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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it." ~ Ray Kroc, Businessman, Philanthropist And The Person That Built McDonald's Into The Best Fast Food Operation In The World
Trending: Rookie class making much-needed impact from Bears. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).
Trending: Arizona Coyotes hire first full-time female coach in NHL history. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks and NHL updates).
(Photo/cover32.com)
Trending: Who Vegas Is Picking to Win the 2016 World Series? (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Trending: College football Week 1 TV schedule: How to watch the Top 25 games. (See the college football section for NCAA football news and updates).
Trending: College football Week 1 TV schedule: How to watch the Top 25 games. (See the college football section for NCAA football news and updates).
Trending: Cubs and White Sox road to the "World Series".
Cubs 2016 Record: 81-45
White Sox 2016 Record: 61-65
(See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! John Fox dismissive of all in effort to instill toughness in Bears.
Bears coach John Fox talks with running back Jeremy Langford as he stretches with his team during the first day of mandatory minicamp on June 14, 2016 at Halas Hall. (Photo/Anthony Souffle/Chicago Tribune)
A pillar at left tackle for the Panthers, retired Pro Bowl player Jordan Gross only missed nine games in 11 NFL seasons.
Eight of those seasons came under coach John Fox, who routinely tweaked ailing Panthers players missing practice by referring to their "owies,'' the way he does with the Bears. The way Fox did with the Broncos.
"He'd use that term with us and I enjoyed it,'' Gross said Wednesday in a phone interview. "He'd ask, are you hurt or are you injured? That's what Foxy challenged us with as players … to know the difference and if you're good enough to go, you're good enough to go.''
And if you're not?
"If somebody was injured, he'd never ask you to do something to jeopardize yourself but if you were hurt or had an 'owie' — as he likes to say — then you should be on the field,'' Gross said. "It's the right message to send. You have to challenge players to push themselves because sometimes they're not internally motivated enough to do that.''
The Bears practiced Wednesday at Halas Hall without 17 players out with varying degrees of injury. They have the deepest infirmary in the league. Their high attrition rate threatens the season even before it begins Sept. 11, when the banged-up Bears could take the field without their top pass-rusher, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, and pass-protector, right guard Kyle Long.
Cornerback Kyle Fuller also remains iffy for Week 1 after arthroscopic knee surgery. Tight end Zach Miller and wide receiver Eddie Royal are recovering from concussions. Hamstring issues hamper rookie first-rounder Leonard Floyd, linebacker Danny Trevathan, nickel back Bryce Callahan and tight end Tony Moeaki, among others.
Fox looks healthy but always sounds like he has a headache. That makes his demeanor officially listed somewhere between questionable and doubtful.
He consistently talks down to reporters — and fans, by extension — so often they really should hold his post-practice news conferences at a pulpit. The latest condescending moment came Tuesday when Fox scoffed when asked if Long, whom the Tribune reported was dealing with a labrum issue, would be ready for the season-opener.
"It doesn't really matter what I think,'' Fox said. "There are medical people involved and when he's cleared, he'll play.''
Ever evasive, football coaches would rather reveal their favorite romantic comedy than information on an injury. But Fox can do better. Coyness gains him no competitive advantage, as he thinks, especially in preseason.
It does matter what the head coach thinks about the status of a Pro Bowl starter. It's not about being nice to the media as much as being professional and speaking about a team's best player on behalf of the organization. Say you're hopeful but need more time to evaluate Long's condition. Say you're not sure yet. Say anything without sounding like a combative grump. At some point in the difficult months ahead, and possibly years, Fox could need the fan base he neglects with every dismissive response.
Instead, Fox defiantly acts like a coach entitled to the benefit of the doubt in Chicago, a football city where he has yet to earn it. He has won nothing here, and his second Bears team hardly looks capable of improving on last year's 6-10 record. How far away are the Bears from a 10-6 season that got Lovie Smith fired? Fox brought an NFL track record but so far, other than hire an elite coaching staff, has provided little evidence to suggest he will get the Bears back on track to the playoffs.
The high number of missed practices this preseason raises legitimate questions about the wisdom of the Bears' commitment to sports science, especially given the volume of soft-tissue injuries. The rhetoric from Fox, particularly when he invokes the term "owie" that could be interpreted as pejorative, leaves the impression that some Bears simply need to toughen up — which might be part of Fox's grand plan if history is any indicator.
"When I was with him, he always said the two qualities he wanted in players were smart and tough — he didn't say athletic,'' Gross said. "He was in his second year as head coach and really adamant about establishing a physical presence.''
One thought: Fox recognizes the Bears lack so much talent that they will struggle to establish an identity offensively or defensively. As an alternative, he hopes to field a team identity of mental toughness, a trait developed by fighting through nagging injuries and finding ways to persevere. Everything starts with a mindset that perhaps an old-school coach like Fox aims to establish in an NFL era increasingly harder to see a carryover effect from practice because of the league's collective bargaining agreement.
"Guys in the pros now didn't go through two-a-days in college or high school and players have so many rights to protect themselves, health wise, which is a good thing but as a head coach you have an agenda,'' Gross said. "You want to instill an identity on a team. The nature of the CBA and training camp schedule makes that pretty tough to do.''
As the owies add up on the Bears, the process can be painful to watch too.
What we learned: Kyle Long injury puts third-string center in spotlight.
Bears center Cornelius Edison sprays himself with water in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on Aug. 11, 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Here are three things we learned Wednesday at Halas Hall, where the Bears practiced indoors after storms blew through Lake Forest:
1. Quarterback Jay Cutler is "not really that concerned" about right guard Kyle Long's shoulder injury.
"When he plays, he's going to play," Cutler added. "Until then, we have a good crew there."
Cutler may say he isn't concerned, but he has a couple of good reasons to be.
For now, his offensive line includes third-string center Cornelius Edison, who was undrafted last season out of Portland State and never has taken a snap in a regular-season game.
And if Long does play through the labrum injury, game action would repeatedly test his strength and range of motion.
Long would grit through any injury he could tolerate. But even if he is on the field Sept. 11 in Houston, he might be less than full strength for part or all of the season.
That would be problematic as the Bears count on his athleticism, blocking skill and leadership. He's a major weapon in the zone running attack and screen game.
"You're missing that big guy who can lock down the three-technique," Cutler said.
"Whenever he's in there, you know that side is pretty much going to be void. You're going to have room to step up."
Long probably won't speak to reporters until he practices again, so the earliest possible update on his status likely won't come until Sept. 5. In the meantime, the Bears get to test contingency plans.
2. Edison has an incredible opportunity because of injuries to Long and top center Hroniss Grasu (right knee ACL).
With veteran Ted Larsen being moved from center back to right guard, Edison is trying to gain a foothold with the top unit. Cutler understandably likes working with an experienced center, so it's a collective challenge to get him ready.
"It's just being really vocal and really helping him along," Cutler said. "And once he starts seeing it how I see it, how the coaches see it, it comes pretty fast. Today was his best yet of the last two or three."
Edison tore the ACL in his left knee during a pre-draft workout in 2015 when he stepped awkwardly without being hit. He said the Bears' veteran linemen are helping him with assignments and his confidence.
3. Running back Jeremy Langford returned to practice after missing three straight with an injured left foot.
That's a bit of good injury news for a team that needs truckloads more of it. His availability for Saturday's exhibition against the Chiefs would help the first-string offense get a clearer impression of where it stands in what is likely its final game of the preseason.
In other injury news, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (hamstring) sat out. Fox indicated right tackle Bobby Massie, cornerback Deiondre' Hall, and fullback Darrel Young were absent because of an illness that has been going around the team.
Tight end Zach Miller (concussion) and receiver Eddie Royal (concussion) "have practiced and executed a large percentage of their job fairly live here lately," Fox said.
Linebacker Lamin Barrow (right foot) sat out. Cornerback Jacoby Glenn (concussion) returned.
Rookie defensive end Jonathan Bullard was expected to rejoin the team Wednesday night, Fox said. He has missed three practices since Sunday with what Fox said are personal issues.
Rookie class making much-needed impact from Bears.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Preseason games are about evaluations as well as fusing together the component parts of offense, defense and special teams. But for a handful of Bears, a little more is at stake, for the franchise itself, not just for themselves.
The foundation of any franchise ultimately is the draft, and the Bears are seeing at least preliminary impact from key members of this draft class, and not simply down in the lower third of the projected roster. Why that becomes particularly relevant this weekend is that preseason game No. 3 is when starters and key rotational players, and the top picks in this year’s draft are in fact already firmly ensconced in roles at the top of the depth charts.
Among the most significant:
No. 1 - OLB Leonard Floyd
The No. 9-overall pick has not dominated through two games but insiders told CSNChicago.com that Floyd has not only played the run very well, but also delivered impact pass rushes even if only netting him a half-sack on stat sheets. Floyd has played 68 of opponents’ 126 pre-season snaps already and is a critical part of the current edge rotation with Sam Acho, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young as well of the future Bears defenses.
Floyd has missed practice time with three separate issues but “we've been very, very pleased with his progress,” coach John Fox said, an extra “very” always being noteworthy.
No. 2 - LG Cody Whitehair
After a brief flirtation with him replacing injured Hroniss Grasu at center, Whitehair has resumed his upward-trending at left guard. He has been the starter there since the opening of training camp, given an opportunity with an injury to Ted Larsen, and Whitehair has never given the job up.
“He’s done well,” said quarterback Jay Cutler. “He’s a smart kid. He’s quiet, he kind of fits in with that group and he’s doing exactly what we ask him to do. He’s really talented. You can see some stuff he does, the way he passes things off, it comes natural to him.”
No. 3 - DE Jonathan Bullard
Bullard has been given significant playing time (71 of opponents’ 126 snaps) and has produced four tackles, one for loss, and a half sack. He is part of a rotation with Mitch Unrein primarily and has demonstrated starter-grade impact already. “Our expectations are big,” said Fox. “My experience has been, you don’t expect much, you don’t get much. I think he’s lived up to expectations so far.”
No. 4’s - S Deon Bush/CB Deiondre’ Hall
The Bears selected safety Deon Bush three picks ahead of Hall in the fourth round; Bush did play 44 snaps and make two solo tackles against New England but has been out with an injury this week.
Hall tied for team high with five tackles vs. Denver, plus two pass breakups, and followed that with two tackles at New England as he took over when starter Jacoby Glenn went out with a concussion.
“[Hall] has improved,” Fox said. “When you bring in rookies you don’t really know. You get them out there, they play. He’s played a lot. He’s actually shown up pretty good. We’ll see where that takes us.”
No. 5 - RB Jordan Howard
Howard was given the ball 11 times during his 31 snaps at New England and netted 46 yards along with rave reviews from scouts. His workload may diminish against Kansas City with Ka’Deem Carey back from injury and Jeremy Langford and Jaquizz Rodgers doing heavy time with the No. 1 offense. But he has already made a strong impression.
“Howard, the rookie, has kind of followed along, picked it up as he goes,” Cutler said. “So with those four guys, you’ve got a lot of options.”
Safety DeAndre Houston-Carson (No. 6) and wideout Daniel Braverman (No. 7) have played but their main work will come next Thursday in the game four at Cleveland.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Jonathan Toews named Team Canada alternate captain for World Cup of Hockey.
By CSN Staff
(csnchicago.com)
Jonathan Toews was named alternate captain of Team Canada on Thursday for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.
