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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"The integral part of being a star is having the will to win. All the champions have it." ~ Betty Cuthbert, Athlete and Fourfold Olympic Champion
Trending: Chicago Bears' biggest steal, reach of the 2016 NFL draft. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Chicago Bears' biggest steal, reach of the 2016 NFL draft. (See the football section for Bears updates).
Trending: Sale wins MLB-best 11th as White Sox beat Tigers, 5-3. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: Everything we know about who the Blackhawks will protect in the Las Vegas expansion draft. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Ichiro surpasses Pete Rose's career-hit mark in true Ichiro fashion. What's Your Take? (See the last article on this blog and let us know, what's your take?)
Trending: LeBron, Cavs bowl over Warriors to force Game 7. (See the basketball section for NBA Finals updates).
Trending: LeBron, Cavs bowl over Warriors to force Game 7. (See the basketball section for NBA Finals updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 44-20
White Sox 2016 Record: 33-33
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Minicamp wrap: Three answers to 'So, how do the Bears look?'
By John Mullin
The Bears concluded their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, ending on a short-term feel-good — coach John Fox canceling the last offseason practice before training camp starts on July 27.
“They’ve earned it,” Fox said with a tone that suggested a degree of satisfaction in what he’d seen at this point of his 15th NFL head coaching season. “I don’t just do that because I feel like it. They worked real hard. We had great participation and they worked extremely hard. They earned it.”
Positive beliefs are frequently easy to find this far in advance of games that matter. But within the work of the OTA’s and minicamp were “tells,” signs that the Bears clearly believe they are nothing like the squad that wobbled through four losses in its final five games to finish 6-10.
But how exactly DO the Bears look as their pre-camp work wraps up? Three answers to that question emerged over the past several weeks:
1. They really AREN’T the same team from a year ago, or even six months ago.
Fox is among those who maintain that big jumps occur from year one to year two for players, particularly young ones. But more than individual players make year-one-to-year-two leaps.
Fox’s Carolina Panthers improved from seven to 11 wins from his first to second seasons with them, reaching the Super Bowl in year two (2003). His Denver Broncos teams went from eight wins in Fox’s year-one (2011) to 13 in year two.
“It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen,” Fox said. “But I’m pleased with where we are this year. If I had to compare to something, it would be this time last year and I feel much better about where we are now than I did at this time a year ago.”
Easy to say, but consider: This time a year ago, six current starters on defense (Mitch Unrein, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, Tracy Porter, Harold Jones-Quartey) were not practicing. Jones-Quartey and Unrein were not even Bears.
This time a year ago, Jared Allen was trying to be a linebacker. Brock Vereen was a starting safety. Eddie Goldman was out of shape and barely practicing. Kevin White was busy stress-fracturing his left leg. Jordan Mills was the starting right tackle.
Yes, Fox should feel “much better.”
2. Bears D is visibly “night and day from last year”
The 2015 Bears defense went into Week 17 last season with exactly one defensive lineman (Will Sutton) who’d been with the team going into training camp. The unit finished 29th allowing third-down conversions and 30th in interception rate, among other less-than-stellar indicators.
Through this minicamp, the practice field frequently echoed with whoops from a defense that had picked off a pass or knocked a football loose. Quarterback Jay Cutler was rarely intercepted through camp last year, a sign of what was to come under coordinator Adam Gase through the regular season. This year he has not had his way with the defense.
“Just going against them from my perspective, it seems like night and day from last year,” Cutler said. “Just going against these guys, it’s a much different group, much different group. They’re faster, they’re quicker and they’ve got a confidence about them. I think Vic [Fangio, defensive coordinator] really doing a good job of mixing it up and showing us different looks.
“They’re going to help us out, get some short fields, get some turnovers, put some pressure on us to do our job on offense.”
3. Meshing vets adamant: “We can accomplish a lot here.”
Simply bringing a bunch of even talented veterans assures absolutely nothing (insert Daniel Snyder joke here). The Bears experienced that when in 2014 they brought in Allen, Houston and Young, then saw the defense remain at epic lows as the Bears went from 8-8 to 5-11.
This offseason the Bears brought in two starting inside linebackers (Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan) behind a massive defensive end (Akiem Hicks). On offense, Kyle Long returned to guard from tackle as the Bears signed workout-mate Bobby Massie, among other changes.
And the result of bringing together multiple players from winning programs has contributed to a palpable attitude adjustment to one that was conspicuously absent last year.
“I feel like, that you know a lot of people doubt [teammates] or some guys were hurt last year or this and that,” said Trevathan, a Super Bowl winner with Denver last season and who had his ring on display for teammates on Wednesday. “But you know, they're playing like they're hungry, with a chip on their shoulder. They're playing like they're hungry and that's what I'm used to and that's where you need to start.”
“Hungry” in June doesn’t necessarily mean wins in Fall. But a lack of hunger or shoulder-chip typically does point to looming problems, so the strong attitude the other way does count for something.
“There’s a lot of great talent here,” said Massie, a playoff veteran from the Arizona Cardinals under coach Bruce Arians. “And this team can accomplish a lot of good things. From the past team I’ve been with I see a lot of the things that we had with those past teams here. So we can accomplish a lot here.”
Chicago Bears' biggest steal, reach of the 2016 NFL draft.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears concluded their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday, ending on a short-term feel-good — coach John Fox canceling the last offseason practice before training camp starts on July 27.
“They’ve earned it,” Fox said with a tone that suggested a degree of satisfaction in what he’d seen at this point of his 15th NFL head coaching season. “I don’t just do that because I feel like it. They worked real hard. We had great participation and they worked extremely hard. They earned it.”
Positive beliefs are frequently easy to find this far in advance of games that matter. But within the work of the OTA’s and minicamp were “tells,” signs that the Bears clearly believe they are nothing like the squad that wobbled through four losses in its final five games to finish 6-10.
But how exactly DO the Bears look as their pre-camp work wraps up? Three answers to that question emerged over the past several weeks:
1. They really AREN’T the same team from a year ago, or even six months ago.
Fox is among those who maintain that big jumps occur from year one to year two for players, particularly young ones. But more than individual players make year-one-to-year-two leaps.
Fox’s Carolina Panthers improved from seven to 11 wins from his first to second seasons with them, reaching the Super Bowl in year two (2003). His Denver Broncos teams went from eight wins in Fox’s year-one (2011) to 13 in year two.
“It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen,” Fox said. “But I’m pleased with where we are this year. If I had to compare to something, it would be this time last year and I feel much better about where we are now than I did at this time a year ago.”
Easy to say, but consider: This time a year ago, six current starters on defense (Mitch Unrein, Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, Tracy Porter, Harold Jones-Quartey) were not practicing. Jones-Quartey and Unrein were not even Bears.
This time a year ago, Jared Allen was trying to be a linebacker. Brock Vereen was a starting safety. Eddie Goldman was out of shape and barely practicing. Kevin White was busy stress-fracturing his left leg. Jordan Mills was the starting right tackle.
Yes, Fox should feel “much better.”
2. Bears D is visibly “night and day from last year”
The 2015 Bears defense went into Week 17 last season with exactly one defensive lineman (Will Sutton) who’d been with the team going into training camp. The unit finished 29th allowing third-down conversions and 30th in interception rate, among other less-than-stellar indicators.
Through this minicamp, the practice field frequently echoed with whoops from a defense that had picked off a pass or knocked a football loose. Quarterback Jay Cutler was rarely intercepted through camp last year, a sign of what was to come under coordinator Adam Gase through the regular season. This year he has not had his way with the defense.
“Just going against them from my perspective, it seems like night and day from last year,” Cutler said. “Just going against these guys, it’s a much different group, much different group. They’re faster, they’re quicker and they’ve got a confidence about them. I think Vic [Fangio, defensive coordinator] really doing a good job of mixing it up and showing us different looks.
“They’re going to help us out, get some short fields, get some turnovers, put some pressure on us to do our job on offense.”
3. Meshing vets adamant: “We can accomplish a lot here.”
Simply bringing a bunch of even talented veterans assures absolutely nothing (insert Daniel Snyder joke here). The Bears experienced that when in 2014 they brought in Allen, Houston and Young, then saw the defense remain at epic lows as the Bears went from 8-8 to 5-11.
This offseason the Bears brought in two starting inside linebackers (Jerrell Freeman, Danny Trevathan) behind a massive defensive end (Akiem Hicks). On offense, Kyle Long returned to guard from tackle as the Bears signed workout-mate Bobby Massie, among other changes.
And the result of bringing together multiple players from winning programs has contributed to a palpable attitude adjustment to one that was conspicuously absent last year.
“I feel like, that you know a lot of people doubt [teammates] or some guys were hurt last year or this and that,” said Trevathan, a Super Bowl winner with Denver last season and who had his ring on display for teammates on Wednesday. “But you know, they're playing like they're hungry, with a chip on their shoulder. They're playing like they're hungry and that's what I'm used to and that's where you need to start.”
“Hungry” in June doesn’t necessarily mean wins in Fall. But a lack of hunger or shoulder-chip typically does point to looming problems, so the strong attitude the other way does count for something.
“There’s a lot of great talent here,” said Massie, a playoff veteran from the Arizona Cardinals under coach Bruce Arians. “And this team can accomplish a lot of good things. From the past team I’ve been with I see a lot of the things that we had with those past teams here. So we can accomplish a lot here.”
Chicago Bears' biggest steal, reach of the 2016 NFL draft.
By Luke Easterling
(Photo/Draftwire.com)
Steal: Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida (3rd Round, 72nd overall)
I fully realize I was higher on Bullard than most (ranked No. 16 on my overall board), but getting him in the third round should be considered one of the steals of the entire draft by just about any evaluator.
Bullard’s scheme/position versatility, nonstop motor, nasty on-field disposition and explosiveness constantly jumped out on film, and it should make him a valuable chess piece for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
The Bears have built a talented, young front seven over the past three offseasons, and Bullard could quickly become one of their most dynamic performers. Don’t be shocked if tons of NFL teams, with both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive schemes, regret letting him fall this far.
Reach: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia (1st Round, ninth overall)
There are certain traits NFL scouts are known for falling in love with, and Floyd’s combination of athleticism, length and versatility all make the list. That being the case, it’s not surprising that a team jumped into the top 10 to grab him, banking on being able to develop those traits into an impact player.
That said, Floyd’s film had plenty of flashes, but lots of inconsistency. He put on 13 pounds in advance of the combine, but still only weighed in at 244 pounds on his 6-6 frame. He can survive in space, but shouldn’t be relied on regularly in that department, and his lack of ideal bulk could lead to NFL offensive tackles swallowing him up with size and strength advantages.
Seeing a player like Anthony Barr succeed so quickly in Minnesota makes taking a chance on a guy like Floyd make sense, but I think the Bears will find out Barr is the exception, not the rule.
Cody Whitehair gets invaluable experience with Ted Larsen out.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Injury reports are not required at this time of season, and with no game for three months they wouldn’t mean a lot anyway. But one Bears absence for as-yet-undisclosed reasons might be creating a situation vaguely similar to one that unfolded with significance last season.
Ted Larsen, signed away from the Arizona Cardinals this offseason and installed at left guard to replace Matt Slauson, has not been seen at practice during minicamp. The effect has been that rookie Cody Whitehair, the Bears’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, has gotten invaluable practice time in his place on an in-progress No. 1 offensive line.
Players do not lose jobs because of injury; they lose jobs when the replacement player out-performs them with the unfortunate opportunity. Such was the case last season when left tackle Jermon Bushrod was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Charles Leno Jr. stepped in and played well, and Bushrod was out of a starting job.
Larsen has not lost anything to this point, the Bears are giving no reason for his absence from a mandatory minicamp, and the only condition that really matters is Larsen’s on Sept. 11 in Houston. But the Bears made Whitehair a No. 2 pick for a reason, and he has been one of the true bright spots on offense, insiders said.
“(Larsen is) doing what we feel is best for him right now to get him ready for the opener,” coach John Fox said.
Bears could lose Marquess Wilson to fractured foot for start of 2016 season.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Sometimes it would be reasonable for Marquess Wilson to feel that if it weren’t for bad luck, he’d have no luck at all.
The fourth-year wide receiver left practice early on Tuesday after suffering what was confirmed Wednesday as a fractured foot — the same injury that landed him on injured reserve last December. The injury could cost him the start of the 2016 season — a situation that played out in 2014 when Wilson missed the first nine games of the season with a fractured clavicle suffered while diving for a pass in training camp.
The injury could land Wilson on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list to start the season, meaning missing at least the first six games.
“What exactly the extent as far as timetable coming back, we’ll keep you posted on that,” said coach John Fox. “Could be a possibility that he starts the season on PUP, but we won’t know those things yet from a timing aspect.”
Wilson, who had surgery on the foot after the injury last December, will have surgery on it this Monday.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks trade Bryan Bickell, Teuvo Teravainen to Hurricanes .
By Tracey Myers
Bryan Bickell (L) and Teuvo Teravainen (R) (Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks were looking for a way to unload Bryan Bickell’s contract, but it was going to probably cost them more than that. On Wednesday, they made that deal.
Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick (50th overall) in this year’s NHL draft and a third-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft.
Bickell had one year remaining (a $4 million cap hit) on the four-year, $16 million deal he signed out of the 2013 Stanley Cup season. Teravainen is entering the final year of his deal ($894,166).
The Blackhawks now have approximately $61.8 million tied up in players for next season, according to generalfanager.com. Bowman said at the team’s closing meetings that he wanted to keep Andrew Shaw in the fold. Artemi Panarin, who had a fantastic rookie season with the Blackhawks, would become a restricted free agent following the 2017-18 season. Trading Bickell and Teravainen could give the Blackhawks the chance to keep both.
Teravainen was coming off a great 2015 postseason but he struggled this past regular season. He was moved around the lineup plenty, and at the trade deadline general manager Stan Bowman said he acquired Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann to give Teravainen the chance to settle in at third-line center. But that never materialized.
The 21-year-old Teravainen is entering the final year of his entry-level deal.
“We wish him well and it was a tough deal from that perspective when you have to give up a young player. By the same token, I like the fact that we’re acquiring some draft picks in this draft. And when we host the draft, the goal is to keep this thing going and have young players coming in,” Bowman said of Teravainen. “Even though Teuvo is young, it’s hard when you have young guys who are entering the final year of his first contract and then things get tricky when players get raises. We’re always looking for that next way.”
Bickell had a tremendous 2013 postseason, leading to him signing his current deal. But his play has steadily declined over the past three seasons. It reached a head last season when Bickell was sent to the Rockford IceHogs twice. After his first stint, on which he put up great offensive numbers, Bickell was recalled by the Blackhawks. But he didn’t get the same results in Chicago and was sent back to Rockford.
Will this end up being good or bad the Blackhawks? The biggest plus is it gives them the cap space they certainly needed. It also gives them a second-round pick this season (prior to this, they didn’t have a selection until the third round) and a third-round pick in 2017. But will trading Teravainen, specifically, be costly? Maybe what we saw in his game last season wasn’t just a blip; maybe he’s not going to be the player the Blackhawks hoped he would be. But if Teravainen gets his game back to the 2015 postseason level, it will be the Hurricanes’ boon.
The Blackhawks had some needs, especially with money. The salary cap may not be rising much this coming season. If they wanted to keep Shaw and Panarin, they had to make a big move to do so. Now they’ll see if it ends up being worth it.
Is re-signing Andrew Shaw next move for Blackhawks?
By Tracey Myers
Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen were traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick (50th overall) in this year’s NHL draft and a third-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft.
Bickell had one year remaining (a $4 million cap hit) on the four-year, $16 million deal he signed out of the 2013 Stanley Cup season. Teravainen is entering the final year of his deal ($894,166).
The Blackhawks now have approximately $61.8 million tied up in players for next season, according to generalfanager.com. Bowman said at the team’s closing meetings that he wanted to keep Andrew Shaw in the fold. Artemi Panarin, who had a fantastic rookie season with the Blackhawks, would become a restricted free agent following the 2017-18 season. Trading Bickell and Teravainen could give the Blackhawks the chance to keep both.
Teravainen was coming off a great 2015 postseason but he struggled this past regular season. He was moved around the lineup plenty, and at the trade deadline general manager Stan Bowman said he acquired Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann to give Teravainen the chance to settle in at third-line center. But that never materialized.
The 21-year-old Teravainen is entering the final year of his entry-level deal.
“We wish him well and it was a tough deal from that perspective when you have to give up a young player. By the same token, I like the fact that we’re acquiring some draft picks in this draft. And when we host the draft, the goal is to keep this thing going and have young players coming in,” Bowman said of Teravainen. “Even though Teuvo is young, it’s hard when you have young guys who are entering the final year of his first contract and then things get tricky when players get raises. We’re always looking for that next way.”
Bickell had a tremendous 2013 postseason, leading to him signing his current deal. But his play has steadily declined over the past three seasons. It reached a head last season when Bickell was sent to the Rockford IceHogs twice. After his first stint, on which he put up great offensive numbers, Bickell was recalled by the Blackhawks. But he didn’t get the same results in Chicago and was sent back to Rockford.
Will this end up being good or bad the Blackhawks? The biggest plus is it gives them the cap space they certainly needed. It also gives them a second-round pick this season (prior to this, they didn’t have a selection until the third round) and a third-round pick in 2017. But will trading Teravainen, specifically, be costly? Maybe what we saw in his game last season wasn’t just a blip; maybe he’s not going to be the player the Blackhawks hoped he would be. But if Teravainen gets his game back to the 2015 postseason level, it will be the Hurricanes’ boon.
The Blackhawks had some needs, especially with money. The salary cap may not be rising much this coming season. If they wanted to keep Shaw and Panarin, they had to make a big move to do so. Now they’ll see if it ends up being worth it.
Is re-signing Andrew Shaw next move for Blackhawks?
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks made their moves to free up cap space, sending Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Is re-signing Andrew Shaw next on the docket?
The Blackhawks made it very clear they wanted Shaw to return, and the feeling is mutual with Shaw. Thanks to the $4 million of cap space the Blackhawks get in trading Bickell, a new Shaw deal is that much more likely.
“Yeah, the way Andrew played, obviously we like what he brings to the table and we’d like to try and make something work," said general manager Stan Bowman. "This is a step in the right direction. We had to move Bickell to have some flexibility as we go into next season. But it’s still unknown where cap is going to be so tough to predict what happens over the next couple of weeks.”
Shaw’s agent Pat Brisson said via email that he should be talking to Bowman at the upcoming NHL Draft in Buffalo. By then the Blackhawks should know the 2016-17 salary cap. As of now, it may not go up, if at all, so any cap space the Blackhawks could get was critical.
Meanwhile, Artemi Panarin will become a restricted free agent following this season. The Blackhawks can’t negotiate with Panarin’s camp until July but Bowman said the two sides will definitely talk as soon as they can – if Panarin wants to talk about it this early.
“We’ve had that in the past where certain players have chosen not to want to engage until the season is over, which is their right. We’ll see what their interest level is,” Bowman said. “Obviously he had a fantastic season and we love what he brings to the table. We want to work out a contract with him but it’s pretty early here. We can’t get into it for another couple weeks but we’ll approach it.”
When the Blackhawks had their closing meetings in late April, Bowman said he wanted to keep Shaw in Chicago. Shaw said the same. At that time, the Blackhawks didn’t have much cap space. They do now. And while it seems likely this leads to a new deal for Shaw, Bowman is still in wait-and-see mode.
“I’ve had discussions with them and we’re working through that. We still don’t know what the parameters are for next year,” Bowman said. “I know everyone wants an answer to that [Shaw] question but it’s too hard to make guesses at this point.”
Blackhawks re-sign Richard Panik to one-year deal.
By Tracey Myers
Is re-signing Andrew Shaw next on the docket?
The Blackhawks made it very clear they wanted Shaw to return, and the feeling is mutual with Shaw. Thanks to the $4 million of cap space the Blackhawks get in trading Bickell, a new Shaw deal is that much more likely.
“Yeah, the way Andrew played, obviously we like what he brings to the table and we’d like to try and make something work," said general manager Stan Bowman. "This is a step in the right direction. We had to move Bickell to have some flexibility as we go into next season. But it’s still unknown where cap is going to be so tough to predict what happens over the next couple of weeks.”
Shaw’s agent Pat Brisson said via email that he should be talking to Bowman at the upcoming NHL Draft in Buffalo. By then the Blackhawks should know the 2016-17 salary cap. As of now, it may not go up, if at all, so any cap space the Blackhawks could get was critical.
Meanwhile, Artemi Panarin will become a restricted free agent following this season. The Blackhawks can’t negotiate with Panarin’s camp until July but Bowman said the two sides will definitely talk as soon as they can – if Panarin wants to talk about it this early.
“We’ve had that in the past where certain players have chosen not to want to engage until the season is over, which is their right. We’ll see what their interest level is,” Bowman said. “Obviously he had a fantastic season and we love what he brings to the table. We want to work out a contract with him but it’s pretty early here. We can’t get into it for another couple weeks but we’ll approach it.”
When the Blackhawks had their closing meetings in late April, Bowman said he wanted to keep Shaw in Chicago. Shaw said the same. At that time, the Blackhawks didn’t have much cap space. They do now. And while it seems likely this leads to a new deal for Shaw, Bowman is still in wait-and-see mode.
“I’ve had discussions with them and we’re working through that. We still don’t know what the parameters are for next year,” Bowman said. “I know everyone wants an answer to that [Shaw] question but it’s too hard to make guesses at this point.”
Blackhawks re-sign Richard Panik to one-year deal.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks spent Wednesday morning clearing salary-cap space. A few hours later, they spent a little of that money.
The team signed Richard Panik to a one-year deal. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.ca reported that Panik signed for $875,000, a $100,000 pay cut from what he earned last season.
The Blackhawks acquired Panik in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. Panik proved to be a solid utility player for the Blackhawks. He had six goals and two assists in 30 regular-season games and three assists in six postseason games.
“That was a nice surprise, if you want to call it that, the way Richard came in in the middle of the year. He was in the lineup first month or two, not a lot happened for him good or bad. Then he got his confidence and felt more comfortable as the year went down the stretch. I thought he played his best hockey in the playoffs, which is good for us,” general manager Stan Bowman said. “He’s able to do some things for us and he wanted to be part of it here and take the next step in his career.”
Everything we know about who the Blackhawks will protect in the Las Vegas expansion draft.
By Satchel Price
(Photo/Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
The NHL is reportedly coming to Las Vegas, so here's what we know about who the Blackhawks will be able to protect in the expansion draft.
For most teams figuring out how to prepare for the upcoming NHL expansion draft, which will help populate the roster of the new Las Vegas franchise, there are a lot of decisions to make. For the Blackhawks, who already have seven players tied up with no-movement clauses, the majority of their protected players list is already made up.
Based on the reported rules for the expansion draft, which have changed over the last few months, teams will be required to protect any player with a no-movement clause in his contract through the 2017-18 season. Chicago GM Stan Bowman has been fairly liberal in handing out those clauses to key players over the past few years, and the result is that much of the team's expansion draft situation is already laid out.
Still, there have been a lot of questions about who the Blackhawks will end up protecting, especially after the trade of Teuvo Teravainen, so let's dig in before the expansion process goes any further. Here's a look at the rules for the draft, who Chicago will need to protect and who we would protect with the team's remaining spots.
The rules
- Teams can protect seven forwards, three defenseman and one goaltender (11 players) or eight skaters and one goaltender (nine players).
- "Players with two years of professional experience or less will be exempt from the process. Determining who that covers is based on the definition included in the collective bargaining agreement – meaning that 10 games played in the NHL at age 18 or 19 counts as a season, as does any American Hockey League or NHL season for players older than that."
- They've added an experience criteria. "A minimum of two forwards and one defenseman must be exposed who have played 40 games the previous season, or a total of 70 over the previous two."
- Players holding no-movement clauses, including partial ones, that run through 2017-18 must be protected.
- Each team can only lose a maximum of one player.
HOWEVER, it's important to note that Bill Daly said Thursday -- right after publishing of this post, naturally -- that the reported rules for expansion draft aren't quite accurate.
So if the rules prove significantly different from what's used in this breakdown, we'll post something new reflecting the new rules and update this post.
The automatically exempt players
Before getting into who the Hawks need to protect, let's clarify who they won't need to protect. Based on the CBA's definition of professional service time, any player with less than two years experience in the NHL and/or AHL will be exempt. That's actually pretty great news for Chicago because it means that star forward Artemi Panarin, who will be completing his second NHL season in 2016-17, should be protected. The CBA doesn't include the KHL in accumulated professional service time like it does with the AHL, so Panarin will be among those who is automatically exempt and safe from Las Vegas.
Other crucial pieces who will be automatically protected include Vincent Hinostroza, Tyler Motte, Gustav Forsling and Tanner Kero. Hinostroza and Kero briefly played for Rockford in 2014-15 on amateur tryout contracts before making their full-season debuts on entry-level contracts in 2015-16. As such, they'll each only have two years of service time following the completion of the 2016-17 season and be exempt from the expansion draft. The same goes for any prospect signed this year, like Motte and Forsling.
The automatically protected players
Seven players on Chicago have partial or full no-movement clauses through 2017-18: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford. Those players will all be automatically protected in the expansion draft assuming they're all still on the team's roster by the end of the upcoming season.
Based on the 7-3-1 format, the Blackhawks wouldn't be able to protect anymore defensemen or goaltenders. Keith, Hjalmarsson and Seabrook would be the three blue liners Chicago protects, and Crawford would be the lone goaltender.
That leave the team with two options: protect two more players (including defensemen) or protect four more forwards.
Who else would we protect?
This depends on which route you take. The re-signing of Andrew Shaw would also add a significant wrinkle here because he would be another forward in need of protection. The Blackhawks would have some crucial defensemen go exposed if they choose the 7-3-1 route, but they would also be forced to leave talented forwards exposed if they opted for the nine-player route. Here's how each of those options would look.
The 7-3-1 route
Going the 7-3-1 route, one player seems like a lock to be protected: Artem Anisimov. The No. 2 center is really the only no-brainer option that you'd need to protect.
So that would leave three more spots.
One of those spots could go to center Marcus Kruger, depending on whether they would need him to meet the experience requirement. You would hope that depth guys like Richard Panik, Dennis Rasmussen and Brandon Mashinter would cover that, but Kruger could be left out there. The other forwards you would protect are probably former first-round pick Ryan Hartman, who has spent the past few years in the AHL and could be ready to make the NHL leap next season, and another one of the young forwards such as Kyle Baun. This year will be big for Hartman's future in Chicago, but among the pieces currently in house, he's the other forward you'd definitely protect.
And of course, if Shaw signs, then you'd protect Shaw, Anisimov, Kruger and Hartman.
The nine-player route
Given that protecting forwards like Panik and Hartman isn't exactly a major priority, the Blackhawks might decide they'd rather expose those players and protect a defenseman instead. Going the nine-player route, you have to assume that Artem Anisimov would take one of the two spots remaining. The other would presumably go to the team's best young defenseman, which is either Trevor van Riemsdyk or Ville Pokka.
However, going this route would not only expose Panik and Hartman, but a very useful player in Kruger (and potentially an Anisimov or Shaw if the latter signs) as well. Barring some trades that shake up the present make up of the roster, you have to ask whether it's worth protecting a TVR or Pokka to leave Kruger exposed. My immediate reaction is that you let Kruger go if it means keeping cost-controlled young blue liners.
The wrap-up
So to break it all back down for you, here are the two protected lists that could play out for the Blackhawks. One uses the 7-3-1 format that would allow the team to protect the maximum of 11 players, while the other would let the team protect more than three defensemen.
The 7-3-1 projection
Protected: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Marcus Kruger, Ryan Hartman, Kyle Baun, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook, Corey Crawford
Exempt: Artemi Panarin, Erik Gustafsson, Vincent Hinostroza, Tyler Motte, Gustav Forsling, Tanner Kero, Robin Norell, Luke Johnson, Carl Dahlstrom, Nolan Valleau, Michal Kempny, all unsigned prospects
Available: Trevor van Riemsdyk, Ville Pokke, Viktor Svedberg, David Rundblad, Dillon Fournier, Mac Carruth, Richard Panik
Note: Available players list does not meet playing time requirement, but we're assuming that between now and the expansion draft, there will be an additional forward who play 40-plus games in 2016-17 or 70-plus games in 2015-17. For example, Dennis Rasmussen played 44 games in 2016-17, so if he's re-signed and appears in 26 games next season, they would be good along with Panik and TVR. And hey, if they really needed to, Kruger could be left unprotected.
Note: Available players list does not meet playing time requirement, but we're assuming that between now and the expansion draft, there will be an additional forward who play 40-plus games in 2016-17 or 70-plus games in 2015-17. For example, Dennis Rasmussen played 44 games in 2016-17, so if he's re-signed and appears in 26 games next season, they would be good along with Panik and TVR. And hey, if they really needed to, Kruger could be left unprotected.
The nine-player projection
Protected: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov, Duncan Keith, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Brent Seabrook, Trevor van Riemsdyk/Ville Pokka, Corey Crawford
Exempt: Artemi Panarin, Erik Gustafsson, Vincent Hinostroza, Tyler Motte, Gustav Forsling, Tanner Kero, Robin Norell, Luke Johnson, Carl Dahlstrom, Nolan Valleau, Michal Kempny, all unsigned prospects
Available: Marcus Kruger, Ryan Hartman, Richard Panik, Trevor van Riemsdyk/Ville Pokke, Viktor Svedberg, David Rundblad, Dillon Fournier, Kyle Baun, Mac Carruth
So that's a general run through how the Blackhawks' situation with the expansion draft looks. The trade of Teravainen has made some impact because it takes away one piece in need of protection, although re-signing Andrew Shaw or bringing in outside help could leave the team with more expansion draft-eligible players. As such, this list will likely need updating at the end of the offseason, which we'll do when the time comes.
No matter what, the Hawks will likely be forced to leave some valuable players unprotected, and I'm guessing that's precisely how the NHL wanted it.
And because of all those no-movement clauses, there really aren't that many decisions for the Blackhawks to make. Either you go the 7-3-1 route and protect all of your good forwards at the expense of a solid, young defenseman, or you protect one of those young d-men and expose a couple forwards you wouldn't want to lose. It's important to remember that the team can only lose one player, though, so even if it exposed both TVR and Pokka, it's not like there's any risk of losing both of them.
Things will surely change a good deal before the 2017 expansion draft, from the final established rules by the league to the make up of the Blackhawks' roster, but this is where we're at. Expansion will hurt the Hawks to some degree, but hey, at least it appears they'd be losing a TVR and not a Toews.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Imagine the anxiety, the drama, the TV ratings if Bryce Harper, Dusty Baker, Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals stood in between the Cubs and their first trip to the World Series since the year World War II ended.
All the national media, Wrigleyville bar owners and Major League Baseball can do is dream about that October matchup after Wednesday night’s back-and-forth game finally ended in the 12th inning when Jayson Werth’s walk-off single banged off the center-field wall at Nationals Park for a 5-4 victory.
“Holy s---!” Werth told MASN on-field reporter Dan Kolko during the postgame interview that echoed throughout the stadium. Werth — who looks like a caveman with that long hair and thick beard — also had a message for anyone who doubted how much he had left at the age of 37: “Those people can kiss my ass!”
It sounded like Washington’s clubhouse leader spoke for his entire team after an intense game that lasted four hours and 17 minutes. The Nationals got payback after last month’s four-game sweep at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs walked Harper 13 times and got inside Washington’s head.
The Nationals (41-25) aren’t going to crown the Cubs, something Baker reminded the media this week, almost sounding like Dennis Green talking about the Bears. The Cubs (44-20) won the season series (5-2), but the Nationals exposed slight cracks in the foundation. And neither team will necessarily be the same after the trade deadline, much less four months from now.
“Maybe an October preview,” said Jason Hammel, who allowed one run and matched the undefeated Strasburg through the first seven innings. “These are the best teams in baseball going at it, exchanging punches.
“It was exciting. We had our chances to do it, and they answered back. That’s what you’re going to get out of two teams that know how (to) create something that’s not there.”
Like Washington pinch-hitter Stephen Drew lining setup guy Pedro Strop’s 94-mph fastball over the right-field wall for an eighth-inning home run that momentarily put the Nationals up 2-1.
Or Anthony Rizzo responding in the ninth inning by destroying a 79-mph pitch from lefty reliever Oliver Perez, the ball slamming off the small scoreboard above the right-field bullpen for a go-ahead two-run homer.
“I guess I will say it — it kind of had that playoff feel (where) you can’t take anything for granted,” Rizzo said. “That was a fun game. It was a crazy game. And the type of games you see in October.”
And then Harper burned Cubs closer Hector Rondon with a leadoff walk in the ninth inning, scoring from second base on Wilson Ramos’ two-out line-drive single into left field. Rondon got five outs and the win in Tuesday night’s 4-3 victory, but that’s now back-to-back blown saves against the Nationals.
“Our bullpen, we feel a little down, but we know that happens at some point in the season,” Rondon said. “It felt like a playoff game, so it’s good for us to get that mentality. We know when we’re there later in the season that we have to figure out how to win against those guys.”
Baker — who once managed the Cubs to within five outs of the National League pennant in 2003 — navigated through 12 innings without injured closer Jonathan Papelbon. But this isn’t just about old history or only 2016, either, because in some ways these are model organizations bursting with young, blue-chip talent that could make this a heated rivalry.
Albert Almora Jr. (age 22) and Addison Russell (age 22) manufactured a run against Washington’s Yusmeiro Petit in the 12th inning, again showing their sense of calm, love for the bright lights and baseball IQ. Almora led off with a single, hustled to second base on a wild pitch and scored on Russell’s clutch single up the middle, putting the Cubs up 4-3.
But Trevor Cahill and Adam Warren, the fifth and sixth relievers out of Joe Maddon’s bullpen, couldn’t get the final three outs, leaving the manager to put a positive spin on it.
“There’s nothing to cry about,” Maddon said. “They beat us. That happens sometimes. And you can’t try to dissect it any further than that. They won.”
After this three-city road trip, the Cubs flew back to Chicago, where they will face the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, the two teams they eliminated from last year’s playoffs, looking to build double-digit leads on their division rivals during a six-game homestand that begins Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
But the Cubs aren’t going to lose sight of the Nationals.
“They know they’re good,” Rondon said. “We’re almost the same kind of team. Hopefully we see those guys next time in the playoffs.”
CUBS: Willson Contreras gets the call to Chicago.
By Andy Behrens
Nope, this is not a drill. REPEAT: Not A DRILL. According to multiple reports, the Chicago Cubs are promoting catching prospect Willson Contreras from Triple-A. He's worth stashing his fantasy formats of any shape and size, unless you already happen to have a non-terrible backstop on your roster.
All the national media, Wrigleyville bar owners and Major League Baseball can do is dream about that October matchup after Wednesday night’s back-and-forth game finally ended in the 12th inning when Jayson Werth’s walk-off single banged off the center-field wall at Nationals Park for a 5-4 victory.
“Holy s---!” Werth told MASN on-field reporter Dan Kolko during the postgame interview that echoed throughout the stadium. Werth — who looks like a caveman with that long hair and thick beard — also had a message for anyone who doubted how much he had left at the age of 37: “Those people can kiss my ass!”
It sounded like Washington’s clubhouse leader spoke for his entire team after an intense game that lasted four hours and 17 minutes. The Nationals got payback after last month’s four-game sweep at Wrigley Field, where the Cubs walked Harper 13 times and got inside Washington’s head.
The Nationals (41-25) aren’t going to crown the Cubs, something Baker reminded the media this week, almost sounding like Dennis Green talking about the Bears. The Cubs (44-20) won the season series (5-2), but the Nationals exposed slight cracks in the foundation. And neither team will necessarily be the same after the trade deadline, much less four months from now.
“Maybe an October preview,” said Jason Hammel, who allowed one run and matched the undefeated Strasburg through the first seven innings. “These are the best teams in baseball going at it, exchanging punches.
“It was exciting. We had our chances to do it, and they answered back. That’s what you’re going to get out of two teams that know how (to) create something that’s not there.”
Like Washington pinch-hitter Stephen Drew lining setup guy Pedro Strop’s 94-mph fastball over the right-field wall for an eighth-inning home run that momentarily put the Nationals up 2-1.
Or Anthony Rizzo responding in the ninth inning by destroying a 79-mph pitch from lefty reliever Oliver Perez, the ball slamming off the small scoreboard above the right-field bullpen for a go-ahead two-run homer.
“I guess I will say it — it kind of had that playoff feel (where) you can’t take anything for granted,” Rizzo said. “That was a fun game. It was a crazy game. And the type of games you see in October.”
And then Harper burned Cubs closer Hector Rondon with a leadoff walk in the ninth inning, scoring from second base on Wilson Ramos’ two-out line-drive single into left field. Rondon got five outs and the win in Tuesday night’s 4-3 victory, but that’s now back-to-back blown saves against the Nationals.
“Our bullpen, we feel a little down, but we know that happens at some point in the season,” Rondon said. “It felt like a playoff game, so it’s good for us to get that mentality. We know when we’re there later in the season that we have to figure out how to win against those guys.”
Baker — who once managed the Cubs to within five outs of the National League pennant in 2003 — navigated through 12 innings without injured closer Jonathan Papelbon. But this isn’t just about old history or only 2016, either, because in some ways these are model organizations bursting with young, blue-chip talent that could make this a heated rivalry.
Albert Almora Jr. (age 22) and Addison Russell (age 22) manufactured a run against Washington’s Yusmeiro Petit in the 12th inning, again showing their sense of calm, love for the bright lights and baseball IQ. Almora led off with a single, hustled to second base on a wild pitch and scored on Russell’s clutch single up the middle, putting the Cubs up 4-3.
But Trevor Cahill and Adam Warren, the fifth and sixth relievers out of Joe Maddon’s bullpen, couldn’t get the final three outs, leaving the manager to put a positive spin on it.
“There’s nothing to cry about,” Maddon said. “They beat us. That happens sometimes. And you can’t try to dissect it any further than that. They won.”
After this three-city road trip, the Cubs flew back to Chicago, where they will face the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, the two teams they eliminated from last year’s playoffs, looking to build double-digit leads on their division rivals during a six-game homestand that begins Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
But the Cubs aren’t going to lose sight of the Nationals.
“They know they’re good,” Rondon said. “We’re almost the same kind of team. Hopefully we see those guys next time in the playoffs.”
CUBS: Willson Contreras gets the call to Chicago.
By Andy Behrens
Nope, this is not a drill. REPEAT: Not A DRILL. According to multiple reports, the Chicago Cubs are promoting catching prospect Willson Contreras from Triple-A. He's worth stashing his fantasy formats of any shape and size, unless you already happen to have a non-terrible backstop on your roster.
Contreras has been scorching-hot all season at Iowa, slashing .350/.439/.591 with nine homers, 28 extra-base hits, 40 runs scored and 43 RBIs. He’s bringing a 20-game hitting streak with him to the big leagues, too. Contreras raked at Double-A Tennessee last season, hitting .333/.413/.478 over 126 games, so we know the bat is legit.
How often will he actually play for the Cubs, while vets Miguel Montero and David Ross are both healthy? Yeah, OK, that’s a very good question.
