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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"It's no surprise that optimistic athletes, managers and teams do better. What's interesting is where they do better. It's in coming back from defeat and acting in the clutch." ~ Martin Seligman, Psychologist, Educator, and Author
Trending: Patrick Kane named 2016 Hart Trophy finalist. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Nyquist wins 2016 Kentucky Derby. (See the last article on this blog for details).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 24-6
White Sox 2016 Record: 22-10
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Chicago Bears sign 4th round draft pick Deiondre’ Hall.
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
(Photo/David Purdy/Getty Images)
According to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs the Chicago Bears have signed 4th round draft pick Deiondre' Hall, cornerback from the University Of Northern Iowa.
The Bears have been known for being first when it comes to signing an entire draft class, but this year the Atlanta Falcons beat them to the punch. There have already been quite a few picks around the league to sign contracts, which is aided of course by their deals being mostly set according to the CBA.
Biggs is reporting that Hall is receiving a $2,850,982 four year contract with a $510,982 signing bonus.
The Bears hold rookie minicamp a week from today, so I would expect the signings to come fast and furious in the next few days. I would also expect an official announcement of the undrafted free agent class in the next few days.
In case you're wondering about cap guru Cliff Stein, who Bears' fans have praised throughout the years, he's no longer the chief contract negotiator for the team. Stein still works for the Bears as general counsel, but former New Orleans Saints Salary Cap Analyst Joey Laine was hired last year to hammer out contracts.
Are the Chicago Bears interested in Arian Foster?
By Bryan Perez
(Photo/Bearswire.com)
We have officially entered the time of year when the NFL news cycle is not nearly as active as during free agency and the draft. The gap between the last pick being announced and offseason team activities can seem painfully long for football fans craving news about their favorite team.
Most NFL clubs are starting to settle into their training camp roster. Rookie minicamps will result in more undrafted free agent contracts and the offseason program could see some veterans released after June 1, but for the most part, the splashy moves are over barring an injury or some other unpredictable event.
One of the biggest impacts the 2016 offseason has had on the Chicago Bears roster is at running back, where eight-year starter Matt Forte gracefully departed for the New York Jets. General manager Ryan Pace decided to turn to younger options Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey, and the NFL draft added Indiana rookie Jordan Howard to the mix.
While the group is obviously untested on paper, it’s not without talent. But the lacking resume will lead to speculation the Bears are in the market for a veteran running back, as was the case with Bleacher Report insider Jason Cole’s report about Chicago being a likely candidate as a landing spot for some aging runners.
Cole specifically mentioned former Houston Texan Arian Foster and current Dallas Cowboy Alfred Morris as options to enhance the experience level of the Bears’ running back room. Foster is an unrestricted free agent who is coming off of a serious injury while Morris was likely made expendable by the selection of first-round pick Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas.
Be careful of how much weight is placed on insider reports like this one. Unless one of the Bears’ young horses finds themselves limping off the practice field, there’s simply no way the team will add a player like Foster or Morris. It makes no sense. Neither player is a better option at this point in their career than what is already on the roster. The investment would be foolish and wasteful.
It seems like this insider scoop is more about prediction than information, and while it’s good for some offseason filler, it would be really bad for the Bears’ roster.
Disrespect for Bears continues, team ranked 28th by NFL.com.
By Bryan Perez
(Photo/bearswire.com)
Despite the optimism and activity coming from Halas Hall, the national opinion of the Chicago Bears continues to be low. USA Today recently rated the Bears’ offseason as one of the ten worst in the NFL, and now NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison suggests the Bears are one of the league’s worst teams overall:
No. 28 Chicago Bears
No. 28 Chicago Bears
Spent a bit of time with tight end Zach Miller during draft week. The dude is excited for the season. He also is rocking that sweet, shaved-side (clipper No. 1), slick-haired-with-the-hard-part look. It’s sporty. With five of the Bears’ first six picks aimed towards the defensive side of the ball, it’s obvious John Fox wants to sport an imposing defense for a change. Whether it was in Carolina or Denver, Fox has always wanted to run the football and play D. While taking a divergent path with the Peyton Manning Broncos, remember it was during Fox’s regime that Denver drafted Von Miller and Malik Jackson and signed DeMarcus Ware. The Bears lost out on the C.J. Anderson sweepstakes; now youngster Jeremy Langford must make hay as the lead back. That job will be made easier if second-round choice Cody Whitehair makes the left guard job his by preseason.Harrison wasn’t overly critical in his breakdown of the Bears, but 28th? If my math is correct, his ranking means Chicago will be drafting in the top-5 next year and be one of the NFL’s doormats in 2016.
Sorry, but I just don’t get it. The Bears were 6-10 last season, with many of their losses coming by one score or less. Simply put, they were in every game (just about) and but for their unbelievably terrible linebacker play, they might have been able to stop a few game-changing drives and flipped the scoreboard by the final whistle.
Chicago will welcome two new starters at linebacker in free agents Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman, a new starting defensive lineman in Akiem Hicks, an electrifying edge rusher in Leonard Floyd, and a bunch of new, young, hungry secondary pieces.
And let’s not forget about the debut of last year’s first-round pick, WR Kevin White.
The national media may be sleeping on the Bears, and that’s okay. Head coach John Fox will use the disrespect as a means to motivate his team. There’s no reason to believe Chicago can’t be at least an 8-8 team in 2016, with a chance to win even more than that, which will make Bears fans appreciate Pace and Fox as much as Harrison appreciated Zach Miller’s haircut.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Observation: We love it when we're the underdog and overlooked. Surprise is the best element for victory and we're going to surprise a lot of people. We foresee the Bears being better than 8-8 and going to the playoffs. It should be noted that this is our unbiased observation and we're sticking to it.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff
Bears losing key piece from this year's draft.
Chris Boden
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It will be a couple of years before we know just how successful last weekend's draft was for the Bears, but early evaluations have been positive. General Manager Ryan Pace spoke of the confidence and comfort level he had, finally working and planning with the staff he was able to hire.
It was short-lived. Director of College Scouting Joe Douglas will be named the Philadelphia Eagles Personnel Director after previously interviewing for the job with Executive Vice President Howie Roseman. It's believed Douglas' new position will slot under Senior Director of Player Personnel Tom Donahoe in the Eagles' hierarchy, but is a promotion from his position with the Bears.
Douglas was hired by Pace following last year's draft after 15 seasons with one of the league's most successful drafting organizations, the Baltimore Ravens. That's where Douglas spent his four previous years as national scout, heavily responsible in the drafting of players like Joe Flacco, Pernell McPhee, Marshall Yanda, Ben Grubbs and C.J. Mosley. He'll join an Eagles franchise where Roseman traded away next year's first-round pick and their 2018 second-rounder, in addition to last weekend's three picks in order to draft quarterback Carson Wentz second overall.
Pace must now decide whether one of his many area scouts is worth of a promotion, or look outside the organization in replacing Douglas to work with him and Director of Player Personnel Josh Lucas.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks' Patrick Kane named 2016 Hart Trophy finalist.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(photo/csnchicago.com)
Patrick Kane was named a 2016 Hart Trophy finalist, annually awarded to the player judged most valuable to his team in the National Hockey League, the league announced Saturday. Dallas' Jamie Benn and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby were also named finalists.
Kane is looking to become the fifth player in franchise history to win the award and join Max Bentley (1945-46), Al Rollins (1953-54), Bobby Hull (1964-65, 1965-66) and Stan Mikita (1966-67, 1967-68) as the only others to win it in a Blackhawks uniform. He's also looking to make history by seeking to become the first U.S.-born player to win the Hart Trophy.
Earlier this year, Kane became the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy after leading the league with 106 points during the regular season.
He scored 46 goals and 60 assists in 82 regular-season games this season, both of which set a career high.
The highlight of Kane's season came at the beginning of the campaign when he registered at least a point in 26 consecutive games, which broke a Blackhawks record — previously held by Bobby Hull (19) — and set a new record for most by an American-born player — previously set by Phil Kessel and Eddie Olczyk (18).
On Friday, Kane was also named a Ted Lindsay Award finalist, given annually to the NHL's most outstanding player that is voted on by his peers.
The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22 at the 2016 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
Kane is looking to become the fifth player in franchise history to win the award and join Max Bentley (1945-46), Al Rollins (1953-54), Bobby Hull (1964-65, 1965-66) and Stan Mikita (1966-67, 1967-68) as the only others to win it in a Blackhawks uniform. He's also looking to make history by seeking to become the first U.S.-born player to win the Hart Trophy.
Earlier this year, Kane became the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy after leading the league with 106 points during the regular season.
He scored 46 goals and 60 assists in 82 regular-season games this season, both of which set a career high.
The highlight of Kane's season came at the beginning of the campaign when he registered at least a point in 26 consecutive games, which broke a Blackhawks record — previously held by Bobby Hull (19) — and set a new record for most by an American-born player — previously set by Phil Kessel and Eddie Olczyk (18).
On Friday, Kane was also named a Ted Lindsay Award finalist, given annually to the NHL's most outstanding player that is voted on by his peers.
The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22 at the 2016 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.
Javier Baez belts walk-off homer in 13th inning as Cubs sweep Nationals.
By Vinnie Duber
(Picture/csnchicago.com)
If the Cubs are going to get late-inning rallies started by relief pitchers, then maybe they really will never lose again.
A team built for a run to the World Series is finding new ways to win on a daily basis, and getting a seventh-inning rally kicked off by Trevor Cahill had to be the season’s strangest yet. The defining stretch in a 4-3 extra-inning win extended the Cubs’ winning streak to seven. The Cubs finished off a four-game sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals, giving them their 24th victory in the season’s first 30 games.
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, Joe Maddon had already exhausted most of his bench, with just Javier Baez remaining. So the skipper opted to bat Cahill, who had entered after Jake Arrieta needed 100 pitches to get through only five innings. A move seemingly destined to fail of course panned out for this Cubs team, Cahill lining a shot off Oliver Perez for an infield single.
Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch, and Jason Heyward bunted the base runners over, setting up Kris Bryant’s game-tying base hit to center field, a big-time clutch knock in a season full of them for this never-say-die squad.
