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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds." ~ Marta, Female Professional Soccer Player

Trending: Bears fitting right in with squirrely ’16 NFL season. (See the football section for Bears and NFL updates).

Trending: Duncan Keith has two assist in preseason debut, Blackhawks best Red Wings. (Please see the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

Trending: Four takeaways from the Bulls' preseason opener loss to the Bucks. (Please see the basketball section for Bulls updates and NBL news).

Trending: Tiger's 'flushing everything' in practice sessions, says Parnevik. (See the golf section for PGA news and updates).

Trending: Cubs road to the "World Series".   

Game 1 will start at 8:15 p.m. Central on Friday and be televised on Fox Sports 1.

Game 2 will start at 7:08 Central on Saturday and be televised on MLB Network.

(See the baseball section for Cubs updates).

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears fitting right in with squirrely ’16 NFL season.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Proclamations or discussions of whether a team is “good” or not are always amusing. Absolutes rarely exist in the NFL, which is probably part of why only one team has ever made it from Week 1 through a Super Bowl without losing a game.

“Good” is relative, in the truest sense of the word.

The question has never been whether the Bears were good or bad, but rather: compared to what? It really makes zero difference whether the Bears’ 17-14 win was against a depleted Detroit Lions team, or the Bears scoring just 17 points from 408 yards or offense was good or bad. It just was.

It’s reasonable, albeit problematic, to assess whether the Bears are somehow going in a right direction. For what it’s worth, the 11 defensive players with the most snaps in throttling the Lions were all drafted, signed or extended (Willie Young) under the auspices of GM Ryan Pace, and that’s with Eddie Goldman and Danny Trevathan out injured.

Power rankings are genuinely precious. Are the Bears as good as the Arizona Cardinals? Carolina Panthers? New York Jets? No way, no way and no way. And all of them have exactly the same 1-3 record as the Bears. The Indianapolis Colts are 1-3 as well, and they even lost to the Lions.

Actually, 1-3 is apparently some sort of contagion. Six of the Bears’ remaining 12 games are against teams currently 1-3. Two are against 2-2 teams (New York, Washington). The other four are against the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, but the Bears did defeat the Packers on a Thursday night in Lambeau Field last year, when the Packers stood 7-3.

All of which means nothing whatsoever, except that whatever the Bears are or are not, grade them on a curve. Put them in the context of an NFL that has expanded the realm of the possible with things like the Buffalo Bills shutting out the New England Patriots – in Foxborough – and the Dallas Cowboys being within one point of standing 4-0 behind a rookie quarterback drafted in the fourth round, and the Minnesota Vikings losing their quarterback (Teddy Bridgewater), franchise running back (AP) and best offensive linemen (Matt Kalil).

All that matters is whether the Bears are better than the 1-3 Colts, and then only for one day. And then be better than the 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars for another one day.

The Colts haven’t scored fewer than 20 points in any of four games. The Bears haven’t scored more than 17 in any of their four. Bettors installed the Colts as favorites by a handful of points, but those are the same Colts who just cut two veteran defensive starters, including linebacker Sio Moore, who replaced Jerrell Freeman when Freeman signed with the Bears.

What the Bears do organizationally to improve after the season – ranging from getting some draft capital in a trade of Jay Cutler to Pace adding through his third draft and free agency – is another topic.

In the meantime, if the Bears prevail over two other 1-3 teams in the next 11 days, they’ll be .500 for the first time under John Fox, with four other 1-3 teams on the schedule. Only six NFC teams were .500-plus last season and they were all in the playoffs.

“Good” or not. “Good” has never mattered, this season even less than usual.

Bears In-foe: Colts' defense forces offense to play keep-up.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

After Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson were given contract extensions many thought they wouldn't get from owner Jim Irsay, Pagano reached back to his old Ravens staff to replace defensive coordinator Gregg Manusky after that unit ranked in the lower third of the NFL for the third time in four years. He hired Baltimore linebackers coach Ted Monachino to guide the base 3-4, only to find it ranked 30th a quarter of the way through this season, allowing 31 points per game.

Part of the reason has been a banged-up secondary, which features two assets in former Illini cornerback Vontae Davis (a Pro Bowl alternate last season after four interceptions and 16 passes defensed) and 35-year-old strong safety Mike Adams, who made a second straight Pro Bowl after five picks and three forced fumbles a year ago. Journeyman Patrick Robinson starts opposite Davis with veterans Darius Butler (who has the team's lone interception thus far) and Antonio Cromartie filling nickel and backup roles at corner. There's youth teaming with Adams at free safety, with second-year man Clayton Geathers starting and second-round rookie T.J. Green (4.34 speed) pushing him.

At linebacker, though, the decision to let Jerrell Freeman sign with the Bears and the signs of Robert Mathis' best days being behind him have added to the defensive pain. The 35-year-old Mathis (with 118 career sacks, 20th all-time) has yet to take an opposing quarterback down after tearing his ACL last year. D'Qwell Jackson turns 33 in December after piling up 150 tackles working in tandem with Freeman last season. Ex-Raider Sio Moore has stepped in and leads the team in tackles thus far. But who knows where the pass rush would be without former Packer Erik Walden? His career high is six sacks, but right now he owns four of the defense's seven, working off the strong side. Backup Trent Cole was recently placed on IR with a back injury. Former Bolingbrook star Antonio Morrison, one of the Colts' fourth-round picks, is still working to add weight and strength (235 pounds).

Up front, defensive end Kendall Langford is coming off a career-high seven-sack campaign. Nose tackle David Parry started every game as a rookie last season, while the other outside spot is held down by Zach Kerr, with fourth-round rookie Hassan Ridgeway trying to push him and 2015 third-rounder Henry Anderson rounding back to health after tearing an ACL midway through last season.

Special teams

At 43 years old, Adam Vinatieri just keeps on kickin'. Now in his 21st season, he's gone 8-for-8 on field goals thus far, making him — get this — 63-of-66 the past two-plus seasons, including a streak of 35 straight. The coverage teams allowed three return touchdowns a year ago but rank in the top half so far in 2016. Quan Bray is one of the league's top kickoff returners, ranking third with a 25.8-yard average (after 27.11 a year ago), but his punt return average is only 6.2 yards.

Bears In-foe: Ordinary Joes on Colts' O-line make Andrew Luck need luck.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It was a year ago Wednesday that Joe Philbin was fired as Dolphins head coach after a listless loss in London.

Upon the Colts' return from London on Sunday night, the man who's now Indianapolis' offensive line coach still had a job but was probably feeling just as much heat.

He was hired to help fix one of this team's Achilles' heels, to help protect the most expensive player in NFL history after Andrew Luck was awarded a six-year, $140 million contract in June ($47 million guaranteed). But after being sacked six times in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, putting him on pace for 60 this season, Luck might not be blamed for asking for combat pay. The star signal-caller who made his NFL debut against the Bears in 2012 missed nine games last season with shoulder, kidney and abdomen injuries, in part due to his own aggressiveness and recklessness. He's tried to learn his lesson and be smarter this season but has absorbed 32 hits already while being pressured on half of his 42 dropbacks at Wembley Stadium. While he's ranked in the top seven in attempts, yards and touchdown passes, Luck went into Monday night 22nd in completion percentage (62 percent) and only 18th in passer rating (91.1). His five turnovers this season have led to 31 points. Hardly $140 million-worthy.

But similar to the Lions team the Bears just defeated, the line and the running back corps hasn't lifted the rushing rankings higher than 21st in any of Luck's seasons. And while the Lions' streak of not having a 100-yard rusher in a game reached 40 on Sunday, the Colts' streak is even longer: 54 games. The team's last back to hit the century mark? Vick Ballard in the 14th game of Luck's rookie season. The last Colts 1,000-yard rusher was Joseph Addai. In 2007.

The Colts used three of their top six draft picks this year on the O-line, including first-round center Ryan Kelly. But Le'Raven Clark and Joe Haeg couldn't beat out shaky vets Joe Reitz and Denzelle Good until being forced into action on the right side Sunday due to injuries. Lake Zurich High School product Anthony Castonzo was a 2011 first-round pick but seems to be struggling more and more at left tackle. 2014 second-round pick Jack Mewhort is the left guard. Third-round guard Hugh Thornton (via Illinois) is on injured reserve.

The Colts hoped Frank Gore might spark the ground game after the 49ers let him loose in free agency. While the 33-year-old played a full season for the fifth straight year, he averaged a career-low 3.7 yards per rush in 2015, his first season without a 100-yard game. Gore's averaging four yards a pop this season, with 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He's backed up by Robert Turbin and undrafted rookie Josh Ferguson out of Joliet Catholic and Illinois, who's actually caught the second most passes on the club thus far (17 for 117 yards).