Contreras arrives as a part-timer, but he’s almost certainly the best hitter among Chicago’s trio of catchers. Montero is batting .210 for the season and just .185 in June. It’s awfully tough to imagine the Cubs calling up Contreras simply to sit and watch. Ross will obviously continue to caddie for Jon Lester, but it won’t be much of a surprise if the 24-year-old poaches a few of Montero’s assignments.
Again, if you’ve been dissatisfied with the year-to-date performance of your fantasy catcher (as most of us have), then give Contreras a look. He’s a potential impact bat, available in 85 percent of Yahoo leagues as of this writing. He’ll get his first taste of big league pitching in a weekend series against Pittsburgh.
White Sox hope to build off series win over Tigers.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Those good vibes are back in the White Sox clubhouse.
Now they must retain them.
Previously unable to find an escape route from a month-long downward spiral, this week the White Sox rediscovered the energy that propelled them to a fantastic start and rode it to only their second series victory in their last 11. Twice in three days, the White Sox rallied — once improbably — to beat the Detroit Tigers and snap a four-series losing streak.
It was the perfect remedy for a high-energy team that recently has struggled with the ups and downs of the roller coaster. And it couldn’t have come at a better time as the team is still hovering at .500 and remains within striking distance of first place. The White Sox open a three-game series at first-place Cleveland on Friday night.
“As bad as we’ve been, look where we’re at,” White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale said on Wednesday. “We’re in a good spot. We still have most of the season left.
"You can’t get down on yourself or throw parties any time you win or lose. It’s a long season, and we’re not going to the World Series tomorrow and we’re not going to the World Series yesterday. It’s a marathon, and you can’t falter early on and get down on yourself because of what’s going on. There’s a lot of baseball left, and you have to build confidence and keep pushing forward.”
The effort has been present during a 10-23 span that mirrored a 23-10 start to the season. The preparation has, too.
But the confidence has wavered at times.
With what occurred in Kansas City and Detroit and how against the Royals and Indians, how couldn’t it?
Whereas the White Sox executed their pitches, made all the ordinary defensive plays and produced in the clutch in April, the well ran dry. One day they’d get pitching but no hitting and vice versa the next. The stretch has been difficult to handle for a team that has proven to run hot and cold.
“Terrible,” catcher Dioner Navarro said. “Terrifying. It didn’t matter what we did, we were going to fall short.”
Once a focal point of the team’s success, the bullpen has received its share of lumps in the process. The team’s relievers posted a 1.69 ERA in their first 69 1/3 innings.
The White Sox started off 20-0 in games they led after seven innings. But over the last month, the White Sox lost three of 10 games when they led after seven in part because a heavily taxed bullpen has a 4.37 ERA over the last 127 2/3 innings.
Those kinds of stretches can play tricks on the psyches of even the most battled-tested of players.
“It can really grind on you mentally, physically,” closer David Robertson said. "Sometimes you look at things you shouldn’t be looking at to figure out what you’re doing wrong when really it’s just nothing. You’re just having some bad luck and things aren’t going your way any more.”
To an extent, players have had to retrain their way of thinking.
It hasn’t been easy.
The first month of games produced a cornucopia of high-profile team celebrations in the dugout and in the clubhouse. Whether it was Matt Albers slapping himself in the head during his franchise-record scoreless streak, Todd Frazier and Navarro keeping the clubhouse loud and lively or Brett Lawrie’s emotions spilling all over the field, the White Sox rode their highs high. That’s not as easy to maintain over a 162-game season. It becomes even more difficult when good feelings are few and far between.
Still, players managed.
“These guys have adjusted to it really well,” Robertson said. “No one is giving up. The fight is still in everyone. We’re playing hard.”
Said Navarro: “The best way is to show up every day and battle. It sucks to go through the stretch we went, but it’s a long season. We started really hot and then we hit a bump. We’ve just got to even that up and try to keep the roller coaster as even as possible. We’re going to lose a lot of more games. So we’ve just got to minimize that to one game at a time and win series.”
They also have to take advantage of the good feelings when they resurfaced.
The White Sox recaptured some of their magic in a series win over the New York Mets earlier this month. But they couldn’t sustain the momentum in Detroit as an offense playing without Melky Cabrera and Austin Jackson looked lifeless.
Those same vibes resurfaced the last three days against the Tigers, and the White Sox capitalized. They rallied from seven runs down Monday, made a game of it despite an eight-run deficit on Tuesday and came from behind to win on Wednesday.
Now it becomes a question of whether or not they can hold on to it again and get on another roll.
“That game the other day when we came back, it was just a different,” Frazier said. “Something just clicks. You can’t explain it. It just didn’t seem like we were going to lose that game. Other games that we’re down 7-0 it’s like, ‘Ah, this is gonna be a long one.’
“All of a sudden the positive energy just comes back.
“It’s just weird. It’s tough to explain. Just keep on winning, keep on rolling.”
Chris Sale, Tim Anderson lead White Sox to series win over Tigers. (Wednesday night's game, 06/15/2016).
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Chris Sale stopped yet another bad streak on Wednesday night.
But it wouldn’t have occurred without Tim Anderson and the White Sox offense.
Sale worked around a shaky third inning to deliver seven strong and the White Sox rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in front of 20,292 at U.S. Cellular Field.
It is only the second series win for the White Sox in their last 11 and it took another comeback and RBIs from five different hitters to achieve it. Instead, of falling a season-worst two games under .500, the White Sox improved to 33-33 behind a three-hit, three-run performance by Anderson. David Robertson earned his 16th save in 18 tries and Sale struck out seven and improved to 11-2.
“Everybody is chipping in,” Sale said. “It’s nice to be able to sit in the dugout and know, ‘Hey, I might have faltered a little bit and took a little stutter step, but my guys are right there to pick me up behind me.’
“Those guys coming up big for me and the team tonight — it’s huge.”
Losers in nine of their last 10 series, the White Sox were in desperate need of a victory.
Anderson did his part to provide the spark for the White Sox, who fell behind 3-1 when Sale struggled in the third and allowed three runs and five hits.
Anderson led off three of four innings with hits and scored three of the team’s first four runs. Combined with the effective hitting of Adam Eaton behind him, Anderson’s speed helped the White Sox produce just enough offense.
He opened the first inning with an infield single before Mike Pelfrey hit Eaton with a pitch. One out later, Melky Cabrera’s sac fly put the White Sox ahead 1-0.
Down a run in the fifth, Anderson ignited a game-tying rally with a leadoff triple and scored on Eaton’s RBI groundout. He also singled in the seventh and scooted to third on a ground-rule double by Eaton, who reached base three times in five trips.
Todd Frazier’s one-out, bases-loaded sac fly scored Anderson and put the White Sox ahead 4-3. Frazier, who also walked and scored a run in the fourth on a Brett Lawrie RBI groundout, said Tuesday’s day off helped him refocus.
The White Sox added an insurance run in the eighth on J.B. Shuck’s one-out RBI triple.
The effort was the third consecutive complete one produced by the White Sox offense.
They rallied from seven runs down to win Monday’s game and nearly came back from an eight-run deficit on Tuesday. The White Sox scored 23 runs and had 35 hits in the series.
“That whole at-bat I didn’t feel any pressure and it felt pretty good to be honest with you,” Frazier said. “It’s just the way it goes. It could be one thing. It might even be Tim Anderson coming in here and rejuvenating our team or Chris Sale doing what he had to do today. We just can’t explain it. When you’re struggling, something just clicks and it’s just weird.”
Sale’s third-inning hiccup was the outlier on Wednesday.
He retired the side in order in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings.
But for one inning, Sale looked as if he might not survive long.
Leading 1-0, Sale allowed four straight hits to start the third inning, including a two-run, opposite-field homer to Jose Iglesias.
The first out of the inning recorded by Sale was on an assist by Shuck, who threw out James McCann at home with the aid of a nice block of the plate by Dioner Navarro.
With two outs and a man on second, the White Sox intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single to give Detroit a 3-1 lead.
But Sale didn’t bend any further.
“Sometimes a team can get an inning together and it just falls into that part where you can’t get out of it real quickly,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “But it could have been worse. Once he got through that, it seemed better.”
Sale struck out J.D. Martinez to end the third inning and retired 13 of the last 15 hitters he faced — six via strikeouts. Along the way, Sale moved from eighth in franchise history to sixth with 1,104 strikeouts.
Sale allowed six hits and three earned runs in seven innings.
But Sale knows he wouldn’t have won for the 11th time in 13 decisions without his offense picking up the slack.
“You dig your guys in a hole,” Sale said. “Not only do they come back and get you out of it, but they get you a win as well.
“Hopefully (the series win) gives us a little boost going forward.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... LeBron, Cavs bowl over Warriors to force Game 7.
By Chris Mannix
The greatness of LeBron James is measurable. Four MVPs, two championships, a scoring title and a regular place on the All-NBA first team are irrefutable evidence of basketball immortality. Yet this Finals has shown that James is not done layering that résumé yet. One game after saving the Cavaliers’ season with a 41-point, 16-rebound effort in Game 5, James pushed Cleveland to the cusp of its first championship in franchise history with a 41-point, 11-assist, eight-rebound effort in the Cavaliers’ 115-101 win over the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night.
"He had another unbelievable game," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "That's what we expect of LeBron, and that's what he's been doing his whole career. So, one more game, and we need another one out of him."
Cleveland set the tone in the first quarter, attacking Golden State’s undersized lineup. Warriors coach Steve Kerr elected to replace injured 7-foot center Andrew Bogut with 6-6 Andre Iguodala, opening the game with Golden State’s vaunted “death lineup.” But with no interior defender, Cleveland went to the basket relentlessly. James and Kyrie Irving — one game removed from becoming the first pair of teammates to score 40-plus in the same Finals game — continued that effectiveness in Game 6. The Cavs scored 31-points — 12 in the paint — and connected on 57.1 percent of their shots in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers’ defense in the first quarter was even better: Cleveland held the Warriors to 11 points — a season low for a quarter — on 22.7 percent shooting.
Golden State came alive in the second quarter, paced by Curry, who picked up two fouls in the first quarter and was limited to just three points. The reigning MVP shook off some early tentativeness to score 15 points in the second. A 20-point lead was quickly whittled to eight with four minutes to go in the half. Cleveland rallied, though, turning errant Warriors jump shots into transition opportunities and pushing the lead back to 16 at halftime. A surprise contributor, seldom-used reserve Dahntay Jones, chipped in five points in three minutes in the second quarter.
Cleveland controlled most of the third, continuing to attack the paint. Golden State hoped to get a boost from Draymond Green, who returned to the lineup following a one-game suspension. Yet Green was largely ineffective, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds. James and Irving scored on a steady diet of one-on-one plays to keep the pace. Yet Golden State surged again, backed by eight points from Klay Thompson in the final 91 seconds of the quarter to cut the lead to nine at the end of the third.
James, though, would not be denied. He poured in 10 points in the first seven minutes of the fourth and handed out three of his game-high 11 assists. An Irving free throw late in the fourth ended a stretch of James scoring or assisting on 27 consecutive Cavaliers points.
"It's LeBron being LeBron," Lue said. "He's one of the greatest of all times."
With just under five minutes left and the Cavaliers up 13, James blocked a Curry layup attempt, barking in Curry’s direction. Minutes later, Curry was gone, ejected by referee Jason Phillips after throwing his mouthpiece after picking up his sixth personal foul.
"Yeah, I'm happy he threw his mouthpiece," Kerr said. "He should be upset. Look, it's the Finals and everybody's competing out there. There are fouls on every play. It's a physical game.
"He had every right to be upset. He's the MVP of the league. He gets six fouls called on him, three of them were absolutely ridiculous."
As Curry walked off the floor following his ejection, he appeared to gesture toward James, with James following him down the Warriors' end of the floor.
Game 7, here we come.
The three teams that make the most sense as landing spot for Derrick Rose.
But it wouldn’t have occurred without Tim Anderson and the White Sox offense.
Sale worked around a shaky third inning to deliver seven strong and the White Sox rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in front of 20,292 at U.S. Cellular Field.
It is only the second series win for the White Sox in their last 11 and it took another comeback and RBIs from five different hitters to achieve it. Instead, of falling a season-worst two games under .500, the White Sox improved to 33-33 behind a three-hit, three-run performance by Anderson. David Robertson earned his 16th save in 18 tries and Sale struck out seven and improved to 11-2.
“Everybody is chipping in,” Sale said. “It’s nice to be able to sit in the dugout and know, ‘Hey, I might have faltered a little bit and took a little stutter step, but my guys are right there to pick me up behind me.’
“Those guys coming up big for me and the team tonight — it’s huge.”
Losers in nine of their last 10 series, the White Sox were in desperate need of a victory.
Anderson did his part to provide the spark for the White Sox, who fell behind 3-1 when Sale struggled in the third and allowed three runs and five hits.
Anderson led off three of four innings with hits and scored three of the team’s first four runs. Combined with the effective hitting of Adam Eaton behind him, Anderson’s speed helped the White Sox produce just enough offense.
He opened the first inning with an infield single before Mike Pelfrey hit Eaton with a pitch. One out later, Melky Cabrera’s sac fly put the White Sox ahead 1-0.
Down a run in the fifth, Anderson ignited a game-tying rally with a leadoff triple and scored on Eaton’s RBI groundout. He also singled in the seventh and scooted to third on a ground-rule double by Eaton, who reached base three times in five trips.