Sidney Crosby was named Team Canada’s captain. Crosby, who claimed his second Stanley Cup in June, was also Team Canada’s captain en route to the gold medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Toews, who has been the Blackhawks’ captain since the 2008-09 season, was also alternate captain of Canada’s 2014 Olympic squad. Shea Weber of the Montreal Canadiens will serve as Team Canada’s other alternate captain.
Duncan Keith won't play for Team Canada in World Cup of Hockey.
By Tracey Myers
(csnchicago.com)
Duncan Keith will not be part of the Blackhawks’ World Cup of Hockey contingent after all.
Keith will focus on improving his health rather than play for Team Canada in the tournament, which takes place next month in Toronto. The Blackhawks released a statement regarding Keith on Wednesday afternoon.
"As Duncan continues offseason rehabilitation on the right knee injury that he sustained last season, we understand his decision not to participate in next month’s World Cup of Hockey," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in the statement. "We believe it is in his best interests to focus on getting stronger and not risk further injury."
Keith had surgery on that knee last October and was sidelined about one month.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will take Keith’s place.
Keith will focus on improving his health rather than play for Team Canada in the tournament, which takes place next month in Toronto. The Blackhawks released a statement regarding Keith on Wednesday afternoon.
"As Duncan continues offseason rehabilitation on the right knee injury that he sustained last season, we understand his decision not to participate in next month’s World Cup of Hockey," team physician Dr. Michael Terry said in the statement. "We believe it is in his best interests to focus on getting stronger and not risk further injury."
Keith had surgery on that knee last October and was sidelined about one month.
St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will take Keith’s place.
Arizona Coyotes hire first full-time female coach in NHL history.
By Dave Stevenson
The Arizona Coyotes have hired Dawn Braid as their skating coach, making her the first woman to serve as a full-time member of an NHL team's coaching staff.
For a very long time, the NHL has been known as a league dominated by men, not just on the ice, but off it as well. Women have rarely served in a large role for teams, which has led to female fans feeling alienated at times. The Arizona Coyotes may be starting to change that as they hired Dawn Braid as their full-time skating coach.
From NHL.com:
"Braid begins a full-time role with the Coyotes after joining the franchise on a part-time basis in 2015. Braid also spent seven years with the Athletes Training Center as its director of skating development where she instructed a variety of skaters including New York Islanders center John Tavares."
This is a monumental moment for the NHL. Women who have interest in working for NHL teams have very few female role models to look up to. Now they have Braid, who should do a great job in her role. Many more steps still have to be made, but this is a significant step forward.
The Coyotes have been aggressive this offseason under new general manager John Chayka. He surprised the league by trading for the rights to Alex Goligoski and convincing him to sign a long-term deal. Now he is creating ripples by signing a well-known skating instructor who has long deserved a chance as a skating coach in the NHL.
CUBS: Who Vegas Is Picking to Win the 2016 World Series?
By Jason Alsher
Kris Bryant (L) is greeted after hitting a home run. (Photo/David Banks/Getty Images)
The MLB season is long and arduous. It’s a 162-game marathon filled with doubleheaders, rain delays, a questionably slower pace, and more low-scoring affairs than most sports fans can handle. It’s fair to say that not everyone can handle the commitment it takes to be a true fan of the sport.
Of course, when the postseason rolls around and you just so happen to have a horse in the race, then that pretty much changes everything. Now that we’re heading into the home stretch of the year, we can almost see the finish line that is playoff baseball.
With just under 40 games left to play in the regular season, a handful of teams have emerged as legitimate title contenders — and the oddsmakers have taken notice. As we inch closer to the most exciting part of a Major League Baseball season, here’s a look at who Vegas is picking to win the 2016 World Series.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Of course, when the postseason rolls around and you just so happen to have a horse in the race, then that pretty much changes everything. Now that we’re heading into the home stretch of the year, we can almost see the finish line that is playoff baseball.
With just under 40 games left to play in the regular season, a handful of teams have emerged as legitimate title contenders — and the oddsmakers have taken notice. As we inch closer to the most exciting part of a Major League Baseball season, here’s a look at who Vegas is picking to win the 2016 World Series.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Although the Toronto Blue Jays are just 6-4 in their last 10 games, they still have a reason to be excited as we get closer to the month of September. With 37 games left in the regular season, the Blue Jays, led by MVP candidate Josh Donaldson (.289 batting average, 28 home runs, and 81 RBIs and Cy Young Award hopeful J.A. Happ (17-3, 3.05 ERA), have a 71-54 record and are tied atop the AL East standings with the Boston Red Sox. If this group can finish out the season on a high note, it’ll be tough to beat come playoff time.
4. Cleveland Indians
Odds: 8-1
The Cleveland Indians are only 6-4 in their last 10 games, but that doesn’t change the fact that they enter the home stretch of the regular season as one of the best teams in all of baseball. With less than 40 games remaining on the schedule, the Tribe are 72-52, hold a plus-98 run differential, have the seventh-lowest team ERA in the majors at 3.84, and are still 6.5 games up in the Central Division. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but it’s not out of the question that the city of Cleveland could be looking at another pro sports title in the near future. How nuts would that be?
3. Texas Rangers
Odds: 13-2
Even with 5-5 mark in their last 10 games, the Texas Rangers remain a force to be reckoned with. Recent slump aside, the Rangers still hold a 73-53 record overall, are 39-20 at home, sit 5.5 games up in the AL West, and have a team batting average of .262. Given the level of talent and experience on this roster, if the Rangers should get hot heading into the postseason, the rest of Major League Baseball better watch out.
2. Washington Nationals
Odds: 9-2
Despite going 5-4 in their last 10 contests, the Nationals, with a 73-52 record, still hold a more-than-comfortable eight-game lead atop the NL East standings. On top of that, the Nats have the second best ERA (3.42) in baseball, have outscored their opponents by 137 runs on the year, and still have, despite some recent struggles, easily one of the best and most exciting players in Major League Baseball in Bryce Harper, a one-man wrecking ball who can turn the tides with a single swing of the bat. The Nationals have a history of faltering in the postseason. Maybe 2016 is the year they finally get over the hump. Hey, crazier things have happened.
1. Chicago Cubs
Odds: 11-4
After a historic start to the 2016 season, the Chicago Cubs, despite coming back down to Earth during the middle of the season, continue to distinguish themselves as the best team in Major League Baseball.
With under 40 games to play, the Cubbies are 80-45, hold a plus-214 run differential, boast the lowest team ERA (3.13) in baseball, are 13.5 games up in the NL Central, and feature a ridiculously explosive lineup headlined by superstar Kris Bryant. And, of course, we can’t forget about Chicago’s ace — and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner — Jake Arrieta; a man who’s somehow managed to take his dominance on the mound to a whole other level.
As the team with the best record in Major League Baseball, it’s no surprise that folks in Vegas see the Cubs as the frontrunners to win the 2016 World Series. Now let’s see if they have what it takes to make that dream a reality.
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook.ag.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and ESPN.
Kyle Hendricks keeps rolling as Cubs sweep away Padres.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Kyle Hendricks reported to spring training as a fifth starter, leads the majors in ERA in late August and could pitch Game 1 in a playoff series. That gradual evolution from possible question mark at the back of the rotation into a National League Cy Young Award candidate highlights how the Cubs have transformed from a team that won the offseason to one that owns the summer and maybe this fall.
Hendricks kept rolling on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park, knocking the San Diego Padres off-balance and finishing the three-game sweep with a 6-3 victory. That pushed the Cubs to 36 games over .500 for the first time since finishing their 1945 pennant-winning season at 98-56. The best team in baseball could play a little over .500 (19-17) down the stretch and still reach 100 wins.
A Dartmouth College graduate with an Ivy League degree in economics helped create all this momentum – and certainly knows what he wants to do on the mound – but Hendricks as an ace still seems beyond the wildest internal preseason projection.
“I thought he ended really well last year and that there was a lot to look forward to,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s just taken it to another level right now. He’s in that 26-27-year-old range where a young pitcher who’s had some major-league experience can really find his next level. And I think that’s what’s going on. He’s such a wonderful student. The difference between last year and this year is the confidence thing: ‘I belong here. I can do this. I’m one of the best.’
“A lot of our guys are going through that moment right now. And I think that’s what you’re seeing out of Kyle. I’ve talked about the couple tweaks he’s made regarding the four-seam fastball and curveball usage. That makes him a little bit different. But more than anything, I think he believes he’s among the best right now.”
The Padres (53-74) looked a little checked out and didn’t really put much pressure on a Cubs team that should get an adrenaline boost this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Dexter Fowler and Kris Bryant opened the game with back-to-back doubles before Ben Zobrist lined a two-run triple into the right-center field gap. Within six minutes of Paul Clemens’ first pitch, Jorge Soler’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.
Hendricks hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start since May 17, a run of 17 straight outings that has sliced his ERA from 3.51 to 2.19 while pushing his record to 12-7.
Hendricks hides his emotions and didn’t get flustered when the Padres put the leadoff man on base in each of the first four innings, working around the traffic to limit San Diego to two runs and finish with eight strikeouts.
Hendricks made it through six innings – he’s now gone at least five in each of his 24 starts this year – after beginning the day with a FanGraphs soft-hit rate (26 percent of batted balls) that led the majors and would be the highest mark in the last five seasons.
Hendricks has to pitch a different game than Jake Arrieta, but with an 8-1 record and a 1.38 ERA in his last 13 starts, he might be this year’s breakthrough performer who helps carry the Cubs into October.
“I’m just trying to stay where I’m at and keep the consistency,” Hendricks said. “Keep my pitches feeling good, keep my command. It’s just staying in my routine and really not doing too much – not doing less – just kind of riding it out until I feel something change.”
Cubs catcher Willson Contreras looks ready for prime time.
By Patrick Mooney
(csnchicago.com)
Within 24 hours at Petco Park, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras handled the wild movement of Jake Arrieta’s pitches and framed the edges of the strike zone for Kyle Hendricks, showing the dexterity to handle a playoff rotation.
Contreras looked ready for prime time on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon, helping shut down the San Diego Padres and complete a three-game sweep where two National League Cy Young Award candidates found a rhythm while throwing to a rookie catcher.
“Everything’s a lot easier,” Contreras said after a 6-3 victory. “I’m way more comfortable right now, because my first week everything was speeding up on me. But now I’m able to slow down the game and do my job.”
The day after Arrieta fell one inning short of a two-hit, complete-game shutout, Hendricks credited Contreras for calling more curveballs and getting him through a stretch where the Padres put the leadoff man on base in each of the first four innings.
“From the get-go, I wasn’t shaking him off,” Hendricks said. “We’ve been rolling for the last five, six starts, at least. It’s been easy.”
Contreras has now caught Arrieta twice, and got one-start exposure to Jon Lester, while developing chemistry with Hendricks, John Lackey and Jason Hammel, which means veteran catcher Miguel Montero might not have a spot on the postseason roster if this continues.
Contreras is a dynamic presence, launching his eighth home run on Wednesday afternoon and keeping the Padres stationary after Tuesday night’s laser throw to pick off a runner at third base.
“I was waiting for somebody to run,” Contreras said. “But they didn’t run, so I’ll have to save it for another game.”
The Cubs are nearing the point where a 24-year-old player who didn’t make his big-league debut until June 17 could be behind the plate for the biggest games in franchise history.
