Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"You have to rely on your preparation. You got to really be passionate and try to prepare more than anyone else, and put yourself in a position to succeed, and when the moment comes you got to enjoy, relax, breathe and rely on your preparation so that you can perform and not be anxious or filled with doubt." ~ Steve Nash, Eight-Time NBA All-Star and Seven-Time All NBA Selection
Trending: Ten Thoughts on the NFL. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: Blackhawks have options, for the right price. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates).
Trending: Bulls headed to parts unknown as free agency begins. (See the basketball section for Bulls updates).
Trending: England calling? USMNT’s Klinsmann linked with Three Lions job. What's Your Take? (See the soccer section for our take, we'd love to hear yours......)
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 51-27
White Sox 2016 Record: 40-39
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Packers 2016 Schedule Preview: Chicago Bears. (Taken from Acme Packing Co. page on SBNation.com)
By Evan (Tex) Western
(Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
Will Chicago’s new linebackers be sufficient to bolster their average defense?
After opening the 2015 season at Soldier Field, the Green Bay Packers will have their first game against the Chicago Bears this season in week seven at Lambeau Field. This game will be held on a Thursday night, and will be the Packers’ “Color Rush” game, which is expected to feature Green Bay in all-gold jerseys with the Bears in solid navy.
The two NFC North foes will have their rematch in Illinois in week 15, kicking off a three-game stretch against divisional opponents to close out the Packers’ 2016 schedule.
The Bears revamped the middle of their defense this offseason, adding a pair of highly-sought-after inside linebackers in free agency as well as an edge rusher early in the NFL Draft. They’ll need them to improve a defense that finished in the bottom five in turnovers forced last season and to build upon the Bears’ 6-10 record.
Here is a look at the Bears’ offseason from the folks over at Windy City Gridiron, our SB Nation colleagues who cover the Bears.
Chicago Bears
Notable free agent additions
ILB Danny Trevathan, ILB Jerell Freeman, DL Akiem Hicks, RT Bobby Massie
Notable free agent departures
RB Matt Forte
Trades
TE Martellus Bennett traded to Patriots
Draft picks expected to contribute as rookies
1st Round OLB Leonard Floyd will at the very least be in on passing downs to rush the passer. His coverage skills could be put to use as well.
2nd Round OL Cody Whitehair is in line to start at left guard.
3rd Round DL Jonathan Bullard will be in the defensive line rotation.
5th Round RB Jordan Howard will be part of the Bears’ backfield by committee. The power element he adds could give him the edge on short yardage and goal line situations.
Biggest offseason addition
The two free agent inside linebackers will help get the Bears defense back to being respectable. Trevathan and Freeman are so much better (like really, really, better) than last year’s duo of Shea McClellin and Christian Jones.
Biggest storyline heading into training camp
There are a lot of story lines to pick from, but I think most fans are excited to see 2015 first round draft pick Kevin White finally healthy. He missed all of last season with a shin injury, and if he’s all he’s cracked up to be, he will add a huge playmaker to the offense.
Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp
So many to choose from, like the revamped front seven gelling, the running back by committee taking shape, the safety position figuring itself out, Jay Cutler meshing with new offensive coordinator, but a more obscure storyline could be 7th round pick Daniel Braverman. He’s a smallish and shifty slot receiver that Bears’ fans are already rooting for. If he has a good camp then follows it up was a decent preseason, some fans will have their new favorite player.
Notable injuries heading into training camp
Fourth wide out Marquess Wilson broke his foot again and may end up on the PUP list. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is recovering from offseason knee surgery, but he should be 100% for training camp.
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
(Photo/Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
The 2016 Rising 50 list is compiled by the marketing and licensing arm of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). The is their second year in predicting which players are "best positioned to rank among top-sellers of all officially licensed merchandise and become future retail stars."
The Chicago Bears have one player who made the Rising 50 this year, running back Jeremy Langford. During his rookie season of 2015, Langford appeared in all 16 games, making 2 starts, he rushed for 537 yards and 6 TDs, while averaging 3.6 yards per carry. He also added 22 receptions for 279 yards and a receiving TD. He had a small case of the dropsies, but he didn't fumble once. He's probably the odds on favorite to open the season atop the RB depth chart.
With an improved offensive line, there's a good chance there will be more room for Langford and his 4.42 forty time to run loose. With Matt Forte off to New York, I would imagine there will be plenty of LANGFORD 33 jerseys for sale at the local department stores.
Eleven players from the 2015 Rising 50 list ended up on an NFLPA overall Top 50 player sales list during last season. One of which was Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
Ten Thoughts on the NFL.
By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.
(Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
1) When your offense loses one of the toughest match-ups in NFL history, your offense usually takes a hit. But Detroit Lions' quarterback Matt Stafford believes that they'll be better off without six time Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson. The 6'5", 235 pound Johnson retired following the 2015 season, but Stafford is taking the glass half full approach to Detroit's offseason.
"Obviously we used to feature Calvin and everybody kind of got theirs after that." Stafford told detroitlions.com, "It's gonna, I think, be tougher for defenses in a certain way that they don't know who we're going to. There's no guy to key in on."
While in theory this makes sense, not having that one "Guy" to make a play in crunch time could be problem for Stafford. During Stafford's career, Calvin Johnson accounted for 31% of his career passing yards and 34% of his touchdowns passes. He was a 'chuck it up there and I'll go get it' safety-net during Stafford's 7 year career.
2) Speaking of the 30 year old Megatron, he finally spoke about why he walked away from the game. "I know everybody wants to know why I retired, but it's more so, I put a lot into the game and it's taken a lot out of me and that's where I'm at right now," Johnson told the Detroit Free Press while working his annual football camp. "I'm not going to get into the specifics of the things that I feel it's taken away, but it definitely feels good, I guess I can say for myself, to spend more time around the family, my son, I just got married. So things are going good right now."
Johnson was still wearing a splint on his finger at the camp and prior ankle and knee injuries led him to the conclusion that enough was enough. He claims his decision to walk away had nothing to do with the Lions 64-80 record and two early playoff exits during his time as a Lion. "I wouldn't just quit because we were losing. It was just body. I was just tired of it, fed up. Just had enough."
3) Remember back in December when that Al-Jazeera America report popped up that claimed Peyton Manning used performance enhancing drugs? Even though he was the most high profile player named, there were a few others accused of taking PEDs as well, and now the NFL has plans to interview Green Bay Packers' linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews, former Packer and current free agent linebacker Mike Neal and Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker James Harrison.
There has been an on going investigation by the NFL, but they are just getting around to the player interviews. If a suspension comes out of this, the Packers' defense will take a big hit losing two of their better players.
Oh and by the way, even though Manning is retired, the NFL plans to speak with him as well.
4) Last week Johnny Manziel's lawyer, Bob Hinton, did something that most of us have done, sent a text to the wrong person. It's an honest mistake, but one an attorney of a high profile client, working his domestic violence case, with media members in their contact list shouldn't make. Here's the text in case you missed it.
"Heaven help us if one of the conditions is to pee in a bottle,"
The text made it seem as though Manziel's legal team were seeking a plea deal with the prosecution and that Hinton wasn't confident his client could stay clean.
4a) Manziel's dad, Paul Manziel, said that the best place for his son would be jail.
"He's a druggie. It's not a secret that he's a druggie. I don't know what to say other than my son is a druggie and he needs help. He just hasn't seeked it yet. Hopefully he doesn't die before he comes to his senses. That's about all you can say. I don't know what else to say. I hate to say it but I hope he goes to jail. I mean, that would be the best place for him. So we'll see."
Rehab wasn't able to get Johnny Football clean, maybe jail is the best option.
5) Speaking of Facebook, did you know that you can RSVP to attend the Super Bowl parade of the Cleveland Browns? Now that the city has a major sports championship thanks to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland fans are optimistic.
But they're also still a little bit realistic, because the parade is set for 2033.
6) Remember a couple of weeks ago when we talked about Denver Broncos' linebacker Von Miller and his cropping out of his boss, John Elway, on his Instagram picture? Yeah, it's kind of petty, but Miller is seeking what he feels is fair market value and Elway is offering less.
Elway responded, and he came off about how you would expect with a simple "That's too bad." Here's the clip via TMZ in case you want to hear his tone and see him say the quick line.
Miller claims he won't play 2016 under the franchise tag, but I can't see him leaving money on the table.
7) When I was younger me and my cousin played Strat-O-Matic all night long. We played the baseball, hockey and the football version and hours and hours were spent rolling dice, picking teams, tracking stats, and keeping score. When I was blogging for The Sporting News, they had an online baseball version of Strat-O-Matic that I was obsessed with.
Strat-O-Matic had as much to do with my love of sports growing up than did actually watching or playing them. If you aren't aware of the game, NFL.com has a great write up about it that you can find right here.
Before fantasy football or the Madden video game there was Strat-O-Matic.
Any other fans of the board game out there?
8) The Baltimore Ravens are expecting an improvement for their offense in year two of Marc Trestman calling plays.
I suppose it's possible, but as Chicago Bears' fans probably remember, year two of his system in the Windy City suffered a precipitous drop in production, falling from 8th highest in yardage and the 2nd best in scoring in 2013 to 21st and 23rd respectively the following year. His year two drop off wasn't just a Bears thing, it has been his pattern at almost every stop in the NFL.
Sure there could have been other factors leading to the falls, but we'll have to wait and see if Joe Flacco and the Ravens can buck the trend in 2016.
9) There are a few coaches with ties to the Chicago Bears in this Dream Coaching Staff photo essay by NFL.com's Bucky Brooks. He only went with current NFL coaches, so no George Halas or Buddy Ryan.
Former Spare Bears quarterback Sean Payton is his running backs coach. His defensive line coach was a former ball boy of the Bears, and Buddy's son, Rex Ryan.