Five-foot-9 speedster T.Y. Hilton is the main threat in the Colts' attack with 25 catches (44 targets) for 336 yards and a couple of touchdowns, on his way to a fourth straight 1,000-yard season. But with Donte Moncrief (64 catches last year) out with a fractured scapula sustained in Week 2, Phillip Dorsett — the fastest player in the 2014 draft whom they selected in the first round — has just nine catches. But at least that's already half of his disappointing total from a year ago. One of those, however, was a late 64-yard catch-and-run to draw Indy to within 30-27 late on Sunday.

After allowing Coby Fleener to flee in free agency, Jack Doyle is now the main target at tight end, averaging 24 yards on 14 catches. While the Bears pursued Dwayne Allen in free agency to team with Zach Miller, he re-upped with the Colts, for whom he's missed 21 games to injury in his four seasons.

Bears offense fueled by three keys to franchise’s future in win over Lions.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago)

Obvious offensive high points in the Bears win over Detroit were the 408 yards generated (the most since game eight last season), the performance of quarterback Brian Hoyer and ball control of more than 33 minutes that fit with the template for wins by the John Fox Bears (who were 5-1 in 2015 regulation games with 33 minutes in time of possession).

But within the collectives were a handful of franchise-grade positives worth their own spotlights because of the long-range implications for the organization:

Kevin White – “No. 1 wideout?”

Maybe because he hasn’t scored his first NFL TD, White, who left the Detroit game with an undisclosed ankle injury, is still under the popular radar. But while no one was really paying close attention, the de facto rookie by virtue of his 2015 season lost to injury has become the Bears’ leading receiver, with 19 catches, followed by Eddie Royal and Zach Miller with 18 each and Alshon Jeffery with 17 grabs.

More notably perhaps, no Bear has been targeted more than the 36 passes Hoyer and Jay Cutler have directed toward White – an indicator of both growing confidence in White and his getting open for them. Jeffery is a distant second with 25.

But more than the number was White’s obvious fury in the win over Detroit where he was targeted nine times by Hoyer, following 14 target from Hoyer in the Dallas game. His yardage (187) is unspectacular but he has clearly established a comfort level with Hoyer while at the same time punctuating his catches with push-back against defenders trying to get physical with him. And White’s fire appeared to be matched by teammates’.

“I thought it was by far his best game,” Fox said. “I think he was real aggressive. I think he caught some contested balls. I think after the catch I felt he was aggressive to get extra yards after the catch. I thought it was his best performance...

“I think when you’re not thinking and you kind of know what you’re doing, you just cut loose and play, which is ideally what you want guys to do. I think it comes with that experience.”

Jordan Howard – “featured” back?

The passed-over rookie fifth-round running back not only piled up his 111 rushing yards and caught three passes for 21 more, but also did it with consistent yards after contact and likely played his way past Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey on the depth chart. His 23 carries were more than the combined rushes by the Bears in the first three games and the most by a Bears back since Matt Forte’s 24 last Oct. 18, also against Detroit. Maybe that running-back-by-committee idea stays on hold.

“I definitely feel like I got a rhythm deeper in the game because at first I feel like I started kind of slow,” Howard said. “But the more carries I got, the more confidence I got and we were getting great push with the offensive line.

Cody Whitehair – settling in

The rookie center was scarce in the locker room last week, probably because he was sitting all by himself in the dark of the offensive line meeting room studying and making notes. In part because of the off-field work ethic, Whitehair has gone from an short-notice transplant from guard, one week before the season opener, to a young player already a favorite for all-rookie honors.

Whitehair was the central figure Sunday in keeping an aggressive Detroit front away from Hoyer (who blamed himself for the Lions’ two sacks of him) and getting to the second level for blocks to spring Howard.

“I feel like [the offensive line] did a great job of holding their blocks and sealing off the running lanes for me and to be patient and things are going to come,” Howard said.

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Duncan Keith has two assist in preseason debut, Blackhawks best Red Wings.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Duncan Keith has been careful this preseason, sticking with just one practice when the Blackhawks were having two per day earlier in training camp and biding his time until the staff deemed him ready to play.

He was pronounced ready for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, and he looked it.

Keith had two assists and Richard Panik scored the team’s first power-play goal of the preseason as the Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 6-1 at the United Center. Keith had wanted to get into at least one or two preseason games to get his timing back and see where his stamina was. He said he felt like himself, “right away.”

“Lots of energy before the game and it’d been awhile since I played last,” said Keith, who played just under 20 minutes. “So, I was excited to get back out there and get in front of the crowd again and play in a real game.”

Alexandre Fortin had a goal and an assist and Nick Schmaltz and Artem Anisimov also scored. Brian Campbell had two assists. Corey Crawford played the first half of the game, stopping all eight shots he saw. Scott Darling finished it, stopping nine of 10 shots.

Vinnie Hinostroza also got his first goal of the preseason when Andrew Desjardins’ shot went off him and past Jimmy Howard. Hinostroza, who was at left wing in this game, said he felt much better there.

“I think every game, I get a little bit more comfortable,” said Hinostroza. “First shift hit the post and finally got a lucky bounce there, but it felt good to get a goal. It was fun. It was a good night.”

As for Keith and how ready he’ll be for the regular-season opener next week, he considered himself “ready to roll.” Coach Joel Quenneville said Keith looked like, well, Keith.

“Solid, good gap, good play recognition, patience and certainly didn’t look like he missed too much time,” Quenneville said. “Our [defensive] group as a whole was real solid, whether gap or play recognition or puck movement tonight. Good addition with him helping manage about the same kind of ice time. He really defended well.”

Blackhawks' Niklas Hjalmarsson suspended for season opener.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Niklas Hjalmarsson was suspended the final two preseason games, as well as the regular-season opener, for his hit on St. Louis’ Ty Rattie in Saturday night’s game.

Hjalmarsson was assessed a match penalty for the hit, which came with 1:05 remaining in regulation of the Blackhawks’ 4-0 victory over the Blues. In the NHL Department of Player Safety’s video explanation, it is noted that, “approaching with speed, Hjalmarsson launches up and into [Rattie’s] head, making significant contact with Rattie’s head.”

“Both players are low and in an athletic position. But rather than staying low and delivering hit to Rattie’s shoulder or chest, Hjalmarsson launches up, making substantial contact with his head.”

Hjalmarsson will also forfeit $22,777.78, which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

This is the second time Hjalmarsson has been suspended in his career. He received a two-game suspension for his hit on Jason Pominville, then with Buffalo, in October 2010.
The Blackhawks face Detroit on Tuesday and St. Louis on Saturday to wrap up the preseason. They host the Blues in the regular-season opener on Oct. 12.

Blackhawks place Viktor Svedberg, four others on waivers.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks' roster is beginning to take shape.

After cutting seven players and releasing two others from their tryout agreements Monday morning, the Blackhawks placed forwards Spencer Abbott, Sam Carrick and Pierre-Cedric Labrie and defensemen Cameron Schilling and Viktor Svedberg on waivers shortly after.

All five players will be assigned to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League if and when they clear on Tuesday. Teams have 24 hours to put in a claim.

The moves trim down the active roster to 28 with 17 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders.

CUBS: Joe Maddon’s message to Cubs before playoff pressure turns up.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Joe Maddon doesn’t believe in meetings or rah-rah speeches or dress codes. The Cubs manager doesn’t want his players showing up to the ballpark early or taking extra batting practice, refusing to pigeonhole them into one position or follow baseball’s unwritten rules.

If players became frustrated with the spring-training feel at the end of the regular season, then Maddon also sounded annoyed at the passive-aggressive comments to reporters. If Maddon sometimes seems to make it about himself, then there’s also no denying his hands-off, big-picture, media-friendly style has been a spectacular success for a World Series-or-bust franchise. 

The cold water sprayed all over Maddon’s white hair, Great American Ball Park’s visiting clubhouse and the manager’s office after Sunday’s 7-4 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds marked a Game 162 release and a celebration of his 200th win in a Cubs uniform.

 “Just look around the clubhouse,” pitcher Jake Arrieta said. “(With) the character of the people and the players that we have – if we hold each other accountable – that’s the kind of regular seasons that we can have as a unit if we stay healthy and we perform to our ability. 

“Yeah, 200 wins in two seasons is no easy feat. But after we win a ring, we’d like to make it three seasons with 100.”   

“Try Not To Suck-tober” is here, so when the players gather before Tuesday afternoon’s simulated game at Wrigley Field, Maddon will give a rare State of the Cubs address, something simple and to the point, an updated postseason version of what he told them in spring training and around the All-Star break.    

“Most of the guys have been there (before),” Maddon said. “I don’t want to give them any stark advice regarding how they should deal with any of this stuff. It’s not going to be a long meeting. It’s primarily going to be about: In playoff baseball, things are going to go wrong. And how do you deal with (it) when things go wrong?

