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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon." ~ Denis Waitley, Motivational Speaker, Writer and Consultant 

Trending: LeBron James brings one to Cleveland — Cavaliers beat Warriors 93-89 to win NBA title. (See the basketball section for NBA Finals updates).

Trending: Dustin Johnson wins U.S. Open despite bizarre rules fiasco. (See the golf section for U.S. Open updates). 

Trending: What are the Bears’ biggest concerns heading into training camp? (See the football section Bears updates).

Trending: Bears Fantasy Preview. (See the football section Bears updates).

Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".              

                                                

Cubs 2016 Record: 47-20

White Sox 2016 Record: 33-36

(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!! Bears Fantasy Preview.

By Evan Silva

With their playmakers back healthy, might the Bears open up the offense? Evan Silva explores in his latest team Fantasy Preview.

Bears Year in Review

2015 Pass Attempts Rank: 25th (523)
2015 Rush Attempts Rank: 6th (468)
2015 Total Offensive Plays Rank: 18th (1,025)
2015 Yards Per Play Rank: 21st (5.4)

Projected Starting Lineup

QB: Jay Cutler
RB: Jeremy Langford
WR: Alshon Jeffery
WR: Kevin White
WR: Eddie Royal
TE: Zach Miller
LT: Charles Leno
LG: Cody Whitehair
C: Hroniss Grasu
RG: Kyle Long
RT: Bobby Massie

Passing Game Outlook

After working feverishly to trade him all offseason, the Bears' new regime accepted Jay Cutler as its 2015 starter and proceeded to turn him into a game manager. Chicago's need to play run-first football was enhanced by Alshon Jeffery, Kevin White, Martellus Bennett, and Eddie Royal's 35 combined missed games. Although Cutler had one of his most efficient seasons by most metrics, he finished 21st in raw quarterback points and 25th in fantasy points per game. Now 33 years old and with his sixth different offensive coordinator since 2009, Cutler has ranked as a top-ten fantasy passer just once in his career (2008) and has gone seven straight years without finishing top 12. With playmakers Jeffery, White, and Royal back and a lot of system carryover transitioning from Adam Gase to close Cutler pal Dowell Loggains, will Chicago consider opening up its offense? As Cutler's ADP sits in the 14th round, I think it's worth the cost to find out.

Alshon Jeffery turned in back-to-back 16-game seasons in 2013 and 2014 before enduring an injury-riddled 2015 contract year. It began with a calf strain suffered midway through training camp that led to an early-season hamstring injury and a midseason groin pull. While the rash of hard-luck injuries cost Jeffery seven games, he maintained elite effectiveness when active, scoring a touchdown and/or topping 75 yards in 8-of-9 appearances and finishing as the WR11 in PPR points per game. Still only 26 years old, Jeffery enters another contract season wearing the franchise tag. Jeffery seems to believe the new Bears regime's institution of a revised program designed to limit soft-tissue injuries may have played a role in his sudden inability to stay healthy. Jeffery thus limited his exposure this offseason, staying away from voluntary OTAs. Cut safety Antrel Rolle has suggested poor practice field conditions at Halas Hall were to blame. Either way, Jeffery has a 95-1,314-11 receiving line over his last 16 games and a ton to play for this season. Jeffery is worth consideration anywhere in the second round of fantasy drafts.

Another victim of bad injury luck, 2015 first-round pick Kevin White missed his entire rookie campaign with a stress fracture in his shin suffered last June. White stated this May that he'd felt 100 percent "for months" and participated fully in the offseason program. Commonly compared to Terrell Owens coming out of college, and to Andre Johnson by Bears WRs coach Curtis Johnson, White blazed 4.35 at last year's Combine after weighing in at 6-foot-3, 215. On college tape, White was a ferocious post-catch tackle breaker who dominated on 50:50 balls and dropped just 5-of-163 targets in his final season at West Virginia. His talent and potential are no secret to fantasy drafters, who are willing to take White in the sixth and seventh rounds. I like White's chances of flirting with WR3 value and offering WR1 upside if Jeffery goes down. Still, using high picks on players who've never played an NFL snap is always risky business.

Signed to a three-year, $15 million deal by Bears GM Ryan Pace last offseason, Eddie Royal was ticketed for slot duties before back, hip, ankle, and knee injuries kept him out of seven games and limited his effectiveness in others. Royal was one of the NFL's best slot receivers the year before in San Diego, ranking 16th among 110 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' catch-rate metric (72.1%), top 20 in yards-after-catch per reception (5.9), and as the overall fantasy WR30 despite finishing 55th in targets. Now 30 years old, Royal's fantasy outlook is diminished by White and Jeffery's return to health and what will probably remain a run-first offense with Cutler being managed and controlled. Royal is still a name to keep in mind, especially at his undrafted ADP.

An ex-college quarterback and 2009 sixth-round pick of the Jaguars, Zach Miller beat long odds to make the Bears' 2015 roster behind Martellus Bennett after spending all of 2012-2014 out of football. As Bennett battled broken ribs and clashed with Chicago's coaching staff, Miller made the most of his opportunities, putting up top-five PPR tight end stats in Weeks 10-16 before missing the final regular season game with a toe injury. The Bears traded Bennett and re-signed Miller to a two-year, $6 million deal. Although he certainly has a shot at 2016 fantasy relevance, keep in mind Miller's 2015 hot run occurred sans White, and with Jeffery and Royal in and out of the lineup. I'm not willing to bet Miller will see enough targets to become a reliable TE1.

Running Game Outlook

A 2015 fourth-round pick out of Michigan State, Jeremy Langford emerged as the 1B back to Matt Forte's 1A as a rookie, passing Ka'Deem Carey on the depth chart and forming a near-even timeshare with Forte down the stretch. Langford worked as Chicago's feature back in Forte's three missed games, finishing as the PPR RB4 in Week 9 at San Diego, RB1 in Week 10 at St. Louis, and RB19 versus Denver in Week 11. While opportunistic DFS players recall his rookie year fondly, Langford's overall play wasn't quite as promising. He averaged 3.63 yards per carry, led all running backs in drops (8), ranked 59th among 68 qualified backs in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking ratings, and finished dead last among 47 qualified runners in average yards after contact (1.13). With Forte out of the picture, Chicago beat writers expect Langford to get the first crack at the Bears' lead back role, for which he'll vie with fifth-round power runner Jordan Howard and holdover Carey. A wildcard fantasy pick, Langford's ADP is all over the map. He goes in round four in some drafts and lasts until the late sixth in others.

Jordan Howard succeeded Tevin Coleman as the Indiana Hoosiers' bellcow back last season, averaging 6.2 YPC with nine touchdowns after transferring from now-defunct UAB. Howard stands 6-foot, 230 and ran 4.59 at the IU Pro Day. On game tape, Howard was a straight-linish, downhill power back who ran with velocity and a bruising style between the tackles, but managed 24 receptions in his three-year college career. OC Dowell Loggains referred to Howard as a "change-of-pace" back at rookie minicamp. Howard's shortage of receiving involvement at the college level seemingly caps his long-term fantasy upside, but he could threaten Langford's early-down carries and projects as a superior option in short-yardage and goal-line situations. In order to get there, Howard will need to outplay coaches pet Ka'Deem Carey this preseason.

