Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.” ~ John D. Rockefeller, Business Magnate and Philanthropist
Trending: With deadline done, Blackhawks look to build line chemistry. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Bulls fall out of playoffs in embarrassing loss to Heat. (See the basketball section for Bulls updates). Trending: How franchise tag squeezes the Bears and Alshon Jeffery. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: 16 days until the 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament starts and 12 days before you can pick your brackets, Are you in? (See the college basketball section for NCAA Tournament updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago Blackhawks-Detroit Red Wings Preview.
By JEFF MEZYDLO
Residing in different conferences, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings don't see much of each other these days.
They'll quickly get reacquainted while completing their entire season series this week.
In the first of two matchups over five days, the Red Wings try for a fourth straight win Wednesday night against the visiting Blackhawks.
Since moving to the Eastern Conference in 2013-14, Detroit (32-20-11) improved to 3-1-0 against its longtime Original Six archrival by taking both matchups last season. Riding a five-game point streak and looking to win four in a row for the second time this season, the Red Wings appear primed for the latest installment before visiting Chicago on Sunday.
"They're a team that's a measuring stick throughout the league with the success they've had in the past several years," goalie Jimmy Howard said. "It's going to be another tall task."
While the Blackhawks (39-20-5) play Boston on Thursday, this is a home-and-home set for Detroit. On Monday, the Red Wings faced the other team currently in the mix for the top spot in the West and pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory at Dallas. Rookie Andreas Athanasiou scored twice and Pavel Datsyuk had the winner to snap Detroit's 0-for-20 power-play drought.
The Red Wings are third in the Atlantic Division but very much within striking distance of the top two spots.
The Red Wings are third in the Atlantic Division but very much within striking distance of the top two spots.
"The points are critical," coach Jeff Blashill said. "We gotta keep doing everything we can to get as many points as we can."
Though Howard made 39 saves Monday to record his first win since Dec. 3, the Red Wings need Petr Mrazek healthy and effective again. Detroit's No. 1 netminder, 3-1-1 in his last five starts despite posting a 3.24 goals-against average, should be ready to start this contest.
"We were precautionary (Monday)," Blashill said. "We wanted to make sure he didn't injure it any more. It would be day to day so we'll know more for sure on Wednesday but we expect him ready to play."
"We were precautionary (Monday)," Blashill said. "We wanted to make sure he didn't injure it any more. It would be day to day so we'll know more for sure on Wednesday but we expect him ready to play."
Mrazek has never faced the Blackhawks, who won for the third time in eight games, 3-2 over NHL-leading Washington on Sunday. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each scored and newly-acquired forward Andrew Ladd had an assist in his return to Chicago.
Tomas Fleischmann, who came over along with Dale Weise from Montreal on Friday, played 13 minutes and did not record a point.
"It can be energizing for sure, some fresh faces," goaltender Corey Crawford said. "With the new guys in the lineup it felt like the chemistry was building throughout the game. ... We just want to build off that."
It's uncertain if Weise will make his Chicago debut in this contest as he continues to deal with visa issues in Canada. In a minor deal Monday, the Blackhawks also acquired light-scoring veteran forward Tim Jackman and a draft pick from Anaheim.
It's uncertain if Weise will make his Chicago debut in this contest as he continues to deal with visa issues in Canada. In a minor deal Monday, the Blackhawks also acquired light-scoring veteran forward Tim Jackman and a draft pick from Anaheim.
Crawford, who made 28 saves Sunday to match a career high with 33 wins, has yielded seven goals while losing his last two at Detroit.
The Blackhawks have also allowed their last eight opponents to going 10 of 24 on the power play.
Kane recorded 12 of his league-leading 85 points - three shy of his career best - in 11 games last month.
Toews has five points in four road contests and four in his last three at Detroit, including the playoffs.
Tomas Tatar has four goals in five games against Chicago.
Tomas Tatar has four goals in five games against Chicago.
Blackhawks make final trade deadline move, land Tim Jackman.
By C. Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks made one more small move before Monday's 2 p.m. trade deadline, acquiring forward Tim Jackman and a seventh-round pick in 2017 from Anaheim for forward Corey Tropp. Jackman has been assigned to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.
Jackman, 34, appeared in two games with the Ducks, spending the majority of his time in the AHL, where he recorded two points in 22 games with San Diego.
Tropp, 26, scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 51 games with the AHL's Albany Devils this season.
He was originally acquired by the Blackhawks over the offseason in a blockbuster deal, along with Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin and a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, that sent Brandon Saad, Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta to Columbus.
Jackman carries a $700,000 cap hit and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
With deadline done, Blackhawks look to build line chemistry.
By Tracey Myers
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman looked at the acquisitions he made on Thursday and Friday and what they brought to the rest of the team.
“I think the one thing you also look at is just the chemistry of the group,” Bowman said.
As good as the Blackhawks have been this season, that’s one thing they’ve lacked on three of their four forward lines: that sustained chemistry that leads to production and a good line rotation. With these trades, Bowman hopes to have found it.
Since they did their heavy lifting heading into the weekend, the Blackhawks were quiet — save two minor-league deals — when the trade deadline hit on Monday afternoon. They got their men and got to see two of them, Andrew Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann, in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
It was a pretty good debut — well, second go-around in Ladd’s case. That chemistry between Ladd and Jonathan Toews re-emerged as that game progressed. Throw Marian Hossa back into the mix when he gets back from his lower-body injury, and there’s no reason to think the familiarity between the three will kick in again. Despite not knowing each other well, Fleischmann meshed well with third-line partners Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins. Considering Fleischmann’s chemistry in Montreal, with fellow acquisition Dale Weise, who will join the Blackhawks once his visa issues are resolved, expect to see those two together again soon.
With this year’s moves, Bowman was aggressive. That’s unusual, considering his previous trade deadlines. But here’s where Bowman stayed with a longtime mantra: Any moves he made were about what the Blackhawks needed, not in anticipation of or in reaction to other teams’ moves.
The Blackhawks needed lines that clicked as well as their second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane has all season. They need that four-line rotation, that all-around chemistry. Now they’ve got a chance to achieve that.
“It’s about getting our team a chance and a better opportunity,” Bowman said. “We talk about it with our coaches, we try to give them as many tools as we can, and I think Joel (Quenneville) and the coaching staff, they’ve done a great job of figuring it out after that in terms of where guys will slot in. I think everyone has their ideas of where the players are going to play, and as time goes on those things usually change around and I think that’s the genius of Joel. We’ve given him a lot of pieces to work with, and we’ll figure that out.”
Teuvo Teravainen playing with confidence again.
By Tracey Myers
Teuvo Teravainen’s worth with the Blackhawks has been shown a few times this season.
When Jonathan Toews was out, Teravainen took his place. When Artemi Panarin was ill, Teravainen filled in there. He took on more penalty killing duties when Duncan Keith recovered from surgery earlier this season.
Still, it looked like Teravainen’s confidence was shaky too often. But when general manager Stan Bowman said Saturday how much Teravainen meant to the Blackhawks, and acquiring Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann was done in part to help the forward, Teravainen responded on Sunday with one of his best games this season.
Teravainen’s pass led to Toews’ power-play goal, and he played a strong all-around game with one of his new line mates in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday. The Teravainen the Blackhawks saw on Sunday looked more like the Teravainen of last postseason, who was stellar playing with Patrick Sharp and Antoine Vermette.
That Teravainen hasn’t consistently been around this season. The various moves were a compliment to Teravainen’s versatility but at the same time, it was tough to get settled. So Bowman went out and got Weise and Fleischmann, Teravainen’s likely linemates once Weise gets here, and put Teravainen at back at center.
“He’s a very important player for us and will continue to be,” Bowman said. “If anything we want to try and find some stability for him as opposed to moving him around.”
For Teravainen, Bowman’s actions meant a lot. So did his words.
“Yeah, that’s nice to hear. That’s one thing that can build my confidence,” Teravainen said. “In my game I need my confidence and I need to be myself out there. That’s a nice thing.”
And it seemed those words were in Teravainen’s mind when he played on Sunday. Teravainen looked confident and had good chemistry with Desjardins, whom he’s played with for a while now, and new line mate Fleischmann.
“The balance looks like it’s there with him playing center, with some upside offensively with that group,” coach Joel Quenneville said.
A year and a half ago, when the Blackhawks were entering the 2014 offseason, Bowman said Teravainen was not going to be part of any trade the team made. On Saturday he made it clear that Teravainen is part of this team moving forward. Perhaps Teravainen already knew that. Still, it’s always nice to get the verbal vote of confidence.
“You never know what happens [at the trade deadline] but I was really confident I could be here and I think help this team, maybe be like [part of] the future,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
Jackman, 34, appeared in two games with the Ducks, spending the majority of his time in the AHL, where he recorded two points in 22 games with San Diego.
Tropp, 26, scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 51 games with the AHL's Albany Devils this season.
He was originally acquired by the Blackhawks over the offseason in a blockbuster deal, along with Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin and a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, that sent Brandon Saad, Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta to Columbus.
Jackman carries a $700,000 cap hit and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
With deadline done, Blackhawks look to build line chemistry.
By Tracey Myers
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman looked at the acquisitions he made on Thursday and Friday and what they brought to the rest of the team.
“I think the one thing you also look at is just the chemistry of the group,” Bowman said.
As good as the Blackhawks have been this season, that’s one thing they’ve lacked on three of their four forward lines: that sustained chemistry that leads to production and a good line rotation. With these trades, Bowman hopes to have found it.
Since they did their heavy lifting heading into the weekend, the Blackhawks were quiet — save two minor-league deals — when the trade deadline hit on Monday afternoon. They got their men and got to see two of them, Andrew Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann, in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
It was a pretty good debut — well, second go-around in Ladd’s case. That chemistry between Ladd and Jonathan Toews re-emerged as that game progressed. Throw Marian Hossa back into the mix when he gets back from his lower-body injury, and there’s no reason to think the familiarity between the three will kick in again. Despite not knowing each other well, Fleischmann meshed well with third-line partners Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Desjardins. Considering Fleischmann’s chemistry in Montreal, with fellow acquisition Dale Weise, who will join the Blackhawks once his visa issues are resolved, expect to see those two together again soon.
With this year’s moves, Bowman was aggressive. That’s unusual, considering his previous trade deadlines. But here’s where Bowman stayed with a longtime mantra: Any moves he made were about what the Blackhawks needed, not in anticipation of or in reaction to other teams’ moves.
The Blackhawks needed lines that clicked as well as their second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane has all season. They need that four-line rotation, that all-around chemistry. Now they’ve got a chance to achieve that.
“It’s about getting our team a chance and a better opportunity,” Bowman said. “We talk about it with our coaches, we try to give them as many tools as we can, and I think Joel (Quenneville) and the coaching staff, they’ve done a great job of figuring it out after that in terms of where guys will slot in. I think everyone has their ideas of where the players are going to play, and as time goes on those things usually change around and I think that’s the genius of Joel. We’ve given him a lot of pieces to work with, and we’ll figure that out.”
Teuvo Teravainen playing with confidence again.
By Tracey Myers
Teuvo Teravainen’s worth with the Blackhawks has been shown a few times this season.
When Jonathan Toews was out, Teravainen took his place. When Artemi Panarin was ill, Teravainen filled in there. He took on more penalty killing duties when Duncan Keith recovered from surgery earlier this season.
Still, it looked like Teravainen’s confidence was shaky too often. But when general manager Stan Bowman said Saturday how much Teravainen meant to the Blackhawks, and acquiring Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann was done in part to help the forward, Teravainen responded on Sunday with one of his best games this season.
Teravainen’s pass led to Toews’ power-play goal, and he played a strong all-around game with one of his new line mates in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday. The Teravainen the Blackhawks saw on Sunday looked more like the Teravainen of last postseason, who was stellar playing with Patrick Sharp and Antoine Vermette.
That Teravainen hasn’t consistently been around this season. The various moves were a compliment to Teravainen’s versatility but at the same time, it was tough to get settled. So Bowman went out and got Weise and Fleischmann, Teravainen’s likely linemates once Weise gets here, and put Teravainen at back at center.
“He’s a very important player for us and will continue to be,” Bowman said. “If anything we want to try and find some stability for him as opposed to moving him around.”
For Teravainen, Bowman’s actions meant a lot. So did his words.
“Yeah, that’s nice to hear. That’s one thing that can build my confidence,” Teravainen said. “In my game I need my confidence and I need to be myself out there. That’s a nice thing.”
And it seemed those words were in Teravainen’s mind when he played on Sunday. Teravainen looked confident and had good chemistry with Desjardins, whom he’s played with for a while now, and new line mate Fleischmann.
“The balance looks like it’s there with him playing center, with some upside offensively with that group,” coach Joel Quenneville said.
A year and a half ago, when the Blackhawks were entering the 2014 offseason, Bowman said Teravainen was not going to be part of any trade the team made. On Saturday he made it clear that Teravainen is part of this team moving forward. Perhaps Teravainen already knew that. Still, it’s always nice to get the verbal vote of confidence.
“You never know what happens [at the trade deadline] but I was really confident I could be here and I think help this team, maybe be like [part of] the future,” he said. “That’s my goal.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Orlando Magic Preview.
By Vincent Goodwill
While the postseason chances of the Orlando Magic have drifted into the danger zone, there continues to be a growing concern for those of the Chicago Bulls - and the defensive slumps that have led to this rival each other.
The Bulls hope to end a historically bad stretch guarding the basketball when they visit the struggling Magic on Wednesday night.
Chicago (30-29) entered the season as a consensus title contender but slipped out of the Eastern Conference's top eight spots with Tuesday's 129-111 loss at Miami, its third in a row.
That defeat dropped the Bulls to 8-17 since a season-high six-game win streak. It also extended a miserable defensive stretch the franchise hasn't seen in 30 years.
Chicago has surrendered at least 100 points to 14 straight opponents, the longest such streak since it allowed 25 consecutive teams to reach that number from Dec. 21, 1985-Feb. 17, 1986 - in Michael Jordan's second season.
Chicago's current slump of 14 is just two more than it allowed in the entire 2013-14 season.
The latest setback came against one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. The Heat set a franchise record by shooting 67.5 percent and scored a season-high 129 points on Tuesday, handing the Bulls their sixth straight road loss.
Miami, which averages only 97.5 points, made 52 of 77 shots for the NBA's best single-game percentage since Utah matched it on Feb. 27, 2010, against Houston. No team has shot better since the Los Angeles Clippers' 69.3 percent on March 13, 1998, against Toronto.
It was a single-game high for a Bulls' opponent since field-goal percentage was first tracked in the 1983-84 season. Miami, which didn't even have leading scorer Chris Bosh, outscored Chicago 74-48 in the paint.
''A terrible defensive effort on our part,'' Pau Gasol said. ''We knew that this team was a high-scoring team in the paint, we didn't force them to take 3s, we didn't force them to take long shots. They pretty much got everything that they wanted.''
Though Derrick Rose returned after sitting out two games with tendinitis in his right hamstring and Jimmy Butler is nearing a return from a strained left knee, Taj Gibson left Tuesday's game with a right hamstring injury. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.