“You have to be able to maintain your focus. When things are going well, it’s easy. We all can do that. I just want to remind them to be able to maintain our focus, maintain our methods, even if something goes awry.”

Maddon wants his team to play the same game all the time. In theory, it shouldn’t matter if it’s April and the Arizona Diamondbacks are filling Chase Field with noise pollution, or an August weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals in front of 40,000 in Wrigleyville, or the October spotlight that can be blinding. 

So before Friday’s Game 1 against the winner of the National League wild-card game – either the New York Mets or San Francisco Giants – batting practice will be optional.

“Nothing should change,” Maddon said. “We’ll have our workout Tuesday (and) get some pitchers involved. Wednesday and Thursday, we will do different things, just to brush up. And then Friday it will be normal pregame. 

“If you don’t want it on the field and want to hit in the cage, please do. If you want to go hit on the field, please do. I don’t want anything to change. I want minimal or no changes whatsoever.”

Theo Epstein’s front office may have handed Maddon the keys to a Ferrari, but as Lou Piniella once said: This is not some push-button operation.

Even with multiple candidates for MVP (Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo) and the Cy Young Award (Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks) and a range of personalities that goes from a 22-year-old All-Star shortstop (Addison Russell) to accomplished veterans in their mid-to-late 30s with World Series rings (Ben Zobrist, John Lackey, David Ross) to the role players (Javier Baez, Matt Szczur, Travis Wood) who have thrived with Maddon’s keep-everyone-involved philosophy.

“Joe has that great sixth sense when it comes to people,” outfielder Jason Heyward said. “He knows when to be where he needs to be, and the tone he needs to set for us. We’ve done a good job of being ourselves and policing ourselves on things and fighting through the ups and downs of the season.”

So the Cubs will rely on the daily routines, natural talent, emotional intelligence and scouting reports that got them to this point – and not try to reinvent the wheel just because the fans and the TV networks will be so focused on 1908.

“I want them to go out and play with a free and clear mind,” Maddon said. “There’s no information right now that’s really that above and beyond pertinent. You might grab a nugget or two. You might. Might. I’m all about the nugget. But I don’t want them carrying anything differently than when we’ve been seeing them (while) winning (103) games this year. I don’t want them to be any different.

“This is what we want to do. But don’t go nuts and try to do anything differently right now.”

Cubs officially unveil NLDS rotation.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The wait is over. 

The Cubs officially announced their rotation for the National League Division Series with no surprises: Jon Lester getting Game 1, Kyle Hendricks going Game 2 at home and then Jake Arrieta followed by John Lackey on the road.

With two weeks between the Cubs' last truly meaningful game and the NLDS opener at Wrigley Field, speculation was abound on the Cubs' rotation and playoff roster. 

But the decision to line the starters up this way has really been settled for a while now.
It also helps that Hendricks (2.13) and Lester (2.44) notched the two best ERAs in the National League.

"A lot of it has just been based on recent productivity," Joe Maddon said in the Cubs dugout before the team took part in a simulated game Tuesday. "The fact that Jon's just nailed it, Kyle's nailed it. But they've also been very good at home. 

"Where Jake's also been good on the road and I think John Lackey doesn't care where he pitches. It kinda morphed into that. Over the last couple weeks, we've been talking about it. But those two guys have been exceptional [at Wrigley] and it's not easy to pitch well on the road and Jake's done a nice job."

In 15 appearances (14 starts) at home, Hendricks has a sparkling 1.32 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with a ridiculous 89:14 strikeout to walk ratio in 95.1 innings. On the road, he sports a 2.95 ERA and 1.099 WHIP.

Lester's splits are similar: 1.74 ERA, 0.89 WHIP at Wrigley and a 3.17 ERA, 1.15 WHIP on the road. 

Meanwhile, Arrieta has a 3.59 ERA away from Wrigley Field, but has a lower WHIP (1.04 on the road, 1.12 in Chicago) and finds a way to win away from home with an 11-3 record.

Maddon also pointed to Lester's vast postseason experience that includes a 2.85 ERA over six different playoff runs and two World Series titles as part of the reasoning for why he got the ball to kick off the Cubs' road to the Fall Classic.

Arrieta, Lester and Hendricks all didn't have their best starts to close out the regular season, but with the four days off between Sunday's game in Cincinnati and Friday's NLDS opener, Maddon is only worried about the four starters staying healthy and not about trying to fine-tune anything.

"It's just a function of the time of the year, the fact that we are going into this situation in both a good and an awkward way at the same time, meaning that we clinched so early," Maddon said. 

"It's definitely a different feeling about those [regular season] games internally. Very highly competitive people. All this stuff matters. So for me right now, it's all about health. They'll be fine when they pitch their actual playoff games."

Maddon also confirmed the Cubs have not yet made official decisions regarding the status of Jason Hammel or Jorge Soler for the NLDS. 

Hammel is dealing with a sore elbow and missed his final regular season start. However, he pitched in Tuesday's simulated game and the Cubs didn't completely rule out his status on the NLDS 25-man roster.

Soler's troublesome right side issue limited him to just six at-bats over the season's final two weeks, but he took part in Tuesday's simulated game and the Cubs just want to ensure he's healthy by Friday.

"We're just gonna get him hitting right now," Maddon said. "He looked good the other day. Definitely a part of the conversation to make this roster as long as he's well."

Sports Illustrated time travels to 1908 in tabbing Cubs 2016 champs.

By Tony Andracki

Sports Illustrated is predicting the Cubs will win the 2016 World Series.

But that's not news. 

As the odds-on favorites, many national outlets have been prognosticating the Cubs to win it all and end the drought since the calendar first turned to 2016.

But it's how SI went about their bold prediction that catches the eye.

The 2016 version is a complete remake of the 1908 cover, which of course was the last time the Cubs actually won it all.

2016:

(Photo/Sports Illustrated)

1908:

(Photo/Sports Illustrated)

Pretty neat.

The Cubs' road to the World Series officially kicks off Friday evening with Game 1 of the NLDS at Wrigley Field.

WHITE SOX: Why White Sox moved quickly to name Rick Renteria new manager.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox are so confident in Rick Renteria that they hired him as their new manager without formally speaking to anyone else.

While there are other quality candidates available, general manager Rick Hahn said he’s confident Renteria not only shares many of the same characteristics as the others, but his familiarity with the White Sox makes him the complete package. In the end, the intimate knowledge he has was the “tiebreaker” that led to Renteria -- who served as the club’s bench coach in 2016 -- being named the club’s 40th manager on Monday morning. Renteria replaces Robin Ventura, who on Sunday stepped down after five seasons as White Sox manager.

“We were pretty confident, very confident, that as qualified candidates as there may be out there in the game, we certainly weren’t going to find anyone we’d feel any better about in terms of his leadership ability, his experience, his communication skills, work ethic, open-mindedness and creativity,” Hahn said. “Certainly some of the candidates might have matched him in that regard. There are some quality candidates out there in the game. What none of them were going to be able to bring though is that ability to seamlessly take over this position on Day 1 to already have relationships with the players in that clubhouse, with other staff members in the organization, not only in Chicago, but throughout the minor leagues and to the ground running as a respected leader in this organization.”

Hahn said the White Sox have long believed Renteria, who managed the Cubs to a 73-89 mark in 2014, would be a good manager if they ever were in the market. When Ventura privately told Hahn of his intentions to step down last month, Hahn said the club began to their process of selecting the next manager and Renteria was at the top of the list.

The White Sox initially reached out to Renteria shortly after he was fired by the Cubs in 2014. Though he sat out the 2015 season, Hahn said the White Sox kept close tabs on Renteria and hired him after their bench coach Mark Parent was fired.

Earlier in the week, a veteran National League scout suspected Renteria would be at the top of several teams’ lists for their vacancies. Hahn reiterated Monday that the White Sox thought Renteria might only stay for one season before another team hired him away and didn’t want to chance it. That meant forgoing interviews with other potential candidates, who could have included Cubs’ bench coach Dave Martinez and Cleveland Indians’ bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.

 “We have a pretty firm idea of who would be in this mix, not just because we sat down the other day and did an internet search of available managers, but because over the number of years, we’ve had a living document of potential candidates,” Hahn said. “You have the opportunity over the course of time to have certain conversations over the course of the season or during spring training and get a better feel for guys and then move them up or down that list.

"We felt that there was simply not going to be a chance that we were going to come out of an interview with somebody else and feel better about their ability to lead this club, their communication skills, experience, baseball acumen, open-mindedness. Many of the important, the ability to teach. Many of the things we felt were important characteristics.

“Again there are some quality candidates out there. Some of them might have been as good. We didn’t feel any of them would wow us any more than Ricky had wowed us.”

Though nothing had been made official, both Ventura and White Sox players expressed support for Renteria over the weekend. Ventura called Renteria “invaluable,” Jose Abreu applauded him for his “outstanding knowledge,” and Adam Eaton described him as “a bundle of baseball joy.”

