA players and an elite offensive attack.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT MIDWEST REGION: Instant Analysis.
By Scott Phillips
Virginia is the surprising No. 1 seed of the Midwest Region. Even though the Cavaliers were the runners up of the ACC conference tournament but are still in the top spot.
Virginia (26-7) will open in Raleigh as they play Hampton (21-10).
No. 2 seed Michigan State (29-5) will face Conference USA champion Middle Tennessee (24-9). The Spartans didn’t get the No. 1 seed in the bracket, but they can get a shot at Virginia in the Elite Eight to state their case for the Final Four.
No. 3 seed Utah (23-8) plays No. 14 seed Fresno State (25-9), who won the Mountain West tournament title.
No. 4 Iowa State (21-11) will face No. 13 Iona (22-10), who get up-and-down with senior guard A.J. English, one of the best perimeter scorers in the field. The Cyclones are very balanced but have been inconsistent.
Among the top seeds, Michigan State will be the heavy favorite to make the Elite Eight against Virginia but Purdue could create a problem for Iowa State and Seton Hall could be tough for Utah in the second round. This is a relatively top-two-seed heavy bracket.
No. 5 Purdue (26-8) reached the Big Ten tournament title and they get Sun Belt winner No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock (29-4). The Trojans are a deceptively good team who beat some quality teams on the road.
No. 6 Seton Hall (25-8) battles No. 11 Gonzaga (26-7) in a fun game that features a great backcourt against a good frontcourt. Isaiah Whitehead going against Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis is a ton of fun.
No. 7 Dayton (25-7) is in as they face No. 10 Syracuse (19-12). The Orange got in as one of the surprise teams of this field and this can be a fascinating 7/10 game.
No. 8 Texas Tech (19-12) will face No. 9 Butler (21-10) in a battle of teams who played their way in late in the season.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT WEST REGION: Instant Analysis.
By Scott Phillips
After winning the Pac-12 conference tournament with a dominating win over Utah, Oregon is the No. 1 seed in the West Region. The Ducks beat 12 top-50 teams during the season and will be tough to match up with in the tournament.
The Ducks (28-6) open with the First Four winner of Holy Cross and Southern.
No. 2 Oklahoma (25-7) gets in as the top team battling Oregon in the West and they open the tournament with No. 15 CSU Bakersfield (24-8).
From there, No. 3 Texas A&M (26-8) get a tough team in No. 14 Green Bay (23-12) and after struggling a bit late in the season the committee gave the No. 4 seed to Duke (23-10) who will battle No. 13 UNC Wilmington (25-7).
This one will be intriguing No. 5 Baylor (22-11) take on N0. 12 Yale (22-6), who is making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1962.
No. 6 Texas (20-12) gets a tough first-round opponent in red-hot No. 11 Northern Iowa (22-12). Both of these teams beat North Carolina during the season and the Panthers beat Wichita State twice during the season.
The No. 8 Saint Joseph’s gets in after winning the A-10 tournament title as they’ll play a tough No. 9 Cincinnati team. This one will be tough and the key could be the play of Hawks guard DeAndre Bembry, a ridiculous talent who can stuff the stat sheet.
Oklahoma and Oregon would be a tremendously fun No. 1 vs. No. 2 game if it were to happen but No. 3 seed Texas A&M is dangerous as well.
No. 4 seed Duke is a boom-or-bust team with the duo of Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram but they aren’t very deep entering March. Baylor is an intriguing No. 5 seed with their length and athleticism and they could give Duke problems in the second round.
Texas A&M could also face Texas in the second round, which would be a ton of fun to watch as that one would come in Stillwater.
No. 7 Oregon State (19-12) gets in with a solid seed as they take on No. 10 seed VCU (24-10).
The bracket selections have been made and the tournament starts in four days, what are you waiting for? You can't win if you aren't in!!!!!
The 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament is just around the corner, you ready?
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica is having it's annual office pool again. You've played in our pool before, you're a terrific competitor and that what makes our pool a success. The entry fee is low ($12.00), the risk is minimal and the rewards are equitable, what more can you ask for? Here are few particulars about our pool:
It's going to be a great tournament this year because there is so much parity in college basketball today. Anyone can win. The small and intermediate size colleges have just as much talent as the big guys. Their teams have played together longer as the big schools recruit with the policy of one and done, off to the NBA. There seems to be a new #1 every week and then they get beat. Usually the winner of our pool needs 75% skill and 25% luck. This year it's going to be the other way around, 25% skill and 75% luck. Four weeks until the tournament starts; now is the time to get serious and start following the college teams and preparing for the conference tournaments. The precursor to the big dance. It's really going be a great tournament with plenty of upsets. For those of you that have played before, you know how much fun it is. For those of you that haven't, play for the first time and enjoy the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat."
The brackets will be finalized by the selection committee March 13, 2016, and two days after that, the play-in games will start. The entry fee is "very rare" and the rewards are "super fair." If you live anywhere on this beautiful earth, are a college basketball fan and have a PayPal account, a checking account or cash, then you can participate in our pool. We're looking for a minimum of 40 participants. The entry fee will be $12.00 per bracket and the payouts will be: 1st place - $220.00, 2nd place - $110.00, 3rd place - $55.00 and 4th place - $55.00. We pay the final four. In the event we get more than 40 players, the payouts ($$$) will be adjusted accordingly. Note: Our office pool is for competitive entertainment purposes only.
When you sign up to participate, bring a friend. "Competition does in fact breed excellence."
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Join Pool: CSandT/AA 2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office Pool
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By Rob Dauster
North Carolina is the No. 1 seed in the East Region, entering the tournament on a five game winning streak that saw them win the outright ACC regular season title and the ACC tournament in Washington D.C. The Tar Heels don’t have the best overall profile, but when you win a dual-title in a league like the ACC, you’re going to be a No. 1.
The Tar Heels will take a ride to Raleigh for the first two rounds, where they will get the winner of a Florida-Gulf Coast-Fairleigh Dickinson play-in game.
USC is the No. 8 seed in the East, and they will be matched up with Providence — and their dynamic duo of Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil — in the first round. Providence is a dangerous team because they will almost always have the two best players on the floor.
Indiana is the No. 5 seed in the South Region, and while they can put up points in a hurry, they can struggle to defend. Chattanooga was the winner of the SoCon and they’ll slot into that No. 12 seed. Casual fans should be rooting for Indiana to pick off the Mocs, because if they win, and No. 4 seed Kentucky beats No. 13 Stony Brook in the first round, we’ll get Kentucky and Indiana squaring off in Des Moines.
That will be awesome.
Xavier is the No. 2 seed in the East, heading to St. Louis for their first two games. If they can get past Weber State in the first round, they’ll get the winner of No. 7 Wisconsin and No. 10 Pitt, a game that will be a race to 50 points.
West Virginia is the No. 3 seed in Brooklyn for the first two rounds, and they’ll have a fascinating matchup with Stephen F. Austin in the opening rounds. Both of those teams love to press and force turnovers. If the Mountaineers can win that game, they’ll advance to face either No. 6 Notre Dame of the winner of a Michigan-Tulsa play-in game. Tulsa is a bit of a surprise as an inclusion, as are the Wolverines.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT SOUTH REGION: Instant Analysis.
By Rob Dauster
Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the South Region after winning the Big 12 by two full games and taking home the Big 12 tournament title. The Jayhawks have the best profile of anyone in the country; they had a No. 1 seed locked up weeks ago. No one can complain about the Jayhawks being a top seed.
They’re headed to Des Moines to kick things off, where they will face off with OVC tournament champion Austin Peay.
Former Big 12 rival Colorado is the No. 8 seed in the South, and they will be locked up with UConn in the first round. The Huskies won the AAC tournament in large part due to a 65-foot buzzer beat in double-overtime.
Villanova is headed to Brooklyn in the opening round as the No. 2 seed, and they’ll get the Big South tournament champions UNC Asheville. The Wildcats have something to prove this season after they’ve been knocked out early the last couple of seasons while being ranked high.
Iowa and Temple are the No. 7 and No. 10 seed in the South, respectively. Iowa spent much of the season ranked in the top five, but they’ve lost six of their last seven games, falling from a potential No. 1 team in college basketball to a No. 7 seed.
Miami is the No. 3 seed in the South, heading to Providence for the opening round where they will face off with No. 14 Buffalo, the MAC tournament champions. The other pod in Providence? No. 6 Arizona squaring off with the winner of a play-in game between Vanderbilt and Wichita State. We all know about the Shockers, but Vanderbilt is a team with three potential NBA players and an elite offensive attack.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT MIDWEST REGION: Instant Analysis.
By Scott Phillips
Virginia is the surprising No. 1 seed of the Midwest Region. Even though the Cavaliers were the runners up of the ACC conference tournament but are still in the top spot.
Virginia (26-7) will open in Raleigh as they play Hampton (21-10).
No. 2 seed Michigan State (29-5) will face Conference USA champion Middle Tennessee (24-9). The Spartans didn’t get the No. 1 seed in the bracket, but they can get a shot at Virginia in the Elite Eight to state their case for the Final Four.
No. 3 seed Utah (23-8) plays No. 14 seed Fresno State (25-9), who won the Mountain West tournament title.
No. 4 Iowa State (21-11) will face No. 13 Iona (22-10), who get up-and-down with senior guard A.J. English, one of the best perimeter scorers in the field. The Cyclones are very balanced but have been inconsistent.
Among the top seeds, Michigan State will be the heavy favorite to make the Elite Eight against Virginia but Purdue could create a problem for Iowa State and Seton Hall could be tough for Utah in the second round. This is a relatively top-two-seed heavy bracket.
No. 5 Purdue (26-8) reached the Big Ten tournament title and they get Sun Belt winner No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock (29-4). The Trojans are a deceptively good team who beat some quality teams on the road.
No. 6 Seton Hall (25-8) battles No. 11 Gonzaga (26-7) in a fun game that features a great backcourt against a good frontcourt. Isaiah Whitehead going against Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis is a ton of fun.
No. 7 Dayton (25-7) is in as they face No. 10 Syracuse (19-12). The Orange got in as one of the surprise teams of this field and this can be a fascinating 7/10 game.
No. 8 Texas Tech (19-12) will face No. 9 Butler (21-10) in a battle of teams who played their way in late in the season.
2016 NCAA TOURNAMENT WEST REGION: Instant Analysis.
By Scott Phillips
After winning the Pac-12 conference tournament with a dominating win over Utah, Oregon is the No. 1 seed in the West Region. The Ducks beat 12 top-50 teams during the season and will be tough to match up with in the tournament.
The Ducks (28-6) open with the First Four winner of Holy Cross and Southern.
No. 2 Oklahoma (25-7) gets in as the top team battling Oregon in the West and they open the tournament with No. 15 CSU Bakersfield (24-8).
From there, No. 3 Texas A&M (26-8) get a tough team in No. 14 Green Bay (23-12) and after struggling a bit late in the season the committee gave the No. 4 seed to Duke (23-10) who will battle No. 13 UNC Wilmington (25-7).
This one will be intriguing No. 5 Baylor (22-11) take on N0. 12 Yale (22-6), who is making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1962.
No. 6 Texas (20-12) gets a tough first-round opponent in red-hot No. 11 Northern Iowa (22-12). Both of these teams beat North Carolina during the season and the Panthers beat Wichita State twice during the season.
The No. 8 Saint Joseph’s gets in after winning the A-10 tournament title as they’ll play a tough No. 9 Cincinnati team. This one will be tough and the key could be the play of Hawks guard DeAndre Bembry, a ridiculous talent who can stuff the stat sheet.
Oklahoma and Oregon would be a tremendously fun No. 1 vs. No. 2 game if it were to happen but No. 3 seed Texas A&M is dangerous as well.
No. 4 seed Duke is a boom-or-bust team with the duo of Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram but they aren’t very deep entering March. Baylor is an intriguing No. 5 seed with their length and athleticism and they could give Duke problems in the second round.
Texas A&M could also face Texas in the second round, which would be a ton of fun to watch as that one would come in Stillwater.
No. 7 Oregon State (19-12) gets in with a solid seed as they take on No. 10 seed VCU (24-10).
The bracket selections have been made and the tournament starts in four days, what are you waiting for? You can't win if you aren't in!!!!!
The 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament is just around the corner, you ready?
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica is having it's annual office pool again. You've played in our pool before, you're a terrific competitor and that what makes our pool a success. The entry fee is low ($12.00), the risk is minimal and the rewards are equitable, what more can you ask for? Here are few particulars about our pool:
It's going to be a great tournament this year because there is so much parity in college basketball today. Anyone can win. The small and intermediate size colleges have just as much talent as the big guys. Their teams have played together longer as the big schools recruit with the policy of one and done, off to the NBA. There seems to be a new #1 every week and then they get beat. Usually the winner of our pool needs 75% skill and 25% luck. This year it's going to be the other way around, 25% skill and 75% luck. Four weeks until the tournament starts; now is the time to get serious and start following the college teams and preparing for the conference tournaments. The precursor to the big dance. It's really going be a great tournament with plenty of upsets. For those of you that have played before, you know how much fun it is. For those of you that haven't, play for the first time and enjoy the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat."
The brackets will be finalized by the selection committee March 13, 2016, and two days after that, the play-in games will start. The entry fee is "very rare" and the rewards are "super fair." If you live anywhere on this beautiful earth, are a college basketball fan and have a PayPal account, a checking account or cash, then you can participate in our pool. We're looking for a minimum of 40 participants. The entry fee will be $12.00 per bracket and the payouts will be: 1st place - $220.00, 2nd place - $110.00, 3rd place - $55.00 and 4th place - $55.00. We pay the final four. In the event we get more than 40 players, the payouts ($$$) will be adjusted accordingly. Note: Our office pool is for competitive entertainment purposes only.
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NCAAFB: It’s time for the Ivy League to open door to FCS playoffs too.
By Kevin McGuire
(Catherine Avalone/New Haven Register via AP)
Starting in 2017 the Ivy League will award its automatic berth in the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments to the winner of a brand new four-team tournament to be held at the historic Palestra in Philadelphia. The new postseason mini-tournament is a brand new concept for the Ivy League, which has traditionally gone against the grain when it comes to conference tournaments and postseason play for the sake of academics. As the Ivy League amends its basketball championship philosophy, could there be a chance it adopts a new philosophy when it comes to football?
Well, probably not. But let’s discuss briefly.
Back in 1945, the Ivy League membership agreed together to prohibit their football programs from competing in the postseason. For the sake of tradition, the Ivy League has stood by that agreement to this day, prohibiting otherwise playoff-worthy Ivy League champions from playing for a national championship. Considering every other Ivy League sports program is allowed to compete in a playoff or tournament, like the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the outdated football agreement continues to be hypocritical without any suggestion it will be amended.
Ivy League fans can hope the new approach to crowning a basketball champion can lead to a rethinking of how to reward a football champion for a successful season and conference crown. For now, it may only be a dream.
New Pac-12 policy to prohibit transfers with misconduct issues.
By John Taylor
Well, probably not. But let’s discuss briefly.
Back in 1945, the Ivy League membership agreed together to prohibit their football programs from competing in the postseason. For the sake of tradition, the Ivy League has stood by that agreement to this day, prohibiting otherwise playoff-worthy Ivy League champions from playing for a national championship. Considering every other Ivy League sports program is allowed to compete in a playoff or tournament, like the upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the outdated football agreement continues to be hypocritical without any suggestion it will be amended.
Ivy League fans can hope the new approach to crowning a basketball champion can lead to a rethinking of how to reward a football champion for a successful season and conference crown. For now, it may only be a dream.
New Pac-12 policy to prohibit transfers with misconduct issues.
By John Taylor
(Photo/Getty Images)
In May of 2015, the SEC announced that it had enacted a rule that would bar conference schools from accepting transfers who had been disciplined for “serious misconduct” at that student-athlete’s previous institution, with “serious misconduct” defined as sexual assault, domestic violence and sexual violence. Nearly a year later, a fellow Power Five member is taking a similar tack.
Saturday, the Pac-12 announced that its presidents and chancellors — the Pac-12 CEO Group — have “approved a policy prohibiting [future transfers] from receiving athletic aid or participating in athletics if the transfer student-athlete is unable to re-enroll at a previous institution due to student misconduct.” For the purpose of this new policy, “student misconduct” is defined as “assault, harassment, academic fraud, and other violations of campus behavior conduct policies.”
The policy further stipulates that “[i]t will not apply to academic performance reasons unrelated to misconduct.”
As part of this new policy, transfers into any Pac-12 institution in any sport will be required to self-disclose whether they would be eligible to re-enroll at the university from which they are transferring. It will be up to each member institution to institute an appeals process for those potential transfers who are deemed ineligible under the new policy.
The conference itself will not play a role in handling appeals.
“This is an important step to strengthen our student-athlete transfer admission processes and to address the safety of our students,” said UCLA chancellor and CEO Group president Gene Block.
On
Saturday, the Pac-12 announced that its presidents and chancellors — the Pac-12 CEO Group — have “approved a policy prohibiting [future transfers] from receiving athletic aid or participating in athletics if the transfer student-athlete is unable to re-enroll at a previous institution due to student misconduct.” For the purpose of this new policy, “student misconduct” is defined as “assault, harassment, academic fraud, and other violations of campus behavior conduct policies.”
The policy further stipulates that “[i]t will not apply to academic performance reasons unrelated to misconduct.”
As part of this new policy, transfers into any Pac-12 institution in any sport will be required to self-disclose whether they would be eligible to re-enroll at the university from which they are transferring. It will be up to each member institution to institute an appeals process for those potential transfers who are deemed ineligible under the new policy.
The conference itself will not play a role in handling appeals.
“This is an important step to strengthen our student-athlete transfer admission processes and to address the safety of our students,” said UCLA chancellor and CEO Group president Gene Block.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) played every minute of a game for the 47th consecutive time. The streak ended during the Warriors' next game.
1967 - The AFL and the NFL held the first common draft. The two leagues merged in 1970. The first player chosen was Bubba Smith, a defensive lineman from Michigan State.
1972 - The Cincinnati Royals of the National Basketball Association announced that the team's franchise would be moved to Kansas City, Missouri at the end of the season.
1992 - Stacey Augmon (Atlanta Hawks) scored the 6,000,000th point in NBA history.
2005 - Major League Baseball gave a congressional committee about 400 pages of documents related to drug testing. It was also reported that Bud Selig would be willing to testify in hearings planned for March 17.
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