His linebackers coach is former Bear player and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. His offensive quality control coach is ex-Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
And his pass rush specialist is current Bears head coach John Fox. Brooks says that "Fox helped Michael Strahan (in New York), Julius Peppers (in Carolina) and Von Miller (in Denver) master a handful of pass-rush techniques that enabled them to become perennial Pro Bowlers," so maybe he's the perfect coach to give rookie first round pick Leonard Floyd some technique pointers.
10) Add Sports Illustrated to the list of publications that feel good about the Chicago Bears' Pernell McPhee. They just named him the 7th bets edge rushed in the NFL.
When McPhee bolted the linebacker-friendly confines of Baltimore for the Bears last year in free agency, he moved out of the shadow of Ravens teammates Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. After a tremendous all-around season at outside linebacker in Chicago, McPhee should no longer be a secret. Between snuffing out the run (his forte) and chasing down quarterbacks (PFF had McPhee as the game's best pass rusher on a per-snap basis with 45 total pressures in 205 snaps), McPhee has a strong case as last year's best free-agent signing.
And in case you missed it, you must go check out this quick video all about #92 for the Bears, Pernell McPhee is a Grown-Ass Man.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks have options, for the right price.
By Tracey Myers
Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman. (Photo/csnchicago.com)
Those tremors you felt Wednesday was the hockey world shaking things up.
They were the most exciting 30 minutes of offseason we’ve seen in some time, with the Montreal Canadiens sending P.K. Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber and Edmonton trading Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson. Oh, and coveted potential unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, sending teams like Toronto, Detroit and Buffalo to their Plan Bs.
For the Blackhawks, they weren’t players for any of the top-tier guys. But with the free-agent “frenzy” about to begin on Friday, the Blackhawks, who have a little shopping to do, can’t get caught in the ripple effect.
Most of the top UFAs are already off the board, from Stamkos to Keith Yandle to Alex Goligoski. Prices could go up on those remaining, and that could include some guys the Blackhawks were targeting.
As general manager Stan Bowman said last Saturday following the NHL Draft, the Blackhawks no longer have a salary-cap problem. Generalfanager.com shows the Blackhawks have a little more than $5 million in cap space. That’s after the Blackhawks made two cap friendly re-signings with forward Brandon Mashinter and defenseman Michal Rozsival. According to Pierre LeBrun, Mashinter and Rozsival will earn $575,00 and $600,000, respectively, this season.
So the Blackhawks enter the weekend with some spending cash, and they may be spending some of it immediately on a familiar guy. Andy Strickland reported on Thursday that Brian Campbell, who was part of the 2010 Stanley Cup team, could return on a one-year deal. Nothing would be official until Friday, when free agency begins.
If Campbell does return it probably won’t be for much cash. But Campbell knows the Blackhawks are still built to win and he won’t be hurting for money. It could be another sensible move like Brad Richards from the summer of 2014. Richards, just bought out by the New York Rangers after the team’s trip to the Stanley Cup final, just wanted to get back to the final. He signed a one-year deal worth $2 million here. While Richards was up and down in the regular season he was great in the playoffs, capping the Blackhawks’ Cup run with that beautiful pass to Patrick Kane in Game 6. The Blackhawks aren’t what they were in 2014 but they’re not in bad shape, either. A good, affordable tweak or two could have them thinking about another lengthy postseason run.
Keep something else in mind: just about every July the Blackhawks pick up someone we didn’t anticipate. Richards was a good example of that, too.
The Blackhawks have a little cash to spend but they also have future considerations; please see Artemi Panarin, who the Blackhawks can start negotiating with on Friday. It’s not just about what they spend this season, it’s about what they save for that potential deal that would start next season.
The options are out there to improve this team but the Blackhawks have to be prudent. They can’t afford not to be.
NHL Free Agency Rumors: Brian Campbell To Join Blackhawks For Second Time?
By Nicholas Goss
It's been widely rumored that the 37-year-old defenseman has been open to a return to Chicago, where he helped bring a Stanley Cup to in 2010 and still resides in the offseason.
The latest report comes from Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest, saying Campbell is likely to sign a one-year deal with the Blackhawks.
This comes less than a day after Campbell told the Chicago Tribune that he's willing to take a hometown discount if it meant playing for the Blackhawks, a team that ranks No. 1 on his list.
If reports turn out to be true, Campbell immediately gives the Blackhawks a top-four defenseman and alleviates some of the pressure off the bottom pairing, such as Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was asked to take on a larger role last season.
Blackhawks re-sign Brandon Mashinter, Michal Rozsival to one-year deals.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
The Blackhawks have agreed to bring back forward Brandon Mashinter and defenseman Michal Rozsival on one-year deals, the team announced Thursday.
It's a $575,000 cap hit for Mashinter and $600,000 for Rozsival, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.
Mashinter, 27, scored four goals and one assist in 41 regular-season games during his first year with the Blackhawks last season. Rozsival, 37, registered one goal and 12 assists in 51 games last year.
The moves give the Blackhawks cheap depth up front and on the back end along with flexibility heading into free agency, which officially opens at 11 a.m. CT on Friday.
With the signings, the Blackhawks now had 19 players (10 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders) under contract for the 2016-17 season. They have $5.215 million in cap space to fill out the rest of the roster, per generalfanager.com.
Every important Blackhawks trade and free agent rumor in one place.
By Satchel Price
(Picture/Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports)
With free agency just around the corner, the NHL news cycle is going to become a frenzy as teams sort out their rosters for next season. The Blackhawks won't be as active as many other teams given how much of their roster is already set in stone, but they'll be making moves all the same to get ready for another possible Stanley Cup run.
Already this offseason, we've seen the Hawks trade Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainan and Bryan Bickell, so GM Stan Bowman hasn't been shy about making changes to manage under the salary cap. The team currently has around $3 million in salary cap space to work with entering free agency, so Bowman will be able to acquire a new piece or two soon.
Already this offseason, we've seen the Hawks trade Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainan and Bryan Bickell, so GM Stan Bowman hasn't been shy about making changes to manage under the salary cap. The team currently has around $3 million in salary cap space to work with entering free agency, so Bowman will be able to acquire a new piece or two soon.
NHL free agency opens on Friday, and already we've heard a number of rumors about what the team intends to do in the coming days. Here's a look at every major Hawks-related rumor that we've covered at Second City Hockey this summer, and we'll continue updating this throughout the offseason.
June 30: Hawks "reach out" to Thomas Vanek
June 30: Hawks "reach out" to Thomas Vanek
May 12: Hawks 'very close' to signing Michal Kempny
CUBS: Cubs ninth inning rally stifled by Jeurys Familia in loss to Mets.
CUBS: Cubs ninth inning rally stifled by Jeurys Familia in loss to Mets.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Cubs didn’t overreact to getting swept in last year’s National League Championship Series, but the New York Mets did expose some underlying issues while a deep playoff run created a sense of urgency in Wrigleyville.
The Cubs spent like crazy on the free-agent market (almost $290 million) and wore T-shirts around spring training that literally put targets on their chests, knowing the look would go viral on social media and spark love/hate responses.
Making a statement? Sending a message? That’s so last year, when the Cubs were a team still trying to find an identity and learn how to win. The Mets are now the ones feeling the season-on-the-brink anxiety, desperate for offense and hoping to avoid worst-case scenarios with all those talented young pitchers.
So maybe this becomes a turning point for the defending NL champs, beating the Cubs 4-3 on Thursday night at Citi Field to kick off this marquee four-game series in front of 40,122 and a national TV audience.
Steven Matz, who set off alarm bells this week with the disclosure he’s been pitching with a bone spur in his left elbow, managed to work into the sixth inning and throw 104 pitches, giving up homers to Kris Bryant and Javier Baez but limiting the damage to only three runs.
Yoenis Cespedes, who revived a lifeless lineup after last summer’s trade-deadline blockbuster, energized the Mets again with a big swing in the sixth inning, drilling a John Lackey pitch 441 feet out to left field and onto the third deck, creating a 110-mph exit velocity with his 19th home run.
Lackey, the big-game starter the Cubs needed to lengthen their rotation for October, got pulled with one out in the seventh and the Mets took advantage of Joel Peralta’s shaky audition out of the bullpen and a Javier Baez throwing error in what became a three-run inning.
The Cubs couldn’t come up with an answer for Mets closer Jeurys Familia, who finished off all four NLCS wins last October. The Cubs wasted Miguel Montero’s pinch-hit, leadoff walk in the ninth inning and Ben Zobrist’s line-drive double to right field. Familia responded by striking out Bryant swinging, intentionally walking Anthony Rizzo to load the bases, striking out Willson Contreras swinging and getting Javier Baez to pop out to end the game.
5 things we learned about the Cubs in June.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
As the Cubs opened up a four-game series against the New York Mets on Thursday night, don't expect a magician in Citi Field’s visiting clubhouse, despite a few obvious parallels to last season.
The Cubs were also in New York on the final day of June in 2015, coming off arguably their worst stretch of the season (when they lost five straight to the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals). This summer, the Cubs have responded to their biggest speed bump – losing six of seven games to the Cardinals and Miami Marlins last week – by sweeping the Cincinnati Reds out of Great American Ball Park in a wildly eventful three-game series.
It's a little bit of deja vu for the Mets, too, as they are searching for an offensive identity for the second straight summer, just as the Cubs come into town. The Cubs will enter July with at least 51 wins and a share of the best record in baseball, now just a few percentage points separating them and the red-hot Texas Rangers.
Let's take a look at five things we learned about the Cubs in June:
1. They're not unstoppable.
Joe Maddon claims he doesn't believe in June swoons, but the Cubs just fought through their worst month of the season. But with a win Thursday, they will be 17-11 in June – only one game off May's pace (18-10 record).