What will be left of the 2016 club -- which produced a fourth straight losing season -- by the time spring training rolls around remains to be seen. Hahn was adamant he wouldn’t express which direction the White Sox are headed. But Renteria knows how he’ll conduct himself either way.

“I’m hoping to bring in a little more intensity,” Renteria said. “Just from being here and having conversations throughout … whatever these guys end up doing, the truth is whatever team you have you have to execute. Can this team compete? We showed early in the year that you could. Did we fall off? Absolutely. Are there things you can improve on? No doubt about it.”

What do White Sox players think about new manager Rick Renteria?

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox announced Monday that Rick Renteria will be the 40th manager in team history when the 2017 season opens. One key reason cited by general manager Rick Hahn for the selection of Renteria is his familiarity with the club’s players. Renteria spent the 2016 season as the team’s bench coach and knows exactly what the club has. Here’s what some of the team’s current players said about Renteria on Sunday before the hire was made official.

— Chris Sale: “Awesome. Very well expected. Just a nice guy. Genuine, competitive. If you walked around this clubhouse, he would have the respect of every single person in here. I don’t know 100 percent if we’re going one way or another, but it wouldn’t be a bad starting point.”

— David Robertson: “Rick’s a great guy. I’m excited to have him. It seems like everyone likes him. It’s nice he speaks Spanish too, so that helps. Not that it really matters that much, but it does, you can see that it helps. I think he’s a good manager, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for us when we get to spring next year.”

— Alex Avila: “Rick is great. He brings a lot of energy and is always prepared, makes sure his guys are prepared. He knows what he’s doing, knows what he’s talking about. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m sure you guys will know before we do.”

— Jose Abreu: “I am very happy because Rick is an exceptional person, a great human being, a baseball fan and owns an outstanding knowledge of the game. I do believe that he is a person who can help us in many ways as manager. I ask that God bless him and guide him in this new role as our manager. To me, in particular, it is very special to have a Latino manager because we are able to speak the same language. I also believe it is very important that Rick has the opportunity to manage in the major leagues, because it serves as motivation for all Latinos who hope to be managers.”

Rick Renteria joins Johnny Evers as only managers of both Cubs and White Sox.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Rick Renteria is joining some pretty exclusive company.

Announced as the White Sox new manager Monday, Renteria is just the second person to ever be the manager of both of Chicago's big league teams.

Renteria's lone season of major league managerial experience came on the North Side of town in 2014, when he oversaw the Cubs' fifth-place finish in the National League Central with a 73-89 record. He spent the past season as Robin Ventura's bench coach before succeeding Ventura as manager.

He joins Johnny Evers as the only people to serve as skipper for both teams. Evers was the White Sox manager in 1924, going 51-72-1 in 124 games. He was twice the Cubs' manager, posting an 88-65-2 record in 155 games in 1913 and going 41-55 in 96 games in 1921.

Evers was also a Hall of Fame second baseman immortalized in the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," featuring the famous Cubs double-play combination of Tinkers to Evers to Chance. A member of the 1907 and 1908 World Series teams, he played 12 seasons on the North Side, picking up 1,340 hits and posting a .276/.354/.345 slash line. He also played one game in a White Sox uniform in 1922, driving in a run and walking twice in a game against the Cleveland Indians, which finished in a 6-6 tie.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Four takeaways from the Bulls' preseason opener loss to the Bucks.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Here’s a few observations after watching the Bulls’ 93-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center Monday night.

Sloppy, sloppy: Parade plans were being made for late June after the Bulls got off to an 8-0 start. Dwyane Wade took a liking to the United Center rims, hitting two pull-up threes for his only baskets in 11:41 of playing time.

Perhaps buoyed by his introduction to the surprisingly energetic United Center crowd as he was announced “from Chicago”

“That felt great,” Wade said. “Overall it’s good for us and a lot of things that the coaches can teach us on and we’ll learn.”

After that, the smoothness disappeared and gave way to the turnovers that were predicted by Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, who said that’s been a point of concern during the first week of training camp.

Rajon Rondo had five of the 22 turnovers to go with his seven assists, a few of them leading players where they needed to be or throwing up ahead, things that should get better in time.

“We got sloppy and had some unforced turnovers,” Hoiberg said. “We had a nice lead out of the gate, thought our energy was terrific early on. They just kill you. You’re playing on your heels and they got a lot of confidence with those turnovers.”

Getting the point: One of the big battles coming into training camp was for the backup point guard position, as there’s plenty of candidates who want minutes. Jerian Grant made shots but seemed to struggle with running the offense while Denzel Valentine looked mighty comfortable in the flow of the game.

“Another guy who can make plays. He’s solid out there. He has a knack for making plays,” Hoiberg said.

Spencer Dinwiddie got in late, keying a run that made the game competitive and almost helping the Bulls to a win.

Overall, still plenty of work left and plenty of time before anything definitive will be decided for those minutes behind Rondo.

Power or finesse?: It would be best if Nikola Mirotic put a stranglehold on the starting power forward spot but he didn’t leave a good impression or a better one than Taj Gibson.

Making shots was a problem, as well as reading the floor and feeling any level of comfort, going 1-7. Gibson was the picture of consistency, as usual. Getting the start from Hoiberg, he looked like himself compared to the player who was recovering from ankle surgery this time last year.

“Doug and Niko have been shooting the hell out of the ball in practice. Those shots will go in,” Hoiberg said. “Niko’s had a great camp, he really has. He and Taj have both played well.

He’s been consistent. He had his struggles tonight, no denying that. But he’ll get better.”
Gibson scored 11 with 12 rebounds in 21 minutes, with his only mishaps being his four turnovers. Often guards came and stripped the ball away after Gibson’s five offensive rebounds.

“Taj played with great energy, got some offensive rebounds,” Hoiberg said. “Knocking down his midrange jumper.”

Better finish: Getting waxed in the fourth turned when Cris Felicio and Spencer Dinwiddie entered the game, leading to a 16-1 run that gave the Bulls an 89-87 lead after a Doug McDermott runner.

Tony Snell acted like a player who doesn’t like being a forgotten man, playing aggressively as opposed to passively, scoring 10 with four rebounds, playing in the second half.

The Bucks’ bench, as aggressive and fast as the starters that forced so many turnovers, kept playing fast and loose, capitalizing off a scrambling Bulls’ perimeter defense. Rashad Vaughn hit a triple with 39.6 seconds left to give the Bucks a lead. Felicio could’ve tied the game with two free throws two possessions later but thankfully for all involved, he missed both and preseason basketball was done after 48 minutes.

Denzel Valentine sprains ankle in Bulls debut.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Denzel Valentine came up lame in the third quarter of his preseason opener, injuring his left ankle in the Bulls’ 93-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks Monday at the United Center.

While defending Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams, Valentine took a hard step and turned his ankle, immediately grabbing it on his way to the floor, writhing in pain.

He went to the locker room and didn’t return after 11 minutes of playing time.

Being one of the few impressive reserves, he looked comfortable in his first taste of NBA action.

It doesn’t appear to be anything too pressing and clearly the Bulls will take a cautious approach with him, as the regular season is over three weeks away. Valentine said it’ll be “a couple days” and he’ll be back on the floor.

“I just closed out, took two steps and my feet got too close together and I just twisted it,” Valentine said. “I’ll get in tomorrow, get some treatment, rehab it. Work with my strength coaches and try to get healthy and back to 100 percent.”

Valentine went behind the back for a jumper early in the second quarter, drawing some ‘oohhs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the bench and the crowd that saw him play for the first time.

Known as a ballhandler, he ran the floor with Rajon Rondo running the point, converting for a three-point play on his other field goal, looking quite comfortable as opposed to out of sorts or nervous.

“I felt like I was comfortable, like I was getting into a rhythm, felt like everything was going well for me,” Valentine said. “I’m kinda mad but it is what it is.”

Golf: I got a club for that..... Arnold Palmer's grandson tells an amazing story at his grandfather's memorial.

By Ryan Ballengee

Arnold Palmer and his grandson Sam Saunders. (Photo/Images)

The life of Arnold Palmer was celebrated on Tuesday in the basilica at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., with speaker after speaker delivering testimonies on the seven-time major champion, accomplished pilot, remarkable philanthropist and friend of golf.

Perhaps the most revealing picture of Palmer, however, came from his grandson Sam Saunders. Saunders, who will seek to regain his PGA Tour status starting Thursday in the Web.com Tour Championship in Florida, shared a telling story about how the King always wanted to keep in touch with the people he loved the most – no matter where he was.

“I called him one day,” Saunders started. “And he would always answer the phone with ‘Where are you?’ This one particular time, he said ‘Where are you?’ I said I was at home, and I said ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I’m with the President.’ I said, ‘The president of what?’ ”

The otherwise somber crowd laughed.