Todd Frazier’s one-out, bases-loaded sac fly scored Anderson and put the White Sox ahead 4-3. Frazier, who also walked and scored a run in the fourth on a Brett Lawrie RBI groundout, said Tuesday’s day off helped him refocus.
The White Sox added an insurance run in the eighth on J.B. Shuck’s one-out RBI triple.
The effort was the third consecutive complete one produced by the White Sox offense.
They rallied from seven runs down to win Monday’s game and nearly came back from an eight-run deficit on Tuesday. The White Sox scored 23 runs and had 35 hits in the series.
“That whole at-bat I didn’t feel any pressure and it felt pretty good to be honest with you,” Frazier said. “It’s just the way it goes. It could be one thing. It might even be Tim Anderson coming in here and rejuvenating our team or Chris Sale doing what he had to do today. We just can’t explain it. When you’re struggling, something just clicks and it’s just weird.”
Sale’s third-inning hiccup was the outlier on Wednesday.
He retired the side in order in the first, second, fourth and seventh innings.
But for one inning, Sale looked as if he might not survive long.
Leading 1-0, Sale allowed four straight hits to start the third inning, including a two-run, opposite-field homer to Jose Iglesias.
The first out of the inning recorded by Sale was on an assist by Shuck, who threw out James McCann at home with the aid of a nice block of the plate by Dioner Navarro.
With two outs and a man on second, the White Sox intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single to give Detroit a 3-1 lead.
But Sale didn’t bend any further.
“Sometimes a team can get an inning together and it just falls into that part where you can’t get out of it real quickly,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “But it could have been worse. Once he got through that, it seemed better.”
Sale struck out J.D. Martinez to end the third inning and retired 13 of the last 15 hitters he faced — six via strikeouts. Along the way, Sale moved from eighth in franchise history to sixth with 1,104 strikeouts.
Sale allowed six hits and three earned runs in seven innings.
But Sale knows he wouldn’t have won for the 11th time in 13 decisions without his offense picking up the slack.
“You dig your guys in a hole,” Sale said. “Not only do they come back and get you out of it, but they get you a win as well.
“Hopefully (the series win) gives us a little boost going forward.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... LeBron, Cavs bowl over Warriors to force Game 7.
By Chris Mannix
The greatness of LeBron James is measurable. Four MVPs, two championships, a scoring title and a regular place on the All-NBA first team are irrefutable evidence of basketball immortality. Yet this Finals has shown that James is not done layering that résumé yet. One game after saving the Cavaliers’ season with a 41-point, 16-rebound effort in Game 5, James pushed Cleveland to the cusp of its first championship in franchise history with a 41-point, 11-assist, eight-rebound effort in the Cavaliers’ 115-101 win over the Warriors in Game 6 on Thursday night.
"He had another unbelievable game," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "That's what we expect of LeBron, and that's what he's been doing his whole career. So, one more game, and we need another one out of him."
Cleveland set the tone in the first quarter, attacking Golden State’s undersized lineup. Warriors coach Steve Kerr elected to replace injured 7-foot center Andrew Bogut with 6-6 Andre Iguodala, opening the game with Golden State’s vaunted “death lineup.” But with no interior defender, Cleveland went to the basket relentlessly. James and Kyrie Irving — one game removed from becoming the first pair of teammates to score 40-plus in the same Finals game — continued that effectiveness in Game 6. The Cavs scored 31-points — 12 in the paint — and connected on 57.1 percent of their shots in the first quarter.
The Cavaliers’ defense in the first quarter was even better: Cleveland held the Warriors to 11 points — a season low for a quarter — on 22.7 percent shooting.
Golden State came alive in the second quarter, paced by Curry, who picked up two fouls in the first quarter and was limited to just three points. The reigning MVP shook off some early tentativeness to score 15 points in the second. A 20-point lead was quickly whittled to eight with four minutes to go in the half. Cleveland rallied, though, turning errant Warriors jump shots into transition opportunities and pushing the lead back to 16 at halftime. A surprise contributor, seldom-used reserve Dahntay Jones, chipped in five points in three minutes in the second quarter.
Cleveland controlled most of the third, continuing to attack the paint. Golden State hoped to get a boost from Draymond Green, who returned to the lineup following a one-game suspension. Yet Green was largely ineffective, finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds. James and Irving scored on a steady diet of one-on-one plays to keep the pace. Yet Golden State surged again, backed by eight points from Klay Thompson in the final 91 seconds of the quarter to cut the lead to nine at the end of the third.
James, though, would not be denied. He poured in 10 points in the first seven minutes of the fourth and handed out three of his game-high 11 assists. An Irving free throw late in the fourth ended a stretch of James scoring or assisting on 27 consecutive Cavaliers points.
"It's LeBron being LeBron," Lue said. "He's one of the greatest of all times."
With just under five minutes left and the Cavaliers up 13, James blocked a Curry layup attempt, barking in Curry’s direction. Minutes later, Curry was gone, ejected by referee Jason Phillips after throwing his mouthpiece after picking up his sixth personal foul.
"Yeah, I'm happy he threw his mouthpiece," Kerr said. "He should be upset. Look, it's the Finals and everybody's competing out there. There are fouls on every play. It's a physical game.
"He had every right to be upset. He's the MVP of the league. He gets six fouls called on him, three of them were absolutely ridiculous."
As Curry walked off the floor following his ejection, he appeared to gesture toward James, with James following him down the Warriors' end of the floor.
Game 7, here we come.
The three teams that make the most sense as landing spot for Derrick Rose.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Basketball Insiders writer Steve Kyler wrote this morning that the “Bulls are actively open to moving guard Derrick Rose."
The news that the Bulls are shopping Rose is not surprising given his injury history and that the former MVP has one year left on his contract. If the Bulls believe he will leave (or if they have no intention of re-signing him) then it makes sense to try and get something in return for him now before his value diminishes. As a rule, even if Rose has a great season, you won’t get much in return for him as a trade deadline rental next February.
The main question then becomes, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rose? Here are the criteria for any team that would realistically approach the Bulls in trade talks for the Chicago native.
1. Cap space, and plenty of it.
Reason: Rose is due $21.3 million next season. The Bulls don’t want to take on a bad contract in return, so any team trading for Rose would have to be able to absorb his contract into its 2016-17 cap space.
Eliminates: Thunder, Spurs, Raptors, Warriors, Cavs, Clippers
2. Lack of a star already at point.
Reason: Let’s be honest. Any team that trades for Rose believes that he’s an upgrade over their current point guard. The Blazers aren’t trading for Rose just to backup Damian Lillard.
Eliminates: Blazers, Pistons, Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Wizards, Hornets, Pelicans, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies (Note: Memphis may lose Mike Conley in free agency. If they do, they’ll need PG help)
3. No potential star that a team is trying to develop.
Reason: A team that is trying to develop a young point guard isn’t going to trade for Rose unless they believe that adding Rose will catapult them from the lottery into the playoffs.
Eliminates: Lakers, Nuggets, Magic, Jazz
4. No central division teams.
Reason: Can you imagine if Rose plays 70 games next season and puts up 20 and 6 a night in a different uniform? The last thing the Bulls front office wants is to trade Rose to a division opponent and get torched by him four times a season.
Eliminates: Pacers, Bucks
5. Your new head of basketball operations is a former Bulls coach who had a messy divorce with the Bulls front office.
Reason: Do your job
Alternate reason: More than enough to win
Eliminates: Wolves
6. Must have worthwhile asset to offer.
Reason: Unless the Bulls want to just dump Rose’s salary, they will want some compensation in return. Likely a mid-to-late first round pick or a rotation player.
Eliminates: Nets (seriously, have you looked at their roster?)
This leaves us with just three teams that are viable trade options: the Kings (who will likely lose Rondo), Sixers, and Knicks. All things equal, the Bulls would likely prefer the Kings because you only have to play Rose twice and there’s no threat of facing him in the playoffs.
The Kings are also interesting because the Bulls reportedly rejected a trade deadline offer for Pau Gasol that centered around Ben McLemore and big man Kosta Koufos. The Bulls could request that the protection be lifted off the 2017 pick that the Kings owe Chicago (top-10 protected) but the Sixers would have to get involved since they have the right to swap picks with Sacramento courtesy of the Nik Stauskas trade. It’s messy, and wouldn’t be an easy part of the deal to pull off.
The Knicks and Sixers have both the assets and cap space. Philadelphia is especially intriguing because they have the 24th and 26th picks in the first round and could be willing to part with one (or both) for Rose. It’s well-known that Philly believes it can be a playoff team next season and drafting two projects at the end of the first round doesn’t fit into its post-process plans. The danger here is that it’s widely considered to be a weak draft but Gar Forman and John Paxson have shown they can pick gems at the end of the first round.
There is no pressure to trade Rose, he is still loved by the average fan, and he believes he has a lot left to give a team. For any trade to work, both teams have to feel they are getting good value in return. This is not a Deng-salary-dump-to-Cleveland situation. Trading Rose would be a bold move, especially for a front office that is not known for making ‘big’ trades.
The news that the Bulls are shopping Rose is not surprising given his injury history and that the former MVP has one year left on his contract. If the Bulls believe he will leave (or if they have no intention of re-signing him) then it makes sense to try and get something in return for him now before his value diminishes. As a rule, even if Rose has a great season, you won’t get much in return for him as a trade deadline rental next February.
The main question then becomes, which teams make sense as a landing spot for Rose? Here are the criteria for any team that would realistically approach the Bulls in trade talks for the Chicago native.
1. Cap space, and plenty of it.
Reason: Rose is due $21.3 million next season. The Bulls don’t want to take on a bad contract in return, so any team trading for Rose would have to be able to absorb his contract into its 2016-17 cap space.
Eliminates: Thunder, Spurs, Raptors, Warriors, Cavs, Clippers
2. Lack of a star already at point.
Reason: Let’s be honest. Any team that trades for Rose believes that he’s an upgrade over their current point guard. The Blazers aren’t trading for Rose just to backup Damian Lillard.
Eliminates: Blazers, Pistons, Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Wizards, Hornets, Pelicans, Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies (Note: Memphis may lose Mike Conley in free agency. If they do, they’ll need PG help)
3. No potential star that a team is trying to develop.
Reason: A team that is trying to develop a young point guard isn’t going to trade for Rose unless they believe that adding Rose will catapult them from the lottery into the playoffs.
Eliminates: Lakers, Nuggets, Magic, Jazz
4. No central division teams.
Reason: Can you imagine if Rose plays 70 games next season and puts up 20 and 6 a night in a different uniform? The last thing the Bulls front office wants is to trade Rose to a division opponent and get torched by him four times a season.
Eliminates: Pacers, Bucks
5. Your new head of basketball operations is a former Bulls coach who had a messy divorce with the Bulls front office.
Reason: Do your job
Alternate reason: More than enough to win
Eliminates: Wolves
6. Must have worthwhile asset to offer.
Reason: Unless the Bulls want to just dump Rose’s salary, they will want some compensation in return. Likely a mid-to-late first round pick or a rotation player.
Eliminates: Nets (seriously, have you looked at their roster?)
This leaves us with just three teams that are viable trade options: the Kings (who will likely lose Rondo), Sixers, and Knicks. All things equal, the Bulls would likely prefer the Kings because you only have to play Rose twice and there’s no threat of facing him in the playoffs.
The Kings are also interesting because the Bulls reportedly rejected a trade deadline offer for Pau Gasol that centered around Ben McLemore and big man Kosta Koufos. The Bulls could request that the protection be lifted off the 2017 pick that the Kings owe Chicago (top-10 protected) but the Sixers would have to get involved since they have the right to swap picks with Sacramento courtesy of the Nik Stauskas trade. It’s messy, and wouldn’t be an easy part of the deal to pull off.
The Knicks and Sixers have both the assets and cap space. Philadelphia is especially intriguing because they have the 24th and 26th picks in the first round and could be willing to part with one (or both) for Rose. It’s well-known that Philly believes it can be a playoff team next season and drafting two projects at the end of the first round doesn’t fit into its post-process plans. The danger here is that it’s widely considered to be a weak draft but Gar Forman and John Paxson have shown they can pick gems at the end of the first round.
There is no pressure to trade Rose, he is still loved by the average fan, and he believes he has a lot left to give a team. For any trade to work, both teams have to feel they are getting good value in return. This is not a Deng-salary-dump-to-Cleveland situation. Trading Rose would be a bold move, especially for a front office that is not known for making ‘big’ trades.
Bullish Jimmy Butler on facing former coach Tom Thibodeau: 'I'm going to try to whoop his ass'.
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jimmy Butler has been a popular name as the rumor mill continues to churn prior to next week’s NBA Draft. The Bulls shooting guard, who is looking forward to next season in Chicago, discussed all of the trade rumors, what went wrong last season and how he and Derrick Rose can co-exist as a guest on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Wednesday.
During the conversation Butler was asked if he would be rooting for his former head coach Tom Thibodeau to succeed in Minnesota.
“Am I rooting for him? I'm rooting for the Bulls," Butler said. "I'm rooting for my team. When we go up against Thibs, oh yeah, I'm going to try to whoop his ass, definitely.”
Criticism of Butler’s former head coach Tom Thibodeau, now coaching the Timberwolves, was a topic that surfaced during the conversation with Simmons.
“Obviously I have a lot of respect for Thibs. I have zero bad things to say about him,” Butler told Simmons. “I might have had some bad things to say about him my rookie year when he didn't play me. Really love the guy. Really respect him. And he studies the game so incredibly well, he's going to get the young guys to buy in to guarding and playing hard.” Simmons then asked what the biggest misconception about Thibodeau is.
"People always try to criticize him for playing his guys too much. But, I mean at the end of the day we wanted to come out of the game we really could. I think guys just loved to play basketball that it doesn't really hit you until afterwards.”
“He always wants to put the team that he's coaching in the best position to win. That's why he may play guys 48 minutes. I never once complained about it. All I ever wanted to do was play whenever I was a rookie. When I didn't play all I ever wanted to do was play. Then he plays me 48 minutes. I can't complain because I asked for it.”
It's obvious Butler respects Thibodeau for how he shaped his career, but it's also clear the highly competitive NBA star is eager to get a crack at him as an opponent next season.
Golf: I got a club for that..... U.S. Open 2016: Andrew Landry leads rain-shortened first round at Oakmont.
During the conversation Butler was asked if he would be rooting for his former head coach Tom Thibodeau to succeed in Minnesota.
“Am I rooting for him? I'm rooting for the Bulls," Butler said. "I'm rooting for my team. When we go up against Thibs, oh yeah, I'm going to try to whoop his ass, definitely.”
Criticism of Butler’s former head coach Tom Thibodeau, now coaching the Timberwolves, was a topic that surfaced during the conversation with Simmons.
“Obviously I have a lot of respect for Thibs. I have zero bad things to say about him,” Butler told Simmons. “I might have had some bad things to say about him my rookie year when he didn't play me. Really love the guy. Really respect him. And he studies the game so incredibly well, he's going to get the young guys to buy in to guarding and playing hard.” Simmons then asked what the biggest misconception about Thibodeau is.
"People always try to criticize him for playing his guys too much. But, I mean at the end of the day we wanted to come out of the game we really could. I think guys just loved to play basketball that it doesn't really hit you until afterwards.”
“He always wants to put the team that he's coaching in the best position to win. That's why he may play guys 48 minutes. I never once complained about it. All I ever wanted to do was play whenever I was a rookie. When I didn't play all I ever wanted to do was play. Then he plays me 48 minutes. I can't complain because I asked for it.”
It's obvious Butler respects Thibodeau for how he shaped his career, but it's also clear the highly competitive NBA star is eager to get a crack at him as an opponent next season.
Golf: I got a club for that..... U.S. Open 2016: Andrew Landry leads rain-shortened first round at Oakmont.
Sporting News
The U.S. Open rookie jumped out to an early lead at Oakmont even though thunderstorms disrupted play. (Photo/Sporting News)
Rain and lightning dominated the day at Oakmont on Thursday as the first round of the U.S. Open was cut short after the third stoppage of play.
Andrew Landry, 28, burst out of the gates with five birdies in his first 13 holes. The Arkansas grad, who is ranked 624th in the world, bogeyed two holes after the second weather delay to drop back to 3 under, but he holds the lead by one shot over Bubba Watson and Danny Lee.
Despite the shaky weather, Landry looked calm and determined Thursday. Still without a top-25 finish on the PGA Tour throughout his career, Landry might be one of the most unlikely first-round leaders in the field.
But Landry also has a chance for birdie on his final hole when play resumes on Friday.
Watson made headlines early on Thursday when he drained an 80-foot putt on the par-4 10th hole for his third straight birdie. Watson, who still has four holes left in his first round, has five birdies and three bogeys through 14 holes.
Lee didn't get a lot of attention Thursday, but the talented New Zealander is 2 under through 13 holes without a bogey on his scorecard.
Missing from the top of the leaderboard are some of the game's brightest stars. Jordan Spieth, the defending champion, is currently 1 over in a tie for 16th. Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Danny Willett are 4 over and quickly falling out of contention. Rickie Fowler was the worst of them all. The 27-year-old is 6 over through 12 holes.
Lee Westwood leads a group of four players tied for fourth at 1 under. The Englishman, who has carried the mantle of greatest player never to win a major for over a decade, made an eagle on the par-4 14th.
Oakmont was in fabulous condition before the torrential rain came rumbling through. The greens were quick and the fairways were green. The course will lose a bit of its bite with the water soaking up the greens, but the rough will be thicker and scores should remain high.
The afternoon wave never got to tee off in Round 1, but that just makes for a more entertaining final three days as the weather forecast is much more promising.
Storms throw this U.S. Open into chaos.
By Ryan Ballengee
This U.S. Open has been thrown into chaos.
After two rain delays on Thursday which were mere pestilences, delaying the action by about an hour each, the expected major thunderstorms rolled through Oakmont late in the afternoon. The players were pulled off the golf course, and the fans were permitted to take their place, walking down and through and around the fairways to find cover and leave the property. Not too long into the third weather delay, Day 1 play was halted.
Mother Nature has changed everything for this 156-player field.
On Friday morning, the 69 unfinished players in the originally intended first-round first wave will come back to finish up their Round 1. As they're wrapping up, the 78 players who were supposed to head out this afternoon will finally hit the course.
They'll play their 18-hole rounds -- barring a pop-up storm that's not in the forecast right now for Friday -- and then that group will be sent out immediately afterward to kick off Round 2.
How far we get beyond that is uncertain at this point, subject to when play will be able to resume on Friday, but it's a safe bet that second round will not be completed as scheduled.
That means the second round spills over into Saturday, and that would mean the intended late-early, early-late setup of the first two days has to change.
Players who started their first rounds today will have gone off in the morning wave today, with some playing briefly late in the day on Friday, coming back on Saturday to finish.
The players who didn't see the course today will get to start sometime later in the morning or early afternoon on Friday, playing their 18 holes and getting in as many as possible before kicking off the Saturday action.
However, all of this doesn't mean we're destined for a Monday finish -- at least in regulation.
There's still time to catch up on Saturday, or even Sunday, to get back on schedule. The USGA can choose to have players go off in threesomes, or off Nos. 1 and 10, or both, for the third round. They could employ any or all of those options again, if necessary, for the final round.
No matter how the USGA gets this tournament back on schedule, there's always the possibility of a playoff. It would be an 18-hole playoff that, plausibly, would start the day after the regulation 72-hole portion ends. And, it just so happens, that this venue has a tendency to produce tight finishes. Since Ben Hogan won by six here in 1953, the U.S. Open at Oakmont was decided in a playoff twice (1962, '94) and by one shot three times (1974, '83, 2007).
Regardless of whether we have a tie after four rounds, we're going to be cutting it close for a Sunday finish. How far we might spill farther into next week is anyone's guess.
NASCAR: Dale Jr. looks to recharge, discusses Michigan wreck.
Andrew Landry, 28, burst out of the gates with five birdies in his first 13 holes. The Arkansas grad, who is ranked 624th in the world, bogeyed two holes after the second weather delay to drop back to 3 under, but he holds the lead by one shot over Bubba Watson and Danny Lee.
Despite the shaky weather, Landry looked calm and determined Thursday. Still without a top-25 finish on the PGA Tour throughout his career, Landry might be one of the most unlikely first-round leaders in the field.
But Landry also has a chance for birdie on his final hole when play resumes on Friday.
Watson made headlines early on Thursday when he drained an 80-foot putt on the par-4 10th hole for his third straight birdie. Watson, who still has four holes left in his first round, has five birdies and three bogeys through 14 holes.
Lee didn't get a lot of attention Thursday, but the talented New Zealander is 2 under through 13 holes without a bogey on his scorecard.
Missing from the top of the leaderboard are some of the game's brightest stars. Jordan Spieth, the defending champion, is currently 1 over in a tie for 16th. Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Danny Willett are 4 over and quickly falling out of contention. Rickie Fowler was the worst of them all. The 27-year-old is 6 over through 12 holes.
Lee Westwood leads a group of four players tied for fourth at 1 under. The Englishman, who has carried the mantle of greatest player never to win a major for over a decade, made an eagle on the par-4 14th.
Harris English, Kevin Streelman and amateur Scottie Scheffler, who finished his round as the leader in the clubhouse, are also at 1 under..@WestwoodLee found the bottom of the hole with his approach shot for an eagle on No. 14. #USOpen https://t.co/GHUrn1WoNU— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2016
Oakmont was in fabulous condition before the torrential rain came rumbling through. The greens were quick and the fairways were green. The course will lose a bit of its bite with the water soaking up the greens, but the rough will be thicker and scores should remain high.
The afternoon wave never got to tee off in Round 1, but that just makes for a more entertaining final three days as the weather forecast is much more promising.
Storms throw this U.S. Open into chaos.
By Ryan Ballengee
This U.S. Open has been thrown into chaos.
After two rain delays on Thursday which were mere pestilences, delaying the action by about an hour each, the expected major thunderstorms rolled through Oakmont late in the afternoon. The players were pulled off the golf course, and the fans were permitted to take their place, walking down and through and around the fairways to find cover and leave the property. Not too long into the third weather delay, Day 1 play was halted.
Mother Nature has changed everything for this 156-player field.
On Friday morning, the 69 unfinished players in the originally intended first-round first wave will come back to finish up their Round 1. As they're wrapping up, the 78 players who were supposed to head out this afternoon will finally hit the course.
They'll play their 18-hole rounds -- barring a pop-up storm that's not in the forecast right now for Friday -- and then that group will be sent out immediately afterward to kick off Round 2.
How far we get beyond that is uncertain at this point, subject to when play will be able to resume on Friday, but it's a safe bet that second round will not be completed as scheduled.
That means the second round spills over into Saturday, and that would mean the intended late-early, early-late setup of the first two days has to change.
Players who started their first rounds today will have gone off in the morning wave today, with some playing briefly late in the day on Friday, coming back on Saturday to finish.
The players who didn't see the course today will get to start sometime later in the morning or early afternoon on Friday, playing their 18 holes and getting in as many as possible before kicking off the Saturday action.
However, all of this doesn't mean we're destined for a Monday finish -- at least in regulation.
There's still time to catch up on Saturday, or even Sunday, to get back on schedule. The USGA can choose to have players go off in threesomes, or off Nos. 1 and 10, or both, for the third round. They could employ any or all of those options again, if necessary, for the final round.
No matter how the USGA gets this tournament back on schedule, there's always the possibility of a playoff. It would be an 18-hole playoff that, plausibly, would start the day after the regulation 72-hole portion ends. And, it just so happens, that this venue has a tendency to produce tight finishes. Since Ben Hogan won by six here in 1953, the U.S. Open at Oakmont was decided in a playoff twice (1962, '94) and by one shot three times (1974, '83, 2007).
Regardless of whether we have a tie after four rounds, we're going to be cutting it close for a Sunday finish. How far we might spill farther into next week is anyone's guess.
NASCAR: Dale Jr. looks to recharge, discusses Michigan wreck.
By Staff report, NASCAR.com
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series off weekend could not have come at a better time for Dale Earnhardt Jr. after a 39th-place wreck-induced finish in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
"Damn, I needed one," Earnhardt said on Dirty Mo Radio's "The Dale Jr. Download." "I'm going to have some fun. Get my battery recharged for the rest of the year because we don't have another off week until August. This break couldn't have come at a better time. I was cooked. All the bad luck we've had, racing hasn't been a whole lot of fun lately.
"We took off at the start of the year, having such a good time and really enjoying everything that was going on. This break, hopefully, will give us a chance to reset, come back with a good attitude. Get some points back, get some good finishes back in the bank."
After five top-eight finishes in the season's first nine races, Dale Jr. has had three finishes of 32nd-or-worse in the past six races. The latest a result of a three-car incident involving Chris Buescher (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) and AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet) on Lap 61 with a No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that Junior believed to be a "solid top 10 car." On the podcast, Junior explained what happened and why he took issue with Buescher's role in it.
"Went down the front straightaway going into (Turn) 1, the 47 (AJ Allmendinger) got loose and went real high. I went underneath him in the middle lane to try and challenge the position shortly after a restart. The 34 (Chris Buescher) was underneath me on the bottom and he got pretty loose. I seen him coming and he clipped a car and I couldn't keep it out of the fence. We got hooked up with the 47 I think and got into the wall pretty hard.
"I was real mad and I'm mad at Chris because you know, you try to take care of each other there. I know when I drive my car I try to think when I'm going into the corner, 'Am I going to bust my ass and take this guy out?' I mentally have concern for not only my well-being but his. You don't want to ruin anybody's race. I know Chris didn't want to ruin my race and Chris probably is disappointed it happened. And I know that I made mistakes and everybody does but it doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion about it when it happens. If anybody wants to give me any (expletive) about being upset, you'd be singing my tune if you was riding shotgun when that car hit the fence.
"It's easy to sit on the couch and play armchair quarterback. I'm not going to hold it against Chris. I like the guy. I've talked to him several times. He's a nice guy. He's a good racer and just made a mistake and cost us a big chunk of points. I still think we're a good team. We're going to be OK. We can't have a lot of bad luck but things like this are out of our control. Can't help getting taken out, wadded up. We just got to do what we can in the races we can run good at and take care of ourselves."