While falling into the league's lower half defensively, the Bulls are on the outside looking in on the playoffs for the first time since Jan. 1, 2014. They are one-half game back of Detroit and Indiana for the eighth seed in the East.
The Bulls have won 14 of 18 against the Magic, including a 92-87 home win on Nov. 1.
Orlando (26-33) dropped to 4 1/2 games back of the East's final spot with Tuesday's 121-108 loss at Dallas. The Magic are 7-20 since Jan. 1, including 4-9 at Amway Center.
Opponents are shooting 53.4 percent through Orlando's 2-4 stretch and four of the last five have scored at least 115 points.
"It's less about my message now and more about a response," coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website. "Somebody has got to respond and pick us up on the defensive end and get us going on the offensive end."
The defensive flips this season for both the Bulls and Magic are disconcerting. The Bulls allowed 99.7 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting while opening 22-12. Since, opponents have averaged 107 points on 46.3 percent.
Orlando started 19-13 while holding opponents to 98.4 per game on 43.7 percent, but those numbers have dropped to 107.1 and 47.4 since.
Bulls fall out of playoffs in embarrassing loss to Heat.
The Bulls hope to end a historically bad stretch guarding the basketball when they visit the struggling Magic on Wednesday night.
Chicago (30-29) entered the season as a consensus title contender but slipped out of the Eastern Conference's top eight spots with Tuesday's 129-111 loss at Miami, its third in a row.
That defeat dropped the Bulls to 8-17 since a season-high six-game win streak. It also extended a miserable defensive stretch the franchise hasn't seen in 30 years.
Chicago has surrendered at least 100 points to 14 straight opponents, the longest such streak since it allowed 25 consecutive teams to reach that number from Dec. 21, 1985-Feb. 17, 1986 - in Michael Jordan's second season.
Chicago's current slump of 14 is just two more than it allowed in the entire 2013-14 season.
The latest setback came against one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. The Heat set a franchise record by shooting 67.5 percent and scored a season-high 129 points on Tuesday, handing the Bulls their sixth straight road loss.
Miami, which averages only 97.5 points, made 52 of 77 shots for the NBA's best single-game percentage since Utah matched it on Feb. 27, 2010, against Houston. No team has shot better since the Los Angeles Clippers' 69.3 percent on March 13, 1998, against Toronto.
It was a single-game high for a Bulls' opponent since field-goal percentage was first tracked in the 1983-84 season. Miami, which didn't even have leading scorer Chris Bosh, outscored Chicago 74-48 in the paint.
''A terrible defensive effort on our part,'' Pau Gasol said. ''We knew that this team was a high-scoring team in the paint, we didn't force them to take 3s, we didn't force them to take long shots. They pretty much got everything that they wanted.''
Though Derrick Rose returned after sitting out two games with tendinitis in his right hamstring and Jimmy Butler is nearing a return from a strained left knee, Taj Gibson left Tuesday's game with a right hamstring injury. His status for Wednesday is uncertain.
While falling into the league's lower half defensively, the Bulls are on the outside looking in on the playoffs for the first time since Jan. 1, 2014. They are one-half game back of Detroit and Indiana for the eighth seed in the East.
The Bulls have won 14 of 18 against the Magic, including a 92-87 home win on Nov. 1.
Orlando (26-33) dropped to 4 1/2 games back of the East's final spot with Tuesday's 121-108 loss at Dallas. The Magic are 7-20 since Jan. 1, including 4-9 at Amway Center.
Opponents are shooting 53.4 percent through Orlando's 2-4 stretch and four of the last five have scored at least 115 points.
"It's less about my message now and more about a response," coach Scott Skiles told the team's official website. "Somebody has got to respond and pick us up on the defensive end and get us going on the offensive end."
The defensive flips this season for both the Bulls and Magic are disconcerting. The Bulls allowed 99.7 points per game on 41.6 percent shooting while opening 22-12. Since, opponents have averaged 107 points on 46.3 percent.
Orlando started 19-13 while holding opponents to 98.4 per game on 43.7 percent, but those numbers have dropped to 107.1 and 47.4 since.
Bulls fall out of playoffs in embarrassing loss to Heat.
By Vincent Goodwill
Uncontested dunks.
Easy Sunday strolls to the basket.
Little resistance on the smallest of offensive plays.
That described the Bulls’ defense against the surging Miami Heat, as they let the arguably the conference’s best contender to LeBron James’ decade-long dominance put on a show for a 129-111 win at American Airlines Arena Tuesday night.
At 9:29 p.m. Eastern time, after the Bulls’ ninth turnover led to a corner triple from Miami’s No. 9, Luol Deng, the Heat went up 103-84, with nine minutes remaining—the final nine minutes they spent officially in the playoff standings to date.
“A lot of that was them making shots but it had to do with our lack of toughness, our lack to make them feeling us out there,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We had one turn that cut that thing back to six after getting down 19. We have to find a way to get some grit, toughness, determination, nastiness.”
Those words sound more like lip service than any attribute this team is capable of, because giving up over 90 points in the first 30 minutes produced a deserving result, leaving the Bulls in the ninth seed, with 23 games left and not much optimism for answers to come in enough time to fulfill preseason promise.
Easy Sunday strolls to the basket.
Little resistance on the smallest of offensive plays.
That described the Bulls’ defense against the surging Miami Heat, as they let the arguably the conference’s best contender to LeBron James’ decade-long dominance put on a show for a 129-111 win at American Airlines Arena Tuesday night.
At 9:29 p.m. Eastern time, after the Bulls’ ninth turnover led to a corner triple from Miami’s No. 9, Luol Deng, the Heat went up 103-84, with nine minutes remaining—the final nine minutes they spent officially in the playoff standings to date.
“A lot of that was them making shots but it had to do with our lack of toughness, our lack to make them feeling us out there,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We had one turn that cut that thing back to six after getting down 19. We have to find a way to get some grit, toughness, determination, nastiness.”
Those words sound more like lip service than any attribute this team is capable of, because giving up over 90 points in the first 30 minutes produced a deserving result, leaving the Bulls in the ninth seed, with 23 games left and not much optimism for answers to come in enough time to fulfill preseason promise.
“We’ve been talking about this for the last couple weeks, knowing we’d be in this position if we continued to lose,” Derrick Rose said. “I’m just wondering when we’re gonna say it’s enough.”
Clearly it wasn’t Tuesday, they put forth arguably their worst defensive showing in a season full of forgettable nights. The Heat had one glaring weakness—three-point shooting—and the Bulls didn’t even force anything there.
The Heat shot 68 percent and despite playing only eight guys, had four players with 18 points or more, starting with Hassan Whiteside, who dominated off the bench with 26 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
Johnson scored 24, Dwyane Wade 18 with seven assists and former Bull Luol Deng put up 20 as a stretch four against his former team.
“It’s the thing, we talked about it. We seem to play harder defensively in practices,” Hoiberg said.
Pau Gasol seemed to downplay any carryover, being as blunt as ever.
“We had a good practice before we came here,” he said. “Segmented drills, where we can play with a lot of intensity. (But) we didn’t execute the game-plan, we knew this team is a high scoring team in the paint, and they pretty much picked us apart.”
Seventy-four points in the paint seemed to be a talking point of frustration in the locker room, although the Bulls didn’t seem concerned enough on the floor to deliver a hard foul, or any foul for that matter.
“Got to start hitting bodies and being a little bit more physical,” Gasol said. “A team shooting 68 percent from the field, that’s pretty outrageous.”
The Bulls’ reserves tried gamely for a stretch, bringing the Heat lead to just 108-102 with 5:14 left after a solid run brought a scare into the American Airlines Arena crowd. But upon checking back in, Rose was put in an impossible position—guarding Joe Johnson, who dazzled in his Heat home debut.
Johnson’s fadeaway from the baseline settled things for the Heat, along with signaling a couple uncomfortable truths for the Bulls.
Rose, in normal circumstances wouldn’t be guarding Johnson, just like the poor souls tagged with containing massive big man Hassan Whiteside had very little chance at being effective, as he took the majority of minutes over starter Amar'e Stoudemire.
Jimmy Butler would be doing that, and Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah would have to keep Whiteside off the glass. But Gibson joined Butler and Noah on the list of the wounded with a right hamstring injury he suffered in the second half, leaving rookie Bobby Portis as the only able-bodied athlete with any semblance of a shot against Whiteside.
“No excuses,” Rose said. “We’re still out there trying to play. Gotta figure it out pretty soon.”
“When a team scores 129 points on you, you can’t expect to win playing like that.”
And as for Johnson’s mere presence, it represents a Heat organization sparing no effort or expense in the effort to stay relevant for a shot in the finals, even with Chris Bosh’s injury still a question mark for the long term.
The Bulls simply didn’t have their best defensive personnel to combat the Heat, but this showing should be considered unacceptable.
As for Rose’s return, he was effective enough on offense, scoring 17 in 24 minutes with three assists, hitting his only triple attempt and getting to the line seven times.
The offense wasn’t a problem early, as Rose was clicking, getting to basket at will and finishing over Whiteside.
Doug McDermott hit a couple jumpers and Mike Dunleavy scored in double figures, but if you’re gonna play run and gun with a team that has a seemingly unlimited supply of versatile, shot-creating wings, you’re better off being at full strength.
And now the Bulls are sent scrambling for answers after an embarrassing showing, with as much doubt as ever.
Clearly it wasn’t Tuesday, they put forth arguably their worst defensive showing in a season full of forgettable nights. The Heat had one glaring weakness—three-point shooting—and the Bulls didn’t even force anything there.
The Heat shot 68 percent and despite playing only eight guys, had four players with 18 points or more, starting with Hassan Whiteside, who dominated off the bench with 26 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.
Johnson scored 24, Dwyane Wade 18 with seven assists and former Bull Luol Deng put up 20 as a stretch four against his former team.
“It’s the thing, we talked about it. We seem to play harder defensively in practices,” Hoiberg said.
Pau Gasol seemed to downplay any carryover, being as blunt as ever.
“We had a good practice before we came here,” he said. “Segmented drills, where we can play with a lot of intensity. (But) we didn’t execute the game-plan, we knew this team is a high scoring team in the paint, and they pretty much picked us apart.”
Seventy-four points in the paint seemed to be a talking point of frustration in the locker room, although the Bulls didn’t seem concerned enough on the floor to deliver a hard foul, or any foul for that matter.
“Got to start hitting bodies and being a little bit more physical,” Gasol said. “A team shooting 68 percent from the field, that’s pretty outrageous.”
The Bulls’ reserves tried gamely for a stretch, bringing the Heat lead to just 108-102 with 5:14 left after a solid run brought a scare into the American Airlines Arena crowd. But upon checking back in, Rose was put in an impossible position—guarding Joe Johnson, who dazzled in his Heat home debut.
Johnson’s fadeaway from the baseline settled things for the Heat, along with signaling a couple uncomfortable truths for the Bulls.
Rose, in normal circumstances wouldn’t be guarding Johnson, just like the poor souls tagged with containing massive big man Hassan Whiteside had very little chance at being effective, as he took the majority of minutes over starter Amar'e Stoudemire.
Jimmy Butler would be doing that, and Taj Gibson or Joakim Noah would have to keep Whiteside off the glass. But Gibson joined Butler and Noah on the list of the wounded with a right hamstring injury he suffered in the second half, leaving rookie Bobby Portis as the only able-bodied athlete with any semblance of a shot against Whiteside.
“No excuses,” Rose said. “We’re still out there trying to play. Gotta figure it out pretty soon.”
“When a team scores 129 points on you, you can’t expect to win playing like that.”
And as for Johnson’s mere presence, it represents a Heat organization sparing no effort or expense in the effort to stay relevant for a shot in the finals, even with Chris Bosh’s injury still a question mark for the long term.
The Bulls simply didn’t have their best defensive personnel to combat the Heat, but this showing should be considered unacceptable.
As for Rose’s return, he was effective enough on offense, scoring 17 in 24 minutes with three assists, hitting his only triple attempt and getting to the line seven times.
The offense wasn’t a problem early, as Rose was clicking, getting to basket at will and finishing over Whiteside.
Doug McDermott hit a couple jumpers and Mike Dunleavy scored in double figures, but if you’re gonna play run and gun with a team that has a seemingly unlimited supply of versatile, shot-creating wings, you’re better off being at full strength.
And now the Bulls are sent scrambling for answers after an embarrassing showing, with as much doubt as ever.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears tough-love quarterback draft makes sense behind Jay Cutler.
By John Mullin
No quarterback likes pressure, and only a very select few perform better under it. Jay Cutler may be one of those, if not exactly under the presumed kind of pressure. A logical question arising out of that fact, however, may well make sense as part of Bears draft plans for 2016, a draft ostensibly light on elite, first round quarterbacks but ones who will be available on Days 2 and 3.
Cutler may indeed be one of those individuals who not only responds well to a challenge or threat, but also in fact needs one. He would be in select company in that regard.
It was a routine practice in Green Bay when the Packers year-after-year brought in backups for Brett Favre, as one of them turned out to be Aaron Rodgers.
More recently, consider Tom Brady as a possible object lesson.
Cutler may indeed be one of those individuals who not only responds well to a challenge or threat, but also in fact needs one. He would be in select company in that regard.
It was a routine practice in Green Bay when the Packers year-after-year brought in backups for Brett Favre, as one of them turned out to be Aaron Rodgers.
More recently, consider Tom Brady as a possible object lesson.
Brady is in the discussion as one of the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Yet, during his epic run as New England Patriots starter, the Pats drafted his “replacement” over and over again:
Probably just coincidence here, but in three of those years in which New England drafted a quarterback (2003, 2011, 2014), including the last one when they took a quarterback on Day 2 (2014), Brady responded with a Super Bowl ring.
“I think the Patriots use a high draft choice every year to light a fire under Tom Brady,” said ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, apparently tongue-in-cheek, on WSCR, adding with emphasis, “and it works.”
Clearly neither Brady nor Favre ever needed a lot of fire-lighting; for Brady, being passed over in the 2000 NFL Draft until the sixth round, when he was the backup drafted to understudy Drew Bledsoe, provided enough of that.
YEAR
|
QUARTERBACK
|
ROUND
|
| 2002 | Rohan Davey | fourth |
| 2003 | Kliff Kingsbury | sixth |
| 2005 | Matt Cassel | seventh |
| 2008 | Kevin O’Connell | third |
| 2010 | Zac Robinson | seventh |
| 2011 | Ryan Mallett | third |
| 2014 | Jimmy Garoppolo | second |
Probably just coincidence here, but in three of those years in which New England drafted a quarterback (2003, 2011, 2014), including the last one when they took a quarterback on Day 2 (2014), Brady responded with a Super Bowl ring.
“I think the Patriots use a high draft choice every year to light a fire under Tom Brady,” said ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, apparently tongue-in-cheek, on WSCR, adding with emphasis, “and it works.”
Clearly neither Brady nor Favre ever needed a lot of fire-lighting; for Brady, being passed over in the 2000 NFL Draft until the sixth round, when he was the backup drafted to understudy Drew Bledsoe, provided enough of that.