Saunders continued, “And he said it to me like it was so obvious, ‘The United States. I’m in the Oval Office right now with the President.’ And I said, ‘Why are you answering your phone?’ He said, ‘I wanted to talk to you.’ And that’s what he did. He always wanted to talk to me. He always wanted to be there for us, and he always was.”

Stock Watch: Reed rises; fan behavior plummets.

By Ryan Lavner

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

RISING

P-Reed (+8%): It was, in every sense, a star-making performance for the fiery Texan. Just pencil him in now for the next, oh, 10 Ryder Cups.

Thomas Pieters (+6%): As expected, the long-hitting Belgian was one of the lone bright spots for the Europeans, setting a team record for the most points by a rookie (four). He’ll be a top-10 player by this time next year.

Rory (+5%): Sure, he lost twice, but McIlroy still elevated the Ryder Cup to new heights, transforming from a swaggering former world No. 1 into a pro-wrestling heel. What fun.

Phil (+4%): Shouldering the load for the entire U.S. team, Mickelson stepped up in a big way, going 2-1 in team play and then halving his epic singles match with a 10-birdie performance. It was a satisfying end to a resurgent year.

Bubba (+1%): What other top-10 player would beg to become an assistant after getting passed over for a spot? Watson longs to be accepted, and it was heartwarming to see him welcomed into the team room. That outpouring of emotion on 18 was real.

FALLING

Lee Westwood (-1%): No one wants to see a match decided by a few yippy strokes. For this aging warrior, the Ryder Cup was a confidence-shattering week.

Justin Rose (-2%): Eighteen center-cut hole locations may have been “incredibly weak” and created a “pro-am feel,” but the PGA wanted birdies, eagles and excitement for the home crowd. Everyone was playing the same course – why does the setup matter?

Darren Clarke (-3%): Can’t pin the Europeans’ worst loss in 35 years entirely on the affable Irishman, for his team was overmatched in every facet. But the European skipper definitely aided their decline in making a few curious lineup decisions, most notably sending out a slumping Martin Kaymer and Westwood for a second team session while sitting Spanish star Rafa Cabrera Bello.

Danny Willett (-5%): After dropping the mic in the team news conference afterward (asked to describe his week, he replied: “S---”) he decided to stir things up once more before he left, tweeting that perhaps his brother was right about American fans. Why not let it go? He realizes he’ll have to play again in the States, right?

Fan behavior (-7%): The PGA allowed too many fans into the event, worsening the viewing experience and increasing the likelihood that the over-served would grow hostile. If something isn’t done – fewer tickets, a cut-off for alcohol sales, a policy for dealing with numbskulls, something – then Bethpage in 2024 will be downright ugly.

Tiger's 'flushing everything' in practice sessions, says Parnevik.

Golf Digest, Sam Weinman

 

(Photo/AFP/ Getty Images)

Tiger Woods still hopes to return to golf at next week's Safeway Open, but the type of golfer we'll see there remains pretty much a mystery. In his duties as vice captain for the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team, Woods resisted calls from players to hit balls on the practice range, and he never spoke publicly about the state of his game as he prepares for his first competitive round in more than a year.

Where Woods has been seen swinging a club is at Medalist Golf Club near his Jupiter Island, Fla., home, and by one account, the signs have been encouraging. In a "My Shot" interview in Golf Digest's November issue, Jesper Parnevik says Woods is poised to impress when he returns to competition.

"I see Tiger at the Medalist. We talk and have played nine holes together," Parnevik tells Golf Digest senior writer Guy Yocom. "By the way, he's been hitting a lot of balls, and he's hitting it great. He's pounding it a mile and flushing everything. On the range, at least, his trajectory and ball flight are like the Tiger we knew 15 years ago. Comebacks are never a sure thing, but something tells me his might be spectacular."

In the interview, Parnevik also discusses how he and Woods have patched up a rift caused by his extramarital affairs in 2009. It was Parnevik who was responsible for introducing Woods to ex-wife Elin Nordegren when Nordegren was a nanny for the Parneviks.

"When the infidelity came to light, it felt like the worst betrayal ever," Parnevik said. "But over time, I forgave Tiger. He and Elin are friends, which is nice, and he's a good parent. His mistakes hurt him, too."

The complete article can be read in the November issue, which will be available for download on Oct. 18.

NASCAR: Power Rankings: Truex leads the pack once again.

By Nick Bromberg

Kevin Harvick’s bad fortune at Dover didn’t matter for his Chase hopes (Photo/Getty).

1. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 2): There’s no drama here for No. 1. Truex led 187 laps and could’ve had a Dover sweep if it wasn’t for the wreck that took him out of contention in the spring.

Not only is Truex heading to the second round with two wins in three races, he’s going to two tracks where he’s kicked serious ass so far this season. Truex has led a combined 564 out of 667 laps at Charlotte and Kansas, the next two tracks on the schedule.

This week we’re going to take a look at the finishes of each Chase driver at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega, the three tracks that comprise the second round of the Chase.

2. Brad Keselowski (LW: 3): Keselowski was a bit miffed by his standing in the points after the first round. With a fourth-place finish on Sunday, the 2012 champion finished in the top five in the first three races of the Chase. Yet he was tied for seventh based on the reseeding for the second round. NASCAR seeds based on highest finish in a round, and while Keselowski racked up the good finishes, six other drivers had finishes higher than he did. Not really fair, but the Chase isn’t fair either.

3. Kyle Busch (LW: 6): Busch finished second and led 102 laps, though he admitted after the race that he didn’t have anything for Truex and the No. 78 team.

“I was in my own area code and he was off in his own zip code,” Busch said. But while Truex kicked Busch’s butt, Busch kicked everyone else’s. And his team has found consistency in the first three races of the Chase. Over the last 14 races of the season, Busch has finished in the top 10 on 10 occasions and has just two finishes outside the top 12. Maybe his bad luck at Bristol and Michigan was just a blip.

4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1): Harvick went into Dover in 2015 needing a win. He went into Dover this year with a win, and well, he needed it. A broken track bar mount derailed his day and Harvick finished 37th, 46 laps down. With a poor finish at Chicago, Harvick would have been toast had he not won at New Hampshire.

Had he finished second in race No. 2, Harvick would have scored 66 points over the first three races of the Chase. Tony Stewart had 71, meaning he would have beaten Harvick out for the final spot in the Chase by five points.

5. Matt Kenseth (LW: 5): Here’s another driver who had a nice, consistent three weeks. Kenseth finished fifth at Dover and had three top-10 finishes to start the Chase. It’s a bump from his pre-Chase performance where he was 37th at Bristol and 38th at Richmond in addition to finishing outside the top 10 two other times in the final six races before the playoffs.

6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4): Hamlin finished ninth and his post-race comments indicated a strong “survive and advance” mentality.

“We knew it was a so so day and that’s what we did,” Hamlin said. “It’s so hard to race and be aggressive when you have to race to not make any mistakes. We knew we were plenty fast enough today to just do what we had to do, but you can’t make any mistakes on pit lane so you’re a little bit slower. Behind the wheel I’m a lot more conservative than I would be and that equals about a ninth place finish and that’s where we were.”

When you have teams — especially in the first round — driving to avoid mistakes and disaster, you’re not going to see a lot of aggression. The format promotes being conservative in the first round.

7. Chase Elliott (LW: 7): Elliott’s upped his performance over the first three races of the Chase. After a summer slump of sorts, he was nowhere near the Chase bubble after finishing third at Dover. With two 1.5-mile tracks coming up, we’re anxious to see how the Hendrick Motorsports performance at Chicago translates to Charlotte and Kansas.

8. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 8): The last sentence for Elliott goes for Johnson too. Johnson had a good enough car at Dover to recover easily from the pit road penalty his team got for too many men over the wall on a pit stop. It was the second penalty in three races on pit road for the No. 48 bunch.

You can handle those things in the first round, but unless Johnson gets a win, multiple penalties in a round isn’t going to get you to the third and fourth rounds.

9. Joey Logano (LW: 9): Logano finished sixth on Sunday and led off his post-race quotes with, “Overall, we did what we had to do.” Again … being conservative always pays off in the first round. Logano has been competitive at 1.5-mile tracks, though he hasn’t had the raw speed that others have. If he gets two top-10 finishes at Charlotte and Kansas he’s going to be in good shape at Talladega … until avoiding the big crash becomes a priority.

10. Austin Dillon (LW: NR): Dillon’s turnaround at Dover over the weekend was remarkable. Not only did he need a good finish (and some bad luck for Kyle Larson) to get into the Chase, he was needing a good finish at a track where he simply didn’t have one.

Dillon’s best finish in six previous Dover races was 20th. He finished 8th on Sunday and was in the top 10 for a major portion of the day.