2016 Vegas Win Total

Coming off a 6-10 debut year under Ryan Pace and John Fox, the Bears moved forward with an aggressive year-two offseason plan. They poured resources into DC Vic Fangio's defense and quietly have the makings of a disruptive front seven with Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman at inside linebacker, space eaters on the line, and a deep edge-rush rotation keyed by Pernell McPhee, first-round pick Leonard Floyd, and veterans Willie Young and Lamarr Houston. The offense could take a big step forward with better injury luck. The schedule is soft, particularly after a Week 9 bye. Chicago's Vegas Win Total is only 6.5 games, tied with Tampa Bay for fifth lowest in football. While I don't anticipate the Bears coming anywhere near the NFC North crown, they are one of my favorite over bets as a team that could easily bang out 7-9 wins.

What are the Bears’ biggest concerns heading into training camp?

By Sam Householder

(Photo/Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The offseason activities have all ended and now we enter into the NFL dark period: The time between the end of offseason workouts and training camp.

The void of these four weeks, mostly bereft of good NFL news, if any at all, is the only quiet period for the most popular sport in America.

The player acquisitions are over. The draft is a distant memory. Free agency long gone.

The next time we’re talking about football being played though, it will be so close to actually mattering. It will be on grass, there will be fans watching and there will be actual pads and 11-on-11 scrimmages.

In the meantime fans are left to think and ponder about their teams and how things will start to shape up for the approaching season.

Without much real on-field stuff to talk about then, let’s address some of the things that are still worrisome as the Bears head in to 2016.

The Bears were 6-10 last season and finished last in their division. A big jump forward is certainly possible but there are a lot of questions still surrounding the team.

What is the biggest concern for Chicago as the team heads into the break before camp?

Is it Alshon Jeffery’s contract status?

So much energy and so many articles this offseason have revolved around the Bears’ most-proven playmaking receiver. Does he want to be in Chicago? Does John Fox and Ryan Pace see Jeffery as pat of the future? What kind of money will Jeffery sign for?

All are valid questions and all still need to be answered. Jeffery stayed away from the offseason program until this week when he showed up, practice twice and will now be away until training camp. The July 15 deadline for him to sign a contract extension will keep his storyline in the forefront but there’s a lot of moving parts here. I still think a deal gets done.

If you’re sick of the Jeffery contract talk then perhaps Pernell McPhee’s knee injury is your concern.

McPhee has missed all of the on-field portions of the offseason programs while recovering from his knee surgery earlier this year.

McPhee has now had three knee scopes before the age of 28. If that is not concerning for the long-term prospects of the Bears’ best pass-rusher then I don’t know what is.

The Bears will need McPhee to be at his best, his first-half of last season best, if the team wants to get to where they want to be.

While Willie Young and Lamarr Houston finished with better sack numbers, few would say that either player is better than McPhee when he is at 100 percent.

Questions also still linger in the backfield where the running back committee is murky as a Lake Michigan fog.

Will Jeremy Langford take a healthy leap in his sophomore season and take the lead RB role or will Jordan Howard or Ka’Deem Carey put up a fight? Can any of them be a lead back? Are there enough carries to go around?

On the offensive line, who will be the left guard? How much depth is there since Manny Ramirez retired and Matt Slauson was released?

There are many questions to be answered in July in Bourbonnais. Until then, which one has you wondering the most?

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Report: Blackhawks will carry a hefty salary cap overage into 2016-17

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It's no secret the Blackhawks are up against the salary cap. 

After trading Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to Carolina, the Blackhawks cleared nearly $5 million in cap space, giving themselves some breathing room heading into free agency on July 1.

But maybe not as much as initially anticipated.

The Blackhawks will carry a $3.07 million salary cap overage into the 2016-17 season, Blackhawks assistant general manager Norm Maciver told The Athletic's Scott Powers on Thursday. The overage is due to the bonuses of Artemi Panarin ($2.8 million), Teravainen ($212,500) and Michal Rozsival ($100,000), equaling $3,112,500, which means the Blackhawks finished the 2015-16 campaign with $42,500 cap space left over, according to generalfanager.com.

It's a substantial increase from their $750,000 cap overage in 2015-16.

It's perhaps what forced the Blackhawks' hand in parting ways with Teravainen since it meant shedding every penny of Bickell's $4 million contract, rather than a potential buyout, which would have counted against the cap for $1 million this season and $1.5 million next year.

The Blackhawks currently have 16 players locked up for a total of $66 million, and that doesn't include the pending restricted free agency of Andrew Shaw. They also retained $1.125 million of Rob Scuderi's salary, which counts against the cap, after he was traded to Los Angeles mid-season. 

The National Hockey League has yet to determine a number for the 2016-17 salary cap ceiling, but it's not expected to be a big jump — if at all — from the $71.4 million cap ceiling set in 2015-16.

Blackhawks sign 2014 first round pick Nick Schmaltz.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Nick Schmaltz, who helped the University of North Dakota win a national title in the spring, has signed a three-year deal with the Blackhawks.

Craig Morgan of AZ Sports first reported the deal.

Schmaltz was the Blackhawks’ 20th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. He just finished his sophomore year at North Dakota, recording 11 goals and 35 assists in 37 games.

The Blackhawks will be looking to young talent in the wake of trading 21-year-old Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. Teravainen was entering the final year of his current contract, an entry-level deal. On a conference call that night, general manager Stan Bowman was asked about future guys who the Blackhawks could be looking to following Teravainen’s trade. Bowman mentioned Schmaltz specifically.

“He has some dynamic skills,” Bowman said. “Whenever he does sign, he’s a guy who will have a three-year entry deal. A lot of it is the timing game. As they enter that final year of entry level, you have to decide, that’s when guys make a jump in pay. Can you accommodate that? Do they become one of those guys you can put money into or do you look at some younger guys who can do it at a lower dollar amount?”

Cubs put on a home run derby to finish off sweep of Pirates.

By Tony Andracki

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Summer in Wrigleyville is a magical place, especially when the Cubs are in contention.

With the wind blowing out on a hot night at "The Friendly Confines," the Cubs proved why, hammering out five homers en route to a 10-5 victory over the Pirates to complete a three-game sweep of the NL Central rivals.

This coming the day after the Cubs hit three solo homers in Saturday night's 4-3 victory.

Sunday, Javy Baez got the home run derby started with a solo blast to left field in the second inning.

The Bryzzo Bros — Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo — then went back-to-back in the third.

Prospect Willson Contreras sent the first MLB pitch he saw into the centerfield bleachers for a two-run shot in the sixth and Addison Russell added a two-run blast in the seventh, which also closed out the scoring on the evening.

It was more than enough for Kyle Hendricks, who struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings, allowing just a run on seven hits and zero walks.

Clayton Richard and Adam Warren allowed the Pirates to get back into the game in the top of the seventh, surrendering three runs. Warren eventually got out of the jam, but allowed another run in the top of the ninth.

Joe Maddon had to call on Pedro Strop to come on and get the final two outs of the ballgame.

The sweep sends the Pirates 15 games behind the Cubs in the division race.

The Cubs welcome the St. Louis Cardinals to town Monday night to kick off a three-game series. Contreras will get his first big-league start catching John Lackey. 

Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet.

Cubs unsure of Dexter Fowler's status after hamstring injury.   

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs are in wait and see mode with Dexter Fowler and his hamstring injury.

Fowler suffered the injury in the first inning of Saturday's Cubs win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and was deemed unavailable for Sunday's series finale at Wrigley Field.

Right now, the Cubs don't know if they're going to have to put their leadoff guy — and the top All-Star vote-getter among National League outfielders — on the disabled list.

"He's sore," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said before Sunday's game. "We're still trying to evaluate length regarding whether he's gotta be DL-able or not."

Maddon said he would speak more with Cubs front office members Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer and the training staff about what the plan for Fowler should be moving forward.

"I don't have a final answer yet," Maddon said. "I really don't know the overall plan yet. I hope to finalize that. Because of course, if he has to be DL'd, we want to get somebody else in here. 

"But as of right now, we have not jumped to any conclusions."

In Fowler's absence Sunday, Jason Heyward moved over to center field, with Kris Bryant manning right field and Chris Coghlan in left and leading off.

The Cubs kick off a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field beginning Monday night on Comcast SportsNet. 

If Fowler were to miss any more time, Heyward could continue to play center, but it could also open up the door for rookie Albert Almora Jr. to see more playing time.

Coghlan and Matt Szczur provide other outfield depth and Bryant's versatility is a boost in situations such as this. 

But losing Fowler would be a big blow to the Cubs. He is boasting a .398 on-base percentage and .881 OPS and is tied for 12th in the NL in runs scored (41). 

Maddon always points to Fowler as the spark of the Cubs offense.

"This first part of the season really took on the tone that it did because of him," Maddon said. "When I say, 'You go, we go,' it's pretty much true. When he's making things happen at the top, the rest of the group seems to fall in order."

Fowler got off to a slow start in his Cubs tenure, hitting just .232 with a .308 on-base percentage in the first half last season. But he turned it on after the All-Star Break, posting a .272/.389/.463 slash line.

Since the break last year, Fowler has scored 89 runs in 135 games with the Cubs, helping the Cubs to a 96-45 regular season record in that span.

"It would not be good if we had to miss him for a bit," Maddon said. "I think we could cover, but he's been all of that. Kinda like the second half of last year, I thought after the All-Star break, he really came on strongly.

"I think this first half has just been a continuation of that. So you hate losing a guy like that, but if you do, then you just move it along and somebody else will show up."

The Cubs already have two players on the disabled list with hamstring injuries — Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler.

Soler hit the disabled list June 7 and La Stella June 9. 

Both players were out on the field testing their hamstrings by taking ground balls before Sunday's game, but Maddon said La Stella is further along than Soler in the recovery process. 

The Cubs would send La Stella on a rehab assignment before he returns to the big-league club.

Soler still has no timetable to return. 

White Sox lose in 10 innings, swept by Tribe.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The spiral has lasted 36 games and the White Sox still haven’t discovered an escape route.

Sunday’s chapter involved another disheartening loss as the White Sox fell 3-2 in 10 innings to the Cleveland Indians in front of 25,269 at Progressive Field. Two days after they were felled by a walkoff homer, Jose Ramirez completed a three-game sweep of the White Sox with a two-out RBI single off David Robertson. The White Sox — who finished with five hits — have lost 26 of 36 contests and dropped to a season-worst three games below .500. The White Sox trail the Indians by 5 1/ 2 games.

“It’s like we can't get any good luck to go our way,” Robertson said. “I wish there was a magic answer. We’re scuffling. There’s no doubt about it. We’re not a bad team. We're just not playing well right now. We’re just not having things go our way, and it’s a tough stretch.”

Robertson said he didn’t do himself any favors as he allowed a leadoff double to Rajai Davis in the 10th. Davis advanced to third on a Jason Kipnis sac bunt and that’s when the White Sox got creative. Not only did they intentionally walk Francisco Lindor and Mike Napoli, the White Sox brought in a fifth infielder for a play.

Robertson retired Friday’s hero Carlos Santana on a foul out to third and the White Sox returned to a normal defensive alignment. But Ramirez singled past Jose Abreu, who misplayed an in-between hop, for yet another deflating loss for the White Sox.

“The bounce was farther than what I expected and my only alternative was to try to dive back (lunge back) to see if I could catch the ball,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “It was a very tough play.”

It was yet another instance this weekend where the White Sox found themselves in a trying position because of their continued offensive woes. Jose Quintana was in line for a loss Friday even though he only made one mistake because the team’s struggles. The onus shifted to Carlos Rodon on Sunday as the White Sox couldn’t break through for more than a run against Carlos Carrasco.

The White Sox jumped ahead of the Indians early as Tim Anderson and Abreu doubled with one in the first inning to put them ahead 1-0. But Carrasco retired Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier, who continues to slump.

The White Sox pulled back ahead 2-1 in the fourth inning on a solo homer by Cabrera. But Carrasco otherwise kept them in check. After he induced a double play earlier in the fifth, Carrasco worked around a two-out error by Kipnis when Abreu grounded out with two on. He also stifled earlier opportunities with double play balls in the second and sixth.

Bryan Shaw got Carrasco out of trouble after a one-out double by Adam Eaton in the eighth as Abreu popped out and Cabrera grounded out.

The White Sox only had multiple base runners in three of 10 innings.

“They’re tough,” manager Robin Ventura said. “They have some great pitching. You have to take advantage of your opportunities. You’re going to end up having them cost you.

“If you don’t cash them in, you’re going to pay for it.”

Rodon turned in yet another strong performance as he struck out a season-high eight batters.

The left-hander peppered the zone with strikes and worked ahead in the count, walking only one batter in a 99-pitch effort.

He twice surrendered the lead, but Rodon didn’t break even though he faced several tight situations. The left-hander stranded two runners in the first inning with a strikeout of Jose Ramirez and dodged a hairier situation in the third.

Davis doubled to start the inning and stole third. But Rodon struck out Kipnis, got a grounder to short by Lindor and then struck out Santana to strand runners on the corners.

Juan Uribe tied it in the fourth with a solo homer. But Rodon retired nine of the last 11 batters he faced. He has a 3.25 ERA over his last six starts with 34 strikeouts in 36 innings.

“We have to keep grinding and find a way to (score) more runs,” Abreu said. “I don’t know why or what’s the reason, but we weren’t able to score too many runs in this series. That’s baseball and it’s tough, but we have to find a way to score more runs, because we are wasting some very good games.”

White Sox see Tim Anderson as a 'very driven individual'.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox have been impressed with Tim Anderson’s drive to learn as he goes.

Considered baseball young because he didn’t begin to play until late in high school, Anderson doesn’t shy away from inquiring about anything if he isn’t doesn’t already know the answer. The White Sox think a combination of the young shortstop’s thirst for knowledge and his advanced skillset give him a better chance at success.

“He asks a lot of good questions,” third base coach Joe McEwing said. “For somebody that young to be that bright, to not be scared to ask those questions is pretty impressive.

“He’s a very driven individual and he wants to be the best.”

Back in March, former shortstop Jimmy Rollins said discussions with Anderson were about life in the big leagues and how the veteran conducted himself both on and off the field. Anderson wanted to know what to do if a situation arose.