“In this clubhouse, we are like a family,” Contreras said. “Once you get here, you start feeling comfortable the first day. You don’t even know that you are a rookie who just came up.”
How soon before Cubs make Javier Baez an everyday player?
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The airtight defensive alignment for October would have to include Javier Baez, a game-changing force moving in all directions. The Cubs have seen Baez make barehanded plays and laser throws, take charge on bunts and frustrate hitters with an uncanny ability to improvise and make split-second decisions.
Baez and Addison Russell are two of the best athletes in the entire game, Jake Arrieta said after Tuesday night’s win over the San Diego Padres, so put the ball in play and let those two middle infielders take over.
There could be playoff lineups where Baez starts at second base and bumps Ben Zobrist to the outfield. But manager Joe Maddon isn’t about to hand Baez an everyday job, sticking with the super-utility formula and versatile philosophy that’s helped the Cubs become the best team in baseball.
“It depends on how we morph as a group over the next couple years,” Maddon said Wednesday at Petco Park. “Right now, I like the way it’s working out. I like the fact that (Javy’s) getting rested (and) not playing every day. Look at his at-bats — they have gotten better, too. He is making adjustments or adaptations during the at-bat. He’s not just out of control every swing.”
Baez has channeled his aggressiveness, hitting .276 with 13 homers, 47 RBIs and 83 strikeouts through 343 plate appearances, becoming a more mature and well-rounded player at the age of 23.
“You’re seeing a lot of progress,” Maddon said. “Who knows if by playing sporadically this is becoming more part of who he is? As opposed to playing every day, maybe getting caught in the trap of not hitting well, whatever, and all of a sudden he takes it on defense. It’s natural progression. He’s an everyday player, there’s no question, in maybe a couple years.”
The Geek Department and scouting reports will ultimately influence where Baez plays, because Maddon wants him wherever the ball will most likely be hit most often. When Jon Lester pitches, that can mean Baez starting at third base and Kris Bryant moving to the outfield.
The Cubs promised Zobrist the second-base job when he signed a four-year, $56 million contract, agreeing the focus on one position would help reduce the wear and tear on his body at the age of 35. The Cubs still need Zobrist’s switch-hitting skills and World Series experience in the lineup.
Maddon also wants to keep Jorge Soler involved — because he’s a presence other teams have to account for — and maybe that will mean sacrificing Jason Heyward’s Gold Glove defense in right field at times.
But Baez is the type of defender the Cubs will want to see out there in one-run, low-scoring playoff games.
“He’s unbelievable,” Bryant said. “Any ball hit his way — whether it’s in the air, on the ground, on line — you kind of just expect him to make the play and make it look good. That’s what he’s been doing all year. I certainly think he’s Gold Glove worthy, but he plays all over. I feel like there should be a utility man Gold Glove, because he definitely (deserves it).”
WHITE SOX: Todd Frazier's late single lifts White Sox over Mariners.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The White Sox offense showed a bunch of late life on Thursday night.
Todd Frazier had two hits with runners in scoring position, including the game-winner, as the White Sox topped the Seattle Mariners 7-6 at U.S. Cellular Field. Frazier’s one-out single in the ninth inning off Nick Vincent scored Adam Eaton as the White Sox won for the fourth time in five games.
The White Sox tied the contest with a three-run seventh. Tim Anderson, who finished with three hits, had an RBI double and Frazier picked up Jose Abreu with a two-run, two-out single off reliever Steve Cishek.
Down 2-0, the White Sox scored three times in the first inning to briefly take the lead. Abreu and Avisail Garcia both singled in runs and Dioner Navarro had a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
White Sox starter Anthony Ranaudo pitched well after a slow start and then ran into bad luck in the sixth inning. What looked to be a surefire double play ball kicked off Ranaudo’s glove and, combined with an Anderson throwing error, led to a three-run inning that put Seattle ahead 6-3.
Ranaudo allowed six earned runs in 5.1 innings.
Frazier entered the game with a .159 average with runners in scoring position. The White Sox were 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
U.S. Cellular Field to become Guaranteed Rate Field after 2016 season.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Guarantee you’ve heard about the impending name change for the White Sox’ ballpark.
The White Sox on Wednesday announced a new naming rights deal for the ballpark at 35th and Shields, which starting Nov. 1 will be called Guaranteed Rate Field through at least 2029.
Financial terms of the deal with the Chicago-based retail mortgage lender weren’t disclosed. But the opportunity was good enough for the White Sox to make concessions on their deal with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and end a 20-year partnership with U.S. Cellular Field before it had expired. The park has been named U.S. Cellular Field since the club and the regional phone carrier, which no longer services Chicago, reached a 20-year, $68-million accord in 2003.
Noting that revenue beyond expenses goes directly to the roster, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer was “thrilled” with a 13-year deal that includes a team option for 2030.
“This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans,” Boyer said.
While U.S. Cellular has kept its headquarters in Chicago, Boyer said the company hasn’t done local business since 2013. The White Sox hoped to find a business with local roots and “put out some feelers,” Boyer said.
Boyer said one of his first calls was placed to Guaranteed Rate and it immediately felt like a good fit.
“It moved relatively quickly and it moved quietly, which was appreciated, and there were multiple companies that were interested in securing these naming rights,” Boyer said. “The nice part is we didn’t have to cast a long net.”
The name change garnered a lot of attention on social media.
One question prominently asked by fans is what the park’s nickname might be.
Many have shortened U.S. Cellular Field to The Cell over the years.
The White Sox on Wednesday announced a new naming rights deal for the ballpark at 35th and Shields, which starting Nov. 1 will be called Guaranteed Rate Field through at least 2029.
Financial terms of the deal with the Chicago-based retail mortgage lender weren’t disclosed. But the opportunity was good enough for the White Sox to make concessions on their deal with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and end a 20-year partnership with U.S. Cellular Field before it had expired. The park has been named U.S. Cellular Field since the club and the regional phone carrier, which no longer services Chicago, reached a 20-year, $68-million accord in 2003.
Noting that revenue beyond expenses goes directly to the roster, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer was “thrilled” with a 13-year deal that includes a team option for 2030.
“This is a nice step today toward continuing to fulfill the vision of putting the best possible club out on the field that can be out there for our fans,” Boyer said.
While U.S. Cellular has kept its headquarters in Chicago, Boyer said the company hasn’t done local business since 2013. The White Sox hoped to find a business with local roots and “put out some feelers,” Boyer said.
Boyer said one of his first calls was placed to Guaranteed Rate and it immediately felt like a good fit.
“It moved relatively quickly and it moved quietly, which was appreciated, and there were multiple companies that were interested in securing these naming rights,” Boyer said. “The nice part is we didn’t have to cast a long net.”
The name change garnered a lot of attention on social media.
One question prominently asked by fans is what the park’s nickname might be.
Many have shortened U.S. Cellular Field to The Cell over the years.
Manager Robin Ventura said he occasionally still calls it Comiskey Park, the park’s original name from 1991-2002. Boyer and Guaranteed Rate CEO Victor Ciardelli said they’d let fans determine the park’s nickname “organically.”
Ventura is hopeful the deal can benefit the team’s 25-man roster.
“That’s the idea,” Ventura said. “You see stadiums do that a lot. I don’t remember who was the first one to do it. But with that stuff, you’re looking to use it and use it effectively and use it to improve.”
The IFSA, which owns and operates the park, approved the name change at its board meeting on Wednesday afternoon. IFSA chairman Manny Sanchez said the deal could generate up to $6.4 million of revenue for the facility.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Windy City Bulls fill out roster in D-League expansion draft.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Windy City Bulls are beginning to feel more like a real team.
On Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls' new NBA D-League franchise that will play games in Hoffman Estates beginning this season participated in the league's expansion draft.
As one of three new expansion teams joining the NBA D-League this season, the Windy City Bulls were allowed to select 12 players from the other 19 teams in the league. Each returning D-League team was allowed to protect the rights to 10 players on each roster with two players being available to the Bulls, Long Island Nets and Greensboro Swarm.
The Bulls acquired the rights to 12 players as here's the rundown of who they selected.
Round 1: Wesley Saunders, G/F, Harvard (Austin Spurs)
Round 2: Kiwi Gardner, G, Midland College (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Round 3: Ralph Sampson III, C, Minnesota (Maine Red Claws)
Round 4: Booker Woodfox, G, Creighton (Texas Legends)
Round 5: Jerel McNeal, G, Marquette (Northern Arizona Suns)
Round 6: Akeem Richmond, G, East Carolina (Reno Bighorns)
Round 7: Casey Prather, G/F, Florida (Northern Arizona Suns)
Round 8: Jon Octeus, G, Purdue (Canton Charge)
Round 9: Justin Dentmon, G, Washington (Texas Legends)
Round 10: Jamal Jones, F, Texas A&M (Delaware 87ers)
Round 11: Xavier Thames, G, San Diego State (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Round 12: Ian Chiles, C, Morgan State (Salt Lake City Stars)
It's important to note that although the Bulls have the rights to these 12 players for two seasons that many of them might never suit up for the team. Many players from this expansion draft group will head overseas to pursue professional opportunities there. If they do end up signing a D-League contract, the Bulls will have right of first refusal, giving the Bulls rights to these players for two seasons.
Among the notables picked by the Bulls include the 5-foot-7 Gardner, who has had a successful D-League stint in the past as well as some experience in the Saudi Premier League. Local college hoops fans will probably recognize the 6-foot-3 McNeal from his days at Marquette where he played for one season with Bulls star Jimmy Butler. McNeal also has more NBA experience than anyone on the expansion list as he most recently finished out the 2014-15 season with the Phoenix Suns. Former Washington product Justin Dentmon is also a native of Carbondale as the 6-foot-0 guard helped Carbondale High School to a fourth-place finish in the 2004 IHSA Class AA state basketball tournament.
Windy City will tip off the season with a home opener at Sears Centre on Friday, Nov. 11. The 2016-17 D-League schedule was released earlier this week as Windy City will have 24 home games, including 16 that will be played on Friday or Saturday night.
While the Windy City roster will look very different from this expansion draft list, the Windy City Bulls should help the main Bulls franchise develop young talent in a nearby location as it will be the start of a very intriguing dynamic.
On Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls' new NBA D-League franchise that will play games in Hoffman Estates beginning this season participated in the league's expansion draft.
As one of three new expansion teams joining the NBA D-League this season, the Windy City Bulls were allowed to select 12 players from the other 19 teams in the league. Each returning D-League team was allowed to protect the rights to 10 players on each roster with two players being available to the Bulls, Long Island Nets and Greensboro Swarm.
The Bulls acquired the rights to 12 players as here's the rundown of who they selected.
Round 1: Wesley Saunders, G/F, Harvard (Austin Spurs)
Round 2: Kiwi Gardner, G, Midland College (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Round 3: Ralph Sampson III, C, Minnesota (Maine Red Claws)
Round 4: Booker Woodfox, G, Creighton (Texas Legends)
Round 5: Jerel McNeal, G, Marquette (Northern Arizona Suns)
Round 6: Akeem Richmond, G, East Carolina (Reno Bighorns)
Round 7: Casey Prather, G/F, Florida (Northern Arizona Suns)
Round 8: Jon Octeus, G, Purdue (Canton Charge)
Round 9: Justin Dentmon, G, Washington (Texas Legends)
Round 10: Jamal Jones, F, Texas A&M (Delaware 87ers)
Round 11: Xavier Thames, G, San Diego State (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Round 12: Ian Chiles, C, Morgan State (Salt Lake City Stars)
It's important to note that although the Bulls have the rights to these 12 players for two seasons that many of them might never suit up for the team. Many players from this expansion draft group will head overseas to pursue professional opportunities there. If they do end up signing a D-League contract, the Bulls will have right of first refusal, giving the Bulls rights to these players for two seasons.