Switching back to Cutler: The Bears quarterback has played some of his most self- and team-destructive football when he’s been given a hug:
2009 - Bears trade two No. 1’s to Denver, Cutler gets a contract bump, leads the NFL with career-worst 26 INTs.
2012 - New general manager Phil Emery first uses “franchise QB” to describe No. 6; Cutler posts second-worst passer rating of career, worse QBR than Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder, others.
2014 - Emery gives Cutler a seven-year, $126.7 million contract; Cutler goes 5-10 as starter, ties league-worst 18 INTs.
Then in come general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox, who directly withhold any endorsement of Cutler as their starting quarterback for 2015. Even then-offensive coordinator Adam Gase is on the phone during February with former coaches getting a read on Cutler.
Result: Cutler posts career-best passer rating (92.3), third-best QBR of his 10-year career and second-best INT percentage of his career. And he earned plaudits from a coach who knows quarterbacks:
“I think you file things and you put it back there but you always like to figure it out on your own,” Fox said of the Cutler relationship during remarks at last week's NFL Scouting Combine.
“And he was probably one of the brightest spots, I think, about our first year in Chicago and getting to know our players, which we know a lot better now than we did at this time a year ago. So I saw way more about his mental toughness. I saw way more about how he can absorb an offense and execute it under pressure. I think that speaks volumes for how successful he was on third downs, which is a tough down for a quarterback in the NFL. But I was very, very pleased with what I saw and what we have to work with going forward.”
Pace has indicated his preference for drafting quarterbacks, and the Bears actually have stocked up behind Cutler. But it has been nothing like what the Patriots have done behind Brady, and therein lies the lesson.
The Bears drafted David Fales in the sixth round (2014), Nathan Enderle in the fifth (2011) and Dan LeFevour in the sixth (2010) — not what would be described as “serious” additions, and none of them panned out, although Cutler did have his two best combined seasons (2010-11, 17-6 win-loss record) in those years that the Bears took LeFevour and Enderle.
By comparison, when the Bears invested a fourth-round pick in a quarterback in 2005 (Kyle Orton) behind their starter (Rex Grossman), the Bears went to the playoffs that year and the Super Bowl the next.
Just a thought.
How franchise tag squeezes the Bears and Alshon Jeffery.
By John Mullin
The Bears have a large bag of available cap space under the 2016 salary cap and its record $155.3 million, so they can swing paying the guaranteed $14.6 million due to Alshon Jeffery whenever the wide receiver opts to sign the franchise tag placed on him Monday. But no team really likes to tie up roughly nine percent of your cap in one receiver, and there is a looming issue that comes with going that route over a long-term contract, which the Bears had hoped to get done.
But ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, visiting with WSCR Tuesday morning, laid out some of the extended problem that the franchise tag poses, and dubbed the tag “the driving force behind that [long-term] deal.”
The $14.6 million gets the Bears exactly one year, and if they want Jeffery beyond 2016 without a deal next offseason, the guarantee jumps 20 percent, or $17.5 million. Meaning: For two years, the Bears would need to pay Jeffery more than $32 million. And then he would be a free agent.
That $32 million starts getting up into the range of the guaranteed money that went to wideouts Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas in their respective deals with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
“The tag isn’t cheap,” Florio said in a touch of understatement.
The risk to Jeffery in going year-to-year is injury, which changes everything. And Jeffery was painfully close to seeing an example of how that can happen. The Bears franchise-tagged defensive tackle Henry Melton in the 2013 offseason, which paid him $8.45 million guaranteed.
But Melton suffered a season-ending knee injury three games into the 2013 season. He went to Dallas on a one-year deal worth $2.25 million with a lucrative option that the Cowboys declined. Melton signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason for $3.25 million and started just one game for Lovie Smith.
Jeffery missed seven full games last season and parts of two others, raising the obvious question of: “What are they going to get out of Alshon Jeffery?,” Mike mused.
Jeffery joins Melton, Lance Briggs (2007) and Matt Forte (2012) as the four players to receive franchise tags from the Bears. Mark Carrier (1993), Donnell Woolford ('93) and Bryan Robinson (2001) received transition tags but those are rarely used anymore. Forte signed a four-year deal before the July deadline for multi-year deals but Briggs and Melton both opted to play their seasons under the tag.
Bears’ quest for LB help will create difficult draft decisions.
By John Mullin
With the 11th pick overall in the 2016 draft the Bears would typically be in excellent position to add a defensive playmaker, among the top objectives of GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox this offseason.
Based on information from the NFL Scouting Combine and myriad sources, the consensus area of greatest need – admittedly not the first factor in determining a draft selection – has been linebacker, ostensibly inside linebacker, where the Bears went through five different starters in the course of 2015.
The Bears will not take an inside linebacker based solely on need. But even though several linebackers in the upcoming draft are projected to have talent grades justifying that 11th pick, complicating factors abound:
Myles Jack, UCLA: Missing most of ’15 with a knee injury meant being probed and twisted and everything else at the Combine, but the “problem” for the Bears is that he may be (pun intended) jack-of-all-trades, master of necessarily one at the NFL level. “I’ve heard safety, ‘Mike,’ ‘Sam,’ ‘Will,’ inside ‘backer. Some teams joked about running back… . I’ve heard it all, pretty much, in the back seven.”
Reggie Ragland, Alabama: Ragland ran an official 4.72 seconds in his 40-yard dash, not elite-level time (Ray Lewis ran 4.58, Brian Urlacher 4.57 and Patrick Willis 4.51, by comparison). But teams at the Combine, which include the Bears, generally project Ragland in the spot those Pro Bowl’ers filled in various 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. “They see me as a Mike and making the calls,” Ragland said. “A lot of teams like me playing off the edge but they’d love to see me being a true Mike and making all the calls.”
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame: His knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl game compromises everything. One report that he was walking at the Combine without a brace was not furthered by medical evaluations that suggested he will not play at all in 2016. But MMQB's Peter King spoke with one NFL GM who said of Smith,“ No chance he won’t play at some point, and play well." Trumping that, however, is Smith himself stating in his media session, I’ll be back 100 percent. We just don’t know when.”
2009 - Bears trade two No. 1’s to Denver, Cutler gets a contract bump, leads the NFL with career-worst 26 INTs.
2012 - New general manager Phil Emery first uses “franchise QB” to describe No. 6; Cutler posts second-worst passer rating of career, worse QBR than Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder, others.
2014 - Emery gives Cutler a seven-year, $126.7 million contract; Cutler goes 5-10 as starter, ties league-worst 18 INTs.
Then in come general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox, who directly withhold any endorsement of Cutler as their starting quarterback for 2015. Even then-offensive coordinator Adam Gase is on the phone during February with former coaches getting a read on Cutler.
Result: Cutler posts career-best passer rating (92.3), third-best QBR of his 10-year career and second-best INT percentage of his career. And he earned plaudits from a coach who knows quarterbacks:
“I think you file things and you put it back there but you always like to figure it out on your own,” Fox said of the Cutler relationship during remarks at last week's NFL Scouting Combine.
“And he was probably one of the brightest spots, I think, about our first year in Chicago and getting to know our players, which we know a lot better now than we did at this time a year ago. So I saw way more about his mental toughness. I saw way more about how he can absorb an offense and execute it under pressure. I think that speaks volumes for how successful he was on third downs, which is a tough down for a quarterback in the NFL. But I was very, very pleased with what I saw and what we have to work with going forward.”
Pace has indicated his preference for drafting quarterbacks, and the Bears actually have stocked up behind Cutler. But it has been nothing like what the Patriots have done behind Brady, and therein lies the lesson.
The Bears drafted David Fales in the sixth round (2014), Nathan Enderle in the fifth (2011) and Dan LeFevour in the sixth (2010) — not what would be described as “serious” additions, and none of them panned out, although Cutler did have his two best combined seasons (2010-11, 17-6 win-loss record) in those years that the Bears took LeFevour and Enderle.
By comparison, when the Bears invested a fourth-round pick in a quarterback in 2005 (Kyle Orton) behind their starter (Rex Grossman), the Bears went to the playoffs that year and the Super Bowl the next.
Just a thought.
How franchise tag squeezes the Bears and Alshon Jeffery.
By John Mullin
The Bears have a large bag of available cap space under the 2016 salary cap and its record $155.3 million, so they can swing paying the guaranteed $14.6 million due to Alshon Jeffery whenever the wide receiver opts to sign the franchise tag placed on him Monday. But no team really likes to tie up roughly nine percent of your cap in one receiver, and there is a looming issue that comes with going that route over a long-term contract, which the Bears had hoped to get done.
But ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, visiting with WSCR Tuesday morning, laid out some of the extended problem that the franchise tag poses, and dubbed the tag “the driving force behind that [long-term] deal.”
The $14.6 million gets the Bears exactly one year, and if they want Jeffery beyond 2016 without a deal next offseason, the guarantee jumps 20 percent, or $17.5 million. Meaning: For two years, the Bears would need to pay Jeffery more than $32 million. And then he would be a free agent.
That $32 million starts getting up into the range of the guaranteed money that went to wideouts Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas in their respective deals with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
“The tag isn’t cheap,” Florio said in a touch of understatement.
The risk to Jeffery in going year-to-year is injury, which changes everything. And Jeffery was painfully close to seeing an example of how that can happen. The Bears franchise-tagged defensive tackle Henry Melton in the 2013 offseason, which paid him $8.45 million guaranteed.
But Melton suffered a season-ending knee injury three games into the 2013 season. He went to Dallas on a one-year deal worth $2.25 million with a lucrative option that the Cowboys declined. Melton signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason for $3.25 million and started just one game for Lovie Smith.
Jeffery missed seven full games last season and parts of two others, raising the obvious question of: “What are they going to get out of Alshon Jeffery?,” Mike mused.
Jeffery joins Melton, Lance Briggs (2007) and Matt Forte (2012) as the four players to receive franchise tags from the Bears. Mark Carrier (1993), Donnell Woolford ('93) and Bryan Robinson (2001) received transition tags but those are rarely used anymore. Forte signed a four-year deal before the July deadline for multi-year deals but Briggs and Melton both opted to play their seasons under the tag.
Bears’ quest for LB help will create difficult draft decisions.
By John Mullin
With the 11th pick overall in the 2016 draft the Bears would typically be in excellent position to add a defensive playmaker, among the top objectives of GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox this offseason.
Based on information from the NFL Scouting Combine and myriad sources, the consensus area of greatest need – admittedly not the first factor in determining a draft selection – has been linebacker, ostensibly inside linebacker, where the Bears went through five different starters in the course of 2015.
The Bears will not take an inside linebacker based solely on need. But even though several linebackers in the upcoming draft are projected to have talent grades justifying that 11th pick, complicating factors abound:
Myles Jack, UCLA: Missing most of ’15 with a knee injury meant being probed and twisted and everything else at the Combine, but the “problem” for the Bears is that he may be (pun intended) jack-of-all-trades, master of necessarily one at the NFL level. “I’ve heard safety, ‘Mike,’ ‘Sam,’ ‘Will,’ inside ‘backer. Some teams joked about running back… . I’ve heard it all, pretty much, in the back seven.”
Reggie Ragland, Alabama: Ragland ran an official 4.72 seconds in his 40-yard dash, not elite-level time (Ray Lewis ran 4.58, Brian Urlacher 4.57 and Patrick Willis 4.51, by comparison). But teams at the Combine, which include the Bears, generally project Ragland in the spot those Pro Bowl’ers filled in various 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. “They see me as a Mike and making the calls,” Ragland said. “A lot of teams like me playing off the edge but they’d love to see me being a true Mike and making all the calls.”
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame: His knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl game compromises everything. One report that he was walking at the Combine without a brace was not furthered by medical evaluations that suggested he will not play at all in 2016. But MMQB's Peter King spoke with one NFL GM who said of Smith,“ No chance he won’t play at some point, and play well." Trumping that, however, is Smith himself stating in his media session, I’ll be back 100 percent. We just don’t know when.”
No surprise: Cubs giving Jake Arrieta the Opening Day start.
By Tony Andracki
The drama is over: Jake Arrieta is the Cubs' Opening Day starter.
Not that there was much drama to begin with.
Maddon announced Tuesday Arrieta would get the ball when the Cubs square off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim April 4.
"Of course, he's very excited about it," Maddon said. "He's earned that right to be named that particular Opening Day starter.
"If you're a starting pitcher, it really carries a lot of prestige along with it. And he's earned it. We're very pleased to be able to announce that."
Arrieta is the reigning National League Cy Young winner, leading the league with 22 wins while posting a 1.77 ERA, 0.865 WHIP and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings last season. He also tossed four complete games and three shutouts, both tops in the NL.
Jon Lester started Opening Day for the Cubs in 2015, coming off the $155 million contract he signed before the season. But he wasn't surprised at all by Maddon tabbing Arrieta as this season's Opening Day starter.
"It's about time, right?" Lester said. "It's good. I'm more than happy for Jake. Once you get named, obviously you're very excited and stuff. But it's one of those days that kinda sucks. You got a lot of stuff going on.
"I think it's one of the hardest days of the year to pitch, personally. A lot of distractions, a lot of things going on, obviously. Everybody's very excited to get the year going. You're excited. A lot of outside things that are hard to control.
"But we all knew he was going to get that honor. I'm excited for him. It's awesome. It's a cool deal. It's something not a lot of people get to do, especially for organizations like this. It'll be a cool day."
This will be Arrieta's second career Opening Day start, as he also got the nod in 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles. In that game, Arrieta tossed seven shutout innings to pick up the win.
Lester doesn't think the past experience will necessarily help Arrieta deal with the emotions of opening this season with the Cubs.
"I don't know. I think everybody's different," Lester said. "For me, no. Every year, it's different. You have different years with different hype and expectations and you're coming off different years and all this stuff.
"I think there's a lot of other things that go into it that make every Opening Day kinda unique. No matter how many times you do, I don't think it makes it any easier."
Maddon wouldn't commit to the rotation beyond Arrieta, saying it would be "jumping the gun" to set the rest of the order in stone more than a month before the first game, before Cactus League action has even started.
However, he did allow that Lester and John Lackey are most likely going to follow Arrieta.
As it stands right now, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks are expected to fill out the rest of the rotation, but the Cubs have plenty of depth pushing those two guys, including Adam Warren and Trevor Cahill.
"I can't deny the incumbents coming back would have some kind of advantage. That's probably true," Maddon said. "You just have to keep an open mind. You can't be deceived by spring training performances.
"So let 'em play out. Of course, the incumbents have an advantage, but we're going to keep a really open mind going through the entire camp."
Jon Lester feels like he's 'ahead of the game' this spring with Cubs.
By Tony Andracki
Jon Lester feels a lot more at ease this spring with the Cubs.
He's not trying to prove he's worth a $155 million contract, he's familiar with his surroundings and he knows his teammates and coaches.
Life is simpler this time around for the 32-year-old Lester.
"You're not the new guy trying to find your way around Arizona, the clubhouse and all that stuff," Lester said. "Now, you're just a teammate and trying to get ready for spring.
"This year is just different. I'm just in a different place - mentally, physically, all this."