The game-winner came in extra innings. Heyward was thrown out at home plate on a prime scoring chance in the 11th, but in the 13th, Baez belted a walk-off home run to left field to end the marathon.
Prior to the late-inning drama, it looked like the Cubs’ six-game winning streak would come to an end. Arrieta was anything but his typically masterful self, littering the infield with base runners and struggling to even complete throws to catcher Tim Federowicz, throwing three wild pitches in just five innings.
Even on an off day, though, Arrieta limited the Nationals to just three runs, only two of which were earned. The Nationals scored once in the third, fourth and fifth, stranding a total of nine runners while Arrieta was on the mound and leaving more out there after he departed.
Nationals starter Tanner Roark did a good job keeping the Cubs’ bats at bay. In his six innings, the only run the Cubs got came when Ben Zobrist scampered home on a wild pitch.
The win gave the Cubs a perfect week, as they went a combined 7-0 against the Pirates and Nationals, making a bold statement against playoff-caliber teams after an April schedule featuring a lot of games against weaker competition.
Addison Russell delivers late as Cubs top Nationals for sixth straight win. (Saturday's game, 05/07/2016).
By Vinnie Duber
A team built for a run to the World Series is finding new ways to win on a daily basis, and getting a seventh-inning rally kicked off by Trevor Cahill had to be the season’s strangest yet. The defining stretch in a 4-3 extra-inning win extended the Cubs’ winning streak to seven. The Cubs finished off a four-game sweep of the visiting Washington Nationals, giving them their 24th victory in the season’s first 30 games.
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, Joe Maddon had already exhausted most of his bench, with just Javier Baez remaining. So the skipper opted to bat Cahill, who had entered after Jake Arrieta needed 100 pitches to get through only five innings. A move seemingly destined to fail of course panned out for this Cubs team, Cahill lining a shot off Oliver Perez for an infield single.
Dexter Fowler was hit by a pitch, and Jason Heyward bunted the base runners over, setting up Kris Bryant’s game-tying base hit to center field, a big-time clutch knock in a season full of them for this never-say-die squad.
The game-winner came in extra innings. Heyward was thrown out at home plate on a prime scoring chance in the 11th, but in the 13th, Baez belted a walk-off home run to left field to end the marathon.
Prior to the late-inning drama, it looked like the Cubs’ six-game winning streak would come to an end. Arrieta was anything but his typically masterful self, littering the infield with base runners and struggling to even complete throws to catcher Tim Federowicz, throwing three wild pitches in just five innings.
Even on an off day, though, Arrieta limited the Nationals to just three runs, only two of which were earned. The Nationals scored once in the third, fourth and fifth, stranding a total of nine runners while Arrieta was on the mound and leaving more out there after he departed.
Nationals starter Tanner Roark did a good job keeping the Cubs’ bats at bay. In his six innings, the only run the Cubs got came when Ben Zobrist scampered home on a wild pitch.
The win gave the Cubs a perfect week, as they went a combined 7-0 against the Pirates and Nationals, making a bold statement against playoff-caliber teams after an April schedule featuring a lot of games against weaker competition.
Addison Russell delivers late as Cubs top Nationals for sixth straight win. (Saturday's game, 05/07/2016).
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Addison Russell is getting one of those reputations. The dude’s clutch.
Russell’s numbers haven’t been terrific this season. He’s one of several Cubs whose averages don’t match the team’s electric start to the campaign. But Russell has been doing plenty of things well, one of them being delivering in clutch situations.
He was at it again Saturday, the 22-year-old shortstop dropping a fly ball on the right-field foul line past the outstretched arm of reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper and driving in a pair of runs to break a 5-all tie in the seventh inning, the game-winning hit in the Cubs’ 8-5 win over the Nationals, their sixth straight.
“I think it’s fun,” Russell said. “You just try and slow the game down, just try do your best to perform out there and just try to have some fun with it.”
Other than Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in Cincinnati, the most exhilarating moment of this dominant start to the season for the Cubs might be Russell’s game-winning home run in the eighth inning against the Reds on April 11. On April 26, Russell delivered late again, breaking a 1-all tie against the Brewers with a two-run triple in the sixth inning en route to an eventual Cubs win.
Add Saturday’s clutch hit to the list.
“Addy does this all the time,” Maddon said. “You look at Addy’s batting average and look at the productivity driving in runs in crucial moments, he’s really good at that. He doesn’t get going too quickly, too fast.”
The win was an unusual one for these Cubs. The starting pitcher, Jason Hammel, didn’t perform all that well, needing 97 pitches just to get through five innings and departing with his team trailing by two. There was no gigantic margin created by the Cubs’ offense, one that with a gaudy plus-101 run differential has won in mostly blowouts.
No, instead, the Cubs had to prove they could win a back-and-forth battle with a late comeback, and prove that they did.
After Hammel yielded a third-inning sacrifice fly, the Cubs answered with a Dexter Fowler RBI triple and a Kris Bryant solo home run that you wouldn’t have thought possible with the wind blowing in as hard as it was at Wrigley Field.
Hammel’s rocky fifth inning saw the Nationals take a lead with a two-run, two-out rally. But the Cubs responded with their own two-out rally, getting an RBI single from Russell and a two-run single from Ryan Kalish in the sixth.
The Nationals tied things up, turning a leadoff triple into a run in the seventh. But then came Russell’s big hit in the bottom of that inning. Ben Zobrist added a big insurance run with a bases-loaded single in the eighth.
The Cubs got good efforts from the majority of the six pitchers who came in from the bullpen, particularly Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon, who set down all six hitters they faced in order in the eighth and ninth innings.
It was an all-around win, a game that wasn’t the typical blowout the Cubs have gotten used to. But it appears there’s nothing to worry about with a team that’s now won 23 times in its first 29 games. They can win any game in any way.
“Hats off to the hitters, they kept coming back,” Hammel said. “It was one of those see-saw games. We really haven’t had many of those this year, been kind of blowing people out. But today it was never quit. The guys kept coming.”
“When you win games like we did today, that’s the game you can really draw from, where our guys know not to quit,” Maddon said. “Everything we did today was very complementary. The whole group complements each other so well.”
This latest Cubs win was the team’s sixth straight, it’s 23rd of the still-young season. And after fielding mild criticism that their successful April was due in part to a schedule loaded with subpar opposition, these six straight wins have come against playoff-caliber teams from Pittsburgh and Washington.
This team came into the season with sky-high World Series expectations. And through nearly 30 games, no matter what these Cubs face, they seem to have no problem meeting those expectations.
Yes, that celebration room in the fancy new clubhouse is getting quite a bit of use.
“We’re just having a lot of fun right now,” Russell said. “The coaches, they keep it light. The players, they keep it light. We’ve got veterans here that know what they’re doing, and they keep the stress off us.”
White Sox win behind Jose Quintana to complete sweep of Twins.
Russell’s numbers haven’t been terrific this season. He’s one of several Cubs whose averages don’t match the team’s electric start to the campaign. But Russell has been doing plenty of things well, one of them being delivering in clutch situations.
He was at it again Saturday, the 22-year-old shortstop dropping a fly ball on the right-field foul line past the outstretched arm of reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper and driving in a pair of runs to break a 5-all tie in the seventh inning, the game-winning hit in the Cubs’ 8-5 win over the Nationals, their sixth straight.
“I think it’s fun,” Russell said. “You just try and slow the game down, just try do your best to perform out there and just try to have some fun with it.”
Other than Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter in Cincinnati, the most exhilarating moment of this dominant start to the season for the Cubs might be Russell’s game-winning home run in the eighth inning against the Reds on April 11. On April 26, Russell delivered late again, breaking a 1-all tie against the Brewers with a two-run triple in the sixth inning en route to an eventual Cubs win.
Add Saturday’s clutch hit to the list.
“Addy does this all the time,” Maddon said. “You look at Addy’s batting average and look at the productivity driving in runs in crucial moments, he’s really good at that. He doesn’t get going too quickly, too fast.”
The win was an unusual one for these Cubs. The starting pitcher, Jason Hammel, didn’t perform all that well, needing 97 pitches just to get through five innings and departing with his team trailing by two. There was no gigantic margin created by the Cubs’ offense, one that with a gaudy plus-101 run differential has won in mostly blowouts.
No, instead, the Cubs had to prove they could win a back-and-forth battle with a late comeback, and prove that they did.
After Hammel yielded a third-inning sacrifice fly, the Cubs answered with a Dexter Fowler RBI triple and a Kris Bryant solo home run that you wouldn’t have thought possible with the wind blowing in as hard as it was at Wrigley Field.
Hammel’s rocky fifth inning saw the Nationals take a lead with a two-run, two-out rally. But the Cubs responded with their own two-out rally, getting an RBI single from Russell and a two-run single from Ryan Kalish in the sixth.
The Nationals tied things up, turning a leadoff triple into a run in the seventh. But then came Russell’s big hit in the bottom of that inning. Ben Zobrist added a big insurance run with a bases-loaded single in the eighth.
The Cubs got good efforts from the majority of the six pitchers who came in from the bullpen, particularly Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon, who set down all six hitters they faced in order in the eighth and ninth innings.
It was an all-around win, a game that wasn’t the typical blowout the Cubs have gotten used to. But it appears there’s nothing to worry about with a team that’s now won 23 times in its first 29 games. They can win any game in any way.
“Hats off to the hitters, they kept coming back,” Hammel said. “It was one of those see-saw games. We really haven’t had many of those this year, been kind of blowing people out. But today it was never quit. The guys kept coming.”
“When you win games like we did today, that’s the game you can really draw from, where our guys know not to quit,” Maddon said. “Everything we did today was very complementary. The whole group complements each other so well.”
This latest Cubs win was the team’s sixth straight, it’s 23rd of the still-young season. And after fielding mild criticism that their successful April was due in part to a schedule loaded with subpar opposition, these six straight wins have come against playoff-caliber teams from Pittsburgh and Washington.
This team came into the season with sky-high World Series expectations. And through nearly 30 games, no matter what these Cubs face, they seem to have no problem meeting those expectations.
