CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 07/22/2016.

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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"If the right people do the right things, we can walk, we can have a future. But if people don't put time into it to make it run in a right way, I don't think your team will work." ~ Tim Hardaway, Former NBA Basketball Player

Trending: Bears Camping Out 2016: Jay Cutler needs to improve from career-best year. (Please go to the football section for Bears and NFL updates).

(Photo/ (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Trending: Blackhawks to appear on NHL-high 21 nationally televised games. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks and NHL updates).

Trending: Coach K calls North Carolina’s HB2 “embarrassing”. What's Your Take? Go to the college basketball section and share your thoughts with us. We'd love to hear your position on North Carolina's HB2.

Trending: Michigan favorite choice of bettors to claim national title. (See the college football section for NCAA football updates).

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

                                                

Cubs 2016 Record: 57-37

White Sox 2016 Record: 46-49

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

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears Camping Out 2016: Jay Cutler needs to improve from career-best year.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Jay Cutler began placing a premium on ball security from the earliest days of his working with offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. It took on accelerated emphasis from the outset of training camp, and Cutler went interception-free through nearly the first two weeks of practices. It was a preview of a key step forward in Cutler’s game, with him ultimately delivering not only his career-best passer rating (92.3), but also the second-lowest interception percentage (2.3), best for any season in which he played more than 10 games.

More notably perhaps, and partly because of that ball security, Cutler led the Bears to four game-winning fourth-quarter drives, his most since 2010.

“I think the ball security has been very good in the pocket,” said Loggains, taking over in the wake of Gase moving on to coach the Miami Dolphins. “It’s something we’ll continue to work on, talk about, and I think he’s doing a good job with it.”

The Bears achieved a reasonable run-pass balance (46 percent run) as the offense reflected the preferences of coach John Fox. Cutler was not asked to become a game manager but he did become better at managing a game.

Offseason adjustments

No “adjustment” of the past calendar year ranks higher in significance than Loggains moving up from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, making him the sixth Cutler has had since coming to Chicago in 2009. Loggains was a critical part of Cutler’s progress while Gase was on staff, and the Bears now have to trust that Loggains-Dave Ragone, himself a former NFL quarterback, clicks with Cutler as the Gase-Loggains tandem did.

Cutler has missed at least one game in each of his last seven Bears seasons. Accordingly, the roster overhaul included signing Brian Hoyer for one year, bringing in a No. 2 with a winning career record as a starter (15-11). Hoyer has been in playoff situations and gives the Bears arguably the top backup at the position where teams can least afford falloff from the starter.

David Fales remains on the roster despite going into his third Bears camp without yet playing in a regular-season game. The Bears brought in competition for that No. 3 spot, claiming Connor Shaw off waivers.

Depth-charting

QB1 Jay Cutler

QB2 Brian Hoyer

The mix

David Fales

Connor Shaw

3 questions camp will begin to answer…

1. Was Cutler’s improved ball security a blip or the way of his future?

The Bears’ premium on reducing interceptions was evident from day one of training camp, even before, with Cutler going effectively the first two weeks of practices without a single interception.

2. Exactly how will the Cutler-Loggains relationship unfold?

The chemistry between Gase and Cutler was so good, it is almost difficult to envision an improvement there. But Cutler’s performance has plummeted at times in the past when his relationships with coordinators deteriorated, and Loggains needs to have total buy-in from his quarterback for the offense in general and Cutler in particular to take a next step.

“Most of the time when you have turnover like that, it’s going to be learning a whole new language, you’re back at Square 1,” Cutler said. “With Dowell, we didn’t want to do that. The coaches didn’t want to do that. They didn’t want to that to the players. And I certainly didn’t want to do that.

“So we took the normal course of action from Year 1 to Year 2 that you would do if he had the same coordinator — that is, go back and look at what you did well and look at what you didn’t do and kind of tweak some things. The majority of the offensive backbone of what we do is staying the same.”

3. How well will Cutler mesh with an offense that has lost Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte, has no offensive lineman starting where they did last year in Week 1, and projects to have Kevin White as a Cutler weapon?

Cutler needs to have confidence in every member of his huddle, meaning his backs in blitz-pickup, his receivers to be precise in routes and his line to give the offense a credible run game.

Charles Tillman will retire a Bear Friday, join FOX NFL Kickoff.

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Yesterday on WSCR 670 The Score in Chicago, the recently retired, former Chicago Bears Pro Bowler Charles Tillman, told Laurence Holmes that he plans to retire as a member of the Bears.

The franchise that Tillman called home for 12 of his 13 seasons, will sign him to a ceremonial 1 day contract so that he can officially retire from the NFL as a Chicago Bear.

Tillman believed that the 1 day deal would be done today, but the latest report from ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson has it taking place on Friday. Whenever it takes place, it’s good to see the Bears give a proper send off to one of their all time greats.

While talking to Holmes, Tillman also teased that he may pull a Brett Favre and come out of retirement, but that seems to be not possible now that he has found another job. FOX Sports has announced that Tillman will join the pregame show, “Fox NFL Kickoff,” which airs Sunday mornings during the NFL season at 10 a.m. Chicago time. Tillman will join another former Bear, Dave Wannstedt, who coached the Bears from 1993-98, host Clarissa Thompson and Colin Cowherd.

“With Charles having spent his entire career in the NFC, we were obviously very familiar with his accomplishments on the field,” said Bill Richards, Fox Sports Senior Vice President of production. “He always presented himself well as a player and we were impressed with his knowledge of the game and ability to articulate it when we met with him. We are really excited to add him to the team.”

In case you missed any of our Tillman retirement coverage, be sure to check out Dane’s article, my Ten Thoughts on the NFL that was dedicated entirely to Tillman, and Ken’s Bears’ Den that was very Tillman heavy.

Bears Camping Out 2016: Few positions with more questions than tight end.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It was a mix-and-match kind of year, with the Bears opening 13 of their 16 games last season with two or even three tight ends, with those tight ends ranging from Martellus Bennett to tackle Jermon Bushod.

The Bears and tight end Bennett effectively ended their association sometime during the 2015 season (exact moment unclear). But Bennett, after being rebuffed in an effort to enhance his contract, was inactive for the November win at Green Bay after disagreements over his shared role with Zach Miller, and then inactive for the final four games as the Bears lost their way out of the postseason. Obviously it was far from solely Bennett’s fault, but a relationship with the new John Fox staff, already frayed by his pre-camp stay-away, was done and the other shoe fell when the Bears traded Bennett to New England in March.

Bennett’s exit, while resolving a roster "fit" issue, left a gaping hole in the offense. Bennett finished second only to Alshon Jeffery in receptions with 53, and Bennett delivered 208 catches in 43 games as a Bear. He was an every-down tight end with abilities as an in-line blocker for the run game as well as providing Jay Cutler with a 6-foot-6 receiving target.

Miller rewarded the Bears’ faith in him after spending 2014 on injured reserve, coming back with a career-best 34 catches, five for touchdowns. Miller started four games as a full back as testament to versatility, though his lack of mass (236 pounds) is a liability as a pure run blocker.

And Miller is 31, meaning the Bears enter training camp still looking for another Bennett while needing another impact season from Miller, whose game-winning catch at San Diego was an NFL highlight that was followed by an 87-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the win at St. Louis.

Offseason adjustments

The Bennett exit thrust Miller into the starter’s role, something of a change for a talented receiver but one who had started just five games total in three NFL seasons and none since 2010 with Jacksonville. The Bears re-signed Miller to a two-year deal topping out at $5.5 million.

"There’s not any more added pressure than what I could have put on myself last year as far as when (Bennett) was here," Miller said. "It’s not a different approach from me as far as, I’m going to put as much pressure as I did on myself last year with him here or not."

The organization did not expend a draft choice on the position but was aggressive during the offseason, adding one-time Kansas City Chiefs starter Tony Moeaki in addition to a depth chart already staffed with Rob Housler, Khari Lee and Gannon Sinclair (practice squad) from last season. Moeaki, from Wheaton-Warrenville South, was a No. 1 with the Chiefs as a rookie in 2010 but has struggled with injuries and has bumped around with several different teams since 2012.

Perhaps the most intriguing option in the position group is Greg Scruggs, a former defensive lineman who recorded a sack for the Bears last season but has undergone a position change and at 280 pounds immediately becomes the leading "power" player at the position.

The Bears also went strong into the undrafted after-market, signing Ben Braunecker and Joe Sommers.

Depth-charting

TE1:  Zach Miller

TE2:  Khari Lee

The mix

Ben Braunecker

Rob Housler

Tony Moeaki

Greg Scruggs

Joe Sommers

Three questions camp will begin to answer...

1. Can Zach Miller stay healthy?

It is an unpleasant question but given the former Nebraska Cornhusker’s history, a valid one (see: Jeffery, Alshon). The 2015 season was his breakout year not only statistically but also durability wise for a talented player who logged 29 games for Jacksonville in 2009 and 2010, then nothing in injury-riddled years from 2012 to 2014.

2. Did the Bears give themselves sufficient options for the depth chart this offseason?

Activity does not necessarily equate to productivity, and quantity does not ensure quality. While the Bears were busy at tight end, they do not have proven quality in their combined roster options even at the level that Bennett alone gave them (blocking, receiving).

3. How will the Bears incorporate Greg Scruggs into their offense?

The former defensive lineman is a physical player by orientation and might be a solid option as a "move" tight end, working in the backfield as de facto full back. The Bears want to run the football even more than the 46 percent they did in 2015, but without Bennett, a mauler of a blocker is a must.

Chicago Bears sign Amini Silatolu.

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.

(Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Adam Caplan of ESPN is reporting that the Chicago Bears have signed offensive guard Amini Silatolu to a one year contract. He's also reporting that the Bears' plan is to have him compete at the left guard position that has been manned by rookie Cody Whitehair during mini camp and OTAs. The 27 year old Silatolu could be seen as a replacement for Manny Ramirez, after Ramirez surprisingly retired after spending about 2 months with the Bears this offseason.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Bears are hoping that Whitehair can win the starting center job, so we're to assume that Ted Larsen and Silatolu would be vying for the LG spot. What that means for 2nd year center Hroniss Grasu is anybody's guess.

Silatolu (6'4", 320) was a 2nd round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2012 and he has appeared in 34 games with 28 starts in four years. Last season he only played in 9 games (3 starts) and had 296 total snaps. His injury history consists of two ACL tears and a dislocated wrist.

To make room on the roster, the Bears have waived UDFA QB Dalyn Williams.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks to appear on NHL-high 21 nationally televised games.

By #HAWKSTALK

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks announced their 2016-17 regular-season national television schedule Thursday, and there will be plenty of opportunities (21, to be exact) for people across the country to catch a Chicago Blackhawks game on television this year.

The Blackhawks will be making a league-high 21 national television appearances starting with their season-opener on Wednesday, Oct. 12 when they host the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. on NBCSN.

Stay tuned for CSN to release the entire local television schedule, including the preseason broadcast schedule, at a later date.

Here is the full Blackhawks' national television schedule:

Former Blackhawks forward Brad Richards announces retirement.

By Paul Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

After 15 seasons in the NHL, Brad Richards is calling it a career.

The former Blackhawks forward and two-time Stanley Cup champion announced his retirement on Wednesday afternoon.

Richards released this statement on his decision:

“I want to thank the fans and the five organizations I have played for: Tampa Bay, Dallas, and the three original six teams — the New York Rangers, Chicago, and Detroit. During my time with those teams I met many great people. I also want to thank the staff and management in those organizations for all the help and support they gave me. I appreciate all the trainers who did tireless work to help me play and keep me healthy. I had many amazing teammates and made many great friendships along the way that I truly appreciate, and I will never forget the great times we had together. Thank you to all my coaches for pushing, teaching and giving me the opportunity to play this great game. Winning the Stanley Cups in Tampa Bay and Chicago was the best part of my career and I will never forget those moments. Nothing compares to enjoying that night with your team and knowing what you have accomplished together."

Richards, 36, was a vital part in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Chicago for the third time in six years in 2015. 

In his only year with the Blackhawks, he registered 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in the regular season and tacked on three goals and 11 assists in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

One of Richards' most memorable moments with the Blackhawks came in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, his former team.

With the Blackhawks up 1-0 with a little over five minutes left to play, Richards fed a 2-on-1 pass to Patrick Kane — which he buried — to extend the team's lead to 2-0. The score held and the Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup on home ice since 1938.

Kane tweeted this Wednesday when informed of the news:

"Congrats @BRichards_1991 on an amazing career. I'll never forget watching you win with Tampa in 2004, to the no look pass in Game 6, 2015."

Patrick Kane
@88PKane
2:11 PM - 20 Jul 2016

In 2004, Richards helped bring Tampa Bay their first Stanley Cup. He ranks fourth in Tampa Bay's all-time scoring list with 489 points.

In 1,126 games played, Richards finished his career with 298 goals and 634 assists (932 points). In 146 postseason games, he has 37 goals and 68 assists (105 points).

"Congrats on an incredible career, @BRichards_1991!

We'll always have 2015."

Chicago Blackhawks
@NHLBlackhawks
2:33 PM - 20 Jul 2016

Theo sends the message: Cubs open for business at trade deadline.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs are still open for business. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein sent that message loud and clear after acquiring lefty reliever Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners, directing it to a clubhouse that has honored a $290 million offseason investment in free agents, a coaching staff scrambling to fill innings, the New York Yankees brass fixated on Kyle Schwarber and a fan base/media market wondering what’s next.  

“I like making this kind of a move early,” Epstein said Wednesday night in the Wrigley Field press box after the Cubs completed a 4-2 homestand against the American League’s best first-half team (Texas Rangers) and the defending National League champs (New York Mets). “We hope we’ve added something to our big-league ‘pen without taking away from our major-league roster.

“We also haven’t touched certain parts of our prospect inventory. That will keep us really viable for every opportunity that’s still out there between now and August 1.

“Sometimes you can be in an uncomfortable spot if you haven’t done anything and you’re sitting there July 31 – August 1 this year – waiting for a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ It’s hard not to throw that last player in just to get a deal done if you haven’t done anything.

“It’s something to fall back on. It gives you the ability to say ‘no’ or draw a line if you need to. But it also keeps all our opportunities open. The prospects we moved weren’t in any other deals that we were talking about. We haven’t touched the prospects that we were potentially going to move in some bigger deals that didn’t come to pass and may be resurrected in the future.”

In a league without a designated hitter, Dan Vogelbach didn’t have a clear path to Chicago with Anthony Rizzo already entrenched as a three-time All-Star first baseman who will turn 27 next month. Beloved by teammates, Vogelbach had been hitting .318 with 16 homers, 64 RBI and a .972 OPS at Triple-A Iowa. At the age of 23, Vogelbach should soon get the chance to make his big-league debut and see how his left-handed swing plays at Safeco Field.

In the Epstein’s regime first draft here, the Cubs used the 2012 supplemental compensation pick for letting Carlos Pena walk as a free agent on Paul Blackburn, a high-school right-hander who’s gone 26-16 with a 3.21 ERA in 375-plus minor-league innings. The Mariners hope the Double-A pitcher could max out as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Jeimer Candelario – a switch-hitting, smooth corner infielder who has also been crushing Pacific Coast League pitching – is facing the same kind of roadblocks that redirected Vogelbach’s career path.

The Cubs could also capitalize on the buzz surrounding first-round college hitters Kris Bryant and Schwarber, selling Ian Happ as a lighter version and spinning questions about his defensive future by highlighting the versatility to move between second base and the outfield. Happ, last year’s ninth overall draft pick, is another switch-hitter with a .304 average through his first 24 games at Double-A Tennessee.

If the Cubs are willing to make riskier deals, prioritize this pennant race and sacrifice potentially big parts of their future, then look at two of the biggest international free agents signed in the summer of 2013.

In spring training, a Cubs executive looked around the Arizona complex and predicted Eloy Jimenez would have a huge breakout season. The 19-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic put on a show at the All-Star Futures Game in San Diego and is hitting .330 with an .885 OPS at Class-A South Bend.

Gleyber Torres, a 19-year-old shortstop out of Venezuela now at advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach, has landed all over the industry’s midseason prospect lists, from ESPN (No. 26) to Baseball America (No. 27) to Baseball Prospectus (No. 34).

Acquiring Montgomery is a hedge against the Yankees not selling Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman and the prices for bullpen help becoming insane. It’s also a template in that the Cubs traded from a position of strength, Montgomery can’t become a free agent until after the 2021 season and the low Q ratings didn’t matter.

“Deals like this oftentimes aren’t just about the right now,” Epstein said. “They’re also about the future. We needed that controllable pitching. You have to look ahead. You can’t just build your bullpen or your rotation one offseason at a time. You have to look down the line. We’ve done a much better job with developing position players than we have pitching – and we need to fill that void.”

When the Cubs gather in Miller Park’s visiting clubhouse on Friday for the beginning of a weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, players will shake hands with Montgomery, probably welcome back leadoff guy Dexter Fowler after a hamstring injury that’s sidelined him for a month and maybe even see six-time All-Star closer Joe Nathan come back from a second Tommy John surgery. All this screams: Go get it.

“It’s important that they send a strong message to the team,” veteran catcher David Ross said. “You have to (with) a team that is in first place and was four wins away from going to the World Series last year. You’re looking at the big prize at the end of the season.”

After winning this round vs. Mets, will Cubs have enough pitching for October?

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The New York Mets are still feeling the aftershocks from a seismic World Series event, Matt Harvey recovering from season-ending surgery to deal with thoracic outlet syndrome, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz pitching through bone spurs in their elbows and Jacob deGrom getting questions about a velocity drop this year.  

Do the Cubs have enough pitching to survive in October? Any answer to that question would only be a guess, which is why Theo Epstein’s front office loaded up on elite hitters during the rebuilding years, viewing young pitchers as too fragile and too risky to plan around.    

The biggest takeaway from this rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series would be Jon Lester performing like a $155 million ace, Jake Arrieta rediscovering the feel that made him a Cy Young Award winner and Kyle Hendricks walking off the mound to a standing ovation on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, pitching through the 85-degree heat and into the seventh inning of a 6-2 victory in front of 41,210.     

And at the end of a 4-2 homestand against the Mets and Texas Rangers, the Cubs finalized a four-player deal with the Seattle Mariners, getting lefty reliever Mike Montgomery to add another dimension to their bullpen. 

The unpredictability also helps explain why, leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Cubs will keep looking for a starter as 2016 insurance and an option for the 2017 rotation and beyond. (Even if that would be an admitted long-shot scenario, because those commodities are difficult to find, other contenders will feel more desperation and the farm system doesn’t have much pitching talent to offer in return.)

It’s another way to understand Kyle Schwarber’s practically untouchable status if the New York Yankees decide to sell off their expensive bullpen parts.  

“We love our position-player base and the depth of it,” Epstein said. “It puts us in a pretty good position to put a good lineup out there every night – and for the foreseeable future. But to do that, you have to be able to craft quality pitching staffs, sometimes year by year. 

“It’s not always the position you want to paint yourself in every year, but we’ve been able to do it. And when you have elite young pitching, you got to keep them healthy. If you get them healthy at the right time, you might win the whole thing. But if they’re not healthy, it could fall apart in a hurry.” 

