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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"There is no life without sport and no sport without competition." ~ Randeep Hooda, Film Actor

Trending: Cubs, Red Sox dominate MLB All-Star rosters. (See the baseball section for All-Star, Cubs and White Sox updates).

Trending: 2016 NHL Free Agency: Central Division roundup. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks and NHL updates). 

Trending: US men's Olympic golf team set, but withdrawals remain possible. (See the golf section for PGA and Olympic golf updates).

Trending: Football expose: Jay Cutler Fact or Fiction, Parts 1 & 2. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).

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

                                                

Cubs 2016 Record: 52-31

White Sox 2016 Record: 43-41

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

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! 10 Most Important Bears of 2016: #10 Will Hroniss Grasu be the starting center?

By Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.

(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

For the 8th straight year, I'm bringing you who I believe will be the ten most important Chicago Bears for the upcoming season. Kicking off my list is the player in the middle of the Bears' offensive line, whoever that may be...

I think the Chicago Bears would really like second year pro Hroniss Grasu to take control of the center position and never look back. If we remember, the plan was for him to take a kind of 'red-shirt' season as a rookie, work on his strength and be ready to compete for the starting job in year two.

Injuries forced the Bears' hand last year and Grasu was needed, so his very specific work-out program was altered as he became an active member of the game day roster. This offseason was spent adding some strength to his sub 300 pound frame and reports have him up to 313 pounds.

Hopefully his added bulk and knowledge of the playbook will be exactly what he needs to be the man in the middle for not only 2016, but the next seven or eight years. His comfort level in Chicago's offense will allow the already athletic Grasu to play even faster this year. His added bulk will allow him to hold the point of attack for just a tick longer against some of mammoth defensive tackles that he'll face. And his knowledge and confidence as a 2nd year player should allow him to take the reigns as the director of the offensive line and make all the line calls.

My 10th most important Bear for 2016 is center Hroniss Grasu. But, if for some reason Grasu can't wrangle control of the starting gig, then I'll reserve the right to alter my #10 to whomever the starting center ends up being.

If it isn't Grasu manning the center spot, it'll probably be veteran Ted Larsen. A longer shot at center is rookie Cody Whitehair, but I have a feeling Whitehair ends up starting at left guard with Grasu at center. Larsen has missed some time this offseason, which has given the projected starting five of Bobbie Massie (RT), Kyle Long (RG), Grasu (C), Whitehair (LG) and Charles Leno Jr. (LT) some valuable bonding time.

I wasn't as down on Grasu last season as some, so I'm expecting him to really blossom into a quality center in year two.

Jay Cutler: Fact or Fiction #1.

By Josh Sunderbruch

(Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)

Sports fans are no strangers to exaggeration. However, with what will hopefully be a quiet period for the Bears, there's a chance to look into how much truth there is behind certain beliefs about the presumptive starting quarterback for Chicago.

While looking into Alshon Jeffery's place among his peers earlier this summer, I stumbled on a few interesting similarities between Jeffery and Jay Cutler. Because I compared their injury histories, one question that came up was whether or not Cutler's injury history was really as bad as it seemed, at least compared to other quarterbacks. That got me thinking about some of the assumptions made about Cutler, and it seemed like a good place to start looking would be his injury history.

To determine Cutler's peers, I wanted only active quarterbacks who spent four or more years as the designated starters for their current teams. I wanted active players because while there were iron men back in the day, but that's not really relevant for the discussion of how Cutler compares to his contemporaries. I wanted at least four years because the NFLPA says the average career is around 3 years and the NFL itself says the average career is 6 years, so something in the middle seemed about right. Therefore a quarterback with at least four full years as the designated starter would seem to be an established figure his team might reasonably to rely on.

One note about my methodology is that because I excluded a player's first year unless he was the designated starter from day one, my numbers might differ from a given player's official win-loss record. Because the goal of the article is to get a sense of one player's injury history, this sort of discrepancy seemed acceptable.

My approach got me a list of 16 players (including Jay Cutler). On a whim, I also pulled information for Sam Bradford. Bradford spent five years playing for the Rams and only started in 61% of the games available to him. To put that into perspective, the next-worst among this group is Tony Romo—who played in 81% of available games since his first season as the starter. Luck is the only other player with a worse starting percentage than Jay. In other words, Cutler is actually the thirteenth of these sixteen men in terms of being ready to play for his team.

Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers, Russell Wilson, and Ryan Tannenhill all lead the way at 100%. Brees, Ryan, Newton, Dalton, and Flacco have all made it to more than 95% of the games available to them since they started a season with the top spot on the roster. Brady and Rodgers follow closely behind at 93% each, although Brady has a fractional edge before rounding. The next group is clearly Jay's group, and the names are not too surprising: Roethlisberger (89%), Cutler (87%), Luck (86%), Stafford (83%), and Romo (81%). Just to clarify something regarding Cutler's record—it really doesn't matter if you count him as missing the game where Trestman benched Jay to save his own skin or if you set that game aside, as the total rounds to 87% either way.

So, yes, Jay is injured more than other established starters. Worse, perhaps, is when and how he is injured. Whatever you might think about the NFC Championship Game, where he was injured, and how he was playing—it was a big state to be injured on. The following year's 7-3 run had the Bears headed to the playoffs for a second straight season until he broke his thumb. Overall, even with the ‘magical' McCown run, the Bears have gone 5-10 (33%) without Jay and have seen at least two seasons functionally end due to his injury, compared to the 50-47 record the Bears have with him (52%).

Of course, that's what happens with a backup, right? In fact, across this admittedly small sample size of established starters who miss substantial time, their teams go a combined 34-58 (37%) without them. That seems pretty consistent with what happens when #6 goes out. However, that little number needs some clarification. Since his first full season as a starter, Roethlisberger has won an enviable 64% of his starts, and without him the Steelers slip to a 55% winning rate. That's a notable drop, but it's not the sort of "near automatic defeat" Bears fans worry about when Jay takes an extra hard hit.

By comparison, Andrew Luck has also won 64% of his starts, but the Colts won actually won 67% of the starts without him. Yes, there are some unusual circumstances behind that, but it still suggests an organization that finds a way to win.

Closer to home, Matt Stafford has an unfortunate 42-51 record (45%), but without him the Lions fall to 23%. At this level of number-crunching, that's basically the same sort of dip as what the Bears see without Jay. Tony Romo provides an even bigger swing. Since his first season as the designated starter, Romo has won 62% of his games, while without him the Cowboys fall to 26%.

What this means is that the problem is not just that Jay is injured too often, though he is, nor is it that his injuries have cost the team at least a season or two, though they have. The problem is that the Bears are clearly more of a ‘Lions or Cowboys' organization than they are a ‘Steelers or ‘Colts' organization.

Fact: Cutler really does get injured more than most other established quarterbacks in the league. It is, however, a fiction that a team needs to collapse when this happens. Other organizations facing similar challenges find ways to win.

Cutler Fact or Fiction #2.

By Josh Sunderbruch

(Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)

Sports fans are no strangers to exaggeration. However, in the second part of a series looking at the claims surrounding Jay Cutler, it's time to look at the belief that he can't deliver inside the 20.

Last week, I looked at Jay Cutler's injury history and came to the conclusion that Cutler really is injured more than is typical for other quarterbacks with his level of experience. I also pointed out that his injury history has been made worse by the way the Bears have failed to build a team that can succeed when he goes down. The next belief about Cutler that I wanted to investigate was the claim that he struggles in the red zone.

There are obviously a number of quarterbacks who have a year or two in the NFL, and as they adjust to the professional game they will have their own struggles. Additionally, the particular circumstances of their own teams will have an exaggerated impact on how they play. Therefore, I only wanted to compare Cutler to the other "established" quarterbacks in the NFL. I feel comfortable with this, however, because Cutler should be compared to such veterans. I therefore set a minimum of 200 passes in the red zone (for a frame of reference, this excludes Blake Bortles with 130 but includes Russell Wilson with 231) in order to qualify. I just want to emphasize that this skews the data significantly, because the more a quarterback struggles, the less likely he is to keep playing. In other words, I am only comparing Cutler to other, proven quarterbacks—not the entire field.

Counting Jay, there are 19 active quarterbacks who have made at least 200 passes in the red zone over their careers. Their red zone passer rating ranges from 100.3 (Tom Brady) to 83.2 (Joe Flacco). Cutler is 17th on this list at 83.9, ahead of only Eli Manning and Joe Flacco. Note that this is not simply a matter of Cutler struggling overall, since his career passer rating is 86 (12th among this group).

One way to understand his struggles more completely would be to compare his red zone passer rating to his average passer rating and to determine how the relative change compares. For this same group of 19 quarterbacks, twelve of them see their passer rating rise inside the 20 (even though with Eli Manning the rise is only from 83.5 to 83.7) and seven see their passer rating fall (though for Cam Newton it is only a fall from 88.2 to 87.8). Of quarterbacks with at least 200 passes in the red zone, only four do worse compared to their own standard of play than Cutler: Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers. This is strange company to find Jay in, honestly. However, because of how passer rating weights touchdowns and interceptions, even the worst of these drops (Rodgers drops to 95.5% of his own career passer rating) is pretty minor.

Likewise, the five at the other end are Ryan Fitzpatrick, Alex Smith, Andy Dalton, Ryan Tannenhill, and Andrew Luck. These men all gain at least five points to their passer rating in the red zone, and Fitzpatrck jumps from a 80.1 to a 93.1 inside the 20 (a jump to 116% his average). Put simply, at least in terms of passer rating, while a few quarterbacks are decidedly better than the rest in the red zone, there's not a lot of variation. Additionally, this ability to "step up" in the red zone is hardly the defining trait that should be used in judging a quarterback.

Jay's real problem comes when looking at another number. Of these 19 quarterbacks, Jay is the worst when it comes to interception percentage in the red zone (3.7%), followed by Eli Manning (3.6%). Carson Palmer is the only other player in the group to hit 3%. Cutler's interception rate cannot be ascribed to his high-risk, high-reward style of play, because Jay's worst-in-group interception percentage is only balanced out by being the eleventh-best in terms of touchdown percentage. Inside the opponent's 20, #6 offers the highest risk but only average reward. It wasn't always this way, however. Playing in 2011 and 2012, Cutler saw his passer rating rise in the red zone, in no small part because for those two years, he recorded no interceptions despite attempting 80 passes and completing 19 touchdowns.

One closing note—sometimes I hear it stated that Cutler is best "between the 20s," and that he's a hindrance to his own team inside his own 20 as well as his opponent's 20—the claim is that he's only really any good in the soft middle of the field. This turns out to be a fiction. Every quarterback in the group assembled suffers inside his own 20, but of the 19 in question, Cutler is tied for fourth place in terms of best relative performance (94.8% of his usual passer rating). In fact, in terms of raw passer rating, he's ninth inside of his own 10 yard line and sixth in terms of retained value.

Fact: Cutler really does struggle in the red zone. He is middle-of-the-pack in terms of delivering on touchdowns, but his interception percentage is even worse than might be expected. It is not true that elite quarterbacks are the ones who deliver in the red zone, and it's equally untrue that red zone performance defines a quarterback's ability, but even in 2015, Cutler saw his red zone performance suffer. Whatever else happens, he needs to get back to the discipline he showed in the years immediately before Marc Trestman came to town.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks agree to terms with Jordin Tootoo.    

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said on Friday that the Blackhawks could still sign “a role-type player” during free agency. They signed one of those guys on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks agreed to terms with Jordin Tootoo on a one-year deal this afternoon. The 33-year-old forward spent the last two seasons with the New Jersey Devils. He recorded four goals and five assists in 66 games last season with New Jersey.

Tootoo played the first eight seasons of his career with the Nashville Predators.

2016 NHL Free Agency: Central Division roundup.  

By Charlie Roumeliotis

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Before NHL free agency even opened up on July 1, the Central Division saw a major shakeup when the Nashville Predators acquired P.K. Subban from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for captain Shea Weber. It served as the perfect appetizer to what turned out to be a busy weekend.

Here's a recap of how each team in the Central fared:

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks made perhaps the most team-friendly signing by inking defenseman Brian Campbell to a one-year deal that carries a $1.5 million cap hit. It's an incredible bargain for a team that needs every penny to stay below the salary cap ceiling, and his willingness to take a hometown discount gives general manager Stan Bowman some extra flexibility when filling out the remainder of the roster.

Campbell reportedly left roughly $3 million on the table to return to Chicago for a chance to win another Stanley Cup at the age of 37. But make no mistake, Campbell believes he still has a lot left in the tank and the numbers back it up.

He registered 31 points in 82 regular-season games with the Florida Panthers last season, his highest point total since the 2012-13 season, and also led all defensemen with a plus-31 rating.

Campbell isn't just here for the ride. He's a guy that immediately slots into a top-four role and boosts a blue line group that was asked to rely fairly heavily upon young defensemen a year ago.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche were supposed to be an interesting team to watch throughout the NHL Draft and heading into free agency, but have remained very quiet. There's still uncertainty regarding restricted free agent defenseman Tyson Barrie.

General manager Joe Sakic said Barrie won't be traded, but the longer this drags on, the more trade chatter it will generate.

While there's isn't much concern on this front, Nathan MacKinnon, also an unrestricted free agent, remains unsigned, as does Mikhail Grigorenko. 

Colorado added 26-year-old center Joe Colborne on a two-year, $5 million contract after setting career-highs in goals (19), assists (25) and points (44) last season with the Calgary Flames.

In an effort to shore up the back end, the Avalanche signed defensemen Fedor Tyutin (one-year, $2 million deal), who was recently bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Patrick Wiercioch (one-year, $800,000).

Dallas Stars

The Stars' No. 1 priority entering the offseason was to address their leaky defense, and they may have actually taken a step back in that department — at least as it currently stands.

After failing to reach an agreement with Alex Goligoski, the Stars shipped his rights to the Arizona Coyotes, who signed him to a long-term contract. Jason Demers also moved on, signing a five-year deal with the Panthers, while Kris Russell, who was acquired at the trade deadline, has yet to find a home but isn't expected to return to Dallas.

That's three of the Stars' top-four defensemen who logged the most minutes in the postseason out the door.

To help ease those losses, the Stars brought in veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis on a two-year deal, but it's hard to see how their blue line got better unless they receive major contributions from players like Stephen Johns, who will surely take on a larger role next year.

Ideally, the Stars would like to upgrade their goaltending, such as a trade for Ben Bishop or Marc-Andre Fleury. The problem is, the Stars have $10.4 million tied up to Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, who are both under contract for the next two years, which means they'd have to find a taker for one (preferably both) to clear space.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild are quietly putting together a solid offseason, and it started with the hiring of Bruce Boudreau, who rounded out his coaching staff with assistants John Anderson and Scott Stevens.

After buying out the final year of Thomas Vanek's contract that carried a $6.5 million cap hit, the Wild took advantage of that extra money by signing center Eric Staal to a three-year, $10.5 million deal, which plugs a big hole they've been looking to patch up for a while now.

They also took a flier on bringing back power forward Chris Stewart on a reasonable two-year, $2.3 million prove-it deal.

The Wild may not be done, either. With a crowded blue line and the restricted free agency of up-and-coming defenseman Matthew Dumba, who remains unsigned, the Wild could look to move him for another top-six forward.

Nashville Predators

After making a huge splash in the Subban-for-Weber swap, the Predators flew under the radar over the weekend. The only move they made was signing Yannick Weber, a bottom pairing depth defenseman, to a one-year deal worth $575,000.

They did, however, take care of important business in-house by locking up Filip Forsberg to a six-year, $36 million extension. It's great value for a player who's scored a total of 59 goals in his first two seasons in the NHL, and he's only going to get better at 21 years of age.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues lost a ton of leadership in their locker room with David Backes signing a six-year deal in Boston and Troy Brouwer cashing in on a four-year, $18 million deal with the Flames, who also acquired goaltender Brian Elliott from St. Louis. Those are three key pieces to St. Louis' postseason run last year.

It's also entirely possible the Blues trade Kevin Shattenkirk, who has one year left on his contract worth $4.25 million, with the emergence of rookie defenseman Colton Parayko. The return for Shattenkirk would likely fetch a top-six forward, which would certainly fill a need.

David Perron returning to the Blues on a two-year, $7 million isn't a bad consolation, either. He suits the Blues' style of hockey, and his 20 points in 28 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season was a sign that his two-year stint in Pittsburgh was simply a bad fit. But he's no Backes or Brouwer, and it'd be asking a lot out of Perron to match what they brought to the table.

The Blues solidified their crease by extending Jake Allen four years worth $17.4 million and inking Carter Hutton to a two-year, $2.25 million deal.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are in rebuild mode, but they're quickly becoming a team that will be exciting to watch in the next few years as Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine prepare to make their transition to the NHL.

Because of that, it didn't make sense for the Jets to spend big in free agency, so they instead added a few role players in forwards Quinton Howden (one-year, $650,000 deal) and Shawn Matthias (two-year, $4.25 million), and defenseman Brian Strait (one-year, $600,000).

The big question is what happens with Jacob Trouba, who's a restricted free agent. He'd be a valuable trade piece, but he's also viewed as a player who can become a top-pairing defenseman in the near future. The decision should be made soon.

Cubs, Red Sox dominate MLB All-Star rosters.

By Mike Oz

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo are among five of the Cubs All-Star starters. (Photo/AP)

As expected, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox players will be plentiful at baseball’s All-Star game, happening July 12 at San Diego’s Petco Park. The Cubs are sending five starters to San Diego, including the entire infield and seven players total. The Red Sox are sending four starters, including two of three starting outfielders and six players total.

On the NL roster, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and Dexter Fowler will represent the Cubs as starters, which is more than half to the fan-voted starters on the club. Bryce Harper, Yoenis Cespedes and Buster Posey are the non-Cubs players elected as starters. The five starters for the Cubs are the most for a team since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds sent five. Zobrist’s spot almost wasn’t his, as Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals was behind by just 88 votes when all the ballots were counted.

On the AL roster, the Red Sox are sending twice as many as the Kansas City Royals, the team whose fans have been characterized as the top ballot-box stuffers the past two seasons. The Royals are sending two, including top overall vote-getter in either league, Salvador Perez. And two-time reigning All-Star game Mike Trout is back again, which should be a surprise to no one.

Here are starters, reserves, pitchers and Final Vote candidates for each team:

NL STARTING LINEUP

C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
1B: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
2B: Ben Zobrist, Cubs
SS: Addison Russell, Cubs
3B: Kris Bryant, Cubs
OF: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
OF: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets
OF: Dexter Fowler, Cubs

AL STARTING LINEUP

C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
1B: Eric Hosmer, Royals
2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
3B: Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
OF: Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox
OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox

NL RESERVES & PITCHERS

C: Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals
C: Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
1B: Wil Myers, San Diego Padres
2B: Daniel Murphy, Nationals
2B: Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
SS: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
OF: Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
OF: Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
OF: Adam Duvall, Cincinnati Reds
OF: Odubel Herrera, Philadelphia Phillies
P: Jake Arrieta, Cubs
P: Madison Bumgarner, Giants
P: Johnny Cueto, Giants
P: Jeurys Familia, Mets
P: Jose Fernandez, Marlins
P: Kenley Jansen, Dodgers
P: Jon Lester, Cubs
P: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
P: Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh Pirates
P: A.J. Ramos, Marlins
P: Fernando Rodney, Marlins
P: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
P: Noah Syndergaard, Mets
P: Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves

AL RESERVES & PITCHERS

C: Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics
C: Matt Wieters, Orioles
1B: Miguel Cabera, Detroit Tigers
2B: Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners
3B: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
SS: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
SS: Eduardo Nunez, Minnesota Twins
OF: Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees
OF Ian Desmond, Texas Rangers
OF: Mark Trumbo, Orioles
DH: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
P: Dellin Betances, New York Yankees
P: Brad Brach, Orioles
P: Zach Britton, Orioles
P: Alex Colome, Tampa Bay Rays
P: Wade Davis, Royals
P: Marco Estrada, Blue Jays
P: Cole Hamels, Rangers
P: Will Harris, Astros
P: Kelvin Herrera, Royals
P: Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox
P: Andrew Miller, Yankees
P: Danny Salazar, Indians
P: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
P: Steven Wright, Red Sox

FINAL VOTE

As is tradition, the final spot on each team will be decided via fan vote. The Final Vote contest has started and here are the possibilities for both teams:

• NL: Brandon Belt (Giants), Ryan Braun (Brewers), Jake Lamb (D-backs), Starling Marte (Pirates) and Trevor Story (Rockies)

• AL: Ian Kinsler (Tigers),  Evan Longoria (Rays), Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox), Michael Saunders (Blue Jays) and George Springer (Astros)

OTHER INTERESTING NOTES

• This is a rather young selection of All-Stars, as 12 of the 17 starters are 26 years of age or younger. Twenty nine players on the rosters are 27 or younger. On the AL team, every starter is 26 or younger aside from David Ortiz.

• Eleven of the All-Star starters are first-timers. The most since 2005. In total, there are 26 first-time starters among the 68 players on both rosters.

• Astros reliever Will Harris was selected to replace Wade Davis, who is injured and won’t play in the All-Star game. Likewise, Kershaw won’t play for the NL team so manager Terry Collins got an extra selection.

• You’ll notice a stark difference in roster construction between the AL and NL teams. Ned Yost’s team reflects how he’s built the Royals, with a strong collection of relief pitchers and only five starters while the NL team carries nine starting pitchers.

CUBS: John Lackey, Cubs sloppy in rare loss to Reds.   

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs played a sloppy game leading up to an All-Star selection show they figured to dominate on Tuesday night, falling into a five-run hole by the third inning against a last-place Cincinnati Reds team tanking for the future.

Veteran pitcher John Lackey didn’t bring his “Big Boy Game,” zoning out on a David Ross passed ball and reacting too slow to cover home plate in the first inning, allowing Reds speedster Billy Hamilton to score from second base.     

Manager Joe Maddon flipped out in the second inning, got ejected for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Jerry Meals in the middle of a Ross at-bat and could take the afternoon off, at least until his media session following a 9-5 loss.

A shaky defense committed two errors, an inconsistent offense hit four homers but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and Lackey gave up six runs on six hits and five walks in six innings.

A crowd of 41,310 started booing and heading toward the exits after Cincinnati trade chip Jay Bruce launched a Pedro Strop slider out toward the left-field bleachers for a two-run, ninth-inning homer.

The Cubs have the hot start that created all this All-Star buzz and built close to a double-digit cushion in the division. The infrastructure is there for what should be a very bright future. But this has been a meh stretch, losing series to the Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins since the middle of June and getting swept by the New York Mets over the weekend at Citi Field, where it felt like last year’s National League Championship Series all over again.

CUBS: Collision gives Kris Bryant flashbacks to Kyle Schwarber crash.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A Fourth of July crash gave Kris Bryant flashbacks to the collision that ruined Kyle Schwarber’s season, but it won’t stop the MVP candidate from playing all over the field.

The Cubs exhaled after watching a possible nightmare scenario on Monday afternoon, Albert Almora Jr. sprinting over from center and knocking into Bryant as he made the catch in left, tumbling onto the Wrigley Field grass.

With an eight-run lead over the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning of a game they would win 10-4, the Cubs could afford to sit Bryant, and the National League’s reigning Rookie of the Year/current home-run leader (24) felt good enough to be back in the lineup on Tuesday afternoon.

“It was the first thing that crossed my mind – what happened to Kyle,” Bryant said. “Right when I hit the ground, I was like, ‘Oh, man, (this is) serious.’ Anytime your knee goes the way it’s not supposed to go, it’s scary. 

“I got lucky. Things could have been a lot worse.”

Schwarber – a part-time catcher/raw defender still learning the nuances of how to play the outfield – slammed into Dexter Fowler during the first week of the season and is recovering from surgery on his left knee that reconstructed his ACL and repaired his LCL.

The Cubs can’t afford to lose Bryant, an All-Star third baseman who’s on pace for almost 50 homers and around 120 RBI and has also played first base, shortstop and all three outfield positions so far this season. 

Does this make you rethink your willingness to play multiple positions?

“No, no, not at all,” Bryant said. “I’m not a veteran out there by any means, but I think I learn something new every day, and I’m getting better out there.

“We learned something from it – just be a little louder – and know who’s there. Maybe I need to peek at him, or he needs to peek at me.

“Albert’s an unbelievable outfielder. He wants to catch every ball…and that’s what makes him one of the best outfielders I’ve seen.”

Carlos Rodon struggles as Yankees blast White Sox.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Carlos Rodon will head into the All-Star break searching for answers after an inconsistent first half of the 2016 season. 

The 23-year-old left-hander allowed six runs (five earned) over five innings as the White Sox lost, 9-0, to the New York Yankees Tuesday night in front of 20,773 at U.S. Cellular Field. Rodon was touched up for 12 hits — plenty of which were line drives — and allowed two home runs with three strikeouts and two walks. 

After striking out Chase Headley with the bases loaded to end the top of the first, things began to unravel for the 2014 No. 3 overall pick. Carlos Beltran served an RBI single to right, then Tim Anderson’s first major league error allowed a second run to score in the second inning. 

Headley blasted a two-run home run in the top of the third, and Mark Teixeira ripped a run-scoring double down the third base line in the fourth. Austin Romine hammered a 397-foot solo home run out to left in the fifth to account for New York’s final run against Rodon. 

The White Sox couldn’t get anything going against Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka after squandering an opportunity in the second inning. After Brett Lawrie hit a one-out single, Alex Avila — who left the game in the sixth inning with a right hamstring strain — banged a double off the left field wall to put runners on second and third with one out. But Avisail Garcia struck out, and J.B. Shuck’s flyout to left erased any chance of getting on the board. 

Tanaka scattered six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in his 7 2/3 innings. 

The Yankees added two extra runs in the eighth off right-hander Michael Ynoa when Rob Refsnyder drilled a double to center to score Headily, which Aaron Hicks followed with an RBI double of his own. Mark Teixeira’s sacrifice fly in the ninth brought in the Yankees’ final run of the evening. 

Entering Tuesday, Rodon had a 3.24 ERA with 42 strikeouts, 13 walks and five home runs allowed in his previous seven starts — a stretch which came after his ERA ballooned to a season-high 4.99. But after allowing four tallies in five innings June 30 against Minnesota and then five earned run against New York, Rodon will enter the All-Star break with a 4.50 ERA and a 4.45 FIP. 

White Sox: Chris Sale has 'earned the right' to appear in All-Star Game.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

His second-half schedule would have to be altered, but it appears all systems are go for a Chris Sale appearance in the All-Star Game.

While the rosters won't be announced until Tuesday, Sale’s fifth All-Star nod is but a mere formality. And unlike last year, when the left-hander didn’t appear in the exhibition because he pitched only two days before it, Sale has an extra 24 hours with which to work as he’s next scheduled to start against the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Sale, who is 14-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 starts, would also seem to be in consideration to be the American League’s starting pitcher in the Midsummer Classic.

“I don’t see that as an issue of him being able to pitch in the All-Star Game,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I would like to see him do whatever he wants to do. He’s earned the right to do it. Whether they ask him to do it and he does it is another thing. It’s always an honor to play in the All-Star Game and to be the guy who is asked to start it is special. It doesn’t come around very often for a lot of guys and to do it is a feather in your cap.”

The White Sox weren’t too keen on Sale pitching in the 2015 All-Star Game even though American League manager Ned Yost preferred to start him.

Sale threw 115 pitches in a seven-inning start at Wrigley Field and earned the victory on Saturday, which would have meant he only had two days off before the contest. As late as Monday morning before the Tuesday game, Yost said he intended to use Sale and had received permission from Ventura.

“It took some convincing,” Yost said. “I think (Ventura) understands and I understand. I understand how important (Sale) is to that organization and it’s one of those deals where the world kind of wants to see him pitch. But everything is going to be good.”

Ultimately, however, Sale didn’t pitch. This year, Ventura doesn’t see it as an issue. Were Sale to throw, the White Sox would adapt their starting rotation plans for the beginning of the second half, which opens July 15 at the Los Angeles Angels.

“He won’t come back and start on Friday, that much I know,” Ventura said. “He’ll get a little rest knowing he would throw in that game because he’s throwing Friday, depending how deep he goes in that game, and what happens Tuesday if he throws in that game. You’re going to give him the proper rest to slot back in that he would feel comfortable and strong when he goes back out there.”

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Report: Bulls still talking with Dwyane Wade.

By CSN Staff

(USA Today Sports Images)

The Dwyane Wade sweepstakes continued through Fourth of July weekend and took an interesting turn on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old free agent is now reportedly looking for a two-year, $50 million contract, and is still continuing discussions with Miami, Denver and the Bulls, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

There were also rumors that Wade was in discussions with the Cavaliers, though their tight financial situation (they could only offer Wade a deal worth the mid-level exception of $3.4 million) would make it nearly impossible to sign him.

Wade is reportedly upset that the Heat, who offered him a two-year, $40 million deal recently, prioritized signing Hassan Whiteside and Kevin Durant over him. Whiteside landed in Miami on a max deal, while Durant chose to sign with the Warriors.

Miami can't offer Wade that deal right now, but could create room by dealing Josh McRoberts. Denver has the cap space to accommodate Wade, though it's unlikely he'd want to join a Nuggets team in a rebuilding phase in the West.

It remains to be seen how the Bulls would be able to make room for Wade, if he really is looking for the reported deal. The Bulls, after agreeing to a deal with Rajon Rondo, have up to $12.7 million in cap space this offseason.

They could create more by trading Taj Gibson ($8.95 million) or Mike Dunleavy ($4.8 million), or using the stretch provision on Jose Calderon, who is owed $7.7 million this upcoming year. That could create enough space to sign Wade, but would also hurt the team's depth.

What Kevin Durant to the Warriors says about him and what it says about us. 

By Vincent Goodwill  

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Kevin Durant made a move that changed the landscape of the NBA for years to come in choosing to sign with the Golden State Warriors, and the torches from the public are out.

How dare someone choose to live in the Bay Area as opposed to Oklahoma City? How dare someone exercise his right as a free agent to make the best basketball decision for himself?!

How dare Durant leave loyal Oklahoma City for a better situation?

(Except, isn’t that how Oklahoma City got a team in the first place, leaving loyal Seattle for a better situation? But let’s digress.)

Nine years is a lifetime in the NBA, and Durant likely saw his basketball mortality flash before his eyes with the events of the last two years. This time last summer, he was at a USA basketball camp in Las Vegas, telling reporters how thankful he was to be able to walk again let alone play basketball at a high level.

Coming into the season, people wondered if a 7-footer with foot issues would go down the same road as a Bill Walton or Sam Bowie—players who were unable to fulfill their potential due to things out of their control.

One would think it makes a player value the aspects of his life and career that are completely in his hands, only for him to decide, especially with their being no guarantees on his body and feet.

Then a few weeks ago, a 3-1 series lead disintegrated at the hands of the team he’s now joined. He saw up close the resilience of the Warriors, along with their confidence, structure and style of play.

He saw something in that series, something that may have shaken his belief in his co-stars, the coaching or front office. He saw a team in his way that would only get better in the immediate future compared to perhaps, a team in his locker room that had a very high but hard ceiling.

What if he made the decision based on information we don’t yet know, like the ever-so-obvious appearance that Russell Westbrook isn’t long for Oklahoma City, that he’s eyeing Los Angeles or New York when his free agency is up next year?

So he was supposed to put his fate for the long-term in the hands of someone who could be unpredictable next season and summer? Durant has no room to waste any more precious years in his career, with mortality staring him square in the face in the form of Jerry West.

West, a Warriors consultant with a strong voice in the room, likely gave Durant the “don’t be noble, I went 1-8 in the NBA Finals and it’s tortured me to the point I can’t enjoy anything in life since...” speech.

If that doesn’t shake something inside you, Durant might have been considered lifeless.

And if Durant made the decision to leave Oklahoma City, where else should he have gone, given the options?

The Clippers had no money to offer Durant and the Lakers have no direction. He could have picked the Spurs, but they have serious questions at point guard and issues beyond Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge (and Lord knows we would never, ever criticize Durant or the almighty Spurs for such a move).

The Celtics don’t have enough to truly compete for a title and honestly, there’s no other suitable contender with the chance to win Golden State offers. Don’t blame Durant for picking Golden State; he picked the best place to work and best place to win—two things that should identify with our own expectations of self and very defined expectations for NBA players, a book titled “You’d better win.”

Our revisionist history is at work, yet again, as we opine for the days of yesteryear—days when the players virtually had zero rights to decide where they wanted to play, where their legacies were in the hands of coaches and executives who could be so powerful yet so anonymous at the same time.

The public remembers so vividly when the stars weren’t clustered together and the NBA Finals had numerous realistic contenders in the 80s—except that’s exactly what happened in the 1980s, the decade that brought the league on the same scale as the MLB and NFL nationally.

It wasn’t just Magic and Kareem, Larry, Michael, Isiah and Julius; It was players like McHale, Worthy, Moses and Dumars that gave those teams their texture, their character and by proxy, gave the league increased interest and visibility.

The Lakers had arguably the greatest point guard of all-time and greatest center for almost an entire decade, along with one of the top open-floor performers (Worthy). The Celtics employed the best frontcourt of all-time and arguably most potent starting five post-merger and somehow, the league survived on a diet of the haves and have-nots.

Somehow, the NBA thrived when the Lakers and Celtics marched virtually unscathed to the Finals, not getting truly challenged until later in the decade. Five teams made the NBA Finals in the 1980’s, meaning it was a foregone conclusion as to who we would watch in June.

We still watched. We still loved it.

Somehow the NBA started becoming this worldwide commodity because these great players had great players around them. It produced compelling theatre and a nostalgia we refuse to let go of, although we conveniently scramble the details surrounding the rosters of those teams.

It’s disingenuous on our part to compare Durant to Bird or Magic or even Jordan. Magic and Bird won titles in their first and second year, respectively, tasting ultimate success even before their individual games became a finished product.

Jordan won in Year 7, when he faced a Pistons team that got old. Durant is two years past that, and was looking up at a juggernaut that wasn’t going anywhere—and needed him as much as he needed them.

What the NBA is learning is that business booming for the enterprise means the business should be the same for its players as well. Golden State, no matter how one looks at it, put itself in a prime position with smart drafting, long-term planning and a little luck.

The perfect storm arrived for Durant in the form of new TV money and free agency coming at just the right time—and nobody should take issue with that.

The public’s rose-colored glasses and false expectations of someone like Durant came back to bite “us” square in the behind one more time, as if we haven’t learned this game is more a business than a game.

Durant was billed as the “Anti-LeBron,” the player who quietly announced his contract extension with the Thunder on the same day as James’ “Decision” in July 2010—never minding the fact Durant was a restricted free agent and there was no chance he would play anywhere else.

James was billed as the “Anti-Kobe,” the unselfish player who wasn’t obsessed with running 300-pound teammates away from Los Angeles in order to have the spotlight for himself.

In other words, a collective hate for one athlete or another spawns a twisted sort of love for the next guy—leading to the disappointment, anger and twisted behavior when said athlete doesn’t fit into the box he never asked the public to put him in.

Unfortunately, the cycle doesn’t appear to be nearing an end anytime soon, as we simply change the criteria for what we want out of our stars—except as the athletes evolve to their maturity wrapped around our expectations, we simply move the goalposts back even farther.

So to some degree, it’s not surprising for Durant to choose Golden State—and it’s certainly not surprising to hear and read the half-assed takes in the meantime.

Because if it’s one thing we know for sure, we’ll change the rules and our expectations at a moment’s notice, expecting these guys to just roll with it like they’ve existed all along.

Durant just turned the tables, although it wasn’t as Machiavellian as it seems.

How’s that mirror looking?

Take a long look at it, because in November, you'll be watching Golden State all season long--to record numbers, as it'll be compelling no matter how predictable you think the result will be.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Americans head overseas for Scottish Open with Greenbrier Classic canceled.

The Sporting News

With the Greenbrier Classic cancelled, a number of PGA Tour regulars are competing in this week's Scottish Open. (Photo/Sporting News/yahoosports.com) 

Many golf fans know by now that the PGA Tour is not hosting a tournament this week after the Greenbrier Classic was canceled due to devastating weather conditions. But meaningful golf is still being played, and a number of the game's best players will still be teeing it up. They will just be across the pond.

The Scottish Open, which has been won by Americans two of the last three years, is one of the flagship events on the European Tour, and a great tune-up for those competing in next week's British Open. 

Phil Mickelson, who is competing this week, won the event in 2013 and Rickie Fower won last year. Patrick Reed, Jamie Lovemark, J.B. Holmes and Steve Stricker have joined Mickelson as the top Americans in the field. Fowler will not try to defend his title.

Other familiar faces on the PGA Tour such as Henrik Stenson, Branden Grace, Danny Lee, David Lingmerth, Shane Lowry and Martin Kaymer are in the field as well.

If nothing else, the Scottish Open provides golf fans an exciting way to soak up some top-level links action before the Open takes place at Royal Troon next week.

US men's Olympic golf team set, but withdrawals remain possible.

By Omnisport

As it stands, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler have qualified for the US Olympic men's golf team. (Photo/Omnisport/yahoosports.com)

The United States' men's Olympic golf team is set, providing the four selected are all willing to compete in Rio.

Due to this week's Greenbrier Classic being cancelled following damaging floods two weeks ago, there will be no changes affecting the leading American players in the world golf rankings ahead of the cut-off for Olympic qualification on July 11.

As it stands, world number two Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth (3), Bubba Watson (5) and Rickie Fowler (7) have qualified to represent Team USA.

However, golf's return to the Olympic program has been hit by a host of withdrawals - amid concerns over the Zika virus and the scheduling of the tournament - and it remains to be seen whether any of the quartet will pull out.

Watson has already made it clear he will play in Rio, but Spieth was non-committal when speaking at last week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"Right now I'm uncertain," said the two-time major champion. "There are quite a few different factors that would turn somebody away from going. It's not just one, there are quite a few factors."

Should there be withdrawals from the US team, the next American players in line are Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar, Brooks Koepka, Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk and J.B. Holmes.

NASCAR: Power Rankings: Brad Keselowski gets No. 1.

 

By Nick Bromberg 

Maybe Keselowski’s saying it’s A-OK to be No. 1? (Photo/Getty)

1. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5): Keselowski now has five restrictor plate wins since 2009, the most of any driver in that timeframe. You’ve probably seen that statistic by now, so it’s not news to you. Does that statistic make him the best restrictor plate driver in recent years?

We’re inclined to say yes, especially if we’re talking about this type of restrictor plate racing that’s increasingly influenced by the side draft. Dale Earnhardt’s 2000 charge at Talladega would be impossible with the 2016 rules — no driver, no matter how good he is at restrictor plate racing, can make up those spots in such a short timeframe with the current setup.

Keselowski’s greatest strength as a driver may be his adaptability. While many fans may not like him or agree with what he says at times, you can’t deny that his uniqueness has helped make him one of the most successful drivers in the Cup Series.

2. Joey Logano (LW: 2): Logano finished fourth and didn’t make Kurt Busch too happy after Busch went spinning off his bumper on the final lap. Team owner Roger Penske said following Saturday night’s race that he felt Logano has taken some “undue criticism.”

“But quite honestly, I think he’s one of the best drivers on the racetrack out there day in and day out, and sure, people make mistakes,” Penske said. “A lot of these drivers can knock somebody off the track, and they say, hey, I’m sorry, you follow me, and they move on. They don’t let Logano do that. As far as I’m concerned, I’m behind him 300 percent, and I’ll talk to Kurt, he didn’t do it on purpose. It could have been a big mess down there tonight, too, and at the end of the day, that’s racing as far as I’m concerned.”

3. Kurt Busch (LW: 1): While we’re inclined to agree that Logano has been villainized unfairly in the past, Busch had every right to be frustrated with what happened on Saturday. Logano’s mistake ruined a potential top-five finish. Had he finished third, Busch could have also left the race tied with teammate Kevin Harvick for the points lead. Instead he finished 23rd.

For what it’s worth, Logano said Monday that he understood Busch’s frustration.

4. Kyle Larson (LW: 10): Here’s where it starts to get messy. We already had a driver finish 23rd a spot above, and with most of last week’s top 10 crashing out at Daytona, it’s a bit of a struggle. Enter Larson, who finished sixth and has quietly also become a pretty good restrictor plate racer. His stats aren’t great, especially at Daytona. But crash avoidance is more luck that skill at plate tracks and Larson finished seventh in the Daytona 500.

5. Kyle Busch (LW: NR): Busch makes a jump from outside the rankings into the top five with a second-place finish. He also finished second to Keselowski at Talladega and has the best average finish of any driver at restrictor plate races this season because he finished third in the Daytona 500. With a win at Talladega in the fall, his plate track average finish will be just 0.25 spots worse than Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s in 2015.

6. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3): Harvick still has the points lead after he was caught in that massive 22-car pileup. But it’s down to 14 points over Keselowski and 20 points over Kurt Busch. Harvick had planned to run at the back of the pack with teammate Tony Stewart for most of the evening and it backfired when he had nowhere to go when the crash happened. Well, OK, he did have somewhere to go. That somewhere was under Brian Scott’s car. Yikes.

7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Ah, yes, we’re in the “caught in the pileup” part of the Power Rankings program. Truex was also involved in that accident. He was one of three cars on three different teams (Stewart and Austin Dillon the other two) who were sponsored by Bass Pro Shops during Saturday night’s race. That’s a fact that may only interest us, but there’s only so many things you can say about a crash.

8. Chase Elliott (LW: 6): And instead of rehashing the crash in this space, we’ll use it to comment on the hideousness of Elliott’s paint scheme Saturday night. That car was horrific.

Elliott has three finishes below 30th this season. They all have come because of crashes and two of them have come at Daytona.

9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 12): The Daytona 500 champion couldn’t recreate the magic. Hamlin finished 17th and led seven laps. And we’ve also got to compliment Hamlin’s paint scheme Saturday night. He designed the FedEx scheme and we wouldn’t complain if it became the full-time design.

10. Carl Edwards (LW: 7): Edwards got caught up in the final two crashes of the night. The first was when he had nowhere to go when Tony Stewart spun, the second was the final caution of the night that involved AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Blaney and others. Despite finishing five laps down and officially out of the race due to a crash, Edwards finished 25th.

11. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 9): Johnson had nowhere to go after Jamie McMurray made door-to-door contact with Kyle Larson. Directly behind McMurray and with a car right behind him, Johnson couldn’t do anything as that 22-car pileup started. Perhaps no one is more indicative of the randomness of plate racing than Johnson. His highest finish in the three plate races this year is 16th. Last year, his average finish was 6.75. In 2014, his average finish was 23.5.

12. Tony Stewart (LW: 8): Stewart barely hangs on to a spot in Power Rankings thanks to everyone else’s crashiness. And his presence in the top 30. We have no doubts that Stewart will outrun Brian Scott and Regan Smith over the next nine races of the regular season. But don’t expect Stewart to charge into the top 20 either. He’s 31 points out of 29th and 178 points out of Kyle Larson in 20th. As an idea of how large that 10-spot deficit is, Larson is just 175 points behind Harvick.

Lucky Dog: How about Michael McDowell and his third-career top 10?

The DNF: It’s too hard to pick just one.

Dropped Out: Matt Kenseth

Almirola edges Allgaier to win Xfinity race at Daytona.

By Jenna Fryer

Aric Almirola celebrates with his crew after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, July 1, 2016, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

The record book shows Aric Almirola had one career Xfinity Series victory before Friday night's win at Daytona International Speedway.

He never counted that win, at Milwaukee in 20007, refused to take the trophy and felt it was a black mark on his record all these years.

Now he's got a real win to his name.

Almirola was declared winner of Friday night's race when NASCAR determined he was the leader when the caution flag froze the field shortly before the finish line. It was technically the second win of his career, but he doesn't accept that win because he was replaced midway through that race by Denny Hamlin and it was Hamlin who drove the car to victory lane.

''For me, this is my first Xfinity win,'' he said. ''I know I have a win, but there's always been an asterisk next to it. I hated the fact that I got credit for that. I did not like that. I didn't take the trophy when they called me the winner. I didn't take any of the credit all along.

''I didn't feel like I deserved to win that race because I wasn't in the car when that race was over. But tonight I was. Tonight, we went to victory lane and I'm here and I was in the car. So this is my first Xfinity win.''

Almirola now has wins in all three of NASCAR's national series.

He celebrated this latest victory, the first since he won a rain-shortened Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona in 20014, by taking the checkered flag and running alongside his Ford Mustang as it was pushed to victory lane. He was met there by his young son, who pouted earlier in the day when he had to leave the playground but was promised his dad would win a trophy if he went inside and ate his dinner.

''I told him that if he came in and ate his dinner, that Daddy was going to go race in the Xfinity race and we were going to get a trophy tonight. And we got a trophy!'' said Almirola as his son, Alex, high-fived him.

The race had already been sent to a two-lap overtime shootout when a multi-car accident on the backstretch clouded the final running order. A four-car pack led by Almirola and Justin Allgaier hurtled toward the finish, but NASCAR had to freeze the field because of the accident that happened behind them.

''I knew it was close. I knew it was really close,'' he said. ''I knew they wrecked behind us. I was like, 'When are they going to throw the caution?' I knew I was in front of him.''

The cars were brought down pit road as NASCAR reviewed the running order, and Tampa native Almirola was given the win.

Allgaier, in a Chevrolet, had thought he was the winner until NASCAR made the call for Almirola.

''I guess it just depends on what replay you look at,'' he said. ''We definitely had the momentum down the back there. ... When you lose them by that little bit, it definitely is frustrating. When you can be disappointed with second, though, it's still a good day.''

Before the overtime finish, NASCAR said Darrell Wallace Jr. did not maintain speed and forced him to swap positions with Allgaier before the race went green. He finished 20th and took to Twitter to blast NASCAR's race control.

''Got the muppets up there officiating tonight!'' he wrote. ''Never know how to react under pressure... Whatta joke.''

Ryan Sieg finished third and Joey Logano was fourth.

Brendan Gaughan was fifth and followed by Ryan Reed, Jeff Green and Spencer Gallagher. Chase Elliott and Erik Jones completed the top 10.

The finish was reminiscent of the May race at Talladega, where Elliott Sadler and Brennan Poole both waited in their cars at the finish line for NASCAR to declare the winner. It went to Sadler, who had a shot to win Friday night until the race went to overtime and he had to stop for gas.

SOCCER: With the transfer window open, moves could loom for the Fire.

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It’s transfer season again in Major League Soccer, but will the Chicago Fire be active?

The summer transfer window in MLS opened on the Fourth of July. The first thing that means for the Fire is that Michael de Leeuw is finally eligible to play.

The Dutch forward is set to make his debut Saturday in Toronto. Coach Veljko Paunovic kept things close to the vest when asked how much de Leeuw will be used and how he will fit into the team.

“Michael is in his last week of preseason, if I can say it like that, in preparation for the competition,” Paunovic said. “He is doing very well. He will be for sure in the roster for the next game. We will see how we are going to manage his load for this game.”

De Leeuw’s debut comes at a time when the Fire’s roster is as healthy as it has been all season. Paunovic said during his conference call with media on Tuesday that Matt Polster, Collin Fernandez and Arturo Alvarez, all players who missed the win against San Jose, are fully cleared to play.

In addition players like John Goossens and Rodrigo Ramos, who was named to the MLS Team of the Week, are playing their best soccer of the season. Paunovic has his full roster to pick from and a highly-paid addition in de Leeuw ready to debut.

Is there anything else brewing for the Fire? General manager Nelson Rodriguez previously said he didn’t expect the team to be very active in this summer window. However, that was before Gilberto and the team started down the path that led to the mutual termination of the Brazilian’s contract.

The Fire now have cap room and an open Designated Player spot to work with. For now, Paunovic, who usually doesn’t give away much when it comes to player acquisitions, stayed quiet.

“Of course there are some interesting players around the league, but right now we are focused on our team and our players,” Paunovic said.

MLSSoccer.com’s Matthew Doyle wrote instructions for each team in the summer window. For the Fire, Doyle said the biggest need was midfield creativity, but said the team should remain patient and build towards next year.

Fire fans probably don’t like the idea of being more patient, but it makes sense for any move the Fire make to be geared towards the future and any short-term boosts the team can get this year should be viewed as secondary.

Time will tell if the Fire decide to make a big move this window, in the winter or at all.

EURO 2016 semifinal preview: Schedule, picks, key battles.

By Joe Prince-Wright

The EURO 2016 semifinals are upon us and we are down to the nitty gritty of this month long tournament.

Portugal face Wales as Ronaldo and Bale do battle, while hosts France square off against World champs Germany.

Yep, the next few days will be fun.

Below you will find everything you need to know on both semifinals as four teams remain and aim to book their spot in the EURO 2016 final in Paris this Sunday.

Portugal vs. Wales – Wednesday, July 6, 3 p.m. ET

(Photo/Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Where

Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon

Live 

Commentary live via NBCSports.com

Key battle

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Ashley Williams – Yes, we could put Ronaldo vs. Bale here but they won’t actually come up against one another in a head on duel. Wales’ captain Williams will be tasked with stopping Ronaldo and the Swansea City captain has been struggling with injury. That said, he put in a heroic performance against Belgium to stop their talent but Ronaldo is, well, Ronaldo. You feel like he’s due a massive performance.

Injuries/suspensions

William Carvalho (Portugal, suspended), Pepe (Portugal, minor doubt); Aaron Ramsey, Ben Davies (Both Wales, suspended)

What they’re saying

Chris Coleman (Wales manager) – “When I looked at the group we were in the tournament, I thought we were capable of getting out of the group. You never know who you’ll get in the last 16, and then the quarter-final. I thought that was a possibility. I told the players that, that I genuinely believed we arrive at that stage. I didn’t know what would happen after that, if I’m honest. But we’ve got a good team.”

Fernando Santos (Portugal manager) – “I’m not worried about being the ugly duckling, I’m interested about getting to the final and winning it. Would I like us to be pretty? Yes. But, in between being pretty and being at home, or being ugly and being here, I prefer to be ugly.”

Prediction

Portugal to win, 2-1 – Ronaldo will win the battle of the superstars against Bale. Yes, Wales have done superbly to get here but not having Ramsey will be a big loss. Portugal will hang in there and let Ronaldo do his thing, plus Nani will also have a big say in this game. The Welsh defense has stood strong so far but on his day, Ronaldo can rip anybody apart.

Germany vs. France – Thursday, July 7, 3 p.m. ET

(Photo/Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Where

Stade Velodrome, Marseille

Live

Commentary live via NBCSports.com

Key battle

Mesut Ozil vs. N'Golo Kante – Can Ozil get on the ball and dictate the tempo? He certainly got some joy against Kante in the PL this season but the German playmaker may have to float out to the flanks to do the damage.

Injuries/Suspensions

Mats Hummels (Germany Suspended), Mario Gomez, Sami Khedria, Bastian

What they're saying

Joachim Low (Germany manager) – “It would be easy to push them into that position. You could say that we have many injured players, France have the home advantage and therefore they are favorites, but that just doesn’t count during the 90 minutes. It will be a match at ‘eye level.’ I relish those games. I love knockout matches against such teams.”

Didier Deschamps (France manager) – “It will be a huge match, and we have to give our all. We’re going to really go for it against the best side in the world. They had a few problems against Italy, but Germany are Germany.”

Prediction

Germany to win 1-0 – I think Germany will grind out another result. This won’t be a classic, folks, and the winner of this game will likely win the tournament. The pressure will be on both teams and although France’s attack blew Iceland away in the quarterfinal, they’ve blown hot and cold throughout this tournament. Despite injuries and suspensions, ruthless German efficiency will prevail.

Jose Mourinho doesn't talk like The Tamer One in first Man United press conference.

By Leander Schaerlaeckens

(Photo/Futbolete.com)

At length, Jose Mourinho has been confirmed and introduced as Manchester United manager, following successful spells in charge of FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea again – with only the latter ending in failure as he was fired midway through the season.

But the job he coveted all along is his now, succeeding his mentor Louis van Gaal.

It took United months to confirm the appointment that had been rumored and seemingly leaked out, possibly because there were reservations over Mourinho’s brash and abrasive character and methods. So it was widely assumed that when he did get the job, we might see a measured and tamer Mourinho. One who seemed less self-centered even.

But in his introductory press conference on Tuesday, he used the word “I” 91 times, according to the Daily Mail. Make of that what you will, of course. When you’re talking about how you plan to function and perform in a new job, it’s fairly unavoidable to talk about yourself.

There were some other quotes, however, that suggested Mourinho may not have changed all that much, even if he was subtle in his digs.

“I don’t like the denomination people use like ‘dream job’, it is not a dream job, it is reality as I’m the Manchester United manager,” Mourinho said. “At the same time I know the legacy, the history of this club, I know what the fans expect from me and I expect this challenge doesn’t make me nervous because my history in the last 10 years or more.”

“I work in some big clubs before. Obviously Manchester United by the social point of view is a completely different dimension,” he said, later adding: “I am Manchester United manager with all the respect to all the other clubs in the country especially one that was my house for seven years. I share so many special moments with their fans. I am the manager of the biggest club in the UK.”

He was fairly dismissive of the work done by his predecessors David Moyes and van Gaal, who both came in after the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson finally retired. “Manchester United for many years, success was just routine and in this moment the last three years are to forget,” said Mourinho. “I want the players to forget.” This implies that he feels there’s little foundation to work on.

But Mourinho was also typically insightful about the new Premier League, the one reshaped by Leicester City’s still-shocking title.

“I think Leicester’s legacy was not just the happiness around the country,” he said. “The legacy was we are in a competition where 20 teams are fighting for the title. That is their legacy. Next season if you have another team who win the first five matches, you consider them candidates. It is over the time you say they will collapse in December.

“To speak about one manager, one club, one enemy, I hate the word in football and life, I don’t think it is right. It is one thing to be a in a two-horse race like I was in Spain or in Italy it was three teams fighting for the title, then that kind of approach makes sense. In the Premier League it doesn’t make sense at all. If you focus on one opponent, the others will be laughing so I am not going to be part of it.”

He also addressed the departure of club stalwart Ryan Giggs, who won’t be returning as an assistant manager. “I never run away about my responsibility,” Mourinho said. “It is not my responsibility that Ryan is not in the club. The job Ryan wanted is the job the club decided to give me. Ryan wanted to be Manchester United manager and the owners, Mr. Woodward, decided to give the job to me.”

And he said he would embrace Ferguson as a sounding board, even though the old manager – now a club director – might prove a large influence in the background. “He will always be welcome to the training ground and we will have a lot of time to share our personal stuff,” Mourinho said. “His opinion is important to me, the same way so many legends love this club and they are in the pundits industry and every opinion will be important to me. I will try and learn from them.”

Finally, he got in a swipe at some of his brethren in management. And it’s hard not to feel like, as often, he was talking about longtime Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“There are some managers that the last time they won a title was 10 years ago,” Mourinho said. "Some of them the last time they won a title was never. The last time I won a title was one year ago, not 10 years ago or 15 years ago so if I have a lot to prove, imagine the others. But the reality is that was never important for me. I play against myself.”

Meow.

NCAAFB: Group of Penn State lettermen call for return of Joe Paterno statue.

By Sam Cooper

Workers removed the statue of former Penn State coach Joe Paterno on July 22, 2012. (AP Photo/John Beale)

Original story: July 5 – 12:40 p.m.

A group of former Penn State football players is rallying for the return of the Joe Paterno statue outside Beaver Stadium.

In a letter sent to PSU president Eric Barron and the school’s board of trustees Tuesday, more than 200 Nittany Lion lettermen urged that the statue of Paterno, PSU’s longtime head coach, be returned to its former location outside Beaver Stadium. In the letter, the former players also called for a “formal apology” to Sue Paterno, the wife of the late coach who died in January 2012 at age 85 of lung cancer.

Players spanning from the 1950’s to the 2010’s signed the letter, including John Cappelletti – the school’s lone Heisman Trophy winner. The full list of players, which includes seven players from the 50’s, 26 from the 60’s, 74 from the 70’s, 46 from the 80’s, 28 from the 90’s, 25 from the 2000’s, five from the 2010’s and eight former staff members, can be viewed here.

The letter can be read in full below:

We, the undersigned, are united by the common bond of having been a member of the Penn State Football Team. We state, unequivocally, that our program has always been one of integrity, honesty, and respect. Under Coach Paterno, we strove for academic excellence and made an ongoing commitment to becoming better men.

We remain saddened that the Penn State Administration and the Board of Trustees thrust our program and coach into an undeserved negative media frenzy in 2011. Nearly five years after the firestorm, they still have not defended us or corrected the false narrative. Our legacy and our university deserve better. Penn State’s leaders should take two steps toward repairing the damage that they created.

First, restore the statue of Coach Paterno and the players’ wall to where they stood previously outside Beaver Stadium. These testimonies to “Success with Honor” should never have been removed.

Second, a formal apology from the University to Sue Paterno needs to be issued. This is a common act of decency, which is both warranted and long overdue.

The university’s leaders have repeatedly stated a desire to restore unity to the Penn State community. We hope that they will not waste a great opportunity to do so.

Penn State removed the Paterno statue in July 2012 in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. Sandusky, an assistant under Paterno from 1969 to 1999, was convicted on 45 child sexual abuse charges in in June 2012. Paterno was removed as head coach in the days after Sandusky’s November 2011 arrest.

Following an investigation into the scandal – one that accused university leaders and Paterno of covering up Sandusky’s misdeeds – the NCAA stripped Paterno of 111 of his wins, among other heavy sanctions placed on the football program. The NCAA later opted to restore the wins, putting his win total back to 409, the most in FBS history. Other penalties levied by the NCAA, including a bowl ban and scholarship restrictions, were also rescinded.

Brian Masella, who played tight end and punter for Paterno during the 70’s, is acting as a spokesman for the group.

“We have been told during the last four-plus years that the board and administration are waiting for the appropriate time to repair the damage they created,” he said in a statement. “Now is the appropriate time. Enough is enough!”

Update: July 5 – 4:15 p.m.

Penn State issued a statement in response to Tuesday morning’s letter.

Tennessee settles suit that claimed UT ‘created a… culture that enables sexual assault’.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Getty Images)

A legal black cloud that’s hung over the University of Tennessee in general and the football program specifically has apparently dissipated.

According to The Tennessean, the university has settled a federal Title IX lawsuit that had been filed by eight unidentified female plaintiffs.  The newspaper writes that the settlement comes “two days before a response to the lawsuit from UT lawyers was due in U.S. District Court.”

As part of the settlement, the defendants agreed to pay a total of $2.48 million; the athletic department and the university will split the cost of that part of the settlement.  The university estimated that it could cost upwards of $5.5 million if the lawsuit had gone to trial and their side lost.

No guilt was admitted on the part of UT, although the claims contained in the suit as well as other allegations will linger around Knoxville for years to come.

In the suit that was filed in federal court this past February, it was alleged that the university “has created a student culture that enables sexual assaults by student-athletes, especially football players, and then uses an unusual, legalistic adjudication process that is biased against victims who step forward.” Four former Volunteer student-athletes, including three football players, were identified by name in the lawsuit as having sexually assaulted the alleged victims — former basketball player Yemi Makanjuola, former football players A.J. Johnson, Michael Williams and Riyahd Jones.

A fifth UT student-athlete is identified in the lawsuit only as a current football player named “John Doe.”  One of the plaintiffs alleges that she was raped by a non-football player, also identified as a “John Doe,” at a football team party.

It was further alleged in the suit that a former UT football player, Drae Bowles, was assaulted by his Vols teammates after he had “taken Plaintiff Doe IV to the hospital the night of her assault and who had supported her decision to report the incident to the authorities.” Shortly after that November of 2014 attack, which came one day after Plaintiff Doe IV was allegedly raped, Bowles transferred out of the football program and continued his playing career at Chattanooga.

Eight months later, it was confirmed that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) had launched an investigation into a lengthy list of sexual assault allegations at UT, a handful of which involved football players.

Following an investigation by local law enforcement that began in November of 2014, Williams, a then-current UT cornerback, and Johnson, a star linebacker who had just completed his senior season, were indicted in mid-February of last year by a Knox County grand jury on two counts each of aggravated rape.  Both pleaded not guilty a month later, although Johnson had already seen his invitation to the NFL combine rescinded while it was reported in June that the Vols had “moved on” from Williams.

Those two are still awaiting trial.

According to reports that surfaced in mid-November, a 19-year-old UT student claimed that Johnson and Williams raped her at the former’s residence in a Knoxville apartment complex. The unnamed woman claimed that the assault lasted 45 minutes, and occurred during the course of a party being held following UT’s win over Kentucky.  Another 19-year-old woman claimed she was sexually assaulted at the same location around the same time by Williams.

The first woman was treated at the UT Medical Center. The second alleged victim declined treatment and headed back to her home in Florida. She also initially declined to pursue charges despite claims of being sexually assaulted, but did cooperate with the grand jury.

Then, in late April of last year, reports surfaced that wide receiver Von Pearson was a suspect in the investigation of an alleged rape.  Pearson had been indefinitely suspended by his head coach, and in August it was announced that Pearson would not face charges.

Those are the three incidents that have been well-publicized and chronicled; according to The Tennessean at the time, however, there were three other Vols football players who were on the roster in 2014 who had been accused of sexual assault.

In April of 2013, running back Marlin Lane, whose eligibility expired after the 2014 season, was on the receiving end of what turned out to be a two-month suspension that was attributed to “disciplinary reasons.” The paper writes that “Lane… was named as a suspect in the rape of an 18-year-old high school student in Lane’s dorm room on April 9, 2013,” four days before his suspension. No charges were filed after the alleged victim declined to pursue the case.

In February of last year, Riyahd Jones, who was on the team in 2014, was named as a suspect in a sexual assault that was reported to the Knoxville police. The Tennessean wrote that “[n]o charges have been filed, and police have declined to provide a copy of the full police report, saying that the district attorney’s office could still decide to pursue charges.” Ultimately, the alleged victim declined to pursue charges in that case as well.

In September of 2014, an unnamed football player was named in the sexual assault of a female freshman student.  An internal investigation found that no sexual assault had occurred and that instead the sex was consensual.  He remained on the team and in good standing.

A couple of weeks after the filing of the lawsuit, head football coach Butch Jones and 15 other varsity UT head coaches staged a pep rally to defend the culture in and around their programs.  Vols quarterbacking legend Peyton Manning’s name was also dragged into the suit.

LSU to require players, coaches to take sexual harassment classes.

By Zach Barnett

(Photo/Getty Images)

LSU isn’t waiting for a sexual assault crisis to breach its campus borders to educate its athletics department on sexual violence. Moving forward, the Tigers will require every student-athlete, coach and support staff member to undergo sexual harassment sensitivity training and awareness classes.

“There’s only two other schools doing this at the moment,” LSU president F. King Alexander told The Advocate. “They’re doing it in a reactive mode due to problems they’ve had. We’re implementing this in a proactive mode.”

The idea was sparked at the recommendation from former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe‘s consulting firm, who will handle initial training of the Tigers’ 400 athletes and 250 employees.

LSU deputy AD Eddie Nunez told the paper he’d like for his department to hold such seminars multiple times a year, which will hold lessons on prevention of harassment, physical abuse, sexual abuse misconduct and humans relations risk.

“Our hope is to be able to pursue this on an annual basis to continue to reinforce it,” he said.

NCAABKB: N.C. State cancels summer basketball trip to Italy amid security concerns.

By Scott Phillips

(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)

N.C. State has put together a promising roster this spring thanks to some late additions in the Class of 2016. The Wolfpack and head coach Mark Gottfried had originally planned to take a foreign trip to Italy to get some exhibition games this summer in preparation of the season, but the school has opted to postpone the trip amid security concerns.

With a travel alert being issued by the U.S. State Department for Europe in light of recent events, N.C. State decided to move its overseas trip to 2017. The USA Today’s Dan Wolken spoke with N.C. State senior associate athletics director Chris Boyer on the matter and some of the school’s thinking.

College basketball programs are allowed to take one foreign trip in the summer every four years, a trip which many programs take advantage of for extra live game experience and practice time.

From Wolken’s story:

“It was done with an abundance of caution based on what we see going on in world events,” senior associate athletics director Chris Boyer told USA TODAY Sports. “There was a lot of thoughtful consideration that went into the decision.” 

Boyer said there was no specific threat that concerned N.C. State but noted that the U.S. State Department’s travel alert for Europe was extended to Aug. 31. Though N.C. State does not prohibit university-sponsored travel to countries under a travel alert, the school’s athletic administration and basketball coach Mark Gottfried had monitored recent events Europe and terror-related incidents around the world including the bombing this week at Istanbul’s airport.

This could be the first of many programs to make this sort of move this summer. While some programs take trips to other places that could be considered safer at the moment, it’s not too surprising the N.C. State decided to wait a year to avoid the travel alert.

It probably won’t hurt N.C. State because they have a talented roster, but they are adding a lot of new pieces that will be counted on to gel by the regular season. The overseas trip this summer would have given this group some much-needed game experience but they’ll have to build chemistry on campus instead.

Swoopes feels "vindicated" despite being let go by Loyola.

By DOUG FEINBERG

Loyola of Chicago coach Sheryl Swoopes, right, argues a call with referee Erica Bradley during an NCAA college basketball game in Louisville, Ky. Swoopes was part of the 1996 U.S. women's basketball team. Their success has had a lasting impact on the game in many levels, sparking the launch of two professional leagues and inspiring players at the college and high school levels. Swoopes started in all eight games in the 1996 Olympics. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

Sheryl Swoopes said she felt ''vindicated'' by the result of a 2 1/2-month investigation conducted by Loyola two days after she was let go by the school.

''It's my hope that the student-athletes will be provided a full explanation of what has unfolded,'' she said in a statement Tuesday. ''As students, they deserve truth and transparency. All I can say at this point is that I do feel vindicated. I was 100 percent pleased with what I thought clearly supported all I've ever tried to provide as a coach, an employee and the woman of character my mother has raised.''

The school announced Sunday night in a three-sentence statement that Swoopes wouldn't be back next season. The statement made no mention of the investigation which began April 15 when 10 players asked to be released from their scholarships after the season ended. Five players had transferred from the school the year before.

In April, former players and a manager claimed that Swoopes had been emotionally abusive to them.

''Last week I was looking forward to what lied next, right after the holiday,'' Swoopes said. ''We'd been planning to greet eight of the 12 committed student-athletes to campus today. I've heard people speak of Transformation Tuesday and now I experience it. I'm disappointed that I won't have the opportunity to be there on this Tuesday as 'Coach Swoopes.'''

Swoopes signed a contract extension in 2014 that had her working through the 2017-18 season. The school declined comment whether a settlement had been reached.

A Loyola spokesman also said that athletic director Steve Watson wouldn't be commenting any further at this point on Swoopes and that Loyola would begin a search for a new coach immediately.

A big recruiting evaluation period beginning this week.

Swoopes was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April.

She was hired in 2013 with only limited coaching experience, having served as an assistant at Mercer Island High School in Washington state in 2010, according to Loyola's website.

She led Texas Tech to the 1993 NCAA title and was the first player signed by the WNBA. She won four straight titles with the Houston Comets and earned three Olympic gold medals.

Venus rising: Williams back in Grand Slam semi 6 years later.

By HOWARD FENDRICH

Serena Williams of the U.S celebrates after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia inter women's singles match on day nine of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

In some ways, making it to a Grand Slam semifinal is rather been-there, done-that for Venus Williams.

She is, after all, already the owner of seven major titles, including five at Wimbledon.

This one, though, is different.

She's 36 now, a half-dozen years removed from her last such run. And, in the interim, she has been through the daily struggles of dealing with a disease that can sap energy and cause joint pain.

Williams made it to the final four at the All England Club for the first time since 2009, and at any Grand Slam tournament since the year after that, playing mistake-free to beat Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

''Semifinals feels good. But it doesn't feel foreign at all, let's put it that way,'' said Williams, whose first Wimbledon title came in 2000 and whose most recent came in 2008.

Asked to compare her current level of play to that of the past, Williams shook her head, shut her eyes and laughed.

''I don't remember. Six years ago is ages ago,'' she responded. ''I was most likely kicking butt six years ago, if I was in the semis or the finals. You have to be.''

Just like in the old days, Williams will be joined in the semifinals by a familiar face - younger sister Serena, who moved closer to equaling Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22nd Grand Slam championships by defeating 21st-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4, taking the last three games of each set. Serena hit 11 aces, including one at 123 mph to end it.

This, then, is the latest chapter of the remarkable Williams sister tale: a pair of siblings from Compton, California, who rose to the top of tennis. It's the 11th time they've reached the semis at the same major; in all previous 10, one took home the trophy. That includes four all-in-the-family finals at Wimbledon, with Venus winning in 2008, and Serena in 2002, 2003 and 2009.

On Thursday, they will try to set up another title match when No. 1 Serena faces unseeded Elena Vesnina, while No. 8 Venus meets No. 4 Angelique Kerber.

''It just means that she has a lot of perseverance. She's a real fighter,'' Serena said about Venus, the oldest woman in a major semifinal since 1994, when Martina Navratilova was 37 at Wimbledon. ''Like I always say, it's super inspiring for me.''

Kerber, who surprised Serena in the Australian Open final in January for her first Grand Slam title, advanced by eliminating No. 5 Simona Halep 7-5, 7-6 (2). Vesnina, ranked 50th and never before a major quarterfinalist, moved on by overwhelming No. 19 Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2.

The last men's quarterfinal spot was earned by 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych, who completed his 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (9), 6-3 victory over Jiri Vesely in a match suspended after the fourth set Monday night because of darkness. On Wednesday, the semifinalists will be determined by these matchups: Andy Murray vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Federer vs. Marin Cilic, Milos Raonic vs. Sam Querrey and Berdych vs. Lucas Pouille.

There wasn't much drama in the quartet of women's matches Tuesday, although Venus was perilously close to dropping her opening set against the 96th-ranked Shvedova, now 0-3 in major quarterfinals.

Shvedova led 5-2 in the tiebreaker before collapsing this way: forehand long, backhand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long. Those unforced errors were part of her 24 in the match, 15 more than Venus. They also created a set point for Venus, who converted it with a 99 mph service winner.

Playing with her left thigh taped, Venus moved quite well, covering the court with speed and perfect timing, offering up enough defense and waiting for Shvedova's miscues. When Shvedova's final shot nestled in the net, Venus let out a cry of ''Come on!'' and raised her arms.

''Once you get to this part of a tournament, motivation is going to kick in after a few games of every match,'' said Venus' coach, David Witt, ''and you're going to stop thinking about being sore, if you're sore.''

In 2011, Venus revealed that she had been diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, and since then there have been repeated questions about when she might quit tennis - especially as early losses accumulated. She had six first-round exits at majors over the past six years, compared with three over her career's first 14 years.

''Retiring is the easy way out,'' she said. ''I don't have time for easy.''

About 1 1/2 hours later, Venus went back out to team with Serena and win a doubles match to get to that event's quarterfinals.

One more victory each in singles, and they'll be sharing the court again - except on opposite sides of the net, reprising their one-of-a-kind rivalry. Just like in the old days.

Tour De France: Stage 4; Kittel is back on main stage.

Le Tour France

(Photo/Le Tour France)

The photo-finish was once again necessary to proclaim the winner of stage  4 of the Tour de France, Tuesday. Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quick Step) claimed his first Tour victory since 2014 millimeters ahead of Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie) after the longest stage of the race, 237.5 km from Saumur to Limoges. Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) remains in yellow after finishing third on the eve of the first mountain stage.

A real fight for the breakaway

A day after Armindo Fonseca's solo act, there were much more riders willing to get in the breakaway this Wednesday amongst the 198 still in the race. Andreas Schillinger (Bora-Argon18) and Markel Irizar (Trek-Segafredo) jumped in a first group at the front of the race at km 18. They were then joined by Alexis Gougeard (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling) to build a lead of 3'50 after 35 kilometres of racing.

Long day, strong pace

The longest stage of the Tour was designed for sprinters to shine. And the peloton quickly decided to set its intentions, with Natnael Berhane (Dimension Data) maintaining the gap around 5 minutes.  It was not an easy task with the leaders travelling at an average speed of 42.3 km/h over the first three hours of racing. With 90 kilometres to go, the breakaway's lead was already down to 2 minutes.

Coquard played his cards

Alexis Gougeard (AG2R-La Mondiale) was the first attacker swallowed by the peloton, 30 kilometres away from the finish-line. Schillinger, Naesen and Irizar resisted 20 more kilometres before Direct Energie's efforts ended their breakaway. Unfortunately for the French team, Kittel was there to edge Coquard.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, July 06, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1933 - The first All-Star baseball game was held in Chicago. The American League beat the National League 4-2.

1957 - Althea Gibson won the Wimbledon women’s singles tennis title. She was the first black athlete to win the event.

1983 - Fred Lynn of the California Angels hit the first grand slam in an All-Star game. The American League defeated the National League 13-3.

1985 - Martina Navratilova won her 4th consecutive Wimbledon singles title.

1995 - In Los Angeles, the prosecution rested at the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

1996 - Steffi Graf won her seventh Wimbledon title.

2000 - In Orlando, FL, the body of Cory Erving was found in his vehicle in a pond near his family's home. Julius "Dr. J" Erving had reported his son missing on June 4, 2000.

2000 - A jury awarded former NHL player Tony Twist $24 million for the unconsented use of his name in the comic book Spawn and the HBO cartoon series. Co-defendant HBO settled with Twist out of court for an undisclosed amount.

2010 - It was reported that GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, would be renamed Rogers Arena.

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