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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"It's a wise man who understands that every day is a new beginning, because boy, how many mistakes do you make in a day? I don't know about you, but I make plenty. You can't turn the clock back, so you have to look ahead." ~ Mel Gibson, Actor, Filmmaker (Screenwriter, Producer and Director)
"It's a wise man who understands that every day is a new beginning, because boy, how many mistakes do you make in a day? I don't know about you, but I make plenty. You can't turn the clock back, so you have to look ahead." ~ Mel Gibson, Actor, Filmmaker (Screenwriter, Producer and Director)
Trending: Illini announce training camp schedule. (See the college football section for NCAA Football and the University of Illinois updates).
Trending: 2016 Offseason Grades: Chicago Blackhawks. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks and NHL updates).
Trending: “Peanut” Tillman announces retirement. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates). 
(Photo/AP)
Trending: The Bulls win NBA's 2016 Summer League Championship. (See the basketball section for Bulls and NBA updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 56-37
White Sox 2016 Record: 46-47
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears Camping Out 2016: After Matt Forte, Jay Cutler, Bears 'O' need a security blanket.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
When John Fox was turning the Carolina Panthers into a Super Bowl team and respectable annual contender in the NFC South, he did it not only with a committee approach to his running backs, but also significantly changing them on a near-yearly basis. In his first four Carolina seasons, Fox had four different leading rushers, only one gaining more than 900 yards, for teams that reached a Super Bowl and NFC Championship game over those four years.
The Bears made annual pilgrimages into free agency and the draft looking for Matt Forte understudies, with only marginal success. Forte got his 1,000-or-so yards and the Bears missed the playoffs seven of his eight seasons.
The organization used fourth-round picks in 2014 (Ka’Deem Carey) and 2015 (Jeremy Langford) not only to staff the No. 2 position, but also in hopes of staffing for the future. The 2015 season was perhaps a preview, with Langford rushing for 537 yards and Carey 159, with the two combining for 10 touchdowns rushing and receiving. The Bears ran the ball on nearly 46 percent of their snaps and want to push that rate closer to 50-50 under coordinator Dowell Loggains.
If there is a concern, it is that Carey and Langford averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. The only teams reaching the 2015 playoffs with their top rushers averaging less than 4 yards per carry were Houston and Washington – both blown out at home by wild-card teams.
Offseason adjustments
The Bears stepped away from Forte, making no contract offer to a player who would have been asked to go from a featured back to being one of a committee. Forte said all the right things about not needing to play every play but accepting a reduced role is only occasionally a workable scenario for a running back at age 30 who has played in the range of 90 percent of snaps his entire career.
Accordingly, the organization continued to invest in running backs, investing a fifth-round pick this year in Jordan Howard out of Indiana, a 230-pound power back with some speed (4.59 in the 40) and about 20 pounds more mass than either Carey or Langford.
For his part, Langford made his pass-catching a focus this offseason after some extremely costly drops last year.
The Bears also re-signed diminutive Jacquizz Rodgers, who was lost to IR with an elbow injury in game five but provides an all-around back with roles on special teams.
Without depth at tight end, the offense may move toward a traditional fullback, with veteran Paul Lasike signed to a futures contract this offseason.
Depth-charting
RB Jeremy Langford/Ka’Deem Carey
The Mix
Jordan Howard
Paul Lasike (FB)
Senories Perry
Jacquizz Rodgers
3 questions camp will begin to answer…
…Do the Bears have a quality third-down back?
Howard gives the offense a short-yardage/goal-line hammer, but none of their current backs have distinguished themselves as a receiver, which was a given with Forte and axiomatic to a successful offense. Langford’s hands were shaky last year and having Jay Cutler’s confidence is critical.
…How safe is Jay Cutler against blitzes?
Carey has worked since his first training camp on pass protection, and Langford did not distinguish himself with consistency, which coaches are demanding in blitz pickup, particularly for whoever aspires to be the third-down back.
…Will the offense tilt back toward a fullback paired with a tailback?
Fullbacks provide a blocking force for tailbacks and allies for offensive linemen. Forte found his escort hammer in Tyler Clutts, now in Dallas and who has made a career of taking care of his ballcarriers. The Bears may want a more physical running game but fullback has been a declining position in the NFL and they are not especially easy to find.
Bears Camping Out 2016: D-line retooled with new additions.
By John Mullin
The Bears made annual pilgrimages into free agency and the draft looking for Matt Forte understudies, with only marginal success. Forte got his 1,000-or-so yards and the Bears missed the playoffs seven of his eight seasons.
The organization used fourth-round picks in 2014 (Ka’Deem Carey) and 2015 (Jeremy Langford) not only to staff the No. 2 position, but also in hopes of staffing for the future. The 2015 season was perhaps a preview, with Langford rushing for 537 yards and Carey 159, with the two combining for 10 touchdowns rushing and receiving. The Bears ran the ball on nearly 46 percent of their snaps and want to push that rate closer to 50-50 under coordinator Dowell Loggains.
If there is a concern, it is that Carey and Langford averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. The only teams reaching the 2015 playoffs with their top rushers averaging less than 4 yards per carry were Houston and Washington – both blown out at home by wild-card teams.
Offseason adjustments
The Bears stepped away from Forte, making no contract offer to a player who would have been asked to go from a featured back to being one of a committee. Forte said all the right things about not needing to play every play but accepting a reduced role is only occasionally a workable scenario for a running back at age 30 who has played in the range of 90 percent of snaps his entire career.
Accordingly, the organization continued to invest in running backs, investing a fifth-round pick this year in Jordan Howard out of Indiana, a 230-pound power back with some speed (4.59 in the 40) and about 20 pounds more mass than either Carey or Langford.
For his part, Langford made his pass-catching a focus this offseason after some extremely costly drops last year.
The Bears also re-signed diminutive Jacquizz Rodgers, who was lost to IR with an elbow injury in game five but provides an all-around back with roles on special teams.
Without depth at tight end, the offense may move toward a traditional fullback, with veteran Paul Lasike signed to a futures contract this offseason.
Depth-charting
RB Jeremy Langford/Ka’Deem Carey
The Mix
Jordan Howard
Paul Lasike (FB)
Senories Perry
Jacquizz Rodgers
3 questions camp will begin to answer…
…Do the Bears have a quality third-down back?
Howard gives the offense a short-yardage/goal-line hammer, but none of their current backs have distinguished themselves as a receiver, which was a given with Forte and axiomatic to a successful offense. Langford’s hands were shaky last year and having Jay Cutler’s confidence is critical.
…How safe is Jay Cutler against blitzes?
Carey has worked since his first training camp on pass protection, and Langford did not distinguish himself with consistency, which coaches are demanding in blitz pickup, particularly for whoever aspires to be the third-down back.
…Will the offense tilt back toward a fullback paired with a tailback?
Fullbacks provide a blocking force for tailbacks and allies for offensive linemen. Forte found his escort hammer in Tyler Clutts, now in Dallas and who has made a career of taking care of his ballcarriers. The Bears may want a more physical running game but fullback has been a declining position in the NFL and they are not especially easy to find.
Bears Camping Out 2016: D-line retooled with new additions.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The defense went into Week 17 last season with exactly one active defensive lineman (Will Sutton) who had been with the team in training camp. Injuries and other upheavals combined to impede progress toward full cohesion among the “3” of the Bears’ 3-4.
Perhaps not completely surprising, the Bears were among the bottom feeders at stopping the run (4.5 ypc.), worse even than the year before under defensive coordinator Mel Tucker; only three teams allowed more. The group’s best pass rusher was a rookie nose tackle (Eddie Goldman), with veteran Jarvis Jenkins starting impressively (three sacks through four games), then only 2.5 sacks over the final 12 games.
Training camp began last year with veteran Jeremiah Ratliff at nose tackle; Ratliff was gone by late October after a Halas Hall incident. Ego Ferguson, a Phil Emery draft pick selected for his abilities against the run, dropped weight to be quicker but then was lost to a knee injury after failing to play to the level hoped for from a second-round draft choice. Ferguson also was suspended for violating the NFL’s PED policy. Ray McDonald, signed in March to be one starting end, was released in May after another off-field incident.
The gold amid the problems of ’15 was the play and in-general progress of Goldman, drafted to anchor the defensive front but who also provided 4.5 sacks, fourth among NFL rookies, in establishing himself as a central building block for the defense of the present and the future. As the year went on, Goldman became more of a student, relying less on purely his physical strength.
“I try to focus on the mental part of it, knowing my assignment and knowing what to do, looking at film and the opponent,” Goldman said. “And that’s something we don’t do in the offseason as much but when we get in the season, I’ll be able to watch film on the opponent and that’ll be another edge I try to get.”
Offseason adjustments
The level of priority for upgrading the defensive line was immediately apparent with the signing of massive (6-5, 324 pounds) defensive end Akiem Hicks to pair Goldman as part of a line core in the tradition of Keith Traylor and Ted Washington 15 years ago. That was followed by the investment of a third-round draft pick in Jonathan Bullard out of Florida.
Additionally, coaches looked at Goldman’s performance at varying weight levels and targeted a weight 10-15 pounds below the 340 at which he came into camp last year.
Along with re-signing versatile defensive end Mitch Unrein, result has been to put in place an entirely different starting-three from the one that started training camp last year (Ferguson-Ratliff-Jenkins).
Depth-charting
DE Akiem Hicks
NT Eddie Goldman
DE Mitch Unrein
The Mix
Keith Browner
Jonathan Bullard
Ego Ferguson
Marquis Jackson
Roy Robertson-Harris
Will Sutton
Cornelius Washington
Terry Williams
3 questions camp will begin to answer
1. Do the Bears have a prototype for their defensive linemen?
What the Bears do have on their roster of D-linemen is more variety than many typical depth charts, which can veer toward type-casting. Not the Bears.
“We’ve got bull rushers. We’ve got finesse players. We’ve got a lot of different kind of guys,” defensive line coach Jay Rodgers said. “It’s good to have multiple things, because you never know how it’s going to pan out during certain situations. You want a bigger guy in there on the goal line. Maybe you want a faster guy in there on third down. You’ve got to be multiple in order to get the personnel you want.”
2. Do the Bears have in Goldman and Hicks the foundation of an elite run defense?
Size alone does not make for an immovable object. But the degree of development by Goldman over the 2015 season was striking; if Hicks returns to the form that caused Ryan Pace and the New Orleans Saints to make him a third-round pick in the 2012 draft, the Bears have the core of an interior that protects inside linebackers and allows edge rushers to gamble, knowing their inside is covered.
3. How fast can Bullard progress?
Third-round picks are expected to become starters and, while Bullard will be part of a rotating defensive line, he is the template of a physical five-technique who can deliver pocket push. How he fares in pass-pro drills against Kyle Long, Bobby Massie and other true NFL offensive line when the pads come on will be telling.
Most notably, Bullard has impressed coaches with his aptitude together with a clear orientation to attack. Now the point is to manage his aggressiveness.
“You're in there with the whole defense and there's a run made because you now shot a gap,” Bullard said. “You kind of slow it down a little bit. And then coach just told me, 'Slow down a little bit. Just learn what you're doing before you start taking those chances and those risks and eventually, when you understand it and you know the blocking schemes and things, then you can go back out and take them.'
“They don't want to take that from me."
“Peanut” Tillman announces retirement.
Posted by Zac Jackson
Cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman has called it a career after 13 NFL seasons.
Tillman, 35, played 12 seasons for the Bears. He played last season with the Panthers, starting 12 games.
An All-Pro in 2012, Tillman was a two-time Pro Bowler and had 38 career interceptions. He started 164 of 168 career games after being drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2003.
In 2013, Tillman was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
“I’ve had 13 amazing years on two great teams and I’m just thankful for the love and support that I got from my teammates, the fans and my coaches,” Tillman told ChicagoBears.com. “I’m thankful to everyone who has helped me get to where I am right now because I definitely didn’t do it by myself.”
Monday evening, Tillman posted “it’s been real” and a peace sign emoji on his Twitter account along with a link to an entertaining YouTube video entitled “Peanut Retires.”
You should watch it.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? 2016 Offseason Grades: Chicago Blackhawks.
By Phillip A. Iver
Grade: B
For a team which geared up by trading away Phillip Danault, Marko Dano and their 2016 1st round pick, it was a disappointingly short postseason run. But while Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann were understandable gambles, a reckless one ended up rubbing salt in the wound.
At four years and $4 million per, the Bryan Bickell extension was never a good idea, no matter how many goals he scored in the 2012-13 playoffs. When Teuvo Teravainen is the price of moving a contract, it's a bad contract. The fact that Bryan Bickell should provide solid veteran depth for Carolina is just icing on their Teravainen cake.
If there's a silver lining to the Teravainen trade other than cap space, it landed Chicago the 2016 2nd round pick they used to select Artur Kayumov 50th overall. GM Stan Bowman also turned Andrew Shaw, now of a six-year deal worth $3.9 million per, into dynamic OHL scorer Alex DeBrincat and offensive defenseman Chad Krys. For a team which had zero 1st round selections, DeBrincat, Krys and Kayumov make for quite the draft haul.
Don't be fooled by Campbell's birth certificate. The 37-year-old has aged rather gracefully, and while his days of posting 40+ points are likely over, he remains a possession superstar. For those who might say he's been riding on Aaron Ekblad's coattails, a couple of 5v5 notes: 1) Campbell-Ekblad did make for an incredibly dominant pairing last season; and 2) Campbell fared significantly better without Ekblad than Ekblad without Campbell. As per Corsica Hockey:
/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6786277/campbell_ekblad.0.png)
Perhaps I'm a soft touch, but Teravainen is replaceable and Chicago addressed arguably their biggest weakness vis-à-vis Brian Campbell. The Blackhawks have one more season of entry-level Panarin before he (probably) joins the six million dollar club, and by limiting themselves to cheap and/or depth free agent signings such as Campbell, Jordin Tootoo and Skellefteå AIK forward Martin Lundberg, the stage is set for an intense battle between 20-something-year-olds come training camp.
We've all painted Ryan Hartman with the Shaw brush. Does he see himself that way? Yup. "That’s my game. We play really similar styles."
Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
10:46 AM - 10 Jul 2016
If players such as Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, Ville Pokka, Michal Kempny, etc. are able to seize the opportunity, Chicago may have successfully hit the refresh button once more. But what say you? Is a B grade too generous, insufficient or just right? What are the chances Chicago's internal depth can step in and replace what they lost via free agency and trade? And how improved is a Blackhawks d-corps with the second coming of Brian Campbell?
Happy, healthy Trevor van Riemsdyk looks to build off last season.
Perhaps not completely surprising, the Bears were among the bottom feeders at stopping the run (4.5 ypc.), worse even than the year before under defensive coordinator Mel Tucker; only three teams allowed more. The group’s best pass rusher was a rookie nose tackle (Eddie Goldman), with veteran Jarvis Jenkins starting impressively (three sacks through four games), then only 2.5 sacks over the final 12 games.
Training camp began last year with veteran Jeremiah Ratliff at nose tackle; Ratliff was gone by late October after a Halas Hall incident. Ego Ferguson, a Phil Emery draft pick selected for his abilities against the run, dropped weight to be quicker but then was lost to a knee injury after failing to play to the level hoped for from a second-round draft choice. Ferguson also was suspended for violating the NFL’s PED policy. Ray McDonald, signed in March to be one starting end, was released in May after another off-field incident.
The gold amid the problems of ’15 was the play and in-general progress of Goldman, drafted to anchor the defensive front but who also provided 4.5 sacks, fourth among NFL rookies, in establishing himself as a central building block for the defense of the present and the future. As the year went on, Goldman became more of a student, relying less on purely his physical strength.
“I try to focus on the mental part of it, knowing my assignment and knowing what to do, looking at film and the opponent,” Goldman said. “And that’s something we don’t do in the offseason as much but when we get in the season, I’ll be able to watch film on the opponent and that’ll be another edge I try to get.”
Offseason adjustments
The level of priority for upgrading the defensive line was immediately apparent with the signing of massive (6-5, 324 pounds) defensive end Akiem Hicks to pair Goldman as part of a line core in the tradition of Keith Traylor and Ted Washington 15 years ago. That was followed by the investment of a third-round draft pick in Jonathan Bullard out of Florida.
Additionally, coaches looked at Goldman’s performance at varying weight levels and targeted a weight 10-15 pounds below the 340 at which he came into camp last year.
Along with re-signing versatile defensive end Mitch Unrein, result has been to put in place an entirely different starting-three from the one that started training camp last year (Ferguson-Ratliff-Jenkins).
Depth-charting
DE Akiem Hicks
NT Eddie Goldman
DE Mitch Unrein
The Mix
Keith Browner
Jonathan Bullard
Ego Ferguson
Marquis Jackson
Roy Robertson-Harris
Will Sutton
Cornelius Washington
Terry Williams
3 questions camp will begin to answer
1. Do the Bears have a prototype for their defensive linemen?
What the Bears do have on their roster of D-linemen is more variety than many typical depth charts, which can veer toward type-casting. Not the Bears.
“We’ve got bull rushers. We’ve got finesse players. We’ve got a lot of different kind of guys,” defensive line coach Jay Rodgers said. “It’s good to have multiple things, because you never know how it’s going to pan out during certain situations. You want a bigger guy in there on the goal line. Maybe you want a faster guy in there on third down. You’ve got to be multiple in order to get the personnel you want.”
2. Do the Bears have in Goldman and Hicks the foundation of an elite run defense?
Size alone does not make for an immovable object. But the degree of development by Goldman over the 2015 season was striking; if Hicks returns to the form that caused Ryan Pace and the New Orleans Saints to make him a third-round pick in the 2012 draft, the Bears have the core of an interior that protects inside linebackers and allows edge rushers to gamble, knowing their inside is covered.
3. How fast can Bullard progress?
Third-round picks are expected to become starters and, while Bullard will be part of a rotating defensive line, he is the template of a physical five-technique who can deliver pocket push. How he fares in pass-pro drills against Kyle Long, Bobby Massie and other true NFL offensive line when the pads come on will be telling.
Most notably, Bullard has impressed coaches with his aptitude together with a clear orientation to attack. Now the point is to manage his aggressiveness.
“You're in there with the whole defense and there's a run made because you now shot a gap,” Bullard said. “You kind of slow it down a little bit. And then coach just told me, 'Slow down a little bit. Just learn what you're doing before you start taking those chances and those risks and eventually, when you understand it and you know the blocking schemes and things, then you can go back out and take them.'
“They don't want to take that from me."
“Peanut” Tillman announces retirement.
Posted by Zac Jackson
(Photo/AP)
Cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman has called it a career after 13 NFL seasons.
Tillman, 35, played 12 seasons for the Bears. He played last season with the Panthers, starting 12 games.
An All-Pro in 2012, Tillman was a two-time Pro Bowler and had 38 career interceptions. He started 164 of 168 career games after being drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2003.
In 2013, Tillman was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
“I’ve had 13 amazing years on two great teams and I’m just thankful for the love and support that I got from my teammates, the fans and my coaches,” Tillman told ChicagoBears.com. “I’m thankful to everyone who has helped me get to where I am right now because I definitely didn’t do it by myself.”
Monday evening, Tillman posted “it’s been real” and a peace sign emoji on his Twitter account along with a link to an entertaining YouTube video entitled “Peanut Retires.”
You should watch it.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? 2016 Offseason Grades: Chicago Blackhawks.
By Phillip A. Iver
(Photo/Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
For hockey fans, the dog days of summer are truly upon us. One Justin Schultz contract and Las Vegas general manager announcement aside, news has slowed to a trickle. But while the offseason continues and numerous free agents remain unsigned, enough time has passed to allow for early assessments. Let's do that, shall we?
Moving through the league team-by-team, we begin with our very own Central Division and that most beloved of organizations, the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks
For a team which geared up by trading away Phillip Danault, Marko Dano and their 2016 1st round pick, it was a disappointingly short postseason run. But while Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann were understandable gambles, a reckless one ended up rubbing salt in the wound.
At four years and $4 million per, the Bryan Bickell extension was never a good idea, no matter how many goals he scored in the 2012-13 playoffs. When Teuvo Teravainen is the price of moving a contract, it's a bad contract. The fact that Bryan Bickell should provide solid veteran depth for Carolina is just icing on their Teravainen cake.
If there's a silver lining to the Teravainen trade other than cap space, it landed Chicago the 2016 2nd round pick they used to select Artur Kayumov 50th overall. GM Stan Bowman also turned Andrew Shaw, now of a six-year deal worth $3.9 million per, into dynamic OHL scorer Alex DeBrincat and offensive defenseman Chad Krys. For a team which had zero 1st round selections, DeBrincat, Krys and Kayumov make for quite the draft haul.
Luckily for Chicago, while losing Teravainen and Shaw was certainly undesirable, there are internal options to fill the void. Sam Carrick, Mark McNeill, Ryan Hartman, Vincent Hinostroza, Tanner Kero and Kyle Baun all saw NHL action last season, and will be eyeing the ~3 open spots at forward. In addition, highly-touted prospect Nick Schmaltz turned pro, as did Kyle Connor's former line mate Tyler Motte. While names such as Radim Vrbata and Kris Versteeg remain available, the Blackhawks might do well to stand pat and let their younger players on cheap contracts duke it out.
"Motte's coming off a huge year. Blackhawks are ecstatic with his development. Always good to have a Wolverine on the squad."
Judd Sirott
@Judd_Sirott
2:40 PM - 12 Jul 2016
With that said, losing proven NHL bodies, drafting players still years away and resting on one's depth chart laurels hardly deserves a B. It's the signing of Brian Campbell for an absolute song which does most of the trick.
Last season, Duncan Keith spent most of his time alongside Niklas Hjalmarsson, leaving Brent Seabrook to skate beside one of Trevor van Riemsdyk, Erik Gustafsson or Viktor Svedberg. With Campbell, Chicago immediately solves their defensive depth problem and for an incredible bargain at that:
Brian Campbell contract with Chicago: $1.5 M salary base plus $750k 10gp bonus: $2.25 M total
Pierre LeBrun
@Real_ESPNLeBrun
12:03 PM - 1 Jul 2016
Don't be fooled by Campbell's birth certificate. The 37-year-old has aged rather gracefully, and while his days of posting 40+ points are likely over, he remains a possession superstar. For those who might say he's been riding on Aaron Ekblad's coattails, a couple of 5v5 notes: 1) Campbell-Ekblad did make for an incredibly dominant pairing last season; and 2) Campbell fared significantly better without Ekblad than Ekblad without Campbell. As per Corsica Hockey:
With this one signing, what was once a major question mark in the top-four becomes a fierce battle on the bottom pairing. The aforementioned van Riemsdyk, Gustafsson and Svedberg will be fighting against the likes of Michal Rozsival and Ville Pokka for an NHL roster spot, much less playing time. This is before factoring in Gustav Forsling, who will be loaned back to his Swedish club should he fail to crack the roster, and 25-year-old roll of the dice Michal Kempny. The undrafted Czech defenseman makes the jump to North America after one year with Avangard Omsk. Should Chicago have struck KHL gold once more, one wonders if Kempny, a small-ish puck-moving d-man, might spell Brian Campbell on the third pairing.
Conclusion
Perhaps I'm a soft touch, but Teravainen is replaceable and Chicago addressed arguably their biggest weakness vis-à-vis Brian Campbell. The Blackhawks have one more season of entry-level Panarin before he (probably) joins the six million dollar club, and by limiting themselves to cheap and/or depth free agent signings such as Campbell, Jordin Tootoo and Skellefteå AIK forward Martin Lundberg, the stage is set for an intense battle between 20-something-year-olds come training camp.
We've all painted Ryan Hartman with the Shaw brush. Does he see himself that way? Yup. "That’s my game. We play really similar styles."
Mark Lazerus
@MarkLazerus
10:46 AM - 10 Jul 2016
If players such as Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, Ville Pokka, Michal Kempny, etc. are able to seize the opportunity, Chicago may have successfully hit the refresh button once more. But what say you? Is a B grade too generous, insufficient or just right? What are the chances Chicago's internal depth can step in and replace what they lost via free agency and trade? And how improved is a Blackhawks d-corps with the second coming of Brian Campbell?
Happy, healthy Trevor van Riemsdyk looks to build off last season.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It’s rare to see Trevor van Riemsdyk without a smile on his face.
It’s just part of the happy demeanor of the Blackhawks’ defenseman. But coming off last season, his first healthy one in several years, there was even more reason to be beaming.
Van Riemsdyk completed a much-needed full season last year with the Blackhawks, playing in all 82 regular-season and seven playoff games. It was a happy and relief-filled season for van Riemsdyk, who missed most of the 2014-15 regular- and postseason with knee and wrist injuries. He had also fractured his ankle in January 2014, when he was at the University of New Hampshire.
“To play in every single game was nice. When you’re doing that, there’s a lot to learn about taking care of yourself, being ready to go every night,” van Riesmdyk said at this weekend’s Blackhawks convention. “It’s a big jump playing almost 90 games; my most ever before that was probably 40-something. But watching what all the guys do – we have so many guys who take such good care of themselves and know every possible way to better themselves – it’s a great resource.”
Here’s another new one for van Riemsdyk: a summer he can spend fully training from the start.
“Last summer was just getting everything to feel back to 100 percent and feeling good for camp. Now you want to push it past where it was before,” he said. “Obviously the summer’s a little longer than we wanted but you have to make the most of it and use the extra days of rest when you can. Just a lot of it is improving your game and taking all those little things you learned along the way and do it this summer.”
The Blackhawks defense leaned on Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson last season but some younger players were given that much more responsibility. That included van Riemsdyk, who had his ups and downs in his first full professional season. With Brian Campbell back in the fold the Blackhawks’ defense has more balance. Still, van Riemsdyk will be a big part of that defense moving forward.
At the Blackhawks coaches’ panel on Saturday morning, assistant coach Mike Kitchen was asked potential defensive pairs to open the season. He said they could be Keith-Hjalmarsson, Campbell-Seabrook and van Riemsdyk-Michal Kempny, the Czech defenseman the Blackhawks signed in May.
Last season was a learning experience for van Riemsdyk. More importantly, it was a very healthy one. Now van Riemsdyk gets a chance to build off that season and keep learning from the Blackhawks’ veteran defensemen, Campbell included.
“It’s awesome to bring in another guy like that. Brian has a tremendous résumé,” van Riemsdyk said. “Even before, seemed like you have an unlimited amount of resources to learn from, certain ways, different ways. Almost everything you can possibly think of, we have a guy who’s great at and you can learn from it.”
It’s just part of the happy demeanor of the Blackhawks’ defenseman. But coming off last season, his first healthy one in several years, there was even more reason to be beaming.
Van Riemsdyk completed a much-needed full season last year with the Blackhawks, playing in all 82 regular-season and seven playoff games. It was a happy and relief-filled season for van Riemsdyk, who missed most of the 2014-15 regular- and postseason with knee and wrist injuries. He had also fractured his ankle in January 2014, when he was at the University of New Hampshire.
“To play in every single game was nice. When you’re doing that, there’s a lot to learn about taking care of yourself, being ready to go every night,” van Riesmdyk said at this weekend’s Blackhawks convention. “It’s a big jump playing almost 90 games; my most ever before that was probably 40-something. But watching what all the guys do – we have so many guys who take such good care of themselves and know every possible way to better themselves – it’s a great resource.”
Here’s another new one for van Riemsdyk: a summer he can spend fully training from the start.
“Last summer was just getting everything to feel back to 100 percent and feeling good for camp. Now you want to push it past where it was before,” he said. “Obviously the summer’s a little longer than we wanted but you have to make the most of it and use the extra days of rest when you can. Just a lot of it is improving your game and taking all those little things you learned along the way and do it this summer.”
The Blackhawks defense leaned on Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson last season but some younger players were given that much more responsibility. That included van Riemsdyk, who had his ups and downs in his first full professional season. With Brian Campbell back in the fold the Blackhawks’ defense has more balance. Still, van Riemsdyk will be a big part of that defense moving forward.
At the Blackhawks coaches’ panel on Saturday morning, assistant coach Mike Kitchen was asked potential defensive pairs to open the season. He said they could be Keith-Hjalmarsson, Campbell-Seabrook and van Riemsdyk-Michal Kempny, the Czech defenseman the Blackhawks signed in May.
Last season was a learning experience for van Riemsdyk. More importantly, it was a very healthy one. Now van Riemsdyk gets a chance to build off that season and keep learning from the Blackhawks’ veteran defensemen, Campbell included.
“It’s awesome to bring in another guy like that. Brian has a tremendous résumé,” van Riemsdyk said. “Even before, seemed like you have an unlimited amount of resources to learn from, certain ways, different ways. Almost everything you can possibly think of, we have a guy who’s great at and you can learn from it.”
CUBS Jake Arrieta strikes back, but Cubs can’t finish off Mets.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jake Arrieta answered any doubters on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, shutting down the New York Mets and showing the stuff that made him the National League’s reigning Cy Young Award winner.
For a team built to finally win the World Series this year – with Arrieta supposed to be the Game 1 starter in a playoff rotation – that means more than a final score in the middle of July. Maybe that’s why the Cubs had Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” playing on the clubhouse sound system after a 2-1 loss.
No awkward silence, no staring at the carpet, no heads buried in lockers after Mets closer Jeurys Familia escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs, ninth-inning jam, quieting the raucous crowd (41,456) on its feet watching a rematch of last year’s NL Championship Series.
“That was a little more like it,” Arrieta said moments after sitting down in the interview room. “It could be significantly better, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”
The Cubs (56-37) still have almost two weeks until the Aug. 1 trade deadline to figure out how to reconfigure their bullpen around closer Hector Rondon, who lost the game in the ninth inning when defense-first catcher Rene Rivera lined a two-out, go-ahead RBI single into right field.
Once again, the Cubs couldn’t come through in the clutch against New York’s power pitching, managing only an unearned run against Noah Syndergaard, going 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, striking out nine times and letting Familia (33-for-33 in save chances this season) off the hook when Kris Bryant grounded into a game-ending double play.
But even with the no-decision, Arrieta is still the story here, hitting the reset button after a 10-day layoff and the understandable decision to not pitch in the All-Star Game, rest his body and clear his head.
Arrieta came out firing, throwing 16 of his first 17 pitches for strikes, and 25 of his first 27, putting up zeroes through the first five innings. The only offense the defending NL champs could generate against Arrieta came in the sixth inning, when Jose Reyes drove a ball into the right-field corner for a leadoff triple and scored Curtis Granderson’s sacrifice fly.
“That’s really when I’m at my best,” Arrieta said, “challenging guys right away from the first pitch and really putting them on the defensive side and making them swing the bat. I expect to pitch more like this, as far as the aggressiveness and keeping the ball down in the strike zone with everything.”
This wasn’t just outside noise from the fans, the Chicago media and scouts following the Cubs. Arrieta had been grinding through starts (4.81 ERA since the beginning of June) and searching for answers. Even eternally positive manager Joe Maddon admitted his ace hadn’t put it all together yet, missing the crisp delivery and pinpoint control that fueled one of the greatest runs by anyone who’s ever picked up a baseball.
Arrieta lasted seven innings for the first time since June 11, retiring 12 consecutive batters during one stretch and allowing only five hits and finishing with eight strikeouts against one walk.
“I’ve tried to stay the same throughout,” Arrieta said, “regardless of the other results or the circumstances, understanding that what I’ve done in between starts has been very effective over a long stretch. With that said, it’s still nice to come out and keep your team in the game, especially when the guy on the other side is doing the same thing.”
The Cubs will need Arrieta at the top of his game in October, when great pitching beats teams like the Mets (50-43). Even with a 12-4 record and a 2.60 ERA, the questions will keep coming, because so much of this team’s identity is tied up in Jake Being Jake.
“I hear it,” Arrieta said. “I know it’s out there from you guys (in the media). And that’s fine. I understand we need to talk about it. I’m not sure exactly where I’m at in the league, but I’m sure it’s in the top 10.
“Can I get better? Yes, but there’s going to be times where we struggle. It’s just part of this game. The other guys over there are good, too. So trying to keep those slumps to a minimum and move forward is the idea.”
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer: ‘Expect the unexpected’ at trade deadline.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Cubs executives Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer made their bones with the Boston Red Sox, helping build the 2004 World Series team that finally took down the New York Yankees. That intense rivalry shapes how the Cubs view the St. Louis Cardinals and the no-shortcuts belief that a championship-caliber organization is built to win 90-plus games year after year.
The Yankees now have the potential to unlock the entire market around the Aug. 1 trade deadline, whether it’s shutdown relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller) or change-of-scenery starting pitchers (Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda) or an outstanding postseason hitter like Carlos Beltran.
Even if the Cubs don’t make a deal with the Yankees, a sell-off in The Bronx could have major October ramifications at Wrigley Field if, say, Miller gets traded to the Washington Nationals and Chapman winds up throwing 100-mph heat for the San Francisco Giants.
Do you really think it’s in the Pinstripe DNA to become sellers?
“It’s hard for us to really comment about what they’re going to do,” Hoyer said before Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Mets. “That’s their ownership and (general manager) Brian Cashman’s job to sort of outline how they see it. Certainly, they have desirable pieces for everyone on the market. I don’t think there’s any question (about that). There’s a reason people ask that question over and over. But that’s not our job to talk about their future plans.”
While the Yankees take up all this oxygen and generate so much trade buzz, Epstein’s front office likes to kick the tires on just about everything and won’t get locked in on only one team or blinded by a particular player’s talents.
Yes, the market for starting pitching is especially thin at a time when there aren’t that many overall difference-makers available. But Hoyer also pointed to the Red Sox flipping Jon Lester to the Oakland A’s in the Yoenis Cespedes deal at the 2014 deadline (an eye-opening experience outside of Boston that ultimately helped the Cubs sign the $155 million pitcher).
“That was like a total shock,” Hoyer said. “I think we should expect the unexpected.”
“Woof,” manager Joe Maddon said when asked if he expects the Cubs to make more additions at this point. “Yeah, Dexter, George, Nathan. We have a lot of guys from within, so I don’t know.”
That would be outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler recovering from hamstring injuries at Triple-A Iowa, where six-time All-Star closer Joe Nathan might only need one more appearance before returning to the big leagues at the age of 41 after a second Tommy John procedure on his right elbow.
“I can’t tell you absolutely that there’s going to be anybody coming from outside,” Maddon said. “I know our guys are actively speaking to a lot of different groups. But we have stuff here already that we have to evaluate and look at.
“If it’s obvious that it’s an upgrade, absolutely, you’re always looking to make your group better. I’ve been involved in these situations in the past where there’s been a lot of talk and nothing has occurred.
The Yankees now have the potential to unlock the entire market around the Aug. 1 trade deadline, whether it’s shutdown relievers (Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller) or change-of-scenery starting pitchers (Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda) or an outstanding postseason hitter like Carlos Beltran.
Even if the Cubs don’t make a deal with the Yankees, a sell-off in The Bronx could have major October ramifications at Wrigley Field if, say, Miller gets traded to the Washington Nationals and Chapman winds up throwing 100-mph heat for the San Francisco Giants.
Do you really think it’s in the Pinstripe DNA to become sellers?
“It’s hard for us to really comment about what they’re going to do,” Hoyer said before Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Mets. “That’s their ownership and (general manager) Brian Cashman’s job to sort of outline how they see it. Certainly, they have desirable pieces for everyone on the market. I don’t think there’s any question (about that). There’s a reason people ask that question over and over. But that’s not our job to talk about their future plans.”
While the Yankees take up all this oxygen and generate so much trade buzz, Epstein’s front office likes to kick the tires on just about everything and won’t get locked in on only one team or blinded by a particular player’s talents.
Yes, the market for starting pitching is especially thin at a time when there aren’t that many overall difference-makers available. But Hoyer also pointed to the Red Sox flipping Jon Lester to the Oakland A’s in the Yoenis Cespedes deal at the 2014 deadline (an eye-opening experience outside of Boston that ultimately helped the Cubs sign the $155 million pitcher).
“That was like a total shock,” Hoyer said. “I think we should expect the unexpected.”
“Woof,” manager Joe Maddon said when asked if he expects the Cubs to make more additions at this point. “Yeah, Dexter, George, Nathan. We have a lot of guys from within, so I don’t know.”
That would be outfielders Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler recovering from hamstring injuries at Triple-A Iowa, where six-time All-Star closer Joe Nathan might only need one more appearance before returning to the big leagues at the age of 41 after a second Tommy John procedure on his right elbow.
“I can’t tell you absolutely that there’s going to be anybody coming from outside,” Maddon said. “I know our guys are actively speaking to a lot of different groups. But we have stuff here already that we have to evaluate and look at.
“If it’s obvious that it’s an upgrade, absolutely, you’re always looking to make your group better. I’ve been involved in these situations in the past where there’s been a lot of talk and nothing has occurred.
“The teams that I’ve been working with have done really well by utilizing people from within, whether it’s a minor-league guy or (someone) like a Joe Nathan, as an example, who’s had a lot of experience and is working his way back up.
“I don’t really worry about stuff like that. If, in fact, something shows up, we’ll work with that person. If not, we work with the people that we have.”
Epstein’s front office can think outside the box and get aggressive, but internal solutions and under-the-radar moves might be the only answers if the farm system doesn’t have any ready-for-prime-time pitchers to deal, there’s a shortage of premium talent on the trade market and the Cubs won’t move big-league pieces like Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez.
“We’ve said you can’t have untouchables and you have to be willing to explore bold ideas,” Hoyer said. “That said, we really like our core and I think that’s something that we plan to build around.”
Cabrera, Frazier lift White Sox past Mariners to snap losing streak
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Melky Cabrera hit a tie-breaking homer leading off the seventh inning, Todd Frazier added a two-run shot in the ninth and the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Cabrera lined his ninth home run of the season — and second batting right-handed — just over the wall in left field off Seattle starter Wade Miley (6-7) to snap a 1-1 tie. J.B. Shuck added an RBI single later in the inning and Frazier capped the White Sox's first win since July 9 with his 27th home run in the ninth.
Brett Lawrie also hit a solo home run, his 12th.
Chicago starter Jose Quintana (8-8) threw six innings and his only major mistake was Robinson Cano's 22nd home run in the fourth inning. And Quintana made key pitches when Seattle had runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Quintana struck out Cano to end the fifth with runners on the corners. In the sixth, Quintana gave up a leadoff single to Nelson Cruz and loaded the bases after a walk to Chris Iannetta and hitting Leonys Martin on the elbow with two outs. Quintana fell behind to Daniel Robertson, but got the young outfielder to fly out to center to end the threat.
Quintana allowed six hits in six innings and struck out seven. He's won his last three starts after going 0-7 over a span of nine starts from the middle of May until the end of June. Zach Duke, Nate Jones and Carson Fullmer rolled through the final three innings, retiring the last nine batters in order.
Miley lost his fifth straight start, his last win coming on June 7. It was a better performance than his last start before the All-Star break where Miley allowed 10 hits and four runs against Kansas City, but he was unable to get through the seventh. Miley has completed at least seven innings just three times in 17 starts.
Chris Sale's gem spoiled as White Sox blow three-run lead to Mariners. (Sunday night's game, 07/18/2016).
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Adam Lind hit a three-run pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning to give the Seattle Mariners an improbable comeback victory over the White Sox on Monday night, handing Chicago its fifth consecutive loss and wasting a dominant performance by Chris Sale.
Seattle, which had managed just one hit in eight innings off Sale, rallied against closer David Robertson, who had recorded 13 straight save opportunities.
Franklin Gutierrez singled to open the ninth, but was forced out at second on Robinson Cano's fielder's choice. Nelson Cruz walked and Dae-Ho Lee struck out.
Kyle Seager followed with an RBI single to center to make it 3-1. Lind pinch-hit for Chris Iannetta and hammered an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for his 14th home run.
Sale, bidding to become the first 15-game winner in the majors, allowed just a first-inning single en route to eight scoreless innings.
Tim Anderson and Todd Frazier homered to account for all of the runs for the White Sox, who were outscored 16-1 in being swept three games over the weekend by the Angels.
Sale gave up a one-out single in the first to Gutierrez, who was erased on a double play. Sale walked Leonys Martin in the third and then did not allow another runner until tiring in the seventh.
Sale hit Gutierrez and Lee with pitches in the seventh, but escaped by striking out Seager to end the inning.
Iannetta walked to open the eighth, but also was doubled up. Sean O'Malley then walked, but Sale enticed Daniel Robertson into an inning-ending force out.
Sale, tied for the A.L. lead with three complete games, struck out six and walked one before being lifted after 100 pitches.
Wade LeBlanc (1-1), making his fourth start since being acquired in a trade with Toronto, allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one.
The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Anderson hammered a 1-0 pitch from LeBlanc into the second deck in left field for his fifth home run.
Frazier boosted the lead to 3-0 in the third with his 26th home run, following a leadoff single by Melky Cabrera.
ONE LESS ERROR, STILL A LOSS
An official scoring change reduced Seattle's errors from four to three in Sunday's 8-1 loss to Houston. The Mariners originally were charged with two errors on a second-inning play when Kyle Seager misplayed Carlos Gomez's hit to third and Gomez continued on to second on a throwing error by left fielder Seth Smith. The change removed the error charged to Smith. No runs were scored in the inning.
UP NEXT:
White Sox: Left-hander Jose Quintana (7-8, 3.21 ERA) is 2-7 with a 4.38 ERA over his last 11 starts after going 5-1 with a 1.36 in his first seven. He's making his first start since throwing one scoreless inning in his first All-Star Game appearance.
Mariners: Left-hander Wade Miley (6-6, 5.44) has lost all three starts since coming off the disabled list with a left shoulder impingement, as well as the one prior to going on the DL. Over that stretch, he is 0-4 with a 6.00 ERA.
TRAINING ROOM:
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon, on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 6 with a sprained left wrist, continues to improve and played catch over the weekend. "He's coming along OK, I don't think he's coming along as fast we'd hoped, but it was his first time going out and throwing and getting going," manager Robin Ventura said. "Hopefully, today we'll find a little bit more about him."
Mariners: SS Ketel Marte was not in the starting lineup, but not because of the ankle he injured on Friday. Marte sat out Saturday, but played Sunday. "Ketel's under the weather today, more of like a viral thing," manager Scott Servais said.
RHP Taijuan Walker, on the 15-day DL with right foot tendinitis, played catch Sunday without wearing a protective boot and showed no after effects. "We'll probably start ramping that up a little bit, but reports were fine yesterday," Servais said.
Seattle, which had managed just one hit in eight innings off Sale, rallied against closer David Robertson, who had recorded 13 straight save opportunities.
Franklin Gutierrez singled to open the ninth, but was forced out at second on Robinson Cano's fielder's choice. Nelson Cruz walked and Dae-Ho Lee struck out.
Kyle Seager followed with an RBI single to center to make it 3-1. Lind pinch-hit for Chris Iannetta and hammered an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for his 14th home run.
Sale, bidding to become the first 15-game winner in the majors, allowed just a first-inning single en route to eight scoreless innings.
Tim Anderson and Todd Frazier homered to account for all of the runs for the White Sox, who were outscored 16-1 in being swept three games over the weekend by the Angels.
Sale gave up a one-out single in the first to Gutierrez, who was erased on a double play. Sale walked Leonys Martin in the third and then did not allow another runner until tiring in the seventh.
Sale hit Gutierrez and Lee with pitches in the seventh, but escaped by striking out Seager to end the inning.
Iannetta walked to open the eighth, but also was doubled up. Sean O'Malley then walked, but Sale enticed Daniel Robertson into an inning-ending force out.
Sale, tied for the A.L. lead with three complete games, struck out six and walked one before being lifted after 100 pitches.
Wade LeBlanc (1-1), making his fourth start since being acquired in a trade with Toronto, allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking one.
The White Sox grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Anderson hammered a 1-0 pitch from LeBlanc into the second deck in left field for his fifth home run.
Frazier boosted the lead to 3-0 in the third with his 26th home run, following a leadoff single by Melky Cabrera.
ONE LESS ERROR, STILL A LOSS
An official scoring change reduced Seattle's errors from four to three in Sunday's 8-1 loss to Houston. The Mariners originally were charged with two errors on a second-inning play when Kyle Seager misplayed Carlos Gomez's hit to third and Gomez continued on to second on a throwing error by left fielder Seth Smith. The change removed the error charged to Smith. No runs were scored in the inning.
UP NEXT:
White Sox: Left-hander Jose Quintana (7-8, 3.21 ERA) is 2-7 with a 4.38 ERA over his last 11 starts after going 5-1 with a 1.36 in his first seven. He's making his first start since throwing one scoreless inning in his first All-Star Game appearance.
Mariners: Left-hander Wade Miley (6-6, 5.44) has lost all three starts since coming off the disabled list with a left shoulder impingement, as well as the one prior to going on the DL. Over that stretch, he is 0-4 with a 6.00 ERA.
TRAINING ROOM:
White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon, on the 15-day DL retroactive to July 6 with a sprained left wrist, continues to improve and played catch over the weekend. "He's coming along OK, I don't think he's coming along as fast we'd hoped, but it was his first time going out and throwing and getting going," manager Robin Ventura said. "Hopefully, today we'll find a little bit more about him."
Mariners: SS Ketel Marte was not in the starting lineup, but not because of the ankle he injured on Friday. Marte sat out Saturday, but played Sunday. "Ketel's under the weather today, more of like a viral thing," manager Scott Servais said.
RHP Taijuan Walker, on the 15-day DL with right foot tendinitis, played catch Sunday without wearing a protective boot and showed no after effects. "We'll probably start ramping that up a little bit, but reports were fine yesterday," Servais said.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Dwyane Wade shouts out Denzel Valentine after Summer League buzzer beater.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Dwyane Wade knows a clutch performance when he sees one.
And the newest member of the Bulls was certainly watching when Denzel Valentine connected on a 3-pointer to send Monday's Summer League championship game to overtime, and then hit the buzzer beater as time expired to win the title.
"Ok Denzel Valentine I see you kid!!!"
DWade
@DwyaneWade
10:02 PM - 18 Jul 2016
And the newest member of the Bulls was certainly watching when Denzel Valentine connected on a 3-pointer to send Monday's Summer League championship game to overtime, and then hit the buzzer beater as time expired to win the title.
"Ok Denzel Valentine I see you kid!!!"
DWade
@DwyaneWade
10:02 PM - 18 Jul 2016
Valentine struggled from the field most of the night, connecting on just 3 of 10 shots. But two of those were as clutch as they come, and sent the Bulls home from Las Vegas champions with their win over the Wolves.
Jerian Grant was named MVP of the game after he scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He also added five assists and scored the first five points of overtime for the Bulls.
Bobby Portis was sensational as well, going for 26 points and 10 rebounds. He connected on four 3-pointers and added four steals. Yesterday he was named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team.
Five takeaways from the Bulls adventures in NBA Summer League.
By Vijay Vemu
One thing we have to address before we get to the takeaways is that yes, this is the NBA Summer League. Obviously, the competition isn't as intense and the quality of the players on the court in SL is nowhere near that of the NBA. Sometimes a good performance in the Summer League doesn't justify anything and it's totally reasonable to not take any stock in Summer League play. But we don't know if their performances will carry on into the future, so let's focus on the present.
5. Jack Cooley is going to earn a nice contract in Europe.
Out of all the players on the Bulls roster that weren't expected to make the opening day roster, Jack Cooley was the most impressive big man. Cooley was clearing people left and right on the boards and helped Chicago control the glass in Las Vegas. The former Notre Dame center averaged five points and five boards in his time on the court. He was a physical force against Boston, showing his rebounding ability (8 rebounds) and ability to score near the rim (11 points). He didn't play a lot down the stretch but that was because Pete Myers chose to stick with Portis and Felicio in crunch time. But Cooley was good enough to the point where he could probably go play in Europe for a good Euroleague team and earn a decent contract.
4. Cristiano Felicio carved himself a nice role off the bench.
This was going to be a big Summer League for Cristiano Felicio. After bursting onto the scene late last season, the Brazilian big man had clear cut things to improve on. He certainly impressed in Vegas offensively, showing that he is certainly worth of minutes on the Bulls bench. Felicio averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds per game and was one of the most efficient players in the NBA Summer League at one point.
Here's a look at which players have been most effective offensively in the Las Vegas summer league specifically.
Synergy Sports Tech
@SynergySST
Coming off the bench behind Robin Lopez, Felicio can be a good offensive center for Chicago. He's solid coming off the pick and roll, showing great touch around the rim even with defenders all around him. His passing seems to be a growing part of his offensive skill set, especially he gets the ball at the top of the key and is able to find his teammates off a backdoor cut. But his strength is finishing near the hoop.
But Felicio still showed some clear flaws as well in SL. He still struggles on defense and staying in front of his man. We saw this against Ben Simmons, who lit up Felicio in the first half of the Summer League game. Foul trouble also seemed to be an issue at the beginning of Summer League but it seemed to die down as we went along. He didn't look terrible but he will have to learn on how to contest without fouling and being able to stay with a quicker matchup.
Overall it was a good Summer League for Felicio. He can be a quality bench player for the Bulls and the fact that he is only 24 helps considering Chicago needs to get younger. His defense will continue to be an issue, however.
3. Spencer Dinwiddie deserves a shot to compete for that backup point guard spot
Spencer Dinwiddie was traded to the Bulls earlier in this offseason in a deal that sent Cameron Bairstow to the Detroit Pistons. His contract was partially guaranteed until October, but the Bulls decided to cut him days before the Summer League started. After clearing waivers, he was quickly re-signed to a non-guaranteed and played off the bench for the SummerBulls. With the Isaiah Cannan signing It looked like a long shot for Dinwiddie to have a chance coming into this week but he certainly has improved them.
2. Denzel Valentine showed a lot promise but still needs some work
Talk about a championship performance. Denzel Valentine was on fire in that final game, and capped off what was a successful Summer League for the first round pick.
Valentine displayed all of his strengths on the court in Summer League. He showed that he can be a very versatile player, adding a ball handler and offensive creator on the floor. Even not playing point guard, his passing ability was on full display in the Summer League, showing he can find the open teammate in transition or be effective at the top of the key.
His shooting was improving as he continued to play more and more games. Being a 40.8% 3-point shooter in college, it's fine to expect Valentine to show some struggles initially. But him catching fire in some games, especially at the end, has to be a good sign for Bulls. Valentine is a 'jack of all trades, master of none' type of player.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: RBC Canadian Open.
Jerian Grant was named MVP of the game after he scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He also added five assists and scored the first five points of overtime for the Bulls.
Bobby Portis was sensational as well, going for 26 points and 10 rebounds. He connected on four 3-pointers and added four steals. Yesterday he was named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team.
Five takeaways from the Bulls adventures in NBA Summer League.
By Vijay Vemu
(Photo/Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)
After a thrilling game that featured two clutch shots from Denzel Valentine, the Chicago Bulls are your Las Vegas Summer League champions, going undefeated in their run to the title. For a regular season that doesn't look too promising, a Summer League title win sounds really nice. In addition to the title, we saw some young players from the Bulls step up and show some improvements in their game. Everyone from Spencer Dinwiddie to Cristiano Felicio had good games in this tournament.
One thing we have to address before we get to the takeaways is that yes, this is the NBA Summer League. Obviously, the competition isn't as intense and the quality of the players on the court in SL is nowhere near that of the NBA. Sometimes a good performance in the Summer League doesn't justify anything and it's totally reasonable to not take any stock in Summer League play. But we don't know if their performances will carry on into the future, so let's focus on the present.
5. Jack Cooley is going to earn a nice contract in Europe.
Out of all the players on the Bulls roster that weren't expected to make the opening day roster, Jack Cooley was the most impressive big man. Cooley was clearing people left and right on the boards and helped Chicago control the glass in Las Vegas. The former Notre Dame center averaged five points and five boards in his time on the court. He was a physical force against Boston, showing his rebounding ability (8 rebounds) and ability to score near the rim (11 points). He didn't play a lot down the stretch but that was because Pete Myers chose to stick with Portis and Felicio in crunch time. But Cooley was good enough to the point where he could probably go play in Europe for a good Euroleague team and earn a decent contract.
4. Cristiano Felicio carved himself a nice role off the bench.
This was going to be a big Summer League for Cristiano Felicio. After bursting onto the scene late last season, the Brazilian big man had clear cut things to improve on. He certainly impressed in Vegas offensively, showing that he is certainly worth of minutes on the Bulls bench. Felicio averaged 11.3 points and 6 rebounds per game and was one of the most efficient players in the NBA Summer League at one point.
Here's a look at which players have been most effective offensively in the Las Vegas summer league specifically.
Synergy Sports Tech
@SynergySST
Coming off the bench behind Robin Lopez, Felicio can be a good offensive center for Chicago. He's solid coming off the pick and roll, showing great touch around the rim even with defenders all around him. His passing seems to be a growing part of his offensive skill set, especially he gets the ball at the top of the key and is able to find his teammates off a backdoor cut. But his strength is finishing near the hoop.
But Felicio still showed some clear flaws as well in SL. He still struggles on defense and staying in front of his man. We saw this against Ben Simmons, who lit up Felicio in the first half of the Summer League game. Foul trouble also seemed to be an issue at the beginning of Summer League but it seemed to die down as we went along. He didn't look terrible but he will have to learn on how to contest without fouling and being able to stay with a quicker matchup.
Overall it was a good Summer League for Felicio. He can be a quality bench player for the Bulls and the fact that he is only 24 helps considering Chicago needs to get younger. His defense will continue to be an issue, however.
3. Spencer Dinwiddie deserves a shot to compete for that backup point guard spot
Spencer Dinwiddie was traded to the Bulls earlier in this offseason in a deal that sent Cameron Bairstow to the Detroit Pistons. His contract was partially guaranteed until October, but the Bulls decided to cut him days before the Summer League started. After clearing waivers, he was quickly re-signed to a non-guaranteed and played off the bench for the SummerBulls. With the Isaiah Cannan signing It looked like a long shot for Dinwiddie to have a chance coming into this week but he certainly has improved them.
Dinwiddie showed all the qualities you want in a backup point guard for the Bulls. He showed his offensive capability by averaging 11 points per game coming off the bench. With his long arms, he displayed great finishing ability around the rim and his shooting wasn't bad either. Pete Myers showed trust in the guard by putting him in there over Dez Wells, sticking with a two PG lineup of Grant and Dinwiddie. It is also fair to say that Dinwiddie played better than Grant for the most part of Summer League.
The Bulls coaching staff should take a long hard look at Dinwiddie and what he can bring to the table. He may not get the backup job but he at least deserves to be in camp and have a legit shot to win the job.
2. Denzel Valentine showed a lot promise but still needs some work
Talk about a championship performance. Denzel Valentine was on fire in that final game, and capped off what was a successful Summer League for the first round pick.
Valentine displayed all of his strengths on the court in Summer League. He showed that he can be a very versatile player, adding a ball handler and offensive creator on the floor. Even not playing point guard, his passing ability was on full display in the Summer League, showing he can find the open teammate in transition or be effective at the top of the key.
His shooting was improving as he continued to play more and more games. Being a 40.8% 3-point shooter in college, it's fine to expect Valentine to show some struggles initially. But him catching fire in some games, especially at the end, has to be a good sign for Bulls. Valentine is a 'jack of all trades, master of none' type of player.
The obvious improvement from Valentine has to be his defense, especially his ability to stay in front of his man. Staying in front of your man is a huge part of being a good defender and Valentine has to learn how to shuffle his feet quick enough and not let his defenders blow right by him. He certainly has the size to be a good defender at the guard spots but his feet just aren't quick enough. Scoring and rebounding are good and all but it won't do much if you are letting your man go right by you each time on the court.
Even with this, Valentine showed some great promise for this season and it will be interesting to see what role Hoiberg puts him in.
1. Bobby Portis looks to be ready to take the next step
The MVP of the SummerBulls was Bobby Portis. The second year man out of Arkansas averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Summer League. He showed he was the best player on the court for Chicago and he made some serious improvements in his game, especially his 3-point shot. Portis showed some of his 3-point shot last year but in this year's Summer League, he showed that this will be a big part of his game moving forward. If he can do this along with his inside game and rebounding, it would be a huge boost for the Bulls offense. Portis does have to work better on defense, like every other young Bulls player. Like Felicio, Portis struggles to stay in front of his man and sometimes he lets his emotion take over his decision making.
Even with this, Valentine showed some great promise for this season and it will be interesting to see what role Hoiberg puts him in.
1. Bobby Portis looks to be ready to take the next step
The MVP of the SummerBulls was Bobby Portis. The second year man out of Arkansas averaged 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Summer League. He showed he was the best player on the court for Chicago and he made some serious improvements in his game, especially his 3-point shot. Portis showed some of his 3-point shot last year but in this year's Summer League, he showed that this will be a big part of his game moving forward. If he can do this along with his inside game and rebounding, it would be a huge boost for the Bulls offense. Portis does have to work better on defense, like every other young Bulls player. Like Felicio, Portis struggles to stay in front of his man and sometimes he lets his emotion take over his decision making.
On a team where spacing will certainly be an issue, having multiple three-point shooters including a big that can stretch the floor like Portis and Nikola Mirotic will be extra helpful. Portis looked like he can step into a bigger role off the bench and provide the Bulls with some offense. Whether it be from the three-point line or inside in the post. Portis may be another case of "Great Summer League but horrible regular season play" but as of right now, he looked like he can give the Bulls a good spark off the bench.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Power rankings: RBC Canadian Open.
By Ryan Ballengee
2. Dustin Johnson — Johnson quietly finished inside the top 10 at Royal Troon. Two wins before that. He was a runner-up at this venue in 2013.
3. Matt Kuchar — Kuchar has finished in the top seven here in the last three years, including twice at Glen Abbey. Playing strong golf overall.
4. Jim Furyk — Furyk is another Canadian Open specialist, who is particularly great at Glen Abbey. He wasn’t wonderful at Troon, but it’s alright this week.
5. Brandt Snedeker — Snedeker won here in 2013. He has a great record in this event and wasn’t able to play last year because of an injury.
Sleepers: RBC Canadian Open.
By Rob Bolton
1. Roberto Castro … Fresh off a T11 at the Barbasol Championship, the third top-11 finish in his last five starts dating back to a playoff loss at Quail Hollow in May. Led last week’s field in strokes gained: tee-to-green. For the season, he’s 21st in the stat to pay off ranking ninth in driving accuracy and 13th in greens in regulation. It’s the kind of show that can thrive anywhere as long as the putts are dropping. Therein lies his challenge, but the 31-year-old sits T4 in par-4 scoring and T39 in par-5 scoring. Also 2-for-2 at Glen Abbey with a T6 in 2013.
2. Bryce Molder … As much as he knows who he is and where he prospers, it’s still a surprise that the 37-year-old has appeared only once before at Glen Abbey. He tied for 16th in 2009 in what was his third wind on the PGA TOUR, so to speak. He’s stuck since and carved out a career as a worthy navigator in cozier ballparks. This reputation is strikingly evident in sorted splits across the board. Currently 39th in fairways hit, 11th in strokes gained: putting, second in scrambling and first in strokes gained: around-the-green. A fruitful season has yielded five top 10s overall, but he’s played marvelously in his last seven starts, especially, en route to five top 25s.
3. Ben Martin … While the 29-year-old is fully exempt through 2016-17, it was beginning to look like he wasn’t going to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs this season, but with a T7 at the Barracuda Championship and a T20 at the Barbasol Championship, he’s nearly inside the safe zone at 110th with 441 points. (Last year’s bubble burst at 458 points, but with one more event on the schedule.) The South Carolina native is making his debut at Glen Abbey where his skill set can shine. Ranks 43rd in scoring opportunities, T10 in conversion percentage inside 10 feet, T43 in par-4 scoring and T22 in par-5 scoring.
4. Mark Wilson … It was at Glen Abbey last year when a T22 sparked a mild run of form to secure his card for this season. He arrived slotted 121st in the FedExCup standings and left parked at 114th, which also happened to be his opening position in the Playoffs. That finish remained his best anywhere until a T13 at the Barracuda Championship three weeks ago. Now, as he registered for his sixth appearance at Glen Abbey, the 41-year-old is 168th in FedExCup points. A sparkling slate here includes top 25s in each of his last four, including a T6 in 2013.
5. Dan McCarthy ... For the last couple of years, the Canada’s national championship has reserved tee times for standout performers on the Mackenzie Tour—PGA TOUR Canada. In 2014, Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen placed T53 at Royal Montreal. Last year’s Order of Merit leader J.J. Spaun finished T41 at Glen Abbey, only to get beaten by Adam Svensson, who landed ninth in season earnings on their circuit but T34 in the tournament. This year’s crop is led by McCarthy, who has won three of the first six tournaments of the season on the developmental proving ground. It’s the first time anyone has done that since Aaron Goldberg also won thrice in 2010. The 30-year-old from New York has stated that his success isn’t so much sudden as it is a culmination of all of the things that go into achieving his career objectives. In his only previous PGA TOUR start, he missed the cut at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, but Glen Abbey will cater to his overall form and knack to go low. He’s way out front on the Mackenzie Tour—PGA TOUR Canada with an actual scoring average of 67.42. (Average par in his 24 rounds would be 71.33.)
Eight countries battle for national pride in International Crown.
By Randall Mell
The second rendition of the International Crown begins Thursday at the Merit Club looking to build upon its promising start at Caves Valley outside Baltimore two years ago. The biennial international team event possesses the kind of nationalistic fervor that makes the Solheim Cup successful, but with the potential to make a greater impact. That’s because the Crown’s scale is so much larger as it encompasses the entire world of women’s golf.
With eight nations qualifying, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, where women’s golf is so much more popular than anywhere else in the world, this event’s reach goes far beyond the Solheim Cup’s. The LPGA will announce details this week of its plans to play the 2018 event in South Korea, where it promises to be embraced as a kind of Super Bowl of women’s golf.
With more nationalistic passion than what makes the Solheim Cup work, the Crown is only lacking in history.
Will the No. 1 seeded Koreans battle the second-seeded Americans to the end this year? That’s the kind of showdown that can quickly build a rivalry and escalate this event’s status. There are already roots for that rivalry. The Koreans eliminated the Americans from the inaugural International Crown, knocking the United States out in a playoff to see who advanced to Sunday singles as the wild card out of pool play. It was a big blow to the Americans, who were the top seeds in 2014.
South Korea, playing under its Olympic designation as the Republic of Korea, joins the United States in the four-day team match-play event once again. Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, England and China also qualified with four-woman teams.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 2 Brooke Henderson may not be in this week’s event with New Zealand and Canada failing to qualify, but seven of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings will be competing, including Lexi Thompson, Ariya Jutanugarn, Stacy Lewis, Sei Young Kim, and In Gee Chun.
“We wanted to do something completely different,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said of the Crown’s addition to the schedule two years ago.
Whan, though, didn’t want to create a women’s version of the PGA Tour’s Presidents Cup.
“We wanted players to have a chance to play for country,” Whan said. “Forming a ‘Team Rest of the World’ is just hard to define.”
Whan wanted players competing under their own flags, and that simple concept proved a stroke of genius. It made all the difference in the world in stoking interest in the new event.
While the Presidents Cup feels coldly contrived, the International Crown felt naturally heated.
You saw it and felt it that first year with Hall of Famer Karrie Webb gazing up at the Australian flag with her country’s national anthem being played in the event’s opening.
“Our blood boils when we hear our anthem and when we see the flag,” Beatriz Recari said about the Spaniards winning the inaugural competition. “We feel the flag.”
The Spaniards aren’t back to defend their title. That’s how competitive qualifying was again. Sweden also didn’t qualify to return. England and China beat them out as newcomers.
“I played in the Solheim Cup a few years ago, and it was the best golf experience I’ve ever had,” England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff said. “This is going to be fun to be back in a team environment again.”
Sixteen of the 32 players in this week’s field are scheduled to compete in the Olympic women’s golf competition in Rio de Janeiro next month.
While the UL International Crown may not feature all the women’s stars the Olympics will, the Crown will offer a more compelling format. With fourball team match play for three days and Sunday singles, there’s going to be more daily drama than the standard 72-hole individual stroke play format will feature in the Olympics. With match play at the Crown, there will be winning and losing right from the first hole.
“For fourballs, it's just a birdie-fest,” Lewis said. “You've got to go out there and make as many birdies as you can. With that format, you just never know. You can go out there and make nine or 10 birdies as a team and lose. You’ve just got to play aggressive. It’s a fun week.”
Korea, Australia, Chinese Taipei and China will compete in Pool A.
The United States, Japan, Thailand and England will compete in Pool B.
A match victory is worth two points, a tie worth one point through the entire event.
Over the first three days, each team will play two fourball matches against every other team within its pool. The top two teams from each pool will advance to Sunday’s singles. A fifth team will advance from a Saturday playoff between the third-place teams from each pool. On Sunday, each remaining team will play one singles match against every other team, with 10 total matches.
The champion will be determined by who wins the most cumulative points over the four days of competition.
“I remember walking the range before the matches began [in 2014] and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda telling me she didn’t expect her hands to be shaking,” Whan said. “She wanted to do well for Spain.”
That’s the kind of nationalistic pride that makes these international team events work so well.
NASCAR: Power Rankings: Did Keselowski get knocked off the top spot?
By Nick Bromberg
Matt Kenseth won Sunday's race at NHMS (Getty Images)
1. Brad Keselowski (LW: 1): The answer to our headline is “No,” even though Keselowski lost ground to points leader Kevin Harvick. Keselowski’s car was not in pristine shape at the end of Sunday’s New Hampshire race and he didn’t make up much track position after a late pit stop. He finished 15th.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3): As you likely know, Harvick wasn’t too happy about his team’s performance throughout Sunday’s race. He might have had the best car but when you keep losing track position at a track position track like New Hampshire, well, it’s hard to show off just how good your car is. Harvick finished fourth, and while he was disgusted after the race we’re going to go out on a limb and say he’d take another fourth in the Chase instead of running out of gas like he did last year.
3. Joey Logano (LW: 6): Logano clawed his way to the front thanks to the flurry of late-race restarts and ended up finishing third. Given all of the success Logano has had at Team Penske, his first race win (at New Hampshire, thanks to a strategy play before a thunderstorm) seems like such a distant memory. Maybe Logano still has that lobster somewhere.
4. Kurt Busch (LW: 2): No top-10 for Busch this week. Not long after Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman crashed following flat tires after tire rubs, Busch had a tire rub as well after contact. Instead of playing it safe and pitting to avoid the fate Elliott and Bowman faced, Busch and team hoped it wouldn’t happen to them. Oops. Busch spun and ended up 22nd.
5. Kyle Busch (LW: 5): Kyle Busch led the most laps throughout Sunday’s race but his car wasn’t as fast at the end. Busch led 133 laps but fell to eighth at the finish as teammate Matt Kenseth dominated the final 45 laps of the race. While Busch would have loved to have tied Keselowski with four wins on the season, like Harvick, we can guess he’d be fine with an eighth-place finish at NHMS in September.
6. Tony Stewart (LW: 10): Did anyone see this run of form coming from the No. 14 car? Yeah, Stewart got himself into the Chase at Sonoma, but damn if he hasn’t looked like a driver that could legitimately make the final four at Homestead. Sure, his Kentucky finish was thanks to fuel mileage, but he drove a great race at New Hampshire and had a top-10 car at Michigan.
7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Catastrophe loves Truex. This time the catastrophe came in the form of a broken shifter. It meant Truex’s car was stuck in fourth gear and he couldn’t accelerate on restarts. Truex ended up finishing a spot behind Keselowski in 16th despite leading 123 laps. We fully anticipate Truex leading 90 percent of a race’s laps (again) on his way to a win as a way to even out this ridiculousness.
6. Tony Stewart (LW: 10): Did anyone see this run of form coming from the No. 14 car? Yeah, Stewart got himself into the Chase at Sonoma, but damn if he hasn’t looked like a driver that could legitimately make the final four at Homestead. Sure, his Kentucky finish was thanks to fuel mileage, but he drove a great race at New Hampshire and had a top-10 car at Michigan.
7. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 4): Catastrophe loves Truex. This time the catastrophe came in the form of a broken shifter. It meant Truex’s car was stuck in fourth gear and he couldn’t accelerate on restarts. Truex ended up finishing a spot behind Keselowski in 16th despite leading 123 laps. We fully anticipate Truex leading 90 percent of a race’s laps (again) on his way to a win as a way to even out this ridiculousness.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR): Welcome to Power Rankings, Matthew. The reason we have Kenseth so low is because of the likelihood his team will receive a penalty for the car failing inspection after the race. But even if Kenseth is penalized, he’s going to keep the win. He’ll just lose the bonus points for the Chase more than likely and his crew chief Jason Ratcliff will probably miss a race or few.
9. Ryan Newman (LW: 10): Newman got through the accident on the backstretch unscathed and ended up finishing seventh. Newman hit Carl Edwards in the back bumper as the field checked up behind Kyle Larson as Larson got loose off turn 2 late in the race. Edwards went spinning, Larson went spinning and Kasey Kahne got damage. Meanwhile, Newman is 12th in the standings, two points behind Chase Elliott.
10. Denny Hamlin (LW: 12): Hamlin’s back from the edge. He finished ninth on Sunday and tried to sneak a win by staying out on old tires. A move that might have worked out in the past at NHMS didn’t with this combination of tires as Hamlin fell back before he came to pit road after he lost the lead.
11. Jimmie Johnson (LW: NR): Johnson had a tough day, but so did some other drivers in last week’s rankings, so he gets to move up a spot. He could have finished in the top 10 but slid through his pit box on his final pit stop and ended up finishing 12th.
12. Jamie McMurray (LW: NR): McMurray is plugging along. He could be the biggest beneficiary of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s absence as he is 14th in the Chase standings, 13 points ahead of Junior now. He’s also now the second-to-last driver in the provisional Chase. Can he stay there?
The Lucky Dog: Greg Biffle finished fifth. Can he crack the top 20 in the standings?
The DNF: Brian Scott finished 38th. It has not been his summer.
NASCAR experimenting with additional timing loops on pit road.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
NASCAR experimented with extra timing loops on pit road for the Xfinity and Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a week after a penalty to Martin Truex Jr. raised questions about drivers accelerating past a competitor while heading to their pit stall.
The extra timing loops were not live because NASCAR wanted to ensure they would work within the software in place. NASCAR hopes to implement the expanded system soon, a statement Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, noted Monday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This isn’t the first time NASCAR has added extra timing loops at a track after questions about the issue. Jeff Gordon called for extra timing loops after the 2011 Bristol night race, saying that Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski both sped to their stalls, passing cars, once they passed the final timing line before their pit stall. Extra timing loops were in place there for the spring 2012 race.
At Kentucky, Truex passed leader Kevin Harvick after crossing the last timing line before his pit stall. That helped Truex beat Harvick off pit road, but NASCAR penalized Truex for the move. Truex later said he was doing what others had done. NASCAR reiterated the rule on passing on pit road in the drivers meeting for both the Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series last weekend at New Hampshire.
“You go back to (Truex) and because it was passing the leader, everybody is looking at that,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “As we went back and talked to Martin’s team about what happened, there certainly were some areas we could clarify in the rules.
“We really wanted to look at what causes that. When we looked at the timing loops, the distance between those allows for what you saw occur with (Truex). He’s doing his job trying to win races. We’re looking also on background at additional loops that we can implement to help police that on a race-by-race weekend.”
O’Donnell also was asked on “The Morning Drive” if there could be another system used to better control pit road speeds by competitors.
“We like the fact that it’s in the driver’s hands and team’s hands instead of flipping the switch (to run pit road speed), we feel like that is part of the NASCAR experience, NASCAR racing, but I think what you can see us go to is more consistent GPS data, which we are working hard on,” O’Donnell said. “We’re not there yet. So, short-term, it will be some additional (timing) loops. As NASCAR develops new technologies, we’re going to embrace those. It’s an area we can get more data out to the fans as well and that’s something we’re going to look at for sure and is in the works and excited about the possibilities in that space.”
SOCCER: Fire host Ft. Lauderdale with eye on U.S. Open Cup semifinal spot
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The U.S. Open Cup has become the priority for the Chicago Fire this season.
Coach Veljko Paunovic called Wednesday’s quarterfinal against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers a must-win and even rested players Saturday at FC Dallas to strengthen the team for this match.
“We all know how much we value this competition and it becomes a priority,” Paunovic said on Monday. “We will go with all our horses in this game against Ft. Lauderdale, who is a team that has proven that they can beat any MLS team. They did so far in Open Cup, two times, so full respect, full power against them.”
Coach Veljko Paunovic called Wednesday’s quarterfinal against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers a must-win and even rested players Saturday at FC Dallas to strengthen the team for this match.
“We all know how much we value this competition and it becomes a priority,” Paunovic said on Monday. “We will go with all our horses in this game against Ft. Lauderdale, who is a team that has proven that they can beat any MLS team. They did so far in Open Cup, two times, so full respect, full power against them.”
The quarterfinal will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Park and will be streamed live on chicago-fire.com.
The Strikers got this far in the competition by beating the Richmond Kickers and D.C. United in penalty kicks before beating Orlando City in extra time last round. That’s three wins with none of them coming in 90 minutes.
Ft. Lauderdale went 4-3-3 in the North American Soccer League’s first half, good for sixth place out of 11 teams, and is 0-3-1 in the fall season. Indy Eleven, the NASL team the Fire squeaked by in penalties in the Fire’s first Open Cup match this season, beat the Strikers 3-0 on July 13.
Former Fire players in Maicon Santos, the Strikers' leading scorer who spent part of 2013 with the Fire, and Victor Pineda, a former Fire homegrown, play for the Strikers. Maicon Santos will be out due to suspension after picking up a red card at Orlando.
Off the field, the Strikers picked up some unwanted attention this season for paying players late on multiple occasions this season. The team’s Brazilian ownership group includes World Cup winner Ronaldo as a minority owner.
All this adds up to the Strikers not being a very imposing opponent on paper, but Paunovic insists the Fire will play a strong lineup despite being in the middle of a crowded stretch in the schedule. This match will be the Fire’s fourth in 12 days and trip to New England comes three days later.
“All our eyes are on this game and we want to prepare and win the game,” Paunovic said. “Then we will look forward of course. We know that we have New England right after, three days after, so we also know what we want to achieve in that game. Having this stretch it is important to recover well, having a plan where all the guys are important and have to be engaged. So far I think we are doing a good job with that and players understanding very well their roles.”
Paunovic indicated on Monday that Matt Lampson will start at goalkeeper. Lampson has started the previous two U.S. Open Cup matches. In addition, Joey Calistri, who missed Saturday’s loss at FC Dallas due to an ankle sprain, will not be ready to return on Wednesday.
Preseason schedule: Games galore for Premier League teams – July 19-24.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Preseason is in full flow for all 20 Premier League teams and, we know, it is quite difficult to track all of the friendlies going on.
Don’t worry, this is where we come in.
Plenty of clubs have already been in action as they ramp up their preparations for the 2016-17 season and others haven’t even start yet.
The big International Champions Cup tournament kicks off this week with Leicester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham to take part in the tournament spread across Europe, North America, Australia and China.
Below you will find the schedule for every PL team in action this week up until Jul. 24.
Don’t worry, this is where we come in.
Plenty of clubs have already been in action as they ramp up their preparations for the 2016-17 season and others haven’t even start yet.
The big International Champions Cup tournament kicks off this week with Leicester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham to take part in the tournament spread across Europe, North America, Australia and China.
Below you will find the schedule for every PL team in action this week up until Jul. 24.
AFC Bournemouth
20 July v Minnesota United (National Sports Centre Stadium, Minnesota)
23 July v Portsmouth (Fratton Park)
Arsenal
22 July v RC Lens (Stade Bollaert-Delelis)
Burnley
19 July v Morecambe (Globe Arena)
23 July v Bradford City (Coral Windows Stadium)
Chelsea
20 July v WAC RZ Pellets (Worthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt)
Crystal Palace
19 July v Vancouver Whitecaps FC (BC Place, Vancouver)
Everton
23 July v Barnsley (Oakwell)
Hull City
19 July v Mansfield Town (Field Mill)
23 July v Scunthorpe United (Glanford Park)
Leicester City
19 July v Oxford United (Kassam Stadium, Oxford)
International Champions Cup
23 July v Celtic (Celtic Park)
Liverpool
20 July v Huddersfield Town (John Smith’s Stadium)
Manchester City
20 July v Bayern Munich (Allianz Arena, Munich)
Manchester United
International Champions Cup
22 July v Borussia Dortmund (Shanghai Stadium)
Southampton
23 July v PEC Zwolle (MAC³PARK Stadion)
Stoke City
23 July v Preston North End (Deepdale)
Sunderland
20 July v Hartlepool Utd (Victoria Park)
23 July v Rotherham Utd (AESSEAL New York Stadium)
Swansea City
23 July v Bristol Rovers (Memorial Stadium)
West Bromwich Albion
21 July v Vitesse Arnhem (GelreDome, Arnhem)
23 July v PSV Eindhoven (GelreDome, Arnhem)
Premier League preseason roundup: Leicester comes from behind, Hull wins, West Ham pegged late.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
Leicester City needed a comeback, but they prevailed in their first preseason friendly, a 2-1 victory over League One side Oxford United at Kassam Stadium in Oxford.
The hosts got on the board first with Chris Maguire burying a free kick 14 minutes in. But Leicester City took control from there, and goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and 20-year-old Demarai Gray put the Foxes into a winning position. Riyad Mahrez, Robert Huth, Danny Drinkwater and Wes Morgan all featured for Leicester, while new signing Ahmed Musa also logged minutes. 18-year-old hometown kid Hamza Choudhury started next Drinkwater in N'Golo Kante‘s old position.
The Foxes weren’t the only Premier League side on a winning end today as Hull City brushed aside League Two side Mansfield Town 1-0 at One Call Stadium. 20-year old Jarrod Bowen scored the game’s only goal, but there were two other talking points. On the positive side, Peter Odemwingie featured for the Tigers on trial, as the experienced striker looks for a new club. Unfortunately for Hull, captain Michael Dawson was injured, picking up damage to his MCL.
The hosts got on the board first with Chris Maguire burying a free kick 14 minutes in. But Leicester City took control from there, and goals from Jeffrey Schlupp and 20-year-old Demarai Gray put the Foxes into a winning position. Riyad Mahrez, Robert Huth, Danny Drinkwater and Wes Morgan all featured for Leicester, while new signing Ahmed Musa also logged minutes. 18-year-old hometown kid Hamza Choudhury started next Drinkwater in N'Golo Kante‘s old position.
The Foxes weren’t the only Premier League side on a winning end today as Hull City brushed aside League Two side Mansfield Town 1-0 at One Call Stadium. 20-year old Jarrod Bowen scored the game’s only goal, but there were two other talking points. On the positive side, Peter Odemwingie featured for the Tigers on trial, as the experienced striker looks for a new club. Unfortunately for Hull, captain Michael Dawson was injured, picking up damage to his MCL.
West Ham went to Austria to take on Czech side FC Slovacko, and put in a positive performance before two late goals pegged them back to a 2-2 draw. Mark Noble bagged a long-range goal and Ashley Fletcher added a header just after halftime to put the Hammers up 2-0, but with Slaven Bilic having taken out most of the regulars as the game wound down, the Slovacko scored twice in the final five minutes.
Middlesbrough is gearing up for a return to the Premier League, but they have some work to do after a 2-1 loss to La Liga club Real Betis in Marbella, Spain. Jordan Rhodes scored his third goal of the preseason in the second half, but it was too little too late after Dani Ceballos and Ruben Castro had put the Spaniards comfortably ahead. The match was quite the step up in quality for Aitor Karanka’s side, having beaten lower-division sides York City and Doncaster so far.
Burnley came from behind, needing a late goal to draw level with League Two minnows Morecamb, finishing with a 1-1 scoreline. There was plenty of squad rotation, but Morecambe took the lead midway through the second half before Andre Gray brought it back level 10 minutes later.
Finally, Watford downed 2.Bundesliga club Union Berlin 3-1 in Austria behind goals from Etienne Capoue, Troy Deeney and Steven Berghuis. Capoue needed just 13 minutes to put the Hornets ahead, and Deeney bagged one from the penalty spot just before halftime. Odion Ighalo was also bright, assisting Capoue’s opener and nearly scoring soon after.
NCAAFB: Big 12 now says it will immediately consider expansion candidates.
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/Getty Images)
Has the Big 12 decided it wants to move ahead with expansion?
In a conference call Tuesday afternoon with Oklahoma president David Boren and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the conference announced it had unanimously given Bowlsby the go-ahead to evaluate candidates for expansion. While Boren mentioned the expansion process as a “forward step,” it was clear that the conference was ready to expand.
In a conference call Tuesday afternoon with Oklahoma president David Boren and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, the conference announced it had unanimously given Bowlsby the go-ahead to evaluate candidates for expansion. While Boren mentioned the expansion process as a “forward step,” it was clear that the conference was ready to expand.
“I think it’s a statement from the board that we want to move forward,” Boren said. “We’ve had discussion of the attributes of some of those schools that have come to us and expressed interest. And that we want to move forward and have a full evaluation of exactly the level of their interest, what kind of proposals they might make to us in terms of terms and conditions for joining the conference.”
The rustling you hear is schools like Boise State, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis and others frantically preparing their best pitches for consideration by the conference.
The Big 12 may not simply expand back to 12, either. Per the phone call, the conference could be open to adding four teams to make a 14-team league. If the Big 12 was to go to 14, the Pac-12 would be the only 12-team Power Five conference.
Not too long ago it seemed the conference was willing to table the idea of expansion for the time being. But some news from Tuesday morning might have changed the minds’ of the conference’s members. Given all of the discussion surrounding expansion, it doesn’t feel like it would take much to sway the conference one way or another regarding the topic.
“But [the ACC Network] does indicate to us that we are continuing to operate in an environment that is filled with change, even over the period of a few days a matter can change,” Boren said. “And we felt the need to receive an update from our consultants, including their best advice on what the impact of any ACC agreement with media partners might have on our conference.
With a television network on its ledger, the ACC would have revenue streams that come close to the ones the Big Ten and SEC have with their networks. Plus, the Pac-12 has one too. Did the Big 12 see it could be left behind without a bigger conference?
Boren and Bowlsby also made it apparent throughout their teleconference that they wanted to be enticed by those schools who want to be members of the conference.
“It will be an ongoing process,” Bowlsby said. “We’re just finished with the meeting and I don’t know that I’m prepared to put a timeframe on it right now. But we intend to be active very soon. We have been contacted by a number of institutions and my guess is that after this news breaks we’ll be contacted by them again.
“There likely will be a two-stage process of some sort that will involve some preliminary work and then a secondary process as well that gets into a little more of a, perhaps even a fact-finding but also a negotiation change.”
The Big 12 has also made it clear there are provisions in its current television contract that would allow it to renegotiate with ESPN and Fox if it expanded. Teams in the conference would not be in favor of expanding if they had to split the current television contract with more teams.
“Obviously we’re looking at the strength of the athletic programs, their competitiveness. We’re looking at the fan base, we’re looking at access to media markets. And also we’re very much looking at the reputations of these institutions for integrity. We’re looking at the academic standards of these universities, the level of research and teaching at these institutions.
The conference recently said it was adding a title game starting in 2017 and Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops noted the financial impact of that decision in his remarks Tuesday. You can bet expansion has a lot to do with revenue as well.
“I think for the right reasons [a championship game] is the right thing to do,” Stoops said. “It’s been talked a lot about, primarily the 13th data point and primarily also everybody gets an extra $3 million. That’s significant.”
Boren and Bowlsby also said they were satisfied with the explanation Baylor gave them in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
“We were assured of the university’s commitment to keep the conference apprised of what was going on as we move forward,” Boren said. “… Questions and answers were received and I would say we were very pleased, not only by the commitment of president [David] Garland but also by the assurance that he has the support of the board represented today by its chairman of the committee and as well as the chairman of the board.”
Illini announce training camp schedule.
By Vinnie Duber
Illini Head Coach Lovie Smith (Photo/yahoosports.com)
The Lovie Smith Era is upon the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Of course, the former Bears coach was in Champaign for spring practice, but things get real starting next month. The Illini announced their schedule for August's training camp, during which the team will prep for Smith's first season as the head man of the orange and blue.
Practice runs most of the month of August, starting Aug. 4, and is open to the public.
Here's the complete schedule, tweeted out by the Illini on Tuesday:
Of course, the former Bears coach was in Champaign for spring practice, but things get real starting next month. The Illini announced their schedule for August's training camp, during which the team will prep for Smith's first season as the head man of the orange and blue.
Practice runs most of the month of August, starting Aug. 4, and is open to the public.
Here's the complete schedule, tweeted out by the Illini on Tuesday:
"#Illini Training camp starts Aug. 4 and is open to public! 
Join us at Memorial Stadium » http://bit.ly/IlliniTrainingCamp16 …
Illini Football
@IlliniFootball
8:18 AM - 19 Jul 2016
Smith and the Illini open the 2016 campaign against Murray State on Sep. 3 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
NCAABKB: NCAA announces changes to selection committee, process.
Join us at Memorial Stadium » http://bit.ly/IlliniTrainingCamp16 …Illini Football
@IlliniFootball
8:18 AM - 19 Jul 2016
Smith and the Illini open the 2016 campaign against Murray State on Sep. 3 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
NCAABKB: NCAA announces changes to selection committee, process.
By Raphielle Johnson
(AP Photo/David J, Phillips)
With the position of NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee Chair being a one-year responsibility, the NCAA announced its choice for chairman for the 2017-18 season. Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen will move into that role in 2017, replacing current chair and Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis. Among the responsibilities for the chair are to answer the questions that come after the selection committee releases the NCAA tournament bracket and to hand out the national championship trophy.
That wasn’t the only change announced by the NCAA either, with one such alteration being quite the departure from the way in which the selection committed used to do things.
Per the NCAA, the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament will get to choose where they play the first weekend of the tournament. Teams considered to be in the running for the top overall seed will submit their preferences to the selection committee well in advance of Selection Sunday, so there won’t be any knowledge of possible opponents at that time.
While this is a change to how the NCAA has done things in past brackets, going primarily by mileage when looking to place top seeds as close to their campus as possible, this isn’t exactly a seismic shift since the top overall seed won’t be known until Sunday. But it does give those top teams an option, with designs on it being an additional perk that those programs will have earned.
The bigger change to the selection process is the attempt to revise some of the metrics used by the committee when selecting teams and filling out the bracket, with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) recommending that the men’s basketball committee take a look at this.
That wasn’t the only change announced by the NCAA either, with one such alteration being quite the departure from the way in which the selection committed used to do things.
Per the NCAA, the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament will get to choose where they play the first weekend of the tournament. Teams considered to be in the running for the top overall seed will submit their preferences to the selection committee well in advance of Selection Sunday, so there won’t be any knowledge of possible opponents at that time.
While this is a change to how the NCAA has done things in past brackets, going primarily by mileage when looking to place top seeds as close to their campus as possible, this isn’t exactly a seismic shift since the top overall seed won’t be known until Sunday. But it does give those top teams an option, with designs on it being an additional perk that those programs will have earned.
The bigger change to the selection process is the attempt to revise some of the metrics used by the committee when selecting teams and filling out the bracket, with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) recommending that the men’s basketball committee take a look at this.
The committee also agreed in concept with the NABC recommendation, as evidenced by past practice in the process, that criteria such as quality wins, overall and non-conference strength of schedule, and road/neutral wins were primary criteria in selecting and seeding the tournament field. Further analysis and study of refining and possibly redefining those specific criteria for the future will be considered by the basketball committee and ad hoc group representatives over the next year. Finally, a longer-term discussion will be ongoing regarding the use of geography and impact of intra-conference matchup possibilities in the principles and procedures for bracketing.The RPI is a metric that has been used by the selection committee for years, but with the growth in analytics the RPI has come under fire for being outdated. And given the number of options at our disposal these days, the formula used to put together the RPI looks even more archaic. Anything that can be done to modernize that particular metric, especially if the committee will continue to use it, can only benefit college basketball down the line.
Tour De France: Stage 1, Chris Froome on a defensive mode.
Le Tour France
(Photo/Le Tour France)
Chris Froome has attacked downhill (to Bagnères-de-Luchon, his only stage win so far), on the flat (to Montpellier with Peter Sagan), uphill (to Mont Ventoux, before being stopped by a crash). He's been the best of the GC contenders against the clock in the Ardèche. He faked an attack to test his rivals on the Grand Colombier. He seems to have the race under his hand for the third time. He can go for the last mountainous part of the race on a defensive mode. His advantage is 1.47 over Bauke Mollema, 2.45 over Adam Yates and 2.59 over Nairo Quintana. It's significant but not enormous. Froome is the only rider who has experienced losing the yellow jersey at Finhaut-Emosson. It happened at the Critérium du Dauphiné two years ago. Everything seemed under control for Team Sky but Alberto Contador attacked them in the last two kilometers. The hors-category final climb is a grueling one. Lieuwe Westra's stage victory at the Dauphiné recalls the possibility for a winning breakaway in the only entire Swiss stage of the Tour de France. FDJ's Steve Morabito and Sébastien Reichenbach who are the locals might be inspired.
On
emoriesofhistory.com
1859 - Brooklyn and New York played baseball at Fashion Park Race Course on Long Island, NY. The game marked the first time that admission was charged to see a ball game. It cost $.50 to get in and the players on the field did not receive a salary.
1947 - The National Football League (NFL) ruled that no professional team could sign a player who had college eligibility remaining.
1958 - The PGA championship changed from match play to stroke play.
1974 - Carl Rosen's Chris Evert beat Miss Musket by 50 lengths in the winner-take-all match race at Hollywood Park.
2003 - Ben Curtis, an unknown PGA Tour rookie in his first major championship, won the British Open
1947 - The National Football League (NFL) ruled that no professional team could sign a player who had college eligibility remaining.
1958 - The PGA championship changed from match play to stroke play.
1974 - Carl Rosen's Chris Evert beat Miss Musket by 50 lengths in the winner-take-all match race at Hollywood Park.
2003 - Ben Curtis, an unknown PGA Tour rookie in his first major championship, won the British Open
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