The run differential (plus-170) is still almost double the next-closest team (Cleveland Indians at plus-91). Of course, the run differential soars while playing the Reds. The Cubs have scored 87 runs in those 10 games, or 21.1 percent of their runs for the season (412).
Also worth noting, this losing stretch coincided with a slew of injuries that included leadoff guy Dexter Fowler, role player Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler, who had just started heating up before landing on the disabled list.
2. Kris Bryant is a superstar.
Bryant was already enjoying a pretty solid sophomore campaign before the series in Cincinnati, but he exploded for the best offensive game in franchise history on Monday night, and then added three more hits, two walks, an RBI and a pair of runs scored in the final two games at Great American Ball Park.
For June, Bryant enters play Thursday with a 1.058 OPS and is now on pace for 44 homers, 122 RBI and 128 runs scored with a .931 season OPS.
Oh yeah, and over the past calendar year, he's leading the National League in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) – and ranking fourth in Major League Baseball – ahead of even 2015 NL MVP Bryce Harper.
There's no sophomore slump for Bryant, and at the age of 24, he continues to get better. With only 225 big-league games under his belt, he's already one of the best players in the league.
3. They absolutely need more bullpen help.
After a 2.72 bullpen ERA in April, Cubs relievers have posted ERAs of 3.80 and 3.93 in May and June, respectively.
Even elite closer Hector Rondon has struggled, blowing all three of his saves on the season over the last two weeks and allowing three of the five earned runs he's given up in 2016 in June.
Justin Grimm has a 5.79 ERA on the season and Adam Warren had allowed 13 runs over his last 17.2 innings before going down to the minor leagues to stretch out as a starter.
The Cubs are still searching for another left-handed arm in the bullpen. (Travis Wood is effective against both righties and lefties and serves as one of the long men in the bullpen.) The Cubs would also like another potentially dominant reliever to help take some of the load off Pedro Strop and Rondon at the back end of the bullpen.
4. This really is a great situation for young players.
The Cubs promoted two of their top prospects in June, and Willson Contreras and Albert Almora both hit the ground running.
Contreras has played three different positions and has posted a 1.067 OPS and 10 RBI in 12 games, while Almora is hitting .286 with a .776 OPS and hit his first big-league home run on Wednesday in Cincinnati.
The two rookies joined a list that includes Bryant, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber as young players who came up to the big-league level and flourished amid a contending squad.
Maddon and his coaching staff help create an environment where every player can feel comfortable.
5. The starting rotation couldn't keep that up forever.
While Jon Lester continues to roll, Jake Arrieta has looked human in June with a 3.54 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. John Lackey carried a hot streak into the month before allowing 10 earned runs in 10.1 innings against the Cardinals and Marlins.
The Cubs still lead baseball by a wide margin with a 2.54 rotation ERA (almost a full run better than the Mets' 3.30 mark), but there's a different look about this pitching staff when Arrieta is struggling with his command and the bullpen is searching for consistency.
To be clear, those are still excellent numbers. Just not the video-game stats the pitching staff was putting up in the first two months of the season.
White Sox outlast Twins to move back above .500 mark.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox have had to lean heavily on their bench in June and J.B. Shuck delivered one of the unit’s bigger hits to date.
The backup outfielder’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon capped a three-hit day and a stellar week for Shuck. It also lifted the White Sox to a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins in front of 26,158 at U.S. Cellular Field.
Despite blowing two leads, the White Sox, winners in seven of their last 10, managed to hang on for their third straight series victory. David Robertson converted his 21st save in 23 tries for the White Sox, who moved back above .500 for the first time since June 10.
“He's been playing great,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I think getting multiple at-bats consistently has really helped his swing. He was always a good pinch-hitter, but when you put him in there he would sputter a little bit.
“He's been swinging it great.”
Down three key relief pitchers, the White Sox also are without Austin Jackson for at least several more weeks. Melky Cabrera is set to miss one or two more games with a sore wrist. They lost Matt Davidson, who was promoted on Thursday, to a fractured right foot in his 2016 debut. And Avisail Garcia has been inconsistent at the plate, which means there are plenty of at-bats to go around.
Following a slow start to the season, Shuck has started to warm up and take advantage.
In the previous series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Shuck homered twice — his first and second homers since April 2014.
He added a third big hit in the eighth inning off left-hander Fernando Abad when he dumped a single into left to score Garcia, who drew the first of two, two-out walks to start the rally. Shuck also doubled during a fourth-inning rally and singled in the sixth. It was his most hits in a game since April 13, 2014.
“Growing up as a kid, you always play bottom of the ninth scenario, so it’s fun to get an opportunity to do it and come through,” Shuck said. “It’s a big win for the team, and to help out is fun.
“I knew we were going to have a chance there once it got over the shortstop’s head, and to see them score and give us the go-ahead run was a great thing.”
Carlos Rodon was off to a great start before the Minnesota lineup got going.
Ahead 2-0 in the fourth, Rodon allowed back-to-back homers to Robbie Grossman and Brian Dozier with two outs. Before that, Rodon retired the first 11 batters he faced, including five strikeouts.
The White Sox regained a three-run advantage in the fourth inning and Rodon responded with a perfect fifth. But he struggled in the sixth and allowed Minnesota to creep back within a run. Rodon gave up a double and a RBI single before he walked Grossman with one out and Dozier followed with an RBI single. Matt Albers stranded a pair to keep the White Sox ahead 5-4.
Rodon exited after allowing four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six.
The Twins tied it with a run off Zach Duke and Nate Jones in the seventh.
The White Sox offense figured out how to attack Tommy Milone and forced him out of the game in the fourth inning.
Todd Frazier got things rolling with a solo homer in the second inning — the 14th consecutive solo homer hit by the White Sox — to make it a 1-0 game. The team is one shy of tying a franchise record with 15 straight solo home runs, which was set from Sept. 2-25, 1965.
Jose Abreu singled in a run in the third to put the White Sox up two.
The White Sox regained the lead for Rodon in the fourth after Minnesota tied it in the top half. Garcia singled in Brett Lawrie, who started the inning with a double.
Garcia stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Davidson, his first big league RBI since Sept. 27, 2013 with Arizona. But en route to scoring in the inning, Davidson fractured his foot running the bases.
After Shuck doubled and Tim Anderson walked to load the bases — his first career free pass in 86 plate appearances — Milone hit Adam Eaton to force in a run and make it 5-2. But Neil Ramirez took over and got Abreu to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
With Anderson, who reached base four times, on second and one out in the seventh, Abreu struck out and Frazier flew out.
That set the stage for Shuck, who is 8-for-18 with four RBIs in his last five games.
“He's coming up getting some big hits, a ball in the gap,” Ventura said. “This is good for him and good for us at the same time.”
The backup outfielder’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon capped a three-hit day and a stellar week for Shuck. It also lifted the White Sox to a 6-5 win over the Minnesota Twins in front of 26,158 at U.S. Cellular Field.
Despite blowing two leads, the White Sox, winners in seven of their last 10, managed to hang on for their third straight series victory. David Robertson converted his 21st save in 23 tries for the White Sox, who moved back above .500 for the first time since June 10.
“He's been playing great,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I think getting multiple at-bats consistently has really helped his swing. He was always a good pinch-hitter, but when you put him in there he would sputter a little bit.
“He's been swinging it great.”
Down three key relief pitchers, the White Sox also are without Austin Jackson for at least several more weeks. Melky Cabrera is set to miss one or two more games with a sore wrist. They lost Matt Davidson, who was promoted on Thursday, to a fractured right foot in his 2016 debut. And Avisail Garcia has been inconsistent at the plate, which means there are plenty of at-bats to go around.
Following a slow start to the season, Shuck has started to warm up and take advantage.
In the previous series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Shuck homered twice — his first and second homers since April 2014.
He added a third big hit in the eighth inning off left-hander Fernando Abad when he dumped a single into left to score Garcia, who drew the first of two, two-out walks to start the rally. Shuck also doubled during a fourth-inning rally and singled in the sixth. It was his most hits in a game since April 13, 2014.
“Growing up as a kid, you always play bottom of the ninth scenario, so it’s fun to get an opportunity to do it and come through,” Shuck said. “It’s a big win for the team, and to help out is fun.
“I knew we were going to have a chance there once it got over the shortstop’s head, and to see them score and give us the go-ahead run was a great thing.”
Carlos Rodon was off to a great start before the Minnesota lineup got going.
Ahead 2-0 in the fourth, Rodon allowed back-to-back homers to Robbie Grossman and Brian Dozier with two outs. Before that, Rodon retired the first 11 batters he faced, including five strikeouts.
The White Sox regained a three-run advantage in the fourth inning and Rodon responded with a perfect fifth. But he struggled in the sixth and allowed Minnesota to creep back within a run. Rodon gave up a double and a RBI single before he walked Grossman with one out and Dozier followed with an RBI single. Matt Albers stranded a pair to keep the White Sox ahead 5-4.
Rodon exited after allowing four earned runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out six.
The Twins tied it with a run off Zach Duke and Nate Jones in the seventh.
The White Sox offense figured out how to attack Tommy Milone and forced him out of the game in the fourth inning.
Todd Frazier got things rolling with a solo homer in the second inning — the 14th consecutive solo homer hit by the White Sox — to make it a 1-0 game. The team is one shy of tying a franchise record with 15 straight solo home runs, which was set from Sept. 2-25, 1965.
Jose Abreu singled in a run in the third to put the White Sox up two.
The White Sox regained the lead for Rodon in the fourth after Minnesota tied it in the top half. Garcia singled in Brett Lawrie, who started the inning with a double.
Garcia stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Davidson, his first big league RBI since Sept. 27, 2013 with Arizona. But en route to scoring in the inning, Davidson fractured his foot running the bases.