Most of Anderson’s questions for McEwing involve in-game situations or how to better position himself. They’re critical as Anderson doesn’t have a book on American League hitters and what to expect. When an in-game adjustment is needed, Anderson often looks to Todd Frazier or Brett Lawrie.

“Positioning-wise and using my legs more defensively,” Anderson said. “He tells me every day, ‘Just play with your hair on fire.’

“I feel real prepared. They do a great job with the spray charts and putting me in a good position for that hitter. I’m pretty sure I’ll learn a lot more as I go on, but Joe puts me in a good position and Frazier and Lawrie move me over.”

Manager Robin Ventura sees it as another sign of how comfortable the first-round pick is in the majors. The White Sox like how Anderson conducts himself and think it’s another strength.

“His questions are pretty spot on,” Ventura said. “(Friday) he was going to bunt for a hit, but not necessarily a spot you look for him to do that. He realized it once he put it out there. He has that sense but he asks good questions. That’s the thing about him you get excited about, he’s thinking the game. He doesn’t put too much pressure on himself and he looks comfortable.”

White Sox: Don Cooper on James Shields 'We need more strikes'.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The best thing for James Shields is to stay the course in his side sessions, pitching coach Don Cooper said.

Cooper said Sunday that the biggest issue for Shields, who is next scheduled on Thursday in Boston, is that he falls behind too many hitters. Shields has walked nine batters in 8 2/3 innings for the White Sox over three starts. He has a 21.81 ERA in that span, which incredibly has raised his season ERA from 3.06 to 6.28.

“We’re going to continue to go with what we worked on the other day, which is ride, get extension out there,” Cooper said. “There’s nothing glaring. Here’s the dilemma. Right now, we need more strikes, simple as that. First-pitch strikes, getting ahead in the count. When you see after 30 pitches, it’s 15 balls, 15 strikes, we need more strikes than that. You’ve got to attack, and specifically earlier in the count to get into pitcher’s counts.”

Shields and Robin Ventura expressed encouragement earlier in the week that the pitcher had made some progress in the bullpen. But Shields opened Saturday’s start with a four-pitch walk of Carlos Santana and everything snowballed from there.

He allowed eight runs in 1 2/3 innings and the White Sox lost 13-2 to the Cleveland Indians.

“We’re working on him using his legs, riding and staying behind and over the ball,” Cooper said. “Staying on his pitches, to drive the ball, get out front a little bit more, get more extension. That’s the difference we saw in the last film session, and that’s the only thing that’s there. …

“But the meat and potatoes goes back to strikes, and we’re just not throwing enough as we speak.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... LeBron James brings one to Cleveland — Cavaliers beat Warriors 93-89 to win NBA title.

By Kurt Helin

(Photo/Getty Images)

There will be no more questioning of LeBron James‘ legacy.

He played three of the best games in NBA Finals history back-to-back-to-back — including a Game 7 triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. It earned him the NBA Finals MVP Award. It earned the Cavaliers the first-ever comeback from 3-1 down in the NBA Finals.

He got help, most notably from a Kyrie Irving step-back three with :53 seconds left that ended up being the game-winner. The Cavaliers held the Warriors scoreless for the final 4:39 of the game, with the Warriors scoring 13 points in the fourth. Cleveland executed better on both ends when it mattered most in a Game 7.

“Really it was a couple of key plays,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the fourth quarter advantage. “Kyrie hit an incredible shot, really well contested, and then LeBron had the two plays back-to-back where he got fouled on the three and then made a three. That kind of swung things in their favor.”

Cleveland won the NBA Finals with a 93-89 win in as entertaining and close a Game 7 as any of us may ever see.

It is the first title ever for the Cavaliers. It is the first for the city of Cleveland in any major sport since 1964.

“I told the guys don’t take it for granted,” LeBron said of what he told the team before Game 7. “The coaches gave us a great game plan and we executed it.”

One year ago, it was the Warriors celebrating on Cleveland’s home court, this year the Cavs flipped the script. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his team was stunned.

They did it by attacking inside all night — Cleveland had 48 points in the paint, 20 more than the Warriors.

Golden State tried to balance that out with threes, but in the fourth the Cavaliers overplayed the perimeter and the Warriors did not make them pay with back cuts and dives to the rim (as they had done to so many teams throughout the season). When the Warriors needed a three late, Stephen Curry could not shake free of Kevin Love for a good look, and at the other end LeBron ended the game with a free throw following a painful fall after Draymond Green fouled LeBron on a dunk attempt.

This game was not always pretty — Game 7s rarely are — but the Cavaliers attacked, and played with more force and grit.

Festus Ezeli got the start (to preserve Andre Iguodala’s sore back for later in the game), and the Warriors went to him a few times early because the help came from his man — and he was 0-of-3, two of them missed dunks (one blocked by Tristan Thompson). Plus Kevin Love literally ripped a rebound out of his hands. Love was not much better, starting 1-of-4. So both were out midway through the first and it was a small ball game. In the first quarter the Warriors hit five threes, but they shot 33 percent inside the arc and the Cavaliers owned the glass, 16 to nine. Love had seven boards on his own. The result was a 23-22 Cavs lead after one.

The second quarter was dramatic, but close most of the way — the Warriors kept hitting threes (10-of-21), the Cavaliers kept getting buckets inside and some old-fashioned three-point plays. The drama included LeBron rejecting a Curry shot, again, and a little trash talk.

But the story of the first half was Draymond Green, who had 22 points hitting 5-of-5 from three, plus six rebounds and five assists. He pushed the Warriors out to a 49-42 halftime lead.

Cleveland started the second half on a 12-5 run behind two threes from J.R. Smith and more poor play from Ezeli, and the score was tied 54-54. But Curry answered that with a 5-0 personal run that included a blocked shot on defense.

Cleveland had its own 11-0 run in the middle of the third pushed their lead out to six points, and it was really all about them exposing Anderson Varejao on both ends of the court (the Warriors missed the injured Andrew Bogut badly this game). Barnes finally came in and scored the next four points for Warriors. It didn’t take long before the game was tied 71-71, and at the end of three it was 76-75 Warriors after three.

Midway through fourth, the Cavaliers were up three, and Oracle was nervous. The Warriors were swinging the ball to open players, as they have all season, but the open shots from role players were not knocking down the shots they had all season to propel the Warriors to 73 wins.

So Stephen Curry hit a contested three. Next trip down the court, Klay Thompson hit one. The Splash Brothers had the Warriors up three. But when it mattered most, the Warriors went cold in the face of the Cavaliers’ pressure defense (in a way they did not against Oklahoma City last round).

“I thought both teams played exceptional defense in the fourth quarter,” Kerr said.
“Shots were hard to come by. The few that we did have that were open we weren’t able to knock down. But this is kind of how it goes in Game 7.”

“We missed shots down the stretch, they missed shots down the stretch, but they hit the big one, Kyrie’s three,” Green said.

Cleveland made enough plays to earn the win.

And bring the first title to Northeast Ohio in 52 years.

Bulls trade Cameron Bairstow to Pistons for Spencer Dinwiddie.