Yes, that celebration room in the fancy new clubhouse is getting quite a bit of use.
“We’re just having a lot of fun right now,” Russell said. “The coaches, they keep it light. The players, they keep it light. We’ve got veterans here that know what they’re doing, and they keep the stress off us.”
White Sox win behind Jose Quintana to complete sweep of Twins.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox continued to act as a good team would on Sunday afternoon.
They took advantage of the hobbled Minnesota Twins and completed a series sweep with a 3-1 victory in front of 23,801 at U.S. Cellular Field. Jose Quintana improved to 5-1 with seven innings, David Robertson earned his 10th save and the offense provided enough to help the White Sox improve to 22-10. Avisail Garcia extended his hitting streak to nine games with two hits and two runs scored.
The Twins were without Kurt Suzuki and Eduardo Escobar, who went on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier were limited to ninth-inning, pinch-hit appearances against Robertson.
“These guys are a little banged up,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said before Sunday’s game. “This is not the team that we saw at the beginning of the year or even last year. One, they’ve kind of shuffled the deck somewhat, and (two), they’re injured. I think you should have an advantage at that point when a team is banged up like that. I don’t think you go into any series thinking, ‘All right, these are easy wins.’ But the way you’re playing, you feel confident that you can win those games. It has nothing to do with taking any other team lightly.”
Tyler Duffey’s offspeed pitch made it impossible for the White Sox to just roll over the hapless Twins. He mixed his curve in nicely to keep the White Sox off-balance and off the bases. Duffey faced the minimum through three innings with only Garcia reaching bases on a leadoff single in the third inning.
Down 1-0, the White Sox finally broke through in the fourth inning.
But it wasn’t easy.
Adam Eaton drew a leadoff walk and raced to third on a seeing-eye single by Jimmy Rollins. Duffey struck out Jose Abreu -- one of nine strikeouts for the right-hander -- as he spotted two curves for strikes and wiped him out with an 0-2 curve in the dirt. Rollins stole second base, which kept Frazier out of a double play on an RBI groundout to third.
Garcia — who has raised his average from .135 to .256 during this streak — doubled with one out in the fifth inning and scored on Austin Jackson’s two-out double to right center to put the White Sox up 2-1.
Garcia sparked another rally in the seventh inning when he struck out and reached on a wild pitch with one out. He scored from first on Dioner Navarro’s one-out double to right center to make it a 3-1 game.
During his hitting streak, Garcia is batting .467 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, six RBIs and 10 runs.
“It’s great,” Garcia said. “Everybody (does) a little bit. Trying to put guys on base for the big guys and trying to score for the pitchers so they can work more easily. That’s what we are here for.”
Navarro is hitting .326/.354/.604 with four doubles, a triple, two homers and 11 RBIs since he took over for Alex Avila on April 23. Avila could come off the disabled list as soon as Monday in Texas.
The run support was plenty for Quintana, who lowered his ERA to 1.38.
Quintana put two runners on base in each of the first, third and fourth innings. But he pitched around Eduardo Nunez’s game-opening double and limited Minnesota to a run in the third on Jorge Polanco’s RBI ground out.
Quintana retired the side in order in the second, fifth and sixth innings. He experienced a hand cramp in the seventh inning after a pitch to Darin Mastroianni. Quintana shook his hand after the pitch and Ventura and trainer Herm Schneider came to the mound clearing him after one warmup pitch.
Quintana yielded a two-out single but got Eddie Rosario to ground out to first to end the inning.
He allowed a run and six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings.
“I started a little slow, I missed a lot of pitches, but I tried to get the outs,” Quintana said. “It was more good after that. I feel better commanding.
“We feel really good and try to stay hot and play day by day. We’re good. Everybody's healthy and we want to do the job.”
The defense put in more work to add insult to the Twins’ injury.
Jackson made big catches in the first and ninth. He started a double play in the first, racing in to grab Miguel Sano’s liner at the shoestrings and easily doubling Nunez off second. In the ninth, Jackson raced back to rob Oswaldo Arcia of a leadoff double versus Robertson.
“We've been through that,” Ventura said. “We understand what's going on over there.”
Chris Sale, White Sox rebound from rough start to down Twins. (Saturday's game, 05/07/2016).
By Dan Hayes
They took advantage of the hobbled Minnesota Twins and completed a series sweep with a 3-1 victory in front of 23,801 at U.S. Cellular Field. Jose Quintana improved to 5-1 with seven innings, David Robertson earned his 10th save and the offense provided enough to help the White Sox improve to 22-10. Avisail Garcia extended his hitting streak to nine games with two hits and two runs scored.
The Twins were without Kurt Suzuki and Eduardo Escobar, who went on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier were limited to ninth-inning, pinch-hit appearances against Robertson.
“These guys are a little banged up,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said before Sunday’s game. “This is not the team that we saw at the beginning of the year or even last year. One, they’ve kind of shuffled the deck somewhat, and (two), they’re injured. I think you should have an advantage at that point when a team is banged up like that. I don’t think you go into any series thinking, ‘All right, these are easy wins.’ But the way you’re playing, you feel confident that you can win those games. It has nothing to do with taking any other team lightly.”
Tyler Duffey’s offspeed pitch made it impossible for the White Sox to just roll over the hapless Twins. He mixed his curve in nicely to keep the White Sox off-balance and off the bases. Duffey faced the minimum through three innings with only Garcia reaching bases on a leadoff single in the third inning.
Down 1-0, the White Sox finally broke through in the fourth inning.
But it wasn’t easy.
Adam Eaton drew a leadoff walk and raced to third on a seeing-eye single by Jimmy Rollins. Duffey struck out Jose Abreu -- one of nine strikeouts for the right-hander -- as he spotted two curves for strikes and wiped him out with an 0-2 curve in the dirt. Rollins stole second base, which kept Frazier out of a double play on an RBI groundout to third.
Garcia — who has raised his average from .135 to .256 during this streak — doubled with one out in the fifth inning and scored on Austin Jackson’s two-out double to right center to put the White Sox up 2-1.
Garcia sparked another rally in the seventh inning when he struck out and reached on a wild pitch with one out. He scored from first on Dioner Navarro’s one-out double to right center to make it a 3-1 game.
During his hitting streak, Garcia is batting .467 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, six RBIs and 10 runs.
“It’s great,” Garcia said. “Everybody (does) a little bit. Trying to put guys on base for the big guys and trying to score for the pitchers so they can work more easily. That’s what we are here for.”
Navarro is hitting .326/.354/.604 with four doubles, a triple, two homers and 11 RBIs since he took over for Alex Avila on April 23. Avila could come off the disabled list as soon as Monday in Texas.
The run support was plenty for Quintana, who lowered his ERA to 1.38.
Quintana put two runners on base in each of the first, third and fourth innings. But he pitched around Eduardo Nunez’s game-opening double and limited Minnesota to a run in the third on Jorge Polanco’s RBI ground out.
Quintana retired the side in order in the second, fifth and sixth innings. He experienced a hand cramp in the seventh inning after a pitch to Darin Mastroianni. Quintana shook his hand after the pitch and Ventura and trainer Herm Schneider came to the mound clearing him after one warmup pitch.
Quintana yielded a two-out single but got Eddie Rosario to ground out to first to end the inning.
He allowed a run and six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in seven innings.
“I started a little slow, I missed a lot of pitches, but I tried to get the outs,” Quintana said. “It was more good after that. I feel better commanding.
“We feel really good and try to stay hot and play day by day. We’re good. Everybody's healthy and we want to do the job.”
The defense put in more work to add insult to the Twins’ injury.
Jackson made big catches in the first and ninth. He started a double play in the first, racing in to grab Miguel Sano’s liner at the shoestrings and easily doubling Nunez off second. In the ninth, Jackson raced back to rob Oswaldo Arcia of a leadoff double versus Robertson.
“We've been through that,” Ventura said. “We understand what's going on over there.”
Chris Sale, White Sox rebound from rough start to down Twins. (Saturday's game, 05/07/2016).
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Sale survived a potentially disastrous first inning and the offense provided more seventh inning magic as the White Sox downed the Minnesota Twins 7-2 in front of 28,049 at U.S. Cellular Field. After he walked a batter with the bases loaded and hit another in a wild first inning, Sale retired 19 of the last 20 batters he faced to improve to 7-0.
Todd Frazier made two great defensive plays, homered and doubled in a run for the White Sox, who improved to 21-10 and clinched their sixth series win in 10 this season. Jose Quintana pitches Sunday as the White Sox look to close out a sweep of the Twins.
“It was a very odd first inning for him, definitely,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I think a team that's kind of had your number somewhat, he was up there velocity-wise, too. I think he was overthrowing it, definitely overthrowing the slider. But I think he finally got into a groove and we were able to score some runs for him. But that's the first time I've seen him like that where he's really overthrowing.
“It's nice to see him calm down and get through it.”
Sale (7-0) suggested Friday he had Minnesota, against whom he went 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA last season, circled on his calendar.
He looked like it, too.
Sale hit 97 mph on a strikeout of Darin Mastroianni to start the game before he began to struggle with command.
After he surrendered two, two-out hits, including Trevor Plouffe’s ground-rule double, Sale hit Bing Ho Park with a pitch to load the bases. Oswaldo Arcia gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead with a five-pitch walk and Sale hit Jorge Polanco to force in another run.
Only after a mound visit did Sale escape the bases-loaded jam on a Kurt Suzuki grounder.
But he never looked back.
Sale, who threw 36 first-inning pitches, needed only 10 in the second to retire the side in order, something he did five times. Sale was flawless the rest of the way save for a one-out Polanco double in the fourth. He struck out the side in the fifth inning and had eight whiffs over his last six innings.
Sale was so good that Ventura brought him back for the seventh inning, even though he was at 106 pitches. He threw strikes on 74 of 120 pitches and limited the Twins to three hits, a walk and two hit batsmen in seven innings.
“He works fast so it makes us into the game a lot more so when we can get to balls or make those plays when we need them,” Frazier said. “So even though that first inning was a little weird, a little hectic, he came back, he settled down and we came through there as hitters.”