"Damn, I needed one," Earnhardt said on Dirty Mo Radio's "The Dale Jr. Download." "I'm going to have some fun. Get my battery recharged for the rest of the year because we don't have another off week until August. This break couldn't have come at a better time. I was cooked. All the bad luck we've had, racing hasn't been a whole lot of fun lately.
"We took off at the start of the year, having such a good time and really enjoying everything that was going on. This break, hopefully, will give us a chance to reset, come back with a good attitude. Get some points back, get some good finishes back in the bank."
After five top-eight finishes in the season's first nine races, Dale Jr. has had three finishes of 32nd-or-worse in the past six races. The latest a result of a three-car incident involving Chris Buescher (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford) and AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet) on Lap 61 with a No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that Junior believed to be a "solid top 10 car." On the podcast, Junior explained what happened and why he took issue with Buescher's role in it.
"Went down the front straightaway going into (Turn) 1, the 47 (AJ Allmendinger) got loose and went real high. I went underneath him in the middle lane to try and challenge the position shortly after a restart. The 34 (Chris Buescher) was underneath me on the bottom and he got pretty loose. I seen him coming and he clipped a car and I couldn't keep it out of the fence. We got hooked up with the 47 I think and got into the wall pretty hard.
"I was real mad and I'm mad at Chris because you know, you try to take care of each other there. I know when I drive my car I try to think when I'm going into the corner, 'Am I going to bust my ass and take this guy out?' I mentally have concern for not only my well-being but his. You don't want to ruin anybody's race. I know Chris didn't want to ruin my race and Chris probably is disappointed it happened. And I know that I made mistakes and everybody does but it doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion about it when it happens. If anybody wants to give me any (expletive) about being upset, you'd be singing my tune if you was riding shotgun when that car hit the fence.
"It's easy to sit on the couch and play armchair quarterback. I'm not going to hold it against Chris. I like the guy. I've talked to him several times. He's a nice guy. He's a good racer and just made a mistake and cost us a big chunk of points. I still think we're a good team. We're going to be OK. We can't have a lot of bad luck but things like this are out of our control. Can't help getting taken out, wadded up. We just got to do what we can in the races we can run good at and take care of ourselves."
Crew chief Greg Ives took to Twitter on Sunday night to shoulder the blame for the team's qualifying woes. The 88 team started Sunday's race 27th on the grid and Earnhardt's 16.8 average starting position is his worst since 2011.
"Greg is going to put that on his shoulders and take a lot of the blame for that but ... I don't quite agree with it." Earnhardt later added that "Greg and those guys are working their guts out. They are a good team, full of good guys and they deserve a lot of respect."
Junior is heading out of town for the off weekend as evidenced by a Twitter photo of he and fiancée Amy Reimann at the airport. Last year's June off weekend saw the pair get engaged.
And when the 41-year-old returns, he knows the task at hand as he sits 11th in points and winless after back-to-back seasons of four and three wins, respectively.
"Richmond (site of the regular-season finale and the season's 26th race) is going to be here before we know it and we don't want be sitting at Richmond having to run, having to finish X to make the Chase. I mean that's crazy for a team like us, I just feel like that's insane. We are definitely a top-10 team easy, maybe even a top-five team. We can run with them when we put it all together so I got good confidence that things are going to work out."
NASCAR: Full schedule for Iowa.
By Staff report, NASCAR.com
The NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race at Iowa Speedway this week, while the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off. Check out the full weekend schedule below.
Note: All times are ET
FRIDAY, JUNE 17:
-- 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS2 (Follow live)
-- 4:30-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, FS2, moves to FS1 at 5 p.m. (Follow live)
-- 6-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 7-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
SATURDAY, JUNE 18:
-- 4:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS2 (Follow live)
-- 6:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FS2, moves to FS1 at 7 p.m. (Follow live)
-- 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Speediatrics 200 (200 laps, 175 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
SUNDAY, JUNE 19:
-- 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 Presented by Enogen (250 laps, 218.75 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
Note: All times are ET
FRIDAY, JUNE 17:
-- 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, FS2 (Follow live)
-- 4:30-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice, FS2, moves to FS1 at 5 p.m. (Follow live)
-- 6-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
-- 7-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice, FS1 (Follow live)
SATURDAY, JUNE 18:
-- 4:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FS2 (Follow live)
-- 6:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FS2, moves to FS1 at 7 p.m. (Follow live)
-- 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Speediatrics 200 (200 laps, 175 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
SUNDAY, JUNE 19:
-- 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 Presented by Enogen (250 laps, 218.75 miles), FS1 (Follow live)
SOCCER: Fire survive in U.S. Open Cup via penalty shootout.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
In the lead up to the Chicago Fire's U.S. Open Cup opener, both coach Veljko Paunovic and general manager Nelson Rodriguez talked about how important the tournament was for the club.
Paunovic backed that up by selecting a nearly full strength lineup Wednesday against Indy Eleven. Johan Kappelhof, who has played every minute of Major League Soccer play this season, was the only healthy regular that did not start and even he came off the bench to play right back from the 74th minute on.
Despite fielding a near full strength lineup at home against a second tier side, the Fire needed penalties to get the win after it was tied 1-1 after 120 minutes of play.
Paunovic backed that up by selecting a nearly full strength lineup Wednesday against Indy Eleven. Johan Kappelhof, who has played every minute of Major League Soccer play this season, was the only healthy regular that did not start and even he came off the bench to play right back from the 74th minute on.
Despite fielding a near full strength lineup at home against a second tier side, the Fire needed penalties to get the win after it was tied 1-1 after 120 minutes of play.
David Accam, who leveled the match in extra time, had the clinching penalty kick to send the Fire to the final 16 of the tournament after winning 4-3 in the shootout.
"I believe that for us having this tough test was actually a test of our mentality," Paunovic said. "We knew from the very first start that it was going to be the most important skill to have today, was mental toughness. I think in the end we did well, especially when we were down."
Kennedy Igboananike opened the penalty shootout ominously for the Fire by skying his attempt over the bar, but Matt Lampson stopped Indy Eleven’s third and fourth attempts to give the Fire the lead.
“As a goalkeeper you want to make one save out of five," Lampson said. "That’s your goal when you go into penalty kick shootouts. With us missing the first one I knew that we needed more than one save. Luckily I had the opportunity to do it and help our team win.
"To go down a goal in extra time and actually get another one, that does not happen a lot and that shows the character of this team so I’m really proud of these guys.”
In addition to Accam, Khaly Thiam, Brandon Vincent and Nick LaBrocca converted penalty kicks for the Fire.
Accam also played the hero in extra time by cancelling out Justin Braun’s 105th minute go-ahead goal. Accam was able to weave through a pair of defenders and score on a deflected shot in the 111th minute.
"We need this win for our confidence, to have the fans behind us," Accam said. "I think going down one in extra time is difficult, but I think we have a strong mentality. To come back and win on PKs is huge for us.”
The Fire got off to a slow start, looking like a team that hadn't played in two-and-a-half weeks. After about 20 minutes, the Fire started to create more chances and finished with 26 shots, eight on target. The closest chance was when Thiam played a low cross to Accam, which Accam hit off the crossbar with his first touch.
Indy's output towards goal was about half the Fire's, with 14 shots and four on target.
“I think just poor finishing from us in the 90 minutes we played," Accam said. "For us, we need to do better on our finishing. There’s no excuse today. We have to finish our chances."
Matt Polster, who was subbed off at halftime, suffered a concussion according to Paunovic. Paunovic said the team still needs to determine how severe it is to give his availability going forward.
The draw for the next round of the U.S. Open Cup will take place Thursday at approximately 11 a.m.
Final four! USA knocks off Ecuador, 2-1, to reach Copa America semis.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
The U.S. national team has achieved Jurgen Klinsmann’s pre-stated goal of reaching the semifinals of the 2016 Copa America Centenario.
Klsinamnn’s USMNT knocked off an extremely game Ecuador side in a thrilling, end-to-end, 10-man-versus-10-man thriller in front of 47,322 spectators at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash., courtesy of goals scored by Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes.
It took the Stars and Stripes a bit of time to find their footing, as disaster nearly struck for the USMNT after a quarter-hour. Geoff Cameron, in a moment that stirred up memories of his costly mistake against Portugal at the 2014 World Cup. A terrible giveaway just outside the USMNT penalty area resulted in a quick and easy Ecuadorian counter-attack that should have resulted in a shot on goal.
The Yanks then went ahead on a bit of silky build-up courtesy of Bobby Wood and Jermaine Jones in the 22nd minute. Wood ran at two defenders down the left side of the penalty area, held the ball up at the end line and cut it back to the top of the 18-yard box, where Jones hit a curling, first-time cross toward the penalty spot. Clint Dempsey rose above the crowd and thumped a thunderous header back across the face of goal in front of a whole bunch of Seattle Sounders supporters.
The USMNT’s best chance to go up 2-0 in the first half came and went in the 42nd minute, when Alejandro Bedoya latched onto a through ball from Dempsey and hit a first-time, left-footed strike toward the back post. The contact wasn’t great, though, and Alexander Dominguez made the save rather easily.
The second half began with Ecuador ringing USMNT alarm bells in the 48th minute. Enner Valencia found himself in acres of space inside the penalty area for the first time all night, but the West Ham United ace’s glancing header went wide of Brad Guzan‘s left-hand post, mercifully so.
Both teams were reduced to 10 men four minutes later, when Antonio Valencia kicked out at Bedoya, earning himself a second yellow card. Jones followed up with a hand to the face of the Manchester United wide man, and saw straight red. Bobby Wood picked up his second yellow card of the tournament a minute later, meaning he’ll be suspended for the semifinals. Bedoya did the same in the 73rd minute, meaning he’ll also be suspended.
With 65 minutes gone, it was Wood and Dempsey who once again played their parts in the build-up to an USMNT goal. Wood latched onto a ball down the left flank which resulted in a cross from Matt Besler to Gyasi Zardes at the far post. Zardes headed the ball back across the penalty area to Dempsey, who went on a driving run toward the end line and hit a shot/cross to the far post for Zardes to slam home into an empty net.
Ecuador pulled a goal back in the 74th minute, taking advantage of the USMNT’s lack of an extra man defending on set pieces. Walter Ayovi played a simple free kick from the end line to Michael Arroyo at the top of the 18-yard-box, and Arroyo hit a low blazer that made its way through traffic and snuck inside Guzan’s right-hand post.
The USMNT will face the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between Argentina and Venezuela (7 p.m. ET), Tuesday night (9 p.m. ET) in Houston, Tex.
NCAAFB: New coach Lovie Smith bars Illini from scooters.
By DAVID MERCER
When he got to campus back in March, Lovie Smith counted 50 or 60 players who owned scooters.
You can still see a handful of the compact, two-wheeled vehicles parked by Illinois' indoor training facility.
But by the time practice starts in August, they will be gone. Smith's orders.
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears coach is banning his players from riding scooters, bringing what he said is both a touch of NFL-style discipline and concern for his those players to the Big Ten campus.
''Think about this - we have game week going on and a guy is riding a scooter with no helmet,'' Smith said, adding that few if any of the players he saw riding were wearing helmets. ''I would also have a hard time calling a parent (if a player was injured), and I'm responsible for the guy.''
While pro sports teams can and, through their contracts, do restrict activities that could result in injury, scooters are popular among college athletes on many campuses. Bans are so far rare, and perhaps even unique to Illinois. Charlotte Hornets player Frank Kaminsky drew plenty of attention while still playing at Wisconsin when ESPN published photos of the 6-11 center sharing a small scooter with Bucky Badger.
The Illinois football team the past few years has had a lot of scooter riders. Linemen who weigh near 300 pounds zipping away from practice - sometimes two to a scooter - was a common site on the south side of campus. Quarterback Wes Lunt said in a spring 2015 interview with Champaign TV station WCIA that he first had one when he was enrolled at Oklahoma State, before his transfer to Illinois.
''I came here and I bet 40 guys had it,'' Lunt said.
Some of the Hondas, Yamahas and Genuines ridden by Illinois players were either sold or serviced by Sam Selle's Sportland Motorsports in Urbana.
Players tend to prefer smaller scooters with 50 cc engines that will travel at maximum speeds of about 40 mph, Selle said. The loss of a relative handful of potential scooter customers will not mean much to his business, Selle said. The rest of the 40,000 students on campus are still free to buy.
But he'll miss seeing football players in his shop.
''We like talking to them, and we're all football fans and enjoy talking to them,'' Selle said.
So far, at least, none of Illinois' other athletes face a scooter ban, sports information director Kent Brown said.
Smith said he made the decision to do away with his players' favored two-wheeled transportation shortly after he was hired, and announced it with no discussion.
''It's a team rule. It's not a democracy,'' he said, adding that he doesn't believe his players are being deprived. ''There's an old fashioned way to get around, on a bike.''
Notre Dame will give out No. 1 jersey on weekly basis.
By Nick Bromberg
Notre Dame will give out No. 1 jersey on weekly basis. (Photo/yahoosports.com)
There will be multiple players wearing No. 1 for Notre Dame in 2016.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday on an appearance on WSBT 96.1 FM that the team would be awarding the number on a weekly basis throughout the season.
"No. 1 we’re going to hand out from week to week," Kelly said. "And that’s going to be the player that exemplifies himself both on and off the field in a manner that represents all the things we want a Notre Dame football player to represent."