By Mark Strotman

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bulls made their first move of what looks to be a busy offseason, dealing forward Cameron Bairstow to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Spencer Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie, a second round pick out of Colorado in 2014, averaged 4.4 points, 2.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 13.3 minutes in a reserve role for the Pistons.

Dinwiddie has one year remaining on his deal and will provide depth at point guard. Both Aaron Brooks and E'Twaun Moore are impending free agents behind Derrick Rose.

Bairstow averaged 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in 36 appearances for the Bulls.

Dinwiddie sent out a handful of tweets after receiving the news:

"I'm extremely excited to start this new chapter and be a part of the Bulls organization!!"

11:16 AM - 17 Jun 2016

"I want to thank the Pistons organization and Stan Van Gundy for taking a chance on me after my injury and giving me an opportunity."

11:16 AM - 17 Jun 2016

"I also wanna thank the fans, and the city of Detroit for the support and embracing me as one of their own.."

11:17 AM - 17 Jun 2016

"Only one question: "Who's The Mayor?" lol"

11:16 AM - 17 Jun 2016

Spencer Dinwiddie @SDinwiddie_25

Golf: I got a club for that..... DJ wins drama-filled U.S. Open at Oakmont.

By Golf Channel Digital

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Dustin Johnson won the 116^th U.S. Open, but it wasn’t without drama. Johnson was told on the 12^th tee that he might incur a one-stroke penalty at the end of his round, in relation to his ball moving on the fifth green. Johnson made the possibility of a deduction null and void, winning by three shots.

Leaderboard: Dustin Johnson (-4), Jim Furyk (-1), Scott Piercy (-1), Shane Lowry (-1), Sergio Garcia (Even), Branden Gace (Even)

What it means: So many things. It means Dustin Johnson is, finally, a major champion. It means people can ask him about winning this U.S. Open and not losing last year’s. It means people have to respect his ability to overcome adversity. And it means that this could be the first of a few more major victories.

Round of the day: Johnson’s 1-under 69. Not only did DJ shoot an under-par round on Sunday at Oakmont, but he did so with the knowledge – for seven holes – that the USGA could dock him a shot upon conclusion. Johnson’s ball moved on the fifth green as he was about to address his ball. It was deemed that he did not cause the ball to move, but a USGA official approached him at No. 12 and said the situation would be reviewed at the end of the round. Officials did assess a penalty, but, fortunately for all involved, it did cost Johnson his first major.

Best of the rest: Furyk’s 4-under 66 was the low round of the day and vaulted him into a tie for second. Had he not bogeyed the final hole, Furyk might have put some extra pressure on Johnson. But, nonetheless, it was an impressive performance from the Pennsylvania native, who was also T-2 in 2007 at Oakmont.

Biggest disappointment: As always, there are lots to choose from in the final round of a U.S. Open. Lowry started the day with a four-shot lead and shot 6-over 76. Andrew Landry, playing in the final group, held firm for 54 holes before closing in 78. But the award (?) goes to Lee Westwood. He was five back to start the day, in a bid to claim his first major title. He then proceeded to turn in 8-over 43 on his way to a 10-over 80 and a tie for 32^nd.

Quote of the day: "I just tried to focus on what I was doing, not worrying about a penalty stroke. Just playing golf from there to the house." - Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson penalized for moving ball [UPDATE].

By Jay Hart

Standing on the 12th tee, Dustin Johnson held a two-stroke lead in the U.S. Open. Then several USGA officials approached Johnson, and his lead might not have been so large after all.

Back on the fifth green, Johnson had stood over a short par putt, then backed off and called in a rules official. His ball had moved. Johnson wanted to let the official know of the movement, and that he had not grounded his club. If he had, he would be facing a one-stroke penalty. [UPDATE: Johnson was indeed penalized, but won the U.S. Open regardless.]

The rules official at the fifth hole was satisfied that Johnson hadn't incurred a penalty, so Johnson continued on, draining the putt.

But video replay may have shown rules officials otherwise. USGA officials approached Johnson on the 12th tee to inform him that the tale of the moving ball wasn't yet finished.

After the discussion with officials on the 12th tee, Johnson's playing partner Lee Westwood appeared to be pleading a case to the USGA officials as they walked toward the fairway. Fox Sports commentator Curtis Strange approached the USGA officials, asking for clarification. They refused.

"Really?" Strange, a two-time U.S. Open winner, wondered aloud.

Yes, really.

USGA officials then informed Johnson that he might be facing a one-stroke penalty. Or he might not. In other words, Johnson would be forced to play the remaining holes not knowing whether he needed to put a two-stroke margin ahead of the rest of the field.

Jeff Hall, the USGA's managing director for Open championships, visited the Fox Sports set soon afterward to indicate that the USGA believed the ball had moved because of Johnson's actions, and asked him—during the critical moments of one of the most important tournaments of his life—if he could think of any other reason why the ball might have moved a fraction of an inch. According to Hall, Johnson did not give a definitive answer, which, given the circumstances, was not surprising. However, it is worth noting that the greens have been mowed, pressed, and dried to a fine sheen, and a ball that might not otherwise move could very well move on Oakmont's slick greens.

Three former World No. 1s took to Twitter to scorch the USGA for its decision making:

"This is ridiculous... No penalty whatsoever for DJ. Let the guy play without this crap in his head. Amateur hour from @USGA"

5:30 PM - 19 Jun 2016

Rory McIlroy @McIlroyRory

Lemme get this straight.. DJ doesn't address it. It's ruled that he didn't cause it to move. Now you tell him he may have? Now? This a joke?

5:33 PM - 19 Jun 2016

Jordan Spieth @JordanSpieth 

No way DJ gets a penalty. Use some common sense @usga The greens are running 14 and are sloppier than Mount Everest.

5:27 PM - 19 Jun 2016

   
Luke Donald @LukeDonald

Soon after the officials spoke with Johnson, Shane Lowry drew within one stroke ... or perhaps he was even. No one would know until the end of the round.

Johnson, of course, lost a chance at a playoff in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits when a rules committee determined that Johnson had grounded his club on the 18th hole in a poorly-marked bunker. He missed out on a playoff by a single stroke.

Sei Young Kim wins Meijer LPGA Classic in playoff.

AP - Sports

Sei Young Kim, front center, celebrates her win with In Gee Chun in the Meijer LPGA Classic golf tournament in Belmont, Mich., Sunday, June 19, 2016. (Cory Olsen/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Sei Young Kim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second victory of the year, beating Carlota Ciganda with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

After bogeying the 18th in regulation to drop into the playoff, the 23-year-old Kim rebounded on the par-4 hole in the playoff.

''I just angry on myself,'' Kim said. ''I just, 'Oh, I have to bounce back because today before I play, I setting my goal no bogey play.' But last one I missed with bogey. If I bounce back, yeah, it is a good work, so I did it well today.''

On the extra hole, the South Korean player hit a 124-yard shot from the deep left rough - so deep that she momentarily lost her ball after looking away - that ran onto the green and settled at 3 1/2 feet.

''I realize really a lot of release, so I try to (hit) before the 10 meter to the front,'' said Kim, projected to remain fifth in the world ranking. ''It was good and I hit great hit. And my ball position was a little settled down, so I tried a cut shot. It was a, yeah, good work.''

She finished with a 3-under 68 at Blythefield to match Ciganda at 17-under 267.