Lester said at this time last year, there was plenty of unfamiliarity with the Cubs coaching staff, so pitching coach Chris Bosio and catching/game-planning coach Mike Borzello were still trying to figure the veteran left-hander out.
"I'm trying to kinda fit in and go about my way," Lester said. "They're not gonna say anything early because they don't know me. They don't know what makes me tick.
"Now, you come in and everybody knows you. You've been through the grind and all that stuff. So it's a little bit easier to make adjustments and really just feel more comfortable."
Lester said he feels even David Ross - the outgoing backup catcher and clubhouse leader - is also more comfortable this spring than in his first season with the Cubs in 2015.
"I already feel more ahead of the game," Lester said. "More into my normal routine as far as spring training as opposed to trying to really go out and fit in and press and make sure that you're good enough to earn what you were given.
"I'm just in a different place mentally and physically. It's a good feeling and hopefully I continue to carry that over."
Lester is hoping to avoid the dead arm period that plagued him last spring and helped lead to a 6.23 ERA in four April starts, including suffering a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day.
But after April, Lester settled in, going 11-10 with a 2.99 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 183.1 innings over his final 28 regular season starts.
This year, Lester has his best friend - John Lackey - in the clubhouse, Ross is still around and Lester is familiar with Maddon, Bosio and the rest of the coaching staff and roster.
Lester knows his surroundings, he's familiar with where to go in both spring training and at Wrigley Field, he has more help in the rotation and he can prepare this spring knowing he won't have the stress or pressure of starting on Opening Day (Jake Arrieta was tabbed the Cubs' Game 1 starter Tuesday morning).
Lester threw live batting practice to Addison Russell, Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler Tuesday and has one more bullpen session left before his first spring start that will come sometime next week.
Not that there was much drama to begin with.
Maddon announced Tuesday Arrieta would get the ball when the Cubs square off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim April 4.
"Of course, he's very excited about it," Maddon said. "He's earned that right to be named that particular Opening Day starter.
"If you're a starting pitcher, it really carries a lot of prestige along with it. And he's earned it. We're very pleased to be able to announce that."
Arrieta is the reigning National League Cy Young winner, leading the league with 22 wins while posting a 1.77 ERA, 0.865 WHIP and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings last season. He also tossed four complete games and three shutouts, both tops in the NL.
Jon Lester started Opening Day for the Cubs in 2015, coming off the $155 million contract he signed before the season. But he wasn't surprised at all by Maddon tabbing Arrieta as this season's Opening Day starter.
"It's about time, right?" Lester said. "It's good. I'm more than happy for Jake. Once you get named, obviously you're very excited and stuff. But it's one of those days that kinda sucks. You got a lot of stuff going on.
"I think it's one of the hardest days of the year to pitch, personally. A lot of distractions, a lot of things going on, obviously. Everybody's very excited to get the year going. You're excited. A lot of outside things that are hard to control.
"But we all knew he was going to get that honor. I'm excited for him. It's awesome. It's a cool deal. It's something not a lot of people get to do, especially for organizations like this. It'll be a cool day."
This will be Arrieta's second career Opening Day start, as he also got the nod in 2012 with the Baltimore Orioles. In that game, Arrieta tossed seven shutout innings to pick up the win.
Lester doesn't think the past experience will necessarily help Arrieta deal with the emotions of opening this season with the Cubs.
"I don't know. I think everybody's different," Lester said. "For me, no. Every year, it's different. You have different years with different hype and expectations and you're coming off different years and all this stuff.
"I think there's a lot of other things that go into it that make every Opening Day kinda unique. No matter how many times you do, I don't think it makes it any easier."
Maddon wouldn't commit to the rotation beyond Arrieta, saying it would be "jumping the gun" to set the rest of the order in stone more than a month before the first game, before Cactus League action has even started.
However, he did allow that Lester and John Lackey are most likely going to follow Arrieta.
As it stands right now, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks are expected to fill out the rest of the rotation, but the Cubs have plenty of depth pushing those two guys, including Adam Warren and Trevor Cahill.
"I can't deny the incumbents coming back would have some kind of advantage. That's probably true," Maddon said. "You just have to keep an open mind. You can't be deceived by spring training performances.
"So let 'em play out. Of course, the incumbents have an advantage, but we're going to keep a really open mind going through the entire camp."
Jon Lester feels like he's 'ahead of the game' this spring with Cubs.
By Tony Andracki
Jon Lester feels a lot more at ease this spring with the Cubs.
He's not trying to prove he's worth a $155 million contract, he's familiar with his surroundings and he knows his teammates and coaches.
Life is simpler this time around for the 32-year-old Lester.
"You're not the new guy trying to find your way around Arizona, the clubhouse and all that stuff," Lester said. "Now, you're just a teammate and trying to get ready for spring.
"This year is just different. I'm just in a different place - mentally, physically, all this."
Lester said at this time last year, there was plenty of unfamiliarity with the Cubs coaching staff, so pitching coach Chris Bosio and catching/game-planning coach Mike Borzello were still trying to figure the veteran left-hander out.
"I'm trying to kinda fit in and go about my way," Lester said. "They're not gonna say anything early because they don't know me. They don't know what makes me tick.
"Now, you come in and everybody knows you. You've been through the grind and all that stuff. So it's a little bit easier to make adjustments and really just feel more comfortable."
Lester said he feels even David Ross - the outgoing backup catcher and clubhouse leader - is also more comfortable this spring than in his first season with the Cubs in 2015.
"I already feel more ahead of the game," Lester said. "More into my normal routine as far as spring training as opposed to trying to really go out and fit in and press and make sure that you're good enough to earn what you were given.
"I'm just in a different place mentally and physically. It's a good feeling and hopefully I continue to carry that over."
Lester is hoping to avoid the dead arm period that plagued him last spring and helped lead to a 6.23 ERA in four April starts, including suffering a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day.
But after April, Lester settled in, going 11-10 with a 2.99 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 183 strikeouts in 183.1 innings over his final 28 regular season starts.
This year, Lester has his best friend - John Lackey - in the clubhouse, Ross is still around and Lester is familiar with Maddon, Bosio and the rest of the coaching staff and roster.
Lester knows his surroundings, he's familiar with where to go in both spring training and at Wrigley Field, he has more help in the rotation and he can prepare this spring knowing he won't have the stress or pressure of starting on Opening Day (Jake Arrieta was tabbed the Cubs' Game 1 starter Tuesday morning).
Lester threw live batting practice to Addison Russell, Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler Tuesday and has one more bullpen session left before his first spring start that will come sometime next week.
WHITE SOX; Life coach: Jimmy Rollins' mentorship of Tim Anderson extends off the field.
By Dan Hayes
Jimmy Rollins has been a mentor to prospect Tim Anderson since he joined White Sox camp last week just as the team hoped.
But so far, the focus has been on a different due date than when Anderson is expected to arrive in the majors. On Sunday, the team’s top prospect is scheduled to travel to Georgia for the birth of his daughter. The team has excused Anderson for several days and doctors are expected to induce labor on March 7.
So while their future discussions may include pitch selection and positioning at the bag, for now Anderson and Rollins have talked about family obligations and being a father.
“Just life, really,” Anderson said. “Off the field stuff — what to expect when you get to the big leagues and family issues, whatever. We talk about a lot.
“I’m kind of talking about when I have a girl. He’s just saying ‘Enjoy it.’”
Before Rollins arrived, Anderson thought he might be star struck around the veteran shortstop. Anderson said he loved to watch Rollins play throughout his career and expected he might be in awe. But Anderson wasted no time in approaching Rollins and he hasn’t shied away from asking questions, either.
Rollins — who has two daughters of his own — said topics have varied but he likes how Anderson looks at the big picture.
“He’s a real good kid,” Rollins said. “He’s just looking for people to make sure that he’s in the right direction and that’s a good thing. You’ve got kids that are out there looking to get in trouble and he’s like, ‘No.’
“Good way to go about it.”
The White Sox thought they would get much more than just a shortstop when they signed Rollins to a minor-league deal earlier this month. Rollins’ teammates on the Los Angeles Dodgers praised him for his leadership, and top prospect Corey Seager said the ex-National League MVP’s mentorship has been a huge influence.
The White Sox have been pleased to see how Rollins has interacted with both Anderson and Tyler Saladino. Not only is Rollins competing to take over as the starting shortstop, he doubles as a sounding board for the team’s future pieces.
“This is exactly what you would expect from him,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He’s taking care of his own business and also has the ability to put his arm around somebody and take somebody under his wing. Timmy I’m sure watched him grow up and idolized him. To have somebody as classy as Jimmy, we’re fortunate to have that, especially for Tim.”
It hasn’t been strictly off the field topics for Rollins and Anderson.
Rollins has watched Anderson work and noted — “he has some hands — he’s quick.” He also likes how Anderson listens and thinks that should help him adapt.
One area they may discuss later is Anderson using criticism as a motivator. Anderson admits he knows some observers wonder whether he’ll stick at shortstop and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He occasionally Tweets about those reviews and how he uses them as motivation.
“That’s just the word out there that I can’t play so I just want to everybody I can,” Anderson said. “That’s just in my mind, everybody’s saying I can’t play that position and it really keeps me going and makes me work harder to prove I can stay there.”
Rollins thinks criticism can be a good motivator if properly used. Fellow Bay Area native Tom Brady is a perfect example as he uses it to find a way to stay inspired, Rollins said. But he wants to make sure Anderson doesn’t allow criticism to eat away at him.
“You don’t need to read that stuff to know who you are, to know if you had a good game or a bad game, to know where you need to work on, to know what you do well,” Rollins said. “You know that yourself. You can read 100 articles and 90 of them are excellent. But you’ll spending the rest of your time worrying about the 10 and why these 10 articles are written as such about me. Some people, it’s motivating and other people it can destroy. If he’s able to do that and balance it, then that’s good. It’s something I’ll definitely talk to him about.”
They have only worked together for a week and already Anderson said he’s learned a lot from Rollins. Not only have they discussed fatherhood, other familial obligations have come up. Anderson said he feels fortunate to have Rollins around.
“No is a powerful word,” Anderson of Rollins’ best advice. “On the family side, once you do reach the big league level, you’re going to have new friends and family members that come out of the woodwork that you’ve never met before. You know you’ve got to stay true to yourself. Take care of yourself first and family that has been there from the beginning.
“He looks out for me a lot, takes care of me. I really appreciate it and look up to him. I thank him a lot for that.”
Todd Frazier: 'Everybody is taking accountability'.
By Dan Hayes
The White Sox feel as if they’ve put in the right type of work so far and now they’re eager to show it.
Monday’s intrasquad marked the first opportunity for the White Sox to see how much progress they have made. Todd Frazier, whose squad lost 5-4 to Team Abreu, believes the White Sox are on the right track for success. Frazier singled in two at-bats and left with his team in the lead. Team Abreu won on a walkoff three-run homer by outfielder Daniel Fields in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“I love the tone,” Frazier said. “Everybody has a role, everybody is taking accountability for themselves and it starts right now from Day 1. With the intrasquads we’ve got today — you can see it, it’s focus. It’s focus time. The ability to understand it’s not offseason anymore. It’s time to go. I see that a lot with these guys.”
Monday was the first time the White Sox have competed in seven days together. They square off in another intrasquad game on Tuesday and begin their exhibition season on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But so far, the focus has been on a different due date than when Anderson is expected to arrive in the majors. On Sunday, the team’s top prospect is scheduled to travel to Georgia for the birth of his daughter. The team has excused Anderson for several days and doctors are expected to induce labor on March 7.
So while their future discussions may include pitch selection and positioning at the bag, for now Anderson and Rollins have talked about family obligations and being a father.
“Just life, really,” Anderson said. “Off the field stuff — what to expect when you get to the big leagues and family issues, whatever. We talk about a lot.
“I’m kind of talking about when I have a girl. He’s just saying ‘Enjoy it.’”
Before Rollins arrived, Anderson thought he might be star struck around the veteran shortstop. Anderson said he loved to watch Rollins play throughout his career and expected he might be in awe. But Anderson wasted no time in approaching Rollins and he hasn’t shied away from asking questions, either.
Rollins — who has two daughters of his own — said topics have varied but he likes how Anderson looks at the big picture.
“He’s a real good kid,” Rollins said. “He’s just looking for people to make sure that he’s in the right direction and that’s a good thing. You’ve got kids that are out there looking to get in trouble and he’s like, ‘No.’
“Good way to go about it.”
The White Sox thought they would get much more than just a shortstop when they signed Rollins to a minor-league deal earlier this month. Rollins’ teammates on the Los Angeles Dodgers praised him for his leadership, and top prospect Corey Seager said the ex-National League MVP’s mentorship has been a huge influence.
The White Sox have been pleased to see how Rollins has interacted with both Anderson and Tyler Saladino. Not only is Rollins competing to take over as the starting shortstop, he doubles as a sounding board for the team’s future pieces.
“This is exactly what you would expect from him,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He’s taking care of his own business and also has the ability to put his arm around somebody and take somebody under his wing. Timmy I’m sure watched him grow up and idolized him. To have somebody as classy as Jimmy, we’re fortunate to have that, especially for Tim.”
It hasn’t been strictly off the field topics for Rollins and Anderson.
Rollins has watched Anderson work and noted — “he has some hands — he’s quick.” He also likes how Anderson listens and thinks that should help him adapt.
One area they may discuss later is Anderson using criticism as a motivator. Anderson admits he knows some observers wonder whether he’ll stick at shortstop and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He occasionally Tweets about those reviews and how he uses them as motivation.
“That’s just the word out there that I can’t play so I just want to everybody I can,” Anderson said. “That’s just in my mind, everybody’s saying I can’t play that position and it really keeps me going and makes me work harder to prove I can stay there.”
Rollins thinks criticism can be a good motivator if properly used. Fellow Bay Area native Tom Brady is a perfect example as he uses it to find a way to stay inspired, Rollins said. But he wants to make sure Anderson doesn’t allow criticism to eat away at him.
“You don’t need to read that stuff to know who you are, to know if you had a good game or a bad game, to know where you need to work on, to know what you do well,” Rollins said. “You know that yourself. You can read 100 articles and 90 of them are excellent. But you’ll spending the rest of your time worrying about the 10 and why these 10 articles are written as such about me. Some people, it’s motivating and other people it can destroy. If he’s able to do that and balance it, then that’s good. It’s something I’ll definitely talk to him about.”
They have only worked together for a week and already Anderson said he’s learned a lot from Rollins. Not only have they discussed fatherhood, other familial obligations have come up. Anderson said he feels fortunate to have Rollins around.
“No is a powerful word,” Anderson of Rollins’ best advice. “On the family side, once you do reach the big league level, you’re going to have new friends and family members that come out of the woodwork that you’ve never met before. You know you’ve got to stay true to yourself. Take care of yourself first and family that has been there from the beginning.
“He looks out for me a lot, takes care of me. I really appreciate it and look up to him. I thank him a lot for that.”
Todd Frazier: 'Everybody is taking accountability'.
By Dan Hayes
The White Sox feel as if they’ve put in the right type of work so far and now they’re eager to show it.