11. Carl Edwards (LW: 12): We feel like Edwards has been under-ranked for a while, but yet there hasn’t been a moment to vault Edwards up the rankings lately. It’s hard to do that when your best finish over the past five races is a sixth at New Hampshire.

Edwards’ last top-five finish came at Kentucky. 11 races ago. Yeah, he’s had two sixths, a seventh and an eighth since then, but it’s pretty evident that Edwards is fifth of the five JGR-equipped Toyotas in terms of race speed.

12. Kurt Busch (LW: 11): Busch drops to 12th after finishing 15th, one spot behind Edwards. Busch was the last driver in on points into the Chase and his early season performance shows no sign of resuming anytime soon.

To go along with an Edwards-like statistic, Busch hasn’t finished in the top three since winning at Pocono in June. His only top-five finishes since then are a fourth at Kentucky and a fifth at New Hampshire. Before Pocono, Busch had four top-five finishes in the previous 13 races and had only finished outside the top 10 once.

Lucky Dog: How about Jeff Gordon? “Retired driver finishes best among non-Chasers” is a good headline. He finished 10th.

The DNF: Poor Jamie McMurray. Not only was he eliminated from the Chase, he was whacked because his engine blew up and he finished last.

Dropped out: Kyle Larson

Who is hot and cold going into the Bank of America 500.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Remember when Jimmie Johnson could do no wrong at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

For a good chunk of the 2000s, when CMS was called Lowes Motor Speedway, the track belonged to Johnson.

From 2003 – 2005 Johnson won five of six races, including four in a row.

But since, the six-time Cup champion has only visited victory lane in Charlotte twice (2009, 2014). Johnson’s third-place finish in May was his first finish in the top 15 in four Charlotte starts.

Victory lane at Charlotte has become a more inclusive club.

In the last 10 races, there have been nine different winners: Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth.

Harvick is the only repeat winner, taking wins in the 2014 Bank of America 500 and the 2013 Coca-Cola 600.

Here’s a look at who is Hot and Cold in the Sprint Cup Series before this weekend’s Bank of America 500.

Who’s Hot

Martin Truex Jr.: Three wins in last five races for four total in 2016. First season with more than one win. Won the Coca-Cola 600 after leading 392 of 400 laps.

Brad Keselowski: Only driver with top-five finishes in each of the first three Chase races this season. Top-five finishes in the last four races, tying a career-best streak. Top-five finishes in seven of the last nine races.

Denny Hamlin: Top 10s in 10 of the last 11 races. Best Charlotte finish in 22 starts is second, twice. Finished top 10 in 11 of the last 12 races at Charlotte including fourth in the last two.

Kyle Busch: Top 10s in all three Chase races so far. Finished outside top 10 in last three Charlotte races. Charlotte is one of two tracks Busch has not won at in the Cup Series (Pocono is the other).

Chase Elliott: Finished in top three in two of three Chase races. Top 10s in four of last six races. Finished eighth in May’s Coke 600.

Who’s Cold

Kurt Busch:  Only two top-10 finishes in the last eight races. One Charlotte win in 2010 Coca Cola 600. Worst finish in the last four races at Charlotte is 11th. He finished sixth in May.

Jimmie Johnson: Only six top-10 finishes in the last 20 races. Finished third in May at Charlotte, only finish better than 17th in the last four races there. Twenty-five wins at 1.5-mile tracks, a NASCAR record.

Carl Edwards: One top 10 in last five races. Last top five was a runner-up finish at Kentucky in July. Finished top 10 in five of the last six races at Charlotte. Exception is 18th-place finish in May (two speeding penalties).

More note of interest ahead of the Bank of America 500

• Last five Charlotte races were won from a start position of seventh or better including two from the
  pole.
• Seven different organizations have won the last eight races at Charlotte. Team Penske is the only
  organization with multiple wins in the last eight Charlotte races.
• The winner of the Charlotte Chase race went on to win the Championship twice: Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and Kevin Harvick in 2014.
• Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. won the last six races on 1.5-mile tracks (two wins
  each).

SOCCER: Bob Bradley, the Fire's first coach, becomes first American manager in the Premier League.  

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

In a huge move for American soccer coaching, Bob Bradley has taken over as manager of Swansea in the English Premier League.

Bradley becomes the first American to manage in not just the Premier League, but also in any of the so-called top five European leagues (Italy, Spain, Germany and France).

Americans Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan bought a majority stake in Swansea in July. Levien is also a co-owner of Major League Soccer club D.C. United, has worked in multiple NBA front offices and is currently a part owner of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bradley’s move to the Welsh club comes while the team is 17th in the Premier League standings. The Swans are 1-5-1 and are only above the relegation line by goal differential. Swansea removed Francesco Guidolin as manager and replaced him with Bradley.

Bradley’s coaching career began in the collegiate ranks, including an assistant coaching job at Virginia under current LA Galaxy manager and former U.S. National Team manager Bruce Arena. Bradley was also an assistant under Arena at D.C. United in MLS’ first season.

Two years later, Bradley became the Chicago Fire’s first head coach and led the club to its only MLS Cup title in its inaugural season in 1998. He stayed with the Fire through the 2002 season when he left to take over the New York/New Jersey Metrostars, now the New York Red Bulls.

Bradley later took over as U.S. National Team manager after the 2006 World Cup and led the Americans out of the group stage in 2010, winning a group that included England. Since being fired in 2011, Bradley has led Egypt, Norwegian club Stabaek and most recently French second-tier club Le Havre.

Given the perception of American soccer internationally, Bradley’s tenure at Swansea will be watched closely. Swansea has been in the Premier League since the 2011-2012 season and has finished as high as eighth and only as low as 12th in its five seasons in the English top flight.

Premier League player Power Rankings: Top 20 players in Week 7.

By Joe Prince-Weight

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

There are plenty of players who are red-hot after Matchday 7 in the Premier League.

Who is surging up our PL player Power Rankings before the international break? Take a look below as there are plenty of newcomers.

Players from Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dominate the list, with plenty of new entries also making a surge up the rankings.

Let us know if you agree in the comments section below.

1. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) – Even
2. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – Up 1
3. Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur) – Up 6
4. Diego Costa (Chelsea) – Even
5. Dele Alli (Tottenham) – New entry
6. Dimitri Payet (West Ham) – New entry
7. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool) – Even
8. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) – Up 4
9. Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham) –New entry
10. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – New entry
11. Willian (Chelsea) – New entry
12. Raheem Sterling (Man City) – Down 6
13. Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace) – Up 6
14. Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham) – New entry
15. Danny Rose (Tottenham) – New entry
16. Anthony Martial (Man United) – New Entry
17. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) – Down 2
18. Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) – New entry
19. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – New entry
20. Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton) – Down

USA soccer team awaits tuneups against Cuba, New Zealand.

By Associated Press

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

For U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, it’s all about one thing: Mexico.

His team is training at Barry University, with two tuneup games coming up. The first is against Cuba in Havana on Friday, the first game for the U.S. on the island since 1947. The next is against New Zealand on Tuesday in Washington.

“The bigger picture behind these 10 days is clear – it’s preparing for Mexico on Nov. 11,” Klinsmann said.

That game – in Columbus, Ohio – is the first match for both teams of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The U.S. plays Costa Rica follows four days later.

A number of young players will get their chance in the two tuneup games.

“We want to see them taking the initiative,” Klinsmann said. “We want them to come in here and make a very strong impression. I think a good example is Sacha Kljestan. In the last two World Cup qualifying games we told Sasha, `Listen this is your opportunity, but you’ve got to take it.’ You’ve got to come in and make an impression and he did that in both games. A similar message to Danny Williams and other players. The door is always open.”

Veteran goalkeepers Tim Howard and Brad Guzan are not on the 23-man roster, giving David Bingham, Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough a chance to show what they can do.

“It’s our job to bring along the next wave of goalkeepers and try to give them opportunities,” Klinsmann said. “The only way they can go grow is if you let them play.”

Christian Pulisic, a promising 18-year-old midfielder, has been playing well with the U.S. and the German club Borussia Dortmund.

“He’s a good young player,” captain Michael Bradley said. “He’s smart in terms of making the right decisions and being a guy who knows the game and understands when he can maybe try a little bit more and when he needs to be more simple. I think he continues to show he’s going in the right direction.”

Defenders Geoff Cameron and Fabian Johnson and forward Jordan Morris worked out but did not practice. Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya is out with a strained rib muscle.

The team will train Wednesday before heading to Cuba the next day.

NCAAFB: SEC Power Rankings, Week 6: Vols survived a scare, now face major road test.

By Robby Kelland

After five weeks of play, the top of the SEC standings has pretty much figured itself out. Alabama remains the heavy favorite, while Texas A&M appears to be the closest competitor in the SEC West.

In the East, Tennessee has a stranglehold on the division after back-to-back comeback wins over Tennessee and Georgia. The Vols now travel to College Station this week to prove that the best in the East can compete with the top teams from the West.

Not much changed at the top of this week's SEC Power Rankings thanks to Tennessee's Hail Mary escape from Athens, but with the Vols and Aggies meeting this Saturday there will be a shakeup coming soon.

Rank	Team	Reason	Last Week
1	Alabama	The offense still looks like it's not firing on all cylinders, and maybe that will come back to haunt them down the road. For now, the Tide keep rolling along after a ho-hum 34-6 win over Kentucky -- where the defense outscored the Wildcats on its own.	1
2	Texas A&M	The Aggies didn't look particularly great in a trap spot at South Carolina, but they avoided a total letdown and now can make a statement against Tennessee on Saturday. A win against the Vols can help this team shake off the stench of its recent history of fast starts and poor finishes.	2
3	Tennessee	It feels like this may be the team of destiny in the SEC this season. Back-to-back comebacks from two or more touchdown deficits against division foes, including a Hail Mary finish at Georgia. After losing every close game late a year ago, the Vols have a very Auburn-y quality to them where they just seem to find ways to win games in the second half. We'll see if that continues at Texas A&M.	3
4	Ole Miss	The Rebels are learning how to finish football games -- it helps to be going up against teams not named Alabama or Florida State -- and this is a team that very well could finish second in the West still.	4
5	Arkansas	The Hogs beat up on Alcorn State, which is what they're supposed to do. Now Alabama comes to town, where the last time the Razorbacks hosted the Tide, Bret Bielema's boys almost did the dang thing in a 14-13 loss. Don't be surprised if this game is real tight.	5
6	Auburn	Hey! Auburn's offense did some good things on Saturday! Never mind that it was against ULM, 58 points for this group in 7-on-7s would be worthy of celebration.	6
7	LSU	The Coach O era has begun and the Tigers smacked Mizzou in the mouth on Saturday in an impressive 42-7 showing. They head to The Swamp this week as road favorites (!) and we'll see if Ed Orgeron's magic can keep propelling them upward.	9
8	Florida	The Gators won. Let's never speak of that Vandy game again (although there was some real sexy puntin' going on in Nashville, I'll give it that).	7
9	Mississippi State	At the bottom of the SEC, not playing is often times for the best. The Bulldogs had the week off and bump up a spot by virtue of not getting beaten.	10
10	Georgia	Oh, you poor Dawgs. You were so close. So, so, so close. But then, you broke the cardinal rule of Hail Mary coverage and no one fronted the receiver in the end zone. Still, it was the best effort we've seen from the offense in weeks and maybe they're figuring some things out on that side of the ball.	11
11	Missouri	I'm willing to chalk up this week's bad loss to LSU on the interim coach bump. The Tigers have a bye week coming and then a pretty soft schedule (shoutout to the SEC East) coming up where they could get themselves bowl eligible by mid November.	8
12	Vanderbilt	Again, we're not talking about the Florida-Vanderbilt game, because it never happened. Got it? Good. The 'Dores take on Kentucky this weekend in what should be a festival of sadness.	12
13	Kentucky	Honestly, I thought it would go way worse for the 'Cats in Tuscaloosa. A 34-6 loss feels like a pretty good showing for them.	13
14	South Carolina	The defense looks pretty solid. Muschamp's done some good things there. Let's not speak of that offense, though.	14

Projecting the College Football Playoff Rankings: Ohio State would be No. 1.

By Jerry Palm

The official rankings do not come out until Nov. 1, but this projection is based on the same criteria.

Over the next few weeks, ahead of the first College Football Playoff Rankings release on Nov. 1, we will be predicting what the top 25 would look like if the CFP Selection Committee started early. It is a warmup act for the warmup act, which are the CFP Rankings releases before the final one.

Here, we will try to emphasize the same criteria the committee uses. That will be difficult because, as we have learned, the committee can be all over the map. Sometimes, it decides that head-to-head record matters; sometimes, it doesn't. Sometimes, strength of schedule matters; sometimes, it doesn't. Sometimes, relative dominance matters; sometimes, it doesn't. Sometimes it's about game control -- whatever that is -- or recency bias or ... ah, you get the idea.

What we have learned is that this process is highly subjective. It is much more subjective than the process that the basketball committee uses, which is what the football committee was modeled after.

With all of that in mind, here is what I think the top 25 would look like this week.

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes have laid waste to their first four opponents, including a dominant performance at Oklahoma.

2. Alabama: The difference between Alabama and Ohio State to this point is that Ole Miss put a scare into the Tide.

3. Clemson: The Tigers have played the best schedule of the top three and have the best win, which came over Louisville on Saturday. Clemson hasn't really put a complete game together yet though.

4. Louisville: Lamar Jackson is still the top contender for the Heisman Trophy despite the loss at Clemson because the Cardinals are piling up points like nobody else.

5. Michigan: The Wolverines haven't left the friendly confines of the Big House yet, but they did pick up a big win over Wisconsin last week.

6. Texas A&M: Kevin Sumlin's seat has cooled off considerably after a 5-0 start that includes wins over UCLA and Arkansas.

7. Tennessee: The Vols have already knocked off Florida and Georgia, their top two competitors in the SEC East. Now, they will test themselves against the West, beginning with a game at Texas A&M this week.

8. Houston: Tom Herman will be the focus of the coaching carousel this coming offseason, but in the meantime, he is looking to make the Cougars the first Group of Five CFP participant.

9. Washington: The Huskies got their first real test of the season last Friday against Stanford. They passed with flying colors, primarily Cardinal.

10. Wisconsin: The Badgers have beaten LSU, won at Michigan State and gave Michigan a good fight.

11. North Carolina: UNC hasn't lost since the opener against Georgia. The Tar Heels beat Florida State on a last-second 54-yard field goal.

12. Stanford: The Cardinal's reign atop the Pac-12 may be over after a blowout loss at Washington. They have played the strongest schedule of the 1-loss teams.

13. Arkansas: A loss at Texas A&M is the only blemish on what has otherwise been a pretty good start for the Hogs. They won at TCU earlier in the season.

14. Miami: The Hurricanes haven't been tested yet, but they're winning big. Angry rival Florida State should provide a true challenge.

15. Oklahoma: The Sooners didn't look good in losses to Houston and Ohio State, but getting a win at TCU was big. They have played the top-rated schedule. That may be true at the end of the season as well.

16. Florida State: Jimbo Fisher needs to fix his defense or this season could come unhinged. The Seminoles have played a great schedule also, but Louisville destroyed them and North Carolina broke their hearts. They did come back to beat Ole Miss though.

17. Ole Miss: If the Rebels could hold a lead, they might be at the top of these rankings. Both of their losses came after jumping out to big early leads.

18. Georgia: The Bulldogs opened the season with a win over North Carolina but have suffered back-to back-losses to Ole Miss and Tennessee.

19. Baylor: Last year, the committee significantly overrated the Bears early because they had an "explosive offense." As usual, their schedule has been putrid so far.

20. Nebraska: Mike Riley has the Cornhuskers playing better in his second year, but they haven't really been tested yet.

21. West Virginia: The Mountaineers haven't lost yet but haven't been all that impressive in winning, either. Their last two wins, over BYU and Kansas State, have come by a total of four points.

22. Florida: The Gators blew a big lead at Tennessee in their only significant test of the season so far.

23. Western Michigan: Since an opening-week one-point win at Northwestern, the Broncos have been putting up big numbers. They will be looking for the State of Illinois trifecta against Northern Illinois this week. WMU also won at Illinois.

24. Boise State: Nobody is surprised that these Broncos are also playing well. They have beaten both Oregon State and Washington State from the Pac-12

25. Utah: The Utes may challenge for the Pac-12 South title, but the loss at Cal this week hurts that cause.

NCAABKB: 2017 college basketball recruiting: Kentucky hanging over Big Ten surge.

By Gary Parrish

John Calipari currently has zero commitments, but that will surely change.

Bruno Fernando's commitment to Maryland on Sunday did two things.

1. It gave the Terrapins their first pledge from the Class of 2017.

2. It pushed the Big Ten ahead of the SEC as it pertains to top-100 commitments.

It's true. As of this moment, 60 of the top 100 prospects in the Class of 2017, according to 247Sports, have committed. And no league has more of those 60 than the Big Ten. Things break down like this:

• Big Ten: 11
• SEC: 10
• Pac-12: 9
• ACC: 9
• Big East: 9
• Big 12: 6
• Atlantic 10: 2
• C-USA: 2
• American: 1
• West Coast Conference: 1

First things first: it's important to note there are still 40 top-100 prospects who will, presumably, eventually commit somewhere, 30 of whom are in the top 50. And Kentucky still has zero commitments from the Class of 2017, which will obviously change at some point and maybe push the SEC to the top. So this is more of a mid-semester progress report than a final grade, meaning the list above could look quite different once the remaining top-100 prospects select a school.