Sale joined Eddie Cicotte, John Whitehead, Jack McDowell and Jon Garland as the only pitchers in franchise history to win their first seven starts and also is the first in the majors this season to reach the seven-win mark.
Sale wouldn’t have gotten there without his supporting cast.
A team that entered 18th in the majors with a .256 average with runners in scoring position started 1-for-8 and stranded seven runners in the first four innings, which prevented the White Sox from pulling away early.
Dioner Navarro doubled in a run in the second off Ervin Santana and Frazier’s solo homer in the third — his first hit in 20 May at-bats — evened the score. Austin Jackson also forced in a run in the fourth with a bases-loaded walk to put the White Sox ahead for good.
The White Sox finally broke it open in the seventh. Frazier had an RBI double, Brett Lawrie had an RBI single and Avisail Garcia forced in a run when he was hit by a pitch.
Abreu singled in a run in the eighth inning for the White Sox, who have outscored opponents 31-8 in the seventh inning this season.
Sale said the support from his teammates was far greater than several nice defensive plays and the late runs. They provided an emotional lift, too.
“I’m probably out of there in the fourth or fifth inning a couple of years ago,” Sale said. “You guys are talking about 7-0 — my teammates got me here. They got me through this one today. I didn’t give (Navarro) too much to work with. I had a good breaking ball today and that was about it. Fastball all over the place, changeup wasn’t there for the most part and he got me through that game and my guys won this game for us. I was just along for the ride.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Changes are coming to the Bulls coaching staff.
By Vijay Vemu
(Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
Looks like Fred Hoiberg might be losing some of his assistants, including his associate head coach.
In what looks to be a key offseason for the Chicago Bulls, Fred Hoiberg and the front office now have another challenge in front of them. Restocking his coaching staff.
According to reports by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, assistant coaches Randy Brown and Charlie Henry are not expected to be back on the bench for the Bulls next season (via Chicago Bulls Confidential). Coaching moves were expected as the Bulls seek to have more NBA experience on the bench next to Hoiberg next year. Brown is expected to be back in a front office role with the Bulls next season. A proven assistant/ex-head coach would be a perfect fit considering that the rookie head coach had a very tough time adjusting to the NBA game. There are a lot of candidates out there for the Bulls to choose from and it will be interesting to see who will be sitting next to Hoiberg on the bench on opening day.
But the biggest blow the Bulls coaching staff could be the loss of associate head coach Jim Boylen, who was largely credited to be in charge of the defense this season. The long time assistant has been rumored as a replacement for Frank Vogel as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers according to CBS Sports.
If he gets offered the job, you'd imagine Boylen will certainly take it. According to Johnson's report, this has been something that Boylen has wanted for a long time.
In an interview last season, Boylen said his goal is to be an NBA head coach. An assistant since the early '90s and with the Rockets' title teams in 1994 and '95, Boylen served as the University of Utah's head coach from 2007 to 2011.
Losing Brown and Henry wouldn't be as bad as losing Boylen as he is one of Hoiberg's top assistants and came over from the San Antonio Spurs last year to the Bulls, a huge risk for him and the team itself. Although the Bulls still had defensive struggles, Boylen is likely a future NBA coach and is reputed as one of the best assistant coaches in the NBA.
If Boylen does depart, the pressure will be on the Bulls to choose a good assistant to help out Fred Hoiberg. An assistant with a strong defensive background would be an ideal candidate for the Bulls considering the season they had on that end. In addition for finding a team that fits with the head coach, the Bulls front office has to find the right assistants for their head coach this offseason. Just another item to add to the Bulls offseason checklist.
Report: Jimmy Butler not thrilled with Gar Forman’s team building comments.
By Kurt Helin
(Photo/Getty Images)
Who is the leader in the Chicago Bulls locker room? It used to be Joakim Noah, with Derrick Rose having quiet influence, but Jimmy Butler awkwardly tried to step into that role this season after signing his max contract extension. He rubbed a few Bulls’ players the wrong way, said Fred Hoiberg needed to “coach them harder,” and that combined with the losing and injuries led to a miserable season in Chicago.
In the wake of all that, GM Gar Forman was asked about the rumors Jimmy Butler could be traded and he said, “we have to explore all options.”
Not surprisingly, Butler didn’t like that, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
In the wake of all that, GM Gar Forman was asked about the rumors Jimmy Butler could be traded and he said, “we have to explore all options.”
Not surprisingly, Butler didn’t like that, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
That comment didn’t sit well with Butler, sources said, merely adding to his growing wariness regarding Forman that stems from Butler feeling slighted during failed negotiations on his rookie extension. Butler ultimately rejected the Bulls’ four-year, $44 million offer, won Most Improved Player honors for 2014-15 and signed a five-year, $92.3 million deal with a player option for the final season last July.This doesn’t mean Butler is on the block.
But in the Bulls’ early organizational meetings to shape offseason strategy, little changed from the February trade deadline regarding Butler, sources said. That means it would take a significant offer involving at least one high-profile player and multiple first-round picks to pry him loose.As Johnson notes, the Bulls prefer to build via the draft anyway.
Short of a “Godfather” offer that is not coming, the Bulls would be making a mistake trading Butler. Teams need elite talent to win in this league, and Butler is one of the better two-way players in the NBA. Has he liked the spotlight on him now? Sure. Does he have a lot to learn about how to lead a team? No doubt. But anyone who wants to trade him based on those things doesn’t know how to build a winning basketball team.
We will see this summer of the brain trust in Chicago knows how to build a winning basketball team.
Bulls Won't Raise Ticket Prices for Next Season.
By APBullsHoops
(By Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Even Reinsdorf knows fans won't pay for trash.
Per ChicagoBusiness.com, it looks like the pockets of ticket holders will get a bit of a reprieve for next season:
Bulls season-ticket holders this week are receiving renewal notices notifying them that, for the first time since the 2010-11 season, the price of admission at the United Center isn't going up.
Prices for season-ticket holders once again next year will range from $42 per game for the cheapest seats in the 300-level to $260 per game for 100-level seats along the sidelines.
The average Bulls ticket price rose by 28 percent to $82.33 between 2010 and 2015, according to Team Marketing Report. Tickets in most section this season went up by $10 or $15 per game.
The price freeze comes in the wake of the Bulls missing postseason play for the first time since 2008.
As mentioned in the article, this comes as a bit of a surprise, mainly because the Bulls did not receive any playoff revenue this season.
At the same time, they did receive a bit of financial help due to Thibs being hired by Minnesota. The money still owed to him was offset by the hire.
Though missing out on playoff revenue stings, please don't forget: the Bulls are still financial champs.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Hahn beats Castro in playoff for second PGA Tour victory.
Reuters; Reporting by Andrew Both, Editing by Larry Fine/Peter Rutherford
Former shoe salesman James Hahn put his best foot forward to win the Wells Fargo Championship in a playoff against fellow American Roberto Castro in North Carolina on Sunday.
South Korean-born Hahn, who had missed the cut in his previous eight starts, broke out of his slump in style, sinking a four-foot par putt to win at the first extra hole.
Castro made Hahn's task considerably easier by pulling his drive into the creek left of the fairway.
Hahn, 34, said he had started to question his future after his recent run of poor form.
"Eight straights missed cuts is tough," he said in a greenside interview as his voice cracked with emotion.
"You start questioning yourself, are you good enough? Will it ever happen again? And then you start thinking into the future, as far as selling shoes again for a living.
"It’s crazy to call myself a two-time PGA Tour champion."
Hahn missed a six-foot par putt at the 72nd hole that would have won it in regulation. He then watched on a television monitor as Castro sank a par putt from a similar distance to send the event to a playoff.
Hahn (70) and Castro (71) finished regulation at nine-under-par 279, one shot in front of Englishman Justin Rose.
Americans Phil Mickelson and Andrew Loupe, third-round leader Rickie Fowler and defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland were two strokes back in a tie for fourth.
Rose (71) hit the front early in the final round but a three-putt bogey at the 16th hole proved his undoing.
"This is a real disappointment. Putter was ice cold today," said the 2013 U.S. Open champion.
Fowler started the round poorly and a double bogey at the par-five seventh, where his second shot bounced out-of-bounds, rocked his confidence.
"I didn't get out of the gate swinging well off the tee, kind of fought that a little bit through the round, so yeah, obviously it sucks," Fowler said.
Mickelson and McIlroy both shot 66, but started the day with too much work to do.
"Unfortunately, one bad hole yesterday cost me," said Mickelson, referring to his quadruple bogey at the 18th hole on Saturday.
McIlroy was pleased with his progress after three weeks off, a closing bogey notwithstanding.
"I've seen enough positive signs this week to know like I'm on the right track, and obviously ending the week playing the way I did today gives me a lot of confidence going into these next few weeks," he said.
Jutanugarn creates LPGA history with landmark win.
Omnisport.com
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
Ariya Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in LPGA Tour history after victory in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic on Sunday.
Jutanugarn held off Amy Yang, Morgan Pressel and Stacy Lewis by a stroke despite losing two shots off her third-round lead in Alabama.
The 20-year-old sank a clutch four-foot par putt for her first LPGA victory, carding 72 to finish at 14-under-par 274.
"So tough, I feel the three holes I can't control anything," said Jutanugarn. "My legs were shaking, my hands were shaking."
"Thank you for my mom for being with me all the time to support me and happy Mother's Day."
Jutanugarn looked nervous down the stretch, hoping not to repeat the bogey, bogey, bogey finish at the ANA Inspiration last month.
However, she finished with four birdies and three bogeys a day after tying the tournament record with a 63.
Yang (67) put in an impressive final-round performance but a bogey on the 17th cost her in the end.
Lewis (68), winner in 2012, and Pressel (68) also tied with Yang for second at 13 under, with Caroline Hedwall (68) finishing one stroke behind in fifth.
Sweden's Jesper Parnevik wins first PGA Tour Champions title.
AP - Sports
Jesper Parnevik won the Insperity Invitational for his first PGA Tour Champions title, shooting a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory Sunday.