Monday’s intrasquad marked the first opportunity for the White Sox to see how much progress they have made. Todd Frazier, whose squad lost 5-4 to Team Abreu, believes the White Sox are on the right track for success. Frazier singled in two at-bats and left with his team in the lead. Team Abreu won on a walkoff three-run homer by outfielder Daniel Fields in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“I love the tone,” Frazier said. “Everybody has a role, everybody is taking accountability for themselves and it starts right now from Day 1. With the intrasquads we’ve got today — you can see it, it’s focus. It’s focus time. The ability to understand it’s not offseason anymore. It’s time to go. I see that a lot with these guys.”
Monday was the first time the White Sox have competed in seven days together. They square off in another intrasquad game on Tuesday and begin their exhibition season on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Brett Lawrie said its how — not how hard — the White Sox have worked that has him encouraged. The second baseman went 1-for-2 with a sac fly and an RBI in the loss for Team Frazier.
“It’s all about the quality,” Lawrie said. “If we go out there, and we just do the quantity, quantity, quantity, we’re not getting any work in. We’re just picking the ball, putting it down, picking it up, putting it down. We’re not getting ourselves into a good position. But you give me 10 groundballs, and I’m going to do all of those 10 at the top of the game, with good form, and I’m not going to be tired at the end of it. I’m going to get more out of that than doing 50 groundballs and being so tired at the end with bad form. So it’s definitely about the quality over the quantity and refining that.”
Carson Fulmer struck out two in two innings pitched for Team Frazier. He allowed a run and four hits, including an RBI double to Jose Abreu, who finished 1-for-2. Tyler Danish allowed an unearned run and a hit in two innings for Team Abreu. Daniel Webb struck out two in a scoreless inning pitched, too.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura also is pleased with the commitment his team has shown in its first full week together. The White Sox hope this is a strong foundation from which to build as they look for the first winning season since 2012.
“It’s been great,” Ventura said. “You look around at the infielders and outfielders, we’re seeing guys who’ve played a while and have a little history of doing the right things and playing the game the right way. A lot of it, even going into practice is very much the same thing. It’s been impressive.”
“It’s all about the quality,” Lawrie said. “If we go out there, and we just do the quantity, quantity, quantity, we’re not getting any work in. We’re just picking the ball, putting it down, picking it up, putting it down. We’re not getting ourselves into a good position. But you give me 10 groundballs, and I’m going to do all of those 10 at the top of the game, with good form, and I’m not going to be tired at the end of it. I’m going to get more out of that than doing 50 groundballs and being so tired at the end with bad form. So it’s definitely about the quality over the quantity and refining that.”
Carson Fulmer struck out two in two innings pitched for Team Frazier. He allowed a run and four hits, including an RBI double to Jose Abreu, who finished 1-for-2. Tyler Danish allowed an unearned run and a hit in two innings for Team Abreu. Daniel Webb struck out two in a scoreless inning pitched, too.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura also is pleased with the commitment his team has shown in its first full week together. The White Sox hope this is a strong foundation from which to build as they look for the first winning season since 2012.
“It’s been great,” Ventura said. “You look around at the infielders and outfielders, we’re seeing guys who’ve played a while and have a little history of doing the right things and playing the game the right way. A lot of it, even going into practice is very much the same thing. It’s been impressive.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: WGC-Cadillac Championship.
By Ryan Ballengee
The first World Golf Championships of the year kicks off on Thursday at Trump National Doral, as the Blue Monster serves as host for the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Dustin Johnson is the defending champion here, and he faces a stiff challenge to hold on to that title, with the likes of Bubba Watson and Adam Scott playing great golf coming to a course on which they fare very well. And that's to say nothing of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, who will be grouped together for the first two days this week.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Adam Scott -- The Honda Classic winner has gone T-2, WIN. Sounds good to me. And, oh yeah, four top-15 finishes here in the last five years. Auto pick.
2. Bubba Watson -- Watson is also another automatic pick this week, despite the fact that he has been a vocal critic of Gil Hanse's redesign. The Riviera winner has been in the top three here in three of the last four years.
Dustin Johnson is the defending champion here, and he faces a stiff challenge to hold on to that title, with the likes of Bubba Watson and Adam Scott playing great golf coming to a course on which they fare very well. And that's to say nothing of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy, who will be grouped together for the first two days this week.
Here are our top five players for this week:
1. Adam Scott -- The Honda Classic winner has gone T-2, WIN. Sounds good to me. And, oh yeah, four top-15 finishes here in the last five years. Auto pick.
2. Bubba Watson -- Watson is also another automatic pick this week, despite the fact that he has been a vocal critic of Gil Hanse's redesign. The Riviera winner has been in the top three here in three of the last four years.
3. Rory McIlroy -- McIlroy missed the cut again at Honda, which leads us to believe that's just not his bag. However, he loves Doral. Four top 15s here in the last five years.
4. Rickie Fowler -- Fowler fell apart a little on Saturday at the Honda after playing what amounts to a perfect first 36 at PGA National. Two top 15s here, playing great overall.
5. J.B. Holmes -- How no one is talking about J.B. Holmes of late is a crime, so let us do it. Four top 15s in the last five PGA Tour events. Runner-up here last year.
Nicklaus says Augusta National has done well getting longer.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the 13th hole is getting a lot of attention ahead of the Masters.
Golfweek magazine is reporting that Augusta National has approached neighboring Augusta Country Club about acquiring land behind Amen Corner. The ninth fairway at Augusta Country Club is parallel - separated by a row of trees that block the view - of the 11th green, 12th green and 13th tee box at Augusta National.
The magazine cited sources it did not identify. Augusta National had no comment.
Augusta National previously has bought land around the club for reasons unrelated to the golf course, though the Golfweek report allowed for an immediate conclusion that the target would be the 13th hole. The par 5 measures 510 yards, and two years ago Bubba Watson took it over the trees and had a sand wedge into the green.
The hole was only 480 yards on the card for the first Masters in 1934. During the most extensive lengthening for the 2002 Masters, it went from 485 yards to 510 yards. It's one of the most exciting holes on the back nine with a severely canted fairway and a tributary of Rae's creek in front of the green.
If the club were to acquire part of neighboring course, the 13th tee could be pushed farther back.
''The tee shot at 13 would be helped by a little bit of length,'' said Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion. ''The tee shot is really dangerous and it needs to be hit well. I think we the length the guys hit the ball today, it's a little easier than it needs to be.''
As for Augusta Country Club, the magazine said Tom Fazio and Brian Silva are working on changes to move the ninth hole and change the eighth green.
As for Augusta Country Club, the magazine said Tom Fazio and Brian Silva are working on changes to move the ninth hole and change the eighth green.
DALY'S DEBUT: The PGA Tour Champions can't come soon enough for John Daly. He turns 50 on April 28 and will be playing the next tournament on the schedule.
Daly committed to the play in the Insperity Invitational on May 6-8 at The Woodlands Country Club.
He has played only seven regular PGA Tour events in the last year, none since the Barracuda Championship in August.
Daly also said he would play the Principal Charity Classic on June 3-5 in Iowa. To recognize Daly playing, the tournament on Tuesday offered fans a chance to buy one-day tickets for half price through March 7.
RYDER CUP MEMORIES: Justin Thomas is among the few active Americans who knows what it's like to celebrate a Ryder Cup victory.
He was 15.
His father, Mike Thomas, was on the PGA of America board in 2008 when the matches were at Valhalla so his son was tagging along for the week.
''It was a really cool week,'' Thomas said.
And it got even better on Sunday. He was around the 17th hole when Jim Furyk won to clinch a rare victory over Europe.
''J.B. (Holmes) had won his match, and he saw my mom and I. We knew him and he kind of grabbed me under the ropes,'' Thomas said. ''We were right there with everyone, right there behind the green. They won, and Phil (Mickelson) is there high-fiving everyone. I gave Phil a high-five and he was hugging my mom. It was crazy. For someone like me, I remember those moments. It's funny now being with him all the time.''
Thomas wasn't with Mickelson at the Ryder Cup dinner last week that Jack Nicklaus hosted. Only later did he realize only the top 40 on the current standings were invited. Thomas was at No. 45 because his victory at the CIMB Classic and tie for third at Silverado were in the fall and did not count. If they had, he would have been No. 9.RYDER CUP MEMORIES: Justin Thomas is among the few active Americans who knows what it's like to celebrate a Ryder Cup victory.
He was 15.
His father, Mike Thomas, was on the PGA of America board in 2008 when the matches were at Valhalla so his son was tagging along for the week.
''It was a really cool week,'' Thomas said.
And it got even better on Sunday. He was around the 17th hole when Jim Furyk won to clinch a rare victory over Europe.
''J.B. (Holmes) had won his match, and he saw my mom and I. We knew him and he kind of grabbed me under the ropes,'' Thomas said. ''We were right there with everyone, right there behind the green. They won, and Phil (Mickelson) is there high-fiving everyone. I gave Phil a high-five and he was hugging my mom. It was crazy. For someone like me, I remember those moments. It's funny now being with him all the time.''
THE QUAD SQUAD: Adam Scott joined an exclusive of three players to have made a quadruple bogey on the weekend of a PGA Tour event and still win.
Scott went from a three-shot lead to a one-shot deficit in the third round of the Honda Classic with his 7 on the par-3 15th. He was tied going into the final round and ended up with a one-shot victory.
The easiest quad to overcome belonged to David Toms. He had a five-shot lead going into the final round at Quail Hollow in 2003, and he still led by five going to the 18th. He finished with a four-putt quadruple bogey to win by one shot.
And then there was David Graham in the 1983 Houston Open. He made a quadruple bogey on the par-5 opening hole at Woodlands Country Club and finished the third round five shots behind. Graham closed with a 64 and won by five.
KERR AWARD: Cristie Kerr's latest victory was off the golf course. She was selected to receive the Charles Bartlett Award from the Golf Writers Association of America for her commitment and charity work to fight breast cancer. The award is given to a golfer for contributions to improve society.
Kerr founded ''Birdies for Breast Cancer'' in 2003 in the aftermath of her mother battling the disease. The foundation became so successful that it joined with the Jersey City Medical Center to create the Cristie Kerr Women's Health Center. It opened in 2010 and has performed more than 10,000 procedures.
''There is still so much work to be done in breast cancer research and prevention, and I will continue to use my platform as a golfer and wine-maker to raise money and awareness for women battling the disease,'' Kerr said.
The award will be presented at the GWAA's annual awards dinner April 6 in Augusta, Georgia.
DIVOTS: Graeme McDowell and his wife are expecting their second child, a boy. As when daughter Vale was born in 2014, his wife is due in September of a Ryder Cup year. Provided everything goes according to plan, the baby will be born on Monday of the Deutsche Bank Championship, just like last time. ''The actual date will be different,'' he said. ... Honda Motor Company extended its streak as the longest-running continuous title sponsor on the PGA Tour by announcing a five-year deal that goes through 2021. Honda became title sponsor in 1982. Next on the list is AT&T (Pebble Beach) dating to 1986, and Shell (Houston Open) that dates to 1992. ... U.S. Women's Amateur champion Hannah O'Sullivan is among six amateur who have been invited to play the LPGA Tour's first major at the ANA Inspiration. The others are U.S. Women's Amateur runner-up Sierra Brooks, Karen Chung of USC, Bronte Law of England, Leona Maguire of Ireland and Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland.
STAT OF THE WEEK: The top three players in the world - Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy - have all missed the cut in the last month.
FINAL WORD: ''I think it's great if there's a big ruckus when he shows up because the media gets away from me and you don't hear the bad comments I say or twist them.'' - Bubba Watson, on Donald Trump making a visit to Doral.
NASCAR: Despite first top 10, Elliott still his toughest critic.
By Kathy Sheldon
The hardest person to please for Chase Elliott is Chase Elliott.
A top-10 finish at a tricky track that had veteran drivers and his fellow rookies turning their steering wheels right almost as much as left brought accolades from as high as team owner Rick Hendrick.
Analytical and unassuming, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver's assessment of his own eighth-place finish in Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500: "I need to get better and build on that."
Truly, though. Elliott was pleased with his first Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the home track to the Dawsonville, Georgia, native.
The hardest person to please for Chase Elliott is Chase Elliott.
A top-10 finish at a tricky track that had veteran drivers and his fellow rookies turning their steering wheels right almost as much as left brought accolades from as high as team owner Rick Hendrick.
Analytical and unassuming, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver's assessment of his own eighth-place finish in Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500: "I need to get better and build on that."
Truly, though. Elliott was pleased with his first Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the home track to the Dawsonville, Georgia, native.
"It's definitely special to be here at Atlanta and have a strong run. I'm very happy about that, and definitely a very special feeling to walk out before the race and to see the support in the stands of a lot of people," Elliott said. "This is close to home for me and a lot of people around here supporting our race team, so that was really cool."
Elliott pointed to a 24th-place qualifying effort Friday as an area where he can improve, but he was happy to simply finish the 2016 season's second race after a disappointing wreck relegated him to a 37th-place finish in last week's Daytona 500.
"Pit stops were solid, and it wasn't a perfect day, but it was a day we can build on and try to get better." Elliott continued.
Praise was more effusive from elsewhere.
"I was real proud of him today," fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said of Elliott. "I was not surprised by his run, and he's going to just get better. They've got a great team. Alan (Gustafson) is an amazing crew chief and they're going to work together really well."
As for Hendrick himself, a rookie handling a lower downforce package at Atlanta was eye opening, indeed.
"Chase impressed me today about as much as I've ever seen a young driver drive -- in a race with a low downforce car that he's never been able to experience in a race before when he's having to race Kyle Busch and the guys he was racing, Brad (Keselowski), all day long, never make a mistake" Hendrick said. "He was just as cool on the radio as any seasoned driver, getting great feedback.
"I am really excited about that young man in the future."
"Chase impressed me today about as much as I've ever seen a young driver drive -- in a race with a low downforce car that he's never been able to experience in a race before when he's having to race Kyle Busch and the guys he was racing, Brad (Keselowski), all day long, never make a mistake" Hendrick said. "He was just as cool on the radio as any seasoned driver, getting great feedback.
"I am really excited about that young man in the future."
Drivers give high praise to 2016 rules package post-Atlanta.
By Kenny Bruce
Every 1.5-mile track likely won't produce the sort of action that took place Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where NASCAR Sprint Cup teams got their first crack at the 2016 lower downforce base rules package.
By Kenny Bruce
Every 1.5-mile track likely won't produce the sort of action that took place Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where NASCAR Sprint Cup teams got their first crack at the 2016 lower downforce base rules package.
But if those races at those venues, and there are many, are merely close?
It could be quite an entertaining season.
A shorter spoiler and slight changes to the front splitter and extension panel showed promise a year ago when used for races at Kentucky Speedway and Darlington Raceway. Now, teams and officials are hoping those promises are legit.
That would seem to be the case. Following Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, some folks were downright giddy.
Still, it's just one race. And it's Atlanta, where the surface hasn't seen a fresh coat of asphalt since 1997.
And Goodyear built a tire that had "Eagle" emblazoned on the side but should have read "Goldilocks." Not too hard, not too soft, but just right.