After Shuck doubled and Tim Anderson walked to load the bases — his first career free pass in 86 plate appearances — Milone hit Adam Eaton to force in a run and make it 5-2. But Neil Ramirez took over and got Abreu to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
With Anderson, who reached base four times, on second and one out in the seventh, Abreu struck out and Frazier flew out.
That set the stage for Shuck, who is 8-for-18 with four RBIs in his last five games.
“He's coming up getting some big hits, a ball in the gap,” Ventura said. “This is good for him and good for us at the same time.”
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls headed to Parts Unknown as free agency begins.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Derrick Rose will suit up for the perpetually-woeful New York Knicks, Jimmy Butler is headed to a country that has legitimate Zika virus concerns for the Olympic Games, and neither of them has as much uncertainty as the Chicago Bulls as the franchise approaches free agency in a few days.
When the clock strikes midnight Friday, it’ll open up business around the NBA but also cement a sea change for the Bulls as far as their league-wide hierarchy. Two summers ago, the Bulls were getting ready to be the welcoming committee for free agent Carmelo Anthony, believing he was the missing piece to a championship puzzle.
Anthony chose to stay in New York, in large part due to the $50 million disparity between the Knicks and Bulls, thanks to the collective bargaining agreement giving players a greater incentive for staying at home as opposed to bolting to other teams.
When the clock strikes midnight Friday, it’ll open up business around the NBA but also cement a sea change for the Bulls as far as their league-wide hierarchy. Two summers ago, the Bulls were getting ready to be the welcoming committee for free agent Carmelo Anthony, believing he was the missing piece to a championship puzzle.
Anthony chose to stay in New York, in large part due to the $50 million disparity between the Knicks and Bulls, thanks to the collective bargaining agreement giving players a greater incentive for staying at home as opposed to bolting to other teams.
The Bulls wound up with a big fish anyway, signing Pau Gasol to a three-year contract he officially opted out of a few days ago, as he and Joakim Noah will depart Chicago for Parts Unknown.
Ironically, that’s the address the Bulls are headed to. Although they have over $23 million in cap space—an amount that’s enough for one max player—they won’t be grocery shopping with the big boys this time around.
They’ll be going bargain hunting, the epitome of what general manger Gar Forman calls “retooling” instead of that other dreaded “R” word: rebuilding.
Taking a couple steps back for the sake of taking a few forward sooner rather than later isn’t the easiest route. But when they decided not to trade Jimmy Butler on draft night or any other recent evening, it was the course of action the franchise decided to take.
“We’re still trying to get a sense of what the market is going to be,” Forman said the night of the NBA Draft, after the Bulls selected Denzel Valentine with the 14th pick. “I don’t think anybody knows what’s gonna happen come July 1 because there’s never been anything like this where there’s such a spike in the cap. So we’re still evaluating that. My guess is opposed to one guy we’ll look to fill some holes and guys who fit the plan moving forward.”
Butler and new addition Robin Lopez are the only starters who can say they’re in the top half in the league at their position, with Butler being in the conversation for best shooting guard.
So if the Bulls are to overachieve and find themselves back in the thick of the playoff race, thus showing the competency in the front office and the sidelines to make themselves a destination in free agency this time next summer, they’ll have to be a team whose sum is greater than its individual parts, unless they snag a top-line wing player like Nicolas Batum (Charlotte) or Chandler Parsons (Dallas)—traditional 3-and-D guys but nowhere near superstars and not even All-Stars.
Even still, the proposition the Bulls are facing isn’t enviable but there’s opportunity for Forman to show he’s ahead of the curve and for Fred Hoiberg to rebound from his very shaky rookie season as coach.
Trading Rose was a start, and teams will be interested in Taj Gibson (as they always are), but it’ll be fascinating to see how the Bulls navigate the territory of employing enough veterans to help the young pieces grow while not wasting the valuable time of a respected player like Gibson.
The prudent decisions, the tough ones the good franchises make are usually through trades—players with existing contracts and not the inflated ones the market will bear.
Athleticism is a need, along with a point guard considering the Bulls are inheriting one who had the lowest-scoring point-per-game average in the league last season in Jose Calderon (7.6 points).
While Calderon’s on-floor leadership and ability to spread the floor from the top (41 percent from 3 last season) will be highly valued should he stick around, the Bulls would be better served looking to upgrade the position, despite a class that won’t initially inspire observers at first glance.
Memphis point guard Mike Conley will certainly be the apple of many teams’ eye, but at 29 he’s at the precious age where not only is this the last big long-term contract he’ll likely sign. But he’ll likely want to do it on a team with a clear trajectory upward as opposed to a slow slope down.
Brandon Jennings is a full year removed from Achilles’ recovery, and could take a short deal to rejuvenate his value on the open market, similar to what Gasol did two years ago but on a different level. Jeremy Lin will command a lot of attention, as will Rajon Rondo.
The athletic wings are a bit deeper, but with the league putting a premium on versatile players who can defend the perimeter, run the floor and shoot, the competition will be stiff and it appears as if the Bulls will have to overpay for quality.
Knicks free agent guard Arron Afflalo could be an intriguing, if not understated option as a wing who can defend and be credible as an outside shooter, able to alleviate pressure on Butler to play 40 minutes on the opposing team’s best scorer.
The Bulls’ interest in Golden State’s Harrison Barnes has been an open secret, given his ties with Doug McDermott, Hoiberg and now-Olympic teammate Butler. But as a restricted free agent it leaves any suitor in limbo for three days while the Warriors decide if they want to match—or if Kevin Durant decides to join the juggernaut.
And given Barnes’ underwhelming performance in the postseason, teams should be wary of Barnes not being able to play above the level he’s been at in Golden State, where he was a fourth option.
Hawks swingman Kent Bazemore is an example as a quality player who’ll be in high demand, but his ceiling isn’t too much higher than his reality.
The Bulls would be wise to resist making a splash in multiple areas, as more than a few teams will commit big money to players who can’t change their stripes no matter what the price tag is.
But if the Bulls are able to resist the trends, they can emerge from Parts Unknown and find themselves in a few years on a road marked “May”—and if they’re geniuses, “June.”
Denzel Valentine: Bulls' versatility will 'make us so dangerous'.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bulls are undergoing a "retooling" in their backcourt after dealing Derrick Rose to the Knicks, drafting Denzel Valentine and attempting to re-sign E'Twaun Moore in free agency.
That, combined with Jimmy Butler, the addition of Jerian Grant and an already versatile frontcourt will give Fred Hoiberg plenty of options that Valentine believes will make the Bulls "dangerous" in 2016-17.
"I think that's going to make us so dangerous this year, is we are versatile with our guards," He said on Wednesday night's White Sox broadcast. "And in those three positions I feel like we're going to be able to guard and do a lot of things offensively and throw a lot at you when we're coming down on offense. And the defensive end, too.
"I think we're going to have a really good team this year with all that we have, and I'm glad to be part of the building year, or whatever you want to call it."
On paper the Bulls will have more versatility than a year ago. Valentine is capable of playing either wing position and can handle the ball, though he doesn't project as a point guard. Butler can play and defend four positions, and Grant is capable of playing either guard spot. Bringing back E'Twaun Moore would benefit that versatility greatly, as he's capable of playing on or off the ball.
In the frontcourt, the Bulls will need to replace Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, neither of whom provided much versatility. Robin Lopez is entrenched at center, which will give the Bulls' stretch forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis more room to roam the perimeter.
Wherever Valentine plays, and however Hoiberg uses him in Year 1, the Michigan State rookie said he's ready to do what's asked of him from a franchise known for winning.
"My job is to just come in, do what I can do best and just work on my game and try to lead as best as I can," he said on SportsTalk Live (in the video above). "I'm not coming in to step on anybody's toes but I'm going to do what I can to lead and be a good teammate and try to win some games."
That, combined with Jimmy Butler, the addition of Jerian Grant and an already versatile frontcourt will give Fred Hoiberg plenty of options that Valentine believes will make the Bulls "dangerous" in 2016-17.
"I think that's going to make us so dangerous this year, is we are versatile with our guards," He said on Wednesday night's White Sox broadcast. "And in those three positions I feel like we're going to be able to guard and do a lot of things offensively and throw a lot at you when we're coming down on offense. And the defensive end, too.
"I think we're going to have a really good team this year with all that we have, and I'm glad to be part of the building year, or whatever you want to call it."
On paper the Bulls will have more versatility than a year ago. Valentine is capable of playing either wing position and can handle the ball, though he doesn't project as a point guard. Butler can play and defend four positions, and Grant is capable of playing either guard spot. Bringing back E'Twaun Moore would benefit that versatility greatly, as he's capable of playing on or off the ball.
In the frontcourt, the Bulls will need to replace Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, neither of whom provided much versatility. Robin Lopez is entrenched at center, which will give the Bulls' stretch forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis more room to roam the perimeter.
Wherever Valentine plays, and however Hoiberg uses him in Year 1, the Michigan State rookie said he's ready to do what's asked of him from a franchise known for winning.
"My job is to just come in, do what I can do best and just work on my game and try to lead as best as I can," he said on SportsTalk Live (in the video above). "I'm not coming in to step on anybody's toes but I'm going to do what I can to lead and be a good teammate and try to win some games."
Golf: I got a club for that..... McGirt making most of Ohio opportunity.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel)
When William McGirt laid out his 2016 playing schedule, he saw an opening.
While the game’s upper echelon would be cramming in one high-profile event after another during a seemingly endless summer, McGirt eyed a break: a five-week stretch where he could pull the plug, unwind a bit and recharge before heading into the season’s final stanza.
Funny how plans can change.
In the midst of what McGirt thought would be the third leg of that five-week hiatus, he is instead part of an elite field at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He also happens to be atop the leaderboard after a hot putter led him to an opening 6-under 64.