Ciganda, from Spain, parred the final five holes in a bogey-free 67. She's winless on the tour, with four runner-up finishes - two in playoffs.

''One can win, and if you can't win, second is the best,'' Ciganda said. ''I'll keep trying and just keep playing golf.''

She also drove into the left rough in the playoff, then hit a 156-yard shot through the green and couldn't get up-and-down for par.

''It's been a really good week,'' Ciganda said. ''I played very solid, especially my putting was really good, so I'm very happy with the week. I made only two bogeys in 72 holes, so I think that's really good with this rough. And a playoff, only one can win and, obviously, I hit it to the rough. It wasn't an easy shot and she hit a really good one. Congratulations to her. She was better.''

Kim has five career victories, going 3-0 in playoffs. She also won the Founders Cup this year in Phoenix, shooting 63-66-70-62 to match Annika Sorenstam's LPGA Tour scoring record of 27 under. Last year, she won three times and was the rookie of the year.

On 18 in regulation, Kim drove left into the rough under trees, hit her second into thick rough left of the green and missed a 15-foot par putt. She didn't immediately know she was in a playoff.

''I didn't know that until I finished 18 hole,'' Kim said.

Her father, Jung Il, was with her on Father's Day.

''I'm very happy to on the Father's Day give it to my dad this trophy,'' Kim said. ''My dad really want to win this week.''

South Korea's In Gee Chun, tied for the third-round lead with defending champion Lexi Thompson, had a 71 to finish third at 15 under. The U.S. Women's Open champion bogeyed two of the first four holes.

Thompson, fighting back pain, shot a 72 to tie for fourth with top-ranked Lydia Ko at 14 under.

''The back is better the last two days,'' Thompson said. ''I had it taped up, so that wasn't the issue. ... I just didn't putt well today. I had like 36 putts, I think, so that never helps out a scorecard. I still hit it pretty well, I thought. Just didn't give myself too close birdie chances, but still didn't hit that many good putts.''

Ko, coming off a playoff loss to Canada's Brooke Henderson last week in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship outside Seattle, closed with a 68.

''I needed to have a really low one to try and catch up,'' Ko said. ''I just tried to focus on my game and just try and stay patient. All you can do is try the best you can and if the girls, like last week, if somebody plays good, you can't do much about it.''

Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, tied for 18th at 7 under after a 68.

Henderson had a 71 to tie for 21st at 6 under.

Michelle Wie shot a 75 to tie for 56th at 1 under. She's winless since the 2014 U.S. Women's Open and hasn't had a top-10 finish in 38 events.

NASCAR: Sam Hornish Jr. wins Xfinity race in Iowa.

By LUKE MEREDITH

Sam Hornish Jr. celebrates with the trophy in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race, Sunday, June 19, 2016, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Sam Hornish Jr. won three IndyCar championships and an Indianapolis 500 before fading into obscurity as a NASCAR driver.

Sunday's victory in Iowa will undoubtedly rank among the most memorable moments of Hornish's career.

Hornish, just six days after accepting an offer to race for the first time in 2016 in the vaunted No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, led 183 of 250 laps for a dominant win at the NASCAR Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway.

Hornish picked up his first win in two years, which also came at Iowa's 0.875-mile oval. But Sunday was the first time Hornish's three children were able to see him win, fittingly on Father's Day.

''I can't tell you what this means to me. I worked so hard to try to get a win when I had my kids here,'' Hornish said.

Hornish was briefly pushed by Ty Dillon and Brad Keselowski on a restart with 27 laps to go. But Hornish held on to the outside groove for his fourth career Xfinity series win.

Dillon was second, followed by Keselowski, Daniel Suarez and Alex Bowman.

Pole sitter Erik Jones had issues with the No. 20 car all afternoon, finishing 27th.

Hornish was called out of semi-retirement on Monday and asked to fill in for developmental driver Matt Tifft, who was dealing with a back issue.

Despite not racing for roughly seven months, Hornish made the most out of the fastest car in the series.

Much of the race was reminiscent of the end of last week's in Michigan, where Daniel Suarez held off the No. 18 - then driven by Kyle Busch - for his first career win.

Hornish and Suarez kept swapping the lead, with Suarez out front for 62 laps. But a caution following an incident between J.J. Yeley and Drew Herring drew a caution with just under 60 laps left, allowing the drivers on the lead lap to get what they needed from their pit crews for the finish.

Hornish had a strong pit stop and an equally strong push on the restart. Hornish also held the lead on the last restart, and the last 10 laps or so were essentially victory laps for a driver who lost his Sprint Cup ride after notching just three top-10s last season.

''Sam did a great job of taking an excellent car and making, at least from my vantage point, no mistakes all day,'' Keselowski said. ''It shows how good of a driver he is and, of course, how great of a car that is.''

Jones won the pole position on Saturday, his sixth in 2016. But he, Keselowski and Sadler were forced to start from the back of the field after unapproved body modifications were discovered when the cars were moving to the grid.

Keselowski and Sadler eventually made up for it, with Sadler finishing sixth.

But the combination of Hornish and the No. 18 was too much for anyone to catch - even with less than a week to prepare.

Hornish has two more races lined up for 2016, back in Iowa in July and in Kentucky for Richard Childress Racing.

''My wife and kids definitely support me a lot. They've been there for good times and bad times. I can't say how far I am beside myself with how that opportunity presented itself, and we took ahold of it and did as much as we could with it.''

Byron wins in Iowa for 2nd straight NASCAR Truck victory.

By LUKE MEREDITH

William Byron celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Truck Series auto race, Saturday, June 18, 2016, at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

William Byron held onto the lead on a late restart to win the NASCAR Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night for his second straight victory.

The 18-year-old Byron held off a hard-charging Cole Custer by less than a half-second for his third victory in just nine career starts.

Custer was second, followed by Cameron Hayley, Ben Rhodes and Tyler Reddick.

Byron led a race-high 97 laps before a mishap on pit road cost him the top spot. But he rallied to retake the lead and maintained it over the final three laps.

SOCCER: Late deflected goal sends Fire to another road loss.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Of the Chicago Fire’s now four-game losing streak on the road, Saturday’s loss was probably the most expected.

How it happened is what will disappoint the Fire.

Joey Calistri had equalized in the 81st minute and the Fire were a handful of minutes away from getting a road draw in tough circumstances, but Marco Pappa scored against his former team in the 89th minute off a big deflection to give the host Colorado Rapids a 2-1 victory.

Pappa took a curling shot with his left foot and Fire defender Jonathan Campbell stuck his foot out to block the shot. Instead, the ball changed direction, leaving Sean Johnson no chance in goal, and went into the net.

The Fire (2-6-5, 11 points) were playing in high altitude just three days after playing 120 minutes in the U.S. Open Cup and entered with a winless record in five road matches. Meanwhile, the Rapids (9-2-4, 31 points) have the best record in Major League Soccer and entered with a 6-0-1 record at home.

The Rapids were missing a few key players in Jermaine Jones (playing for the U.S. in the Copa America Centenario), Shkelzen Gashi (playing for Albania in Euro 2016) and Bobby Burling (injury), but still had enough to get the win on Saturday. The Fire were without midfielder Matt Polster, who suffered a concussion in the U.S. Open Cup match.