The stories about Epstein’s fingerprints being all over the All-Star Game were accurate, but missed another point: Only two of those 11 players he helped acquire either as the Boston Red Sox general manager or Cubs president of baseball operations are pitchers (Lester and Arrieta).    

Epstein had been Boston’s assistant general manager when the Red Sox drafted Lester out of high school in the second round of the 2002 draft. During Epstein’s nine seasons as Boston’s general manager, Clay Buchholz became the organization’s only other significant homegrown starting pitcher. (Buchholz has been banished to the Red Sox bullpen this season and obviously looks like a change-of-scenery guy the Cubs would target.)

The Epstein regime has used 107 draft picks on pitchers since taking over baseball operations at Clark and Addison after the 2011 season, and that group of prospects has so far thrown zero big-league innings for the Cubs.

The Red Sox still won the World Series in 2004 and 2007, reloaded to win another championship in 2013 and look like a playoff team again this year. The organizational pitching deficit didn’t stop the Cubs from winning 97 games last year, building a rotation with the lowest ERA in the majors this season and padding their record to 20 games over .500.

“You can never have enough pitching,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “We’ve been fortunate our guys have pitched well in the rotation this year and they’ve been healthy for the most part. 

“Whether we could make a trade to address that – we’ll see. But you have to anticipate that you’re going to need more pitching. The minute you don’t, you get yourself in trouble.”

In many ways, the Cubs mirror the pitching-rich Mets, withstanding the fan/media scrutiny, surviving the big-market rebuild and moving past questions about their franchises’ financial situations. 

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson – another executive with an Ivy League pedigree and a “Moneyball” background – inherited Harvey, Matz, deGrom and closer Jeurys Familia (international free agent) from the Omar Minaya administration. The Mets acquired Syndergaard by flipping R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays after his 2012 Cy Young Award season.

“It’s not quite as intentional as sometimes it’s portrayed,” Epstein said. “But they hit on a couple pitchers in the draft, and they hit on a pitcher in a trade, and they did a phenomenal job building a core of elite young pitching. It’s not seen that often.

“You’re seeing how it plays out. They’re in an enviable spot, and we’d like to think we are, too.”

White Sox lose to Tigers in rain-shortened game.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

James Shields did his part yet again on Thursday night.

His teammates didn’t fulfill their end of the bargain.

The rain didn’t help, either.

But the White Sox still had plenty of early chances against Mike Pelfrey and the Detroit Tigers and couldn’t make it work. In spite of a third straight strong start, Shields took the loss as the White Sox fell 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers in a rain-shortened contest in front of 24,938 at U.S. Cellular Field. The game was called after 6 1/2 innings, dropping the White Sox to 2-8 in their last 10 games.

“Sometimes doing your job isn’t going to get the job done,” said Shields, who allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Shields did more than enough to keep the White Sox within striking distance of the Tigers just five weeks after they knocked him around. He pitched out of two jams in the first four innings before Detroit finally broke though in the fifth.

Ian Kinsler led off the inning with a solo homer on a 3-2 fastball from Shields to tie the score at 1. Two batters later, Miguel Cabrera took advantage of a 2-1 changeup that was up in the zone for another solo homer to put the Tigers ahead.

Other than that, Shields pitched well. He struck out Nick Castellanos with two aboard to end a first-inning rally and again in the third to end a bases-loaded jam. Shields also retired the side in order in the second, fourth and sixth innings.

The outing continued a string of strong efforts from the right-hander, who had a 21.81 ERA after his first three turns with the White Sox. One of those was a June 13 effort in which the Tigers got to Shields for seven runs (six earned) with nine hits and four walks in five innings.

Over his last five starts, Shields has a 2.09 ERA in 34 1/3 innings.

“He seems over the hump,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Those first games were tough. I think he came here, a lot of expectations and got beat around a little bit, and it was tough to get your feet and take a breath and kind of figure it out. And right now, he's back to the guy that we figured we were getting.”

It hasn’t been easy to determine which White Sox offense plans to show up on a daily basis.

One day they produce, the next they don’t.  

The White Sox had plenty of chances early against Pelfrey, but came up empty.

They took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on Tim Anderson’s RBI single to right to score Adam Eaton, who earlier doubled. But Anderson’s hit was the sixth in the game’s first 11 batters and yet the White Sox failed to take advantage.

Pelfrey ended a second-inning jam with three straight pop outs after Justin Morneau and Todd Frazier singled consecutively. He also induced a double play off Melky Cabrera’s bat in the third to wipe out Anderson’s run-scoring single.

No missed chance proved bigger than the sixth though. Down 2-1, the White Sox got a one-out single from Jose Abreu and Morneau walked. That brought in Shane Greene, who struck out Todd Frazier. After he hit Tyler Saladino to load the bases, Greene retired J.B. Shuck on a weak grounder to strand three and maintain Detroit’s lead.

The White Sox hoped to have another chance once the game resumed. They would have had Dioner Navarro, Eaton and Anderson due in the bottom of the seventh. But the opportunity didn’t materialize and instead the White Sox left the park with only themselves to blame for another tough-to-swallow defeat.

“It’s a difficult stretch for us, but at the end of the day, you have to be a professional and move on,” Eaton said. “Nobody is going to help us but ourselves. We found another way to lose a ballgame today in a little bit different scenario. I don’t really agree with it. I want to stay here until we finish the game.

“We need to start moving in the right direction, and we need to start winning ballgames. It’s getting to that point of the season where it’s put up or shut up, so we need to do it and get it done.”

Robin Ventura, White Sox players hopeful as trade rumors swirl.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Trade rumors are flying, postseason chances are dwindling and for the White Sox, time is running out. 

Among all the chaos Thursday, White Sox players and coaches said they haven’t given up on the 2016 season, even as their general manager signaled he’s open to any and all trade possibilities with the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaching.

Fresh off a disappointing 1-5 road trip, the White Sox opened a six-game homestand against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Players and manager Robin Ventura are hopeful that general manager Rick Hahn will offer one last reprieve to right the ship. But they also realize their window isn’t open very wide as they began Thursday 10 games back in the American League Central and seven behind in the wild card race.

“This is a team that still has a lot of juice left, a lot of things that we did do right in those last three games,” third baseman Todd Frazier said. “We didn't put up many runs the games before, and then we did, and then, you know, things fell apart. It's just baseball in a nutshell, and it's just one of those things that, like I said, we've got to get back in that groove from the first month where the excitement ... I mean, the excitement's there. It's just up and down a little bit. We've got to find a way to stay together and keep working.”

It hasn’t consistently worked for more than two months now.

Since they erupted with a 23-10 start, the White Sox are 23-38. They won five straight series in June and early July to move to 45-42, but have since lost six of seven.

One day they score enough runs, but can’t pitch. The next they pitch but can’t score. The product has been frustratingly inconsistent enough for Hahn to state his club has been “mired in mediocrity” and that the front office is open-minded about its future direction with even a rebuild possible.

“What he has to do in his job is different from mine, what our guys are gonna do,” Ventura said. “We’re just focusing on the job for today. That’s all you can do. These guys certainly can’t worry about it as far as ... the trade deadline. They just gotta go play. You can’t sit there and speculate or worry about it.”

Both Frazier and outfielder Adam Eaton think the White Sox have the right pieces in place. Of their 94 games, 49 have been decided by two runs or fewer. Though the White Sox are 25-24 in those games, they feel like they should be better.

“I think we really have a good core,” Eaton said. “We have a good group of guys, guys that love to come to play every day. That's very important. It's come down to a couple pitches here and there. I hope they show some more patience.”

Hahn ruled out any short-term acquisitions Thursday, saying the team hasn’t played well enough to justify trading a long-term asset for someone who could help this season only. But he left the door open for everything else, including a potential tear down, though that sounds less likely. 

Still, reports surfaced Wednesday and Thursday with teams’ interest in Chris Sale and Jose Quintana and Hahn suggested he would listen to any and all offers. Ventura isn’t concerned his players would be distracted by those rumors.

“That happens every year,” Ventura said. “I think Chris is probably used to it by now. His name gets mentioned every trade deadline and every offseason. That’s part of being good.

“But to be able to put that aside and focus on your job and do what you have to do, that’s part of playing baseball and being a good player. He’s been able to do that the past couple of years.”

Though he’d like more time, Eaton is realistic, too.

He knows anything can happen as the White Sox try to determine the best path forward.

“There's no loyalty in this game,” Eaton said. “There's zero loyalty in this game. Sell tickets and win ballgames, that's what ownership and the front office wants to do. However they want to do it, that's how they're going to do it.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Vincent Goodwill's NBA Mailbag: Where do Valentine, Portis fit in with Bulls?

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A lot has happened in the NBA over the last couple weeks. Free agency exploded and then, finally, slowed just a bit as the new influx of revenue began to trickle down to seemingly every free agent as Summer League play ended. The Summer of Spending!

Either way, let's move on to your (real and imagined) questions in the CSNChicago.com mailbag.

Question: Kevin Durant going to the Golden State Warriors has certainly upset the balance of power in the NBA, creating one of those dreaded “superteams” that everybody seems to hate. I mean, I don’t like it. Or maybe I do, I’m not sure. Either way, how will all 30 teams enter the season feeling like they can compete for a championship when two of the three best players in the game decide to team up together? Nervous in New York, A. Silver.

Answer: Well, Adam, I mean, “A”, there’s nothing Durant’s transition from Oklahoma City to the Bay Area has realistically changed aside from weakening the Thunder. The contenders are still the same: the Cavaliers in the East, with the Warriors and Spurs in the West.