The season’s quartet of WGC events, with no cut and no shortage of world ranking points, can become old hat for many of best in the world. They’re even so commonplace that guys like Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia opted to skip a potential money grab in Akron rather than get caught up in a scheduling squabble between the PGA Tour and European Tour.
For McGirt, though, simply showing up this week is a prize in and of itself.
He qualified for this event by virtue of his breakthrough win this month at the Memorial Tournament, some 125 miles down the road in Dublin, Ohio. The victory was the first of his professional career, and at age 37 he is making his first career start in a WGC event.
A player who embodies an old-school approach to the game, he couldn’t help but smile once he got a look at the time-tested layout of Firestone’s South Course upon arrival on Sunday.
“I fell in love with the place,” McGirt said. “I love it because you can’t stand up there and just hit it as hard as you want, go find it and hack it on the green. It’s an old, traditional style golf course, which I absolutely love.”
That passion was apparent in McGirt’s opening round, a bogey-free effort where he needed only 24 putts. It was his work on the greens that moved him to the top of the standings, and it’s the same club that has led to a career-best run of results this summer.
A few new putting drills during the RBC Heritage in April yielded immense results, as McGirt stated that the last three months have been the longest stretch of confident putting in his 12-year-career. It’s a trend that continued in Thursday’s opener.
“It’s just one of those days where it seemed like the farther I got from the hole, the bigger it looked,” he said.
McGirt admits that things still haven’t returned to normal since his win at Muirfield Village. He remains in the midst of trying to send a note of thanks to everyone who texted, tweeted or emailed him a note of congratulations following the win – a process he expects could take five weeks.
“If somebody took the time to send me something, I want to take the time to send them a personal note back,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy that’s going to sit there and type out a message and hit cut and paste 500 times. That’s just not me.”
His life inside the ropes also remains an adjustment. The U.S. Open, he said, was a bit of a blur as friends and peers alike offered their praise of his playoff win. But as the weeks go on, he’s becoming more accustomed to the fact that he is now a PGA Tour winner, and equipped with a three-year exemption.
It’s a confidence boost that he has put to work this week, where a star-studded field of entries didn’t deter his sense of self-belief.
“I think the biggest thing I took away from Memorial is the confidence in the fact that I know that I can do it now,” he said.
This week’s event has, in many ways, gotten lost in the shuffle – stuck in between a hectic run of three major championships, and in recent days overshadowed by Olympic roster changes. But none of that lessens the fact that for a rank-and-file player like McGirt, this tournament offers a variety of opportunities.
It’s a shot at money and points, yes. But it’s also a chance to show that his win, in his words, “wasn’t a fluke” – to turn one trophy into two. It’s a chance to join a list of players to win the Memorial and the Bridgestone in the same year that currently includes exactly one name: Tiger Woods.
It’s a chance that McGirt didn’t expect to have when he laid out his schedule at the start of the year, but it’s one he’s ready to embrace with open arms now that he’s here.
“I was dreaming about these opportunities, and now they’re here,” he said. “I’ve got to take advantage of them.”
USA Golf, 4 Americans meet over Rio concerns.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel)
With Olympic withdrawals threatening to overshadow this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a “productive” meeting was held Wednesday between USA Golf officials and the four American players expected to qualify for Rio.
While Bubba Watson said that he is “100 percent in” for the Olympics, Jordan Spieth expressed concerns Tuesday over various elements tied to his potential participation. Both attended the meeting at Firestone Country Club, along with Rickie Fowler and reigning U.S. Open champ Dustin Johnson.
“I thought the meeting was good. It cleared up a lot of things,” Johnson said. “Still waiting to hear back on a couple things that all four of us had a concern about, but we’ll have some answers early next week.”
While world No. 1 Jason Day and Shane Lowry both cited the Zika virus as their main reason for withdrawing from the competition, Johnson indicated that the issues raised by the American players focused on other areas.
A source who attended the meeting described it as “great” and added that USA Golf officials are expected to touch base with the players early next week with updated information.
“A lot of information was shared, and a lot of questions were asked,” the source said. “We just have some things to work through in terms of getting some more definitive answers to their questions.”
While Spieth’s Olympic participation remains uncertain, Johnson indicated after the meeting that he plans to be a part of golf’s Olympic return.
“I mean, at this point I’m going to go to the Olympics and represent my country,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
McIlroy, Scott give window into rash of Olympic withdrawals.
By Ryan Ballengee
With a baker’s dozen of players — now including the first woman, South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace — announcing that they’re skipping golf’s return to the Olympics, broader sport is wondering why golfers are more afraid of Zika than other athletes.
After all, most of those golfers have cited the mosquito-transmitted virus as the reason keeping them from traveling to Brazil.
However, there’s a growing sense that Zika, while it may be a common reason, isn’t the only reason, or even the primary reason, why players aren’t willing to go to Rio. Two of those players who are taking a pass gave us a window this week into some of the psychology behind their decisions.
Rory McIlroy, who announced last week that he won’t enter the 60-man Olympic tournament, said Wednesday at the French Open that golfers simply aren’t drawn to the Games in the same way other athletes are. Golf hasn’t been in the Olympic program in 112 years, so, until 2009, when golf was admitted by the International Olympic Committee for ’16 and ’20, an Olympic medal wasn’t on any golfer’s radar.
“Most other athletes dream their whole lives of competing in the Olympics, winning an Olympic gold. And we haven’t. We dream of winning claret jugs and winning green jackets,” McIlroy said.
He added, “With all the negative press the game has received over the past week or so, I don’t think it’ll have any long-lasting effects, but it’s been a bit of a difficult time for golf.”
Then there’s Adam Scott, one of the first players to decline to participate. He’s long been critical of the concept of golf in the Olympics, well before Zika became even a remote threat. Scott reiterated that the format of the Olympic golf tournaments — the standard, 72-hole stroke play pros see most weeks — isn’t compelling for that stage.
“I think they should change the format, for sure,” Scott said Wednesday ahead of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. “Just having another 72-hole golf tournament with a weaker-than-most field doesn’t really pique my interest.”
Scott also touched on two other issues: that the tournament should have been for amateurs and that golf’s schedulers, particularly on the men’s side, shoehorned Olympic golf into the docket instead of clearing the calendar for it.
“All the other sports have now somewhat fit in, and all their other events are programmed and based around the Olympics, whether it’s scheduling or qualification, all these kind of things, and ours is not,” said the Aussie. “It’s just kind of shoved in there at a very critical time for everything I’ve ever dreamed of winning, too.”
And that goes back to the argument that an Olympic medal doesn’t matter now and won’t ever matter. Only majors will, in his most-likely-right view. Then add in that there’s no purse (of course), keeping up with the World Anti-Doping Agency-led drug testing and the instability in Brazil’s economy and government, as well the massive crime problem, and, well, Zika isn’t the only issue.
NASCAR: Five drivers to watch this weekend at Daytona.
By Chris Estrada
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Keep an eye on these five drivers this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to its roots at Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin seeks to become only the sixth driver ever to win the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 in the same season, and he stands a good shot. Since 2014, Hamlin has recorded 7 Top-10 finishes in the 10 Sprint Cup restrictor-plate races, and his Daytona 500 win in February was also his fifth consecutive Daytona finish of sixth or better.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt has crashed out of this year’s 2 restrictor-plate races, with the latter wreck at Talladega putting an end to his hyper-successful superspeedway car, “Amelia.” But with 10 restrictor-plate wins to his credit, you can never count him out at Daytona. And with a chance lost last week at Sonoma to put ground between him and the other playoff bubble drivers, he’ll be especially motivated to win and end all questions about his post-season hopes.
Kevin Harvick
It’s been a while since Harvick last won a plate race – six years to be exact (July 2010 at Daytona). But with 5 Top-10 finishes in his last 7 plate races, he’s been getting closer to ending that drought. As the Sprint Cup points leader, a good jump on the Chase Grid (currently 5th) will be his if he earns a second 2016 win this weekend.
Austin Dillon
Austin has only led 10 laps over his six Sprint Cup starts at Daytona, but he’s also come away with 4 Top-10 finishes. That includes finishing 7th in this race a year ago, even as he was sent into the catch fence in one of NASCAR’s ugliest crashes in recent memory. He finished ninth in February’s Daytona 500, and another Top-10 run is critical for him as he tries to move up and out of the bubble from 14th on the Chase Grid (+18 above the cutoff).
Jamie McMurray
Four of McMurray’s 7 career Sprint Cup wins have come on plate tracks. But since his Oct. 2013 win at Talladega, he’s only had 1 Top-10 finish on a plate track – a 4th-place effort at Talladega this past May. Still, this “wild card” race is definitely an opportunity for McMurray to score a surprise win and enter the playoffs.
NASCAR: Daytona preview.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin seeks to become only the sixth driver ever to win the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 in the same season, and he stands a good shot. Since 2014, Hamlin has recorded 7 Top-10 finishes in the 10 Sprint Cup restrictor-plate races, and his Daytona 500 win in February was also his fifth consecutive Daytona finish of sixth or better.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt has crashed out of this year’s 2 restrictor-plate races, with the latter wreck at Talladega putting an end to his hyper-successful superspeedway car, “Amelia.” But with 10 restrictor-plate wins to his credit, you can never count him out at Daytona. And with a chance lost last week at Sonoma to put ground between him and the other playoff bubble drivers, he’ll be especially motivated to win and end all questions about his post-season hopes.
Kevin Harvick
It’s been a while since Harvick last won a plate race – six years to be exact (July 2010 at Daytona). But with 5 Top-10 finishes in his last 7 plate races, he’s been getting closer to ending that drought. As the Sprint Cup points leader, a good jump on the Chase Grid (currently 5th) will be his if he earns a second 2016 win this weekend.
Austin Dillon
Austin has only led 10 laps over his six Sprint Cup starts at Daytona, but he’s also come away with 4 Top-10 finishes. That includes finishing 7th in this race a year ago, even as he was sent into the catch fence in one of NASCAR’s ugliest crashes in recent memory. He finished ninth in February’s Daytona 500, and another Top-10 run is critical for him as he tries to move up and out of the bubble from 14th on the Chase Grid (+18 above the cutoff).
Jamie McMurray
Four of McMurray’s 7 career Sprint Cup wins have come on plate tracks. But since his Oct. 2013 win at Talladega, he’s only had 1 Top-10 finish on a plate track – a 4th-place effort at Talladega this past May. Still, this “wild card” race is definitely an opportunity for McMurray to score a surprise win and enter the playoffs.
NASCAR: Daytona preview.
By NBC Sports
The NASCAR America team previews this weekend’s race in Daytona and predicts who will finish first.
With 10 races left before the 16-team playoff field is set, Sprint Cup teams without a victory are beginning to run out of chances to earn a Chase spot with a win.
There have been 11 different winners this season. Tony Stewart became the 11th last weekend at Sonoma but he’s yet to climb into the top 30 in points. Stewart is nine points out and expected to secure a top-30 spot soon and that will put him in a spot to make the Chase.
Of the drivers still seeking a win this season, several have victories at upcoming tracks in their career. Here’s who those drivers are and where they’ve won:
Daytona: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Aric Almirola
Kentucky: None
Bristol: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne
Michigan: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne
By Nick Bromberg
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is currently 12th in the standings. (Photo/Getty)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t think his points position is reflective of how good his team has been throughout the first 16 races of 2016.
“We are a little frustrated with how we ran through the month of May,” Junior said. “We have seen more speed out of our cars and had some bad finishes, wrecks and so forth. Tore up a lot of cars this year, uncharacteristic I think for us to be in so many accidents. So, where we are in points is very frustrating. It creates a lot of anxiety between me and Greg (Ives, crew chief). I think that we both are not happy with where we are in the points. We are wondering and worrying about trying to make the Chase it shouldn’t be something that this team is concerned with. I think we are way better than where we are.”
Currently 12th in the standings, Junior has six top-10 finishes. But five of those came in the first eight races of the season. His lone top-10 finish over the past eight races is a second-place finish at Pocono.
In May, Junior crashed out at Talladega and got caught in a crash at Dover. He also finished 14th and 15th at Charlotte and Kansas.
Junior crashed in the Daytona 500 too. The common denominator between Daytona and Talladega in 2016? His car. In both of those races Earnhardt Jr. drove the car named “Amelia” that was incredibly successful at Daytona and Talladega the year before.
The defending July Daytona winner said Friday that he won’t be naming cars from now on.
“No, we’re not going to be naming cars anymore,” Junior said. “I knew as soon as we did that it sort of took off and put a lot of pressure on that car and the team. These cars just don’t stick around long enough to get names. You used to race cars for years and years and they would show a personality. These days, you only keep a car for maybe a year before it’s unrecognizable or it’s cut out of the herd.
“We had so much success with that car last year that we ran it this year and we probably shouldn’t have. There are newer ideas and theories and better ways to do things that car didn’t have. But we assumed, hey, it was doing so well, why wouldn’t it keep going?”
SOCCER: Fire take on banged up San Jose on Friday.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
A quick look at the injury list for Friday’s match between the Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes tells two different stories.
The Fire (2-7-5, 11 points) have a few players who are coming back from injury and may be limited, but no players are listed as out, which has been rare this season. Matt Polster could make his return from a concussion suffered June 15 against Indy Eleven. Arturo Alvarez, Collin Fernandez and Khaly Thiam are also listed as questionable for Friday.
Visiting San Jose (5-4-7, 22 points) would love to trade injury lists and have just a few banged up bodies. The Earthquakes have seven players listed as out, including the typical starting centerback pair of Clarence Goodson and Victor Bernardez.
Goodson has been out with a back injury since starting the first two matches of the season and Bernardez went down in the Earthquakes’ 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy on June 25. When Bernandez left in the ninth minute, Fatai Alashe, typically a midfielder, played at centerback next to Marvell Wynne, who has played centerback but usually plays as a right back.
“You’ve just got to deal with it,” San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear said after the LA game. “Looking down the bench, we don’t really have a center back, per se, so Fatai is the next one in line. It’s just the thought of, ‘What’s the best combination?’ and Fatai was the easy [choice].”
Andres Imperiale, another defender, is also out along with Jordan Stewart, Mark Sherrod, Marc Pelosi and Bryan Meredith.
The good news for San Jose is that Chris Wondolowski is expected to make his return after playing with the U.S. in the Copa America.
“We will have to have the possession, be smart,” Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said of Friday’s game. “I think they have a very narrow style of play.”
Paunovic spoke of how important Wondolowski is to San Jose. Wondolowski has seven goals in 12 games this season. Next to him up top has typically been former Fire striker Quincy Amarikwa, who has a goal and three assists.
The Earthquakes went winless in the five matches without Wondolowski, including a U.S. Open loss at Portland, and are 0-4-4 on the road this season.
While the Fire don’t have as many injuries, they are coming off shorter rest. The Fire played Tuesday against Columbus in the Open Cup while the Earthquakes were already out of the tournament so they had a few extra days rest.
The Fire are coming off one of the team’s better performances of the year, a 2-1 win against Columbus. Confidence should be high against a wounded San Jose team.
Portugal outlasts Poland in penalty kicks to reach EURO semis.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Poland’s second-straight trip to penalty kicks at EURO 2016 didn’t go as well as the first, as Rui Patricio decisively stopped Jakub Błaszczykowski’s penalty kick to lift Portugal into the semifinals.
Robert Lewandowski and Renato Sanches traded goals in the first half, but the final 87 minutes found nothing to divide the two.
Ricardo Quaresma scored the final penalty to make it a 5-3 win in kicks.
Portugal moves on to a semifinal date with either Wales or Belgium, one match away from a second final in four tournaments.
Lewandowski broke his duck in the best way possible, using the inside of his right foot to turn his shot inside the near post within two minutes of the opening whistle. Kamil Grosicki provided the cross after Southampton man Cedric Soares completely mistimed a headed intervention.
The run-up to this game would have you believe that this match would literally be Cristiano Ronaldo against Lewandowski in a 1v1 match. At times, that wasn’t farfetched. Ronaldo flashed over goal early, and Lukasz Fabianski denied the Portuguese hit man in the 29th minute.
And the Real Madrid star may’ve deserved a penalty in the 31st minute, as he was blatantly knocked down in the box while seeking a cross.
It was Portugal’s next big star who netted, though, as new Bayern man Sanches darted in from the right to fire a deflected shot past Fabianski. He becomes the third youngest goal scorer in EURO history.
The second half featured more nervy work from both sides, as Poland’s tight defense was challenged but rarely beaten by the fast feet of Portugal.
USMNT to visit Havana for first Cuba “friendly” since 1947.
By Nicholas Mendola
For the second time in 2016, the United States men’s national team will play a friendly at a CONCACAF side for the first time in history.
This one will carry a bit more political weight than the Yanks’ Copa America warm-up win over Puerto Rico, as the team heads to Havana to face Cuba.
The match date is Oct. 7, and marks just the second ever meeting between the two sides in Cuba dating back to 2008 World Cup qualifying.
The last friendly the clubs played was in 1947, according to a release from U.S. Soccer.
Before that, the U.S. has to tend to advancing into the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The USMNT goes to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, and will host Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 6.
England calling? USMNT’s Klinsmann linked with Three Lions job. What's Your Take?
By Joe Prince-Wright
The bookmakers have slashed his odds and he is now the third favorite with Ladbrokes in the UK. It has to be said, Klinsmann’s name often comes up when jobs in England are available as just last week he was the favorite for the Southampton job with the bookies but that was wide of the mark. Yet, his name is always up there.
Since he took charge of the USMNT in 2011, Klinsmann has become perhaps the most polarizing figure in U.S. soccer history.
Opinion on his stewardship of the USMNT appears to almost be split down the middle when it comes to the fanbase and despite delivering a semifinal appearance at the Copa America Centenario this summer, there are still plenty of critics of Klinsmann on U.S. soil.
Let’s look at the facts: Klinsmann has a contract with U.S. Soccer both as the head coach of the men’s national team and its Technical Director until the summer of 2018.
He resides in California and after being linked with plenty of club jobs in Europe in recent years, Klinsmann has simply brushed off the speculation and insists he’s happy trying to build and develop a successful setup from the youth teams up in the U.S.
If you were to ask me if I think Klinsmann will leave the U.S. to manage England, I would say no.
There’s no doubt that many of the qualities Klinsmann has as a coach and leader will be attractive to the English FA. As a figurehead with a top class assistant working alongside him, he’s very good at getting a plan together. With both Germany and the USMNT he’s brought through young talent, improved the professionalism of the setups with heavy backing from the associations and has exceeded expectations in major tournaments. You can’t deny that.
Sure, U.S. fans and even myself will tell you his tactics and team selections are sometimes bizarre and that he’s hit plenty of speed bumps along the way, yet Klinsmann always seems to remain focused on the job in hand and isn’t afraid to make big changes. He has ruthlessly cut aside players with both Germany and the U.S. and isn’t scared of putting his faith in youth. Given England’s massive underachievement at not only EURO 2016 but now for decades, Klinsmann won’t be afraid to activate a huge cull once again.
That is what the Three Lions need.
I’d be shocked if Klinsmann doesn’t remain in charge of the USMNT until after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Unless he’s fired by U.S. Soccer, you get the sense he’s not going anywhere, especially for the poisoned chalice of the England job.
Yet, with a scattering of UK based journalists and pundits selecting him as their pick to take charge of an ailing England side, do they know something we don’t? Is there a PR push somewhere for Klinsmann to get this job?
For many Englishmen, they still shudder at the thought of a German coaching their national team. Yet, Klinsmann is beloved across most of England after his time spent with Tottenham Hotspur and his infamous celebration which turned him into a cult figure.
One thing is true: England could do a lot worse than hiring Klinsmann.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Jurgen Klinsmann is the head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team. In this job, he has produced some spectacular results and some shocking failures. He is the voice of men's soccer for America. I can't understand why our men's national team isn't doing better. The USWNT is phenomenal, I can't understand what the problem is with the men's team. Coach Klinsmann's job is to build and maintain a successful national team program, one that wins soccer matches, entertains fans and lures promising young athletes into the sport and develops them into world-class talent. Granted, I'm not as versed on soccer as football (NFL), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), hockey (NHL), golf (PGA) and auto racing (NASCAR) because I grew up following these sports since I was in elementary school. Soccer has been growing in this country for several years now and most kids play it at school and through their park districts at a young age. Why isn't our national team advancing better? I know you can't build a championship team overnight in any sport but with the resources our country has, our desire to win and our national pride, I would think after five years, we would at least be a contender. Our Olympic teams contend every four years?
I'm just trying to figure what we need to do to improve our men's national soccer team and start contending for the World Cup. Perhaps some of you diehard soccer fans can help me to understand what's wrong and make some suggestions on what needs to be done and what we can do to make it happen? Again, how can the USNWT do it and the USMNT can't?
At Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica, we're waiting to hear from some of our loyal diehard soccer fans. Please enlighten us. We love to hear from you and respect your thoughts but most of all we appreciate your synopsis, ideas and suggestions.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
NCAAFB: NCAA implements bowl-selection rule favoring 6-6 teams.
Robert Lewandowski and Renato Sanches traded goals in the first half, but the final 87 minutes found nothing to divide the two.
Ricardo Quaresma scored the final penalty to make it a 5-3 win in kicks.
Portugal moves on to a semifinal date with either Wales or Belgium, one match away from a second final in four tournaments.
Lewandowski broke his duck in the best way possible, using the inside of his right foot to turn his shot inside the near post within two minutes of the opening whistle. Kamil Grosicki provided the cross after Southampton man Cedric Soares completely mistimed a headed intervention.
The run-up to this game would have you believe that this match would literally be Cristiano Ronaldo against Lewandowski in a 1v1 match. At times, that wasn’t farfetched. Ronaldo flashed over goal early, and Lukasz Fabianski denied the Portuguese hit man in the 29th minute.
And the Real Madrid star may’ve deserved a penalty in the 31st minute, as he was blatantly knocked down in the box while seeking a cross.
It was Portugal’s next big star who netted, though, as new Bayern man Sanches darted in from the right to fire a deflected shot past Fabianski. He becomes the third youngest goal scorer in EURO history.
The second half featured more nervy work from both sides, as Poland’s tight defense was challenged but rarely beaten by the fast feet of Portugal.
USMNT to visit Havana for first Cuba “friendly” since 1947.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
For the second time in 2016, the United States men’s national team will play a friendly at a CONCACAF side for the first time in history.
This one will carry a bit more political weight than the Yanks’ Copa America warm-up win over Puerto Rico, as the team heads to Havana to face Cuba.
The match date is Oct. 7, and marks just the second ever meeting between the two sides in Cuba dating back to 2008 World Cup qualifying.
The last friendly the clubs played was in 1947, according to a release from U.S. Soccer.
Before that, the U.S. has to tend to advancing into the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The USMNT goes to St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, and will host Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 6.
England calling? USMNT’s Klinsmann linked with Three Lions job. What's Your Take?
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Jurgen Klinsmann is being heavily backed to become England’s next manager.
Klinsmann, 51, is the current U.S. national team coach but with England crashing out of EURO 2016 and manager Roy Hodgson resigning, they’re now managerless.
Pundits such as Jamie Carragher in England have backed Klinsmann for the job, while Sky Sports is now reporting that Klinsmann is “intrigued” about possibly becoming the new England manager.
Klinsmann, 51, is the current U.S. national team coach but with England crashing out of EURO 2016 and manager Roy Hodgson resigning, they’re now managerless.
Pundits such as Jamie Carragher in England have backed Klinsmann for the job, while Sky Sports is now reporting that Klinsmann is “intrigued” about possibly becoming the new England manager.
The bookmakers have slashed his odds and he is now the third favorite with Ladbrokes in the UK. It has to be said, Klinsmann’s name often comes up when jobs in England are available as just last week he was the favorite for the Southampton job with the bookies but that was wide of the mark. Yet, his name is always up there.
Since he took charge of the USMNT in 2011, Klinsmann has become perhaps the most polarizing figure in U.S. soccer history.
Opinion on his stewardship of the USMNT appears to almost be split down the middle when it comes to the fanbase and despite delivering a semifinal appearance at the Copa America Centenario this summer, there are still plenty of critics of Klinsmann on U.S. soil.
Let’s look at the facts: Klinsmann has a contract with U.S. Soccer both as the head coach of the men’s national team and its Technical Director until the summer of 2018.
He resides in California and after being linked with plenty of club jobs in Europe in recent years, Klinsmann has simply brushed off the speculation and insists he’s happy trying to build and develop a successful setup from the youth teams up in the U.S.
If you were to ask me if I think Klinsmann will leave the U.S. to manage England, I would say no.
There’s no doubt that many of the qualities Klinsmann has as a coach and leader will be attractive to the English FA. As a figurehead with a top class assistant working alongside him, he’s very good at getting a plan together. With both Germany and the USMNT he’s brought through young talent, improved the professionalism of the setups with heavy backing from the associations and has exceeded expectations in major tournaments. You can’t deny that.
Sure, U.S. fans and even myself will tell you his tactics and team selections are sometimes bizarre and that he’s hit plenty of speed bumps along the way, yet Klinsmann always seems to remain focused on the job in hand and isn’t afraid to make big changes. He has ruthlessly cut aside players with both Germany and the U.S. and isn’t scared of putting his faith in youth. Given England’s massive underachievement at not only EURO 2016 but now for decades, Klinsmann won’t be afraid to activate a huge cull once again.
That is what the Three Lions need.
I’d be shocked if Klinsmann doesn’t remain in charge of the USMNT until after the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Unless he’s fired by U.S. Soccer, you get the sense he’s not going anywhere, especially for the poisoned chalice of the England job.
Yet, with a scattering of UK based journalists and pundits selecting him as their pick to take charge of an ailing England side, do they know something we don’t? Is there a PR push somewhere for Klinsmann to get this job?
For many Englishmen, they still shudder at the thought of a German coaching their national team. Yet, Klinsmann is beloved across most of England after his time spent with Tottenham Hotspur and his infamous celebration which turned him into a cult figure.
One thing is true: England could do a lot worse than hiring Klinsmann.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Jurgen Klinsmann is the head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team. In this job, he has produced some spectacular results and some shocking failures. He is the voice of men's soccer for America. I can't understand why our men's national team isn't doing better. The USWNT is phenomenal, I can't understand what the problem is with the men's team. Coach Klinsmann's job is to build and maintain a successful national team program, one that wins soccer matches, entertains fans and lures promising young athletes into the sport and develops them into world-class talent. Granted, I'm not as versed on soccer as football (NFL), basketball (NBA), baseball (MLB), hockey (NHL), golf (PGA) and auto racing (NASCAR) because I grew up following these sports since I was in elementary school. Soccer has been growing in this country for several years now and most kids play it at school and through their park districts at a young age. Why isn't our national team advancing better? I know you can't build a championship team overnight in any sport but with the resources our country has, our desire to win and our national pride, I would think after five years, we would at least be a contender. Our Olympic teams contend every four years?
I'm just trying to figure what we need to do to improve our men's national soccer team and start contending for the World Cup. Perhaps some of you diehard soccer fans can help me to understand what's wrong and make some suggestions on what needs to be done and what we can do to make it happen? Again, how can the USNWT do it and the USMNT can't?
At Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica, we're waiting to hear from some of our loyal diehard soccer fans. Please enlighten us. We love to hear from you and respect your thoughts but most of all we appreciate your synopsis, ideas and suggestions.
The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.
NCAAFB: NCAA implements bowl-selection rule favoring 6-6 teams.
Auburn kicker Chandler Brooks (29) runs past the official Chick-fil-A Bowl logo at midfield during an NCAA football practice at the Georgia Dome on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, in Atlanta. Virginia faced Auburn for the 44th annual Chick-fil-A Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. (AP Photo/David Tulis)
The NCAA has cleared up its bowl-selection process, assuring that no eligible teams with .500 records are passed over for postseason play in favor of more well-known schools with fewer than six wins.
The new rule, which was implemented by the NCAA's Division I Council on Wednesday, will be put in place for the upcoming season and says bowl-eligible teams with 6-6 records must be selected for bowl games before any 5-7 teams are considered.
The NCAA's football oversight committee first made the recommendation for the new rule to the council, following a season that saw only 77 teams eligible for the 80 bowl slots. The three remaining slots were filled by 5-7 teams - Nebraska, Minnesota and San Jose State.
''It's impossible to project how many eligible bowl teams we will have,'' said Bob Bowlsby, chair of the football oversight committee and commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.
''We think we have a selection process in the postseason that makes sense and is fair to the schools and the bowls.''
The council placed a moratorium on new bowl games in April, assuring that no new games will be played before the 2020 season.
Despite the hold on any postseason expansion, the NCAA's football oversight committee recommended the rule as a way to clearly define the bowl-selection process in the event last year's lack of eligible teams proves to be an aberration.
The council agreed, and it also defined the process by which any 5-7 teams would be considered for postseason play - using the multiyear Academic Progress Rate in Football Bowl Subdivision as the selection criteria. Teams with the highest multiyear APR will be considered first, followed in descending order by others in the category.