After a dull first half in which the Fire were unable to get a shot on goal and the Rapids had just two, Kevin Doyle was able to breakthrough in the 57th minute. Joao Meira was dispossessed after a short goal kick from Sean Johnson. Doyle took advantage with a shot on goal, that went under Sean Johnson’s arm.

The Fire didn’t look threatening in attack for most of the match, but were able to get level through Calistri’s first professional goal. David Accam sent in a cross from the left, which Rodrigo Ramos headed to Calistri in the box. The Northwestern product controlled the ball and scored to put the Fire in position for a quality road draw. Pappa's late goal ended those hopes.

Three of the players in the starting lineup, Sean Johnson, Michael Harrington and Joao Meira, didn’t play in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup match against Indy Eleven.

Four players, Khaly Thiam, David Accam, Kennedy Igboananike and Jonathan Campbell, played all 120 minutes in that match and those four played all 90 minutes.

The Fire return to action Wednesday at the Philadelphia Union.

Jurgen Klinsmann, Michael Bradley downplay task ahead vs Argentina.

By Kyle Bonn

(Photo/Getty Images)

The USMNT manager and captain are both proceeding with their preparations for Tuesday’s Copa America semifinal with a sense of normalcy.

No matter they’re matched up with a five-time Ballon d’Or winner or the number-one ranked team in the world.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s contest against Argentina, Jurgen Klinsmann and Michael Bradley are instead ready for the challenge that awaits them while still being understanding of the task ahead.

“We don’t want to make this out to be a Mission Impossible,” Michael Bradley said. “It’s 90 minutes. It’s a semifinal.” Those are all absolute, indisputable facts.

“We are not scared of them at all,” head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said, echoing his captain’s thoughts.

The United States will face Lionel Messi and Argentina with a chance to not only make an enormous statement among world soccer, but to also reach the Copa America semifinals for the first time in history.

However, amid all the confidence, there was also a dose of reality, and Jurgen spun it to hit out at US fans and media, as he has more than once during the successes of this tournament. “There will be setbacks, and there’s also a lot of explanation from your [the media’s] end that needs to be done to the casual soccer fan or kind of the more emotional soccer fan, so we still go through a lot of explaining why certain things happen when there is a setback, how you take that and so on.” You can read the full comment here.

Coming into the tournament, the United States had suffered a number of setbacks over the past year, and many speculated that had the US not advanced from its Copa America group, Klinsmann’s job could be on the line. Now, with the team in the semifinals, that all appears to be well in the rear view mirror.

France claim top spot in Group A after scoreless draw with Switzerland.

By Kyle Lynch

(Photo/Getty Images)

France has secured the top spot in Group A after safely playing to a scoreless draw with Switzerland in Lille on Sunday. With the result, the Swiss also advance as the group’s second-place team.

French boss Didier Deschamps made five changes to his starting XI as France needed just a draw to claim first place.

Paul Pogba was back in the starting lineup after being dropped against Albania, and he clearly got the message from his manager. Pogba was the best player on the pitch for either side in the first half, creating chances moving forward and rattling the crossbar with a long-range effort in the 18th minute.

With the match still scoreless at the hour mark, Deschamps threw on his star playmaker Dimitri Payet, who was originally left out of the starting lineup to rest for the knockout rounds. The move nearly paid off ten minutes later as Payet beautifully connected with off a Moussa Sissoko cross, with the Swiss once again saved by the crossbar.

It wasn’t the most entertaining match, but both sides got the result they needed as France remains unbeaten heading into the knockout rounds.

EURO 2016: Group B up for grabs as all four teams still alive.

By Kyle Lynch

(Photo/Getty Images)

The battle to advance is wide open as England, Wales, Slovakia, and Russia prepare for the final matchday of Group B play at EURO 2016.

England currently lead the group with four points, but they have not secured a spot in the knockout rounds as all four teams are still alive with one match to play.
The winner of this group will face a third-place side in the next round, making the final match that much more important.

While England have assured themselves of at least a top-three finish, the other teams are all battling for positioning as the remaining three spots are yet to be claimed. Below is an outline of possible scenarios.

*************************

England (4 points): Assured of top-three finish; will win Group B with victory over Slovakia, or draw vs. Slovakia and Wales draw/loss vs. Russia

Wales (3 points): Can finish first, second, third or fourth; will win Group B with victory over Russia and England draw vs. Slovakia

Slovakia (3 points): Can finish first, second, third or fourth; will win Group B with victory over England and Wales draw/loss vs. Russia

Russia (1 point): Can still advance as second or third-place team with victory over Wales

Should Wales and Slovakia both win, first and second place would be decided by goal differential, with England finishing third.

NCAAFB: Tennessee lands eight commitments in one day.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

It’s hard to say what the record for total stars gained in one day of recruiting — especially outside of National Signing Day — but the guess here is that Tennessee just approached it.

On Saturday, Butch Jones and his Vols boosted their future rosters by landing commitments from eight three-star recruits — a total of 21 stars added to the club’s 2017 recruiting haul, and three to the 2018 class.

The commitments came as part of Tennessee’s Orange Carpet Weekend.

They are:

• Safety Theo Jackson (Nashville, Tenn.)
• Defensive end LaTrell Bumphus (Savannah, Tenn.)
• Wide receiver Princeton Fant (LaVergne, Tenn.)
• Defensive end Tre Jackson (North Augusta, S.C.)
• Offensive tackle Jordan Tucker (Roswell, Ga.)
• Athlete Trey Coleman (West Monroe, La.)
• Safety Jaquan Henderson (Covington, Ga.)
• 2018 athlete Alontae Taylor (Manchester, Tenn.)

With eight-and-a-half months until Signing Day, Rivals lists the Vols with 17 commits for their ’17 class (plus two more for ’18). Tennessee’s upcoming signing class is listed seventh nationally according to 247Sports‘ composite rankings.

Of course, recruiting has never been Jones’s problem. The task now is to turn those victories on the recruiting trail into meaningful wins in the fall.

Florida State to opt out of satellite camping this summer.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

Despite all the hubbub the SEC raised over the issue over the past year, there was always a third option on the table between permitting and banning them: opting out.

Clemson’s doing it, and on Friday Jimbo Fisher confirmed his Seminoles of Florida State will do the same this summer.

“We satellite right here in Tallahassee,” Fisher told the Associated Press.

Of course, the ‘Noles actually opted out of the satellite camp circuit much earlier than today. Florida State had no camps announced, and if you don’t have any camps announced by June 17, you don’t have any plans at all.

The reasoning is simple. Florida State has done just fine in recruiting despite not holding satellite camps whilst others do, and there’s no reason to change that just because more schools are getting involved. The ‘Noles do the vast majority of their prospecting in the general area of Tallahassee, and recruits that can’t find a way to campus probably aren’t that interested in Florida State anyway.

It was that way in 1990. It was that way in 2001. It was that way in 2015. And it’s still that way today.

If only the SEC had realized that last summer, we could have avoided all the empty air blasted into our precious atmosphere between then and now.

NCAABKB: Louisville president to resign; was NCAA investigation a factor?