In a given year, there are only three to five title contenders, realistically. Others will masquerade as contenders with decent regular seasons, but the exclusive room is exclusive for a reason.

Pick a year, pick an era, the results are usually the same with small degrees of variance. In case fans didn’t know, the records of all the games played in a given season add up to the same number of wins and losses.

Everybody can’t be good, or even great.

And even if you’re good, it doesn’t mean you’re a championship contender. Take 2001 for instance. A record seven teams won at least 50 games in the Western Conference, while Minnesota came within three wins of hitting that mark as well.

But only San Antonio and Los Angeles were realistic contenders in that season, which if memory and the history books and every other metric of time that marks it serves us correctly saw the Lakers run through every team in the Western Conference playoffs, going undefeated until the Finals.

It’s lone loss was to Philadelphia and Allen Iverson in the opening game of the Finals.

But Sacramento (55 wins), Dallas (53), Utah (53), Phoenix (51) and Portland (50) all had a realistic chance at winning a ring, right?

Wrong, and it didn’t produce record ratings or record interest for the league, either. You can’t fool a smart fan, regardless of a winning percentage.

But bringing it back to the present, Durant has taken hits as if he’s supposed to bear the responsibility of ensuring competitive balance in the NBA.

One player?

No one man should have all that power, especially when it takes until Year 10 to actually have freedom of movement to make a decision for where he wants to play. I understand Mr. Silver was speaking more for the majority of the owners he works for as opposed to his own feelings or even what’s best for the league, but the best ratings in the NBA Finals since David Stern took over as commissioner starting in the 1984-85 season usually featured some type of “superteam.”

— 1998 (Bulls-Jazz), superteam featuring a 6-foot-6 Superman.

— 1988 (Lakers-Pistons), superteams with some guys named Magic, Kareem and Isiah.

— 1993 (Bulls-Suns), Superman again.

— 2016 (Cavs-Warriors)

So the numbers show us that fans tune in for these “superteams” when it’s critical to the league that the most eyes are paying attention.

So with that said ... see you in June, KD.

Question: (Denzel) Valentine has looked decent on offense, unselfish player, always makes the smart decision and a pass-first guy who can shoot the 3. But his (defense) is not very good, his lack of athleticism is hurting him. It just stands out as a whole. Can he get better on that end? The Bulls already have way too many one-way players. Jesse.

Answer: Jesse, Valentine’s lack of athleticism isn’t something that’s necessarily new to him, so I wouldn’t worry about that. His medicals could pose an issue later in his career with the wear and tear on his surgically repaired knee, but most league officials see that as something that won’t factor in early.

Also, he’s a rookie. You can’t put the ills of the Bulls’ roster on him as he walks in the door, especially as the 14th pick. The Bulls do have a lot of one-way players, but that’s a job for coach Fred Hoiberg to figure out who will play where and how.

Having a versatile guy like Valentine on the bench, who can develop at his own pace, isn’t a negative thing. Defense will always be a concern, but the Bulls will do better by not having him defend from the top of the key against point guards.

If (IF!) he can master the angles and become a decent enough help-side defender, not getting completely lost when rotations are moving from double-teams in the post, he’ll be fine in time.

And also, putting any kind of long-term expectations or proclamations based on what happens in Summer League is a recipe for disaster borne out of boredom.

Say it with me: It’s just Summer League.

Question: The NBA slightly amended the “Hack-A” rules, and my favorite owner in Dallas voted against the slight rules changes by saying, "rewarding incompetence is never a good business strategy," in reference to the handful of bad free-throw shooters in the NBA. They should’ve just left the rules as-is, right? Mark C, in Texas.

Answer: Mark, sorry to disappoint you, but you’re right and wrong at the same time. For the NBA to amend the current rule, saying teams can’t intentionally foul off the ball for the last two minutes of each quarter as opposed to the last two minutes of each half, is so useless they would’ve been better off not changing anything.

It won’t stop the “Hack-a-Shenanigans” at all, meaning coaches will tell their players to keep fouling the likes of Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan off the ball without any thought to flow of the game.

Nobody wants to see that, and those that do, I wonder if they have some perverse fascination with watching professional athletes struggle on a large stage. That’s like putting Aaron Rodgers at cornerback or turning Adrian Peterson into a field-goal kicker.

It’s a cop-out for coaches and for the league, it’s a weak-willed half-step to something as opposed to taking a hard stand on something that seriously detracts from the quality of the game.

Nobody is saying Drummond or Jordan shouldn’t continue to work on their free-throw shooting, or that teams shouldn’t foul those guys when they’re underneath the basket ready to throw down a dunk.

No, foul them and make sure they don’t embarrass you on the way down. That’s in the flow of the game. That sends them to the foul line. That doesn’t distract from the quality of the game.

And the league has done things to ensure certain players’ weaknesses weren’t being exposed on a grand stage by amending rules or stringently enforcing them. Ever hear of the hand-check? Players who couldn’t dribble or get their own shot were often shackled by physical defenders who restricted movement and put them on punishment ... until the league put a point of emphasis on freedom of movement about 10 years ago.

Guys who couldn’t dribble all of a sudden became valuable stand-still shooters who didn’t have to worry about being hassled at the top of the key. Scoring opened up more, and pace-and-space has become in vogue.

It’s the same sentiment here, and those who disagree with me about the hack-a-shenanigans ... yes, you’re wrong.

Question: Do you see the Bulls eventually starting Bobby Portis this season? And if so what position: power forward or center? Mega Tony.

Answer: Tony, Portis’ status is a very interesting proposition, and it’s likely at the top of Hoiberg’s dossier come training camp. Injuries will happen, so he will play and play more than he did last season, and his body has improved from last season when it was hard to get consistent time.

But where does he fit?

I wouldn’t say at center because Robin Lopez is penciled in as starter and Cris Felicio could start for more than a few teams this season. They’re set at the pivot.

At power forward is where things get tricky — or fun, depending on how you look at it.

Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Portis will battle for minutes, with Gibson being so necessary because he’s their most solid frontcourt player as well as being a stout post defender.

Mirotic will get minutes because the Bulls are in desperate need of perimeter shooting with Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo slated to take up space and time on the floor — and opening up driving lanes is critical.

Mirotic’s struggles on the defensive end will probably limit him to playing far more at power forward than small forward, and the Bulls only have Mirotic and Doug McDermott as knockdown shooters.

Which leaves Portis, who’s shown so much energy and an improving polish with his back to the basket as well as his outside shot, with a question mark.

He slipped to 22nd in the draft in 2015, executives have told CSNChicago.com in recent days, because of a lack of explosion at the rim and an inconsistent outside shot.

The explosion has improved a little bit, and the shot looks more fluid now than it did last season — which makes him valuable to Hoiberg.

But where he fits compared to the Bulls’ needs in the frontcourt will make things interesting come camp, should the personnel stay as-is.

Question: Vincent, do you think the NBA D-League is how the league will seek to find NBA-level talent on discounted contracts?

One other note, I feel dedicated NBA fans will appreciate the opportunity presented by the D-League as it allows us to play the role of a “scout.” I might be one of very few who is a season-ticket holder for both the Bulls and the Windy City Bulls, but I cannot wait till the start of both seasons.

Go Bulls, Go LeBron! (Very confusing I know, but it is what it is.)

All the best,

Robert

Answer: Robert, you’ve said a mouthful, but it’s interesting nonetheless. The D-League is always a way to find diamonds in the rough without having to pay free-agent prices, and there’s been discussion about the D-League salaries being raised with the infusion of revenue to the NBA.

Teams will always use leverage on players who don’t have a track record to get them to agree to team-friendly deals in order to evaluate them in a year without having the stress of long-term ramifications, that’s not new.

But with the salary cap, you wonder if teams will scour the D-League more this season in preparation for the increase of money next summer, i.e. signing D-League guys to low-market deals during the season to free up space for bigger names in the summer, before the bidding war gets underway.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t the only “scout” who spends time on Madison Street as well as in Hoffman Estates to see the Windy City Bulls. Everyone is a talent evaluator nowadays.

And as for your “Go Bulls, Go LeBron” statement ... weird, very weird.

NBA makes it official: 2017 All-Star Game pulled from Charlotte due to “bathroom law”.

By Kurt Helin

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

This has been rumored for months and reported as all but done this morning, now the NBA has made it official:

The 2017 NBA All-Star Game has been pulled from Charlotte.

From the official press release of the NBA.

“The NBA has decided to relocate the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte with the hope of rescheduling for 2019.

“Since March, when North Carolina enacted HB2 and the issue of legal protections for the LGBT community in Charlotte became prominent, the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets have been working diligently to foster constructive dialogue and try to effect positive change. We have been guided in these discussions by the long-standing core values of our league. These include not only diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for others but also the willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view….. While we recognize that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.

“We are particularly mindful of the impact of this decision on our fans in North Carolina, who are among the most passionate in our league. It is also important to stress that the City of Charlotte and the Hornets organization have sought to provide an inclusive environment and that the Hornets will continue to ensure that all patrons — including members of the LGBT community — feel welcome while attending games and events in their arena.”

The Hornets added this statement:

“We understand the NBA’s decision and the challenges around holding the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte this season.  There was an exhaustive effort from all parties to keep the event in Charlotte, and we are disappointed we were unable to do so.  With that said, we are pleased that the NBA opened the door for Charlotte to host All-Star Weekend again as soon as an opportunity was available in 2019. We want to thank the City of Charlotte and the business community for their backing throughout this entire process, starting with the initial bid. We are confident that they will be just as supportive and enthusiastic for the 2019 NBA All-Star Game.”

Other NBA teams backed the move, something summed up by Gregg Popovich in Las Vegas with Team USA.

“I agree with the league and Bruce Springsteen and everybody else who pulled out,” Popovich said.

Good for the NBA. This was the right move.

As you might imagine, the North Carolina governor feels differently.



"Statement from North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory on NBA's decision to move All-Star Game from Charlotte:

Jeff Zillgitt
@JeffZillgitt
5:22 PM - 21 Jul 2016"

There’s not room on the Internet to discuss everything wrong in that statement.

Turner Broadcasting — which owns TNT, the channel that has exclusive broadcast rights to All-Star Weekend — backed the NBA’s position.

“At Turner, and our parent company Time Warner, diversity in all its forms is core to our value system and to the success of our company. Laws to the contrary go against our fundamental belief of equality and inclusion for all individuals. We fully support the NBA’s decision to relocate the 2017 All-Star Game and all of the weekend’s events originally scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The annual All-Star Game and accompanying weekend competitions are viewed by millions of fans every year on TNT and we look forward to working with the league to once again produce a memorable and entertaining event.”

North Carolina’s legislature called a special session earlier this year approve HB2, which restricts transgender bathroom use (you have to use the bathroom for the gender with which you were born) and preempted anti-discrimination ordinances put in by Charlotte and other North Carolina cities that tried to block discrimination against gays and lesbians. The law led to a business backlash — PayPal, Deutsche Bank, and others have pulled plans for expansion in the state off the table — as well as a social one, including things such as Bruce Springsteen canceling a concert in the state. Now the NBA has joined that list.

While there have been some talks about modification of the law, that was never likely in an election year — this law is red meat to a socially conservative Republican base, and in a red state that was not going to change before the election in what is seen as a swing state this time around.

While rumors have circulated for a while that Orlando had pushed for the All-Star Game, it appears that New Orleans is now the front runner. Chicago and Brooklyn may also be in the mix.

Beyond New Orleans, NBA considering New York/Brooklyn and Chicago for 2017 All-Star game.

By Don Feldman

(Photo/Elsa/Getty Images)

New Orleans is reportedly favored to host the 2017 NBA All-Star game, which was originally scheduled for Charlotte.

But the Big Easy isn’t the only location in contention.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN:

Several other NBA cities have become options if the league takes the step, including Chicago and New York/Brooklyn, sources told ESPN.

New York and Brooklyn co-hosted 2015 All-Star weekend. Chicago hasn’t hosted since 1988. That difference might put a dent into my theory that New Orleans’ recent hosting history (2008 and 2014) gives it a leg up to handle the event on short notice, though there could be a sliding scale on experience.

Interestingly, New York is the NBA’s largest market with Chicago near the top. New Orleans’ is the league’s smallest. I’m not convinced market size matters much for an All-Star game, though.

What might matter: People preferring to visit New Orleans rather than a Northern city in February.

Golf: I got a club for that..... D. Johnson, List share RBC Canadian Open lead.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel)

Conditions were firm at Glen Abbey Golf Club, but several players were still able to card a few birdies to open the RBC Canadian Open. Here's how things look after the first round in Ontario, where Dustin Johnson shares the lead as he looks to continue his hot streak:

Leaderboard: Dustin Johnson (-6), Luke List (-6), Jon Rahm (-5), Kelly Kraft (-5), Chesson Hadley (-5), Jared du Toit (a) (-5), Brandt Snedeker (-4)

What it means: Several big names like Olympian Matt Kuchar and defending champ Jason Day lurk just a few shots off the pace, but the player who stood out most Thursday was Johnson as he looks for his third win in his last four starts. Playing among the late wave, DJ eagled the closing hole to draw even with List and ahead of a group that includes Rahm, who continues his strong play just weeks since turning pro.

Round of the day: Johnson is always among the longest hitters in any field, but when he's accurate off the tee, he's tough to beat. That was the case in the opening round, where he combined accuracy (10 of 14 fairways) with length (320 yards per drive) en route to a 6-under 66 that included seven birdies and an eagle on the home hole.

Best of the rest: List remains in search of his first career win, and at this point in the season he's just hoping to avoid a return to the Web.com Tour next year. But List's goals could change considerably after an opening 66 put him into a share of the lead, a bogey-free round that included five birdies over his first nine holes.

Biggest disappointment: Graham DeLaet will represent Canada at the Olympics and is a fan favorite whenever he tees it up north of the border, but he appears headed for a missed cut after an opening-round 77 replete with short-game woes. DeLaet took time off earlier this season to deal with what he described as chipping "anxiety," but the ailment was on full display Thursday as he failed to find the putting surface with his chip on more than one occasion.

Main storyline heading into Friday: Johnson will go out early during the second round, and he could use the opportunity to put some distance between himself and the field. After convincing wins at both Oakmont and Firestone, Johnson remains in the midst of the best season of his career and could take another step toward a win that would trim the gap between him and Day atop the world rankings.

Shot of the day: Du Toit, an amateur from Canada who plays for Arizona State, was already in the midst of a stellar round before hitting his approach to the 17th hole. But he took things to another level by holing that shot from 155 yards from a fairway bunker for an improbable eagle, then followed with a birdie on No. 18 to cap a 5-under 67 that put him just one shot off the lead.

Quote of the day: "It's the first time I've had to sign autographs after rounds. That was awesome." - du Toit

U.S. off to another rough start in International Crown.

By Randall Mell

(Photo/Golf Channel)

The Americans are hoping the UL International Crown isn’t some twisted version of Groundhog Day.

England swept the United States on Thursday in the opening round of the biennial international team event at the Merit Club.

The sweep puts the Americans in a hole, just as it did two years ago, when they were swept by Chinese Taipei in the opening matches of the inaugural event and then ended up failing to advance out of pool play.

The United States is dead last in Pool B, joining the Australians as the only teams failing to put a point on the board in the opening fourball matches. The challenge doesn’t get a whole lot easier with the Americans meeting Thailand, a rising Asian golf force, in Friday’s fourballs.

Charley Hull proved a one-woman wrecking crew leading the English upset.

Hull teamed with Mel Reid to defeat Americans Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller, 2 and 1.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff teamed with Holly Clyburn to defeat Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr, also by a 2-and-1 score.

Hull made six birdies and an eagle. She was 8 under through 17 holes on her own card.

Lewis and Piller were 6 under as a combined best-ball score.

“Charley made everything she looked at,” Lewis said. “We kind of had a lot of swings of momentum. We kind of got it early, and then they took it back as we made the turn. I thought we got some momentum back on 15, and then Charley makes an eagle putt. It was just really back and forth, and the match was really tight all day.”
It was a wild match, with seven lead changes.

There were 18 birdies total in the match and two eagles, with the English making both eagles.

Hull rolled in a 12-foot eagle putt at the 16th to move England 1 up, and then she closed out the match stiffing a shot at the 17th to 5 feet and then rolling in the birdie putt.

“I just love playing in this kind of environment, especially when you are a bit of an underdog,” Hull said. “I just like proving people wrong, and it just makes you go out there, gives you a little bit more of a buzz.”

Hull, 20, has already shown a knack for team golf in her professional career. She is 6-2 in her two Solheim Cup appearances.

The English team, who seem to have some special chemistry, making fun of each other all week, especially relished the underdog role against the Americans.

“I think we just get fired up beating you guys whenever, really,” Reid told American reporters. “You guys are very, very strong so, so it's always nice to beat you guys.”

England vs. the United States was almost like a mini-Solheim Cup.

“There's obviously a rivalry there, and we knew we were going to have to play well, both groups today, to get the four points,” Reid said. “Yeah, we're very, very proud that we took those four points. We're a small nation, but we respect you guys, and, obviously, we really do want to beat you, as well.”

The Americans may find themselves in a familiar hole, but these Americans have something special going for them.

Thompson, Lewis, Piller and Kerr were all members of the U.S. Solheim Cup team that mounted the greatest comeback in the history of that event beating the Europeans in Germany last fall.

“I felt like we played good golf today,” Lewis said. “That's what this format is, you play good golf and you're going to lose matches, and that's the way it goes. We're going to go out there and play good golf again, and hopefully we get on the good side of it. We're still in this thing, and we've just got to take care of business tomorrow.”

The English upset was particularly impressive because it came against the two most formidable pairings the Americans had in their Solheim Cup victory last fall. The Lewis/Piller and Thompson/Kerr teams were 4-0-1 in Germany.

“The whole day was just really awesome,” Shadoff said. “To see [Charley and Mel] win, too, it’s really impressive, especially against pretty much the toughest team out here.”

NASCAR: Tony Stewart ready for his final ride at Indianapolis.

By Kelly Crandall

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Tony Stewart will make his 18th and final Sprint Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, but he’s treating it like business as usual.

“I’m not going to downplay it because it’s one of the most important weeks of the year for me, being at home and racing in front of friends and family for the last time there,” Stewart said last weekend after finishing second at New Hampshire. “It’ll be an emotional weekend, for sure, but I’ve got a plan on how I’m going to approach the weekend, and I’m just going to stick to that plan and go about our work.”

Stewart will retire from Sprint Cup competition at the end of the 2016 season and has been adamant about not receiving a big sendoff. Many have acquiesced, but Sunday is sure to have a different vibe as Indiana says goodbye to a native son.

Having grown up 45 minutes from the speedway in Rushville, Indiana, Stewart has always acknowledged how special the speedway is and how much competing there means to him. But Stewart has never been far from home.

“I grew up and lived my whole life in Indiana,” he said. “I didn’t move to Indiana. I didn’t move away from Indiana. I’m the only NASCAR driver in the Cup Series who’s from Indiana and who still lives in Indiana, and I’m proud of where I was born. I’m proud to be back.

“I still in the town I was raised in. I take a lot of pride in that. I think the state of Indiana takes a lot of pride in that, and that’s why it makes it a big weekend.”

Regardless of what happens in the Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400, Stewart has forever left a legacy at Indianapolis. In his previous 17 NASCAR starts, in which he holds the second best average finish (9.7), he has two wins as well as one pole. Stewart has also run three IROC races at Indianapolis in addition to five Indianapolis 500s.

Coming off his New Hampshire run, Stewart will aim for his third trip to victory lane at Indianapolis. It took seven tries to break through for his first in 2005 after trading the lead late with Kasey Kahne before driving away over the final 11 laps. Memories of that day include Stewart’s father, Nelson, waving him by lap after lap as Stewart drove by the Turn 2 suites and Stewart climbing the front-stretch fence after winning.

“It was everything to me,” Stewart said of kissing the yard of bricks. “My whole life, since I was a kid, that’s what I wanted to do. Not that I had some fascination with kissing bricks as a child, but my fascination to do it (at Indianapolis) was pretty obsessive.”

While Stewart might try and treat his final trip to Indianapolis as a driver like any other, Sunday is bound to be special. And should Stewart again be victorious at Indianapolis, it would be more than just another race win.

“It’s a big deal to win here,” Stewart said in a team release. “This is an event that I definitely circle on the schedule and emotionally have a lot invested in it. To us, it’s definitely not just another stop that’s on the calendar and on the schedule. You don’t just pull in and say, ‘We’re going to go in, try to win the race and then pull out of here.’ When you’re here, you’re amped up because you’re at Indianapolis.”

Remembering Jeff Gordon's first win at Indy in inaugural Brickyard.

By Joe Menzer

(Photo/Fox Sports)

A very young Jeff Gordon was a virtual unknown in NASCAR at the time, but the win at the inaugural Brickyard got him noticed in a big way.

Jeff Gordon's surprise return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, where he will sub for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, no doubt will be greeted with joy and great anticipation by NASCAR fans.

But in August of 1994, the year Gordon recorded the first of his record five victories in the first NASCAR race ever run at the iconic track, he hardly entered the race as the fan favorite or the odds-on favorite.

Only two days removed from his 23^rd birthday at the time, Gordon was in just his second season as driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet in NASCAR's top series. He had only one career win in the series where he would go on to win 93 times, third all-time behind only Hall of Famers Richard Petty and David Pearson.

In other words, many fans didn't even know who he was just yet.

The favorite to win that day actually was Dale Earnhardt -- the father of Dale Jr., who is sitting out this Sunday's race at Indy as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. Gordon is driving for Earnhardt Jr. for at least the next two races at Indy and Pocono.

Gordon has said what he remembers most about the day was how the fans, more than 250,000 strong, turned out to get a taste of what NASCAR's top stars could do on the 2.5-mile track that until then had been reserved for open-wheel racing.

"Most of the things that stand out to me were really about just the madness and craziness of how big that event was, how popular it was among fans -- not just traditional NASCAR fans but new fans to the sport," said Gordon, who was making his 50^th career start that afternoon and had registered his first career win earlier in the season in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  

The win did not come easily for Gordon, as he had to do battle with some of the sport's toughest competitors of the day throughout the entire event.

Earnhardt started on the front row alongside pole-sitter Rick Mast, but the two drivers made contact going into the first corner on the first lap, upsetting the handling of Earnhardt's iconic black No. 3 Chevrolet. Exiting the fourth corner on the opening lap, Earnhardt hit the outside wall and began a freefall through the field.

Gordon, whose family moved to Pittsboro, Indiana, just 25 miles from the track, to further his racing career when Gordon was only 14, started third in the race and was more patient.

Geoffrey Bodine looked strong early on, but was eliminated from contention on Lap 100 after his younger brother, Brett, put the bumper to Geoffrey and sent him spinning off Turn 4 in front of the field. The contact was the culmination of a yearlong family feud and left Geoffrey fuming after the race.

Ultimately, it came down to a duel between Gordon and Ernie Irvan over the final 25 laps. Gordon and Irvan swapped the lead four times, putting on a great show for the fans watching at home and in the packed grandstands.

Their battle allowed Brett Bodine, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace and a suddenly resurgent Earnhardt to close in over the closing laps.

But with five laps to go, Irvan lost a right-front tire going into the first corner while leading. With Irvan slowing, Gordon dove underneath and took the lead for the final time of the day.

Gordon then drove off to score the first NASCAR win ever at Indy. He would go on to total five Brickyard victories, tying Formula One legend Michael Schumacher for the most wins by a driver at the iconic track, before announcing his retirement from full-time Sprint Cup racing at the end of last season.

Now Gordon suddenly has an unexpected chance to add to that career total this Sunday.

Ray Evernham, the winning crew chief that historic day in August of 1994, described the victory as a watershed moment for not only Gordon, but for the entire No. 24 race team.

"In one lifetime one person doesn't get many chances to make an everlasting mark or set a record that no one will ever break," Evernham told Stock Car Racing magazine later that year. "When those things happen, it is the greatest payback that you will ever receive for the hard work and effort you've invested. That Brickyard 400 did those things for us."

For Gordon, the excitement of the fans for that inaugural race still stands out.

"Even if you go back to the test that we had (before the race), the fans were just lined up on the fence around the garage area just wanting to see stock cars race at Indianapolis, and it was much of the same when it came to race day, just so many fans and you just couldn't walk anywhere without getting mobbed," Gordon said. "That just showed you the impact and significance of that inaugural event."

NASCAR’s full schedule for Indianapolis.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

The Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series head back to the “Circle City” of Indianapolis this weekend for NASCAR’s annual visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sprint Cup teams will prepare for the 23rd annual Brickyard 400 and Xfinity teams gear up for their fifth race at the 2.5-mile oval.

Here’s the full weekend schedule for NASCAR, including TV and Radio info.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, July 22

8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Xfinity garage open

10 a.m. – 7 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open

noon – 1:25 p.m. – Xfinity practice (NBCSN)

1:30 – 2:55 p.m. – Sprint Cup practice (NBCSN)

3 – 3:55 p.m. – Final Xfinity practice (NBCSN)

4 – 5:25 p.m. – Final Sprint Cup practice (NBCSN)

Saturday, July 23

7 a.m. – Xfinity garage opens

8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open

11:40 a.m. – Xfinity Series qualifying; single car/two rounds (NBCSN)

1:20 p.m. – Xfinity driver-crew chief meeting

1:45 p.m. – Sprint Cup qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (NBCSN, Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network)

3 p.m. – Xfinity driver introductions

3:30 p.m. – Heat race No. 1; 20 laps/50 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, IMS Radio Network)

4:25 p.m. – Heat race No. 2; 20 laps/50 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, IMS Radio Network)

5:05 p.m. – Main event; 60 laps/150 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, IMS Radio Network)

Sunday, July 24

9 a.m. – Sprint Cup garage opens

1 p.m. – Driver – crew chief meeting

2:30 p.m. – Driver introductions

3 p.m. – Brickyard 400; 160 lap/400 miles (NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, IMS Radio Network)

SOCCER: Michael de Leeuw gives Fire ‘another dimension’.   

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Michael de Leeuw hasn’t taken long to show he was worth the attention paid to him when the Chicago Fire acquired him this season.

The 29-year-old Dutch forward scored his second goal in four appearances with the Fire in the team’s 3-0 win against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers on Wednesday.

The goal was almost entirely made by David Accam. The Ghanaian winger dribbled from midfield and rounded the goalkeeper before making a centering pass to de Leeuw to tap into an open net.

Other than Accam’s highlight-worthy moves on the ball, what stands out about the goal is what de Leeuw did off the ball. He read the play correctly and put himself in position for that easy finish.

“He’s a different type of player,” Accam said. “He’s like a box striker, a typical striker and that’s what we lacked all season and he’s contributing a lot to this team.”

In de Leeuw’s four games with the Fire, three of which have been starts, he has registered only two shots on target. Both of those have been close-range goals.

“I don’t think he has scored a difficult goal this season, but for me that’s a good striker,” Accam said. “He was in a good place. Most people will not be there.”

It appears from his first few appearances with the Fire that de Leeuw is not a striker who is going to create his own shot by beating a defender or two. That’s what Accam did on that play and what Kennedy Igboananike has done on most of his four goals this season.

The key for the Fire is getting de Leeuw and Accam on the same page so they can complement each other like they did on Wednesday. For now, de Leeuw is learning what he has to do when Accam has the ball.

“Keep up, keep up with him,” de Leeuw said. “You know he’s fast. You know when he’s got the ball he goes for it. He’s like Usain Bolt. But you know you have to be prepared for the rebound. That’s what I’m doing. He made a shot and just be there for the rebound.”

Before de Leeuw’s arrival, the Fire clearly were a team looking to play on the counter to utilize the speed of Accam and Igboananike. That came at the detriment of the Fire’s ability to keep possession of the ball.

What de Leeuw gives the team is another way to attack. His hold up play means the Fire can retain the ball more easily and build up more deliberately as opposed to frequently having midfielders look for a sprinting Accam whenever they get a bit of time on the ball.

“I think it’s an outlet,” midfielder Matt Polster said. “We don’t always have to look in behind for David and try to counter. I think we have now have another dimension to our game. We can look in behind and break or we can try to combine with Michael so I think it just gives us another little bit of something for the other team to be worried about.”

David Accam has big night, Fire advance to U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

As has been the case twice already this season, David Accam took a starring role in a U.S. Open Cup match for the Chicago Fire.

Accam had a goal and an assist in the Fire’s 3-0 win against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in an Open Cup quarterfinal at Toyota Park on Wednesday. Accam entered the match having scored all three of the Fire’s goals in cup games this season.