Should there be a tie in multiyear APR, the team with the highest score in the most recent single year will have the selection edge.
Despite entering the postseason with sub-.500 records, Nebraska, Minnesota and San Jose State each won their bowl games last season.
The Cornhuskers defeated UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl, while Minnesota beat Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl and San Jose State topped Georgia State in the Autonation Cure Bowl.
Heisman Trophy odds see change at the top.
By Marcus Hartman
(Photo/Getty Images)
There is a new preseason favorite for the 2016 Heisman Trophy, at least as far as Bovada is concerned.
The betting service Tuesday listed LSU running back Leonard Fournette checks in with the best odds at 9/2. He moved ahead of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, whose odds went from 9/2 in January to 5/1 now.
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey’s odds moved to 11/2 while Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, Florida State running back Dalvin Cook and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield are all at 12/1.
Several players were added to the board since January, including UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen (16/1), Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough (20/1) and Baylor quarterback Jarrett Stidham (28/1).
The group of newcomers also includes both of the competitors to be Notre Dame’s starting quarterback. DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire are both set at 28/1.
NCAABKB: Four conferences form officiating alliance.
AP - Sports
(Photo/Richard Drew)
The Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference have formed a men's basketball officiating alliance, which also includes the Atlantic 10 and Colonial Athletic Association, which have previously collaborated with the ACC.
The alliance, which was announced Tuesday, begins immediately and will enable the four conferences to work together on all officiating matters and will serve to enhance training, development, recruitment, retention and feedback for its basketball officials.
John Cahill, the Big East's Supervisor of Officials, and Bryan Kersey, the ACC's Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officiating, both former NCAA referees, will manage officiating operations for the alliance.
In 2015-16, 32 referees associated with the Big East and ACC were selected to work in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
NCAABKB: Illinois guard Tracy Abrams seems optimistic about health entering senior season.
By Scott Phillips
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Abrams tore his ACL in September of 2014 during preseason training camp and had to sit out the 2014-15 season before also missing 2015-16 due to a torn Achilles tendon that was suffered in July 2015.
The NCAA gave Abrams a sixth year of eligibility for this season and 6-foot-2 guard is hoping to make the most of it in trying to help Illinois break its NCAA tournament drought. In a story from Mark Tupper of the Bloomington Pantagraph, Abrams is optimistic about his return as he’s hoping to showcase an improved perimeter jumper while also staying healthy.
Abrams has hovered around 27 percent from three-point range for much of his career, but he says that part of his game has greatly improved. With 27 months since his last game, Abrams is also in better shape and stronger than he was before. From Tupper’s story:
"Physically, Abrams looks like he’s ready for the Big Ten opener. His musculature is way more defined than when we saw him compete 27 months ago.
His chest and arms are bulging. Even though his weight is down a few pounds to 185, so is his body fat, having dropped from about 10 percent to 7 percent. His overall strength has soared."
"And while Abrams refuses to brag on his improved shot, Illini legend Dee Brown does not.
“Tracy doesn’t miss,” Brown said. “And it makes sense.
“When I had that stress fracture and had to sit out, all I could do was shoot. That next season my field goal percentage went up eight points. All Tracy has been allowed to do is shoot and he has become a much better shooter.”
Abrams was pressed on the point, asked if he’s a better free throw shooter. “No question,” he said.
Is he a better 3-point shooter? “No question,” he said.
Better mid-range jump shooter? “No question,” he said before tapping the brakes."
“But talk is cheap,” Abrams said. “Show is better than tell.”
Obviously, Abrams is hoping to stay healthy to be a key factor for Illinois in his final college season but he also has to be a weapon from the perimeter so teams don’t clog the paint with the ball in his hands. Abrams does have some new weapons to work with since he last took the floor as Malcolm Hill has become a go-to player and other key role players like Jalen Coleman-Lands are returning. At 24 years old, Abrams is also much older and wiser than a lot of his competition and he could have a strength advantage over some smaller guards this season.
It’s hard to say if Illinois has enough to make the NCAA tournament this season, but a healthy Abrams could be a huge factor in their overall outlook.
It’s hard to say if Illinois has enough to make the NCAA tournament this season, but a healthy Abrams could be a huge factor in their overall outlook.
Five favorites at the Tour de France.
AFP
Thibaut Pinot, 26-year-old Frenchman, is considered his country's leading hope to end their miserable 31-year Tour de France yellow jersey drought (AFP Photo/Sebastien Bozon)
With the Tour de France beginning in Mont Saint-Michel on Saturday, AFP Sport looks at the five most likely winners:
Chris Froome
As reigning champion and twice winner in three years, the Sky leader will be the man to beat. This Tour may favor climbers but the 31-year-old Briton has proved himself as good as anyone in that domain, and more so than anyone else capable of performing consistently over three weeks. He also has what his team manager Dave Brailsford described as "potentially the strongest team on paper". With two time-trials as well, Froome's all round strength will make him tough to beat, and he heads into the race in rich form having won June's Criterium du Dauphine.
Nairo Quintana
Second to Froome in both 2013 and 2015, the time has perhaps come for the 26-year-old Colombian "to step up", as Brailsford said. The emphasis on climbing should suit Quintana, as will the concentration of tough mountain stages in the final week. Quintana, who won the 2014 Giro d'Italia, is a notoriously slow starter who comes on strong in the final week of Grand Tours. Having four consecutive tough mountain stages right at the end will give him the chance to play his favorite cards to perfection. Older, more experienced and showing increasing tactical maturity, Quintana is Froome's greatest threat.
Alberto Contador
A twice former winner and seven-time Grand Tour champion, Contador has been there and done it before. He's also beaten Froome twice in the Vuelta a Espana so he knows he can not only compete with but also beat the Brit when the gradient cranks up. But at 33, there are question marks over Contador. He first won the Tour in 2007 and many feel he is past his best having last tasted victory in 2009. His form in June's Criterium de Dauphine was not encouraging as he faded to fifth, but this is a man who won Grand Tours in three of the last four years, so he has proved his ability over three weeks numerous times. In fact, but for a doping ban that stripped him of a Tour and Giro victory, he would have won at least one Grand Tour in eight of the last nine years. Not burdened by Giro participation this time around, Contador's entire focus has been on the Tour, and as his chances of winning it are running out, he'll be eager to give it everything.
Thibaut Pinot
The 26-year-old Frenchman is considered his country's leading hope to end their miserable 31-year yellow jersey drought. Pinot finished third in 2014 and last year won a stage for the first time. He is improving year by year and has shown consistency in the build up, as he did last year. He was second at the Tour de Romandie, fourth at the Tour of the Basque Country and fifth in Tirreno-Adriatico, but he cracked badly in June's Dauphine. Last year he also cracked early on in the Tour but fought back admirably in the final week when he found his legs and repeatedly went after a stage win, before finally succeeding. Overall victory may be beyond him but another podium finish certainly isn't.
Fabio Aru
At just 25, Aru could yet prove to be even better than his fellow Italian Vincenzo Nibali. He won the Vuelta a Espana last year and was second to Contador in the Giro d'Italia. The previous year he had top five finishes in both. He has matched Nibali's feat of winning a Grand Tour at just 25. By then, though, Nibali had already raced the Tour twice, whereas this will be Aru's first crack at the Grand Boucle. This promises to be a baptism of fire for Aru and a lot more will be known about him in three weeks. But he could prove a joker in the pack and he's never shy to attack. The 'Little Angel' could provide fireworks.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1905 - Frank Owen (Chicago White Sox) pitched two complete games in one day.
1910 - White Sox Park opened. The park's name was later changed to Comiskey Park.
1917 - Fred Toney (Cincinnati Reds) pitched two complete games in one day.
1920 - Suzanne Lenglen became the first player to win three titles at Wimbledon in one year. She won the women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
1932 - Helen Moody won her fifth women's singles title in six years at Wimbledon.
1941 - Joe DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 44 games.
1951 - Bob Feller set a major league baseball record when he pitched his third no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians.
1982 - Cal Ripken began playing shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
1985 - Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers got the 1,800th hit of his career.
1995 - The NBA locked out its players. It was the first work stoppage in the league's history.
1996 - The Milwaukee Brewers ended a 19-game home run hitting streak.
1996 - Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox) got his 1,000th hit.
1997 - Randy Myers (Baltimore Orioles) got his 300th career save.
1998 - The NBA locked out its players for the second time in its history.
1910 - White Sox Park opened. The park's name was later changed to Comiskey Park.
1917 - Fred Toney (Cincinnati Reds) pitched two complete games in one day.
1920 - Suzanne Lenglen became the first player to win three titles at Wimbledon in one year. She won the women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles.
1932 - Helen Moody won her fifth women's singles title in six years at Wimbledon.
1941 - Joe DiMaggio extended his hitting streak to 44 games.
1951 - Bob Feller set a major league baseball record when he pitched his third no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians.
1982 - Cal Ripken began playing shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles.
1985 - Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers got the 1,800th hit of his career.
1995 - The NBA locked out its players. It was the first work stoppage in the league's history.
1996 - The Milwaukee Brewers ended a 19-game home run hitting streak.
1996 - Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox) got his 1,000th hit.
1997 - Randy Myers (Baltimore Orioles) got his 300th career save.
1998 - The NBA locked out its players for the second time in its history.
*****************************************************************
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.
ReplyDeletewatch online NFL Conference Matches in Mexico
Watch NFL Conference Matches live streaming in Brazil
Live NFL Conference Matches Streaming from Germany
Watch NFL Conference Matches in Australia
How to Watch NFL Conference Matches in from USA
Watch NFL live streaming Conference Matches in UK all matches
Watch NFL Conference Matches from Canada Online
Watch NFL Conference Matches in Italy for free
NFL Conference Matches in Europe live Online