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Getty Images)

In a fairly shocking move this morning, Matt Bevin, the Governor of Kentucky, announced that University of Louisville President James Ramsey will be vacating his post.

The goal, Bevin said, is to give the University “a fresh start.” Ramsey, who was hired in 2002, is expected to step down by the end of June, but the exact date is not yet known.

Bevin will also be reorganizing the Board of Trustees for the University.

There have been a number of issues with the school in recent years, as detailed by the Louisville Courier-Journal:

“Over the past two years, his leadership came under attack as the university dealt with embezzlement scandals and other embarrassments, including an FBI investigation of its top health care executive and an NCAA investigation of allegations that men’s basketball players and recruits were provided dancers and prostitutes. The university also has been criticized for offering buyouts to top officials in exchange for their silence, and Ramsey’s compensation has been questioned.”

Bevin said that this decision was motivated by academics, not athletics.

Rick Pitino has said that the investigation into the escort scandal is over, but the school has yet to receive a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA.

John Calipari takes a shot at Rick Pitino, Roy Williams in interview.

By Rob Dauster

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

John Calipari is one of seven active college coaches in the Hall of Fame. He’s gone at the head of three of them this offseason.

Just another summer in the Bluegrass, I guess.

The Kentucky head coach went on Mike Lupica’s podcast yesterday, and while he made sure to get in plugs for the stuff that he’s decided to push for this offseason — changing the process behind conference tournaments and how they effect the NCAA tournament bracket, letting college players get loans from the NBA, etc. — he made sure to get in a subtle dig at Rick Pitino and Roy Williams.

Lupica asked Cal about NCAA violations and whether coaches should be held accountable for what happens under their watch.

His answer?

“Well, it depends on who that coach is,” Cal said. “You know, there will be some coaches where everybody will say there is no way he knew. There will be other coaches that (they) would say, ‘Well, he knew what he knew that that happened with that family in eighth grade. He knew. You know he knew. He knew.’ It’s all what people are going to say.”

“All I can tell you is this: If it happens on your campus, and it happens with your assistants and those people, you probably have a pretty good idea of what’s going on. If it happens back in their hometown, it happens back with their family or other ways, there’s no way you can know. You just don’t know. So all I would say is most coaches have an idea if it happened on their campus. You might not be the first to know about it, but you eventually hear about it.”

“It’s unfortunate. You wish there was more consistency about how they do things in the NCAA. There’s a belief out there of selective enforcement in the NCAA. Some people will call right to Emmert and say, ‘Get these people off of me,’ and it changes. It's selective." 

There’s a lot to untangle here.

But what’s clear as day is that Cal, like he did with Duke and head coach Mike Krzyzewski back in May, is taking a shot at Pitino and Williams and the scandals currently engulfing their programs. Williams is trying to distance himself and the basketball team from the fraudulent classes that his players took advantage of; the Tar Heels have received their Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, and it seems likely that Williams and his program will avoid major sanctions. That may not be the case with Louisville and the allegations that Pitino staffers bribed recruits with hookers, but like Williams, Pitino is trying to save himself by claiming plausible deniability; essentially, Andre McGee went rogue, according to the Louisville coach.

Cal doesn’t say it explicitly, but he doesn’t have to. We can all see through it.

And that’s not even the best part.

The best part is that Cal claims that it’s impossible for anyone to know about what happens in a players hometown, that something like — oh, I don’t know — a player getting ruled ineligible because of an SAT taken in Detroit (ahem, Derrick Rose) or a player receiving cash, clothes and jewelry from wanna-be agents in his hometown of Hartford (hi, Marcus Camby) should be out of a coach’s jurisdiction, so to speak.

So not only is Cal throwing shade two of UK’s biggest rivals, he’s doing so while explaining how the two biggest black marks on his coaching résumé shouldn’t be considered black marks.

Cal is the best at this. He takes shots without directly naming names, he feigns innocence when called on it and he revels in the amount of media coverage his quotes get. Earlier in the interview he said, “I came up with an idea in our league meetings that caught fire and everybody went crazy about it.” He wants this to happen, because it lets him make the claim that Kentucky is the only program in the country that is always talked about. Who else routinely makes headlines in June?

He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s playing us like a fiddle. And yet, here I am writing about it because it’s just too damn good to leave alone. We’re watching a master at work.

Muhammad Ali’s hunky grandson can be model, running back without NCAA interference.

The Sporting News

 Ali's grandson sure is fast and he sure is pretty. (Photo/Sporting News)

Muhammad Ali’s genes have fared well for his grandson Biaggio Ali-Walsh.

Ali-Walsh isn’t just a talented three-star running back with 12 college football offers, he recently used his good looks to land a modeling deal. And since he’s a professional model before enrolling in college, there’s nothing the NCAA can do about it.

The NCAA provided the following three criteria to TMZ that make it possible for an NCAA athlete to also be a professional model.

1. He started modeling prior to enrolling in college.
2. His athletic ability is not considered as a factor in hiring him as a model.
3. He is paid at a rate commensurate with his skill or experience as a performer/model.

Ali-Walsh, the son of Rasheda Ali who was named the 2015 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year, is a rising senior at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas and, according to 247Sports.com, is most likely to land at Cal as the No. 12 all-purpose back in the Class of 2017.

And after checking out Ali-Walsh's credentials online, it's easy to tell he is Ali's blood because he sure is fast and he sure is pretty.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, June 20, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1912 - The New York Giants and the Boston Braves combined for 17 runs in the ninth inning. The Giants scored 7 to the Braves' 10 runs. The Giants won the game 21-12.

1936 - Jesse Owens set a 100-meter record at 10.2 seconds.

1950 - Willie Mays graduated from high school and immediately signed with the New York Giants.

1960 - Floyd Patterson knocked out Ingemar Johansson to become the first heavyweight fighter to regain his own crown.

1966 - The U.S. Open golf tournament was broadcast in color for the first time.

1967 - Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the conviction.

1980 - Robert Duran won a fifteen-round decision over Sugar Ray Leonard. It was the first defeat in twenty-eight professional fights for Leonard.

1982 - Pete Rose played in his 3,000th major league game. It was also his 523rd consecutive game.

1993 - The Chicago Bulls won their third consecutive NBA title. They defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 with a score of 99-98.

1994 - The Tigers' streak of 25 straight games with at least one home run ended. The lost the game 7-1 to Cleveland.

1994 - O.J. Simpson pled innocent in Los Angeles to the killing of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

1998 - Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) hit two home runs for the second straight game. The feat set a major league baseball record of 16 home runs in June.

1999 - Lawrence Phillips became the first NFL Europe player to rush for more that 1,000 yards in a season.

1999 - The Dallas Stars won their first NHL Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the third overtime of game six. The game actually began on June 19th.

2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 38th home run of the season. The home run broke the major league baseball record for homers before the midseason All-Star break.

2002 - Luis Castillo (Florida Marlins) set a major league record for second basemen when he got a hit in his 34th straight game.

2003 - Jose Canseco was arrested after testing positive for steroids, a violation of his probation that stemmed from a nightclub brawl.

2004 - Ken Griffey Jr. (Cincinnati Reds) got his 500th career home run.

2007 - Sammy Sosa (Texas Rangers) got his 600th career home run. The hit came against, the Chicago Cubs, his former team.

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