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"Sports Quote of the Day"
''I just hate losing and that gives you an extra determination to work harder.'' ~ Wayne Rooney, Professional Soccer Player
Trending: Bears bringing accountability, winning expectations with additions. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Bears bringing accountability, winning expectations with additions. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: The "March Madness" tournament starts tomorrow, (Thursday), at 12:00 AM, ET , what are you waiting for? You can't win if you aren't in!!!!! Sign up today and feel the excitement, the rush and the anxiety of college basketball. (See the college basketball section for "NCAA March Madness" updates).
Trending: Arnold Palmer Invitational, the tournament fit for a King. (See the golf section for PGA updates).
PGA icons: Jack Nicklaus (L), Arnold Palmer (C) and Gary Player (R). (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Trending: Chicago Fire showed progress in Orlando, but still have to improve. (See the soccer section for Chicago Fire updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Philadelphia Flyers-Chicago Blackhawks Preview.
Just two short months ago, the Chicago Blackhawks were on top of the Western Conference and looked like a legitimate contender to successfully defend their Stanley Cup title.
It's a much different picture with 12 games left in the season.
The Blackhawks lost 5-0 to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night and have dropped four of five, including three in a row against potential playoff opponents, entering Wednesday night's home game against the surging Philadelphia Flyers. After a pair of road losses to St. Louis and Dallas, Chicago yielded a pair of goals in an 18-second span of the first period and never recovered against Los Angeles.
The reigning NHL champions are 9-10-2 since they ripped off a franchise-record 12 straight wins at the end of December and into January.
''We've had a tougher schedule,'' coach Joel Quenneville said. ''We've had some tough games and I think during this stretch here our penalty killing hasn't been great. Some nights they could have won us some games with getting the job done and giving up some timely goals that got their team going.
''But that was a stretch there that we really made a lot of hay and put ourselves in a great spot. Now we're not taking advantage of it, which is disappointing.''
The slide has dropped Chicago (41-23-6) into third place in the tough Central Division, three points behind the Stars and Blues.
Chicago has one home game left against each of the division leaders, so there is plenty of time. But the standings are less important to the Blackhawks than their play heading into the postseason.
''It seems like for whatever reason, the season's been up and down throughout the whole year,'' forward Patrick Kane said. ''You go on stretches where you win 12 in a row, and we've got this little stretch going right now. Obviously we want to shore that up before playoffs, and make sure we're going in there feeling consistent about our game.''
The second line of Kane, Artem Anisimov and rookie Artemi Panarin has been one of the most dangerous groups in the league for most of the year. But it has fallen on hard times of late.
Kane, who leads the NHL with 89 points, has been held to one goal in his last five games. Panarin has been kept off the score sheet in six of his last nine games.
Anisimov has one goal and three assists in his last 14 appearances.
Chicago also has struggled mightily on the penalty kill, owning a league-low 63.6 success rate since Feb. 9.
That issue could again factor against Philadelphia (32-23-12), which has converted 21.1 percent of its power-play chances over a 7-1-1 stretch to vault back into the East's playoff race. Though the Flyers were 0 of 6 Tuesday against Detroit, they received two even-strength goals from Michael Raffl in a 4-3 victory to move within one point of the eighth-place Red Wings.
''We are fighting for our lives here,'' said forward Wayne Simmonds, who added a goal. ''This was a pretty exciting game to get up for. It's pretty easy to get up for.''
Philadelphia, which owns two games in hand on Detroit, amassed 46 shots and has recorded 21 goals in winning four of five. Raffl has four goals and three assists over that span and rookie Shayne Gostisbehere has four goals over his last four after also scoring Tuesday.
The Flyers have lost two straight in Chicago but have won 18 of the last 22 regular-season meetings. They earned a 3-0 home victory on Oct. 14 behind Michael Neuvirth's 30 saves.
Kings befuddle Blackhawks. (Monday night's game, 03/14/2016).
By Tracey Myers
Eighteen seconds. It was a time span the Blackhawks would like to replay, forget, something.
Because in 18 seconds the Los Angeles Kings took a lead their goaltender made sure the Blackhawks wouldn’t get near challenging.
Kris Versteeg had a goal and an assist against his former team and Jonathan Quick stopped all 32 shots he saw as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night. The Blackhawks, who have won just one of their last five games (1-3-1), remain in third place in the Central Division with 88 points. The first-place Dallas Stars (91 points) were idle and the second-place St. Louis Blues (also 91 points) lost to the Calgary Flames.
Quick was big early when the Blackhawks got nine shots on their first two power plays. He stayed strong throughout, and the Kings gave him plenty of offense on the other side.
Corey Crawford allowed five goals on 25 shots.
The Blackhawks did exactly what they wanted to in those first three minutes, firing five shots on their first power play. But just 17 seconds after that power play ended, Versteeg scored his first goal since being traded to the Kings; just 18 seconds after that, Milan Lucic’s goal made it 2-0.
Those few seconds, and the mistakes that occurred on them, hurt.
“Yeah, certainly didn’t help,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I liked the start, we collided with each other off the faceoff, fortunate bounce off two skates right to Steeger, and then the next one we give them a semi odd-man break, we’re down 2-0 right out of the gate. That’s exactly how you don’t want to begin a game. We couldn’t get one to get energy going.”
The Blackhawks weren’t good at either end of the ice in this one. They struggled to do anything offensively. Part of that was Quick. Part of that is the Blackhawks still not finding enough production from other lines, especially now that the second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane have gone through a cool streak.
“Couple quick goals we give up and after that everything snowballs in the wrong direction for us,” Jonathan Toews said. “We couldn’t help our goaltender. Crow’s been unreal for us all year and these two games we’ve kind of hung him out to try. Collectively as a team, everyone’s to blame. At the end of the day, tough couple of games.”
The Blackhawks have had a tough time finding consistency for some time now. They went on a 12-game winning streak in late December/January. They’re 9-10-2 since. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team looking to stay atop the Central Division.
“We’ve had a tougher schedule, we’ve had some tough games. During this stretch our penalty killing hasn’t been great. Some nights it could’ve won us some games, getting the job done,” Quenneville said. “But that [winning streak] was a stretch where we made a lot of hay and put ourselves in a great spot. Now we’re not taking advantage of it, which is disappointing.”
The Blackhawks are still in the Central Division title hunt, despite these games. Still, they realize they need to be playing better hockey, and they need to start playing it now.
“You go in stretches where you win 12 in a row and we have this stretch now. We obviously want to shore that up before the playoffs and make sure we’re going in feeling consistent about our game,” Kane said. “We’ve been in a few of these games where they’ve been blowouts and we’ve been on the wrong side of them. We need to get rid of that, too.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Washington Wizards Preview.
By JEFF MEZYDLO
Because in 18 seconds the Los Angeles Kings took a lead their goaltender made sure the Blackhawks wouldn’t get near challenging.
Kris Versteeg had a goal and an assist against his former team and Jonathan Quick stopped all 32 shots he saw as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Blackhawks 5-0 on Monday night. The Blackhawks, who have won just one of their last five games (1-3-1), remain in third place in the Central Division with 88 points. The first-place Dallas Stars (91 points) were idle and the second-place St. Louis Blues (also 91 points) lost to the Calgary Flames.
Quick was big early when the Blackhawks got nine shots on their first two power plays. He stayed strong throughout, and the Kings gave him plenty of offense on the other side.
Corey Crawford allowed five goals on 25 shots.
The Blackhawks did exactly what they wanted to in those first three minutes, firing five shots on their first power play. But just 17 seconds after that power play ended, Versteeg scored his first goal since being traded to the Kings; just 18 seconds after that, Milan Lucic’s goal made it 2-0.
Those few seconds, and the mistakes that occurred on them, hurt.
“Yeah, certainly didn’t help,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “I liked the start, we collided with each other off the faceoff, fortunate bounce off two skates right to Steeger, and then the next one we give them a semi odd-man break, we’re down 2-0 right out of the gate. That’s exactly how you don’t want to begin a game. We couldn’t get one to get energy going.”
The Blackhawks weren’t good at either end of the ice in this one. They struggled to do anything offensively. Part of that was Quick. Part of that is the Blackhawks still not finding enough production from other lines, especially now that the second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane have gone through a cool streak.
“Couple quick goals we give up and after that everything snowballs in the wrong direction for us,” Jonathan Toews said. “We couldn’t help our goaltender. Crow’s been unreal for us all year and these two games we’ve kind of hung him out to try. Collectively as a team, everyone’s to blame. At the end of the day, tough couple of games.”
The Blackhawks have had a tough time finding consistency for some time now. They went on a 12-game winning streak in late December/January. They’re 9-10-2 since. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team looking to stay atop the Central Division.
“We’ve had a tougher schedule, we’ve had some tough games. During this stretch our penalty killing hasn’t been great. Some nights it could’ve won us some games, getting the job done,” Quenneville said. “But that [winning streak] was a stretch where we made a lot of hay and put ourselves in a great spot. Now we’re not taking advantage of it, which is disappointing.”
The Blackhawks are still in the Central Division title hunt, despite these games. Still, they realize they need to be playing better hockey, and they need to start playing it now.
“You go in stretches where you win 12 in a row and we have this stretch now. We obviously want to shore that up before the playoffs and make sure we’re going in feeling consistent about our game,” Kane said. “We’ve been in a few of these games where they’ve been blowouts and we’ve been on the wrong side of them. We need to get rid of that, too.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session... Chicago Bulls-Washington Wizards Preview.