That said, there are some interesting things here -- most notably that a league that hasn't won a national championship since 2000 currently has more top-100 recruits committed than any other league. (Note: I'm not giving the Big Ten credit for Maryland's 2002 title.)

Also worth noting is the fact that the American Athletic Conference -- despite having big basketball brands like Connecticut, Cincinnati and Memphis, historically solid programs like Temple and Tulsa, and on-the-rise programs like Houston and SMU -- only has one top-100 player committed at this moment. (The player is Makai Ashton-Langford, who is ranked 33rd and committed to UConn.)

That's eight fewer than the Big East, one fewer than both the Atlantic 10 and C-USA, and exactly the same as the WCC, meaning the AAC has fewer top-100 commitments than all five Power 5 leagues -- plus three other non-Power 5 leagues. And that's not a good look for a conference that on the court has finished seventh among all leagues in each of the past two seasons at KenPom.

OTHER RECRUITING NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND

1. Indiana secured its third commitment from the Class of 2017 this weekend when Clifton Moore pledged. The 6-8 forward is ranked 133rd nationally, according to 247Sports. IU's class is currently ranked 15th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten.

2. North Carolina State landed its first prospect from the Class of 2017 when Thomas Allen committed this weekend. The 6-2 guard is ranked 134th nationally, according to 247Sports. He had additional offers from Ohio State, Illinois, Cincinnati and Nebraska.

3. Kansas accepted a commitment from Class of 2019 standout Markese Jacobs this weekend. The 5-10 point guard is just the latest Chicago-area player to pledge to KU coach Bill Self, who previously coached at Illinois. Some other examples are Julian Wright, Sherron Collins and Cliff Alexander.

4. In addition to Jacobs, KU had a long list of elite prospects on campus this weekend highlighted by five-star recruits Trevon Duval, Collin Sexton, Troy Brown and Billy Preston. None of them committed, but their mere presence on campus suggests the Jayhawks are seriously involved with the type of recruits that could lead KU to several more Big 12 titles.

FINAL THOUGHT: The biggest commitment of the weekend was delivered by Chaundee Brown, who picked Wake Forest and thus rejected reported offers from Kansas, UConn, Florida, Indiana, Maryland and many others. The 6-5 guard is the highest-rated prospect to commit to Wake Forest since Class of 2008 stars Al-Farouq Aminu and Ty Walker pledged to Skip Prosser nine recruiting classes and two coaches ago.

So, yeah, this is a huge development for the Demon Deacons.

Frosted belongs in Breeders' Cup Classic, not Dirt mile.

By Mike Watchmaker

The connections of Frosted have a big Breeders' Cup decision to make. (Photo/NYRA/Adam Coglianese)

In the wake of California Chrome's devastatingly easy score in Saturday's Awesome Again Stakes, more than a few people wondered why anyone would want to face the world's best racehorse in next month's Breeders' Cup Classic.

It's a reasonable question. California Chrome is now 6 for 6 this year, including powerful victories in the Dubai World Cup and Pacific Classic, and he has not lost a race in 18 months. And on Saturday, he took serious early pressure from a very good multiple Grade 1 stakes winner in Dortmund while being pinned down inside, where he has never really wanted to be, at least in the past, and brushed it off like it was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

In the end, California Chrome won the Awesome Again by 2-1/4 lengths, but it would have been much, much more than that if he hadn't been completely geared down late to keep plenty in reserve for his Breeders' Cup engagement. Now that's a scary thought.

But regarding the question of why anyone would want to face California Chrome in the BC Classic, here's the answer: Because the best horses are supposed to run in the best races. Period.

They don't always do, however. And part of the problem here in a Breeders' Cup context was brought on by the Breeders' Cup itself when it created the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

While the general concept of the Dirt Mile was a good one, it just hasn't panned out in practice. There is no coherent series of races in the U.S. for dirt milers, nor has the creation of one been spurred since the Dirt Mile was first run in 2007. Moreover, there is no Eclipse Award category for dirt milers, nor should there be, because that would only serve to water down our championships.

But the biggest issue here is, the Dirt Mile has acted as a siphon, taking away talent from other, far more established Breeders' Cup events such as the Sprint, and most troubling, the Classic.

Only last year, we saw Liam’s Map decline to face American Pharoah in the Classic, and opt for the Dirt Mile, instead. I understand that the prospect of facing American Pharoah in the Breeders’ Cup last year was not a pleasant one, but a horse like Liam’s Map, who won the Woodward and was a giant second in the Whitney, belonged in the Classic. Liam’s Map was much the best winning the Dirt Mile, but frankly, I feel a strong second in the Classic to American Pharoah would have enhanced his stature more.

The Classic/Dirt Mile political football after California Chrome’s dominating performance Saturday was Frosted. Many on social media opined that after California Chrome's latest performance, Frosted should run in the Dirt Mile, because he has no shot in the Classic.

That might be true. Frosted, and maybe no one else, has a chance to beat California Chrome in a truly run Classic. But that’s almost beside the point. Frosted, winner of the Whitney and Met Mile, and third in the Woodward after a terribly overconfident ride, belongs in the Classic. His credentials warrant running in that race, and make him overqualified to run in the Dirt Mile, which is essentially a rich consolation prize.

Also, Frosted is owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin. The front end of a $1 million Dirt Mile purse probably won’t change Godolphin’s fortunes, nor, I think, will a Dirt Mile victory greatly enhance Frosted’s already well-established stallion credentials. Godolphin, to its great credit, has always been about running in and attempting to win the very best races. For that reason alone, I would be disappointed if Frosted didn’t run against California Chrome in the Classic.

Saturday notes:

◗ Beholder has been a tremendous three-time champion. But Stellar Wind is simply better than her now. Stellar Wind ran a better race than Beholder did when she won the Clement Hirsch at Del Mar, and she did the same in the Zenyatta. Stellar Wind had the tougher trip Saturday being three wide on the first turn and having to be used early to negate Beholder’s natural pace advantage, and yet she still prevailed.

◗ Can’t find an apparent excuse for Klimt, who had to settle for second at 1-5 behind Gormley in the FrontRunner. Gormley was decidedly best. He also ran his 1 1/16 miles a gaping 1.31 seconds faster than Noted and Quoted did winning the Chandelier four races later, and that after similar early paces.

◗ It’s easy to be excited about Three Rules’s 10-length destruction of his field in the Florida Sire In Reality Stakes, which made him unbeaten and untested in five starts. But keep in mind, he was 1-5 in a 12-horse field Saturday, which says almost as much about his opposition as it does about him.

◗ I’m giving Flintshire a pass for his second to Ectot at 1-5 in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. Flintshire just wasn’t himself on the yielding going, and he will be expected to rebound in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on the firm footing he is certain to get at Santa Anita.

That said, take nothing away from Ectot. Ectot was a disappointment in his first two U.S. starts, but he set a legitimate pace for the footing and 1 1/2-mile distance, and he kept on going.

◗ Oscar Performance ran away with the Pilgrim Stakes just like he ran away from his maiden field at Saratoga in his previous outing, and he might be a very special 2-year-old turf performer. Still, he had very easy early leads in both of his wins, and I want to see how he responds to real pace pressure before I completely buy into him.

◗ Joking has been a great $20,000 claim for owner/trainer Charlie Baker, and he earned a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with his closing score in the Vosburgh. But the Vosburgh made Joking 4 for 5 on wet tracks, which he won’t get at Santa Anita. The Vosburgh also made Joking 6 for 9 at Belmont Park. He is 4 for 30 elsewhere.

◗ It’s difficult to be optimistic about Runhappy’s tired fourth in the Ack Ack. Yes, Runhappy was making his first start in nine months, and at a one-turn mile, which can be a difficult distance at which to return. But Runhappy was 1-5 against a field that looked outclassed on paper, and he is a horse who in the past has run big off workouts and layoffs.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, October 05, 2016

Memoriesofhistory.com

1919 - Enzo Ferrari debuted in his first race. He later founded the Auto Avio Construzioni Ferrari, an independent manufacturing company. 

1921 - The World Series was broadcast on the radio for the first time. The game was between the New York Giants and the New York Yankees. 

1932 - The Detroit Falcons introduced a new name (the Redwings) and new uniforms to the city of Detroit.

1983 - Wayne Gretzky began a streak of scoring that covered 51 games. The streak ended on January 27, 1984.

2001 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) hit his 71st and 72nd home runs in a single season.

2003 - The Chicago Cubs won their first postseason series since the 1908 World Series.

2003 - Dante Hall (Kansas City Chiefs) scored on a return in an NFL-record fourth straight game. He scored his fourth touchdown on a return in only 5 games.

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