Among the notables picked by the Bulls include the 5-foot-7 Gardner, who has had a successful D-League stint in the past as well as some experience in the Saudi Premier League. Local college hoops fans will probably recognize the 6-foot-3 McNeal from his days at Marquette where he played for one season with Bulls star Jimmy Butler. McNeal also has more NBA experience than anyone on the expansion list as he most recently finished out the 2014-15 season with the Phoenix Suns. Former Washington product Justin Dentmon is also a native of Carbondale as the 6-foot-0 guard helped Carbondale High School to a fourth-place finish in the 2004 IHSA Class AA state basketball tournament.
Windy City will tip off the season with a home opener at Sears Centre on Friday, Nov. 11. The 2016-17 D-League schedule was released earlier this week as Windy City will have 24 home games, including 16 that will be played on Friday or Saturday night.
While the Windy City roster will look very different from this expansion draft list, the Windy City Bulls should help the main Bulls franchise develop young talent in a nearby location as it will be the start of a very intriguing dynamic.
Bulls grade a "D-" in SI.com's Central Division review.
By APBullsHoops
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(Photo/David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)
Well, it looks like more off-season grades are still rolling in.
The latest comes courtesy of SI.com and several members of their basketball staff, where they graded the Central Division teams.
The components they focused on for their grading scale was fairly simple: "best move" and "worst move".
For the Bulls, they considered the "best move" the signing of Dwyane Wade. Which I would doubt anyone will disagree with at this point. Wade's a household name with the fans and still a flashy & respected name in the league. Wade completely owned his introductory press conference. He was charming and delightful, winning over the Chicago media in the process. However, the obvious glaring question is how much does Wade have left in the tank to contribute? Jeremy Woo nails down the Wade signing with perfection:
Throwing Wade’s homecoming into the narrative mix makes for a beautiful PR opportunity and a slim chance they can overachieve and make it work.
The Bulls worst move? As many have noted here, it's hard to boil it down to one, single move (there are many), but the SI writers correctly state how the Bulls aren't really picking a lane:
The departures of Rose and Noah made it seem the Bulls were finally ready to detach from the Thibodeau era and build around Jimmy Butler. Instead, Chicago added pricey, aging veterans in Wade and Rondo. What is the plan here? The moves neither push the Bulls closer to the top of the conference nor help Butler fully emerge as the leader of the team.
Many here lamented similar thoughts. Either blow it up completely or surround Jimmy with younger pieces who will complement his game. The Bulls did neither, instead opting to basically tread water.
They correctly state that it was the "defensible" thing to do in trading Rose and letting both Jo and Pau walk in free-agency. That being said, they were still pretty perplexed by the way the Bulls handled this off-season:
As the questionable decisions piled up, the logic driving them dwindled and dwindled, to the point that it’s no longer clear exactly what Chicago was trying to accomplish. Instead of targeting talents who can space the court and help make Butler’s life easier, Chicago opted for "name" free agents who are non-shooters and who need the rock to be successful.
And the parting money shot:
In sum, Chicago looks like a team that knew it needed a new chapter but didn’t have the foresight to actually write it.
That last quote is probably my favorite quote of the article. It correctly sums up GarPax's seeming fear (lack of knowledge?) on mapping out a plan going forward. It's hard to see what foresight, if any, was used this off-season.
Though it can be strongly argued that many of these off-season grades don't hold a lot of weight...(heh, someone actually gave the Bulls an "A-" last offseason)...the reasons given in SI's grade breakdown are pretty spot on. Though I am a proponent of the "let's wait until they play" mindset, it's hard to see how this season's team will be successful. Exactly what are the Bulls doing or planning to do going forward? I guess we shall see.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Reed, Laird share early lead at Barclays.
He was much better with a golf club in hand at Bethpage Black, running off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close out his 66.
The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, with a $10 million bonus waiting at the end, was more about a cup that doesn't pay a dime. A dozen or so Americans are still in the mix to make the Ryder Cup team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain's picks over the next month.
Reed is winless this year and holding down the No. 8 position in the Ryder Cup standings.
''Of course it's on my mind,'' Reed said. ''But really at the end of the day, it's just trying to get better and play this tournament. Because if I play well, that means those other guys are going to have to play even better to try to catch me.''
Reed and Laird, who also played bogey-free, were one shot ahead of three other Ryder Cup hopefuls - Rickie Fowler, Kevin Chappell and J.B. Holmes, whose 67 was the best score among those who played in stronger wind in the afternoon. Defending champion Jason Day, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, was among those at 68.
Of the 18 players who broke 70, five played late.
Chappell likely would have to win The Barclays to make the team, while Fowler needs at least a two-way tie for fourth to have a mathematical chance. Fowler went from Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics to North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship to help his cause, but only tied for 22nd.
''That's the No. 1 priority coming into the year,'' Fowler said. ''I'd say that's always one of the main goals coming into a Ryder Cup year. Even in the off year, you're thinking about it. That was the whole reason playing last week, trying to get more points. It would be nice to have a chance to make that team without having to get picked.''
Holmes dropped to No. 9 last week. He has made his points mainly through the majors - a tie for fourth at the Masters, third at the British Open - but as he got closer to making the team, the pressure has increased. He has missed the cut in his last three events, and he couldn't afford another one.
He spent two hours on the putting green looking for a solution, and might have found it.
''It was really good,'' he said. ''Had to stay calm today and tried to let go of the results,'' Holmes said.
]
Laird is only interested in the FedEx Cup.
The Barclays is the start of a four-tournament series in which the field size shrinks until 30 qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship. Laird started at No. 89, and with only the top 100 in the standings advancing, starting well was crucial.
He also played bogey-free at Bethpage Black on a warm day with the wind picking up late in the morning as he was making the turn.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 2 seed in the FedEx Cup, recovered from a bogey-bogey start to post a 70, while Adam Scott (No. 3) shot 69.
Jordan Spieth played for the first time since the PGA Championship and didn't feel much rust as he made three birdies in seven holes. Bethpage is relentless, and so was the wind, and when the Texan struggled to find fairways, he started dropping shots. Spieth wound up with a 71.
''It's up there in the top few toughest courses I've ever played,'' Spieth said. ''If they made the greens firm today, it would have been unplayable on a few holes. It was very tough, challenging, but fair today. We just had it really, really tough in the afternoon with those winds so high.''
DIVOTS: Henrik Stenson (right knee) and Brett Stegmaier (wrist) withdrew, dropping the field to 119 out of 125 players. Stenson is No. 14 in the FedEx Cup and was always planning to skip one playoff event. Stegmaier is No. 101, so his season is over. ... Russell Knox, battling bad congestion, opened with a 73. The Scot is hopeful of being a captain's pick for Europe's team. Darren Clarke makes three selections on Tuesday. Graeme McDowell opened with a 72, while Luke Donald had a 69.
Ryder Cup 2016: Tiger Woods a 'future captain' of Team USA.
By James Masters
He may no longer be the force he once was but Team USA is hoping Tiger Woods can help it hunt down Europe's top golfers at next month's Ryder Cup.
The 14-time major winner will line up as one of Davis Love III's vice-captains at Hazeltine next month with the US aiming to win the tournament for the first time in four attempts.
Love says that Woods, who has not played competitively for a year after undergoing multiple back surgeries, could be the ace in the pack going into the showdown which starts September 29.
And Love, who took charge of the team which lost out at Medinah four years ago, says Woods has all the attributes and skills to establish himself as team captain in the coming years.
"Tiger was on the Task Force, he'll be a future Captain, so he's got to be a part of the decision-making process of this whole new, Ryder Cup committee," Love told tournament's official website.
"Tiger is more interested in the strategy side of it -- rounding out the team with picks, or making small groups, making pairings.
"He's our tactician more than anything. And he's really been helpful on how to prepare for a major championship. He's like me. He's excited about it, he doesn't sleep much, he puts a lot of thought into it.
"There's a reason why he's arguably one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He knows how to prepare, he knows how to think his way around a golf course, around a golf tournament. He's committed to being a part of it and he means it."
The 40-year-old is one of four vice-captains alongside Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk -- who is still aiming to make the team as a player.
Woods, who won his last major back in 2008, has played in seven Ryder Cups during his career.
He won 13 matches, suffered 17 defeats and tied 3 in a total of 33.
NASCAR: Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold entering this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway represents the last curveball for Sprint Cup teams when it comes to aero packages.
Teams will run what is expected to be next season’s reduced downforce package for the last time this year before reverting to the 2016 package. After being raced at Michigan in June — Joey Logano won there — and portions of it used in the May All-Star Race — also won by Logano — this package was last seen at Kentucky in July. Logano’s Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski won there.
The last four trips to the 2-mile speedway have been won by a different team – Team Penske (June 2016), Joe Gibbs Racing (Aug. 2015), Stewart-Haas Racing (June 2015) and Hendrick Motorsports (Aug. 2014). Logano is the only repeat winner in the last six races. Greg Biffle won consecutive races in Aug. 2012 and June 2013.
Here’s who hot and cold going into this weekend.
Who’s Hot
Brad Keselowski – Finished 33rd at Bristol, worst finish this season. Finished in the top 10 in 10 of the last 14 races including three wins and top-three finishes in the two of the last three races. Finished in the top 10 in the last five races at Michigan but has never won at his home track, best of second in this race in 2012. Finished fourth in June.
Joey Logano – Finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 11 races of 2016 including a win at Michigan. Top 10 finishes in the last seven races at Michigan with two wins (both from pole) including June.
Tony Stewart – Six top 10s including a win at Sonoma in the last nine races. Five top-five finishes this season, only had three total in the previous two seasons combined. Finished seventh at Michigan in June, his first top 10 at the track since June 2013. One Michigan win, June 2000.
Kurt Busch – Finished 38th at Bristol after a DNF accident that broke a 25-race streak of finishing on the lead lap. Sixteen top-10 finishes in 2016, second most. Finished top 10 in 14 of the first 16 races this season, only two in the last seven races. Three Michigan wins, last was June of last year. Finished 10th earlier this year, only his third top 10 at Michigan in the last 12 races there.
Denny Hamlin – Five straight top-10 finishes including a win at Watkins Glen, his longest streak of 2016. Eight speeding penalties this season, most of all drivers. Two-time winner at Michigan but not since 2011. Finished 33rd after accident in June, his eighth finish outside the top 10 in the 10 races at Michigan since his last win.
Who’s Cold
Martin Truex Jr. – Only four top-10 finishes in the 10 races since his Charlotte win. Has not finished in the top 10 in back-to-back races since Dover and Charlotte. Has had an issue in 18 of the 23 races this season. Finished third in both races at Michigan last year and 12th in June, led 10 laps before a spin.
Greg Biffle – Finished 16th or worse in the last four races after finishing in the top 10 in three straight races prior. Four-time winner at Michigan, his most of all tracks. Only one top 10 finish in the last five races at Michigan, 19th in June.
Ryan Blaney – Does not have a top-10 finish in the last nine races after having four top 10s in the prior five races of 2016. Three Cup starts at Michigan, best finish of 17th in June.
Chase Elliott – Finished 13th or worse in the last eight races after finishing in the top 10 in each of the prior six. One Cup start at Michigan, finished career best second in June, after leading 35 laps.
Jimmie Johnson – Finished seventh at Bristol, only his ninth top-10 finish this season, tied for the fewest through 23 races in a season (2003). Only three top-10 finishes in the last 14 races of 2016. Finished 16th or worse in six of the last eight races at Michigan. One MIS win, June 2014. Finished 16th in June.
Here are interesting notes heading into this weekend’s race:
Teams will run what is expected to be next season’s reduced downforce package for the last time this year before reverting to the 2016 package. After being raced at Michigan in June — Joey Logano won there — and portions of it used in the May All-Star Race — also won by Logano — this package was last seen at Kentucky in July. Logano’s Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski won there.
The last four trips to the 2-mile speedway have been won by a different team – Team Penske (June 2016), Joe Gibbs Racing (Aug. 2015), Stewart-Haas Racing (June 2015) and Hendrick Motorsports (Aug. 2014). Logano is the only repeat winner in the last six races. Greg Biffle won consecutive races in Aug. 2012 and June 2013.
Here’s who hot and cold going into this weekend.
Who’s Hot
Brad Keselowski – Finished 33rd at Bristol, worst finish this season. Finished in the top 10 in 10 of the last 14 races including three wins and top-three finishes in the two of the last three races. Finished in the top 10 in the last five races at Michigan but has never won at his home track, best of second in this race in 2012. Finished fourth in June.
Joey Logano – Finished in the top 10 in nine of the last 11 races of 2016 including a win at Michigan. Top 10 finishes in the last seven races at Michigan with two wins (both from pole) including June.
Tony Stewart – Six top 10s including a win at Sonoma in the last nine races. Five top-five finishes this season, only had three total in the previous two seasons combined. Finished seventh at Michigan in June, his first top 10 at the track since June 2013. One Michigan win, June 2000.
Kurt Busch – Finished 38th at Bristol after a DNF accident that broke a 25-race streak of finishing on the lead lap. Sixteen top-10 finishes in 2016, second most. Finished top 10 in 14 of the first 16 races this season, only two in the last seven races. Three Michigan wins, last was June of last year. Finished 10th earlier this year, only his third top 10 at Michigan in the last 12 races there.
Denny Hamlin – Five straight top-10 finishes including a win at Watkins Glen, his longest streak of 2016. Eight speeding penalties this season, most of all drivers. Two-time winner at Michigan but not since 2011. Finished 33rd after accident in June, his eighth finish outside the top 10 in the 10 races at Michigan since his last win.
Who’s Cold
Martin Truex Jr. – Only four top-10 finishes in the 10 races since his Charlotte win. Has not finished in the top 10 in back-to-back races since Dover and Charlotte. Has had an issue in 18 of the 23 races this season. Finished third in both races at Michigan last year and 12th in June, led 10 laps before a spin.
Greg Biffle – Finished 16th or worse in the last four races after finishing in the top 10 in three straight races prior. Four-time winner at Michigan, his most of all tracks. Only one top 10 finish in the last five races at Michigan, 19th in June.
Ryan Blaney – Does not have a top-10 finish in the last nine races after having four top 10s in the prior five races of 2016. Three Cup starts at Michigan, best finish of 17th in June.
Chase Elliott – Finished 13th or worse in the last eight races after finishing in the top 10 in each of the prior six. One Cup start at Michigan, finished career best second in June, after leading 35 laps.
Jimmie Johnson – Finished seventh at Bristol, only his ninth top-10 finish this season, tied for the fewest through 23 races in a season (2003). Only three top-10 finishes in the last 14 races of 2016. Finished 16th or worse in six of the last eight races at Michigan. One MIS win, June 2014. Finished 16th in June.
Here are interesting notes heading into this weekend’s race:
- Sunday’s race will be the 95th race at MIS. Michigan’s 95 races are the most of tracks that have yet to
host 100 races (seven tracks have hosted at least 100 races). - Joey Logano won from the pole at Michigan in June, it was the 19th MIS race won from the pole, at least one race a year at MIS was won from the pole in the last four seasons, including the last two straight.
- There has never been three straight Michigan races won by the pole winner.
- One driver has earned their first career Cup series win at Michigan: Dale Jarrett (Aug. 1991) won in his 29th start, he is one of six drivers to get their first career Cup win driving for Wood Brothers Racing.
Team Penske has made Michigan its playground since Logano joined team in 2013.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Josh Hedges/Getty Images )
The day of Aug. 18, 2013 has turned out to be a big one for Team Penske.
That was the day of the Sprint Cup Series’ Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was also the first time Joey Logano proved Team Penske’s gamble on the him might pay off.
In his 23rd start for the team, Logano took his Pennzoil Ford to victory lane for his first win with Penske.
Logano and the rest of the Sprint Cup Series return to Michigan this weekend for its seventh race at the 2-mile speedway since the win in 2013.
Logano’s top-10 finishes in each of those seven races represent his best streak at any track, the latest entry being his June win.
In Logano’s first eight starts at Michigan, he never finished better than seventh or led a lap.
In the last nine Michigan races, since the track was repaved, Logano is tops among drivers in laps led with 332, which is 152 more than any other driver. Of those, 138 came in his June win, which is his only win through 23 races in 2016.
But the Michigan success isn’t just with the No. 22 at Team Penske. Logano’s teammate and Michigan native, Brad Keselowski, has also done well in recent years.
In the five Michigan races since 2014, Keselowski and his No. 2 Ford have also not finished outside the top 10. Despite zero wins at his home track, that five-race stretch is tied for his best ever at any track.
The Team Penske duo will be in a good position to continue their impressive streak, especially with Sprint Cup teams using the 2017 lower downforce package that was used at Michigan in June (Logano won, Keselowski finished fourth). That package was also used at Kentucky in July where Keselowski won and portions of it were utilized in the All-Star Race, which Logano won.
SOCCER: Fire fail to hold another lead at home, but reason why was different.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Holding onto leads at home has not been a strong suit for the Fire this season.
Wednesday’s 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy was the fifth time this season the Fire have been unable to get a win at home in a match they led. In four of those, including Wednesday, the Fire had leads in the second half.
Wednesday’s 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy was the fifth time this season the Fire have been unable to get a win at home in a match they led. In four of those, including Wednesday, the Fire had leads in the second half.
In the previous cases, the Fire dropped deep defensively and tried to simply hold onto the lead or hope David Accam could score on a one-man counter.
“I think once we’re up in the result I think we have to make sure that we kill the game off because there’s been too many times where it’s that 1-0 or that 2-1 and we’re kind of holding there and the next thing you know they’re tying the game at the end of the game,” midfielder Arturo Alvarez said. “We got to keep pushing for that third goal to make sure that we kill things off.”
The game against LA was different. The Fire had multiple quality chances to score a third goal and take a two-goal lead. One opportunity featuring Accam, Luis Solignac and an open net seemed like a sure goal as it was developing.
However, the Fire didn’t find that two-goal lead and LA managed to come back.
“I think we created a lot of chances,” Alvarez said. “We went up 2-1 and unfortunately that third goal didn’t want to go in at the right time and then LA got that bounce.”
Even though the result didn’t show it, the Fire may have actually turned a corner in terms of how to play with a lead. In the win at Montreal on Saturday, the Fire scored that extra goal to take a two-goal lead, something the team hadn’t done all season in an MLS game.
Against the Galaxy, the Fire actually had more possession in the second half (56 percent) than the first half (46 percent). LA’s only shot on goal in the second half was the tying goal while the Fire put three shots on target in the second 45 minutes.
The Fire did fail to close out another match at home that they had a lead in, but the way it happened was different and maybe that’s a positive sign going forward.
“I think we played one of the best games we played this season, but we need to take our chances and today I would say we are disappointed that we dropped two points at home. For me also we created so many chances that on another day we could have taken it. It’s kind of a mixed feeling for me.”
UEFA Champions League group stage: Premier League teams learn their fate.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Premier League teams got off very lightly, overall, in the UEFA Champions League group stage draw.
The draw took place in Monaco on Thursday as reigning Leicester City were handed a very comfy group of opponents in Group G with FC Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen, as were Tottenham Hotspur who were placed in Group E with CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.
Arsenal also got a very decent draw with Paris Saint-Germain, FC Basel and Ludogorets in Group A, but Manchester City once again got a very tough draw at the group stage along with FC Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic in Group C.
The draw took place in Monaco on Thursday as reigning Leicester City were handed a very comfy group of opponents in Group G with FC Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhagen, as were Tottenham Hotspur who were placed in Group E with CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.
Arsenal also got a very decent draw with Paris Saint-Germain, FC Basel and Ludogorets in Group A, but Manchester City once again got a very tough draw at the group stage along with FC Barcelona, Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic in Group C.
[ MORE: Full UCL schedule ]
Reigning champs Real Madrid have been drawn in Group F alongside Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw, with Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid drawn together in Group D.
Below is the group stage draw in full with the opening group games to take place on Sept. 13/14 and a further five group games taking place — each team plays one another home and away — between September and December. The knockout stages then begin in February 2017 ahead of the UCL final in Cardiff, Wales on June 3, 2017.
You can click on the link above for the full schedule for group games.
GROUP A
Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
FC Basel
Ludogorets
GROUP B
Benfica
Napoli
Dynamo Kiev
Besiktas
GROUP C
FC Barcelona
Manchester City
Borussia Monchendgladbach
Celtic
GROUP D
Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven
Rostov
GROUP E
CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
Monaco
GROUP F
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Sporting Lisbon
Legia Warsaw
GROUP G
Leicester City
FC Porto
Club Brugge
Copenhagen
GROUP H
Juventus
Sevilla
Lyon
Dinamo Zagreb
Season starts Friday, so here is your Bundesliga 2016-17 primer.
By Nicholas Mendola
The Bundesliga opens another season Friday, and the first question on many minds is simple: Will anyone come close to dethroning Bayern Munich?
Bayern has four-straight Bundesliga titles, giving them a league-best 26 German Championships. And USMNT fans have legit reason to be excited about Julian Green’s season with the Bavarians, as his new coach is interested in seeing the 21-year-old at work.
[ MORE: Ranking Champions League groups ]
But this could be the year for the last team with a different name to win a title, as at least one team has added a load of proven strength.
Let’s dig into Bundesliga 2016-17:
Who went down? Stuttgart and Hannover 96
Only two? Eintracht Frankfurt finished 16th, but beat Nurnberg in the pro/rel playoff.
Who came up? RB Leipzig, Augsburg
New faces to know: Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund), Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Dragovic (Bayer Leverkusen), Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke), Baba Rahman (Schalke), Coke (Schalke), Breel Embolo (Schalke), Benjamin Stambouli (Schalke), Jhon Cordoba (Mainz), Allan (Hertha BSC), Jeffrey Bruma (Wolfsburg), Borja Mayoral (Wolfsburg), Alen Halilovic (Hamburg), Florent Hadergjonaj (Ingolstadt), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Takashi Usami (Augsburg), Lamine Sane (Werder Bremen), Alexander Milosevic (Darmstadt), Victor Obinna (Darmstadt), Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jesus Vallejo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Michael Hector (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Mascarell (Eintracht Frankfurt), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig).
Gone from the league: Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Southampton), Mehdi Benatia (Juventus), Ragnar Klavan (Liverpool), Alex Manninger (Liverpool), Dantre (Nice), Lorius Karius (Liverpool), Younes Belhanda (Dynamo Kyiv), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Joel Matip (Liverpool), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Havard Nordtveit (West Ham), Omar Damari (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew), Carlos Zambrano (Rubin Kazan), Russell Canouse (VfL Bochum), Anthony Ujag (Liaoning Whowin), Gerard Tremmel (Swansea City), Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea), David Yelldell (Sonnenhof Großaspach e.V.)
Old league faces, new league places: Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schurrle (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Volland (Bayer Leverkusen), Christoph Kramer (Gladbach), Naldo (Schalke), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Wolfsburg), Mario Gomez (Wolfsburg), Marco Hoger (Koln), Max Kruse (Werder Bremen), Lukas Rupp (Hoffenheim), Kevin Vogt (Hoffenheim), Sandro Wagner (Hoffenheim),
We’re at the point where the United States could put together a halfway decent XI from Bundesliga sides if a goalkeeper and second center back hit the scene.
Yeah, but which ones will factor? Every name on that list should have an opportunity to make an impact this season, not just club stars like Johnson, Brooks, and Morales.
Who scores the most goals between Wood, Pulisic, Johannsson, Green, and Boyd? We’ll let you answer that in the comments.
Why the question mark next to Gipson? The 20-year-old right back has U.S. citizenship, but is a German.
Why will Bayern win? The giants also have a new coach in Carlo Ancelotti, and minimal roster tumult. As usual, though, they’ve added superstars to replace superstars. Gone are Mario Gotze and Mehdi Benatia, and arriving are Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches. Bayern won the league by 10 points last season, and it’s hard to imagine someone closing that big of a gap.
Make me a case they don’t: That’s easy. Borussia Dortmund. Thomas Tuchel’s bunch have brought back Gotze from Bayern, added Andre Schurrle from Wolfsburg, Marc Bartra from Barcelona and Rennes dynamo Ousmane Dembele. After a horrific start to last season, BVB played as well as anyone in the second half. Maybe they do it for a whole season.
Who else could thrive? Schalke has made some significant additions in the wake of selling Leroy Sane to Manchester City, and Olympic hero Max Meyer could be primed to take the next step in his career. Wolfsburg has added some big names like Borja Mayoral, Jakub Blaszczykowski, and Jeffrey Bruma, and Borussia Monchengladbach could be good again if it can deal with the loss of Granit Xhaka to Arsenal. Don’t sleep on Bayer, either.
NCAAFB: CFT 2016 Preseason Previews: Coaching Hot Seat.
Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
FC Basel
Ludogorets
GROUP B
Benfica
Napoli
Dynamo Kiev
Besiktas
GROUP C
FC Barcelona
Manchester City
Borussia Monchendgladbach
Celtic
GROUP D
Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven
Rostov
GROUP E
CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
Monaco
GROUP F
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Sporting Lisbon
Legia Warsaw
GROUP G
Leicester City
FC Porto
Club Brugge
Copenhagen
GROUP H
Juventus
Sevilla
Lyon
Dinamo Zagreb
Season starts Friday, so here is your Bundesliga 2016-17 primer.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The Bundesliga opens another season Friday, and the first question on many minds is simple: Will anyone come close to dethroning Bayern Munich?
Bayern has four-straight Bundesliga titles, giving them a league-best 26 German Championships. And USMNT fans have legit reason to be excited about Julian Green’s season with the Bavarians, as his new coach is interested in seeing the 21-year-old at work.
[ MORE: Ranking Champions League groups ]
But this could be the year for the last team with a different name to win a title, as at least one team has added a load of proven strength.
Let’s dig into Bundesliga 2016-17:
Who went down? Stuttgart and Hannover 96
Only two? Eintracht Frankfurt finished 16th, but beat Nurnberg in the pro/rel playoff.
Who came up? RB Leipzig, Augsburg
New faces to know: Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Marc Bartra (Borussia Dortmund), Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Dragovic (Bayer Leverkusen), Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke), Baba Rahman (Schalke), Coke (Schalke), Breel Embolo (Schalke), Benjamin Stambouli (Schalke), Jhon Cordoba (Mainz), Allan (Hertha BSC), Jeffrey Bruma (Wolfsburg), Borja Mayoral (Wolfsburg), Alen Halilovic (Hamburg), Florent Hadergjonaj (Ingolstadt), Alfred Finnbogason (Augsburg), Takashi Usami (Augsburg), Lamine Sane (Werder Bremen), Alexander Milosevic (Darmstadt), Victor Obinna (Darmstadt), Guillermo Varela (Eintracht Frankfurt), Jesus Vallejo (Eintracht Frankfurt), Michael Hector (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Mascarell (Eintracht Frankfurt), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig).
Gone from the league: Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Southampton), Mehdi Benatia (Juventus), Ragnar Klavan (Liverpool), Alex Manninger (Liverpool), Dantre (Nice), Lorius Karius (Liverpool), Younes Belhanda (Dynamo Kyiv), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Joel Matip (Liverpool), Granit Xhaka (Arsenal), Havard Nordtveit (West Ham), Omar Damari (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew), Carlos Zambrano (Rubin Kazan), Russell Canouse (VfL Bochum), Anthony Ujag (Liaoning Whowin), Gerard Tremmel (Swansea City), Papy Djilobodji (Chelsea), David Yelldell (Sonnenhof Großaspach e.V.)
Old league faces, new league places: Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund), Andre Schurrle (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Volland (Bayer Leverkusen), Christoph Kramer (Gladbach), Naldo (Schalke), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Wolfsburg), Mario Gomez (Wolfsburg), Marco Hoger (Koln), Max Kruse (Werder Bremen), Lukas Rupp (Hoffenheim), Kevin Vogt (Hoffenheim), Sandro Wagner (Hoffenheim),
We’re at the point where the United States could put together a halfway decent XI from Bundesliga sides if a goalkeeper and second center back hit the scene.
Yeah, but which ones will factor? Every name on that list should have an opportunity to make an impact this season, not just club stars like Johnson, Brooks, and Morales.
Who scores the most goals between Wood, Pulisic, Johannsson, Green, and Boyd? We’ll let you answer that in the comments.
Why the question mark next to Gipson? The 20-year-old right back has U.S. citizenship, but is a German.
Why will Bayern win? The giants also have a new coach in Carlo Ancelotti, and minimal roster tumult. As usual, though, they’ve added superstars to replace superstars. Gone are Mario Gotze and Mehdi Benatia, and arriving are Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches. Bayern won the league by 10 points last season, and it’s hard to imagine someone closing that big of a gap.
Make me a case they don’t: That’s easy. Borussia Dortmund. Thomas Tuchel’s bunch have brought back Gotze from Bayern, added Andre Schurrle from Wolfsburg, Marc Bartra from Barcelona and Rennes dynamo Ousmane Dembele. After a horrific start to last season, BVB played as well as anyone in the second half. Maybe they do it for a whole season.
Who else could thrive? Schalke has made some significant additions in the wake of selling Leroy Sane to Manchester City, and Olympic hero Max Meyer could be primed to take the next step in his career. Wolfsburg has added some big names like Borja Mayoral, Jakub Blaszczykowski, and Jeffrey Bruma, and Borussia Monchengladbach could be good again if it can deal with the loss of Granit Xhaka to Arsenal. Don’t sleep on Bayer, either.
NCAAFB: CFT 2016 Preseason Previews: Coaching Hot Seat.
By John Taylor
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Like death and taxes, another certainty in life is that, somewhere, a college coach’s backside is feeling a little toasty.
Such is the case as we get set to embark on a sparkling new football season, with a handful of coaches feeling the heat from folks off the field for their collective failures on it. Fair or not, it’s a fact of life in the coaching profession: win or you’re gone, oft-times with a multi-million buyout serving as a very lucrative parachute.
So, just who is possibly looking at a spot in the coaching unemployment line at season’s end, or sooner? Recent history suggests that anywhere from 15 to upwards of 25 of the nearly 130 head coaches who are on the FBS sidelines when the season begins won’t be there when the calendar flips to 2017.
Last year around this time, our hot seat preview listed six head coaches feeling the heat; just one of the six survived the 2015 season. The lone exception? Indiana’s Kevin Wilson.
Below are but a few of the coaches who could be entering a make-or-break season at their respective schools, in order from hottest to slightly less hot.
KEVIN SUMLIN, TEXAS A&M
2015 RECORD: 8-5 overall, 4-4 in SEC
OVERALL RECORD: 36-16, 17-15
Off the field, it’s been an embarrassing last few months for the university in general and the A&M football program specifically. Two of Sumlin’s assistants were suspended after getting their Beavis & Butthead on at a women’s football clinic, leaving A&M’s president “dismayed, disappointed, angry” over their sexist presentation and allowing a former head coach at rival Texas to crow he’s “never lost a women’s clinic.” Another Sumlin assistant made an ass of himself with a social media hissy fit befitting a middle schooler when a recruit had the audacity to decommit from the Aggies. In February, former A&M quarterback Kyle Allen ripped the football program’s post-Johnny Football culture. While not on Sumlin’s watch, it wasn’t a good look for the program when a former football trainer claimed in January that coaches pressured him to rush injured players back onto the field.
On the field is where Sumlin is really feeling the heat, though. In 2012, the first season for both Sumlin in College Station and the Aggies in the SEC, A&M went 11-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Since then, they’ve gone 25-14 overall and, more importantly, just 11-13 in the SEC.
Add it all up, and given the hyper-competitive nature of the SEC West, Sumlin sits on one of the hottest seats in the country. He does have two potential lifelines. One, win, and win big, in 2016. Secondly, and arguably most importantly, his contract, which runs through 2019 and averages in excess of $5 million annually, is fully guaranteed if he’s fired without cause. That, more than anything, might buy him another season if the on-field struggles — and off-field embarrassments — continue.
Such is the case as we get set to embark on a sparkling new football season, with a handful of coaches feeling the heat from folks off the field for their collective failures on it. Fair or not, it’s a fact of life in the coaching profession: win or you’re gone, oft-times with a multi-million buyout serving as a very lucrative parachute.
So, just who is possibly looking at a spot in the coaching unemployment line at season’s end, or sooner? Recent history suggests that anywhere from 15 to upwards of 25 of the nearly 130 head coaches who are on the FBS sidelines when the season begins won’t be there when the calendar flips to 2017.
Last year around this time, our hot seat preview listed six head coaches feeling the heat; just one of the six survived the 2015 season. The lone exception? Indiana’s Kevin Wilson.
Below are but a few of the coaches who could be entering a make-or-break season at their respective schools, in order from hottest to slightly less hot.
KEVIN SUMLIN, TEXAS A&M
2015 RECORD: 8-5 overall, 4-4 in SEC
OVERALL RECORD: 36-16, 17-15
Off the field, it’s been an embarrassing last few months for the university in general and the A&M football program specifically. Two of Sumlin’s assistants were suspended after getting their Beavis & Butthead on at a women’s football clinic, leaving A&M’s president “dismayed, disappointed, angry” over their sexist presentation and allowing a former head coach at rival Texas to crow he’s “never lost a women’s clinic.” Another Sumlin assistant made an ass of himself with a social media hissy fit befitting a middle schooler when a recruit had the audacity to decommit from the Aggies. In February, former A&M quarterback Kyle Allen ripped the football program’s post-Johnny Football culture. While not on Sumlin’s watch, it wasn’t a good look for the program when a former football trainer claimed in January that coaches pressured him to rush injured players back onto the field.
On the field is where Sumlin is really feeling the heat, though. In 2012, the first season for both Sumlin in College Station and the Aggies in the SEC, A&M went 11-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Since then, they’ve gone 25-14 overall and, more importantly, just 11-13 in the SEC.
Add it all up, and given the hyper-competitive nature of the SEC West, Sumlin sits on one of the hottest seats in the country. He does have two potential lifelines. One, win, and win big, in 2016. Secondly, and arguably most importantly, his contract, which runs through 2019 and averages in excess of $5 million annually, is fully guaranteed if he’s fired without cause. That, more than anything, might buy him another season if the on-field struggles — and off-field embarrassments — continue.
CHARLIE STRONG, TEXAS
2015 RECORD: 5-7 overall, 4-5 in Big 12
OVERALL RECORD: 11-14, 9-9
While the hot seat of Strong’s counterpart at a former rival consists of on- and off-the-field issues, the Longhorns’ sidelines boss’ issues rest solely between the lines on game days. In two seasons with the Longhorns, Strong has gone an unacceptable 11-14 overall and 9-9 in Big 12 play, the worst two-year start for a UT head coach in nearly 80 years. At Iowa State, those numbers would get you a parade through downtown Ames; at UT, it gets you on the express lane toward the unemployment line.
The good news for Strong is that he’s recruited well enough (seventh in 2016, 10th in 2015, 16th in 2014) that the talent is there to compete in the conference. Additionally, three of their toughest games in 2016, Baylor, Notre Dame and TCU, will be played in Austin. Strong has to hope that the combination of a new offensive coordinator (Sterlin Gilbert) and a promising freshman quarterback (Shane Buechele) can revitalize a stagnant offense and show promise for the future — and the defense can sustain its recent level of performance.
If the ‘Horns can’t get to at least eight wins? It may be three seasons and you’re out for Strong of a handful of boosters get their way.
DARRELL HAZELL, PURDUE
2015 RECORD: 2-10 overall, 1-7 in Big Ten
OVERALL RECORD: 6-30, 2-22
Simply put, Hazell seemingly needs to qualify for a bowl in order to get a fifth season in West Lafayette, and the raw numbers show exactly why.
Of the 30 games the Boilermakers have played in three years under Hazell, they’ve lost 24 of them. Half of Hazell’s wins during his time at the school have come against FCS programs; in other words, he has a winning percentage of .100 against teams that play at the FBS level. Think about that number for a second, and let it sink in, and it makes you truly wonder how he made it to the 2016 season to begin with — especially when you consider he has an even-worse .090 winning percentage in conference play. And it’s not like they’re competitive in the league, either.
In B1G play, Hazell has lost 22 games by nearly 20 points per game (19.8). 17 of those losses were by two touchdowns or more, with exactly half of the losses, 11, coming by 20 or more points. And the two wins? By 10 over Nebraska last year, by 11 over Illinois the year before.
It was thought that Hazell’s contract played a role in his getting a fourth season. If this one’s anything like the previous three, there’s little doubt the athletic department will eat the remaining money owed to Hazell and move on to another head coach.
GUS MALZAHN, AUBURN
2015 RECORD: 7-6 overall, 2-6 in SEC
OVERALL RECORD: 27-13, 13-11
It’d be hard to get off to a much better start than Malzahn did in 2013. All The Tigers did was run out to a 12-1 record and SEC title before losing to Florida State in the BCS championship game. Since then? A steady decline — and a precipitous one when it comes to conference play.
The Tigers dipped to 8-5 in 2014, and then dipped even further the following season to 7-6. Most worrisome for those in and around the athletic department would have to be a 4-4 record in the SEC in 2014 that turned into 2-6 last season. In fact, since beating Ole Miss in early November of 2014, Auburn has gone a miserable 2-9 in SEC games. That’s disappointing for just about any school in the conference. For a school that resides in the same state as a program that’s won four of the last seven national championships? It’s downright unacceptable.
The SEC West is the most unforgiving of coaching stops. If Malzahn doesn’t turn it around sooner rather than later, he will, fair or not, find himself on the outside of the conference looking in.
DANA HOLGORSEN, WEST VIRGINIA
2015 RECORD: 8-5 overall, 4-5 in Big 12
OVERALL RECORD: 36-28, 20-23
An eight-win season staved off the wolves for the moment, but 2016 might be a make-or-break season for Holgorsen in Morgantown. That was never more evident than when contract talks on an extension between the two sides stalled earlier this year, leaving the coach with just one more year on his contract after this season.
Holgorsen is 35-28 in five seasons with the Mountaineers. Against Big 12 foes, however, Holgorsen is just 15-21. Since going 10-3 in the final season in the Big East in 2011, WVU is a mere 26-25 the last four seasons. The good news for Holgorsen is that there’s some momentum from a year ago on which to build, with the Mountaineers winning five of their last six games coming off a four-game losing streak against ranked conference teams. The lone loss in that stretch was a one-point setback at Kansas State, and also included the first bowl win since Holgorsen’s first season.
As rumors swirled surrounding Holgorsen’s future in Morgantown, athletic director Shane Lyons announced back in December that the head coach would return. As it appears there will be no resolution to the contract issue before the new season kicks off, expect the speculation on Holgorsen’s future to ramp up exponentially if the Mountaineers struggle coming out of the 2016 gate.
MARK STOOPS, KENTUCKY
2015 RECORD: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in SEC
OVERALL RECORD: 12-24, 4-20
It might be a year early to put Stoops on this list, but it shouldn’t be.
At least when it comes to recruiting, Stoops has flamed what passions for football in Lexington exists. Prior to Stoops’ arrival, UK had just two recruiting classes — 2006 (No. 36) and 2009 (No. 41) — that finished inside the Top 50 nationally since 2002. Since then, the Wildcats have racked up classes that ranked 34th (2016), 38th (2015), 22nd (2014) and 34th (2013). That relative recruiting success has, thus far, failed miserably to translate into on-field success, though.
A 2-10 first season with the Wildcats gave way to a 5-7 2014 season, a mark that led to rampant enthusiasm over the future of the football program. That push forward stalled with yet another 5-7 season in 2015. Perhaps most distressing to followers of the team is the 4-20 mark in SEC play, a sign that the team is not even remotely ready to compete even in the weaker East Division.
If UK is fine with a .500-ish program that creates some recruiting buzz every once in a while, then Stoops might be their man. If they’re looking to get to the next level? 2016 may portend whether Stoops can or can’t be that man. Stoops is signed through the 2019 season, but money, at least in the SEC, should be no object when it comes to the football program.
College football Week 1 TV schedule: How to watch the Top 25 games.
By Colleen Thomas
(Photo/Sporting News)
Week 1 of the college football season starts a bit earlier than you'd think, and it's going to be a 10-day long event. But hey, we're not complaining!
Cal and Hawai'i kick off the college football season Friday, August 26 in Sydney, Australia. Six days later, the other 126 teams open their seasons with a Labor Day weekend college football marathon, spanning from Thursday, September 1 to Monday, September 5.
It's time to start planning your TV viewing schedule for the first week of college football.
PREDICTIONS: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | ACC | Pac 12
Here's all the info — dates, times, TV channels — for how to watch the Top 25 teams in Week 1.
Thursday, September 1
Charlotte at No. 19 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN3
Appalachian State at No. 9 Tennessee, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
Friday, September 2
Furman at No. 12 MIchigan State, 7 p.m., BTN
Northwestern State at No. 23 Baylor, 7:30 p.m., TBD
Kansas State at No. 8 Stanford, 9 p.m., FS1
Saturday, September 3
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Houston, 12 p.m., ABC
Bowling Green at No. 6 Ohio State, 12 p.m., BTN
Hawaii at No. 7 Michigan, 12 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers at No. 14 Washington, 2 p.m., PAC12
No. 16 UCLA at Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., CBS
No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Miami (Ohio) at No. 17 Iowa, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Southeastern Louisiana at No. 21 Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m., TBD
UC Davis at No. 24 Oregon, 5 p.m., PAC12
No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 22 North Carolina, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
UMass at No. 25 Florida, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 20 USC vs. No. 1 Alabama, 8 p.m., ABC
South Dakota State at No. 13 TCU, 8 p.m., TBD
No. 2 Clemson at Auburn, 9 p.m., ESPN
Cal and Hawai'i kick off the college football season Friday, August 26 in Sydney, Australia. Six days later, the other 126 teams open their seasons with a Labor Day weekend college football marathon, spanning from Thursday, September 1 to Monday, September 5.
It's time to start planning your TV viewing schedule for the first week of college football.
PREDICTIONS: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | ACC | Pac 12
Here's all the info — dates, times, TV channels — for how to watch the Top 25 teams in Week 1.
Thursday, September 1
Charlotte at No. 19 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN3
Appalachian State at No. 9 Tennessee, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
Friday, September 2
Furman at No. 12 MIchigan State, 7 p.m., BTN
Northwestern State at No. 23 Baylor, 7:30 p.m., TBD
Kansas State at No. 8 Stanford, 9 p.m., FS1
Saturday, September 3
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Houston, 12 p.m., ABC
Bowling Green at No. 6 Ohio State, 12 p.m., BTN
Hawaii at No. 7 Michigan, 12 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers at No. 14 Washington, 2 p.m., PAC12
No. 16 UCLA at Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., CBS
No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Miami (Ohio) at No. 17 Iowa, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Southeastern Louisiana at No. 21 Oklahoma State, 3:30 p.m., TBD
UC Davis at No. 24 Oregon, 5 p.m., PAC12
No. 18 Georgia vs. No. 22 North Carolina, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
UMass at No. 25 Florida, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
No. 20 USC vs. No. 1 Alabama, 8 p.m., ABC
South Dakota State at No. 13 TCU, 8 p.m., TBD
No. 2 Clemson at Auburn, 9 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, September 4
No. 10 Notre Dame at Texas, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Monday, September 5
No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Florida State, 8 p.m., ESPN
NCAABKB: Anti-trust cases against NCAA, Power 5 conferences will move forward.
By Justin Sievert
U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken has denied a request from the NCAA to dismiss two class-action antitrust claims that continued the attack on compensation limits for student-athletes.
The two claims, both filed in March 2014, claim the value of an individual student-athlete had been illegally capped at the value of an athletics scholarship because of an agreement (i.e., NCAA legislation) between NCAA members.
The first claim, Jenkins v. NCAA, headed by Jeffrey Kessler, claims if compensation for football and men’s basketball student-athletes at the Power 5 conferences wasn’t illegally capped, some would be able to receive offers in excess of what is permissible under NCAA legislation. Kessler seeks an injunction against the enforcement of this legislation.
The second, Alston v. NCAA, headed by Steve Berman, argues the NCAA colluded to cap the value of an athletics scholarship below the actual cost of attendance at NCAA member institutions. Berman demanded two specific remedies for FBS football and Division I men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes.
First, he demanded an injunction that enjoined the NCAA limited athletics scholarships to grant-in-aid. This demand became moot when the Power 5 conferences voted to pass legislation that increased the value of an athletics scholarship to cover the federally determined actual cost of attendance. The second demand was an award for damages for student-athletes who had received grant-in-aids the four years prior to the filing of the lawsuit (plaintiffs can only recover damages up to four years prior to filing in Sherman Act cases) for the difference between the grant-in-aid amount and the full cost-of-attendance for the aforementioned student-athletes.
These cases were consolidated by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in June 2015.
The NCAA’s argument to dismiss was based on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA antitrust case. The 9th Circuit had overruled Wilken’s ruling that would have permitted Division I football and men’s basketball players to receive up to $5,000 a year for name, image and likeness rights.
The 9th Circuit reasoned there is a difference between offering a student-athlete educational-related compensation (i.e., full cost-of-attendance) and offering cash compensation that isn't tied to educational expenses (i.e., NIL rights payments) and this is a drastic change from what is permissible under NCAA legislation.
The second, Alston v. NCAA, headed by Steve Berman, argues the NCAA colluded to cap the value of an athletics scholarship below the actual cost of attendance at NCAA member institutions. Berman demanded two specific remedies for FBS football and Division I men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes.
First, he demanded an injunction that enjoined the NCAA limited athletics scholarships to grant-in-aid. This demand became moot when the Power 5 conferences voted to pass legislation that increased the value of an athletics scholarship to cover the federally determined actual cost of attendance. The second demand was an award for damages for student-athletes who had received grant-in-aids the four years prior to the filing of the lawsuit (plaintiffs can only recover damages up to four years prior to filing in Sherman Act cases) for the difference between the grant-in-aid amount and the full cost-of-attendance for the aforementioned student-athletes.
These cases were consolidated by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in June 2015.
The NCAA’s argument to dismiss was based on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA antitrust case. The 9th Circuit had overruled Wilken’s ruling that would have permitted Division I football and men’s basketball players to receive up to $5,000 a year for name, image and likeness rights.
The 9th Circuit reasoned there is a difference between offering a student-athlete educational-related compensation (i.e., full cost-of-attendance) and offering cash compensation that isn't tied to educational expenses (i.e., NIL rights payments) and this is a drastic change from what is permissible under NCAA legislation.
(Photo/Sporting News)
The two claims, both filed in March 2014, claim the value of an individual student-athlete had been illegally capped at the value of an athletics scholarship because of an agreement (i.e., NCAA legislation) between NCAA members.
The first claim, Jenkins v. NCAA, headed by Jeffrey Kessler, claims if compensation for football and men’s basketball student-athletes at the Power 5 conferences wasn’t illegally capped, some would be able to receive offers in excess of what is permissible under NCAA legislation. Kessler seeks an injunction against the enforcement of this legislation.
The second, Alston v. NCAA, headed by Steve Berman, argues the NCAA colluded to cap the value of an athletics scholarship below the actual cost of attendance at NCAA member institutions. Berman demanded two specific remedies for FBS football and Division I men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes.
First, he demanded an injunction that enjoined the NCAA limited athletics scholarships to grant-in-aid. This demand became moot when the Power 5 conferences voted to pass legislation that increased the value of an athletics scholarship to cover the federally determined actual cost of attendance. The second demand was an award for damages for student-athletes who had received grant-in-aids the four years prior to the filing of the lawsuit (plaintiffs can only recover damages up to four years prior to filing in Sherman Act cases) for the difference between the grant-in-aid amount and the full cost-of-attendance for the aforementioned student-athletes.
These cases were consolidated by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in June 2015.
The NCAA’s argument to dismiss was based on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA antitrust case. The 9th Circuit had overruled Wilken’s ruling that would have permitted Division I football and men’s basketball players to receive up to $5,000 a year for name, image and likeness rights.
The 9th Circuit reasoned there is a difference between offering a student-athlete educational-related compensation (i.e., full cost-of-attendance) and offering cash compensation that isn't tied to educational expenses (i.e., NIL rights payments) and this is a drastic change from what is permissible under NCAA legislation.
The second, Alston v. NCAA, headed by Steve Berman, argues the NCAA colluded to cap the value of an athletics scholarship below the actual cost of attendance at NCAA member institutions. Berman demanded two specific remedies for FBS football and Division I men’s and women’s basketball student-athletes.
First, he demanded an injunction that enjoined the NCAA limited athletics scholarships to grant-in-aid. This demand became moot when the Power 5 conferences voted to pass legislation that increased the value of an athletics scholarship to cover the federally determined actual cost of attendance. The second demand was an award for damages for student-athletes who had received grant-in-aids the four years prior to the filing of the lawsuit (plaintiffs can only recover damages up to four years prior to filing in Sherman Act cases) for the difference between the grant-in-aid amount and the full cost-of-attendance for the aforementioned student-athletes.
These cases were consolidated by the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in June 2015.
The NCAA’s argument to dismiss was based on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Ruling in the O’Bannon v. NCAA antitrust case. The 9th Circuit had overruled Wilken’s ruling that would have permitted Division I football and men’s basketball players to receive up to $5,000 a year for name, image and likeness rights.
The 9th Circuit reasoned there is a difference between offering a student-athlete educational-related compensation (i.e., full cost-of-attendance) and offering cash compensation that isn't tied to educational expenses (i.e., NIL rights payments) and this is a drastic change from what is permissible under NCAA legislation.
Candid Coaches: Which college coach would you want coaching your own son?
(Photo/cbssports.com)
There was a close race for who coaches say they would want coaching their own sons.
| Coach School | Percentage |
| Tom Izzo Michigan State | 16 percent |
| Tony Bennett Virginia | 14 percent |
| Bill Self Kansas | 9 percent |
| Mike Krzyzewski Duke | 8 percent |
| Lon Kruger Oklahoma | 6 percent |
| Shaka Smart Texas | 5 percent |
| Mark Few Gonzaga | 4 percent |
| Bob McKillop Davidson | 3 percent |
FIVE QUOTES THAT STOOD OUT
MY TAKEAWAY
What I found most interesting about this question is that different coaches answered it in completely different ways. Some focused strictly on the type of man for whom their son would hypothetically be playing, which led to answers like Mark Few, Bob McKillop, Cuonzo Martin and Tubby Smith. I had one coach tell me he believes Few is probably the best at striking a balance between being a highly successful college coach and top-shelf husband and father. And, frankly, I think that's true. All coaches talk about needing proper balance in their lives, but the majority don't appear to have it. Few does, though. And his colleagues recognize that.
Truth be told, if I were asked this question about my sons, I'd probably answer the way the coaches who said Few, McKillop, Martin or Smith answered. Or, at least, I'd try to think along those lines. I don't think I'd care as much about the basketball as I would care about the type of man I'd be sending my sons to be around almost daily for, presumably, four years. And that's the way I assumed most coaches would answer the question. But, like I said, some coaches answered from a completely different perspective and focused almost entirely on basketball, which led to answers like John Calipari.
"Sixty-eight percent of his players that have finished their college career at Kentucky have been selected in the NBA Draft," one coach said. "Pretty simple math to me."
Truth be told, if I were asked this question about my sons, I'd probably answer the way the coaches who said Few, McKillop, Martin or Smith answered. Or, at least, I'd try to think along those lines. I don't think I'd care as much about the basketball as I would care about the type of man I'd be sending my sons to be around almost daily for, presumably, four years. And that's the way I assumed most coaches would answer the question. But, like I said, some coaches answered from a completely different perspective and focused almost entirely on basketball, which led to answers like John Calipari.
"Sixty-eight percent of his players that have finished their college career at Kentucky have been selected in the NBA Draft," one coach said. "Pretty simple math to me."
The problem with this way of thinking, of course, is that nobody's son is likely to end up in the NBA simply because he plays for Calipari, which is why the "Nobody gets players prepared for the NBA better than Calipari" argument has always been a logical fallacy. To be clear, Calipari is really good -- and a better "coach" than some like to admit. But the majority of NBA players who have played under Calipari -- Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns, etc., -- would've been NBA players no matter where they attended college. In other words, Calipari doesn't create NBA players as much as he recruits NBA players. So if you want your son to play for him, that's certainly fine. I wouldn't mind my son playing for him. But if you think your moderately skilled son, or my moderately skilled son, is going to magically end up in the NBA because of any coach, well, that's silly.
But I digress.
Anyway ... coaches answered this question in completely different ways.
That's the point I was trying to make.
And that's precisely why it's unsurprising that Michigan State's Tom Izzo was the top vote-getter -- because he seems to check both boxes. You want a coach who is widely, if not universally, respected throughout the sport, away from the court, by both his peers and media members? That's Tom Izzo. You want a coach who wins, wins, wins no matter what to the point that he'll soon be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame? That's also Tom Izzo. He's a well-liked man and great basketball coach. Virginia's Tony Bennett is the same, which is why he finished just behind Izzo in the voting.
Bottom line, there are lots of good and reasonable answers to this question.
The feedback was fun.
But the Tom Izzo and Tony Bennett answers make good sense.
Here's how NFL's interviews of Matthews, Peppers and Harrison went, according to sources. What's Your Take?
By Charles Robinson
It’s unknown whether the interviews will officially close the book on the NFL’s investigation. However, they provide one notable turn in the probe: the league now has Matthews, Peppers and Harrison giving on-record denials that could be revisited if the NFL discovers contradictory evidence.
The league threatened suspension for the trio if they didn’t submit to a formal league interview about the report. Peppers and Matthews spoke with NFL officials on Wednesday, while Harrison had a discussion with the league on Thursday.
Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: Everyone knows that our position is anti-performance enhancing drugs with regards to all sports, professional, college and high school. Everyone also knows how fierce the rivalry is between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. I made these two statements because of the players that are involved in this situation. I would love for the Packers to lose a couple of good players as it would definitely benefit the Bears, however, I do not support the approach the NFL took in their investigation of these allegations. Al Jazeera made an allegation against these three players alleging that they used performance enhancing drugs. The NFL should have done an all inclusive investigation with Al Jazeera including speaking with bona fide sources and witnesses. Having dates and places where these allegations occurred. They should have been able to confront these players with facts and then seek their responses to the allegations. The NFL threatened the players with suspension if they did not come and speak with them about the allegations. Sources report that the NFL had no corroborating evidence with regards to these allegations. Our position is that It was a waste of time and was potentially damaging to these player's character. The NFL is better than this. Hopefully, this won't happen again without more substantial evidence.
As usual, we've stated our position and it is what it is. I've been told that my weekly takes are too simplistic; we welcome your in-depth point of view. We would love to hear your thoughts and what's your take? Please take a moment and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your feelings with us. We look forward to hearing your opinion.
Marion P. Jelks, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Editorial Director
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, August 26, 2016.
emoriesofhistory.com
1939 - The first televised major league baseball games were shown. The event was a double-header between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1947 - Don Bankhead became the first black pitcher in major league baseball.
1961 - The International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto opened. The project had been approved on September 11, 1943.
1998 - In east Bohemia, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek was fined $30 for speeding when he ran his Ferrari off the road and hit a tree.
1947 - Don Bankhead became the first black pitcher in major league baseball.
1961 - The International Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto opened. The project had been approved on September 11, 1943.
1998 - In east Bohemia, Buffalo Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek was fined $30 for speeding when he ran his Ferrari off the road and hit a tree.
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