The 51-year-old Swede won in his 23rd career start on the 50-and-over tour. The five-time PGA Tour winner finished at 12-under 204 at The Woodlands Country Club.
''It feels fantastic, actually,'' Parnevik said after his first victory since the PGA Tour's 2001 Honda Classic. ''I'm still in shock, because when it's been this long, you don't even remember how it is.''
He fought a series of injuries in his 40s.
''I thought I was never going to win again,'' Parnevik said. ''I pretty much thought not play again, because a lot of times if I hit 15 balls, I could not get out of bed the next day, it was that bad. So I was not even contemplating winning.''
John Daly tied for 17th at 2 under in his PGA Tour Champions debut. The two-time major champion closed with a 71 after opening with rounds of 70 and 73. He turned 50 on April 28.
''I hit a lot of fairways this week,'' Daly said. ''The irons weren't all that great. I was really close to being good. But for not playing, I'm pretty pleased.''
He will return to play the next tour event, the major Regions Tradition in Alabama in two weeks.
Local favorite Jeff Maggert, first-round leader Mike Goodes and South Africa's David Frost tied for second. Maggert, a Woodlands resident and former Texas A&M player, had a 71.
''Jesper played well,'' Maggert said. ''I thought he struggled a little bit yesterday coming in down the stretch, but he -really hit the ball well all day. He never kind of let go. He putted well, too. ... It was a game of two putts today for me. I made a lot of two putts. Really, all week. The 10- and 15-footers just got me all week long. I just didn't make very many of those.''
Parnevik made three birdies on the front nine, added two more on the par-4 11th and 12th, bogeyed the par-3 14th, rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 15th and closed with three pars. He opened with rounds of 69 and 68 for a share the second-round lead with Maggert.
All the injuries left the Swede motivated to play the senior tour.
''That was a blessing in disguise in a sense,'' Parnevik said. ''I don't know if I would have been as keen or eager to play right now if I would have played those eight years full-time. ... I was really looking forward to playing on this tour because I've had so many injuries and I haven't played much. My form wasn't that great, but I was still looking forward to coming out here and compete, and I think that's the key that kept me practicing so much.''
He earned a spot next year in the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.
''My family, I think that's what they are the most happy about, is actually the Hawaii trip,'' Parnevik said. ''They don't care if I win or lose or whatever. They don't even watch me play or whatever. Going to Hawaii is huge for them and it's just going to be a lot of fun.''
Frost shot 69, and the 59-year-old Goodes had a double bogey on the par-3 16th in 70.
''I just hit a terrible shot at the wrong time,'' Goodes said. ''I was trying to get, kind of knock down, squeeze the 5-iron in there and I just open face and hit it out to the right, and then hit a poor bunker shot and just a short putt. It added up to 5. I played really good, though.''
Billy Andrade (66) and Olin Browne (69) tied for fifth at 7 under.
NASCAR: Kyle Busch finally gets first Sprint Cup win at Kansas.
By DAVE SKRETTA
Kyle Busch has seemingly dozens of reasons to despise Kansas Speedway, from the two times he crashed out of Chase races to the innumerable misfortunes in other series.
Now he has one big reason to speak fondly of it.
Busch sailed away from Kevin Harvick after a late wreck collected several of the leaders Saturday night, and finally won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at one of three tracks that had eluded him.
''I didn't know we'd have that much speed in our race car. I guess I should have known,'' said Busch, who still needs to win at Charlotte and Pocono to knock off every current track in the series. ''We had a top-five car in the middle part of the race. We kept making improvements to it, kept making it better.''
Busch won for the third time this season, and gave team owner Joe Gibbs his sixth victory already this season. But this one may have been the sweetest given Busch's history at Kansas.
''This is a place that's been tough on me over the years, and probably almost caused me to go into retirement,'' Busch said, laughing. ''There's been a lot of rough days at Kansas, that's for sure.''
Harvick was second after making major changes to his car following a poor qualifying effort. Kurt Busch was third, Matt Kenseth finished fourth and Ryan Blaney wound up fifth.
''You know, it's our best finish of the year. That's the bright side,'' said Kenseth, who was alongside Busch on the final restart with 19 laps to go. ''I thought we were as good as the 18 if we could have had position, but it was tough restarting on that bottom.''
Martin Truex Jr. won his first pole in two years and looked like he'd be the one to finally get the victory that has eluded him at Kansas, drawing away for big leads on every restart.
He still had a comfortable lead entering the final round of scheduled stops with 54 laps to go, but Truex radioed to his team that he had a loose wheel after leaving his stall. He had to come down pit road again and dropped off the lead lap, another late-race gaffe costing him a chance to win.
Truex led 95 laps at Kansas last spring, but fuel and tire strategy conspired left him ninth. His team also made a strategic mistake that cost him earlier this season at Texas.
''I couldn't believe it,'' he said. ''Went around 1 and 2 and was like, 'Damn, the wheel is loose.' I kept telling myself maybe it's not. ... Frustrating but that's how it goes.''
Tony Stewart briefly took the lead in his return to the No. 14 full-time, but everything changed when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slapped the wall moments later. That bunched up the field and ultimately led to the only major wreck after last weekend's crash-filled race at Talladega.
Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin got sideways going through a corner, and that forced Kyle Larson into the wall. Joey Logano had nowhere to go, slamming into Hamlin and ending both of their nights.
''I was just going for it. We got to win. It's win or nothing with this type of format, so why not go in there and take a chance?'' said Hamlin, who admitted to pressing the issue after two speeding penalties on pit road cost him track position. ''I have to get better on pit lane to give us a chance.''
Logano was strong once again after winning two of the past three races at Kansas.
''It's just racing, the end of a race,'' he said. ''It kind of stinks, two weeks in a row I'm walking out of the infield care center. ... It's just racing. Things happen.''
Busch elected to stay on the track to protect his position, rather than pit for tires, hoping that the clean air of running in front would pay off. It was a risky gamble by crew chief Adam Stevens, but one that he was willing to make to change his team's fortunes at Kansas.
''It's always cool to get to Victory Lane, but to knock off another place we haven't won at is really special,'' Stevens said. ''He's had a really storied career and done a lot of great things, and to help him accomplish one of the things he hadn't done is really cool.''
18-year-old William Byron wins Truck race at Kansas Speedway.
By DAVE SKRETTA
William Byron survived the chaos at Kansas Speedway for his first Truck Series victory Friday night, then ran into a rather unexpected problem when the 18-year-old finished a victory lap.
''I didn't even know how to do a burnout,'' he said with a grin. ''I just kind of found the gears and watched the smoke come out the back. It was pretty cool.''
Pretty cool for team owner Kyle Busch, too, who doused him once they reached Victory Lane.
Byron had built a nearly 5-second lead before Tyler Reddick spun with four to go, bunching the field up for a green-white-checkered finish. Byron got shuffled to third behind Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes on a restart, but he was ready to pounce when the two ahead of him got together in Turn 4 on the final lap.
''It was crazy, the last couple of restarts,'' Byron said. ''I had the lead there on the last green-flag run and I was just praying for no cautions. But you know, you have to earn it.''
The North Carolina driver was making his fifth start in the series.
Matt Crafton rallied after his own late spin and wound up second, Daniel Hemric was third and Christopher Bell - Byron's teammate with Kyle Busch Motorsports - finished in fourth. Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five in his first Truck Series race in two years.
''That last restart was just chaos,'' said Crafton, who led a race-high 57 laps. ''I shoved it three-wide and was like, 'Yeah, this probably isn't the way to go.'''
The race was wild right from the start, when Reddick made an audacious three-wide pass to take the lead. He remained there as the field began to string out during a long green-flag run that triggered the caution clock.
After the mandatory pit stops, the wrecking ensued.
Points leader John Hunter Nemecheck got into John Wes Townley shortly after the restart, and Townley slid along the wall before hitting Parker Kligerman. The impact sent Kligerman barreling into the outside wall.
''It was a hard it,'' said Kligerman, who had been second in points. ''Wrong place at the wrong time.''
Spencer Gallagher got sideways a few minutes later. Brandon Brown did likewise. And Mike Bliss and Jordan Anderson made contact during a three-wide move that triggered yet another caution.
Another caution-clock stop came with about 46 laps left, and that caused even more trouble, because several trucks were right at the end of their fuel window and ran out before they could make pit road.
Crafton, the two-time series champion, had been dominating the middle portion of the race, but he got pushed out of the way when the green flag flew once more. Byron went to the front and Bell began to give chase, the two teammates pulling away until Reddick got sideways with four laps to go.
That set up the wild green-white-checkered dash to the finish.
''I was 6-years old watching truck races. I didn't start racing until I was 14,'' said Byron, who finished third at Martinsville in his last race. ''This is a dream.''
NASCAR revises format for All-Star Race at Charlotte.
By DAVE SKRETTA
Brad Keselowski doesn't want to take all the credit for wholesale changes to the All-Star Race format.
With modern tires and aerodynamics, it was too difficult for anyone to make a pass.
''You're going to win the race one of two ways, most likely, and one of those two ways is you're going to drive through the field in 13 laps. In my belief, that's earning it,'' Keselowski said. ''And if a guy that's 11th or 12th or whatever that number ends up being, he gets the lead and runs away with it, he's going to have to drive his butt off. It's going to be extremely difficult for him.''
Either way, Keselowski figures the victor will have earned it, and that's ultimately the point.
''Our sport is at its best when at the end of the day we have common wins, where everybody is happy. Those are easy to say, hard to do, but they're out there,'' he said. "I think sometimes we get caught up trying to make one group happy and this sport is more than one group. How do we make drivers feel like they earned it and fans think they had a great race?''
Carl Edwards, who won the 2011 All-Star Race, said the changes will make tires play a key role. How much fall-off will there be, and what will the effect of old tires be on lap times?
''It's historically been a tough place to pass. I look forward to that race being one where we can really mix it up,'' he said. ''All the format changes will just make it more fun of a game.''
Making it more fun is precisely what Keselowski was aiming to do.
He understands that not everyone is going to embrace the changes, and some people may even think they're so far-fetched they refuse to watch. But he's also optimistic it will be ''the best race of the year.''