No player on the Notre Dame roster is listed wearing No. 1.
If you'd like to listen to Kelly's full remarks regarding the jersey numbers, zoom to the 32-minute mark of the link above.)
Not only will No. 1 be a rotating jersey, the Irish will use a similar system to determine who wears Nos. 2-9 for the season. Kelly said a merit system based on both on and off-field accomplishments will be kept because of the demand for the numbers.
"And I’d go out on the road and we’re closing deals with guys to come to Notre Dame and the first question [would be] ‘Can I get a number 4?’ Or a number 5 or a number 6," Kelly said. "And of course, now they’re defensive linemen asking for single digit numbers.
"It got to the point where I said what we’re going to do is compete for single digits"
Defensive linemen are probably asking for single digits because of Louis NIx III. The 340-pound defensive tackle wore No. 1 through his senior season in 2013. Former Notre Dame running back Greg Bryant wore No. 1 after Nix did. Bryant transferred to UAB after he was declared ineligible for the 2015 season and was shot and killed on a Florida interstate in May.
NCAABKB: Inside College Hoops: More teams need to schedule like UNC and Kansas do.
By Gary Parrish
Kansas and UNC are playing tough non-conference games and more schools should follow their lead.
College basketball schedules are starting to be finalized and announced. And I was pleased to learn this week that two big brands -- Kansas and North Carolina -- are playing relatively challenging non-league schedules.
I tip my hat to them.
And I wish more schools would at least try to follow that lead.
There are lots of things that limit the popularity of college basketball -- among them the reality that the top players rarely return to school after they establish themselves as top players, as well as the fact that a good chunk of the season is overshadowed by football. But another issue is scheduling -- specifically how the majority of good teams spend much of their non-league schedules playing absolute mismatches.
Absolute. Mismatches.
Take almost any school ranked in the preseason of almost any college basketball poll, and what you'll find is that they're going to be double-digit favorites throughout their non-league schedule way more often than not. Arguably the best example from last season is Arizona, which was ranked 12th in the preseason. The Wildcats played a total of 13 non-league games. They were at least 11.5-point favorites in 10 of the 13, at least 16.5-point favorites in eight of the 13. Their non-league strength of schedule ranked 303rd nationally, according to KenPom. And they ended up winning nine of their 13 non-league games by double-digits.
Does that sound interesting to anybody?
In fairness, this is not unique to Sean Miller's program.
Kentucky played 13 non-league games last season. The Wildcats were a double-digit favorite in nine of the 13, at least 20-point favorites in seven of the 13. And they won nine of the 13 by double-digits. Meantime, Maryland also played 13 non-league games last season. The Terps were a double-digit favorite in nine of the 13, at least a 19-point favorite in six of the 13. And they won 10 of the 13 by double-digits.
So on and so forth, this is college basketball.
Too many good teams playing too many bad games.
To be clear, this is somewhat the result of the nature of the sport and not always the byproduct of coaches deliberately scheduling just to stack easy wins. The problem with college basketball, you see, is that there are too many schools in Division I -- like about 200 too many -- and most Power-5 institutions have to schedule a certain number of "buy games" to create a season-ticket package that'll produce revenue. So I get it. I totally understand. But if the people who care about the sport ever truly want to enhance the sport, this is one of the things that should be addressed.
How can we get good teams to play other good teams more often?
There's not a simple answer to that question, I don't think.
But I'd love for college basketball's power brokers to at least search for one.
FIVE OTHER THINGS ON GP'S MIND
1. Good on California, and coach Cuonzo Martin, for granting Jordan Mathews an unconditional release this week. That's the way all schools should handle transfers. They should never be restricted by an institution's pettiness or paranoia.
2. One of the best transfers on the market right now is former Kentucky forward Marcus Lee. I'm told it's basically down to California and Washington. And the smart money is on Cal, if only because its campus is so close to Lee's California home.
3. It was nice to see the NCAA grant Illinois guard Tracy Abrams a sixth season of eligibility this week because he's been so terribly unlucky. Abrams missed all of the 2014-15 season with a torn ACL, then missed the entire 2015-16 season with a torn Achilles tendon. The last time he played a game was March 23, 2014. With fingers crossed, I wish him a healthy final year of college.
4. Akolda Manyang left Oklahoma officials no choice. They had to dismiss him after he allegedly assaulted a cab driver this week and was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery -- only a month after he was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and battery for allegedly punching a former Oklahoma football player. I can't defend any of that stuff. But, man, this is such a sad story that seems to feature a young man spiraling after his older brother committed suicide during the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully Manyang gets whatever help he needs. But these types of stories don't typically end well.
5. Thoughts are with the family of former Oklahoma State player and UTSA coach Brooks Thompson, who died Thursday. Three months ago, he was coaching in the Conference USA Tournament. Now he's dead from complications of organ failure at the age of 45. That doesn't seem fair or right.
FINAL THOUGHT: Kentucky coach John Calipari was mostly merely stumping for one of his former players when he said this week that the Sixers should take Jamal Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
It was just Calipari being Calipari.
I tip my hat to them.
And I wish more schools would at least try to follow that lead.
There are lots of things that limit the popularity of college basketball -- among them the reality that the top players rarely return to school after they establish themselves as top players, as well as the fact that a good chunk of the season is overshadowed by football. But another issue is scheduling -- specifically how the majority of good teams spend much of their non-league schedules playing absolute mismatches.
Absolute. Mismatches.
Take almost any school ranked in the preseason of almost any college basketball poll, and what you'll find is that they're going to be double-digit favorites throughout their non-league schedule way more often than not. Arguably the best example from last season is Arizona, which was ranked 12th in the preseason. The Wildcats played a total of 13 non-league games. They were at least 11.5-point favorites in 10 of the 13, at least 16.5-point favorites in eight of the 13. Their non-league strength of schedule ranked 303rd nationally, according to KenPom. And they ended up winning nine of their 13 non-league games by double-digits.
Does that sound interesting to anybody?
In fairness, this is not unique to Sean Miller's program.
Kentucky played 13 non-league games last season. The Wildcats were a double-digit favorite in nine of the 13, at least 20-point favorites in seven of the 13. And they won nine of the 13 by double-digits. Meantime, Maryland also played 13 non-league games last season. The Terps were a double-digit favorite in nine of the 13, at least a 19-point favorite in six of the 13. And they won 10 of the 13 by double-digits.
So on and so forth, this is college basketball.
Too many good teams playing too many bad games.
To be clear, this is somewhat the result of the nature of the sport and not always the byproduct of coaches deliberately scheduling just to stack easy wins. The problem with college basketball, you see, is that there are too many schools in Division I -- like about 200 too many -- and most Power-5 institutions have to schedule a certain number of "buy games" to create a season-ticket package that'll produce revenue. So I get it. I totally understand. But if the people who care about the sport ever truly want to enhance the sport, this is one of the things that should be addressed.
How can we get good teams to play other good teams more often?
There's not a simple answer to that question, I don't think.
But I'd love for college basketball's power brokers to at least search for one.
FIVE OTHER THINGS ON GP'S MIND
1. Good on California, and coach Cuonzo Martin, for granting Jordan Mathews an unconditional release this week. That's the way all schools should handle transfers. They should never be restricted by an institution's pettiness or paranoia.
2. One of the best transfers on the market right now is former Kentucky forward Marcus Lee. I'm told it's basically down to California and Washington. And the smart money is on Cal, if only because its campus is so close to Lee's California home.
3. It was nice to see the NCAA grant Illinois guard Tracy Abrams a sixth season of eligibility this week because he's been so terribly unlucky. Abrams missed all of the 2014-15 season with a torn ACL, then missed the entire 2015-16 season with a torn Achilles tendon. The last time he played a game was March 23, 2014. With fingers crossed, I wish him a healthy final year of college.
4. Akolda Manyang left Oklahoma officials no choice. They had to dismiss him after he allegedly assaulted a cab driver this week and was charged with first-degree aggravated robbery -- only a month after he was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and battery for allegedly punching a former Oklahoma football player. I can't defend any of that stuff. But, man, this is such a sad story that seems to feature a young man spiraling after his older brother committed suicide during the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully Manyang gets whatever help he needs. But these types of stories don't typically end well.
5. Thoughts are with the family of former Oklahoma State player and UTSA coach Brooks Thompson, who died Thursday. Three months ago, he was coaching in the Conference USA Tournament. Now he's dead from complications of organ failure at the age of 45. That doesn't seem fair or right.
FINAL THOUGHT: Kentucky coach John Calipari was mostly merely stumping for one of his former players when he said this week that the Sixers should take Jamal Murray with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
It was just Calipari being Calipari.
Ichiro surpasses Pete Rose's career-hit mark in true Ichiro fashion. What's Your Take?
By Mike Oz
One of the things that has made Ichiro a legendary hitter is his ability to put the ball where the defense isn't. He proved that yet again Wednesday while collecting his history-making 4,256th and 4,257th career hits.
By Mike Oz
One of the things that has made Ichiro a legendary hitter is his ability to put the ball where the defense isn't. He proved that yet again Wednesday while collecting his history-making 4,256th and 4,257th career hits.
Ichiro's single to tie Rose wasn't the most glorious hit you'll ever seen — far from it, actually — but a single is a single. He then doubled into the gap in the ninth inning, getting a big ovation from the crowd at San Diego's Petco Park.
There's an important caveat to all this, of course: 1,278 of Ichiro's hits came in Japan, so they don't hold the same weight as Rose's, which all came in MLB. Rose is still the "Hit King." He owns the official record, but Ichiro's pursuit of his own version of 4,256 was nonetheless a noteworthy chase.
As for the hits themselves: Ichiro led off the game by tapping a pitch down the first-base line and beating it out. Not glamorous. Not one of the gappers we've seen so many times over the years. But keep in mind that's a 42-year-old speeding down to first base. Give the credit where it's due.
Later we saw one of the gappers: He smashed a double to right field in the top of the ninth inning, as the Marlins tried to stage a comeback before their eventual 6-3 loss.
Now that Ichiro has eclipsed Rose's 4,256 mark, you can expect a mixture of Ichiro salutes and Rose devotees trying to downplay the accomplishment. Rose himself recently said Ichiro's hit count isn't quite on this level, telling USA Today:
“It sounds like in Japan,’’ Rose told USA TODAY Sports, “they’re trying to make me the Hit Queen. I’m not trying to take anything away from Ichiro, he’s had a Hall of Fame career, but the next thing you know, they’ll be counting his high-school hits.
“I don’t think you’re going to find anybody with credibility say that Japanese baseball is equivalent to major-league baseball. There are too many guys that fail here, and then become household names there, like Tuffy Rhodes. How can he not do anything here, and hit (a record-tying) 55 home runs (in 2001) over there?
“It has something to do with the caliber of personnel.’’
Rose isn't wrong. But that doesn't mean Ichiro celebrations are misguided either.
This may not be the final celebration for Ichiro this year. He's at 2,979 hits in his MLB career, getting closer by the day to the magic 3,000-mark. That's one celebration that no one will deny. Not even Pete Rose.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Would like to know: As stated in the above article, Ichiro has passed Pete Rose as baseball's all-time hit leader. Some question whether he is truly the hits leader as 1,278 of his hits were from his playing days in Japan. Does it really matter where he got the hits? With his play in MLB, would he have had more hits if he had played his whole career here? No one can say. We would love to hear our readers thoughts on who they feel the real hits leader is? Please review the statistics and share your position with us. Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know, what's your take?
This may not be the final celebration for Ichiro this year. He's at 2,979 hits in his MLB career, getting closer by the day to the magic 3,000-mark. That's one celebration that no one will deny. Not even Pete Rose.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Would like to know: As stated in the above article, Ichiro has passed Pete Rose as baseball's all-time hit leader. Some question whether he is truly the hits leader as 1,278 of his hits were from his playing days in Japan. Does it really matter where he got the hits? With his play in MLB, would he have had more hits if he had played his whole career here? No one can say. We would love to hear our readers thoughts on who they feel the real hits leader is? Please review the statistics and share your position with us. Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know, what's your take?
We love hearing your thoughts.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1943 - Joe Cronin (Boston Red Sox) pinch hit a home run in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's.
1960 - Ted Williams hit his 500th career home run.
1971 - Don Kessinger (Chicago Cubs) went 6-6 against St. Louis.
1976 - It was announced that the NBA and ABA would merge.
1990 - Harry Gant became the oldest driver to win a NASCAR race.
1994 - O.J. Simpson drove his Ford Bronco across Los Angeles with police in pursuit and millions of people watching live on television. After the slow speed chase ended Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
1995 - The New Jersey Devils set an NHL playoff record with nine road wins.
2012 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at the Michigan International Speedway. It was his first win in four years and 143 races.
1960 - Ted Williams hit his 500th career home run.
1971 - Don Kessinger (Chicago Cubs) went 6-6 against St. Louis.
1976 - It was announced that the NBA and ABA would merge.
1990 - Harry Gant became the oldest driver to win a NASCAR race.
1994 - O.J. Simpson drove his Ford Bronco across Los Angeles with police in pursuit and millions of people watching live on television. After the slow speed chase ended Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
1995 - The New Jersey Devils set an NHL playoff record with nine road wins.
2012 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at the Michigan International Speedway. It was his first win in four years and 143 races.
*********************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
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