It didn’t take long for Accam to make his mark, earning and then converting a penalty kick not even five minutes into the match. Arturo Alvarez found him in space on the left wing and Accam was able to overcome a heavy touch in the box to get another touch before onrushing goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, who then tripped Accam.

"I had a lot of space," Accam said. "For us we tried to utilize the space they left behind and it paid off.”

After scoring the opener, Accam played provider with a highlight-reel caliber run through the Strikers’ defense. Accam won the ball at the halfway line and put the moves on Ft. Lauderdale defender Gale Agbossoumonde, making him fall over in the box. Accam then rounded Restrepo and sent a centering ball across the face of the goal for Michael de Leeuw to tap in.

“I just made a quick decision," de Leeuw said of his goal. "I was first searching for the first ball, but David dribbled through the left side and you know you can be there for the rebound. The ball fell for my feet.

"It’s good to score the second goal. It’s important and in the end the third goal was also important because we knew also it’s done. If it’s 2-nil and they score then you know it can be difficult, but at the end we played a good game.”

Accam played a factor in the third goal as well. Nick LaBrocca headed an Accam corner on target and Khaly Thiam scored on the rebound to make it 3-0 in the 51st minute.

"(The third goal) was actually the trigger for us to start with the Plan B, which was to rest guys and prepare for the next game,” coach Veljko Paunovic said.

De Leeuw was subbed off shortly after the third goal and Accam exited the match in the 72nd minute. The Fire's first sub came in the first half when Razvan Cocis picked up an injury that Paunovic described as a "very strong contusion" in his right calf.

The three-goal margin was the Fire’s first win by more than a goal this season. It was also only the second time the Fire have had a lead of more than a goal all season. The Fire led 2-0 against Columbus in the last round of the U.S. Open Cup before winning 2-1.

“I think today, especially in the second half, we had a great opportunity to rehearse how to play, how to control the game," Paunovic said. "After the third goal they dropped a little bit more so it was a great opportunity for us to learn how to manage these kind of games where you have the possession, where you have to build your play, be patient and be precise with the ball.

"First time for me this year where we were comfortable and we didn’t suffer that much, but that’s just one small step."

After Ft. Lauderdale held a slim 51-49 percent edge in possession at halftime, the Fire finished the match with 55 percent of the possession.

It is the Fire’s fourth straight semifinal appearance in the Open Cup and fifth in the past six years. The semi will take place Aug. 9 against the New England Revolution, which beat the Philadelphia Union in penalty kicks in another quarterfinal. The Revolution are also the Fire's opponent in MLS play on Saturday.

“Semifinals, it’s not a small thing," Paunovic said.

The draw to determine the host of the semifinal will take place at 10 a.m. Central on Thursday.

Beckham backs Mourinho, says big name club will win Premier League.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

It’s no surprise that David Beckham thinks Jose Mourinho will turn around his beloved Manchester United.

He’s — surprise! — backing United to win the Premier League with his “head and heart”, and says if it’s not United it’ll be another one of the traditional giants.
Beckham, 41, says Mourinho will be able to restore an intimidation factor at Old Trafford, where so many clubs have smashed road slumps since Alex Ferguson left in 2013.

From Sky Sports:

And I think that is what Man United definitely need to get back to and they need to get back to being feared again, because we were always a club – and are still a club – that when teams come to Old Trafford, they know they are going to be up against it and they know they are probably going to lose. So that is what we need to get back to.

The “still” part is up for debate, but Mourinho’s arrival alone will make the Theatre of Dreams more of a nightmare for opponents because let’s face it: if Mourinho took the reigns at a lesser club it would cause tactical worries for opposing bench bosses.

Beckham’s excited for the new big-name managers in the Premier League, and also spoke of Leicester’s run to the PL title. Read the entire interview here.

Right man, right time: Why Sam Allardyce is perfect for England.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

Sam Allardyce is expected to be named as the new England manager in the next 24 hours on a two-year contract.

This decision has split opinion but I believe the English Football Association have made a fine choice.

Quite simply: Allardyce is the right man for the job at this specific moment in time.

As soon as England decided to name an Englishman as their new manager, Allardyce, 61, was the standout choice.

Looking at some of the reasons why “Big Sam” is the man to rebuild England following their devastating exit from EURO 2016, it starts to become quite clear why the FA have tagged him to be the chief of a mammoth reclamation project.

Allardyce will need to instill belief, self-confidence and discipline into the Three Lions. If he heard that in the interview process he will be thinking ‘good’ because he’s done that wherever he has managed before. If anyone can restore hunger to England’s players, something which looked to be severely lacking this summer under Roy Hodgson, it’s Allardyce.

The fact of the matter is, Allardyce has overachieved with every team he has managed. Look at the facts.

He took Bolton Wanderers from the second-tier to the Premier League’s upper echelons, attracting players like Ivan Campo, Youri Djorkaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha to Lancashire. He left Wanderers in 2007 but in eight years he had transformed them with his use of ProZone and other advanced technology which allowed him to get the most out of his scant resources.

He then had a brief stint at Newcastle United where he clashed with owner Mike Ashley but it wasn’t exactly disastrous as they were midtable. He joined Blackburn for two years from 2008-10, rescuing them from a perilous situation and finishing in the top half of the table in his only full season in charge. After that he led West Ham United to promotion from the Championship to the Premier League and although criticized for long-ball tactics by his own fans, he worked with what he had and stabilized the Hammers as a PL club, building a base for Slaven Bilic to take to the next level.

Joining Sunderland in 2015 he again showed his penchant for being a master of reclamation as he kept the Black Cats up with a game to spare after they were left in a mess by Dick Advocaat. He went back to basics and found ways of grinding out results, by being horrible to play against a clinical in attack.

Now, that’s all well and good but what does it prove? To me it proves Allardyce has got the most out of the resources at his disposal wherever he has gone.

He has some simple philosophies that he shares in his autobiography and also openly speaks about in the media. He is a brash character from northern England who speaks his mind and has a presence about him when he walks into a press conference. You sit up and take notice.

From a soccer point of view, he has strong values in setting his teams up to be organized and tough to beat. Ask anybody who has watched his teams play regularly. They will tell you it isn’t always the most riveting to watch but he will get results and you will hardly see one of his teams collapse after leading. His players stand up and fight for each other and England need that now more than ever as they look to bounce back from a huge disappointment. They need to become hard to beat and not throw away games at pivotal moments.

In fact, looking at stats released by Opta, Allardyce’s teams have won 64 percent of their games in the PL when they’ve scored the first goal. He is a big believer in strong defensive performances, in protecting what you have. When you look at England’s results at EURO 2016 — giving up a late goal against Russia to draw 1-1 then losing to Iceland 2-1 in the Round of 16 after going 1-0 up — this is something they badly need.

Allardyce is also flexible when it comes to formations. He is not so rigid where he will play 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 consistently but he likes to mix it up. That shows that you have a manager who is confident in his own ability to organize players into shapes and systems because he believes they all want to work with him and under him. They often do. It is very rare you here a player speak poorly of Allardyce. He is honest and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. That is exactly what this young England team needs.

I remember sat at a Sunderland game against Crystal Palace last season where they won 1-0 thanks to a late Jermain Defoe strike. Allardyce played Patrick Van Aanholt and Billy Jones as wing backs and totally nullified the threat of Palace’s wingers Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha. He had done his homework and wasn’t afraid to tweak things as the game went on and that’s just one example of how he’s a thinking man’s coach, no matter if his gruff demeanor and penchant for chewing vast wads of chewing gum suggest otherwise.

We are talking about a man who has vast experience in game management and isn’t afraid to try new things. He’s spoken about how he has embraced transcendental meditation for well over a decade to switch off and given the stresses and pressures of the England job, he will be doing a lot more of that in the months to come.

Allardyce is called “Big Sam” for a reason and that’s not just going back to his days as a bruising central defender.

He has the ability to galvanize teams and help them achieve more than they should. He has never been afforded the opportunity to work with such a talented group of players as he will with England.

Going forward, it may not be the most exciting product to watch but Allardyce will get results. I think he may surprise a few people too because now he has great players to work with and his tactics may be slightly different than before.

Allardyce’s beliefs of strong defense first will always remain but now he has the job he’s craved, let’s see if he can repair a damaged England side by going back to basics. Right now, he is perfect for what they need.

Preview, schedule: Huge 2016 International Champions Cup set to kick off.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

The 2016 International Champions Cup gets underway on Friday with the biggest collective summer preseason tournament on the planet kicking off.

The fourth edition is the biggest so far and features 17 teams from England, Scotland, Germany, Spain, Italy Australia and France playing games in China, Europe, Australia and the USA.

American soccer entrepreneur Charlie Stillitano — the chairman of Relevant Sports which runs the ICC — and owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen M. Ross, are the men behind this competition as it continues to grow each summer.

Seven Premier League teams will be in ICC action with Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea all taking part, plus European giants Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho will square off as managers of Manchester United and Manchester City for the first time in Beijing, as one of the most eagerly anticipated rivalries in world soccer begins. German giants Borussia Dortmund will join them in China.

New Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will face Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool at the Rose Bowl and they will both play AC Milan in the USA, plus Leicester City will travel to California to take on PSG and then travel back to Stockholm to play Barcelona as Claudio Ranieri‘s side get ready for their adventure in the UEFA Champions League for the upcoming season.

Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Atletico Madrid will all be based in Australia for the tournament, while local side Melbourne Victory will also take part in their homeland.

Below is the full schedule for the tournament, while there is also a pretty neat infographic which shows the eye-watering value of some of the squads taking part in the tournament.

Full International Champions Cup schedule, 2016-17
USA 

24 July – Inter Milan v PSG – Eugene, Oregon
27 July – Real Madrid v PSG – Columbus, Ohio
27 July – Bayern Munich v AC Milan – Chicago, Illinois
27 July – Chelsea v Liverpool – Pasadena, California
30 July – Real Madrid v Chelsea – Ann Arbor, Michigan
30 July – Inter Milan v Bayern Munich – Charlotte, North Carolina
30 July – Liverpool v AC Milan – Santa Clara, California
30 July – PSG v Leicester City – Carson, California
3 August – Bayern Munich v Real Madrid – New Jersey
3 August – AC Milan v Chelsea – Minneapolis, Minnesota

China

22 July – Manchester United v Borussia Dortmund – Shanghai
25 July – Manchester City v Manchester United – Beijing
28 July – Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City – Shenzhen

Europe

23 July – Celtic v Leicester City – Glasgow
30 July – Celtic v Barcelona – Dublin
3 August – Barcelona v Leicester City – Stockholm
6 August – Liverpool v Barcelona – London
13 August – Inter Milan v Celtic – Limerick

Australia

23 July – Melbourne Victory v Juventus – Melbourne
26 July – Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur – Melbourne
29 July – Tottenham Hotspur v Atletico Madrid – Melbourne

NCAAFB: Ivy League to move kickoffs to 40-yard line.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

The idea of eliminating kickoffs entirely in college football is on the table. But before that nuclear option is adopted, one conference will experiment with a middle ground alternative.

The NCAA has announced that the Ivy League will move its kickoffs up to the 40-yard line for the 2016 season and the touchback line will be moved back to the 20. Currently, kickoffs launch from the 35-yard line, with touchbacks coming out to the 25. The Ivy League has long volunteered to serve as a test tube for player safety experiments. The conference has voluntarily banned tackling in practice.

The idea behind moving touchbacks from the 20 to the 25 was to incentivize returners to take a touchback. While sound in theory, asking a return man to take a knee can be akin to placing a cupcake in front of a dog and expecting him not to eat it.

The new rule will instead incentivize kicking teams to boot the ball into the end zone instead of kicking short of the goal line and covering.

The Ivy League will collect data and report its findings to the NCAA Football Rules Oversight Committee in February.

Michigan favorite choice of bettors to claim national title.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

The Jim Harbaugh Effect is real — and the results will more than likely wind up in Las Vegas’s pockets.

According to a report from David Purdum of ESPN, Michigan stands as bettors’ favorite choice to win this season’s national title. Purdum writes that more money has been placed on the Wolverines to win in all than any other team, and their national title odds have risen from 15-to-1 to 7-to-1.

Alabama remains the only team with higher odds than Michigan.

Ohio State, however, remains a 6.5-point favorite to beat Michigan at the Horseshoe in November. Ohio State is just a tick behind Michigan for the national title at 8-to-1 odds.

Rounding out the top five among the public’s top bets to claim the national crown, according to Westgate SuperBook, are LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Florida State.

NCAABKB: The ACC to expand to 20 league games.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The ACC announced on Thursday that they will be launching the ACC Digital Network in 2019, news that had been reported earlier this week and finally became official.

What was hidden in that announcement, however, was that the ACC would be moving to a 20 game league schedule beginning in 2019. It’s smart for the conference, as it will add 15 conference games worth of inventory for the network to broadcast. That’s two more times they’ll be able to broadcast Duke and two more times they’ll be able to broadcast North Carolina, and Louisville, and Syracuse, and N.C. State, and all of the huge fan bases that make up what has turned into the best conference in college basketball.

The other part of it? Given that there are 15 teams in the league, the ACC already plays an unbalanced schedule. There are times were we’ll see the marquee teams in the league play just once a season. More games means that we’ll get, say, Louisville visiting Duke or Virginia at North Carolina more often. Again, that’s a good thing.

The bad part of this, however, is that it means that non-conference college basketball is going to get just that much more uninteresting.

Here’s the deal with non-conference scheduling: The power conference schools are required to have a certain number of home games during non-conference play based on how many home games they’re going to get in league play. Athletic Directors are, essentially, running a business, and they need to be able to bring in the money from season ticket sales, merchandise sales, food sales and parking fees that come with playing in their own arena. That’s part of how they fund the athletic department. It’s why buy games are a thing. These big schools can afford to shell out $50-$100,000 to bring a team into their gym because they know they will more than make that money back.

Let’s use Duke as an example. In the 2016-17 schedule, they play seven of their 13 non-conference games at home. When the ACC schedule expands, the Blue Devils will get an extra home game and an extra road game, so assuming AD Kevin White wants the same total number of home games, Duke will have to play six of their 11 non-conference games in Cameron.

That means they’ll have five games to work with. One of those games will be the Champions Classic. Half the time, one of those games will be a road game in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. And if their road game in the challenge comes in the same season where the Blue Devils play in an exempt tournament — like, say, the Maui Invitational — where the field is eight teams, all of their flexibility when it comes to play home-and-home series vanishes.

They’ll be forced to play the remaining six non-conference games at home.

Now factor in that some ACC schools may require their teams to play more than just six non-conference games at home and that this is a trend that is happening all over the country at the high-major level, what you get is a situation where non-conference play slowly but surely turns into exhibitions on neutral courts and blowout wins for big programs on their home floor.

So while we’ll get more matchups between conference foes during January and February, home-and-home series between powerhouse programs in different conferences is slowly-but-surely becoming a thing of the past.

And college basketball’s relevance before the turn of the calendar takes another hit.

Coach K calls North Carolina’s HB2 “embarrassing”. What's Your Take?

By Travis Hines

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had short but strong words about the North Carolina bill HB2 that cost Duke a home opponent, has thrown the NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte into jeopardy and has sparked outcry from around the country.

“It’s an embarrassing bill,” Krzyzewski told USA TODAY of the bill that requires people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificate. The state is currently locked in a legal battle over the bill after the Department of Justice deemed in in violation of the Civil Rights Act.

“That’s all I’m going to say about it,” Krzyzewski said while at USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas.

The Blue Devils’ scheduled November matchup with Albany in Durham was cancelled due to New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order that bars non-essential state travel to North Carolina in response to HB2. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has threatened to move the league’s 2017 All-Star weekend if the bill remains.

Another coach from within the state shared Krzyzewski’s sentiment.

“I’m against any law that allows discrimination, whether that’s based on race, gender, sexual orientation,” NC State coach Mark Gottfried told USA TODAY. “I don’t understand how someone can support this. I think the people at N.C. State, we believe in inclusion. Being a resident of the state, for me and my family, it’s been frustrating.”

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Every once in awhile we run into an issue that we would like to hear the pros and cons on from our readers. This issue has been brewing for quite some time now and is about to come to a head. We would like to hear our readers thoughts on North Carolina's HB2. Opinions are like rear ends, (We're being politically correct here), everyone has one so don't be bashful and share your thoughts with us. Is this an important issue? Will it directly affect you, your family member(s) or a dear friend? Is North Carolina off base and out of line with this bill? What do you think? Take a minute and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know how you feel. We want to hear from both sides, the pro and the con on this issue. Our readers are very committed, passionate and thoughtful so let us hear from you. Tell us like it is and how you really feel and what's your take?. Your opinion is important to us and your fellow readers value your thoughts as much as we do. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts with us.

The Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Staff.

Tour De France: Stage 18, Around the Mont Blanc.

Le Tour France

(Photo/Le Tour France)

The big star of the last week of the Tour de France is Western Europe's highest peak: the Mont Blanc culminates at an altitude of 4808.73m. It's been seen from the Grand Colombier on Sunday, from Finhaut-Emosson on Tuesday, from Megève on Wednesday but the closest place to the giant is Le Bettex, just above the town of Saint-Gervais. That's where, back in 1990, Ronan Pensec took the yellow jersey the day he turned 27. More recently, that's where Chris Froome won the second last stage of the 2015 Critérium du Dauphiné and prepared for his overall success. The ascent to Le Bettex is preceded by a little known but grueling climb: the côte des Amérands. A few hills on the course are unprecedented at the Tour de France, starting with the collet du Tamié, which is not a categorized climb even though it's 50 metres higher than the often featured col du Tamié, two Forclaz – the Forclaz de Montmin and the Forclaz de Queige after the col de la Forclaz in Switzerland on Wednesday – and the Montée de Bisanne, classified hors category by the organizers. After taking his second stage victory in the uphill time trial from Sallanches to Megève, which came after his unexpected downhill victory at Bagnères-de-Luchon in the Pyrenees, Froome is yet to win uphill as he did in his previous campaigns for the yellow jersey. But he made it clear that he's just happy to stay where he is in the overall ranking so he won't chase breakaways down and the biggest fights to come are between the protagonists for second and third places on the podium, namely Bauke Mollema, Adam Yates, Nairo Quintana, Romain Bardet, Richie Porte and Fabio Aru.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, July 22, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1909 - At Huntington Avenue Grounds, Ty Cobb (Detroit Tigers) stole three bases in one inning.

1926 - At Mitchell Field in New York, Babe Ruth caught a ball that had been dropped from an airplane flying at 250 feet. 

1962 - Jackie Robinson became the first African American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

1991 - Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant, charged she'd been raped by boxer Mike Tyson in an Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was later convicted of rape and served 3 years in prison. 

2002 - A judge issued a gag order in Allen Iverson's assault case. He said that he wanted to "buffer" prosecutors and defense attorneys from intense media coverage.

2002 - Lawyers for former NFL player Rae Carruth (Carolina Panthers) filed an appeal on his murder conspiracy conviction.

2005 - The NHL's board of governors voted 30-0 to pass the cap-based collective bargaining agreement that the players' association had approved the previous day. The deal ended the 310-day lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

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