"I loved it," runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "We were sliding around and driving the hell out of the car. I had a blast."
The Hendrick Motorsports driver had himself quite a tussle, battling with fellow competitors Brad Keselowski (Team Penske) and defending series champion Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing) for position during the second half of the race.
"Man, it was so much fun. I post old pictures online all the time of the '80s and '90s and that's when racing was racing. That's when it was good. That's what they saw today," he said.
Keselowski, ninth in the final rundown, said he "loved the way the cars drove.
"I understand that it takes more than my opinion to make the sport go round, but I thought it was awesome," he said.
Busch was no less impressed with the package, but as did the others, made clear that the cars were now much more difficult to handle.
"We were just battling back and forth and slide jobbing one another and high lane-ing it and cutting each other off and everything, so it was pretty fun," Busch said of his battle with the others. "This package lends itself to that.
"Pretty good race I felt like -- a lot harder than some of us may want it to be, but that makes it good for the drivers and the crew chiefs to have to work together to come out here and build a good package for themselves and a comfortable race car."
There were 28 lead changes among eight drivers, although the bulk of those did come as teams cycled though green-flag pit stops. A lack of cautions kept restarts to a minimum; thus, preserving one's tires through the course of a run became paramount.
Still, there were passes for the lead on the track as well. Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing) put on quite a show, exchanging the top spot several times near the halfway point of the race.
Joey Logano, Keselowski's teammate, said the real test would come next week, when the series travels to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Another 1.5-mile track, but less punishing on tires and perhaps less finicky.
But Logano noted of the package at AMS, "I thought a faster car (could) pass the car in front of them, no doubt."
"We started 27th and we drove up into the top-five without a caution, so you could show how fast our car was by how we were all capable of passing out there," he said.
Just how the package does at Las Vegas and other similar tracks will be known soon enough. Until then?
"They just need to keep taking more (downforce) away," JGR driver Carl Edwards said.
"This is real racing. We're driving hard. You can see the guys out here just digging for everything they're worth. I'm worn out. That's a tough race and just a lot of fun."
"This is real racing. We're driving hard. You can see the guys out here just digging for everything they're worth. I'm worn out. That's a tough race and just a lot of fun."
SOCCER: Fire GM Rodriguez recalls busy offseason.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
To say it has been a busy offseason for the Chicago Fire is a bit of an understatement.
To call it a rebuild doesn’t even do justice. This has been an entire overhaul for the Fire, not limited to the players on the field.
General manager Nelson Rodriguez was the first one put in place with the task of turning around the Fire, which have made the playoffs just once in the past six years. Rodriguez then picked out coach Veljko Paunovic, who preaches positivity and belief like it’s a religion.
Since those two have been in charge, the roster turnover began. Just 10 players from the 2015 squad remain with the Fire. Still, despite recognizing the need to make drastic changes within the club this offseason, Rodriguez's first impression after he was hired last season was about the fans.
“Surprisingly what resonated with me was how much support remained for the team," Rodriguez said. "We have to be honest, last year was a miserable season with just dire results. Yet even the last game of the regular season we find ourselves down 2-0 to New York Red Bulls, we get a goal back and the fans are just urging us on, completely supportive at all times. You could see the Red Bulls wobble a little bit on the field, which signals to me the strength and the power of our fan base. If we can give them more reason to believe and put results behind it we’re going to have a fantastic home environment.”
Once Paunovic was in tow, the pair were able to start building their vision of the Fire. Rodriguez said they share a similar view of the game, which made the process much easier.
On the flip side, Rodriguez admitted that scouting and recruitment needs some work. With a focus on acquiring international players — the Fire had just two of eight international spots filled following the trade of Joevin Jones on draft day — that became a very important aspect of the offseason. Finding and bringing in players from various countries and leagues required a slightly different approach.
“Scouting and recruitment is an area that we must improve as a club going forward so this offseason we’ve had to rely on relationships and contacts that we’ve had rather than a proactive approach to scouting and recruitment, which we’ll look to institute as soon as the summer transfer window," Rodriguez said. "We’ve been fortunate in having good people help us identify some people. We’re very methodical and meticulous to our four stages of evaluation because we really want to make sure that the person that we bring in will fit as much or even better than the talent that we bring in.”
Despite the challenge of acquiring international players without a proactive approach to scouting, Rodriguez said the busy offseason went according to plan. The Fire netted Brandon Vincent, a probable starter at left back, Jonathan Campbell, a potential long-term solution at center back, and Alex Morrell, a speedy winger who plays a position of little depth for the team. International players Joao Meira, Johan Kappelhof, Rodrigo Ramos and John Goossens have joined and all figure to see regular playing time.
Rodriguez admits there's more to do and the team is still targeting international players in midfield, but is happy with how things have turned out.
“It’s really gone according to plan," he said. "We’re in the midst of some negotiations that we’re optimistic that we will close positively."
So now that Sunday's season opener is just days away, making the playoffs remains the first goal. What should fans expect from the team though?
“What I expect and what the fans should demand is effort everyday in every training session and in every game," Rodriguez said. "That’s not to say we won’t have some clunkers along the way. (In a) 34-game season everyone will.
"The character expectation I have is that we will continue to work the same way. We will continue to have a positive attitude, high energy. It’s the environment that Pauno and the coaching staff has created. I expect that to carry us through those difficult moments, but you will have a team on the field that in every game and every instance will look to win. We will play to win.”
Premier League roundup: Leicester, Sunderland results could shake up both ends of table.
By Nicholas Mendola
To call it a rebuild doesn’t even do justice. This has been an entire overhaul for the Fire, not limited to the players on the field.
General manager Nelson Rodriguez was the first one put in place with the task of turning around the Fire, which have made the playoffs just once in the past six years. Rodriguez then picked out coach Veljko Paunovic, who preaches positivity and belief like it’s a religion.
Since those two have been in charge, the roster turnover began. Just 10 players from the 2015 squad remain with the Fire. Still, despite recognizing the need to make drastic changes within the club this offseason, Rodriguez's first impression after he was hired last season was about the fans.
“Surprisingly what resonated with me was how much support remained for the team," Rodriguez said. "We have to be honest, last year was a miserable season with just dire results. Yet even the last game of the regular season we find ourselves down 2-0 to New York Red Bulls, we get a goal back and the fans are just urging us on, completely supportive at all times. You could see the Red Bulls wobble a little bit on the field, which signals to me the strength and the power of our fan base. If we can give them more reason to believe and put results behind it we’re going to have a fantastic home environment.”
Once Paunovic was in tow, the pair were able to start building their vision of the Fire. Rodriguez said they share a similar view of the game, which made the process much easier.
On the flip side, Rodriguez admitted that scouting and recruitment needs some work. With a focus on acquiring international players — the Fire had just two of eight international spots filled following the trade of Joevin Jones on draft day — that became a very important aspect of the offseason. Finding and bringing in players from various countries and leagues required a slightly different approach.
“Scouting and recruitment is an area that we must improve as a club going forward so this offseason we’ve had to rely on relationships and contacts that we’ve had rather than a proactive approach to scouting and recruitment, which we’ll look to institute as soon as the summer transfer window," Rodriguez said. "We’ve been fortunate in having good people help us identify some people. We’re very methodical and meticulous to our four stages of evaluation because we really want to make sure that the person that we bring in will fit as much or even better than the talent that we bring in.”
Despite the challenge of acquiring international players without a proactive approach to scouting, Rodriguez said the busy offseason went according to plan. The Fire netted Brandon Vincent, a probable starter at left back, Jonathan Campbell, a potential long-term solution at center back, and Alex Morrell, a speedy winger who plays a position of little depth for the team. International players Joao Meira, Johan Kappelhof, Rodrigo Ramos and John Goossens have joined and all figure to see regular playing time.
Rodriguez admits there's more to do and the team is still targeting international players in midfield, but is happy with how things have turned out.
“It’s really gone according to plan," he said. "We’re in the midst of some negotiations that we’re optimistic that we will close positively."
So now that Sunday's season opener is just days away, making the playoffs remains the first goal. What should fans expect from the team though?
“What I expect and what the fans should demand is effort everyday in every training session and in every game," Rodriguez said. "That’s not to say we won’t have some clunkers along the way. (In a) 34-game season everyone will.
"The character expectation I have is that we will continue to work the same way. We will continue to have a positive attitude, high energy. It’s the environment that Pauno and the coaching staff has created. I expect that to carry us through those difficult moments, but you will have a team on the field that in every game and every instance will look to win. We will play to win.”
Premier League roundup: Leicester, Sunderland results could shake up both ends of table.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp said the era of single-team dominance of the Premier League is over, and after another wild day in the league, well, how could we argue?
Sunderland and Bournemouth boosted their hopes for PL safety while Leicester City opened the door for another team to take the table lead by the close of business Wednesday.
All that and more in our PL roundup.
Norwich City 1-2 Chelsea — RECAP
The Canaries went from zero to panic in 39 seconds after Kenedy buried an early chance to put Norwich City under the knife. Diego Costa made it 2-0 for Chelsea before Nathan Redmond pulled one back for the hosts in the second half. The win moves Chelsea to eighth, five points back of fifth, while Norwich is in 18th thanks to the next game in our rundown.
Sunderland 2-2 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Dame N'Doye‘s first half goal had the Stadium of Light energized for a move out of the drop zone. While that move materialized, a win did not. Palace got goals from suddenly-hot striker Connor Wickham in the 61st and 67th minutes to stun the Black Cats, but Fabio Borini netted a beauty with moments to play to level things up. Sunderland is out of the drop zone on goal differential, but cross-town rivals Newcastle have played two less matches and have the same amount of points. An absolutely massive Tyne-Wear Derby looms March 20.
Leicester City 2-2 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP
Tony Pulis loves to put a dent in title bids, and the West Brom boss did it again on Tuesday as the Baggies pulled a point out of King Power Stadium. Leicester City had come back from Salomon Rondon’s early goal to take a lead through Danny Drinkwater and Andy King, but Craig Gardner stayed hot with a curling free kick to ensure the point.
Bournemouth 2-0 Southampton — RECAP
Benik Afobe‘s Cherries career is looking pretty good after the striker capped off a big New Forest Derby win with his second half goal. Steve Cook also scored for Bournemouth on an off-night for visiting Saints. The Cherries are eight points clear of the drop.
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton — RECAP
Romelu Lukaku now has more Premier League goals in a single season than anyone in Everton history after his 17th of the season helped Everton to a 3-0 lead. Rudy Gestede scored for last-place Villa, while Aaron Lennon and Ramiro Funes Mori also scored for Everton. Funes Mori added an assist.
Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs Manchester City.
By Kyle Bonn
Revenge is the front porch to this game’s narrative, but that just scratches the surface of what this game means for both sides. Liverpool needs to refocus on league play after coming up just short for a trophy. Manchester City needs a win badly to begin scaling the mountain in front of them. Neither side would be happy with a point. Neither side can fall much farther than they already have this season.
For Jurgen Klopp, he has experience picking his team up from a Cup final defeat, having lost the last four finals he has managed in. With Liverpool sitting just two points above the lower half of the table, he must do so again here against the very team that prevented them from hoisting a trophy. The Reds have not won back-to-back league games since December, holding only Aston Villa to a clean sheet during that span.
It’s unclear if Daniel Sturridge will start this match for Liverpool after suffering cramps late in the Cup final that left him unable to take a penalty in the shootout. Dejan Lovren should return to the back line from illness just in time, as Lucas Levia – who deputized at center-back in the Cup final and performed admirably – suffered a muscular injury. The other central defenders in Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho are both doubts as well.
Manchester City picked up a big trophy for Manuel Pellegrini in his final season with the club, but the league is still of greater concern. City cannot afford to let cross-town rivals Manchester United back into the thick of the top four, but with the Red Devils just three points back in fifth, that is now a serious concern. City also sits four adrift of Arsenal in third, and a failure midweek would let the Gunners off the hook for their dropped points to the Red Devils over the weekend.
Yaya Toure is the most notable injury concern for City, with the midfielder questionable nursing a foot injury, Pellegrini confirmed. Otherwise, they have nothing new aside from the long-term problems to Samir Nasri, Fabian Delph, and Kevin De Bruyne, the latter of whom could come back at the end of March.
What they’re saying
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on injuries: “I know it’s a very important game for them and it’s a very important game for us. It is all about who is fit enough in this really intensive game for both sides. We will bring the best line-up we can.”
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: “One player I am sure that he will start is Raheem Sterling. For him to play under pressure, I think big players will always be under pressure for their performance. It doesn’t matter where they play or against whom they play. I have 100% trust in Raheem and I am sure that he will play tomorrow and be an important player.”
Prediction
“We tried everything” Jurgen Klopp said after their Cup final loss. Expect that again. Both teams need this game badly, which ensures a wild finish.
Manchester City starts matches much better than they finish them, while Liverpool is often the opposite. City will gain an early lead inside 20 minutes, and Liverpool will be forced to fight back the whole way, and Daniel Sturridge will come on as a substitute and score for the Reds in a 2-2 draw that leaves both teams wishing for more.
NCAABKB: NCAA Top 25 Basketball Poll, February 29, 2016.
Sunderland and Bournemouth boosted their hopes for PL safety while Leicester City opened the door for another team to take the table lead by the close of business Wednesday.
All that and more in our PL roundup.
Norwich City 1-2 Chelsea — RECAP
The Canaries went from zero to panic in 39 seconds after Kenedy buried an early chance to put Norwich City under the knife. Diego Costa made it 2-0 for Chelsea before Nathan Redmond pulled one back for the hosts in the second half. The win moves Chelsea to eighth, five points back of fifth, while Norwich is in 18th thanks to the next game in our rundown.
Sunderland 2-2 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Dame N'Doye‘s first half goal had the Stadium of Light energized for a move out of the drop zone. While that move materialized, a win did not. Palace got goals from suddenly-hot striker Connor Wickham in the 61st and 67th minutes to stun the Black Cats, but Fabio Borini netted a beauty with moments to play to level things up. Sunderland is out of the drop zone on goal differential, but cross-town rivals Newcastle have played two less matches and have the same amount of points. An absolutely massive Tyne-Wear Derby looms March 20.
Leicester City 2-2 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP
Tony Pulis loves to put a dent in title bids, and the West Brom boss did it again on Tuesday as the Baggies pulled a point out of King Power Stadium. Leicester City had come back from Salomon Rondon’s early goal to take a lead through Danny Drinkwater and Andy King, but Craig Gardner stayed hot with a curling free kick to ensure the point.
Bournemouth 2-0 Southampton — RECAP
Benik Afobe‘s Cherries career is looking pretty good after the striker capped off a big New Forest Derby win with his second half goal. Steve Cook also scored for Bournemouth on an off-night for visiting Saints. The Cherries are eight points clear of the drop.
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton — RECAP
Romelu Lukaku now has more Premier League goals in a single season than anyone in Everton history after his 17th of the season helped Everton to a 3-0 lead. Rudy Gestede scored for last-place Villa, while Aaron Lennon and Ramiro Funes Mori also scored for Everton. Funes Mori added an assist.
Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs Manchester City.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
Revenge is the front porch to this game’s narrative, but that just scratches the surface of what this game means for both sides. Liverpool needs to refocus on league play after coming up just short for a trophy. Manchester City needs a win badly to begin scaling the mountain in front of them. Neither side would be happy with a point. Neither side can fall much farther than they already have this season.
For Jurgen Klopp, he has experience picking his team up from a Cup final defeat, having lost the last four finals he has managed in. With Liverpool sitting just two points above the lower half of the table, he must do so again here against the very team that prevented them from hoisting a trophy. The Reds have not won back-to-back league games since December, holding only Aston Villa to a clean sheet during that span.
It’s unclear if Daniel Sturridge will start this match for Liverpool after suffering cramps late in the Cup final that left him unable to take a penalty in the shootout. Dejan Lovren should return to the back line from illness just in time, as Lucas Levia – who deputized at center-back in the Cup final and performed admirably – suffered a muscular injury. The other central defenders in Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho are both doubts as well.
Manchester City picked up a big trophy for Manuel Pellegrini in his final season with the club, but the league is still of greater concern. City cannot afford to let cross-town rivals Manchester United back into the thick of the top four, but with the Red Devils just three points back in fifth, that is now a serious concern. City also sits four adrift of Arsenal in third, and a failure midweek would let the Gunners off the hook for their dropped points to the Red Devils over the weekend.
Yaya Toure is the most notable injury concern for City, with the midfielder questionable nursing a foot injury, Pellegrini confirmed. Otherwise, they have nothing new aside from the long-term problems to Samir Nasri, Fabian Delph, and Kevin De Bruyne, the latter of whom could come back at the end of March.
What they’re saying
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on injuries: “I know it’s a very important game for them and it’s a very important game for us. It is all about who is fit enough in this really intensive game for both sides. We will bring the best line-up we can.”
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: “One player I am sure that he will start is Raheem Sterling. For him to play under pressure, I think big players will always be under pressure for their performance. It doesn’t matter where they play or against whom they play. I have 100% trust in Raheem and I am sure that he will play tomorrow and be an important player.”
Prediction
“We tried everything” Jurgen Klopp said after their Cup final loss. Expect that again. Both teams need this game badly, which ensures a wild finish.
Manchester City starts matches much better than they finish them, while Liverpool is often the opposite. City will gain an early lead inside 20 minutes, and Liverpool will be forced to fight back the whole way, and Daniel Sturridge will come on as a substitute and score for the Reds in a 2-2 draw that leaves both teams wishing for more.
NCAABKB: NCAA Top 25 Basketball Poll, February 29, 2016.
AP
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
POINTS
|
RECORD
|
PREVIOUS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas (63) | 1,623 | 25-4 | 2 |
| 2 | Michigan State (2) | 1,510 | 24-5 | 6 |
| 3 | Villanova | 1,479 | 25-4 | 1 |
| 4 | Virginia | 1,405 | 22-6 | 3 |
| 5 | Xavier | 1,356 | 25-4 | 5 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 1,297 | 22-6 | 3 |
| 7 | Miami (Fla.) | 1,211 | 23-5 | 12 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 1,205 | 23-6 | 7 |
| 9 | Oregon | 1,065 | 23-6 | 13 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 1,056 | 22-7 | 14 |
| 11 | Louisville | 822 | 22-7 | 11 |
| 12 | Indiana | 819 | 23-6 | 18 |
| 13 | Utah | 751 | 23-7 | 22 |
| 14 | Maryland | 753 | 23-6 | 10 |
| 15 | Purdue | 613 | 22-7 | 20 |
| 16 | Iowa | 572 | 20-8 | 8 |
| 17 | Duke | 495 | 21-8 | 15 |
| 18 | Arizona | 450 | 22-7 | 9 |
| 19 | Baylor | 447 | 21-8 | 19 |
| 20 | Texas A&M | 419 | 22-7 | 21 |
| 21 | Iowa State | 413 | 20-9 | 17 |
| 22 | Kentucky | 405 | 21-8 | 16 |
| 23 | Texas | 338 | 19-10 | 25 |
| 24 | SMU | 196 | 24-4 | 24 |
| 25 | Cal | 178 | 21-8 | NR |
Dropped out: Notre Dame
Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 93, Seton Hall 60, Wichita St. 43, St. Joseph's 29, Notre Dame 14, Texas Tech 12, Cincinnati 4, St. Mary's 3, Vanderbilt 3, AR Little Rock 2, Valparaiso 2, S.F. Austin 1, Dayton 1.
16 days until the 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament starts and 12 days before you can pick your brackets, Are you in?
The 2016 NCAA March Madness Tournament is just around the corner, you ready? Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica is having it's annual office pool again. You've played in our pool before, you're a terrific competitor and that what makes our pool a success. The entry fee is low ($12.00), the risk is minimal and the rewards are equitable, what more can you ask for? Here are few particulars about our pool:
It's going to be a great tournament this year because there is so much parity in college basketball today. Anyone can win. The small and intermediate size colleges have just as much talent as the big guys. Their teams have played together longer as the big schools recruit with the policy of one and done, off to the NBA. There seems to be a new #1 every week and then they get beat. Usually the winner of our pool needs 75% skill and 25% luck. This year it's going to be the other way around, 25% skill and 75% luck. Four weeks until the tournament starts; now is the time to get serious and start following the college teams and preparing for the conference tournaments. The precursor to the big dance. It's really going be a great tournament with plenty of upsets. For those of you that have played before, you know how much fun it is. For those of you that haven't, play for the first time and enjoy the "thrill of victory or the agony of defeat."
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."
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."
Entry information: to participate, click the information below and follow the steps.
Click on this link:
 | |||||||
Join Pool: CSandT/AA 2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office ...
Join Pool: CSandT/AA 2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office Pool
| |||||||
Preview by Yahoo
| |||||||
Enter this pool credential information:
The Pool ID is: 119477
The Pool Password is: 2016ncaabbop
Enter your personal registration information and retain a copy for your record.
The Pool Deadline is: March 17, 2016, 30 minutes before the start of the first game.
You may pay your entry fee by the methods below:
You can pay by check or through PayPal.
To pay by PayPal:
Go to http://www.paypal.com/, hit make a payment prompt and send your payment to chgtrnsprt@aol.com. Please use the family and friends prompt so that you don't incur any additional charges. When we receive your payment, you will receive a confirmation from PayPal and Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica.
To pay by check, use the entry form below:
Name:________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address:_______________________________________________________
City:________________________________ State:____________________________
Zip Code:____________
Email Address:_________________________________________________________
Telephone Number:_____________________________________________________
Please mail entry fee to:
Chicago Sports & Travel/AllsportsAmerica
"2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office Pool."
116 Fairfield Way
Bloomingdale, IL 60108-1538
Should you have any question(s) or comment(s), feel free to contact us by email at: chicagosportsandtravel@yahoo.com or by telephone at (312) 593-0928. We're here for you.
We look forward to your participation and wish you the best of luck.
Marion P. Jelks
CS&T/AA 2016 NCAA BB OP Commissioner
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun via AP)
Just three weeks ago, Florida (KenPom: 44, RPI: 46, CBT Bracketology Seed: Play-in Game) looked close to a lock for the NCAA tournament. Their computer numbers were terrific and they were coming off of a blowout home win over West Virginia that A) gave them a win to put at the top of their profile, and B) made it seem like they would be able to pick up the wins they needed to add to bolster their résumé down the stretch.
But they haven’t done that.
Instead, the Gators have lost their last four games, five of the last six and six of the last eight. They have just one loss outside the top 100, but they’re 2-10 against the top 50, 7-12 against the top 100 and 17-13 overall. Throw in the fact that, as they’ve continued to lose these games, their computer numbers have taken a hit, and what you get is a team that suddenly looks like they’re on the wrong side of the bubble.
WINNERS
- Vanderbilt (KP: 23, RPI: 48, CBT: 9): The Commodores beat the breaks off of Tennessee on Tuesday night, a win that they needed because they simply couldn’t afford another bad loss. Dave Ommen, our resident bracketologist, has Vanderbilt in as a No. 9 seed, which seems high to me. I think they probably needed to win at Texas A&M or win two games in the SEC tournament, depending on who they draw, to really feel comfortable.
- George Washington (KP: 72, RPI: 56, CBT: Next Four Out): The dream is still alive for the Colonials after beating George Mason. They probably need to win at least a game or two in the Atlantic 10 tournament to have a reach chance at getting an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
- LSU (KP: 73, RPI: 86, CBT: Next Four Out): There are apparently still people that think LSU still has a chance to dance, so I’ll put there here for now. Even with a win over Missouri, I don’t think they still have a shot at this.
LATE NIGHT SNACKS: Kentucky, Oklahoma, Indiana earn good wins.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
GAME OF THE NIGHT: No. 12 Indiana 81, No. 16 Iowa 78
The Hoosiers will be the outright Big Ten champions after holding off Iowa and winning on the road. Iowa had a look to tie at the end but missed it. Yogi Ferrell led Indiana with 20 points and five assists.
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES
No. 22 Kentucky 88, Florida 79: Kentucky picked up an important win on the road to stabilize themselves and Florida lost another game while they sit on the bubble. Skal Labissiere (11 points, eight rebounds) had his best minutes in a long time while Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis were both solid.
No. 3 Oklahoma 73, No. 19 Baylor 71: Oklahoma jumped out to a huge lead in the first half and almost collapsed in the second half. I have more on why this pattern of behavior is concerning for Oklahoma.
STARRED
Kris Jenkins, Villanova: It didn’t take much for Villanova to run past DePaul but Jenkins had 31 points and was 11-for-18 from the floor and 8-for-14 from 3-point range in the win.
Grayson Allen, Duke: The Blue Devils got 30 points, five rebounds and five steals from the sophomore in a road win over Wake Forest. Allen was 7-for-16 from the floor and also got to the free-throw line frequently as he went 14-for-19.
OTHER TOP 25 RESULTS
- No. 3 Villanova picked up an easy win over DePaul in the Big East as Kris Jenkins went for 31 points.
- No. 4 Virginia went on the road and picked up an ACC win at Clemson as Malcolm Brogdon had 18 points.
- Getting a win in the ACC was No. 11 Louisville as they beat Georgia Tech, 56-53. Chinanu Onuaku had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
- Winning on the road in the Big Ten was No. 15 Purdue over Nebraska as Vince Edwards had 20 points.
- No. 17 Duke picked up a road win over Wake Forest in the ACC as Grayson Allen had 30, Marshall Plumlee had 13 points and 17 rebounds and Brandon Ingram had 15 points and 11 rebounds.
- No. 21 Texas A&M beat Auburn in the SEC as Danuel House went for 19 points.
OTHER NOTABLE RESULTS
- Vanderbilt won a game it couldn’t lose over Tennessee in the SEC as Wade Baldwin had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
- LSU beat Missouri at home for a SEC win as Ben Simmons had 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
- Marquette beat Georgetown at home for a Big East win as Luke Fischer had 23 points and five rebounds.
- San Diego State raced past New Mexico in the Mountain West as Malik Pope scored 20 points.
- Dayton was able to hold off Richmond in the Atlantic 10 as Scoochie Smith had 26 points.
- George Washington won’t get much bubble help beating George Mason but it doesn’t hurt as Kevin Larsen and Patricio Garino each had 17 points.
- Roger Woods scored 30 points as Arkansas-Little Rock moved to 27-3 with a win over Arkansas State in the Sun Belt.
- Utah State took down Air Force in the Mountain West as Chris Smith and Jalen Moore both had 23 points.
- Central Michigan beat Ball State in a battle of the top two teams in the MAC’s West Division as Chris Fowler had 20 points.
- Kent State beat Bowling Green in the MAC as Jimmy Hall had 22 points.
- Western Michigan defeated Toledo in the MAC as Thomas Wilder and Tucker Haymond both had 18 points.
- Eastern Michigan held off Northern Illinois in the MAC as Tim Bond finished with 17 points.
- Miami of Ohio beat Buffalo in the MAC as Geovonie McKnight had 21 points.
- Ohio beat Akron in the MAC as Kwan Cheatham Jr. led with 21 points.
- UT-Arlington beat Texas State in the Sun Belt as Kaelon Wilson had 13 points.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
- Florida Gulf Coast knocked off Kennesaw State in the Atlantic Sun conference tournament quarterfinals as Christian Terrell led with 15 points.
- North Florida also advanced in the Atlantic Sun quarterfinals with a win over South Carolina Upstate. Dallas Moore led with 22 points.
- Lipscomb beat Jacksonville in overtime in the Atlantic Sun quarterfinals as J.C. Hampton had 35 points.
- In the final Atlantic Sun quarterfinal, Stetson got past NJIT for the upset as Derick Newton had 28 points and 11 rebounds.
- In the first round of the Patriot League conference tournament, Navy beat Lafayette as Tilman Dunbar went for 22 points.
- Staying in the Patriot League first round, Holy Cross knocked off Loyola (MD) as Malachi Alexander had 24 points.
NCAAFB: Jim Harbaugh brings Michigan to Florida and the hypocrites unload.
By Dan Wetzel
Jim Harbaugh speaks to reporters at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. (AP)
Jim Harbaugh was standing Monday in the Florida sun, fresh off the first spring practice of the year. He'd just told his Michigan football players to hit the beach for the rest of the afternoon before reconvening for team movie night.
This was a scene that terrified and tormented southern coaches, commissioners and even the president of the NCAA itself, although not for the reason they claimed. The truth was too petty and petrifying to admit, of course.
Jim Harbaugh was here for the recruits. Everyone knows that.
If he wanted to just practice, he could be back in Ann Arbor. If he wanted to practice "off-sight" he could be in Kalamazoo or Kentucky or anywhere that wasn't coincidentally a high school with so much talent that the University of Tennessee recently offered scholarships to 20 kids on its football roster. If he wanted to buckle down with his team, he wouldn't stage a Friday afternoon "open" workout, which promises to be teeming with even more high school coaches, parents and prospects.
This was a scene that terrified and tormented southern coaches, commissioners and even the president of the NCAA itself, although not for the reason they claimed. The truth was too petty and petrifying to admit, of course.
Jim Harbaugh was here for the recruits. Everyone knows that.
If he wanted to just practice, he could be back in Ann Arbor. If he wanted to practice "off-sight" he could be in Kalamazoo or Kentucky or anywhere that wasn't coincidentally a high school with so much talent that the University of Tennessee recently offered scholarships to 20 kids on its football roster. If he wanted to buckle down with his team, he wouldn't stage a Friday afternoon "open" workout, which promises to be teeming with even more high school coaches, parents and prospects.
Of course Jim Harbaugh was here for the recruits and of course the SEC and ACC aren't happy about it. They just won't acknowledge it.
So they claim they are opposed for disingenuous and hypocritical reasons such as student-athlete free time. They vow to rewrite legislation, ASAP, to prevent this kind of gross exploitation of a bunch of spring break football players.
So Harbaugh, the master of subtweets and subtle shots, stood surrounded by local and national and back-home media (another ancillary reason for being here) and decided to play just as dumb as his howling critics.