''There's an argument to be made that it's a little gimmicky and that's fair, but I think the All-Star Race gets a free pass on gimmicks,'' Keselowski said. ''I just wanted the race to be something I'd want to watch as a fan, and something I'd be proud of if I was a driver who won it.
''Quite honestly, I didn't think the format of the past few years was that way.''
SOCCER: Well-traveled Khaly Thiam settling in with the Fire.
Perhaps because he doesn't want all the blame, either.
NASCAR announced the new format for the May 21 race at Charlotte on Friday. It will feature two 50-lap segments followed by a 13-lap shootout in which a portion of the field will be on fresh tires, an idea dreamed up by Keselowski that is intended to spice up what had become a lame $1 million dash for cash.
''I just had someone reach out to me from Charlotte Motor Speedway and ask, 'What could we do to make the race the best possible?' I put a little thought into it and I know some other drivers did, too,'' he said. ''I don't think I was all the ideas but maybe the one that seemed to catch everyone's attention.''
Drivers will be required to pit for at least two tires in each of the 50-lap segments, with the stop in the second segment coming with at least 15 laps to go. Then, a random draw will decide whether the first nine, 10 or 11 cars will have to do a mandatory four-tire stop for the final segment.
The seemingly bizarre twist has a purpose: In past years, where four 25-lap segments were followed by a 10-lap dash, the driver who won the race into Turn 1 for the final 10 laps always wound up winning.
''You're going to win the race one of two ways, most likely, and one of those two ways is you're going to drive through the field in 13 laps. In my belief, that's earning it,'' Keselowski said. ''And if a guy that's 11th or 12th or whatever that number ends up being, he gets the lead and runs away with it, he's going to have to drive his butt off. It's going to be extremely difficult for him.''
Either way, Keselowski figures the victor will have earned it, and that's ultimately the point.
''Our sport is at its best when at the end of the day we have common wins, where everybody is happy. Those are easy to say, hard to do, but they're out there,'' he said. "I think sometimes we get caught up trying to make one group happy and this sport is more than one group. How do we make drivers feel like they earned it and fans think they had a great race?''
Carl Edwards, who won the 2011 All-Star Race, said the changes will make tires play a key role. How much fall-off will there be, and what will the effect of old tires be on lap times?
''It's historically been a tough place to pass. I look forward to that race being one where we can really mix it up,'' he said. ''All the format changes will just make it more fun of a game.''
Making it more fun is precisely what Keselowski was aiming to do.
He understands that not everyone is going to embrace the changes, and some people may even think they're so far-fetched they refuse to watch. But he's also optimistic it will be ''the best race of the year.''
''There's an argument to be made that it's a little gimmicky and that's fair, but I think the All-Star Race gets a free pass on gimmicks,'' Keselowski said. ''I just wanted the race to be something I'd want to watch as a fan, and something I'd be proud of if I was a driver who won it.
''Quite honestly, I didn't think the format of the past few years was that way.''
SOCCER: Well-traveled Khaly Thiam settling in with the Fire.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Khaly Thiam's still young soccer career had already taken him to multiple countries and continents. When he joined the Chicago Fire earlier this week he added another country and continent to that list.
The Fire officially added the 22-year-old Senegalese midfielder on loan on Wednesday. His first training session with the team was on Thursday. The club hopes he will be available in the May 11 match in Vancouver, pending getting his visa to go through in time.
“I am getting on with everybody," Thiam said. "It is football and everything, but this team they are really great guys. I am friendly with the coaches, the players, everybody is helping me to integrate into the team.”
Thiam learned English through a private teacher in Senegal and speaks with a British accent, but said he wasn't able to practice the language until he moved to Europe. He first joined the Novara Primavera, the Italian Serie B club's youth and reserve team. He then moved to Hungary, where he had been since 2012.
“I first went to Italy for one tournament there," Thiam said. "One month in the Primavera with Novara when I played this tournament. Then I went to Hungary for a first division team. From there I got my first professional contract.”
The Fire acquired Thiam's MLS discovery rights from the Columbus Crew. If Thiam starts 12 matches or the Fire make the move permanent, the Fire will send general allocation money to the Crew. If neither of those happen, the Fire will give the Crew a second round pick in the 2017 draft.
Thiam has not yet been able to check out Chicago or explore and he won't have much of a chance for a while either. The Fire leave for a three-game road trip on Tuesday and will not return until after the May 18 match at the New York Red Bulls.
After growing up in Africa and beginning his professional career in Europe, coming to the U.S. is another new adventure for Thiam. Thiam took the chance to join the Fire after hearing good things about MLS.
“I came here for the soccer because now I see the soccer is building up and the level is coming up," he said. "I came here to see what was going on here.”
David Accam and Alex Morrell worked out separately from the rest of the team on Friday. Gilberto, who has a hamstring injury, did some running on the side. Matt Polster, who missed the 1-1 draw against D.C. United on April 30 with a calf injury, left practice early.
“Gilberto, Morrell, Polster they are in the final phase (of recovery)," Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said. "Accam also, but we also have to work on Accam’s fitness because he was out longer. We have to take care of his fitness. We don’t want any new issues with him. We have to be smart and manage the load, minutes and everything once he is ready."
John Goossens was not at practice and could still be out for a few weeks after suffering a sprained LCL just before the D.C. match.
La Liga roundup: Barca, Real Madrid take title race down to final day.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
A roundup of the weekend’s action in Spain’s top flight…
Barcelona 5-0 Espanyol
One. More. Week. The math is simple: if Barcelona win away to 16th-place Granada on the final day of the season, they’ll be back-to-back La Liga champions; if they draw or lose to Granada, then Real Madrid must also draw or lose for Barca to be crowned champions.
That’s where things stand following Sunday’s simultaneous round of Week 37 games in Spain, wherein Luis Enrique’s Blaugrana hammered their Catalonian neighbors Espanyol, 5-0 in the final game at the Nou Camp this season. Lionel Messi bagged the opener with just eight minutes on the clock, followed by a quick brace from Luis Suarez in the 52nd and 61st minutes, capped off by Rafinha and Neymar inside the final 20 minutes. After a three-game losing streak saw their nine-point lead shrink to zero, Barca have won four straight in league play, by a combined score of 21-0.
Real Madrid 3-2 Valencia
Zinedine Zidane’s league record as first-team manager of Real Madrid now stands at 16W-2D-1L following a narrow triumph over 11th-place Valencia on Sunday. Cristiano Ronaldo scored either side of one goal from Karim Benzema, and the game was never closer than one goal once Madrid were on the board.
Levante 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid have an UEFA Champions League final to contest against their capital neighbors, but they won’t be celebrating a double even if they triumph in Milan in two weeks’ time. Diego Simeone’s side (without the suspended madman manager) are out of the title race after losing away to bottom-of-the-league and already-relegated Levante.
Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the second minute, but that was it from Los Rojiblancos, as they watched Casadesus’ equalizer on the half-hour mark and Giuseppe Rossi’s 90th-minute winner bring their title hopes crashing to the ground. The best Atleti can hope for now is to finish level on points with Barca, but nearly 40 goals behind on goal differential, and ahead of Real with a final-day defeat.
| Team |
GP
| W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
37
|
28
|
4
|
5
|
109
|
29
|
80
|
16-1-2
|
12-3-3
|
88
| |
| Real Madrid | 37 | 27 | 6 | 4 | 108 | 34 | 74 | 16-1-2 | 11-5-2 | 87 |
| Atlético Madrid | 37 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 61 | 18 | 43 | 14-3-1 | 13-1-5 | 85 |
| Villarreal | 37 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 44 | 33 | 11 | 12-4-3 | 6-6-6 | 64 |
| Celta Vigo | 37 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 57 | -6 | 9-6-4 | 8-3-7 | 60 |
| Athletic | 37 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 55 | 44 | 11 | 10-4-4 | 7-4-8 | 59 |
| Sevilla | 37 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 50 | 47 | 3 | 14-1-4 | 0-9-9 | 52 |
Elsewhere in La Liga
Villarreal 0-2 Deportivo La Coruña
Celta Vigo 1-0 Malaga
Las Palmas 0-0 Athletic Bilbao
Sevilla 1-4 Granada
Real Sociedad 2-1 Rayo Vallecano
Getafe 1-1 Sporting Gijon
Eibar 1-1 Real Betis
Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal: Top Four remains up in air after exciting draw.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Olivier Giroud scored and set up Alexis Sanchez for another as Arsenal edged to within two points of second place Tottenham with a 2-2 draw at Manchester City on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne scored for City, which no longer controls its own Top Four destiny. Manchester United have a match in hand.
Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck left the game with a scary-looking knee injury after landing awkwardly after a 50-50 ball.
De Bruyne sent in a sweeping free kick in the fourth minute that Petr Cech gathered off the bounce, and Sergio Aguero played a tempting ball through the six later which found no finisher.
Man City carried the play in the first 10 minutes, living in the Arsenal end. Aguero was the one who broke through, moving to lash a left-footed shot past a diving Cech.
Moments later, Gael Clichy nearly put Arsenal level, and yes he still plays for City. An attempted pass back eluded Joe Hart only to tip off the far post, but Giroud made it happen with a header of his own off the ensuing corner.
De Bruyne put the hosts ahead inside the near post when Gabriel gave him time to work his way to his right foot on a 30-yard run, and boom. He’s too good with that much room, and Cech missed with his dive.
Arsenal woke up to equalize, and who else but Alexis? The attacker had been knocking at the door all day, and a quick flick from Giroud gave the Chilean all he needed to make it 2-2.
De Bruyne had a free kick from the edge of the 18 moments later, but Cech popped the hard shot over the net for a corner kick.
Oh, there was plenty of reason to expect a winner to come from either side, including Wilfried Bony‘s shot slapping the crossbar above Cech in the 88th minute. But a winner didn’t come for either side.
NCAAFB: Penn State the latest to add alcohol sales at football games.
By Kevin McGuire
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
The trend of allowing the sale of alcohol at college football games continues to grow. Penn State will be among the latest to introduce alcohol sales at football games and other athletic events in a controlled environment after the university trustees voted in favor of a proposal from a panel of trustees. With the proposal given board approval, Penn State plans to sell alcohol to fans sitting in suites, club seats and reception areas at Beaver Stadium as well as the Bryce Jordan Center and certain other facilities on Penn State’s campus.
In all, Penn State will make alcohol available to an estimated 4,440 fans attending a Penn State home game in Beaver Stadium, which has a capacity of at least 107,000. Penn State must first acquire a liquor license in order to provide the sales, but that should be considered a minor hurdle. That should be able to come together in time for the upcoming college football season.
Penn State athletics director Sandy Barbour previously recommended the idea. The decision to begin selling alcohol was expected as Penn State continues to try and find new ways to generate revenue using its football stadium. Beaver Stadium is expected to be given a major tune-up as part of a university-wide athletics renovation project being planned. Updating the stadium and adding alcohol sales to Beaver Stadium make the venue more attractive to potential options for non-college football events like the NHL Winter Classic, exhibition soccer matches and concerts.
All of this comes back to adding more revenue to the athletics department and university, of course, which is becoming more and more common around college football as schools look to cash in on their massive football structures more than seven to eight days a year.
TCU partners with Alabama, USC and Ohio State for satellite camps.
By Zach Barnett
(Photo/Getty Images)
When the floodgates open, the unburdened water isn’t just not going to drown everything in its path. Now that satellite camps are back in the rule books, programs are partnering to make them bigger than any of us imagined they could be.
Case in point: TCU.
The Frogs announced Friday they have added Alabama, Ohio State and USC to their Gary Patterson Football Camps, a regularly scheduled tour around the state of Texas that will now feature much more star power.
Case in point: TCU.
The Frogs announced Friday they have added Alabama, Ohio State and USC to their Gary Patterson Football Camps, a regularly scheduled tour around the state of Texas that will now feature much more star power.
The tour begins with an East Texas mini-camp on June 2. Ohio State will join the Frogs for a Friday Night Lights event June 3 in Fort Worth. Alabama and USC will accompany the Frogs to Houston for camps on June 9-10, and the Trojans will tag along for a camp in the north Dallas suburb of Plano on June 12. (One point of note: Alabama and USC open their seasons against each other Sept. 3 at AT&T Stadium in North Texas.)
For as long as these camps remain legal — and now that this summer’s events are on the books, look for them to remain legal moving forward, at least in some capacity — this is college football’s new reality.
NCAABKB: Looking Forward: Which programs are on the rise as we head into 2016-17?
By Raphielle Johnson
(AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)
The NBA Draft’s Early Entry Deadline has come and gone. Just about every elite recruit has decided where they will be playing their college ball next season. The coaching carousel, which ended up spinning a bit faster than initially expected, has come to a close for all of the major programs.
In other words, by now, we have a pretty good feel for what college basketball is going to look like during the 2016-17 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some programs on the rise heading into next season.
Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams’ second season in Blacksburg proved to be more successful than many expected, as the Hokies won ten ACC games (20 overall) and played in the Postseason NIT. What can they do for an encore? In all honesty the pieces needed for the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 are in place, with six of their top seven scorers from a season ago due to return led by forward Zach LeDay and guard Seth Allen. Expecting the Hokies to contend for the ACC title may be a bit much, but it’s fair to expect them to work their way into the Top 25 and the NCAA tournament in 2016-17.
Creighton: The Bluejays, picked to finish eighth in the Big East preseason poll, nearly played its way onto the NCAA tournament bubble thanks to a much-improved big man in Geoffrey Groselle, transfer Maurice Watson Jr. and Cole Huff, and guard Isaiah Zierden. Groselle’s gone, but given the combination of returnees and the addition of former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster the Bluejays could be in line for another leap forward. The key for Greg McDermott’s team will be the return of Watson, who’s going through the NBA Draft evaluation process.
Wisconsin: At one point last season the Badgers were 9-9 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play, with it appearing highly unlikely that Greg Gard would have his interim tag removed. But Gard’s team turned things around, winning 22 games and reaching the Sweet 16. Provided Nigel Hayes, who’s currently going through the NBA Draft evaluation process, returns to school the Badgers will be on the short list of Big Ten title contenders. Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ lead four other starters who will be back, and Andy Van Vliet (who the NCAA sidelined for last season) will help in the front court as well.
USC: The Trojans’ progression was a year ahead of schedule, as after producing consecutive 12-win seasons they earned an NCAA tournament berth in Andy Enfield’s third season at the helm. USC does have some questions in the form of guard Julian Jacobs and forward Nikola Jovanovic both going through the NBA Draft process, but if both return the Trojans will be a contender in the Pac-12. Jordan McLaughlin, Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu are among the returnees for a team that could return five of its six double-digit scorers — Katin Reinhardt being the lone departure — from last season.
UCLA: Staying in Los Angeles, this is a big year coming up for Steve Alford. The Bruins were a major disappointment last season, but the combination of some key returnees and a recruiting class led by Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf should propel UCLA back into the Pac-12 and national conversations. Ball should be handed the keys to the show from the start given his abilities at the point, which should result in plentiful scoring opportunities for the likes of Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and Thomas Welsh. How good this team can be will depend on two things: how well the pieces mesh, and an improved commitment on the defensive end.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs reached the Sweet 16 last season, but the way in which they got there wasn’t what we’ve grown accustomed to with regards to Mark Few’s program as they needed the WCC automatic bid to ensure a spot in the field. Even with the departures of Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga has the tools needed to be better in 2016-17, as a backcourt that made strides as the season progressed will be a year older with Josh Perkins and Silas Melson leading the way. Also, Przemek Karnowski will be back on the court after missing last season with a back injury.
Florida State: Leonard Hamilton received some good news, as both Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes decided to return after briefly flirting with the NBA Draft. They’ll be asked to lead the way for a team that adds a solid recruiting class led by McDonald’s All-American Jonathan Isaac, and putting points on the board won’t be much of an issue. If they can get back to defending at the level we’ve come to expect from Hamilton-coached teams, Florida State can make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
Rhode Island: Dan Hurley’s Rams began the 2015-16 season viewed as a team that could contend in the Atlantic 10. Then the injury bug hit, with E.C. Matthews being lost to a torn ACL and multiple key contributors (including Hassan Martin) missing time throughout the course of the year. URI’s healthy again, and with Four McGlynn being the lone major contributor out of eligibility 2016-17 should see the Rams rebound and make a run at the Atlantic 10 title.
Looking Forward: Which programs are set to step backwards as we head into 2016-17?
By Travis Hines
In other words, by now, we have a pretty good feel for what college basketball is going to look like during the 2016-17 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some programs on the rise heading into next season.
Virginia Tech: Buzz Williams’ second season in Blacksburg proved to be more successful than many expected, as the Hokies won ten ACC games (20 overall) and played in the Postseason NIT. What can they do for an encore? In all honesty the pieces needed for the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 are in place, with six of their top seven scorers from a season ago due to return led by forward Zach LeDay and guard Seth Allen. Expecting the Hokies to contend for the ACC title may be a bit much, but it’s fair to expect them to work their way into the Top 25 and the NCAA tournament in 2016-17.
Creighton: The Bluejays, picked to finish eighth in the Big East preseason poll, nearly played its way onto the NCAA tournament bubble thanks to a much-improved big man in Geoffrey Groselle, transfer Maurice Watson Jr. and Cole Huff, and guard Isaiah Zierden. Groselle’s gone, but given the combination of returnees and the addition of former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster the Bluejays could be in line for another leap forward. The key for Greg McDermott’s team will be the return of Watson, who’s going through the NBA Draft evaluation process.
Wisconsin: At one point last season the Badgers were 9-9 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play, with it appearing highly unlikely that Greg Gard would have his interim tag removed. But Gard’s team turned things around, winning 22 games and reaching the Sweet 16. Provided Nigel Hayes, who’s currently going through the NBA Draft evaluation process, returns to school the Badgers will be on the short list of Big Ten title contenders. Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ lead four other starters who will be back, and Andy Van Vliet (who the NCAA sidelined for last season) will help in the front court as well.
USC: The Trojans’ progression was a year ahead of schedule, as after producing consecutive 12-win seasons they earned an NCAA tournament berth in Andy Enfield’s third season at the helm. USC does have some questions in the form of guard Julian Jacobs and forward Nikola Jovanovic both going through the NBA Draft process, but if both return the Trojans will be a contender in the Pac-12. Jordan McLaughlin, Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu are among the returnees for a team that could return five of its six double-digit scorers — Katin Reinhardt being the lone departure — from last season.
UCLA: Staying in Los Angeles, this is a big year coming up for Steve Alford. The Bruins were a major disappointment last season, but the combination of some key returnees and a recruiting class led by Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf should propel UCLA back into the Pac-12 and national conversations. Ball should be handed the keys to the show from the start given his abilities at the point, which should result in plentiful scoring opportunities for the likes of Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and Thomas Welsh. How good this team can be will depend on two things: how well the pieces mesh, and an improved commitment on the defensive end.
Gonzaga: The Bulldogs reached the Sweet 16 last season, but the way in which they got there wasn’t what we’ve grown accustomed to with regards to Mark Few’s program as they needed the WCC automatic bid to ensure a spot in the field. Even with the departures of Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga has the tools needed to be better in 2016-17, as a backcourt that made strides as the season progressed will be a year older with Josh Perkins and Silas Melson leading the way. Also, Przemek Karnowski will be back on the court after missing last season with a back injury.
Florida State: Leonard Hamilton received some good news, as both Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes decided to return after briefly flirting with the NBA Draft. They’ll be asked to lead the way for a team that adds a solid recruiting class led by McDonald’s All-American Jonathan Isaac, and putting points on the board won’t be much of an issue. If they can get back to defending at the level we’ve come to expect from Hamilton-coached teams, Florida State can make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012.
Rhode Island: Dan Hurley’s Rams began the 2015-16 season viewed as a team that could contend in the Atlantic 10. Then the injury bug hit, with E.C. Matthews being lost to a torn ACL and multiple key contributors (including Hassan Martin) missing time throughout the course of the year. URI’s healthy again, and with Four McGlynn being the lone major contributor out of eligibility 2016-17 should see the Rams rebound and make a run at the Atlantic 10 title.
Looking Forward: Which programs are set to step backwards as we head into 2016-17?
By Travis Hines
(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
The NBA Draft’s Early Entry Deadline has come and gone. Just about every elite recruit has decided where they will be playing their college ball next season. The coaching carousel, which ended up spinning a bit faster than initially expected, has come to a close for all of the major programs.
In other words, by now, we have a pretty good feel for what college basketball is going to look like during the 2016-17 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some programs on the decline heading into next season.
Wichita State: It’s hard to see the Shockers take too much of a tumble given how good a coach Gregg Marshall is and their superiority to the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference, but the graduations of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker mean the end of an era. Those two were the constants of a Final Four team, then a 35-0 squad, followed by a Sweet 16 and finishing last March in the second round. There’s still talent in Wichita and they are still going to be the heavyweights of the Valley, but the dominance and national prestige that came with VanVleet and Baker may have also left with them.
UNLV: Things haven’t exactly been at a highwater mark in Las Vegas in awhile, but the Running Rebels appear to continue to sink. First, they fired coach Dave Rice in the middle of the season, which is never received well in coaching circles, exactly the place you need to go to, you know, hire another coach. The Rick Pitino pipedream never materialized, and then Mick Cronin couldn’t pull the trigger despite giving life in the desert a serious look. That left UNLV with Little Rock’s first-year coach Chris Beard, until an ugly debate regent debate to approve his contract preempted an exit to Texas Tech just a week after taking the job. New head coach Marvin Menzies was hired with just two scholarship players left in the program. All of that messiness is a terrible sign for the current health of a once-mighty program.
Iowa State: The news for the Cyclones this spring has been almost universally positive, starting with point guard Monte’ Morris deciding to not even test the NBA draft process and return for a senior season in which he’ll be the Cyclones’ focal point. ISU also will be getting Naz Mitrou-Long back after the sharpshooter was granted a medical hardship waiver. But the reality remains that the Cyclones lost one of the best players in program history in Georges Niang and have been enjoying the most successful run in program history. Some sort of slide is likely — and has been expected — as a result. But coach Steve Prohm and ISU may have enough talent to return to the NCAA tournament for a school-record sixth time and forestall any setback.
North Carolina State: It really looked like Mark Gottfried was going to get things rolling in a big way following the 2014-15 season in which the Wolfpack went 22-14, had a good core returning and recruiting booming. But Trevor Lacey turned pro (only to go undrafted), Kyle Washington transferred and NC State stumbled to a 16-17 record last season. Now, Cat Barber is leaving to go pro and Abdul-Malik Abu may do the same or follow the Martin twins into the transfer, and suddenly the forecast in Raleigh isn’t so sunny even with Dennis Smith Jr. in the fold.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers traded a coach who won two Big East titles, went to the Sweet 16 twice, the Elite Eight once and only missed the NCAA tournament twice in 13 years for a guy that Vanderbilt was pushing out the door. Not great. Even if things had gotten stale for Pitt fans with Jamie Dixon, the results he achieved are hard to argue. Few believe that Kevin Stallings is the answer to jumpstart the program back to where Dixon had it during the first years of his tenure, especially as the ACC continues to be a monster to navigate.
Kansas State: The Bruce Weber era in Manhattan started out with a bang, as he tied for a Big 12 title in his first year taking over for Frank Martin, but it’s been backsliding since, capped with a 17-16 (5-13 Big 12) campaign this past season. He couldn’t make it work with the most talented player (Marcus Foster) he’s had there, and there hasn’t exactly been a line of high-level recruits making their way to Manhattan. And if that wasn’t bad enough, KSU fans had to watch Oklahoma State hire former Wildcat assistant Brad Underwood while their administration gave Weber a stay of execution.
Ohio State: This is probably the trickiest inclusion, as Thad Matta’s track record would suggest that last year’s NIT appearance was merely a slip on the path to a return to the top of the Big Ten. The trouble, though, is that seeing four members of a heralded five-man 2015 recruiting class all decide to transfer is a major red flag. The Buckeyes do welcome another strong class to Columbus this fall, headlined by Derek Funderburk, but there are some visible cracks in the facade.
Nyquist wins 2016 Kentucky Derby.
In other words, by now, we have a pretty good feel for what college basketball is going to look like during the 2016-17 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some programs on the decline heading into next season.
Wichita State: It’s hard to see the Shockers take too much of a tumble given how good a coach Gregg Marshall is and their superiority to the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference, but the graduations of Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker mean the end of an era. Those two were the constants of a Final Four team, then a 35-0 squad, followed by a Sweet 16 and finishing last March in the second round. There’s still talent in Wichita and they are still going to be the heavyweights of the Valley, but the dominance and national prestige that came with VanVleet and Baker may have also left with them.
UNLV: Things haven’t exactly been at a highwater mark in Las Vegas in awhile, but the Running Rebels appear to continue to sink. First, they fired coach Dave Rice in the middle of the season, which is never received well in coaching circles, exactly the place you need to go to, you know, hire another coach. The Rick Pitino pipedream never materialized, and then Mick Cronin couldn’t pull the trigger despite giving life in the desert a serious look. That left UNLV with Little Rock’s first-year coach Chris Beard, until an ugly debate regent debate to approve his contract preempted an exit to Texas Tech just a week after taking the job. New head coach Marvin Menzies was hired with just two scholarship players left in the program. All of that messiness is a terrible sign for the current health of a once-mighty program.
Iowa State: The news for the Cyclones this spring has been almost universally positive, starting with point guard Monte’ Morris deciding to not even test the NBA draft process and return for a senior season in which he’ll be the Cyclones’ focal point. ISU also will be getting Naz Mitrou-Long back after the sharpshooter was granted a medical hardship waiver. But the reality remains that the Cyclones lost one of the best players in program history in Georges Niang and have been enjoying the most successful run in program history. Some sort of slide is likely — and has been expected — as a result. But coach Steve Prohm and ISU may have enough talent to return to the NCAA tournament for a school-record sixth time and forestall any setback.
North Carolina State: It really looked like Mark Gottfried was going to get things rolling in a big way following the 2014-15 season in which the Wolfpack went 22-14, had a good core returning and recruiting booming. But Trevor Lacey turned pro (only to go undrafted), Kyle Washington transferred and NC State stumbled to a 16-17 record last season. Now, Cat Barber is leaving to go pro and Abdul-Malik Abu may do the same or follow the Martin twins into the transfer, and suddenly the forecast in Raleigh isn’t so sunny even with Dennis Smith Jr. in the fold.
Pittsburgh: The Panthers traded a coach who won two Big East titles, went to the Sweet 16 twice, the Elite Eight once and only missed the NCAA tournament twice in 13 years for a guy that Vanderbilt was pushing out the door. Not great. Even if things had gotten stale for Pitt fans with Jamie Dixon, the results he achieved are hard to argue. Few believe that Kevin Stallings is the answer to jumpstart the program back to where Dixon had it during the first years of his tenure, especially as the ACC continues to be a monster to navigate.
Kansas State: The Bruce Weber era in Manhattan started out with a bang, as he tied for a Big 12 title in his first year taking over for Frank Martin, but it’s been backsliding since, capped with a 17-16 (5-13 Big 12) campaign this past season. He couldn’t make it work with the most talented player (Marcus Foster) he’s had there, and there hasn’t exactly been a line of high-level recruits making their way to Manhattan. And if that wasn’t bad enough, KSU fans had to watch Oklahoma State hire former Wildcat assistant Brad Underwood while their administration gave Weber a stay of execution.
Ohio State: This is probably the trickiest inclusion, as Thad Matta’s track record would suggest that last year’s NIT appearance was merely a slip on the path to a return to the top of the Big Ten. The trouble, though, is that seeing four members of a heralded five-man 2015 recruiting class all decide to transfer is a major red flag. The Buckeyes do welcome another strong class to Columbus this fall, headlined by Derek Funderburk, but there are some visible cracks in the facade.
Nyquist wins 2016 Kentucky Derby.
By Associated Press
(Photo/yahoosports.com)
Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby by 1 ¼ lengths on Saturday, improving to 8-0 in his career as the fourth consecutive favorite to win the race.
Ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist ran 1 ¼ miles in 2:01.31. The 3-year-old colt became the eighth unbeaten winner in the race's 142-year history. He paid $6.60, $4.80 and $3.60 as the 2-1 favorite in the full field of 20 horses.
Nyquist delivered a second Derby win for Gutierrez, trainer Doug O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam. They were the team behind 2012 Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another.
Exaggerator returned $5.40 and $4.20, while Gun Runner was another 3 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $6 to show.
Mohaymen finished fourth and Suddenbreakingnews was fifth.
A year ago, American Pharoah won the Derby, launching his run to the sport's first Triple Crown in 37 years.
Now Nyquist is the only horse in position to replicate the feat.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1961 - Jim Gentile (Baltimore Orioles) set a major league baseball record when he hit a grand slam home run in two consecutive innings. The game was against the Minnesota Twins.
1973 - Johnny Bench hit three homeruns in a game. It was the second time he had achieved the feat.
1984 - The Chicago White Sox beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-6, in 25 innings. The game took 8 hours and 6 minutes to complete.
1987 - Eddie Murray (Baltimore Orioles) became the first player to switch hit homeruns in two consecutive games.
1989 - Rick Cerone (New York Mets) committed his first error in 159 games as catcher.
1989 - Kevin Elster (New York Mets) committed his first error in 88 games as shortstop.
1993 - The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers 112-104 in overtime to become the first NBA team to lose two playoff games at home and then come back to win three straight.
1995 - The Cleveland Indians tied a record when they recorded 8 runs before making an out. They beat the Minnesota Twins 10-0.
1997 - The San Diego Padres retired the #35. Pitcher Randy Jones had worn the number.
1999 - Marshall McDougall (Florida State) hit six consecutive home runs and knocked in 16 runs. Both records were set in the 25-2 victory over Maryland.
2001 - In Accra, Ghana, at least 120 people died in a stampede at a soccer match.
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