By JEFF MEZYDLO
After using a clip from a comedy classic to motivate his Chicago Bulls, it's uncertain what methods coach Fred Hoiberg will use to help them build on their latest victory.
Perhaps the chance to win back-to-back road games for the first time in well over a month will provide enough incentive Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.
Amid a season filled with injuries and underachievement, Hoiberg is trying to keep Chicago's morale from completely fading. Leading up to Monday's visit to Toronto, Hoiberg showed his team John Belushi's inaccurately funny "Was it over when the Germans bombed Peal Harbor?" motivational scene from the movie "Animal House" to lighten the mood.
"If your spirit gets broken, you have no chance," Hoiberg told the Bulls' official website. "We got to find a way to deal with it and go out and give ourselves a chance."
It's uncertain if that scene pumped up the Bulls (33-32) enough to beat the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors 109-107. But minus Pau Gasol (knee), Derrick Rose (groin) and Mike Dunleavy (stomach virus), Chicago put forth a strong effort to snap a season-high eight-game road skid.
"It's just really good for our confidence, our motivation going forward," said forward Doug McDermott, who had 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Leading Detroit by a percentage point for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls will again be without Gasol. It's uncertain if Rose will sit his third straight contest or if Dunleavy will be ready.
Jimmy Butler should be available after scoring 13 points in 33 minutes Monday in his return from a three-game absence due to knee soreness.
"My team needs me to get us into the playoffs," the All-Star Butler said. "Go out there and do whatever it takes to help us win."
Butler will try to help the Bulls win consecutive road games for the first time since Jan. 23 and 28 and improve a defense that's yielded an average of 109.8 points in the last 12 away from home.
Making their first trip to Washington this season, the Bulls gave up an average of 109.0 points while splitting the first two meetings.
Sitting 10th in the East and 2 1/2 games behind Chicago and Detroit, the Wizards (31-35) snapped a season-high five-game skid with Monday's 124-81 rout of the Pistons. Nene scored 20 off the bench and John Wall had 12 assists in Washington's most lopsided victory since beating Boston by 45 in 2002-03.
''As I told them, remember this, learn from it," coach Randy Wittman said. "They were locked in."
After shooting 43.0 percent and averaging 96.8 points during the losing streak, the Wizards set season highs for points and field-goal percentage (56.7). They also yielded their fewest points of 2015-16 after the previous five opponents averaged 110.8.
"It doesn't matter what the scheme ... defensively, if you don't play consistently it's not going to work," Wittman said.
With 33 points and 17 assists in the first two against the Bulls, Wall was held below his season averages of 20.0 and 9.9.
Butler, who missed a 109-104 win over the Wizards on Feb. 24, had 19 points in a 114-100 loss Jan. 11. He averaged 7.7 points and shot 32.0 percent in his first 13 matchups in the series.
Shorthanded Bulls hang on to beat Raptors in Jimmy Butler's return. (Monday night's game. 03/14/2015).By Vincent Goodwill
Toronto real estate is going through a boom right now, so the Raptors shouldn’t just give it away so freely to the likes of the Chicago Bulls.
But as any Chicagoan knows, if there’s affordable real estate in a great place, you’d better jump on it, so the Bulls planted themselves firmly where the sign was placed—in the Raptors’ psyche.
It doesn’t matter who is wearing a Bulls’ uniform, be it Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler—heck, it could be Eddie Robinson or Norm Van Lier, but there seems to be a mental hurdle they leap.
Nine straight wins for the Chicago Bulls over the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, sealed with a 109-107 win at Air Canada Centre Monday night.
It wasn’t Butler with a Jordan-like performance like their last visit to the north, nor was Rose in uniform, still recovering from a groin injury. Mike Dunleavy was even back at the team hotel with the flu and Pau Gasol was back in Chicago recovering from a knee injury.
No matter, since Doug McDermott seems to own the Raptors recently. After 30 a couple weeks back at the United Center, he did it again off the bench with 29 points—24 in the first half. He was joined by E’Twaun Moore, who hit eight of his first nine for 17 points.
The Bulls jumped out to an 13-4 lead, setting the tone for what was to come as they played with the requisite concentration and focus that only seems to appear every once in a while.
And the Raptors were ready to give it all away.
The Raptors played into the Bulls’ hands. Fouling 3-point shooters, complaining about the officials, taking the Bulls for granted and at times, playing at half speed.
They had a quick surge to pull the game to within seven at the end of the third quarter but when Terrence Ross left McDermott alone on the wing—a no-no on a bad McDermott day—the lead was back to 13 with 10 minutes to play.
Unlike the last two losses, the Bulls took care of the ball, running the offense with precision and most of all, confidence, committing just six turnovers through the first 36 minutes.
McDermott and Moore started off the first quarter 9-9, then McDermott kept the torch in the second. Back to back triples, including a four-point play, pushed the lead near double-figures before the Raptors nearly imploded.
Jason Thompson successfully pulled the chair on Gibson but the officials called a foul, much to the chagrin of Raptors coach Dwane Casey, who picked up a technical foul.
On the ensuing possession, they picked up more technical fouls and their focus was indeed off.
And the Bulls finally took advantage.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears bringing accountability, winning expectations with additions.
Job 1 for John Fox when he began his tenure as Bears coach was changing the culture of losing that had settled in over too many areas of Halas Hall and its football team.
Besides the myriad little things done or installed, the big one was personnel – nothing changes “culture” like good football players. CSNChicago.com recently noted the attitude adjustment that was amply evident in the demeanors of newcomers Bobby Massie and Danny Trevathan.
But talk is nothing if not cheap, and more than simply “good” players, the Bears were in desperate need of players who knew what winning entailed and what you needed to accomplish that – ones for whom losing is a violation of the natural order.
The Bears and GM Ryan Pace went in that direction almost immediately last year when they targeted Pernell McPhee (Baltimore), Antrel Rolle (Arizona, N.Y. Giants) and Eddie Royal (Denver, San Diego), all players who played in winning playoff games. Those free-agency deals were done the day after they traded away Brandon Marshall, someone still looking for his first trip to a playoff after 10 seasons stretching over four different teams, including the Jets last year.
The Bears’ culture-change selection process, which already had them acquire Trevathan (Super Bowl winner with Denver), Massie (part of Bruce Arians’ turnaround of the Arizona Cardinals) and Jerrell Freeman (playoffs with Indianapolis 2012-14), took another major step Sunday with the signing of defensive lineman Akiem Hicks away from the New England Patriots.
Hicks was part of the Patriots’ AFC East championship team by virtue of a trade from New Orleans last season. The experience with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and an organization ending short of a Super Bowl is a disappointment made an impression.
“The No. 1 thing I would say would be accountability,” Hicks said of the basis of the New England standard. “Being able to hold your players accountable for the job that they’re required to do, and that’s on and off the field.
“Being accountable to each other as far as teammates, knowing that your teammate has your back and will do everything in his power to make sure that you guys come out with the goal that you have in mind. Accountability would be the main message that I would share with anybody about my time in New England.”
Decisions in the free market typically turn on the dollars, but not always, particularly when multiple offers are in front of a player. When defensive end Jared Allen approached the Bears last season about trading him to a better fit, Allen identified a handful of teams, all of which had a legitimate shot at a successful 2015. Those included Carolina, which got Allen to a Super Bowl before he retired.
Hicks was drafted by the New Orleans Saints when Pace was a top member of the personnel department.Besides the myriad little things done or installed, the big one was personnel – nothing changes “culture” like good football players. CSNChicago.com recently noted the attitude adjustment that was amply evident in the demeanors of newcomers Bobby Massie and Danny Trevathan.
But talk is nothing if not cheap, and more than simply “good” players, the Bears were in desperate need of players who knew what winning entailed and what you needed to accomplish that – ones for whom losing is a violation of the natural order.
The Bears and GM Ryan Pace went in that direction almost immediately last year when they targeted Pernell McPhee (Baltimore), Antrel Rolle (Arizona, N.Y. Giants) and Eddie Royal (Denver, San Diego), all players who played in winning playoff games. Those free-agency deals were done the day after they traded away Brandon Marshall, someone still looking for his first trip to a playoff after 10 seasons stretching over four different teams, including the Jets last year.
The Bears’ culture-change selection process, which already had them acquire Trevathan (Super Bowl winner with Denver), Massie (part of Bruce Arians’ turnaround of the Arizona Cardinals) and Jerrell Freeman (playoffs with Indianapolis 2012-14), took another major step Sunday with the signing of defensive lineman Akiem Hicks away from the New England Patriots.
Hicks was part of the Patriots’ AFC East championship team by virtue of a trade from New Orleans last season. The experience with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and an organization ending short of a Super Bowl is a disappointment made an impression.
“The No. 1 thing I would say would be accountability,” Hicks said of the basis of the New England standard. “Being able to hold your players accountable for the job that they’re required to do, and that’s on and off the field.
“Being accountable to each other as far as teammates, knowing that your teammate has your back and will do everything in his power to make sure that you guys come out with the goal that you have in mind. Accountability would be the main message that I would share with anybody about my time in New England.”
Decisions in the free market typically turn on the dollars, but not always, particularly when multiple offers are in front of a player. When defensive end Jared Allen approached the Bears last season about trading him to a better fit, Allen identified a handful of teams, all of which had a legitimate shot at a successful 2015. Those included Carolina, which got Allen to a Super Bowl before he retired.
“[The Bears] have been and are still currently making great decisions in order to bring players and the coaching staff and everybody to this organization to build something great here in Chicago,” Hicks said. “I’m a believer. I’ve seen some of the moves that they’ve made and I’ve seen the way that they’ve gone about business and I’m excited to be a part of that, and was excited from afar.”
Bears bring back Zach Miller on two-year deal.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears have re-signed one of their top free agents, inking tight end Zach Miller to a two-year deal Monday evening.
The contract is worth a reported $6 million with as much as $2 million in incentives.
Miller will be 32 in October and enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, catching 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns, blowing his previous career highs out of the water.
Miller has battled injuries throughout his career and didn't suit up in a regular-season game from 2011-14 before appearing in 15 games for the Bears last season.
The contract is worth a reported $6 million with as much as $2 million in incentives.
Miller will be 32 in October and enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, catching 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns, blowing his previous career highs out of the water.
Miller has battled injuries throughout his career and didn't suit up in a regular-season game from 2011-14 before appearing in 15 games for the Bears last season.
In Week 9 against the San Diego Chargers, Miller scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-handed snag in the middle of the field. He followed that up with five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in Week 10 against the St. Louis Rams, including an 87-yard score.
Miller built a solid rapport with quarterback Jay Cutler and was a natural fit in the Bears offense. In his final eight games of the season, Miller totaled 404 receiving yards on 43 catches and five touchdowns, very solid numbers for a half-season of work.
With Martellus Bennett's future in doubt with the Bears, Miller and recently re-signed tight end Rob Housler gives the organization some depth at the position.
Cubs ace Jake Arrieta feels ready for 250 innings this season.
Miller built a solid rapport with quarterback Jay Cutler and was a natural fit in the Bears offense. In his final eight games of the season, Miller totaled 404 receiving yards on 43 catches and five touchdowns, very solid numbers for a half-season of work.
With Martellus Bennett's future in doubt with the Bears, Miller and recently re-signed tight end Rob Housler gives the organization some depth at the position.
Cubs ace Jake Arrieta feels ready for 250 innings this season.
By Patrick Mooney
“Well, I think I got everyone’s best shot last year, too,” Arrieta said. “Obviously, teams are going to want to beat us. Just like we want to beat them. I don’t think that’s going to change much.”
Dressed in a tank top and his eyes shielded by sunglasses, Arrieta had his Terminator look going when he met with reporters after throwing four crisp innings during Monday’s 10-2 loss to the San Diego Padres at Sloan Park.
At Arrieta’s side stood his son, Cooper, who helped pour champagne into his mouth during that raucous wild-card celebration at PNC Park, creating a memorable snapshot from a complete-game shutout of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Last year is over, but that won’t stop questions about 248-plus innings and what it means in 2016. Arrieta shut down his throwing program for a few weeks this offseason, allowing his body to recover and resetting his mind for an encore performance.
“Once I jumped into my training and started playing catch, it was back to normal,” Arrieta said. “The fatigue is just one of those things that you can’t necessarily account for. That innings jump was difficult. (But) I had to just deal with it by going through some fatigue at the end.
“Now, I’ve obviously bounced back and I’m in better shape than I ever have been. And I’m ready for another 250.”
Until last year’s breakthrough, Arrieta hadn’t completed a wire-to-wire season in the big leagues, maxing out at almost 157 innings in 2014. But he had no problem carrying himself like a top-of-the-rotation guy, which gave the clubhouse so much confidence on the days he pitched.
In front of 15,318 in Mesa, Arrieta struck out five of the 15 hitters he faced, allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Once a bubble player with the Baltimore Orioles, he can now focus on details like pitching from the stretch and sharpening his timing and tempo.
The Cubs will keep Arrieta in a controlled environment for his next start, lining him up for a minor-league game instead of having him face the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night in Goodyear.
From there, it’s only 16 days until Arrieta will be staring down Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels in Southern California.
“The arm strength is going to jump up a tic once the bright lights are on,” Arrieta said. “That’s kind of the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s what we’re all looking for right now – getting through it healthy and getting our pitchers built up.
“We’ll be ready.”
All systems go for White Sox ace Chris Sale.
By J.J. Stankevitz
Chris Sale threw 75 pitches in a “B” game Monday morning against the Los Angeles Dodgers and remains on track to make his Cactus League debut Saturday.
The ace left-hander threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. It was Sale’s third informal start, beginning with a side session March 4 and a simulated game March 9. The White Sox plan was to let Sale focus on getting his work in while shielding him from the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals early on. Sale’s start Saturday will come against the Dodgers.
“I felt great, I felt fine,” Sale said. “Command was a little off, but that’s kind of expected getting out there for the first time in a game against someone in a different uniform. It was nice. We did what we needed to do. Just build from there and keep moving forward.”
Manager Robin Ventura said Sale looked “free and easy,” though noted his slider wasn’t crisp — as is the case with most breaking balls down here in Arizona. Sale’s best moment of his start probably was when he blew away Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal with a fastball to notch one of those four strikeouts.
Sale didn’t pitch in a Cactus League game last year after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right foot in late February, and due to that injury wasn’t the White Sox opening day starter. It didn’t affect his season — Sale set a franchise record with 274 strikeouts — but for what it’s worth, there’s a narrative with some bit of truth to it that the tone of 2015 was set on opening day in Kansas City.
That was when Jeff Samardzija was roughed up by the eventual World Series champion Royals as the White Sox limped to a 10-1 defeat. Sale starting that first game probably wouldn’t have significantly changed the team’s 76-86 record, but things just didn’t feel right from Day 1.
“Last year wasn’t necessarily a pitching thing that kept him from (starting opening day),” Ventura said. “But when you start the season you want everybody to be healthy and start out with everything that you have. I think he’s a big part of that.”
Sale ramped up his intensity a bit on Monday, at one point yelling to himself after missing his spot with a pitch. He was facing players who weren’t teammates for the first time, yes, but the “B” game atmosphere is akin to a high school game.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The ace left-hander threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. It was Sale’s third informal start, beginning with a side session March 4 and a simulated game March 9. The White Sox plan was to let Sale focus on getting his work in while shielding him from the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals early on. Sale’s start Saturday will come against the Dodgers.
“I felt great, I felt fine,” Sale said. “Command was a little off, but that’s kind of expected getting out there for the first time in a game against someone in a different uniform. It was nice. We did what we needed to do. Just build from there and keep moving forward.”
Manager Robin Ventura said Sale looked “free and easy,” though noted his slider wasn’t crisp — as is the case with most breaking balls down here in Arizona. Sale’s best moment of his start probably was when he blew away Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal with a fastball to notch one of those four strikeouts.
Sale didn’t pitch in a Cactus League game last year after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right foot in late February, and due to that injury wasn’t the White Sox opening day starter. It didn’t affect his season — Sale set a franchise record with 274 strikeouts — but for what it’s worth, there’s a narrative with some bit of truth to it that the tone of 2015 was set on opening day in Kansas City.
That was when Jeff Samardzija was roughed up by the eventual World Series champion Royals as the White Sox limped to a 10-1 defeat. Sale starting that first game probably wouldn’t have significantly changed the team’s 76-86 record, but things just didn’t feel right from Day 1.
“Last year wasn’t necessarily a pitching thing that kept him from (starting opening day),” Ventura said. “But when you start the season you want everybody to be healthy and start out with everything that you have. I think he’s a big part of that.”
Sale ramped up his intensity a bit on Monday, at one point yelling to himself after missing his spot with a pitch. He was facing players who weren’t teammates for the first time, yes, but the “B” game atmosphere is akin to a high school game.
Not only is Sale looking forward to pitching in front of a larger crowd in a stadium, but he’s also excited to get on the field with more than one or two major league teammates for the first time this weekend.
“I think it’s time to get out to the big field and start playing with the grown-ups — no offense to anybody that I might have met,” Sale said. “There’s something to be said for fans being there, being in a big stadium, hearing the noise, the music in between innings, no rollovers. If you’re out there getting it handed to you, you’re out there until you get it over with. I’m ready for that.”
What's next for White Sox after Adam LaRoche retirement.
By Dan Hayes
How the White Sox will handle Adam LaRoche’s sudden retirement is yet to be determined.
But the club wouldn’t hesitate to bring in another player if it feels it can’t handle the loss of the left-handed slugger internally, general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday.
Hahn said the White Sox were mostly surprised by the announcement LaRoche made to teammates during a morning meeting Tuesday. LaRoche is expected to mull the decision for one to two more days. But if he retires, LaRoche would walk away from all of his $13 million salary, which gives the White Sox newfound financial flexibility.
“We’re not going to leave any stone unturned if we decide we need to go outside the organization to make ourselves better,” Hahn said. “We really haven’t spent a lot of time going through alternatives just yet. I do know we like the fact we have the depth we put together over the course of this camp to put us in a good position if there are no additions going forward. But this does open up the possibility in the coming weeks or the coming months leading up to the deadline that we would potentially have a little more flexibility.”
LaRoche informed manager Robin Ventura late Monday of his decision. But even Hahn admits he was surprised by the news and hasn’t yet had a chance to properly explore potential replacements, whether internal or external.
The additions of Jimmy Rollins and Austin Jackson since the start of camp definitely have the White Sox in a better position to absorb the loss of LaRoche, should he officially call it quits. Jackson’s signing earlier this month gives the White Sox five outfielders, including four they intend to play on a regular basis. Potentially, the White Sox could slide Melky Cabrera or Avisail Garcia over to designated hitter to fill the void.
But the White Sox already boasted a right-handed heavy lineup before the loss of LaRoche, who represented their best left-handed power. The only left-handed bats in camp who don’t currently have a roster spot secured are first baseman Travis Ishikawa and infielder Steve Lombardozzi. Matt Davidson and Jerry Sands also could benefit from LaRoche’s retirement.
But the White Sox have few options to back up first base.
That could send Hahn to the trade market in search of a player running short on options or to the waiver wire. Potential options could include Andre Ethier, Jay Bruce or James Loney. Or perhaps the White Sox might consider free agency, where Justin Morneau is still available.
Bringing in outside help makes sense given the way the White Sox have continued to add to their roster. The team’s signings of Mat Latos, Rollins and Jackson make clear its intentions to compete this season. But Hahn plans to address it all after LaRoche finalizes his decision.
“We’ll make adjustments and move on,” Hahn said. “What it means for us going forward is we have some reinforcements already on hand. We had some flexibility built into this roster. It may well provide some more opportunity for guys that we have now or may lead to opportunities potentially down the road to make acquisitions from outside the organization, whether those happen in spring training or through the course of the season up to the trade deadline. At this point it’s simply too early to know how it’s going to play out exactly, and we’re going to take a few days and let things settle a bit and decide how we’re going to deploy our assets on hand and who we may target outside the organization as well.”
What's next for White Sox after Adam LaRoche retirement.
By Dan Hayes
How the White Sox will handle Adam LaRoche’s sudden retirement is yet to be determined.
But the club wouldn’t hesitate to bring in another player if it feels it can’t handle the loss of the left-handed slugger internally, general manager Rick Hahn said Tuesday.
Hahn said the White Sox were mostly surprised by the announcement LaRoche made to teammates during a morning meeting Tuesday. LaRoche is expected to mull the decision for one to two more days. But if he retires, LaRoche would walk away from all of his $13 million salary, which gives the White Sox newfound financial flexibility.
“We’re not going to leave any stone unturned if we decide we need to go outside the organization to make ourselves better,” Hahn said. “We really haven’t spent a lot of time going through alternatives just yet. I do know we like the fact we have the depth we put together over the course of this camp to put us in a good position if there are no additions going forward. But this does open up the possibility in the coming weeks or the coming months leading up to the deadline that we would potentially have a little more flexibility.”
LaRoche informed manager Robin Ventura late Monday of his decision. But even Hahn admits he was surprised by the news and hasn’t yet had a chance to properly explore potential replacements, whether internal or external.
The additions of Jimmy Rollins and Austin Jackson since the start of camp definitely have the White Sox in a better position to absorb the loss of LaRoche, should he officially call it quits. Jackson’s signing earlier this month gives the White Sox five outfielders, including four they intend to play on a regular basis. Potentially, the White Sox could slide Melky Cabrera or Avisail Garcia over to designated hitter to fill the void.
But the White Sox already boasted a right-handed heavy lineup before the loss of LaRoche, who represented their best left-handed power. The only left-handed bats in camp who don’t currently have a roster spot secured are first baseman Travis Ishikawa and infielder Steve Lombardozzi. Matt Davidson and Jerry Sands also could benefit from LaRoche’s retirement.
But the White Sox have few options to back up first base.
That could send Hahn to the trade market in search of a player running short on options or to the waiver wire. Potential options could include Andre Ethier, Jay Bruce or James Loney. Or perhaps the White Sox might consider free agency, where Justin Morneau is still available.
Bringing in outside help makes sense given the way the White Sox have continued to add to their roster. The team’s signings of Mat Latos, Rollins and Jackson make clear its intentions to compete this season. But Hahn plans to address it all after LaRoche finalizes his decision.
“We’ll make adjustments and move on,” Hahn said. “What it means for us going forward is we have some reinforcements already on hand. We had some flexibility built into this roster. It may well provide some more opportunity for guys that we have now or may lead to opportunities potentially down the road to make acquisitions from outside the organization, whether those happen in spring training or through the course of the season up to the trade deadline. At this point it’s simply too early to know how it’s going to play out exactly, and we’re going to take a few days and let things settle a bit and decide how we’re going to deploy our assets on hand and who we may target outside the organization as well.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The PGA Tour makes its final stop of the Florida Swing in Orlando this week with the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Mr. Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
Matt Every is the two-time defending champion of this event, winning each of the last two years by a shot. Adam Scott, who has won his last two PGA Tour starts, is the headliner, while Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are the challengers looking to snag a pre-Masters win.
Matt Every is the two-time defending champion of this event, winning each of the last two years by a shot. Adam Scott, who has won his last two PGA Tour starts, is the headliner, while Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are the challengers looking to snag a pre-Masters win.
Here are our top five players for the Arnold Palmer Invitational:
1. Adam Scott –– Best player on the planet right now and winner of his last two starts. He shot 62 here in 2014 to give himself a 54-hole lead, but he came up short.
2. Henrik Stenson –– Stenson loves himself some Bay Hill. He's been in the top 15 here in four of the last five years. Pretty close to automatic.
3. Justin Rose –– Rose is close to Stenson-level automatic. He has three top-15s in the last three years and hasn't finished outside the top 17 in the last five.
4. Rory McIlroy –– McIlroy has a Sunday problem, as in he can't figure out how to break 70 in his last two final rounds. However, he contended in both those thud finishes. T-11 here in last year's debut.
5. Ryan Moore –– Moore should have won the Valspar Championship, if only he could've made a mid-range putt. Has a good record here, including a T-4 in 2012.
Arnold Palmer Invitational, the tournament fit for a King.
By DOUG FERGUSON
Arnold Palmer, center, watches as Jack Nicklaus, left, and Gary Player touch fists after Palmer hit his ceremonial drive on the first tee before the first round of the Masters golf tournament, in Augusta, Ga. Arnold Palmer will be on the first tee to help start the Masters this year _ but without his golf clubs. Palmer said Tuesday, March 15, 2016, that he has told Augusta National he will not be hitting the ceremonial tee shot to start the Masters this year. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
A golf cart driving onto the practice range and parking behind players to watch them swing isn't typically met with this kind of enthusiasm.
Unless the guy behind the wheel in his pink shirt is Arnold Palmer.
This was late Monday afternoon at Bay Hill, and these are Palmer's people - tour players at work on the range. They came over to say hello, some to introduce themselves. The Arnold Palmer Invitational enters its 38th year with one noticeable difference.
The King won't be around as much as he usually is this week.
Palmer is 86 and not moving around as well as he once did. He decided not to hold a press conference for the first time this year, instead taking questions that reporters submitted last week. That's where he revealed that he won't be hitting the opening tee shot at the Masters this year, though he still plans to keep to the same schedule at Augusta National - the Champion Dinner on Tuesday, the first tee (without clubs) Thursday morning, and then back to Orlando.
''The best way to put it is that he's feeling his age,'' said Sam Saunders, his grandson who is in his second full year on the PGA Tour. ''He's 86. He's had a wonderful life. He's doing OK, but yeah, the body doesn't work as well at that age and things slow down a little bit.''
The presence of Palmer is stronger than ever.
Tiger Woods called him last week to see how he was and to let him know that he was recovering from back surgery and would not be able to play. Rickie Fowler drove up from south Florida to meet with Palmer and say he could not make this year. Bubba Watson, a Bay Hill member, is worried about a twinge he felt in his back at Doral and decided he needs a week of rest. He brought his son with him on Friday to tell Palmer, and then went on Golf Channel on Tuesday morning.
It's a sign of respect.
On the 50th anniversary of Palmer's first Masters victory in 1958, Woods said, ''If anybody would say, 'Who is the greatest ambassador of the game?' You would have to say Arnold. He has promoted the game all over the world.''
How to give back to the King?
The simple answer would seem to be by playing his tournament. But it's not that simple.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational has drawn five of the top 10 players in the world, led by the trio of Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Adam Scott.
Jordan Spieth has never played Bay Hill and that isn't likely to change. The 22-year-old Texan has the Dell Match Play next week in Austin, Texas, followed by the Shell Houston Open and his title defense at the Masters. McIlroy didn't play Bay Hill until last year because of scheduling leading up to the Masters. Phil Mickelson is a past champion at Bay Hill who has played it 14 times. His absence this week is likely due to scheduling with the Match Play moved to the week after Bay Hill.
There are so many strong, lucrative events on the PGA Tour, and so many more players coming from all corners of the world, no one can play them all. Over the years, no matter the tournament, too many times the talk has been about who's not playing instead of who is.
At Bay Hill, the emphasis should be more about the man who made it all possible.
And that's where his grandson fits in.
Saunders is a 28-year-old who lost in a playoff at the Puerto Rico Open last year, the closest he has come to winning. He had to earn his PGA Tour again at the end of last year, which he did. He has a wife and two young sons, and he's in the process of moving from Colorado to St. Augustine, south of PGA Tour headquarters.
He is working on his game. He is trying to post a score, just like the other 119 players in the field.
Only he's doing a lot more this week.
With his grandfather taking on a limited role, Saunders is picking up whatever slack he can. The Monday pro-am. A television appearance. A constant pitchman for a tournament that he has known as long as he could walk, much less swing a club.
''I care a great deal about our tournament, and I do consider it our tournament,'' Saunders said. ''I grew up there. I consider myself an employee at Bay Hill. That's my golf course and it always will be. I want that tournament to be big. I think it should be like a major out here for most guys - for everyone, actually - because of what the name 'Arnold Palmer' means for golf.
''It needs to be a great tournament for now and forever.''
The golf cart was back on the range Wednesday afternoon. Palmer was behind the wheel. His grandson was working on his game. This brings Palmer great pleasure.
NASCAR; Power Rankings: Kyle Busch inherits the top spot.
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 4): But Busch's eight-race stretch over two seasons isn't the best one of the past two years. From Texas in 2014 to California in 2015, Harvick didn't finish outside the top two. He won the title in 2014, of course, too. Sunday, Harvick led 139 laps and ended up playing a winning strategy (barely) by not taking any tires. Had Harvick and team chosen to pit, the rest of the field likely would have stayed out and he wouldn't have won.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 1): Taking a backup car to an 11th-place finish is a victory for many teams. Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team aren't many teams. Johnson had a top-10 car for most of the day, so a finish four or five spots ahead of where he ended up probably would have been more indicative of his entire race performance. Alas, Johnson finished outside the top 10 and is now a whopping 14 points behind Busch for the points lead.
4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 5): Hey, Sunday was Hamlin's best race since the Daytona 500. After poor showings at Atlanta and Las Vegas, Hamlin charged to third at the end of the race on Sunday. He said he felt he had a winning car after the race, but was the only driver inside the top five that didn't have any laps led.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): It was a rough second act for the Las Vegas winner. He struggled with an ill-handling car for most of the race and then cut a right-rear tire. The tire issue led to the loss of laps on pit road and Keselowski ended up finishing 29th, six laps down.
6. Kurt Busch (LW: 7): Let's nickname the Busch brothers the Consistency brothers. OK, let's not. That's a horrible suggestion. But while Kyle is racking up the top five finishes, Kurt is racking up the top 10s. Kurt has finished inside the top 10 for the past seven races. Remember, he was involved in the incident that helped spur Matt Kenseth's pile-drive of Joey Logano.
7. Carl Edwards (LW: 11): We had to really think about Edwards' position this week. How far does he move up after losing by inches to Harvick? Four spots seemed right, because Edwards has finished inside the top five three times this season. We're thinking Edwards will win Sunday at Auto Club.
8. Austin Dillon (LW: 8): Dillon lost six spots over the final two laps but ended up finishing ninth. He lost those spots because he stayed out on the final caution; the second-straight time a track position play resulted in a top 10. Dillon's got a top-10 rate of 75 percent this season and if he gets three more top 10s he'll set a career high.
9. Joey Logano (LW: 6): A bad final pit stop ruined what could have been a top-five run for Logano. The team didn't get the wrench in the back windshield to make a final adjustment and the car also didn't get full of fuel, forcing Logano to pit before the final caution before he ran out of gas. He wound up 18th.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 10): Junior restarted on the front row on the final restart but was overtaken by the shark that was Carl Edwards on two fresh tires. He then lost out to the other Joe Gibbs cars with fresh tires too and ended up fifth. With three top 10s, Junior is 10th in the points standings. That's the power of one poor finish.
11. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 9): Truex drops two spots after finishing 14th at Phoenix. Oh how we can all be so lucky to have a bad day inside the top 15. He hasn't finished outside the top 15 since he finished 32nd at Richmond before last season's Chase began.
12. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR): Welcome to Power Rankings, Matt. Have you been here before? Kenseth finally scored a top 10 after having one of the best cars throughout the entire season. Maybe Kenseth's bad luck is over.
Lucky Dog: Chase Elliott
The DNF: Paul Menard and Ryan Newman brought up the rear of the field
Dropped out: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Quick takeaways from Phoenix.
By Nick Bromberg
• Well hello, close finishes. Are you becoming a habit in the Cup Series in 2016? Kevin Harvick's incredibly close win over Carl Edwards on Sunday at Phoenix was the second finish of 0.01 seconds in four races. Insane.
The photo-finish rate of 50 percent is unsustainable. But damn, it sure does make for some fun moments at the end of a race. There aren't too many times immediately after a race that you're left wondering who the winner was.
• Richard Childress Racing accomplished a rarity on Sunday. Both Ryan Newman and Paul Menard hit the wall after melted beads on the right front tires led to tire failures and crashes. Newman finished 39th and Menard was 38th, meaning the teammates were the last two cars in the standings.
We're guessing that's an achievement that doesn't happen very often at all. We'll go through box scores over the next week to see when the last time two teammates finished last and next to last was.
• Beads, especially on right front tires, can melt because of excessive brake heat. With less downforce this season, teams were forced to use the brakes more entering the corners at Phoenix.
And the only cautions for crashes came as a result of right-front tire issues. In addition to the two RCR cars, Kasey Kahne (to set up the race's dramatic conclusion) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slammed into the wall because of right-front tire failures.
Brad Keselowski also had a right rear tire failure that caused a caution because of debris all over the track.
• Joe Gibbs Racing backed up the 1-2-3 effort in qualifying by putting all four of its cars in the top 10 on Sunday. When asked where his team had gotten better at Phoenix on Friday, Kyle Busch (who finished fourth), had this to say:
"I don’t know but we were getting smoked here a few years ago. We were really bad. I think when this place was repaved we obviously really struggled really bad. We’ve known to do a really big push on this place because it’s the second to last race in the Chase. We’ve done a good job of being able to do all of that, everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing has pushed real hard."
Yeah, that work has paid off. Busch led 75 laps while Carl Edwards, who finished second, led 65. Denny Hamlin finished fourth and Matt Kenseth was seventh.
• The season didn't get any better for Clint Bowyer. An early – and we mean 10 laps in to the race early – pit stop under green put Bowyer two laps down and he never recovered. He finished 31st, six laps off the pace.
• Matt DiBenedetto backed up his good qualifying effort in the BK Racing No. 83 with a 20th place finish. We think DiBenedetto has over-performed given his level of equipment so far in his Cup tenure. Will that trend continue?
• Joey Logano finished 18th because the team didn't get the car full of fuel on the final pit stop. He had to pit for gas just before Kahne's car hit the wall and caused a caution with five laps to go.
Had Logano's team been able to wait – or the caution came earlier – he could have gotten a top-10 finish out of the day. But instead, Logano finished 18th.
SOCCER: Fire showed progress in Orlando, but still have to improve.
By Dan Santaromita
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Friday night's 1-1 draw at Orlando was a sign of much-needed improvement for the Chicago Fire, but even as coach Veljko Paunovic said, the team still has a ways to go in a number of areas.
Paunovic spoke to the media for his weekly conference call on Monday afternoon and while he spoke highly of the result and performance in Orlando, he addressed some things the team still needs to improve on.
The Fire played down a man for an hour and earned a point on the road. Holding onto the draw gave Paunovic his first result as Fire coach.
“I was very excited after the game," Paunovic said. "I celebrated, to be honest, as a victory because it’s very important for us to get that confidence scoring points and again, especially in a game like that. I think the tie is a good result, but I had hoped that we could even win that game and that’s what I said to the players in the locker room at halftime."
On the downside, it was the second straight match the Fire were dominated in possession. After the Fire held the ball for just under 40 percent of the match against New York City FC, Orlando had 65 percent of the possession on Friday. Granted, the Lions had an extra man for most of that game, but Orlando had a stranglehold on possession in the first half hour of the match as well.
Paunovic has talked about high pressure and building out of the back as his tactical priorities, but is possession play something he is willing to sacrifice?
“For me, possession is a very important part of the game," Paunovic said. "Always when it’s possible we like to have the possession. In this game it was very difficult as you know being one man down, it’s never easy to take over the possession, but I would say that we have that mindset that it’s important for us and we have to work on that to improve. This is what we were doing today in the session and in the days to come.”
A big reason for the lack of possession is a low passing percentage from the Fire. In the opener, the Fire completed 66 percent of their passes. Against Orlando that number went up to 71 percent, but that's still not good enough. For comparison, NYCFC completed 78 percent of their passes and Orlando completed passes at an 87 percent rate.
A possible explanation could be the lack of cohesion within the team. The Fire had eight players make their club debuts in the season opener. Midfielder John Goossens debuted in Orlando after not having his visa in time to play against New York City. Playing down a man for so long against Orlando made it difficult to evaluate certain aspects of the team's performance, possession play being chief among them, but Saturday's home match against Columbus (4 p.m. CSN+) will mark another opportunity to see if the Fire have improved in this regard.
Possession play isn't the only aspect he wants to see the Fire improve. Overall defense and offensive efficiency remain priorities for the Fire coach.
“I still think we have to improve defensively," Paunovic said. "We were better against Orlando, but we still have to improve. Also we have to improve in scoring our chances because we still created a lot of chances, which is great, but still now we have to score those goals."
As for who will play in place of the suspended Michael Harrington at right back, Paunovic named Rodrigo Ramos as a possibility, but also added the staff is still deciding. He mentioned Michael Stephens and Johan Kappelhof as players who can play right back, but wanted to see how they do in training.
On the injury front, Eric Gehrig is also expected to be out against Columbus. Gilberto, who sat out against Orlando, is back in training, but is doing some side work with the trainer instead of joining with the team for the full session.
Man City must shift focus back to the Premier League.
By Kyle Lynch
(Photo/Getty Images)
Manchester City is headed to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in club history, having advanced past Dynamo Kiev 3-1 on aggregate.
Manuel Pellegrini has been open about his goals of reaching new heights in the UCL this season, and now he has done so.
However, Pellegrini won’t be in Manchester next year, and City may not be in the Champions League either.
Into the last eight, no one really expects City to win the whole thing. That means they must finish in the top-four of the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League next season.
City currently sits fourth on the PL table, two points above West Ham and four points above Manchester United. City and United face off in the Manchester derby next Sunday.
After losing starting center-backs Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi to injury against Kiev, City will likely be forced to field a second-tier defense in the derby. If they were to lose and other results around the league go against them, City could finish the weekend fifth on the table and just a point above sixth.
Pellegrini has already won a Premier League title at City and is leaving in the summer, as there is nothing to lose for the Chilean. His focus is on the Champions League, although the club’s should be on the Premier League.
With the current injury situation and the unpredictability of the Premier League this season, City is far from guaranteed a top-four finish. City signed Pep Guardiola to win the Champions League, not the Europa League.
City certainly has enough talent to secure their spot in the UCL next season, and now is the time to make sure they do. If not, Pellegrini’s farewell tour could end in disaster.
Who will win the Premier League? We crunch the numbers.
By Joe Prince-Wright
With Leicester City sitting top of the Premier League table and five points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur heading into late March, the title picture is becoming clearer.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City have slipped up massively in recent weeks with plenty of dropped points, and it seems like the title race is now a straight battle between Leicester and Spurs.
Or is it…
Below we predict the outcome of the remaining games for the current top four and crunch the numbers to work out how many points each team will have on the final day of the season.
Man, it’s going to be tight heading into the final game of the season if we’re right…
Leicester City: 1st place, 63 points
They have taken the PL by storm all season long but is anybody else worried about their goals drying up? They’ve scored just five goals in their last four games and although they’ve kept three clean sheets in that run, the fine margins can turn quickly. No PL team has won more games (12) by a one-goal margin this season, but could an end of season wobble cost them?
Mar. 19 at Crystal Palace – Win
Apr. 3 vs. Southampton – Draw
Apr. 10 at Sunderland – Draw
Apr. 17 vs. West Ham – Lose
Apr. 24 vs. Swansea City – Win
May 1 at Man United – Draw
May 7 at Everton – Draw
May 15 at Chelsea – Lose
TOTAL POINTS AT END OF PL SEASON: 73 points, third
Tottenham Hotspur: 2nd place, 58 points
Spurs have been the model of consistency this season. Solid at the back and Harry Kane leading the line superbly up front, Mauricio Pochettino‘s team work so hard for each other. By our calculations they can afford to drop points in three games and still, just about, win the title.
Mar. 20 vs. Bournemouth – Win
Apr. 2 at Liverpool – Lose
Apr. 10 vs. Man United – Win
Apr. 18 at Stoke City – Draw
Apr. 25 vs. West Brom – Win
May 2 at Chelsea – Draw
May 7 vs. Southampton – Win
May 15 at Newcastle – Win
TOTAL POINTS AT END OF PL SEASON: 75 points, first
Arsenal: 3rd place, 52 points
The Gunners have fallen off the wagon in a big way. Just one win from their last four games says as much, and although they will pick up some morale-boosting wins we still see them failing to get to the 70-point marker. Question is, will that be enough for a place in the top four?
TBD vs. West Brom – Win
Mar. 19 at Everton – Draw
Apr. 2 vs. Watford – Win
Apr. 9 at West Ham – Lose
Apr. 17 vs. Crystal Palace – Win
Apr. 24 at Sunderland – Draw
Apr. 30 vs. Norwich City – Win
May 7 at Man City – Lose
May 15 vs. Aston Villa – Win
TOTAL POINTS AT END OF PL SEASON: 69 points, fourth
Manchester City: 4th place, 51 points
Manuel Pellegrini‘s men have a habit of making late season surges and despite recent struggles, I can see them going unbeaten for the rest of the season. They may draw a few of the games I expected them to win, but with a game in hand and if they win four of their next five, don’t write off City just yet. They have previous you know…
Mar. 20 vs. Man United – Win
Apr. 2 at Bournemouth – Win
Apr. 9 vs. West Brom – Win
Apr. 16 at Chelsea – Draw
Apr. 24 vs. Stoke City – Win
May 1 at Southampton – Draw
May 7 vs. Arsenal – Win
May 15 at Swansea City – Win
TBD at Newcastle United – Win
TOTAL POINTS AT END OF PL SEASON: 74 points, second
NCAABKB: Final AP poll and the NCAA Tournament don't agree on top 4.
Associated Press
The final Associated Press college basketball poll and the NCAA Tournament don't agree on the top four teams.
Kansas is No. 1 for the third straight week. and fifth overall, while Michigan State, not one of the NCAA field's top four seeds, is second followed by North Carolina and Virginia.
The Jayhawks (30-4) received 63 first-place votes Monday from the 65-member national media panel. Michigan State, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, got the other two No. 1 votes.
Oregon, the NCAA's other No. 1 seed, is fifth followed by Villanova, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Xavier. Miami and Kentucky are tied for 10th.
Big East champion Seton Hall is the week's only newcomer at No. 20, replacing Texas.
There were six No. 1s this season - one off the record set in 1982-83 - and Kansas' five weeks were the most on top.
There were 44 schools ranked this season and the Atlantic Coast Conference had the most with eight.
Kansas is No. 1 for the third straight week. and fifth overall, while Michigan State, not one of the NCAA field's top four seeds, is second followed by North Carolina and Virginia.
The Jayhawks (30-4) received 63 first-place votes Monday from the 65-member national media panel. Michigan State, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, got the other two No. 1 votes.
Oregon, the NCAA's other No. 1 seed, is fifth followed by Villanova, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Xavier. Miami and Kentucky are tied for 10th.
Big East champion Seton Hall is the week's only newcomer at No. 20, replacing Texas.
There were six No. 1s this season - one off the record set in 1982-83 - and Kansas' five weeks were the most on top.
There were 44 schools ranked this season and the Atlantic Coast Conference had the most with eight.
RANK
|
SCHOOL
|
RECORD
|
POINTS
|
PREVIOUS
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 30-4 | 1,623 | 1 |
| 2 | Michigan State (2) | 29-5 | 1,552 | 2 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 28-6 | 1,488 | 7 |
| 4 | Virginia | 26-7 | 1,384 | 4 |
| 5 | Oregon | 28-6 | 1,371 | 8 |
| 6 | Villanova | 29-5 | 1,283 | 3 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 25-7 | 1,215 | 6 |
| 8 | West Virginia | 26-8 | 1,193 | 9 |
| 9 | Xavier | 27-5 | 1,127 | 5 |
| 10 | Miami | 25-7 | 920 | 11 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 26-8 | 920 | 16 |
| 12 | Purdue | 26-8 | 873 | 13 |
| 13 | Utah | 26-8 | 870 | 12 |
| 14 | Indiana | 25-7 | 828 | 10 |
| 15 | Texas A&M | 26-8 | 682 | 17 |
| 16 | Louisville | 23-8 | 585 | 14 |
| 17 | Arizona | 25-8 | 559 | 15 |
| 18 | Maryland | 25-8 | 489 | 18 |
| 19 | Duke | 23-10 | 383 | 19 |
| 20 | Seton Hall | 25-8 | 374 | NR |
| 21 | Baylor | 22-11 | 347 | 22 |
| 22 | Iowa State | 21-11 | 317 | 21 |
| 23 | California | 23-10 | 270 | 24 |
| 24 | SMU | 25-5 | 84 | 25 |
| 25 | Iowa | 21-10 | 82 | 20 |
Other receiving votes: Texas 69, Notre Dame 61, Saint Joseph's 60, Connecticut 34, Stephen F. Austin 12, Dayton 11, Wisconsin 9, Wichita St 9, Gonzaga 8, Arkansas-Little Rock 5, Providence 4, Valparaiso 3, Butler 3, Cincinnati 3, Yale 3, Monmouth 3, Saint Mary's 3, Stony Brook 2, Michigan 2, Akron 1, Northern Iowa 1
The "March Madness" tournament starts tomorrow, (Thursday), at 12:00 AM, ET , what are you waiting for? You can't win if you aren't in!!!!! Sign up today and feel the excitement, the rush and the anxiety of college basketball.
Update: It's done. The brackets have been selected and now it's up to you. Don't miss this select opportunity to participate in one of Chicago's favorite "NCAA March Madness Pools." Get the newspaper or go online and look at the Las Vegas odds, review the selected teams' records, consider a couple of upsets because there are sure to be a few and ask yourself, "Do I feel lucky?" There's going to be three week of pure unadulterated excitement and you don't want to miss it. This roller coaster ride will give four people the "Thrill of victory" and many more the "Agony of defeat". Which one will you be? You can't win if you aren't in.......... We look forward to your participation and wish you the best of luck.
Registration information and pool rules are located in the original invitation listed below. Again, good luck to you and your favorite team.
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Original Invitation (Below)
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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:
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:
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Join Pool: CSandT/AA 2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office ...
Join Pool: CSandT/AA 2016 NCAA Bracket Buster Office Pool
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The Pool Deadline is: March 17, 2016, 30 minutes before the start of the first game.
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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
2016 NCAA Tournament: Here are your Cinderella's.
By Scott Phillips
During every March, America wants to know which underdogs they can follow through a couple of early upsets. The stories of double-digit seeds making a run to the second week are frequent, but even if a team pulls off one huge upset, some remember those outcomes as much as any in the tournament.
With college basketball being so wide open this season, many of the higher seeds have weaknesses and are susceptible to upsets if they have an off-game. Here’s a look at six potential Cinderella teams that could put together a memorable win or two in the tournament.
Chattanooga: At 29 wins on the season, Chattanooga is going to be tough as a No. 12 seed against No. 5 seed Indiana in the first round. The Mocs posted some impressive wins for a small-conference school this year, as they won at Georgia and Dayton and beat Illinois in a neutral court. Sporting a balanced offense with a lot of different weapons, Chattanooga doesn’t have to rely on one player to stay in a game.
Northern Iowa: As a No. 11 seed playing Texas in the first round, the Panthers are one of the most dangerous double-digit seeds in the field. The Missouri Valley Conference tournament winners went through a cold stretch at the beginning of conference play, but outside of that, Northern Iowa looked like an NCAA tournament team the rest of the season. With wins over North Carolina, Iowa State and twice over Wichita State, Northern Iowa has taken down plenty of talented teams this season. Senior guard Wes Washpun is a dynamic athlete who makes plays on both ends and Matt Bohannon, Paul Jesperson and Jeremy Morgan can all make plays.
Iona: When No. 13 seed Iona takes the floor against Iowa State they might have the best NBA prospect on the floor in senior guard A.J. English. The Gaels knocked off Monmouth in the MAAC tournament title game to reach the NCAA tournament, and led by English, they’re a good offense that rates N0. 60 nationally on KenPom. Besides English, big man Jordan Washington is a load on the interior and Deyshonee Much and Isaiah Williams are talented.
Arkansas-Little Rock: There isn’t much that is flashy about the Trojans. But there is substance in what Arkansas-Little Rock has accomplished. Picking up 29 wins is impressive, especially since 12 of them came on the road. The Trojans also beat schools like Tulsa, San Diego State and DePaul on the road and also lost at Texas Tech, so they’ve been tested. Arkansas-Little Rock also loves to dictate a slow tempo, as they’re 345th in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. That slow pace helps the Trojans allow 59.9 points per game, which is third in the country.
Yale: The champions of the Ivy League have been a trendy upset pick by some analysts and they’ll have a chance to pick off N0. 5 seed Baylor as a No. 12 seed. The Bulldogs have some talented players that can hang with the Bears like guard Makai Mason, forward Justin Sears and Brandon Sherrod. The question is whether Yale can deal with Baylor’s length and athleticism. The Bulldogs have a very good defense and should be able to stay in the game if they can hit shots.
Hawaii: During December, Hawaii showed the rest of the country the kind of damage it could do in a tournament setting by putting together two wins and a solid loss in the Diamond Head Classic. The Rainbow Warriors won by double digits over Northern Iowa and Auburn but the three-point loss to Oklahoma showed how good Hawaii could be at their best. Led by versatile big man Stefan Jankovic, Hawaii is a solid defensive team who could put up a great game with No. 4 seed Cal as a No. 13 seed.
2016 NCAA Tournament: Which top seeds are on Upset Watch?
By Rob Dauster
The best part of the NCAA tournament is the upsets.
We want to see those No. 14 seeds hit buzzer-beaters and those No. 15 seeds somehow play their way into the second weekend of the Big Dance. We want to see those little guys we’ve never heard of and may never hear of again get their 15 minutes of fame. We want the story of Goliath falling to David.
These are the Goliaths that could be toppled during the first weekend of the tournament:
No. 1 (East) North Carolina: Carolina drew a horrid potential matchup with Providence in the second round. UNC’s been much better defensively the last two weeks, I’ll give them that, but their weakness this season has been guarding call-screen actions. And Providence basically runs nothing but ball-screen actions for Kris Dunn. If Dunn is healthy, and the Friar supporting cast is knocking down jump shots (which is never, ever a given), they could give the Tar Heels a run for their money.
No. 1 (West) Oregon: I think the Ducks will have a much tougher test in the second round than they will in the Sweet 16. Saint Joseph’s is built to match up with their small ball lineups. Isaiah Miles is one of the most improved players in the country, and Deandre Bembry vs. Dillon Brooks will be one of the best individual matchups in the event. I’ve had a couple people — including Brian Snow on last night’s podcast (see below) — tell me that Cincinnati can take out Oregon as well, so keep than in mind.
No. 3 (East) West Virginia: I think the Mountaineers will have a tough test if they face Notre Dame in the second round. Pressing Demetrius Jackson makes a defense feel like a cat trying to catch the red dot of a laser pointer, and when the Irish do break that press, if they attack to score, they’ll get a myriad of rhythm threes in transition. While they may get a fight, I don’t think WVU will lose Stephen F. Austin.
No. 3 (Midwest) Utah: I think Utah can handle Gonzaga if they face the Zags in the second round, but Seton Hall is a bit of a quagmire for them. The Utes tend to struggle against big, athletic guards that can pressure defensively, and I think roughly 95% of the players in the Seton Hall program are big, athletic guards that can pressure defensively.
No. 4 (West) Duke: UNC Wilmington presses full court, trying to force turnovers and wear down their opponent. Duke’s issues this season? Depth and point guard play. In the end, Duke’s talent may win out — BREAKING: Grayson Allen, Brandon Ingram and Luke Kennard are really good. — but on paper, this is the perfect matchup for UNCW.
No. 4 (Midwest) Iowa State: In a vacuum, I like ISU over Iona because when two teams want to do the same thing, I pick the team with more talent. Styles may win fights, but when teams have the same style, role with the dudes that are better. Iowa State’s dudes are better, but Monte’ Morris has a banged up shoulder and we never quite know which Jameel McKay and Deonte Burton will show up. Iona also has a dude named A.J. English that can go for 35 on any given night.
No. 5 (Midwest) Purdue: Purdue’s strength is their front court. Arkansas-Little Rock, who went 29-4 with wins at Tulsa and at SDSU, plays a Pack-Line defense, which is one of the best ways to keep big men from getting easy touches in the paint.
No. 6 (West) Texas: I actually like this Texas team, but Northern Iowa is really, really good and potentially under-seeded because of an ugly stretch at the start of league play. Remember, UNI has beaten Iowa State, North Carolina and Wichita State twice, including at WSU.''
No. 6 (South) Arizona: I actually think the Wildcats matchup pretty well with both Vanderbilt and Wichita State. Vandy doesn’t have the kind of athletic power-wing that Arizona struggles with and Wichita State’s guard aren’t quite quick enough to take advantage of where Arizona struggles defensively. (We discussed this on the podcast as well.) That said, both Vanderbilt and Wichita State are good enough to make it out of the first weekend. This is a tough draw for the Wildcats.
DON’T PICK THESE GUYS TO LOSE, THOUGH
- No. 2 (South) Villanova: It’s not happening this season. They’ll get past the first round, they’ve beaten Temple by 15 at Temple and Iowa — who hasn’t played well in about a month — is basically the same team as Villanova, just not as good.
- No. 2 (East) Xavier: The Musketeers are vulnerable in the Sweet 16, but as long as they get past Weber State, neither Wisconsin or Pitt are the kind of team that should trouble them.
- No. 5 (West) Baylor: I could see the Bears losing in the second round, but I just can’t see Yale winning. These are two teams that win games because of big front lines and their work on the glass, and when two teams have the same strength, bet on the team with more talent.
- No. 4 and No. 5 (East) Kentucky and Indiana: All due respect to Stony Brook and Chattanooga, the world needs Indiana and Kentucky to square off in the NCAA tournament. Don’t even put that thought into the universe.
NCAAFB: Ed O'Bannon plaintiffs ask Supreme Court to hear case against NCAA.
By Graham Watson
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
Last fall, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a decision by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, which called for college football and men's basketball players to be paid up to $5,000 per year in deferred money. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said that the NCAA’s rules restricting payments to players violated antitrust laws.
The entire case stems from O’Bannon’s original claim that college athletes should be paid for use of their names, images and likenesses.
“The more we saw how the NCAA was attempting to diminish the significance of the decision, avoid its consequences and its rational outcome, it became evident that the situation of college athletes would benefit considerably by a Supreme Court decision,” O'Bannon attorney Michael Hausfeld said.
The Supreme Court doesn’t make a habit of hearing petitioned cases. In fact, less than 1 percent of the cases petitioned to the Supreme Court make it to the Justices. However, the Supreme Court does like to take an interest in high-profile cases, and the O’Bannon case has been around since 2009.
The plaintiffs hope the Supreme Court will reverse the decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that essentially said Wilken’s ruling of voluntarily paying players no less than $5,000 per year would harm amateurism, and that the cost of attendance stipend, which is tied to education, was sufficient compensation for college athletes.
Ninth Circuit judge Jay Bybee wrote on the decision: “The difference between offering student-athletes education-related compensation and offering them cash sums untethered to educational expenses is not minor; it is a quantum leap. Once that line is crossed, we see no basis for returning to a rule of amateurism and no defined stopping point.
“At that point, the NCAA will have surrendered its amateurism principles entirely and transitioned from its 'particular brand of football' to minor league status.”
EA Sports settles lawsuit with college athletes for $60 million.
By Graham Watson
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
College football and basketball players who appeared in the EA Sports video game franchises from 2003 to 2014 have been awarded a $60 million settlement.
According to ESPN.com, 24,819 players are eligible for payment. However, the awards will be issued on a weighted scale. If a player appeared in an earlier version of the game, they will receive less money than a player who appeared later in the franchise. That's because there was more specificity in the likenesses of players during the later versions of the games. Also, lawyers are entitled to 30 percent of their client's settlement.
UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon, former Rutgers quarterback Ryan Hart and former Nebraska and Arizona State quarterback Sam Keller, the lead plaintiffs in the case, are expected to receive the biggest shares of the money, which is estimated to be $15,000. Twenty-one other players will receive approximately $5,000 for being class action representatives.
O’Bannon brought the original suit against EA Sports stating that collegiate athletes should get paid for use of their names, images and likenesses. The suit resulted in the end of the NCAA Football franchise in July 2013.
Poll: Most Americans favor compensating college basketball players.
By Jay Busbee
Yahoo Sports and Deep Focus conducted a survey of more than 1,000 adults who plan to watch the NCAA tournament on the question of compensation for players. The answers were strikingly distinct across age lines: only 40 percent of viewers age 55 and older believe that players should be compensated, while nearly two-thirds of millennials believe the players are entitled to something a little extra. (Worth noting: "free tuition" is a form of compensation, as are royalties for likenesses being used and actual cash money in the form of salaries or performance bonuses.)
Overall, more than half of all respondents believe players are entitled to some form of compensation. Worth keeping in mind as you keep track of your bracket.
Derby Top 10: Danzing Candy, Destin in; Nyquist still on top.
TV advertising spending on the NCAA tournament is expected to close in on $1.3 billion this year. Fans will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on concessions and souvenirs at each of the 67 games in the NCAA tournament. The 68 universities will reap millions in publicity and exposure. The coaches leading these teams will cash millions in paychecks and bonuses.
And the players who are putting on this show? They'll all get the same exact paycheck: $0.00.
The question of whether to pay college athletes is a persistent one that only grows more relevant as zeroes get added to the NCAA tournament till. While one could make a case that players receive a free education and thus don't deserve any extra cash, one could also make the case that players bringing in billions deserve at least a cut of that windfall.
The question of whether to pay college athletes is a persistent one that only grows more relevant as zeroes get added to the NCAA tournament till. While one could make a case that players receive a free education and thus don't deserve any extra cash, one could also make the case that players bringing in billions deserve at least a cut of that windfall.
Yahoo Sports and Deep Focus conducted a survey of more than 1,000 adults who plan to watch the NCAA tournament on the question of compensation for players. The answers were strikingly distinct across age lines: only 40 percent of viewers age 55 and older believe that players should be compensated, while nearly two-thirds of millennials believe the players are entitled to something a little extra. (Worth noting: "free tuition" is a form of compensation, as are royalties for likenesses being used and actual cash money in the form of salaries or performance bonuses.)
Overall, more than half of all respondents believe players are entitled to some form of compensation. Worth keeping in mind as you keep track of your bracket.
Derby Top 10: Danzing Candy, Destin in; Nyquist still on top.
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
Slowly but surely, Todd Pletcher's talented 3-year-olds are beginning to emerge from the pack less than eight weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
The trainer's latest triumph came in the Tampa Bay Derby, with Destin outdueling stablemate Outwork by one length. The win on Saturday moves the gray colt onto the AP's latest Run to the Roses Top 10 list of Kentucky Derby contenders at No. 5.
''The way he's been doing, he could be'' a Derby horse, winning rider Javier Castellano said. ''He could be destined to win it - who knows?''
Destin's final prep will be either the Wood Memorial or the Blue Grass on April 9, or the Arkansas Derby on April 16. Pletcher has a second colt in the Top 10 in No. 8 Zulu, runner-up in the Fountain of Youth on March 5.
Unbeaten Nyquist and Mohaymen remain 1-2 as they train toward their showdown in the Florida Derby on April 2.
A shakeup took place beneath the leaders, thanks mostly to the results of the San Felipe on Saturday.
Danzing Candy led just about the entire race under Mike Smith and upset 8-5 favorite Mor Spirit and Exaggerator in winning his stakes debut. The colt trained by Cliff Sise Jr., soars onto the list at No. 3 with his two-length win in stakes and track record time. Next up is the Santa Anita Derby on April 2.
Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert's Mor Spirit finished with a rush for second, and dips to No. 4. Third-place finisher Exaggerator falls off the list.
Both are expected to take on Danzing Candy in the Santa Anita Derby.
''Bob usually doesn't come down (to the winner's circle) unless it's for a picture,'' Mor Spirit's jockey Gary Stevens said, ''but he came down and had a smile on his face and I said, 'I think we're in a real good spot right now,' and he was pretty happy in defeat.''
The $900,000 Rebel at Oaklawn Park is the lone Derby prep on Saturday, and a huge field is expected. It's the race that launched American Pharoah's 3-year-old campaign that resulted in the colt becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years.
Likely heading the field is Suddenbreakingnews, winner of the Southwest Stakes in his last start. The gelding is No. 7 this week. Also expected to be entered on Wednesday are Whitmore, American Dubai, Discreetness, Cutacorner, Creator, Cherry Wine, Siding Spring, Spikes Shirl, Z Royal, Ralis and Cupid. Ralis won the Hopeful last year for Nyquist's trainer Doug O'Neill. Baffert trains Cupid.
After last weekend's preps, Mohaymen still leads with 71 Derby qualifying points. Destin moves into second place with Gun Runner at 51, and Danzing Candy and Shagaf are next with 50 points apiece.
The latest Derby future wager odds were set Sunday night, and Mohaymen is now the 7-2 favorite, with the mutual field at 5-1.
Here's our Top 10:
1. Nyquist (Doug O'Neill, trainer; Mario Gutierrez, jockey): Unbeaten colt warming up well in Santa Anita for showdown with Mohaymen. ... Worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.40 at Santa Anita last week. ... Next start: Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, April 2. ... Derby odds (pool 3): 7-1.
2. Mohaymen (Kiaran McLaughlin, Junior Alvarado): Unbeaten Fountain of Youth winner worked 4 furlongs in 49.40 at Palm Beach Downs last week. ... Leader in Derby qualifying points with 70. ... Next start: Florida Derby. ... Odds: 7-2.
3. Danzing Candy (Cliff Sise Jr., Mike Smith): Made quite a stakes debut in winning San Felipe. ... Colt has won three in a row after eighth-place finish in first race. ... Next start: Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita, April 9. ... Odds: 17-1.
4. Mor Spirit (Bob Baffert, Gary Stevens): Strong finish for second in San Felipe. ... Longer races could work to his advantage. ... Next start: Santa Anita Derby. ... Odds: 12-1.
5. Destin (Todd Pletcher, Javier Castellano): Tampa Bay Derby winner handled first real test without issue. ... Gray colt has three wins in five races. ... Next start: Undecided. ... Odds: 15-1.
6. Shagaf (Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr.): Gotham winner remains in New York for final prep next month. ... Has 3-0 record for owner Shadwell Stable, which also owns Mohaymen. ... Next start: Wood Memorial, Aqueduct, April 9. ... Odds: 14-1.
7. Suddenbreakingnews (Donnie Von Hemel, Luis Quinonez): Southwest winner worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Oaklawn on Saturday. ... Gelding has won two of past three starts. ... Next start: Rebel, Oaklawn Park, Saturday. ... Odds: 14-1.
8. Zulu (Pletcher, John Velazquez): Fountain of Youth runner-up is one to watch in next race. ... Next start: Florida Derby. ... Odds: 28-1.
9. Mo Tom (Tom Amoss, Lanerie): Lecomte winner worked 4 furlongs in 48.60 at the Fair Grounds on Sunday. ... Ran third in Risen Star despite being bothered in stretch. ... Next start: Louisiana Derby, Fair Grounds, March 26. ... Odds: 15-1.
10. Gun Runner (Steve Asmussen, Florent Geroux): Risen Star winner worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 at the Fair Grounds on Monday. ... Has three wins in four starts. ... Next start: Louisiana Derby. ... Odds: 25-1.
On
Memoriesofhistory.com
1964 - Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were reinstated to the NFL after an 11-month suspension for betting on football games.
1991 - The U.S. won all three medals in the world figure skating championship. Kristi Yamaguchi won the championship, Tonya Harding finished second, and Nancy Kerrigan was third.
1996 - Mike Tyson won the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship with a technical knockout of Frank Bruno in the third round.
2000 - WRAL-TV Digital broadcast offered viewers the first opportunity to watch any one of the games played during the NCAA basketball tournament. WRAL broadcast four separate channels with each carrying a different game.
2002 - Brittanie Cecil was hit by a puck while watching a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena. The 13-year-old died two days later from a rare injury caused when her head snapped back.
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