How about the benefits of taking your program to a talent-rich area, while reminding all those snow-bound recruits back in the Midwest that signing with Michigan means annual trips to the sun?
How about the recruiting advantage, Jim?
"I don't know that there is one," Harbaugh deadpanned.
So, so good.
If one side is going to be ridiculous, then Harbaugh can raise them.
Recruits, what recruits? Staging practices in a state with 50 kids rated four or five stars by Rivals.com, and that's just the Class of 2017? Specifically coming to IMG Academy in Bradenton, where there are two Rivals.com five-star rated prospects and 11 more dubbed four-star who will be seniors next year?
What a coincidence. If the SEC won't say they hate this because of recruiting then why should Jim Harbaugh say he loves it because of recruiting.
"Be outside," Harbaugh said as a chief reason for being there. "You ever seen the movie 'Remember the Titans'?"
(It includes scenes focusing on the positives of taking a team away for preseason practices).
"Check it out," Harbaugh continued. "Take a look at it. We're going to watch it tonight. Team building. Team development. Getting to know each other better."
There is no doubt some of that will occur. Teams of all sorts – from high school through NFL – like the concept of "off-site" training camps. Until now, college coaches never thought of taking the humble spring practice and planting it the middle of an out-of-state recruiting hotbed.
If this were being staged in Saginaw, no one would have said a peep.
Instead there's been a lot of howling about student-athlete welfare and the need for players to have vacation time and a bunch of other stuff that would make sense if not for the fact that pretty much every single decision made by college administrators over the past five decades never paid a lick of attention to any of that.
"This seems completely counter to the dialogue," SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told CBSSports.com. "We have work to do on [providing a] day off. We have work to do on, how do you provide a postseason break? It seems where this is one where reasonable people could say we just shouldn't be in this space."
Those are noble goals. Sankey isn't wrong about the demands on student-athletes. Here's hoping he really tackles the issue.
It's especially prudent in football. Lacking a union, college kids can't get full contact practices limited in preseason camp or during the season, like the pros. In the NCAA, you can run Oklahoma drills all day, every day, twice a day.
College players can't negotiate the time off that NFLers have – organized team activities for the pros don't begin until late April and often not until late May. That's four or five months off for most players. Somehow the sport thrives. In college you get less than two – which doesn't even count crack-of-dawn "voluntary" weight training sessions just a week or so after a bowl game.
No one seems too concerned about that.
To focus solely on the issue of a handful of off-campus spring practices by one school, however, is to engage in absurd selectivity. The idea that players need spring break to themselves is a nice concept, but not some irrefutable argument.
Many players, just like most regular college students, can't afford to go away for spring break, no matter what the old movies claim. The majority of cash strapped "normal" students probably use the time to work.
Besides, there is a perfectly good counter-argument that getting four or five days of spring practice out of the way when class isn't in session helps free up the guys a little when it actually is [there are limits to the number of practices allowed]. A few fine spring afternoons off during the semester has value too.
More notably, no one in college football cared when they expanded the regular season to run through Thanksgiving weekend, eliminating player's time with family during a traditional holiday break.
And no one is stepping up to kill bowl games that wipe out the end of the semester vacation – where regular students are often exhausted after the grind of finals. Instead, some teams get sent to hotel rooms in Shreveport or Detroit or wherever for Christmas Day itself, so there is college football television programming on the 26th and 27th.
And no one is stepping up to kill bowl games that wipe out the end of the semester vacation – where regular students are often exhausted after the grind of finals. Instead, some teams get sent to hotel rooms in Shreveport or Detroit or wherever for Christmas Day itself, so there is college football television programming on the 26th and 27th.
Look, if some old crony of these commissioners had figured out how to profit off spring break practices a couple decades ago – and then spent the ensuing years paying for rounds of golf for athletic directors – this would be deemed an honorable "tradition" and a "reward" that must be saved, even more so if coaches and administrators had "off-sight spring practice bonuses" in their contracts.
As Harbaugh noted, eastern and northern teams in other sports routinely head south or west to practice or play during spring break.
As Harbaugh noted, eastern and northern teams in other sports routinely head south or west to practice or play during spring break.
"Our tennis team will be hitting balls here this week, as a matter of fact," Harbaugh noted of IMG Academy itself.
Who weeps for those exploited forehands though?
It goes on and on. Basketball teams are allowed to occasionally take international summer trips, which means not just cutting into summer vacation, but a couple weeks of practice back on campus to prepare.
It was once sold as a great educational opportunity – tour some European capital by day, play some ball at night. It made sense. Many schools still do it right.
Others, though, watched as their coaches, with the blessing of their now aghast ADs, commissioners and NCAA president, turned it into nothing more than a loophole to allow an extra training camp.
They began eschewing Rome and Paris and Beijing for the Americanized resorts in the Bahamas and Mexico, or Canadian towns such Niagara Falls and Windsor, Ont., which are culturally different only if you consider Tim Horton's exotic. That first bite of a Tim Bit will stick with you like getting lost in the architectural and artistic glory of the Sistine Chapel.
Who weeps for those exploited forehands though?
It goes on and on. Basketball teams are allowed to occasionally take international summer trips, which means not just cutting into summer vacation, but a couple weeks of practice back on campus to prepare.
It was once sold as a great educational opportunity – tour some European capital by day, play some ball at night. It made sense. Many schools still do it right.
Others, though, watched as their coaches, with the blessing of their now aghast ADs, commissioners and NCAA president, turned it into nothing more than a loophole to allow an extra training camp.
They began eschewing Rome and Paris and Beijing for the Americanized resorts in the Bahamas and Mexico, or Canadian towns such Niagara Falls and Windsor, Ont., which are culturally different only if you consider Tim Horton's exotic. That first bite of a Tim Bit will stick with you like getting lost in the architectural and artistic glory of the Sistine Chapel.
"There is a big debate going on among administrators right now about how to provide more time off for student-athletes, so the use of spring break for practices caused a lot of people to be concerned about it, and that's an appropriate concern," Emmert told The State newspaper. "We are trying to find ways to dial back the demands on student-athletes, not ramp them up."
No one is dialing anything back. Not one bowl game is getting canceled. No one is demanding summer trips must include actual educational possibilities. No one is scaling back the length of the season. No one is making conferences smaller and more sensible to cut down on player travel. Not one football practice is being set aside as non-contact.
Jim Harbaugh might get an extra recruit or two out of Florida though, and suddenly there is panic.
But this isn't about recruits, they say. So this isn't about recruits, Harbaugh says.
Nonsense befitting nonsense; here's hoping the Wolverines enjoyed the beach on Monday.
AP's Derby Top 10: Unbeatens Nyquist, Mohaymen still 1-2.
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
Let the campaigning begin.
The leading candidates for the Kentucky Derby are on schedule for a fight to the finish line on April 2 in Florida, racing at full throttle for 1 1/8 miles in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
It's a rare showdown of the top 3-year-olds in the land just five weeks before the Run for the Roses on May 7. And what a matchup: Nyquist, the best in the West with a 6-0 record, vs. Mohaymen, the best in the East with a 5-0 mark.
Toss in a $1 million bonus at stake, the role of Derby favorite on the line and a few other more-than-worthy opponents, and this Florida Derby packs one powerful punch.
''I'm pumped to have Nyquist face the best,'' trainer Doug O'Neill said from his West Coast base at Santa Anita. ''Mohaymen is definitely a best, but so are we. If they both stay injury free, it will be a great race.''
Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Mohaymen, says ''We're going to take one race at a time and we are looking at the Florida Derby in five weeks. He's a very talented horse and he keeps winning. We're all happy. That's all we can do.''
Despite Mohaymen's comfortable win in the Fountain of Youth over the weekend at Gulfstream Park, Nyquist remains No. 1 in the AP's latest Run to the Roses Top 10 list of Derby contenders.
The two colts are way in front of the field - for now.
The only change in our Top 10 is Zulu moving in at No. 9 following his runner-up finish in the Fountain of Youth. Greenpointcrusader slips into the keep-an-eye-on group.
This weekend's Derby prep is the Gotham at Aqueduct Racetrack. Derby qualifying points are 50-20-10-5.
Withers winner Sunny Ridge looks to be the top contender. Probables include unbeaten Shagaf, Matt King Coal, Conquest Big E, Laoban and Adventist.
Here's our Top 10:
1. Nyquist (Doug O'Neill, trainer; Mario Gutierrez, jockey): Best of West heading East for showdown in Florida. ... A perfect 6 for 6, including three Grade 1 stakes. ... Next start: Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, April 2. ... Derby odds (pool 2): 7-1.
2. Mohaymen (Kiaran McLaughlin, Junior Alvarado): Impressive finish in winning Fountain of Youth. ... A perfect 5 for 5, including four Grade 2 stakes. ... Leads in Derby qualifying points with 70. ... Next start: Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, April 2. ... Odds: 4-1.
3. Mor Spirit (Bob Baffert, Gary Stevens): Worked 5 furlongs in 59.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday. ... Baffert says colt ''is pretty fit.'' ... Robert B. Lewis winner has three wins, two seconds in five career starts. ... Next start: San Felipe, Santa Anita, March 12. ... Odds: 12-1.
4. Brody's Cause (Dale Romans, Corey Lanerie): Worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.73 at Gulfstream on Sunday. ... Ran third behind Nyquist in BC Juvenile in last start. .. Next start: Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs, March 12. ... Odds: 15-1.
3. Mor Spirit (Bob Baffert, Gary Stevens): Worked 5 furlongs in 59.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday. ... Baffert says colt ''is pretty fit.'' ... Robert B. Lewis winner has three wins, two seconds in five career starts. ... Next start: San Felipe, Santa Anita, March 12. ... Odds: 12-1.
4. Brody's Cause (Dale Romans, Corey Lanerie): Worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.73 at Gulfstream on Sunday. ... Ran third behind Nyquist in BC Juvenile in last start. .. Next start: Tampa Bay Derby, Tampa Bay Downs, March 12. ... Odds: 15-1.
5. Exaggerator (Keith Desormeaux, Kent Desormeaux): San Vicente runner-up worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 at Santa Anita last week. ... Has three wins in seven career starts. ... Next start: San Felipe, Santa Anita, March 12. ... Odds: 22-1.
6. Suddenbreakingnews (Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez): Southwest winner worked 4 furlongs in 51.20 at Oaklawn on Saturday. ... Has three wins, two seconds in six career starts. ... Next start: Rebel, Oaklawn Park, March 19. ... Odds: 5-2 (mutuel field).
7. Mo Tom (Tom Amoss, Lanerie): Could be Derby sleeper with big effort in next prep. ... Ran third in Risen Star after bothered in stretch. ... Next start: Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, March 26. ... Odds: 28-1.
6. Suddenbreakingnews (Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez): Southwest winner worked 4 furlongs in 51.20 at Oaklawn on Saturday. ... Has three wins, two seconds in six career starts. ... Next start: Rebel, Oaklawn Park, March 19. ... Odds: 5-2 (mutuel field).
7. Mo Tom (Tom Amoss, Lanerie): Could be Derby sleeper with big effort in next prep. ... Ran third in Risen Star after bothered in stretch. ... Next start: Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, March 26. ... Odds: 28-1.
8. Sunny Ridge (Jason Servis, Manuel Franco): Gray son of Holy Bull all set for Gotham. .. Withers winner has two wins, two seconds in past four races. ... Next start: Gotham, Aqueduct, Saturday. ... Odds: 5-2 (mutuel field).
9. Zulu (Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez): Runner-up in Fountain of Youth puts colt on Derby trail. ... Won first two starts before loss in stakes debut. ... Next start: Undecided. ... Odds: 24-1.
10. Frank Conversation (O'Neill, Gutierrez): El Camino Derby winner worked 4 furlongs 49.00 at Santa Anita last week. ... Will be shipped to Dubai about two weeks before final Derby prep. ... Next start: UAE Derby, Meydan Racecourse, March 26. ... Odds: 5-2 (mutuel field).
Keep an eye on: Greenpointcrusader, Gun Runner, Smokey Image, Swipe, Whitmore.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1904 - The "Official Playing Rules of Professional Base Ball Clubs" were adopted.
1918 - Joe Malone (Toronto Arenas) became the first scoring leader in the NHL. He had scored 44 goals in 22 games in the first NHL season. His record stood until 1944-45 when 50 goals were scored by Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.
1922 - The Toronto St. Patricks and the Vancouver Millionaires played the final professional hockey game that featured seven players on each side.
1927 - Babe Ruth signed a 3-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $70,000 a year.
1929 - George Hainsworth (Montreal Canadiens) recorded his 20th shutout of the season. He ended the season with a total of 22.
1929 - The Chicago Blackhawks were shut out for the eighth consecutive game.
1940 - The first televised intercollegiate track meet was seen on TV in New York City on W2XBS. The game presented live from Madison Square Garden. New York University won the meet.
1962 - Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks. The final score was 169-147. Chamberlain broke several NBA records in the game.
1966 - Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in two seasons.
1969 - Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins) became the first player in the NHL to score 100 points in a season. Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe also crossed the 100 mark during the same season.
1984 - John Long (Detroit) began a free throw streak of 51 NBA games.
1992 - Ryne Sandberg signed a 5-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $30.5 million.
2000 - Team New Zealand (Kiwis) retained yachting's America's Cup. It was the first time that a non-American syndicate had successfully defended the Cup.
2004 - The Pittsburgh Penguins ended their NHL record 14-game home losing streak when they tied the New York Islanders 3-3.
2004 - The Indianapolis Colts signed Peyton Manning to a seven-year, $98 million deal with a $34.5 million signing bonus. It was the largest package to date in the NFL.
1918 - Joe Malone (Toronto Arenas) became the first scoring leader in the NHL. He had scored 44 goals in 22 games in the first NHL season. His record stood until 1944-45 when 50 goals were scored by Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.
1922 - The Toronto St. Patricks and the Vancouver Millionaires played the final professional hockey game that featured seven players on each side.
1927 - Babe Ruth signed a 3-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $70,000 a year.
1929 - George Hainsworth (Montreal Canadiens) recorded his 20th shutout of the season. He ended the season with a total of 22.
1929 - The Chicago Blackhawks were shut out for the eighth consecutive game.
1940 - The first televised intercollegiate track meet was seen on TV in New York City on W2XBS. The game presented live from Madison Square Garden. New York University won the meet.
1962 - Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks. The final score was 169-147. Chamberlain broke several NBA records in the game.
1966 - Bobby Hull (Chicago Blackhawks) became the first NHL player to score 50 goals in two seasons.
1969 - Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins) became the first player in the NHL to score 100 points in a season. Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe also crossed the 100 mark during the same season.
1984 - John Long (Detroit) began a free throw streak of 51 NBA games.
1992 - Ryne Sandberg signed a 5-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $30.5 million.
2000 - Team New Zealand (Kiwis) retained yachting's America's Cup. It was the first time that a non-American syndicate had successfully defended the Cup.
2004 - The Pittsburgh Penguins ended their NHL record 14-game home losing streak when they tied the New York Islanders 3-3.
2004 - The Indianapolis Colts signed Peyton Manning to a seven-year, $98 million deal with a $34.5 million signing bonus. It was the largest package to date in the NFL.
*****************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment