Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success." ~ Bo Bennett, Author, Motivational Speaker, Black Belt Karate Master, Businessman, Etc.
Trending: Bears trade up to No. 9, bolster pass rush with Georgia's Leonard Floyd. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Jake Arrieta destroys ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for doubting stats.
What's Your Take? (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Jake Arrieta destroys ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for doubting stats.
What's Your Take? (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Blackhawks' off season to-do list complicated by cap crunch. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 16-5
White Sox 2016 Record: 16-7
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears trade up to No. 9, bolster pass rush with Georgia's Leonard Floyd.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
When GM Ryan Pace said on Wednesday that the Bears had more than 11 names the organization felt good about for the No. 11 pick, he was sending a message that he was open to trading.
He just didn’t say which way, and instead of trading down to add picks, Pace elected to spend some of the draft capital the Bears had with nine total picks, trading up from No. 11 into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ spot at No. 9 and grabbing Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd to upgrade a defense that managed only a woeful 35 sacks in 2015.
The Bears gave up the first of their two fourth-round picks, No. 106 overall, to make the deal which adds a 6-4, 244-pound edge rusher who posted a modest 17 sacks for three college seasons, four last year. The move appeared to be made to get ahead of the No. 10 New York Giants, predicted by many to be targeting Floyd as part of enhancing their pass rush.
The “need” component was there and applied to nearly any pick on defense that the Bears could have made. Even with improvements from the previous two nightmare years, they were 20th in points allowed, 26th in opponents rushing average, 25th in yards allowed per play and 30th in interception percentage, reflective of having just 17 takeaways in their 16 games.
Put another way, the Bears were only marginally better against the run than they were under Mel Tucker and worse at taking the football away from opponents, the lifeblood of a defense. Meaning, the Bears were correct in staying a course toward best player available rather than drafting for need, since needs existed at virtually level of the defense.
He just didn’t say which way, and instead of trading down to add picks, Pace elected to spend some of the draft capital the Bears had with nine total picks, trading up from No. 11 into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ spot at No. 9 and grabbing Georgia pass rusher Leonard Floyd to upgrade a defense that managed only a woeful 35 sacks in 2015.
The Bears gave up the first of their two fourth-round picks, No. 106 overall, to make the deal which adds a 6-4, 244-pound edge rusher who posted a modest 17 sacks for three college seasons, four last year. The move appeared to be made to get ahead of the No. 10 New York Giants, predicted by many to be targeting Floyd as part of enhancing their pass rush.
The “need” component was there and applied to nearly any pick on defense that the Bears could have made. Even with improvements from the previous two nightmare years, they were 20th in points allowed, 26th in opponents rushing average, 25th in yards allowed per play and 30th in interception percentage, reflective of having just 17 takeaways in their 16 games.
Put another way, the Bears were only marginally better against the run than they were under Mel Tucker and worse at taking the football away from opponents, the lifeblood of a defense. Meaning, the Bears were correct in staying a course toward best player available rather than drafting for need, since needs existed at virtually level of the defense.
Leonard Floyd Chicago Bears NFL Draft Profile
By CSN Staff
Leonard Floyd (LB), Georgia
6’6” | 244 lbs.
2015 stats:
72 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 3 PD, FF
Selection:
1st Round, 9th overall to Chicago Bears (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Scouting Report:
"Where He Wins: Evaluators have been able to see Floyd play from practically every linebacker alignment. He lined up at the second level more often this season and was still an effective pass rusher when asked to be. He lacks strength when getting upfield, but Floyd can bend around the corner, which some staffs prioritize despite its scarcity." - Josh Norris, Rotoworld.com
2016 NFL Draft - 1st Round by Teams
MailOnLine
1. Los Angeles Jared Goff (QB)) California
2. Philadelphia Carson Wentz (QB) NDSU
3. San Diego Joey Bosa (DE) Ohio State
4. Dallas Ezekiel Elliott (RB) Ohio State
7. San Francisco DeForest Buckner (DE) Oregon
8. Tennessee (from MIA through PHI and Ten) Jack Conklin (OT) Michigan State
9. Chicago (from TB) Leonard Floyd (OLB) Georgia
10. NY Giants (from TB) Eli Apple (CB) Ohio State
11. Tampa Bay (from CHI) Vernon Hargreaves lll (CB) Florida
12. New Orleans Sheldon Rankins (DT) Louisville
13. Miami Laremy Tunsil (OT) Ole Miss
14. Oakland Karl Joseph (S) West Virginia
15. Cleveland (from LA through TEN) Corey Coleman (WR) Baylor
16. Detroit Taylor Decker (OT) Ohio State
17. Atlanta Keanu Neal (S) Florida
18. Indianapolis Ryan Kelly (C) Alabama
19. Buffalo Shaq Lawson (DE) Clemson
6’6” | 244 lbs.
2015 stats:
72 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 3 PD, FF
Selection:
1st Round, 9th overall to Chicago Bears (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Scouting Report:
"Where He Wins: Evaluators have been able to see Floyd play from practically every linebacker alignment. He lined up at the second level more often this season and was still an effective pass rusher when asked to be. He lacks strength when getting upfield, but Floyd can bend around the corner, which some staffs prioritize despite its scarcity." - Josh Norris, Rotoworld.com
2016 NFL Draft - 1st Round by Teams
MailOnLine
1. Los Angeles Jared Goff (QB)) California
2. Philadelphia Carson Wentz (QB) NDSU
3. San Diego Joey Bosa (DE) Ohio State
4. Dallas Ezekiel Elliott (RB) Ohio State
5. Jacksonville Jalen Ramsey (CB) Florida State
6. Baltimore Ronnie Stanley (OT) Notre Dame7. San Francisco DeForest Buckner (DE) Oregon
8. Tennessee (from MIA through PHI and Ten) Jack Conklin (OT) Michigan State
9. Chicago (from TB) Leonard Floyd (OLB) Georgia
10. NY Giants (from TB) Eli Apple (CB) Ohio State
11. Tampa Bay (from CHI) Vernon Hargreaves lll (CB) Florida
12. New Orleans Sheldon Rankins (DT) Louisville
13. Miami Laremy Tunsil (OT) Ole Miss
14. Oakland Karl Joseph (S) West Virginia
15. Cleveland (from LA through TEN) Corey Coleman (WR) Baylor
16. Detroit Taylor Decker (OT) Ohio State
17. Atlanta Keanu Neal (S) Florida
18. Indianapolis Ryan Kelly (C) Alabama
19. Buffalo Shaq Lawson (DE) Clemson
20. NY Jets Darron Lee (OLB) Ohio State
21. Houston (from WSH) Will Fuller (WR) Notre Dame
22. Washington (from HOU) Josh Doctson (WR) TCU
23. Minnesota Laquon Treadwell (WR) Ole Miss
21. Houston (from WSH) Will Fuller (WR) Notre Dame
22. Washington (from HOU) Josh Doctson (WR) TCU
23. Minnesota Laquon Treadwell (WR) Ole Miss
24. Cincinnati William Jackson lll (CB) Houston
25. Pittsburgh Artie Burns (B) Miami
26. Denver (from SEA) Paxton Lynch (QB) Memphis
27. Green Bay Kenny Clark (DT) UCLA
28. San Francisco (from KC) Joshua Garnett (OG) Stanford
29. Arizona Robert Nkemdiche (DT) Ole Miss
26. Denver (from SEA) Paxton Lynch (QB) Memphis
27. Green Bay Kenny Clark (DT) UCLA
28. San Francisco (from KC) Joshua Garnett (OG) Stanford
29. Arizona Robert Nkemdiche (DT) Ole Miss
30. Carolina Vernon Butler (DT) Louisiana Tech
31. Seattle Germain Ifedi (OT) Texas A&M
31. Seattle Germain Ifedi (OT) Texas A&M
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks' off season to-do list complicated by cap crunch.
By Kevin Allen
(Photo: Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports)
Defenseman
The loss of Oduya to free agency last summer is not the only reason why the Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round. But his absence symbolizes how the Blackhawks’ depth has been eroded by salary cap issues caused by their success -- what will now be three Stanley Cups in seven seasons.
It is challenging to keep championship teams together. While general manager
While there is no reason to panic, there is work to be done this summer in Chicago:
Upgrade the defense
In
Even with goalie
More salary cap woes
The Blackhawks have more than $65 million committed to 17 players for next season, according to generalfanager.com.
Rookie Artemi Panarin has earned entry-level bonuses that will top $2.5 million, which will be applied against next season’s salary cap. Raises for Seabrook,
With the cap expected to be between $71-$74 million, there won’t be much room available to make moves.
Trade Andrew Shaw?
Shaw’s name comes up whenever the Blackhawks have salary-cap issues.
But Shaw isn't the Blackhawks’ first choice to trade because he is a valuable role player who disrupts the opposition with his prickly playing style. He is a versatile forward who can play in the top-six or on a checking line.
The issue is that Shaw will be a restricted free agent this summer, and he will expect a significant raise over the $2 million he made this season. It will limit Bowman’s ability to make other needed moves.
Shaw, 24, has trade value. He could be turned into a veteran defenseman or scoring help.
Add a scoring winger
The Blackhawks' offense was better this season (2.85 goals per game) than they were when they won the Stanley Cup in 2014-15 (2.68 goals per game). But Chicago needs another scorer to play with
Last summer, the Blackhawks moved out two prominent scorers –
Teuro Teravainen is only 21, and the expectation is that his offensive contributions will expand next season.
Change support personnel
It might be time for a new look on the bottom two lines. It will help the Blackhawks’ buying power, maybe even allow them to keep Shaw, if they somehow convince a team to take
Update: Blackhawks positioned for more success next season.
By JAY COHEN
No June hockey for the Chicago Blackhawks this year. Heck, even May is a blank slate.
Plenty of time for Chicago to plan for its sticky situation with the salary cap.
The Blackhawks' title defense ended Monday night when they lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of their thrilling first-round series. Six of the seven games were decided by one goal, and Brent Seabrook and Andrew Ladd each had a shot go off both goal posts during losses for Chicago.
''It's unfortunate that we didn't give ourselves a chance to go deep again,'' captain Jonathan Toews said.
It's the quickest exit for the Blackhawks since they also dropped their first playoff series in 2012. They won the Stanley Cup the following year, lost to the Los Angeles Kings in an epic Western Conference finals in 2014 and won the championship again last year.
''It's hard to win for so long,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said. ''It takes a lot. It takes everybody. It's just, at the end of the day we didn't get it done and hats off to them.''
While Chicago should be able to contend for another title next season - most of its talented core is signed to long-term deals - it's also going to have to say goodbye to several players because of its ongoing wrestling match with the salary cap. Ladd, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann - each of them acquired in deadline trades - likely will leave in free agency, and Andrew Shaw, Richard Panik and Brandon Mashinter also could be headed out the door.
The 24-year-old Shaw, who has spent his entire career in Chicago, is eligible for restricted free agency. He had 14 goals and 20 assists in the regular season, and then led the Blackhawks with four playoff goals despite being suspended for Game 5 for using a gay slur.
Coach Joel Quenneville loves Shaw's grit and presence in front of the net, but it's going to be difficult for general manager Stan Bowman to keep the pesky forward. Bowman faced a similar situation last summer with Brandon Saad, a younger, more talented player than Shaw, but also eligible for restricted free agency, and the Blackhawks traded him to Columbus on June 30.
Panik also can become a restricted free agent, and Mashinter is eligible for unrestricted free agency. Panik was acquired in a January trade with Toronto and showed promise in the playoffs against the Blues. Mashinter had four goals and an assist in 41 games this season after beginning the year with no points in 23 career NHL games.
Shedding Bryan Bickell's salary could provide some much needed cap relief, but the Blackhawks have been unable to trade the underperforming winger. Bowman likely would have to pair Bickell with one of Chicago's prospects to pull off such a deal, and the team might be inclined to ride out the last year of the forward's $16 million, four-year contract instead.
No matter who stays or goes, the Blackhawks likely will have a very similar look next season. Patrick Kane, coming off his first career scoring title, and Toews lead one of the NHL's most potent attacks, and Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson anchor one of the league's best defenses.
''Right now it's just tough to swallow when the season's over, and to be thinking about enjoying a break,'' Keith said after Game 7. ''We all wanted to keep it going in here and obviously it wasn't meant to be.''
The extra time off for Chicago's biggest stars will help, but any hope of any significant improvement likely rests with the development of its younger players, namely on the blue line.
Trevor van Riemsdyk played in 82 games this season and led the team with 155 blocks. Erik Gustafsson, another 24-year-old defenseman, made his NHL debut in October and finished with 14 assists in 41 games.
But van Riemsdyk had a couple of costly gaffes in the playoffs and Gustafsson played just seven minutes in each of the last two games against St. Louis. They have to provide more support for Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmarsson for Chicago to make another deep run in the postseason.
Artemi Panarin thrives during rookie season with Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Marian Hossa watched some of the World Championships last May after the Blackhawks swept the Minnesota Wild. That’s when he got his first glimpse of Artemi Panarin.
“I saw this kid playing Slovakia, and he was just dominating. So I watched another game, and he was dominating again,” Hossa said. “One of the players was fun to watch, and when I heard he was coming to Chicago I was like, ‘Can’t wait for this guy.’ And he didn’t disappoint at all. He just picked up where he left off from what I saw on the TV screen.”
Panarin definitely didn’t disappoint in his first NHL season, bolstering the Blackhawks’ offense with his 77 points. Joining Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane, Panarin was part of the Blackhawks’ most consistent line of the season.
General manager Stan Bowman anticipated Panarin adapting to the North American style but admitted he didn’t expect 77 points.
“We had hoped that he would come in here and be an offensive player. In watching his style of play and watching his performance over the last couple years in the KHL, we knew that he had a chance to be an offensive player. Whether he's going to find chemistry or whether he's going to be effective throughout a full season, I didn't expect him to be as good as he was,” Bowman said at the Blackhawks’ closing meetings on Wednesday. “These are the great surprises you have, when he comes in and does something that's sort of unheard of for a first year player. So, that was obviously a big reason for our team's success. He came in, and he gave us a lot offensive production, which we clearly needed.”
For Panarin, his first NHL season was certainly a memorable one.
“I was very happy just to play for Blackhawks,” Panarin said through interpreter Stan Stiopkin. “This is a first-class organization, general manager, coaches, players and the players helping me a lot. It was like a good group of players, and I feel comfortable. I’m really happy to be in Chicago because this is probably the best city in the world.”
Panarin and Kane clicked immediately on the ice. It certainly helped to have fellow Russian Anisimov there, too, especially after Panarin’s good friend/former St. Petersburg teammate Viktor Tikhonov was waived and picked up by Arizona. It was rare when the trio were separated. For coach Joel Quenneville, there was no reason to do so: The line’s consistency and production was tough to beat.
“He came in here as a great story for us, knowing that we got to sign a potentially special player and live through it with all the hype surrounding him and delivered in every which way. He was a special player,” Quenneville said of Panarin. “I loved his consistency. I loved the way he enjoys the game. Liked is progression over the course of the season, though he got a lot more attention as the season progressed.”
Yes, teams started focusing on Panarin that much more as the season continued. And Anisimov said that’s why Panarin has to bring even more in his sophomore season here.
“He can do a lot more,” he said. “This was the first season for him, and he adapted. But for the next season he needs to improve his game to another level because everybody’s going to be prepared for him. He showed his potential, and he needs to be better.”
Panarin said that he will play for Team Russia in the upcoming World Championships. He said there are a few things he needs to improve upon entering the fall of 2016 — “ confidence, playing 1-on-1 in the attacking zone,” he said. His first season here, however, was a great one. Hossa was right: What he saw from Panarin on TV translated onto the NHL ice.
“It was just fun to watch him. And he and Kane were so dynamic and so much fun to watch,” Hossa said. “What a season they had.”
Not another no-hitter, but Jake Arrieta remains Cubs ace in every way.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The no-hitter drama lasted about two minutes on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Milwaukee Brewers leadoff guy Jonathan Villar made contact with Jake Arrieta’s fifth pitch (95 mph) and knocked it into left field for a soft broken-bat single. The Cubs wouldn’t have any Johnny Vander Meer flashbacks.
Arrieta still continued to press his case to be a repeat Cy Young Award winner, a Game 1 starter in the playoffs and the recipient of a seven-year megadeal worth somewhere north of $200 million. But so much can happen between now and the end of the 2017 season, which means the Cubs have to maximize this two-year window to win a World Series with Arrieta.
Speaking in full paragraphs at his locker for almost 15 minutes on Tuesday, Arrieta had already answered and dismissed the questions about performance-enhancing drugs and his metamorphosis into one of the game’s best pitchers.
The muted clubhouse TVs showing ESPN and MLB Network still had the talking heads running with that chemistry debate for the next two days. To be honest, on some level it felt like Arrieta enjoyed the attention and wanted to get this off his chest.
One week after no-hitting the Cincinnati Reds, Arrieta responded with a low-stress 7-2 victory over the Brewers. This felt like a total mismatch, Arrieta vs. a rebuilding Milwaukee team that is so much closer to the beginning of a five-year rebuilding plan than the end. Ryan Braun – an admitted PED user – got the boos before his at-bats at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs only needed Arrieta (5-0, 1.00 ERA) to throw 92 pitches and pulled him for pinch-hitter Jorge Soler with a four-run lead and runners on the corners in the fifth inning, trying to play the long game.
The front office and coaching staff obviously won’t root against a no-hitter, but that 16-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds was exactly the kind of situation the Cubs outlined in spring training, how they didn’t need to ride Arrieta so hard and could keep him fresh for October after throwing almost 250 innings last year.
Arrieta – who gave up one run across five innings – saw the end of his consecutive quality-starts streak (24) and scoreless-innings run at Wrigley Field (52.2). The Cubs have still won his last 18 regular-season starts and don’t expect anything to throw their ace off his game.
Arrieta got ready for the biggest start of his life – last year’s National League wild-card game – by trolling Pittsburgh Pirates fans on Twitter and telling them the blackout atmosphere at PNC Park “doesn’t matter.”
Arrieta has become a fashion model, signing endorsement deals with SAXX underwear and the Mizzen+Main clothing line. He says he finds the PED accusations to be “flattering.”
If the Cubs keep up this best-in-baseball pace (16-5), Jake will become a legend in Chicago.
“I haven’t seen him change a bit,” said manager Joe Maddon, who last year compared Arrieta to a male Jane Fonda. “He really handles those particular moments when he’s confronted really well, because he’s very matter of fact.
“He’s very self-confident. He knows who he is. So when he answers the questions, he can answer them in a genuine manner and feel really good about himself.
“Wouldn’t we all like to be like that? It’s a pretty good way to live. And I think he’s got it down. He takes care of everything about himself. So I’m all about Jake. We all are. We support everything he does and says.”
Jake Arrieta destroys ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for doubting stats. What's Your Take?
By Chris Cwik
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta is pretty sick of people questioning his performance. Arrieta is well-aware that his transformation from borderline starter to one of the best pitchers in the game invites suspicion, but told USA Today's Bob Nightengale "people are idiots" for thinking he's used performance-enhancing drugs.
We live in an age where any over-worldly achievement on a baseball field brings questions, so there were sure to be doubters even after Arrieta's stringent denial. One of those doubters happened to be ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
During a "First Take" segment, Smith said it was fair to wonder "what the hell is going on" with Arrieta's numbers. Smith later tweeted out a link to that segment, saying Arrieta shouldn't be laughing at his critics.
*************************
Steven A. Smith @stevenasmith Tweet:
"Jake Arrieta shouldn't be laughing about questions surrounding his performance."
Jake Arrieta @JArrieta34 Tweet:
"Laughing is exactly what I will do. You continue to do your thing though. No one will undercut my hard work." @stephenasmith
Upon seeing Arrieta's response, Smith immediately backed down.
Steven A. Smith @stevenasmith Tweet:
"I hear ya @JArrieta34. It's your life/career. You've earned the right to do what you want. The best to you."
White Sox' win streak ends at 6 as John Danks struggles again.
"Laughing is exactly what I will do. You continue to do your thing though. No one will undercut my hard work." @stephenasmith
Upon seeing Arrieta's response, Smith immediately backed down.
Steven A. Smith @stevenasmith Tweet:
"I hear ya @JArrieta34. It's your life/career. You've earned the right to do what you want. The best to you."
*************************
The whole exchange on Smith's end isn't all that surprising considering his role at ESPN. "First Take" routinely embraces debate, and that leads to some fiery takes. Smith and Skip Bayless get huge ratings for making bold proclamations or not so subtly suggesting a star baseball player might be taking steroids.
This was peak Stephen A. Smith too. In the clip, he says "I'm not going to accuse you of using performance-enhancing supplements, drugs, whatever you want to call it, but..."
That "but" pretty much invalidates everything that came before it. Because at that point, Smith has already planted the seeds of doubt in the viewers' minds. Smith gets to pretty much say "this guy might be using steroids" while also being able to hide behind the "I never accused him" defense. Technically, he's right, and that's why he's so successful at what he does. He manipulates words well.
Smith's arguments revolving around innings pitched and wins is incredibly silly too. Arrieta didn't accumulate innings in the majors back then because he wasn't good. Teams aren't just going to throw those guys out there. He needed to change his game and improve. Once he did so with the Cubs, his innings limits and win totals jumped.
Our own Jeff Passan wrote about how Arrieta made that turn around. A number of pieces have been written about the subject, many of which include Arrieta finally being able to throw his cutter again. There are legitimate reasons to buy Arrieta's transformation. If you want to bring realistic doubt on Arrieta's numbers, there are much better ways to make that argument that don't include innings pitched or win totals.
Arrieta's response does come as somewhat of a surprise. You rarely see a player engage with a big media personality on Twitter, and that's especially the case when the issue of PEDs comes up. It's such a serious accusation in the baseball world that most players choose to say nothing any time the subject comes up. If you're a player and you make even the slightest slip-up with your wording during a denial, people will just continue to scrutinize. It's just not worth it for most guys.
Arrieta didn't adhere to that. He went directly at Smith, and that was pretty refreshing. We probably should have seen this coming, particularly after Arrieta responded to a Pittsburgh Pirates fan prior to his Wild Card start during the 2015 season.
That attitude probably feeds into why Arrieta has been so successful in recent years. He doesn't lack for confidence, and it's pretty clear he's a relentless competitor.
The fact that Smith can essentially make the accusation and then step away without repercussion is incredibly unfair. Ultimately, it's Arrieta who will have to deal with the fallout from Smith's irresponsible words. He chose to handle that by going directly to the source, and the source immediately backed off.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Yellow sports journalism at it's best. Steven A. Smith observes a pitcher having a terrific season and right away he infers that the player is using PED's or HGHs. He should just shut the **ck up unless he has proof. Why cast doubt and aspersions on someone's career to build yourself up. Personally, I think it's wrong. If he has any proof to back up his assertion, let him present it and let Jake Arrieta defend himself. According to Mr. Smith, no one can improve or get better unless they take performance enhancing substances. Some guys get better as time goes on and some guys get worse, that's the nature of the game. Everyone's not the same and there is no standard that says, every player must perform the same. Jake Arrieta is prepared to defend himself and assures everyone that he has not used any illegal substances in any way, shape or form.
Mr. Smith has the first amendment right to freedom of speech, however, I wish he would back up his rantings with facts. I hope he can take as good as he gives because as the saying goes, "As you shall sow, you shall reap." In other words, sooner or later he's going to be on the receiving end of someone else's yellow journalism. Let me make it perfectly clear that I'm not attacking his right to free speech, I'm saying before you make accusations that destroy a person's character, have facts to substantiate what you're saying. Again, I just think what he's done and has done in the past is wrong and just character assassination to create controversy and make himself seem relevant. NOT!!!
As usual, I've stated our position, some of you may agree with me and some may not and that's okay. I would love to hear your thoughts pro or con as your opinion matters to us. Go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know, What's your take? We truly value your opinion.
Note: The **ck in the first paragraph actually stands for heck, not a swear word as some might interpret it.
Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Director.
White Sox' win streak ends at 6 as John Danks struggles again.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
John Danks’ margin for error just isn’t very wide.
He and the White Sox discovered that yet again on Thursday night when the Baltimore Orioles made the veteran pay for several third-inning mistakes. With several potential options to choose from, whether or not the White Sox will give him another start to find a rhythm becomes the big question.
Danks surrendered a pair of long home runs and allowed six earned runs and the White Sox fell to the Orioles, 10-2, at Oriole Park at Camden Yard in front of 14,568. The loss snapped a six-game White Sox winning streak and is the team’s first since the last start by Danks (0-4) on April 21.
At the very least, the White Sox have shown they may entertain making a change at the back of the rotation.
It was only earlier this week when the White Sox promoted recently signed starter Miguel Gonzalez to give him an opportunity. While Gonzalez showed rust in Monday’s start, he also settled in against a tough Toronto Blue Jays lineup, which allowed the White Sox to rally for a big win.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said he was impressed with how Gonzalez handled himself against the Blue Jays as he made his first big league start of the season. However, Ventura didn’t make any commitments about the right-hander’s future and Gonzalez was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday as part of a four-player shuffle after David Robertson landed on the bereavement list.
But the decision to push Danks back out of the series in Toronto, a team against whom he has poor numbers, raises questions about how long the White Sox might keep him in the rotation.
The White Sox have Monday off before they start a six-game homestand on Tuesday. That means they could skip Danks’ next turn in the rotation without moving around any of their other starters.
Ventura also noted on Monday that the White Sox, off to their best start since 2006, have several options from which to choose if they need help in the rotation.
Jacob Turner has a 2.49 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings at Charlotte. Erik Johnson, also at Charlotte, has a 3.24 ERA in three starts. And there’s Gonzalez, who went 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA from 2012-14 with the Orioles before he fell off last season.
“I don’t know if we’ve necessarily had that for a while,” Ventura said.
The White Sox opted to push Danks -- who saw his ERA rise to 7.25 -- back to Thursday against Baltimore in part because of past success against the Orioles, including seven scoreless innings at U.S. Cellular Field last July.
Danks wasn’t able to match that showing this time around even after Todd Frazier’s two-run, first-inning homer gave him a cushion with which to work.
Had it not been for a fantastic relay from Austin Jackson to Jimmy Rollins to Hector Sanchez to throw out Chris Davis on Adam Jones’ two-out RBI double in the first inning, Danks would have given back the lead.
While Danks pitched a perfect second inning, he wasn’t as fortunate in the third. Danks walked Caleb Joseph to start the inning and Manny Machado’s one-out double to right tied it at 2. Davis then launched a two-run homer to right-center field and Mark Trumbo followed with a solo shot to put the Orioles ahead 5-2.
Danks put up zeroes in the fourth and fifth innings, but exited after he surrendered a leadoff double to J.J. Hardy in the sixth. Hardy scored during a five-run Orioles’ rally against Jake Petricka that blew the game open.
Danks allowed nine hits and walked two while throwing strikes on 56 of 96 pitches.
He and the White Sox discovered that yet again on Thursday night when the Baltimore Orioles made the veteran pay for several third-inning mistakes. With several potential options to choose from, whether or not the White Sox will give him another start to find a rhythm becomes the big question.
Danks surrendered a pair of long home runs and allowed six earned runs and the White Sox fell to the Orioles, 10-2, at Oriole Park at Camden Yard in front of 14,568. The loss snapped a six-game White Sox winning streak and is the team’s first since the last start by Danks (0-4) on April 21.
At the very least, the White Sox have shown they may entertain making a change at the back of the rotation.
It was only earlier this week when the White Sox promoted recently signed starter Miguel Gonzalez to give him an opportunity. While Gonzalez showed rust in Monday’s start, he also settled in against a tough Toronto Blue Jays lineup, which allowed the White Sox to rally for a big win.
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said he was impressed with how Gonzalez handled himself against the Blue Jays as he made his first big league start of the season. However, Ventura didn’t make any commitments about the right-hander’s future and Gonzalez was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday as part of a four-player shuffle after David Robertson landed on the bereavement list.
But the decision to push Danks back out of the series in Toronto, a team against whom he has poor numbers, raises questions about how long the White Sox might keep him in the rotation.
The White Sox have Monday off before they start a six-game homestand on Tuesday. That means they could skip Danks’ next turn in the rotation without moving around any of their other starters.
Ventura also noted on Monday that the White Sox, off to their best start since 2006, have several options from which to choose if they need help in the rotation.
Jacob Turner has a 2.49 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings at Charlotte. Erik Johnson, also at Charlotte, has a 3.24 ERA in three starts. And there’s Gonzalez, who went 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA from 2012-14 with the Orioles before he fell off last season.
“I don’t know if we’ve necessarily had that for a while,” Ventura said.
The White Sox opted to push Danks -- who saw his ERA rise to 7.25 -- back to Thursday against Baltimore in part because of past success against the Orioles, including seven scoreless innings at U.S. Cellular Field last July.
Danks wasn’t able to match that showing this time around even after Todd Frazier’s two-run, first-inning homer gave him a cushion with which to work.
Had it not been for a fantastic relay from Austin Jackson to Jimmy Rollins to Hector Sanchez to throw out Chris Davis on Adam Jones’ two-out RBI double in the first inning, Danks would have given back the lead.
While Danks pitched a perfect second inning, he wasn’t as fortunate in the third. Danks walked Caleb Joseph to start the inning and Manny Machado’s one-out double to right tied it at 2. Davis then launched a two-run homer to right-center field and Mark Trumbo followed with a solo shot to put the Orioles ahead 5-2.
Danks put up zeroes in the fourth and fifth innings, but exited after he surrendered a leadoff double to J.J. Hardy in the sixth. Hardy scored during a five-run Orioles’ rally against Jake Petricka that blew the game open.
Danks allowed nine hits and walked two while throwing strikes on 56 of 96 pitches.
White Sox will be without closer David Robertson until Sunday.
By Dan Hayes
The White Sox feel like they’re in the best position possible to handle the temporary loss of David Robertson, who they’ll be without until Sunday.
The White Sox closer has been placed on the bereavement list to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, who passed away earlier this week after battling cancer.
Robertson -- who has eight saves in nine tries and a 0.87 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings this season -- closed out Wednesday night’s four-run win over the Toronto Blue Jays even though it wasn’t a save opportunity. He joined his family on Thursday, which allowed the White Sox time to promote both Daniel Webb and infielder Carlos Sanchez. Sanchez replaced Robertson on Thursday while Webb joined the team on Wednesday after Miguel Gonzalez was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte.
“We knew a few days ago, so I thought he handled it great,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “As tough as the news is, he knew he was going to need three days. He was with us for a couple of days after he got the news. He pitched in a game and gave us the opportunity to kind of maneuver a little bit. For him to get through this, all the way around it was the best you could hope for.”
The White Sox have utilized a 13-man pitching staff for a big chunk of their current stretch, which includes 19 games in 19 days. But with an off day around the corner, the White Sox chose to go back to a 12-man staff and call upon Sanchez, who could be necessary if any of their four games against the Baltimore Orioles are rained out.
Though Nate Jones is a likely option at closer, Ventura didn’t commit to how he’d manage his ‘pen in Robertson’s absence. He also listed Matt Albers and Zach Duke as potential options. And, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka have experience in the role dating back to the 2014 season.
Jones picked up his first career save during the team’s last homestand.
“We just talked about treating it just like any other inning, no matter who it is,” Jones said. “We have to close out the sixth, we have to close out the seventh. Even though it’s the final three outs of the game, it’s a little bit different. A lot of people put emphasis on it. But that’s what we’re going to try and do -- just treat it like it’s the whatever inning.”
The White Sox bullpen has been outstanding this season. The group leads the major leagues with a 1.32 ERA. Over the past nine games, White Sox relievers have only allowed two earned runs in 24 2/3 innings (0.73 ERA).
“Those guys have handled it as well as you can,” Ventura said. “They feel for Robby. In a lot of ways they want to help him out as well. Robby is a good teammate and part of this is being able to flow with it. I think these guys are going to step up. That’s what you do.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Despite growing pains, Bulls still counting on Mirotic, McDermott.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox feel like they’re in the best position possible to handle the temporary loss of David Robertson, who they’ll be without until Sunday.
The White Sox closer has been placed on the bereavement list to attend the funeral of his father-in-law, who passed away earlier this week after battling cancer.
Robertson -- who has eight saves in nine tries and a 0.87 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings this season -- closed out Wednesday night’s four-run win over the Toronto Blue Jays even though it wasn’t a save opportunity. He joined his family on Thursday, which allowed the White Sox time to promote both Daniel Webb and infielder Carlos Sanchez. Sanchez replaced Robertson on Thursday while Webb joined the team on Wednesday after Miguel Gonzalez was optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte.
“We knew a few days ago, so I thought he handled it great,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “As tough as the news is, he knew he was going to need three days. He was with us for a couple of days after he got the news. He pitched in a game and gave us the opportunity to kind of maneuver a little bit. For him to get through this, all the way around it was the best you could hope for.”
The White Sox have utilized a 13-man pitching staff for a big chunk of their current stretch, which includes 19 games in 19 days. But with an off day around the corner, the White Sox chose to go back to a 12-man staff and call upon Sanchez, who could be necessary if any of their four games against the Baltimore Orioles are rained out.
Though Nate Jones is a likely option at closer, Ventura didn’t commit to how he’d manage his ‘pen in Robertson’s absence. He also listed Matt Albers and Zach Duke as potential options. And, Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka have experience in the role dating back to the 2014 season.
Jones picked up his first career save during the team’s last homestand.
“We just talked about treating it just like any other inning, no matter who it is,” Jones said. “We have to close out the sixth, we have to close out the seventh. Even though it’s the final three outs of the game, it’s a little bit different. A lot of people put emphasis on it. But that’s what we’re going to try and do -- just treat it like it’s the whatever inning.”
The White Sox bullpen has been outstanding this season. The group leads the major leagues with a 1.32 ERA. Over the past nine games, White Sox relievers have only allowed two earned runs in 24 2/3 innings (0.73 ERA).
“Those guys have handled it as well as you can,” Ventura said. “They feel for Robby. In a lot of ways they want to help him out as well. Robby is a good teammate and part of this is being able to flow with it. I think these guys are going to step up. That’s what you do.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Despite growing pains, Bulls still counting on Mirotic, McDermott.
Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott was still adjusting this season, but he should be a valuable asset in this higher-scoring NBA era because has such an impressive set of scoring skills, Mike McGraw says. McDermott ranked sixth in the league in 3-point percentage at .425 (tied with Golden State's Klay Thompson). (Photo/Associated Press)
As last season began, the Bulls were counting on a couple young scorers, Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott, to play important roles and complement their veteran teammates.
But it didn't quite work out that way.
Both players were inconsistent shooters who struggled defensively. Their lack of development was a factor in the Bulls missing the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Bulls should scrap this experiment. The question is whether Mirotic and McDermott can pay dividends next season or if they'll continue to exhibit growing pains.
McDermott is probably easier to explain. He should be a valuable asset in this higher-scoring NBA era because has such an impressive set of scoring skills. McDermott ranked sixth in the league in 3-point percentage at .425 (tied with Golden State's Klay Thompson). He's also got a nice floater, can knock down quick midrange jumpers and had enough athleticism to go on a midseason dunking spree.
The former Creighton star didn't play much as a rookie, so this was basically his first pro season. He averaged 11.4 points after the all-star break, with excellent shooting percentages. So with a good summer of work, McDermott should be ready to shine next season.
He spent two weeks with Jimmy Butler in San Diego last summer. Now that he'll presumably get to skip summer league, maybe McDermott should consider moving into Butler's summer digs.
Mirotic is a little more complicated. He's been hit and miss during both seasons since joining the Bulls from Real Madrid. The 6-foot-10 forward looked like a future all-star when he averaged 20.8 points in March of his rookie season. But he quickly faded and never matched that production during his sophomore campaign.
When he was on, Mirotic could be very good. The Bulls went 24-14 in games he started, which is dramatic enough to think he must have been doing something right.
What's tough to understand is how Mirotic has lapses in common sense at times, becoming prone to bad shots and turnovers. It was also strange how he could shoot 29.8 percent from 3-point range in November, then 46.9 percent in April.
Coach Fred Hoiberg pushed Mirotic to keep things simple. Shoot the 3-pointer when he's open, don't try to dribble into traffic if the shot isn't there.
Another confusing point to Mirotic is how his game changed. As a rookie, he often scored near the basket and used his impressive speed to get out on the break. He hardly did any of that last season. As a rookie, 50.1 percent of Mirotic's shot attempts came from 3-point range. This year, 56.8 percent of his shots were from behind the arc.
On top of that, both players struggled defensively. There's probably hope for McDermott. He's a guy who was never asked to focus on playing tough man-to-man defense until reaching the NBA, and now he has to guard some of the world's best athletes. McDermott seems to be fast enough to get it done, but clearly needs more practice.
Mirotic, on the other hands, often seems to have no defensive instincts, other than get out of the way, like he did during a LeBron James fast-break dunk late in the season.
The solution might be simple: Just limit the defensive liabilities. If Mirotic starts, bring McDermott off the bench and vice-versa. Obviously, it's easier to cover for one bad defender than for two.
It might be tempting to trade one of the younger players, and rookie Bobby Portis could be thrown into that group. All three players have nice potential, but too many young guys learning the ropes is not conducive to winning.
The Bulls need to figure out if Mirotic, McDermott and Portis will be ready next season to help win games. If not, a trade might be smart.
They already seemed to lose the gamble on Tony Snell's development. Snell had a few good games, but nothing to suggest he's ready to become a valuable NBA contributor. Snell is under contract for $2.37 million next season, though.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Golf-Stuard sets early pace in rainy New Orleans.
Reuters; Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes, Editing by Andrew Both
Seeking his first PGA Tour victory, Stuard had just 21 putts as he fired a flawless eight-under-par 64 at the TPC Louisiana, finishing a stroke in front of veteran South African Retief Goosen.
Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Americans J.J. Henry, Derek Ernst, Patrick Rodgers and Charles Howell III carded 67s on a day when half the field did not complete the opening round after almost five hours of play was wiped out by heavy thunderstorms.
"It was just one of those days where it seemed like I was really reading the putts well and luckily they were going in," Stuard told Golf Channel, before saying he had benefited from a putter he picked up only last week in San Antonio.
"I had a good feel for it, I putted well with it last week and it continued over today," said the 33-year-old, who has twice been a runner-up on the PGA Tour but has mainly struggled on the U.S. circuit this season.
"I feel it's getting closer," Stuard said of his form. "I've been working hard at it and just needed to see some results, and today it was a good one."
Australian world number one Jason Day raced to the turn in five-under 31 but dropped four shots on his back nine on the way to a 69, bogeying his last two holes after play had resumed following the lengthy weather suspension.
"A little frustrated," Day said of his bogey-bogey finish, "but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I've just got to manage myself out there.
"Obviously this is going to be a bit of a tough week with the stop-and-start rounds. I might be able to sneak in nine holes tomorrow and then play 27 on Saturday. You've just got to try and stay positive and keep moving forward."
England's world number 10 Justin Rose, who clinched last year's Zurich Classic of New Orleans by one shot, was among the late starters on Thursday who will have to complete the opening round on Friday.
USGA receives nearly 10,000 U.S. Open entries.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel)
The total is the third-highest in championship history, only five entries behind last year's total for Chambers Bay. The 10,127 entries received for the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst remains the highest volume of applications.
The entries include players from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and 72 foreign countries.
The deadline for entry was April 27, and 620 applications were received on the final day. Gordon Vietmeier, a 48-year-old pro from Pittsburgh, earned the distinction of being the final entry received after he submitted his application only 33 seconds before the 5 p.m. ET deadline.
The pool of applicants includes 50 players who are already fully exempt for the season's second major, including 12 former U.S. Open champions. That latter group included a pair of players who have yet to hit a competitive shot this year: 2003 winner Jim Furyk and three-time champion Tiger Woods.
For the vast majority of entries, it's off to one of 111 local qualifying sites, where 18-hole qualifiers will take place from May 2-19. Thirty-six hole sectional qualifiers will be held in Japan (May 23), England (May 30) and across 10 different sites in the U.S. on June 6.
In order to enter, players must either be professional or have a USGA handicap index of 1.4 or lower. The U.S. Open will be held June 16-19 at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.
With less than 100 days to go, a look at the Olympic field.
By NBC Sports
We're less than 100 days away from golf's return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With a little more than three months to go, we offer this look at the how the men's Olympic field would shape up if qualifying were to end today.
As a reminder, the 60-man field is not a collection of the 60 best players in the world. Instead, competing countries can send up to two representatives. As many as four players could represent a given country if they are all ranked inside the Official World Golf Ranking's top 15. The United States is currently the only country with more than two representatives, maxing out its full allotment.
The qualifying deadline is set for July 11. As of now, 34 countries will be represented in men's golf, with players ranging from world No. 1 Jason Day to No. 369 Gavin Kyle Green.
Australia
Projected in: No. 1 Jason Day, No. 35 Marc Leishman
Day is a shoo-in and Leishman now finds himself in the field thanks to Scott, who has opted to withdraw himself from Olympic consideration.
United States
Projected in: No. 2 Jordan Spieth, No. 4 Bubba Watson, No. 5 Rickie Fowler, No. 8 Dustin Johnson
Only the Americans are currently projected to get the maximum four representatives in the field. Reed is the closest to cracking the U.S. team, but 12 more Americans are currently inside the top 30 and could make a push with a big summer.
Ireland
Projected in: No. 3 Rory McIlroy, No. 33 Shane Lowry
McIlroy made headlines last year when he opted to represent Ireland and not Great Britain as part of Northern Ireland. As for McDowell, he’s more concerned with the Ryder Cup than Rio.
Sweden
Projected in: No. 6 Henrik Stenson, No. 48 David Lingmerth
Odd man out: No. 82 Kristoffer Broberg
Lingmerth is enjoying the fruits of his 2015 Memorial win, leaving Broberg, last year’s BMW Masters champ, with some work to do.
Great Britain
Projected in: No. 9 Danny Willett, No. 10 Justin Rose
Odd man out: No. 23 Paul Casey
If Casey can crack the OWGR’s top 15 by the deadline, he can earn GBR a third entry. The same goes for No. 30 Russell Knox, No. 32 Andy Sullivan, No. 36 Lee Westwood and No. 41 Matthew Fitzpatrick.
South Africa
Projected in: No. 11 Branden Grace, No. 59 Jaco Van Zyl
Van Zyl suddenly finds himself in the Olympic mix after two of his fellow countrymen said they wouldn’t accept a bid.
Japan
Projected in: No. 14 Hideki Matsuyama, No. 79 Yuta Ikeda
Odd man out: No. 81 Shingo Katayama
American fans know Matusyama but are less familiar with Ikeda, a 14-time Japan Golf Tour winner who passed Katayama with a victory this past weekend at the Panasonic Open.
Spain
Projected in: No. 15 Sergio Garcia, No. 29 Rafa Cabrera Bello
Potential alternate Miguel Angel Jimenez has said he won’t play. Should Garcia or Cabrera Bello opt not to, No. 136 Alejandro Canizares is next in line.
South Korea
Projected in: No. 31 Ben An, No. 60 K.T. Kim
Odd man out: No. 75 Soomin Lee
Lee vaulted from 128th to 75th thanks to his first European Tour victory this past weekend at the Shenzhen International in China.
Denmark
Projected in: No. 38 Soren Kjeldsen, No. 68 Thorbjorn Olesen
Odd man out: No. 134 Lucas Bjerregaard
Kjeldsen won the Irish Open last year and finished T-7 at the Masters earlier this month. Olesen has been a winner on the European Tour in three of the last four years.
Argentina
Projected in: No. 39 Emiliano Grillo, No. 65 Fabian Gomez
Grillo won the Frys.com Open last fall and Gomez the FedEx St. Jude last season. Next in line for Argentina? Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera at No. 305.
Thailand
Projected in: No. 40 Kiradech Aphibarnrat, No. 45 Thongchai Jaidee
Odd man out: Prayad Marksaeng
Aphibarnrat won twice on the European Tour last year. Jaidee has 16 career wins spread across the European and Asian tours and represented Thailand at the Presidents Cup last fall.
New Zealand
Projected in: No. 42 Danny Lee, No. 169 Ryan Fox
Odd man out: No. 271 Josh Geary
Lee has a victory, a runner-up, a third and six more top-10s in the last two PGA Tour seasons. Fox is a three-time winner on the Challenge and Australasia tours.
Austria
Projected in: No. 43 Bernd Wiesberger
The first country on the list with only one representative, Wiesberger won the French Open last summer and was in the weekend mix at the PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014.
France
Projected in: No. 52 Victor Dubuisson, No. 100 Alexander Levy
Odd man out: No. 147 Gregory Bourdy
Dubuisson had a breakout year in 2014, finishing runner-up at the WGC-Match Play and making the Ryder Cup. After a difficult 2015, he re-emerged in November, winning his second Turkish Airlines Open. Levy won twice on the European Tour in 2014.
India
Projected in: No. 53 Anirban Lahiri, No. 160 S.S.P. Chawrasia
Lahiri won twice on the European Tour last year, won the Long Drive Contest at the PGA Championship and represented India at the Presidents Cup. Chawrasia won his third Euro title this March at the Hero Indian Open, beating the defending champ Lahiri in a playoff.
Germany
Projected in: No. 55 Martin Kaymer, No. 145 Alex Cejka
Odd man out: No. 190 Marcel Siem
Two-time major winner and former world No. 1 Kaymer has swooned since his triumph at Pinehurst. At 44, Cejka finally won his first PGA Tour title last year at the Puerto Rico Open.
Netherlands
Projected in: No. 61 Joost Luiten
A four-time European Tour champ, Luiten is currently the Netherlands’ lone representative.
Belgium
Projected in: No. 62 Thomas Pieters, No. 266 Nicolas Colsaerts
Pieters won twice on the European Tour late last summer and is fighting for a spot in this fall’s Ryder Cup. Colsearts, a former Ryder Cupper, hasn’t won since 2012.
Italy
Projected in: No. 86 Francesco Molinari
A two-time member of European Ryder Cup team, Molinari last won the 2012 Spanish Open. He finished tied for third last year at the Memorial, two shots out of a playoff.
Portugal
Projected in: No. 95 Ricardo Gouveia
The former UCF Knight won twice on the Challenge Tour last year.
Philippines
Projected in: No. 113 Miguel Tabuena, No. 254 Angelo Que
Tabuena won his national open last year on the Asian Tour and has won eight more times in his home country. Que is a three-time Asian Tour winner who recorded two runner-ups on the Japanese Tour last year and a T-4 at this year’s Indian Open.
Canada
Projected in: No. 119 Graham DeLaet, No. 142 David Hearn
Odd man out: No. 185 Adam Hadwin
Hearn made a run at his own national open last year while DeLaet has become noteworthy for a number of close calls and a bushy beard. Hadwin was the Web.com Tour’s money leader in 2014.
China
Projected in: No. 174 WC Liang, No. 196 Wu Ashun
Odd man out: No. 237 Haotong Li
Liang won on the Japanese Tour last year and finished in the top 10 at the PGA Championship in 2010 at Whistling Straits, shooting a then-course record 8-under 64 in the third round. Ashun won last year’s Volvo China Open. Li won four times in China in 2014 and was T-7 at last year’s WGC-HSBC Champions.
Paraguay
Projected in: No. 182 Fabrizio Zanotti
Zanotti won the BMW International in 2014 and had four top-10 finishes on the European Tour, including a runner-up to Matthew Fitzpatrick at the British Masters.
Finland
Projected in: No. 189 Mikko Ilonen, No. 265 Roope Kakko
Odd man out: No. 334 Mikko Korhonen
Ilonen rode a hot streak in the summer of 2014, sandwiching a tie for seventh at the PGA Championship with two European Tour wins. Kakko won the months-delayed Madeira Islands Open last August.
Zimbabwe
Projected in: No. 211 Brendon de Jonge
De Jonge has 27 career top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour including two runner-ups, the most recent coming in the form of a playoff loss at the 2014 McGladrey.
Columbia
Projected in: No. 224 Camilo Villegas
Spider-Man is a four-time PGA Tour winner who last won the 2014 Wyndham.
Malaysia
Projected in: No. 264 Danny Chia, No. 369 Gavin Kyle Green
The 43-year-old Chia topped the board at last year’s Taiwan Masters. Green is the lowest-ranked player currently in the field.
Mexico
Projected in: No. 283 Rodolfo Cazaubon, No. 332 Carlos Ortiz
Cazaubon led PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Order of Merit last year, advancing to the Web.com Tour. Ortiz was the 2014 Web.com Tour Player of the Year.
Venezuela
Projected in: No. 286 Jhonattan Vegas
Vegas’ lone Tour victory came at the former Bob Hope in 2011. He’s playing this season on Tour via past champion status.
Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)
Projected in: No. 295 C.T. Pan, No. 308 Wen-Tang Lin
Pan picked up two PGA Tour Canada titles in 2015. Lin once defeated Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari in a playoff at the 2008 Hong Kong Open.
Brazil
Projected in: No. 335 Adilson da Silva
The 44-year-old is a 12-time winner on the South African Sunshine Tour and made the cut at the 2013 Open Championship.
Singapore
Projected in: No. 363 MardaN Mamat
Mamat in 1997 became the first player from Singapore to ever play the Open. The five-time Asian Tour champ last won the 2015 Bangladesh Open.
Lessons From the Ladies: How the LPGA Tour Gets It Right.
By Alan Shipnuck
(Photo/Getty Images)
Last week I did something we all need to do more often: hang out at an LPGA event. In this case it was the Swinging Skirts, played at Lake Merced Golf Club on the outskirts of San Francisco. The general vibe was summed up by the four dudes in Danielle Kang’s gallery who wore head-to-toe cow onesies, a tribute to the sleepwear their heroine has made semi-famous on social media. Or maybe it was the moment during the second round when reigning U.S. Women’s Open champ In Gee Chun was walking off the 6th tee and an older gent blurted out, “In Gee, you’re so pretty.” Instead of ignoring him—which might have been prudent—she smiled beatifically and said, “Thank you!”
On Sunday there was the rousing rendition of Happy Birthday that Lydia Ko received from the gallery lining the 1st tee, and the hilariously dorky San Francisco Giants ski cap Christina Kim wore…with ear flaps. Afterward, when a pixie in elaborate face-paint asked Kim for her autograph, the player insisted on taking a picture of the fan. “Ohmygawd, I love your face paint so much!” Kim said, and it looked as if it might have been one of the happiest moments of this little girl’s life. Not to be outdone, Kang signed autographs in her socks, because she had given her spikes away to a 10–year-old who asked for them as a souvenir. “On Sundays I give away pretty much everything,” says Kang. “Shoes, jackets, gloves, balls…all they have to do is ask.” During the pro-am, Kang pulled a girl out of the gallery and let her walk with her on the back nine. She even let her putt. If this pipsqueak holed any, did Kang count it toward her team’s pro-am score? “Heck, yeah!” she said.
In case you can’t tell, they don’t take themselves too seriously on the LPGA tour. This is not to say that between the ropes it’s hit-and-giggle. While struggling off the tee on Friday, Stacy Lewis pounded her driver into the turf in disgust a couple of times with enough ferocity to startle the assembled onlookers. On Saturday, Haru Nomura drew a lie hard against the steep slope of a greenside bunker and struggled over and over to establish good footing. An anonymous fan sent an email through LPGA.com alleging that Nomura had built a stance, touching off a lengthy post-round review. When Nomura was exonerated by rules officials, Kim and Jane Park, among others, took to Twitter with a refreshing candor to voice their displeasure. “The @LPGA must follow a different set of golf rules, cuz they certainly don't help protect the field!” Park wrote. “Way to go rules officials! #triplebogey.”
During the final round, Nomura, a largely unheralded 23-year-old who was born in Japan but grew up in Seoul, put on a rousing display of short-game wizardry en route to her second LPGA victory. No. 1-ranked Ko and No. 3-ranked Lexi Thompson both finished tied for sixth. Lake Merced is in the same part of the world as the Olympic Club, San Francisco Golf Club and Harding Park, and it is every bit as good a test as any of them. With a cold, heavy wind blowing all week, including gusts of 35 mph during the final round, Nomura posted rounds of 65-70-71-73. At one point on Sunday a backward-hatted bro in her gallery sniffed, “I hit it farther than she does.” That’s probably true, but only in his dreams could this dude go nine under in such brutal conditions.
That, for me, is a big part of the LPGA’s appeal. When I watch Dustin or Bubba or any of the other freaks on the PGA Tour fly it 350 or hit an 8-iron from 225 yards out I know they are playing a brand of caveman golf I can’t reproduce. But only a handful of LPGA players can overpower a course; the rest must navigate it with precision, guile and strategy. Watching them up close is a master class on course management and efficiency. I’ve made a vow to try to follow this model, not the mindless bomb-and-gouge that dominates Tour telecasts.
Most refreshing for this admittedly jaded observer was the good cheer LPGA players extend to anyone who crosses their path. I spend almost all of my time on the PGA Tour, where many players seem to think they’re curing cancer, or doing work even more important than that. Fans, reporters, volunteers, and tournament officials are treated as inconveniences, at best. Golf is a niche sport, and the LPGA is a niche of a niche. Gratitude is an important part of the business model.
“We love our fans so much,” says Kang. “We know that none of this would be possible without them. So of course we go out of our way to express that thanks. We want everyone who comes out to a tournament to say, Man, that was fun.”
Worked for me.
Ryder Cup: Rose wary of sleeping US giant.
Omnisport
Justin Rose says he is wary of "waking a sleeping giant" in the form of the struggling United States team as Europe seek to win their fourth successive Ryder Cup.
Europe have dominated the event since 1985, winning 10 of 15 events staged in that time outright, retaining the title once after a draw and losing just four times, most recently in 2008.
They staged an extraordinary comeback from 10-6 down to win 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 at Medinah the last time the biennial showcase was staged in the United States in 2012, before cruising to a 16 1/2 to 11 1/2 triumph at Gleneagles two years later.
Rose, though, has claimed Europe's dominance in recent decades will count for nothing when the rivals face off at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota from September 30 to October 2.
"Although the record is skewed, I feel like it's been a lot closer than it is," Rose told Golf.com.
"I think we go into this, or certainly I go into this next Ryder Cup with no illusion that we are playing an incredibly tough team. It's almost like you're waking a sleeping giant, in a way, because the American team is getting very hungry. They're not liking being on the receiving end of so many defeats."
World number two Jordan Spieth made his Ryder Cup debut in the loss in Scotland in 2014 and went on to win his first two majors, the Masters and the U.S. Open, a year later.
Rose believes the 22-year-old Texan, along with several other emerging stars, could equip the United States to finally break Europe's stranglehold.
"You had Jordan, and obviously Patrick Reed," Rose said, referring to the event at Gleneagles. "But Dustin [Johnson] and Rickie Fowler - guys who haven't really had as many defeats under their belt - they're the guys who carry the team through.
"We're not resting on our laurels. There have been some very close Ryder Cups in the last few years. I think it's very important for us to go into the Ryder Cup staying very, very hungry as a team. And knowing that we're going to be up against it."
NASCAR’s weekend schedule at Talladega.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/Getty Images)
It’s time for the first visit of the year to the longest track in NASCAR at Talladega Superspeedway. But the Sprint Cup Series and Xfinity Series will be in action.
The Sprint Cup will hold the GEICO 500 and Xfinity Series teams take part in the Sparks Energy 300.
Here is the weekend schedule for the two series, including TV and radio info.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, April 29
9 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open
9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series Garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Xfinity Series practice (Fox Sports 1)
1:30 – 2:25 p.m. – Final Xfinity Series practice (FS1)
2:30 – 3:25 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (FS1, Motor Racing Network)
4:30 – 5:25 p.m. – Final Sprint Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
Saturday, April 30
7 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Sprint Cup and Xfinity garages open
10:30 a.m. – Xfinity Series qualifying; single car/two rounds (FS1)
12:15 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver-crew chief meeting
12:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; single car/two rounds (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
2:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver introductions
3 p.m. – Sparks Energy 300, 113 laps, 300.58 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXm NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, May 1
8:30 a.m. – Sprint Cup garage opens
11 a.m. – Driver-Crew chief meeting
12:25 p.m. – Driver introductions
1 p.m. – GEICO 500, 188 laps, 500.08 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
The Sprint Cup will hold the GEICO 500 and Xfinity Series teams take part in the Sparks Energy 300.
Here is the weekend schedule for the two series, including TV and radio info.
All times are Eastern.
Friday, April 29
9 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open
9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series Garage open
11:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. – Xfinity Series practice (Fox Sports 1)
1:30 – 2:25 p.m. – Final Xfinity Series practice (FS1)
2:30 – 3:25 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (FS1, Motor Racing Network)
4:30 – 5:25 p.m. – Final Sprint Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
Saturday, April 30
7 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Sprint Cup and Xfinity garages open
10:30 a.m. – Xfinity Series qualifying; single car/two rounds (FS1)
12:15 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver-crew chief meeting
12:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; single car/two rounds (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
2:30 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver introductions
3 p.m. – Sparks Energy 300, 113 laps, 300.58 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXm NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, May 1
8:30 a.m. – Sprint Cup garage opens
11 a.m. – Driver-Crew chief meeting
12:25 p.m. – Driver introductions
1 p.m. – GEICO 500, 188 laps, 500.08 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
IMSA enjoying strong and steady start to sports car season.
By JENNA FRYER
Andy Meyrick, of England, drives the DeltaWing DWC13 Elan out of turn during the IMSA 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Among the story lines in IMSA this year is the strength of the odd-looking DeltaWing, which led laps in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
The way Scott Atherton views it, things couldn't be much better for IMSA right now.
The CEO of the sports car series is enjoying stability in the first year of a long-term entitlement partner in WeatherTech, which is aggressive in its promotion of IMSA. The series has 41 full entrants this year, has developed the GT Le Mans class into the most competitive of its type in the world and has seven manufacturers in the GT Daytona class with Lexus set to come on board as an eighth brand later this year.
In all, IMSA has 13 official automotive partnerships.
The television partnership with Fox Sports has allowed for more than 100 hours of racing to be aired this year, including the entire Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge schedule. IMSA also competes at 12 of the most prestigious road racing venues in North America.
''I think we'd be hard-pressed to have a better start,'' Atherton said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ''Across the board, all the measures of competition, the spectators, the introduction of new cars, new manufacturers, a new title sponsor - if we were looking at a dashboard of all the appropriate measures, we'd say 'all the needles are in the green.'''
Among the story lines in IMSA this year is the strength of the odd-looking DeltaWing, which led laps in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. Competing in the prototype class alongside the Corvette DPs, Riley DPs and the LM P2 cars - Honda HPD/Ligier, Mazda Prototype, Nissan/Ligier - Atherton has been pleased to see the DeltaWing hold its own.
''They are overdue for the overall win they have been knocking on the door over the last several events,'' he said. ''It's entertaining, if nothing else, to see that car race with the other more traditional prototypes.''
In the factory-supported GT Le Mans class, the new Ford GT has debuted and will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a four-car effort from Chip Ganassi Racing. Drivers Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber won 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in 2015 in a Porsche 919 Hybrid, and the Corvette, Ford, Porsche and Ferrari teams from the WeatherTech Championship all will compete in June.
Atherton believes Le Mans will give IMSA a chance to show its talent.
''It is a great opportunity to showcase how competitive and how professional the American teams and the American drivers are on truly the global stage,'' he said.
He's also pleased with the GT Daytona class, which shifted this year to full FIA GT3 technical regulations. With Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche already competing, Lexus will be in the mix before the end of the season.
''Some would say it's an embarrassment of riches because we have 13 manufacturers actively involved,'' Atherton said. ''It doesn't mean that they are just participating, it means they have a full commitment from that manufacturer to activate their program. It's a good problem to have.''
STEWART-FINE: Tony Stewart will not use donations from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Council to pay his recent $35,000 fine.
The three-time NASCAR champion said Wednesday he'll pay his own fine, and donate to charity the money the other eight drivers on the council pledged to him.
The $35,000 from the Drivers Council will go to Autism Delaware, founded by NASCAR on Fox coordinating director Artie Kempner.
''I appreciated the Drivers Council support, but I didn't want them to pay the fine. We decided as a group to donate the money to charity,'' Stewart said in a statement.
Stewart was fined by NASCAR last week for criticizing the series' lack of policing lug nuts on wheels. He said in not requiring teams to apply all five lug nuts NASCAR was allowing teams to play ''games with safety to win races.''
NASCAR fined Stewart under its new behavioral policy, even though it has since said it will require teams to apply all five lug nuts.
SERVIA-INDY 500: The last time Oriol Servia raced in the IndyCar Series, he had less than a day of notice. Before that, he was called in four days ahead of the race.
Now he's got a full month to prepare for his return to the Indianapolis 500. Servia will drive a third entry for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, which was made possible by a partnership with Marotti Racing.
''It feels great to have a little more than one night to prepare to jump in a car,'' he said.
Servia was called in the night before the season-opening race at St. Petersburg as a possible replacement for Will Power, who was ill. He didn't know he'd race Power's car until the day of the event.
Last season, Andretti Autosport summoned Servia to Sonoma as the replacement for Justin Wilson, who died earlier that week from injuries suffered when a piece of debris struck him in the helmet during a race in Pennsylvania. Servia flew from London to the California track for the responsibility of piloting Wilson's car.
Since then, Servia has been working hard to put together a ride for next month's 100th running of the Indy 500.
''I have respected Oriol's performance in the 500 for many years when we've been against him,'' Schmidt said. ''We've been working on trying to put this together for a long time.''
Schmidt has been preparing the third entry since October. Servia has been working since then to get in shape for the race.
SOCCER: Joey Calistri looking to break through with the Fire.
By JENNA FRYER
The way Scott Atherton views it, things couldn't be much better for IMSA right now.
The CEO of the sports car series is enjoying stability in the first year of a long-term entitlement partner in WeatherTech, which is aggressive in its promotion of IMSA. The series has 41 full entrants this year, has developed the GT Le Mans class into the most competitive of its type in the world and has seven manufacturers in the GT Daytona class with Lexus set to come on board as an eighth brand later this year.
In all, IMSA has 13 official automotive partnerships.
The television partnership with Fox Sports has allowed for more than 100 hours of racing to be aired this year, including the entire Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge schedule. IMSA also competes at 12 of the most prestigious road racing venues in North America.
''I think we'd be hard-pressed to have a better start,'' Atherton said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ''Across the board, all the measures of competition, the spectators, the introduction of new cars, new manufacturers, a new title sponsor - if we were looking at a dashboard of all the appropriate measures, we'd say 'all the needles are in the green.'''
Among the story lines in IMSA this year is the strength of the odd-looking DeltaWing, which led laps in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. Competing in the prototype class alongside the Corvette DPs, Riley DPs and the LM P2 cars - Honda HPD/Ligier, Mazda Prototype, Nissan/Ligier - Atherton has been pleased to see the DeltaWing hold its own.
''They are overdue for the overall win they have been knocking on the door over the last several events,'' he said. ''It's entertaining, if nothing else, to see that car race with the other more traditional prototypes.''
In the factory-supported GT Le Mans class, the new Ford GT has debuted and will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a four-car effort from Chip Ganassi Racing. Drivers Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber won 24 Hours of Le Mans overall in 2015 in a Porsche 919 Hybrid, and the Corvette, Ford, Porsche and Ferrari teams from the WeatherTech Championship all will compete in June.
Atherton believes Le Mans will give IMSA a chance to show its talent.
''It is a great opportunity to showcase how competitive and how professional the American teams and the American drivers are on truly the global stage,'' he said.
He's also pleased with the GT Daytona class, which shifted this year to full FIA GT3 technical regulations. With Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche already competing, Lexus will be in the mix before the end of the season.
''Some would say it's an embarrassment of riches because we have 13 manufacturers actively involved,'' Atherton said. ''It doesn't mean that they are just participating, it means they have a full commitment from that manufacturer to activate their program. It's a good problem to have.''
STEWART-FINE: Tony Stewart will not use donations from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Council to pay his recent $35,000 fine.
The three-time NASCAR champion said Wednesday he'll pay his own fine, and donate to charity the money the other eight drivers on the council pledged to him.
The $35,000 from the Drivers Council will go to Autism Delaware, founded by NASCAR on Fox coordinating director Artie Kempner.
''I appreciated the Drivers Council support, but I didn't want them to pay the fine. We decided as a group to donate the money to charity,'' Stewart said in a statement.
Stewart was fined by NASCAR last week for criticizing the series' lack of policing lug nuts on wheels. He said in not requiring teams to apply all five lug nuts NASCAR was allowing teams to play ''games with safety to win races.''
NASCAR fined Stewart under its new behavioral policy, even though it has since said it will require teams to apply all five lug nuts.
SERVIA-INDY 500: The last time Oriol Servia raced in the IndyCar Series, he had less than a day of notice. Before that, he was called in four days ahead of the race.
Now he's got a full month to prepare for his return to the Indianapolis 500. Servia will drive a third entry for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, which was made possible by a partnership with Marotti Racing.
''It feels great to have a little more than one night to prepare to jump in a car,'' he said.
Servia was called in the night before the season-opening race at St. Petersburg as a possible replacement for Will Power, who was ill. He didn't know he'd race Power's car until the day of the event.
Last season, Andretti Autosport summoned Servia to Sonoma as the replacement for Justin Wilson, who died earlier that week from injuries suffered when a piece of debris struck him in the helmet during a race in Pennsylvania. Servia flew from London to the California track for the responsibility of piloting Wilson's car.
Since then, Servia has been working hard to put together a ride for next month's 100th running of the Indy 500.
''I have respected Oriol's performance in the 500 for many years when we've been against him,'' Schmidt said. ''We've been working on trying to put this together for a long time.''
Schmidt has been preparing the third entry since October. Servia has been working since then to get in shape for the race.
SOCCER: Joey Calistri looking to break through with the Fire.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Fire have five rookies and four second-year pros, if you count 20-year-old Brazilian Rodrigo Ramos in the second-year group. Out of those nine players, Matt Polster entered he season as an established starter while Ramos and rookie Jonathan Campbell appear to have solidified themselves as starters for now.
Rookie Brandon Vincent started the first three matches, but hasn't played since. Joey Calistri and Alex Morrell, both rookies, have been able to earn late substitute roles on multiple occasions, but no starts. Rookie Drew Conner and second-year players Patrick Doody and Collin Fernandez haven't played at all although Doody and Conner are on loan with Saint Louis FC.
Just looking at that group, it shows how difficult is has been for the younger players on the team to earn regular minutes. When asked about Calistri specifically earlier this week, coach Veljko Paunovic spoke about the importance of giving playing time to young players.
"For him I think it’s important that he can go through this process of developing and getting minutes in the league, (for that) to go smoothly," Paunovic said. "We are working on that and as soon as he is ready and as soon as we believe he can help the team on the field we will not have any issue to make him play.
"We also have a lot of young, talented players that we want to mold them. We also know for the young players it is very important to have minutes and where we can’t give them those minutes we will look for opportunities to loan those young players so they can get either with our affiliate or with another club in the league where we can give them for a short-term loan. This is our approach for Calistri and all other young players that we have on the squad that are not having enough minutes. We believe that is important for young players."
Paunovic came to the Fire after coaching the Serbian U-20 team, which gives him youth development coaching experience. When he talks about getting young players minutes, he knows it's important.
Calistri subbed in after the 80th minute in each of the team's first three matches, but hasn't played since. With a stretch of four games in 11 days coming up in May, squad rotation will be necessary, but Paunovic said he doesn't expect Calistri's role to change much during that period.
"(Paunovic) just keeps preaching work ethic and hard work and keep working on my finishing, my killer instinct," Calistri said. "That’s stuff in training and when I get into a scrimmage that I try to focus on."
The former Northwestern forward is still learning the professional game and is trying to take advantage of his opportunities as they come, even if they are for less than 10 minutes at a time.
"It’s a great learning experience for me. I think that’s probably the most important part is that I’m learning a lot from all the guys and Pauno and the staff," Calistri said. "For me it’s all about work rate and energy and trying to bring a little spark. If I’m coming in in the 80th, 85th minute, most of the guys are going to be pretty tired. Just trying to run at some guys, get in behind, make it tough for the guys who have been out there."
Villarreal strikes late to take first leg on Liverpool in Europa League semis.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/Getty Images Sports)
Denis Suarez found Adrian Lopez in the third minute of stoppage time to lift Villarreal to a 1-0 home win over Liverpool in Thursday’s first leg of their UEFA Europa League semifinal.
There wasn’t much enjoyable about the match for either side until late, but Liverpool looked set to head to Anfield in search of a win. Now they’ll need more.
The timing was off early for Mexican attacker Jonathan dos Santos and Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu, and Simon Mignolet made a couple collections to get into the flow of the match.
Liverpool answered with a dangerous chance in the fifth minute, but Joe Allen‘s only alley was a pass directly to keeper Sergio Asenjo.
Roberto Soldado knifed a bouncing shot wide of the far post in the 11th minute, and would later curl a shot around Kolo Toure that didn’t finish its dramatic bend inside the field of play.
The Yellow Submarine had the best of possession, but the Reds were stout in defense with the exception of some slips on the wet turf.
Roberto Firmino was the most dangerous Liverpool attacker, saved off the woodwork just over an hour into the match.
There wasn’t much threat coming from either camp before Mignolet made a terrific save on Bakambu in the 87th minute.
And Alberto Moreno sprung a near 60-yard run past the Villarreal back line, but couldn’t put his left-footed blast on net
There wasn’t much enjoyable about the match for either side until late, but Liverpool looked set to head to Anfield in search of a win. Now they’ll need more.
The timing was off early for Mexican attacker Jonathan dos Santos and Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu, and Simon Mignolet made a couple collections to get into the flow of the match.
Liverpool answered with a dangerous chance in the fifth minute, but Joe Allen‘s only alley was a pass directly to keeper Sergio Asenjo.
Roberto Soldado knifed a bouncing shot wide of the far post in the 11th minute, and would later curl a shot around Kolo Toure that didn’t finish its dramatic bend inside the field of play.
The Yellow Submarine had the best of possession, but the Reds were stout in defense with the exception of some slips on the wet turf.
Roberto Firmino was the most dangerous Liverpool attacker, saved off the woodwork just over an hour into the match.
There wasn’t much threat coming from either camp before Mignolet made a terrific save on Bakambu in the 87th minute.
And Alberto Moreno sprung a near 60-yard run past the Villarreal back line, but couldn’t put his left-footed blast on net
"1 – This will be the first meeting between Villarreal and Liverpool in Europe. New.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 28, 2016"NCAAFB: Score one for Jim Harbaugh: NCAA rescinds ban on satellite camps.
By Vinnie Duber
Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh (Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jim Harbaugh vs. the NCAA rolls on, and the khaki'd one just scored a big victory.
There hasn't been a more-uttered phrase than "satellite camp" this offseason, thanks mostly to Harbaugh, who made national headlines when he took his Michigan football team down to Florida for a practice at a high school known for cranking out top talent.
Harbaugh was obviously using it as a recruiting tool, to show off his Wolverines in the fertile recruiting ground down South.
Head coaches from the SEC were not happy, calling it an infringement on their recruiting territory and lamenting what they saw as an unfair recruiting advantage.
So the NCAA sided with the SEC and banned satellite camps, a move that disappointed many coaches across college football, who argued that these camps give kids who wouldn't otherwise be able to show their abilities off to coaches from outside their immediate area. For example, a player from Texas not catching the eyes of schools from the Lone Star State and unable to drive across the country to visit schools in the Midwest and elsewhere could land a scholarship thanks to a Midwestern school coming to his area and running a satellite camp.
Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald was one of many to voice displeasure with the NCAA's decision.
The NCAA took those arguments to heart, apparently. Thursday, the NCAA Division-I Board of Directors rescinded the ban put in place by the NCAA Division-I Council, a major win for Harbaugh and other proponents of the satellite camps.
The Board of Directors also vowed to conduct a "broad assessment" of the recruiting process.
"The Board of Directors is interested in a holistic review of the football recruiting environment, and camps are a piece of that puzzle," said Board of Directors chair Harris Pastides, president of the University of South Carolina. "We share the Council’s interest in improving the camp environment, and we support the Council’s efforts to create a model that emphasizes the scholastic environment as an appropriate place for recruiting future student-athletes."
Northwestern athletics director Jim Phillips is the chair of the Council.
"It’s clear that the membership has differing views on this subject, and the Council appreciates the Board’s insights into this important issue," Phillips said. "This review will provide an opportunity to identify the most effective ways prospective student-athletes can have their academic and athletic credentials evaluated by schools across the country."
Michigan was obviously feeling good about the news.
Jared Goff becomes first Cal No. 1 pick since 1975, second Pac-12 No. 1 in four years.
By Zach Barnett
As expected, the Los Angeles Rams selected California quarterback Jared Goff with the first overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft Thursday night in Chicago, thereby re-launching their franchise with a new face to lead the club to glory — and all that good stuff.
We’re here to examine the college implications of Goff as the No. 1 pick, of which there are many. Cue the minutiae!
– Goff is California’s first No. 1 overall selection since Steve Bartkowski, also a quarterback, went to the Atlanta Falcons in 1975.
– He’s the second Pac-12 No. 1 overall pick in the last four years, the first since Stanford’s Andrew Luck went to the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. The last before him? USC’s Carson Palmer to the Bengals in 2003.
– Goff is the Pac-12’s 16th overall No. 1 pick; 11 of those 16 have been quarterbacks. The last non-quarterback Pac-12 player to go No. 1 overall was USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the New York Jets in 1996.
– Goff is the 14th quarterback to go No. 1 overall since Peyton Manning‘s selection in 1998. All other positions combined? Five. Each of those five players played on the offensive or defensive line. Coincidentally, Johnson is also the last skill player to hear his name called first overall.
– Each of the last three No. 1 picks (Jadeveon Clowney, Jameis Winston, Goff) was an early-entry.
– The Power 5 conference with the longest No. 1 pick drought: the Big Ten. No Big Ten player has been the NFL’s top pick since Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long went No. 1 to the Miami Dolphins in 2008.
NCAABKB: NCAA board of governors approves anti-discrimination process for event bids.
(Photo/Getty Images)
As expected, the Los Angeles Rams selected California quarterback Jared Goff with the first overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft Thursday night in Chicago, thereby re-launching their franchise with a new face to lead the club to glory — and all that good stuff.
We’re here to examine the college implications of Goff as the No. 1 pick, of which there are many. Cue the minutiae!
– Goff is California’s first No. 1 overall selection since Steve Bartkowski, also a quarterback, went to the Atlanta Falcons in 1975.
– He’s the second Pac-12 No. 1 overall pick in the last four years, the first since Stanford’s Andrew Luck went to the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. The last before him? USC’s Carson Palmer to the Bengals in 2003.
– Goff is the Pac-12’s 16th overall No. 1 pick; 11 of those 16 have been quarterbacks. The last non-quarterback Pac-12 player to go No. 1 overall was USC wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to the New York Jets in 1996.
– Goff is the 14th quarterback to go No. 1 overall since Peyton Manning‘s selection in 1998. All other positions combined? Five. Each of those five players played on the offensive or defensive line. Coincidentally, Johnson is also the last skill player to hear his name called first overall.
– Each of the last three No. 1 picks (Jadeveon Clowney, Jameis Winston, Goff) was an early-entry.
– The Power 5 conference with the longest No. 1 pick drought: the Big Ten. No Big Ten player has been the NFL’s top pick since Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long went No. 1 to the Miami Dolphins in 2008.
NCAABKB: NCAA board of governors approves anti-discrimination process for event bids.
By Travis Hines
The NCAA board of governors adopted a new rule that all sites hosting or bidding on NCAA events that will require them to “demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination, plus safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event,” it was announced Wednesday.
The decision “follows the recent actions of legislatures in several states, which have passed laws allowing residents to refuse or provide services to some people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” the NCAA’s release reads.
The new criteria is expected to be fully implemented during the current bidding process, the NCAA said.
North Carolina and Mississippi recently passed laws that have rolled back protections of the LBGT community. NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently threatened to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte if the law does not change in North Carolina.
The NCAA had already barred sites that display the Confederate flag and from members hosting championship events that use “abusive and offensive” Native American imagery or nicknames.
“The higher education community is a diverse mix of people from different racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation backgrounds,” said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University and chair of the Board of Governors, said in a statement. “So it is important that we assure that community – including our student-athletes and fans – will always enjoy the experience of competing and watching at NCAA championships without concerns of discrimination.”
The NCAA “considers the promotion of inclusiveness in race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity as a vital element to protecting the well-being of student-athletes, promoting diversity in hiring practices and creating a culture of fairness.”
Los Angeles to host new college basketball doubleheader.
Associated Press
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
A new men’s basketball doubleheader will be played in Los Angeles featuring Arizona, BYU, Gonzaga and Southern California.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday announced the one-day event, to be played at Staples Center on Dec. 3.
The Wildcats will play the Zags and the Cougars will face the Trojans.
Tickets will go on sale May 4. Game times and television broadcast information will be announced later.
Kentucky's mass exit: 6 players (Ladies) have left program since fall.
By GARY B. GRAVES
Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell said there are various reasons why several players have left his program since last fall.
But he wonders if the disturbing trend of Wildcat exits could have been avoided by being more engaged with players and his assistant coaches, several of whom have also departed this spring.
Forward Batouly Camara on Monday became the sixth Wildcat to leave the program since October. Assistant coaches have also resigned, which means Mitchell will have an overhauled staff and a thin roster. Kentucky was 25-8 and reached the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the past seven seasons under Mitchell.
Despite the record, changes need to be made.
''The program does not look like we want it to look, and that's 100 percent on me,'' Mitchell said during a 47-minute news conference Wednesday that addressed the departures.
''It's been a three-year revolving door of staff, and that just creates tremendous upheaval.''
Camara, a freshman, was granted her release Monday after starting 14 of 33 games last season. Assistant coaches Tamika Williams-Jeter and Camryn Whitaker resigned this week, while the contract of fellow assistant Adeniyi Amadou was not renewed.
Linnae Harper, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Ivana Jakubcova and Morgan Rich have also left the program. Oregon transfer Chrishae Rowe was dismissed before the season.
Lindsey Corsaro, a 6-foot All-America from Indianapolis, was released from her national letter of intent on Tuesday.
Nyquist Steady Atop Latest Odds to Win 2016 Kentucky Derby.
But he wonders if the disturbing trend of Wildcat exits could have been avoided by being more engaged with players and his assistant coaches, several of whom have also departed this spring.
Forward Batouly Camara on Monday became the sixth Wildcat to leave the program since October. Assistant coaches have also resigned, which means Mitchell will have an overhauled staff and a thin roster. Kentucky was 25-8 and reached the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in the past seven seasons under Mitchell.
Despite the record, changes need to be made.
''The program does not look like we want it to look, and that's 100 percent on me,'' Mitchell said during a 47-minute news conference Wednesday that addressed the departures.
''It's been a three-year revolving door of staff, and that just creates tremendous upheaval.''
Camara, a freshman, was granted her release Monday after starting 14 of 33 games last season. Assistant coaches Tamika Williams-Jeter and Camryn Whitaker resigned this week, while the contract of fellow assistant Adeniyi Amadou was not renewed.
Linnae Harper, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers, Ivana Jakubcova and Morgan Rich have also left the program. Oregon transfer Chrishae Rowe was dismissed before the season.
Lindsey Corsaro, a 6-foot All-America from Indianapolis, was released from her national letter of intent on Tuesday.
Mitchell said some of the players left for personal reasons.
Whatever the reasons, the departures of so many coaches and players have created a potential perception issue off-the-court, forcing Mitchell to publicly address the situation. He talked with players, parents and Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart and learned that staff instability seemed to be a common concern.
Mitchell said he understands.
''This is a tough time for (players), there's a lot of uncertainty with what's going and it's hard on the players,'' said the coach, who is 219-89 in nine seasons with the Wildcats. ''There is apprehension about how we move forward.''
Mitchell said he favored of some of his coaches returning after managing last season's urgency, but acknowledged he could have communicated that desire better.
The coach also said he could have been more in tune with all of his players' needs, instead focusing on the ones that had issues.
Mitchell hopes to have learned from his mistakes after one of the most tumultuous seasons he has ever endured.
''Where I have made the misstep is people think that I didn't care about them and wasn't here to serve them,'' he said. ''That's where I have to take a strong look at and see where I have to improve.''
Kentucky has filled one of its staff openings on Wednesday with the re-hiring of former assistant Kyra Elzy, who previously worked at the school from 2008-12. She had spent the four seasons as a Tennessee assistant and associate head coach.
The Wildcats have to fill the void created by yet another regular in Camara, who was expected to contribute even more this fall after a promising debut last season.
The 6-foot New York City native averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and tied for ninth-most by a UK freshman with 142 boards.
The Wildcats do return a solid nucleus in senior guard Makayla Epps, an Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection; sharpshooter Maci Morris; forwards Evelyn Akhator and Alexis Jennings; and center Alyssa Rice.
Mitchell still has highly regarded 6-foot wing Chanin Scott on board as a recruit.
That will give Kentucky eight players this summer, but Mitchell knows he'll need more bodies in search of its first Final Four bid. What's important now is to close the revolving door that has opened the program up to scrutiny.
Said Mitchell, ''We have the right people in place. I feel confident we'll get it done.''
Nyquist Steady Atop Latest Odds to Win 2016 Kentucky Derby.
Oddshark
(Photo/Getty Images)
Nyquist sits as the +300 betting favorite on the odds to win the Kentucky Derby at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com, but he faces growing competition from the field.
Nyquist, a three-year-old colt that remains undefeated through seven races, is scheduled to run his final breeze at Keeneland on Friday before moving to Louisville ahead of next Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The Doug O’Neill trainee last raced in the Florida Derby four weeks ago, dominating from gate to wire in an impressive win to move to the top of the odds and surpass early favorite Mohaymen, who finished fourth at Gulfstream and now sits third on the betting lines for the 2016 Kentucky Derby at +1000.
Nyquist’s perfect record includes a victory at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and he is looking to become the first to follow up that accomplishment with a Kentucky Derby win since 2007.
The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Mohaymen had sported odds as short as +225 prior to his disappointing finish in the Florida Derby, and now also trails Exaggerator, who has rocketed to +800 since his spectacular run three weeks ago at the Santa Anita Derby.
Undeterred by a sloppy track, Exaggerator powered to his fourth career win, crushing the race favorite Mor Spirit by 6.25 lengths, and sending his Kentucky Derby odds soaring from a previously distant +3500.
Mohaymen, meanwhile, is joined at +1000 by Gun Runner, who won going away at last month’s Louisiana Derby to claim his second straight victory. Gun Runner had previously been pegged at +2000, improved to +1400 following his most recent win, and has continued his steady climb up the odds throughout the month of April.
Brody’s Cause finally returned to form following a seventh-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby, grinding out an important win in the Blue Grass Stakes to lift his odds to +950, but has since fallen back to +1200 at Kentucky Derby betting sites.
Destin, a Todd Pletcher-trained colt, took the win at Tampa Bay for his third career victory, and has been a steady presence on the Kentucky Derby odds at a respectable +1400.
Following a pair of wins, including a close victory at the Rebel Stakes, Cupid was pegged as the favorite in the Arkansas Derby, but finished a distant 10th. Cupid has since been scratched from the Kentucky Derby following throat surgery, opening the door for Mo Tom, who has held steady at +1600.
Mor Spirit sits next at +1800, followed by Suddenbreakingnews, Outwork, and Creator, who round out the odds leaders, each at +2000.
Nyquist, a three-year-old colt that remains undefeated through seven races, is scheduled to run his final breeze at Keeneland on Friday before moving to Louisville ahead of next Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The Doug O’Neill trainee last raced in the Florida Derby four weeks ago, dominating from gate to wire in an impressive win to move to the top of the odds and surpass early favorite Mohaymen, who finished fourth at Gulfstream and now sits third on the betting lines for the 2016 Kentucky Derby at +1000.
Nyquist’s perfect record includes a victory at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and he is looking to become the first to follow up that accomplishment with a Kentucky Derby win since 2007.
The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Mohaymen had sported odds as short as +225 prior to his disappointing finish in the Florida Derby, and now also trails Exaggerator, who has rocketed to +800 since his spectacular run three weeks ago at the Santa Anita Derby.
Undeterred by a sloppy track, Exaggerator powered to his fourth career win, crushing the race favorite Mor Spirit by 6.25 lengths, and sending his Kentucky Derby odds soaring from a previously distant +3500.
Mohaymen, meanwhile, is joined at +1000 by Gun Runner, who won going away at last month’s Louisiana Derby to claim his second straight victory. Gun Runner had previously been pegged at +2000, improved to +1400 following his most recent win, and has continued his steady climb up the odds throughout the month of April.
Brody’s Cause finally returned to form following a seventh-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby, grinding out an important win in the Blue Grass Stakes to lift his odds to +950, but has since fallen back to +1200 at Kentucky Derby betting sites.
Destin, a Todd Pletcher-trained colt, took the win at Tampa Bay for his third career victory, and has been a steady presence on the Kentucky Derby odds at a respectable +1400.
Following a pair of wins, including a close victory at the Rebel Stakes, Cupid was pegged as the favorite in the Arkansas Derby, but finished a distant 10th. Cupid has since been scratched from the Kentucky Derby following throat surgery, opening the door for Mo Tom, who has held steady at +1600.
Mor Spirit sits next at +1800, followed by Suddenbreakingnews, Outwork, and Creator, who round out the odds leaders, each at +2000.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
emoriesofhistory.com
1961 - ABC’s "Wide World of Sports" premiered.
1981 - Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies) became the first left-handed pitcher in the major leagues to get 3,000 career strikeouts.
1985 - Billy Martin was brought back, for the fourth time, as manager for the New York Yankees.
1986 - Roger Clemens (Boston Red Sox) set a major-league baseball record by striking out 20 Seattle Mariner batters.
1988 - The Baltimore Orioles set a new major league baseball record by losing their first 21 games of the season.
1997 - Craig MacTavish announced his retirement from the NHL after 17 seasons.
2002 - Darryl Strawberry was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating his probation on a 1999 conviction on drug and solicitation of prostitution charges.
2015 - The White Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-2 at Camden Yards. The game was played without a crowd present due to the ongoing riots and protests in Baltimore. This was the first time a Major League Baseball game was played in front of an empty house.
****************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment