CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 12/30/2016.

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Trending: Patrick Kane powers Blackhawks to comeback win over Predators. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

Trending: Bears will learn first-time lessons about Matt Barkley vs. Vikings.
(See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates). 

Trending: Chicago Bulls Vs. Indiana Pacers Preview, 12/30/2016. Jimmy Butler caps off monster night with buzzer-beater to give Bulls win over Nets. (Wednesday night's game, 12/28/2016). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

Trending: 2016 Flashback: Palmer's passing stirs vivid memories of the King. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

Trending: NCAAFB: Group of Five teams considering their own playoff after feeling jilted by the CFP. What's Your Take? (See the college football section for our take and NCAA football news and bowl updates) 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Patrick Kane powers Blackhawks to comeback win over Predators.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Patrick Kane has come up with some big points in his career. On Thursday, No. 700 proved to be pretty important.

Kane’s 700th career point was the game-winning goal and Corey Crawford stopped 36 of 38 shots as the Blackhawks came back to beat the Nashville Predators 3-2. The Blackhawks snapped their three-game losing streak (0-2-1) and remain atop the Western Conference. Not that the Minnesota Wild are giving them any breathing room. The Wild, who beat the New York Islanders on Thursday night for their 12th consecutive victory, remain just one point behind the Blackhawks.

Artem Anisimov scored his second goal in as many games and Jonathan Toews also scored for the Blackhawks. Kane also had an assist and Artemi Panarin ran his point streak to nine for the Blackhawks, who finally got out of their goal-scoring skid (they had tallied just two in their previous two games combined).

After squandering opportunities at the United Center, the Blackhawks needed this one.

“[The Predators] obviously show up and they play tight defensively. So yeah, it’s nice for us to get that one and kind of nip things in the bud as far as our little skid right now,” Toews said. “Power play was good, penalty kill was good, and I think we had the goaltending, and obviously the stops that we needed and a couple bounces when we needed them, as well.”

This one showed the familiar trend for the Blackhawks: slow start, outshot early and Crawford keeping them in it until they got going. The turning point in this one came when Craig Smith was called for tripping Crawford, much to the angst of the Predators and their fans. On replays, it appeared the opposite happened.

“Well, I mean, it was his turf and he’s doing what he has to do,” coach Joel Quenneville said.

The Blackhawks took advantage, as Toews’ tip for a power-play goal tied this one at 2-2. About four minutes later it was Kane with the winner, an unassisted goal from the right circle.

“If you get a chance in the third you want to take advantage of it,” Kane said. “Nice to finish that one off. Maybe in a game we didn’t necessarily deserve to win. Crow played great and timely goals once again. That’s kind of the story of the season but big win to end the skid there a little bit.”

The Blackhawks left Nashville on Thursday knowing they didn’t play their best game. Once again, they started slow. Once again, they had the finish.

“Our starts need to be better. But this [Predators] team has tremendous starts in this building and they get on you quick. They have speed in their lineup, the crowd got behind them early and we got going as the game progressed. But I think that’s been our m.o. for most of the games this year: we get better as the games progress,” Quenneville said. “Tonight, finding a way to win was needed.”

Five Things from Blackhawks-Predators: Corey Crawford provides third-period spark.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

We could go into broken-record mode on the Blackhawks this season with the way most of their games have gone. You all know the drill by now. And as nerve wracking as it probably is to watch this team, they’ve been on the positive side of most of these games, slow starts be damned.

Hey, a win is a win. So before we head to Raleigh for the final game of 2016, let’s look at Five Things to take from the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday.

1. Patrick Kane hits 700 points. Kane’s point production hasn’t been what it was last season but he still comes up with the goals at critical moments. His 11th goal of the season wasn’t just his 700th career point, it was also Thursday’s game winner. That second line has been productive overall this season, even if it’s not to the degree it was in 2015-16. But coach Joel Quenneville has been happy with Kane’s play throughout this season, and talked of the latest milestone. “Amazing, amazing player who just keeps getting better. How he relieves pressure, how he gets through the middle of the ice, how he recognizes plays, he’s as good as anyone in the game.”

2. No Brian Campbell. Coach Joel Quenneville wanted to get Michal Rozsival and Michal Kempny, who have sat a while, in on Thursday. That meant scratching Gustav Forsling and Campbell. The latter was a surprise, given Campbell had played 423 consecutive regular-season games entering Thursday. The Kempny-Rozsival pair didn’t play much – a lot of special teams was part of that. But you wonder if Campbell’s back in on Friday night, when the Blackhawks face the Carolina Hurricanes.

3. Paychecks and point streaks. Artemi Panarin’s had a nice couple of days. He signed his two-year extension on Wednesday and then ran his point streak to a career-high nine games on Thursday (secondary assist on Artem Anisimov’s power-play goal). There has been no sophomore slump for Panarin, who is likely cashing in on bonuses again this season.

4. The power play works. Well, the net-front presence works on it, for sure. Both teams had plenty of power-play opportunities on Thursday and the Blackhawks scored on two of them. Both times, it was a tip or redirect in front of the net (Anisimov on the first, Toews on the second).

5. Corey Crawford back in the win column. Crawford has played well since returning from appendicitis, but he didn’t have the results to show for it in two previous games. He did on Thursday, stopping 36 of 38 shots for his first victory since returning. He helped himself and the Blackhawks in the third period, “drawing” – let’s go with that – a tripping penalty that led to Toews’ power-play goal.

Artemi Panarin, Blackhawks agree to contract extension.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks have lost a lot of young, star talent over the last few years. On Wednesday, they guaranteed they’d hold onto their latest star a little longer.

Artemi Panarin agreed to a two-year deal with the Blackhawks, the team officially announced Thursday morning. Scott Powers of The Athletic was the first to report the deal. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Panarin’s contract is $6 million for each season, with $4.2 million coming as a signing bonus this coming season.

The deal means the Blackhawks get one of their top scorers sewn up in a bridge deal, not the long-term deal that was originally anticipated. It also means a longer life for what’s been a very productive second line with he, Artem Anisimov and Patrick Kane.

But what does it mean for the Blackhawks’ bottom line, which will once again be fighting the salary cap?

Counting Panarin’s new contract, the Blackhawks already have more than $66 million dedicated to 15 players, per capfriendly.com. Also, Panarin could very well earn the same $2.57 million in performance bonuses he garnered last season. Those bonuses would come out of the 2017-18 cap. The Blackhawks could shed some cash and a player in the expansion draft. Marcus Kruger, who will be in the second year of his current contract ($3.08 cap hit per season), will likely be exposed in that draft.

For now, the Blackhawks will take solace in locking up Panarin, who is already set to cash in on bonuses for the second consecutive season. Panarin had 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in his rookie year and went on to take the Calder Trophy for the league’s top rookie. He has 15 goals and 22 assists through 37 games this season.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Vikings, Bears close out respective seasons (Jan 01, 2017).

AP Stats

When the Minnesota Vikings traveled to Chicago in Week 8, they still held high hopes of a season that had started with a 5-0 record.

Minnesota lost at Philadelphia coming out of its bye before the Bears surprised many with a 20-10 victory over the Vikings that week. The downward spiral continued until Minnesota was ousted from the playoff picture with a 35-28 loss to Green Bay last week, the eighth loss in 10 games.

The Vikings are left searching for answers for a lost season as they host Chicago in the season finale on Sunday.

“I really don’t think the team lost confidence, I didn’t lose confidence,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said. “Our penalties were up this year; our pre-snap penalties were up especially. Offensive penalties were up this year. There’s a lot of things to evaluate and try and figure out why.”

While the Vikings (7-8) still held on to playoff hopes, the Bears’ (3-12) season faded quickly amid a debilitating string of injuries. Chicago heads to the finale with young, unproven players still proving themselves.

“We’re evaluating guys and I think our guys understand that,” Bears coach John Fox told the team’s website. “At this stage, there are a lot of (teams) who have nothing left to play for. It’s about pride and respect. And it’s a division opponent at their place. They have struggled of late. I think they’ve won two of their last 10. So it’s going to be who executes. And it’s a game in the NFL.”

Execution has been an issue for Chicago all season. The Bears are hoping to avoid the franchise’s worst record since the NFL expanded to 16 games in 1978 and the second-worst mark in team history after 1-13 in 1969.

With Minnesota 2-8 since its bye, Chicago is 1-6 since it had its bye.

The Bears’ biggest issue — aside from injuries — has been turnover-differential. Chicago has an NFL-low 10 takeaways and is a minus-16.

“Minus-16 is a big reason we’re sitting here at 3-12,” Fox said. “It’s not a good formula when you’re minus-16.”

While the Bears have not generated a takeaway in five of their last six games, quarterback Matt Barkley has thrown eight interceptions the past two weeks. Barkley is the third Chicago quarterback to throw a pass this season.

“There was a lot to learn from,” Barkley told the team’s website. “The big picture was just when it doesn’t feel right, it’s not right. Don’t try to force things or try to make a big play out of nothing. When the timing is off, don’t make a bad play worse. I came away realizing that some plays we get beat and just to take a loss and not make it worse.”

Jay Cutler was the quarterback when the Bears beat Minnesota on Halloween night. Cutler avoided turnovers and Jordan Howard rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings’ once-stout defense has allowed 72 points the past two weeks. The performances culminated in supposed miscommunication between Zimmer and his defensive backs, the position group long his specialty.

Zimmer, Xavier Rhodes and Terence Newman were all involved as the early understanding was Rhodes and Newman didn’t follow Zimmer’s plan to cover Green Bay receiver Jordy Nelson last week. All three said Monday it was a matter of miscommunication.

“We changed a couple calls later in the week,” Zimmer said. “I probably wasn’t specific enough in the things I was asking them to do. The one thing about it is Xavier and Terence, these guys are as good as people as there is in the world. They’re going to do their best every single time. They come out and they work every single day, they study. They’re really good kids. I could’ve been more specific.”

Miscommunication, turnovers, execution; the issues that creep up when teams fall apart, have marked Minnesota and Chicago the past two months. The two teams will finish their season Sunday hoping to make the fewest mistakes.

“You look at what we were able to do in those first five games, when we started 5-0, we weren’t making those mistakes,” Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford said. “They started to show up, and they started to compound, and we just weren’t able to get over the hump when we did make those mistakes. And I think that’s a big reason we are where we are right now.”

Bears gaining alternative to Alshon Jeffery with Cameron Meredith's emergence.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

One of the franchise-grade questions facing the Bears this offseason is the contract fate of Alshon Jeffery. It was a situation they addressed last offseason at some considerable cost in the form of their franchise tag ($14.9 million guaranteed), delaying for one prove-it season a decision on a 6-foot-3 wide receiver who averages just under 5 catches per game over his career.

But suppose, just suppose, the Bears had the option available of another 6-foot-3 receiver, one who also averages just under 5 catches per game this season, an admittedly smaller sample size, but has established in that shorter time frame that he can play all of the three wideout spots?

How would that affect their view of the perceived Jeffery Imperative, that they cannot afford to be without Jeffery going into their future? Check that: How WILL that affect their Jeffery view, because the season-ending leg injury to Kevin White (his own separate question) revealed that they have that designer wide receiver in Cameron Meredith — 6-foot-3, with 62 catches in 13 games (11 starts).

To use Jeffery and Meredith in the same sentence may have been laughable this time a year ago when Meredith played in just 11 games as a reserve. It shouldn’t be laughable now.

Meredith in fact gives the Bears at minimum a fallback as they contemplate the wide-receiver position in the coming months. To project him as a Week 1 starter in 2017, opposite White (the Bears hope) may be a stretch, but not nearly as much as it would have been a year ago, and arguably less of a wild idea than Matt-Barkley-as-starting-quarterback was (Meredith’s production has accelerated over the last three games, with 6, 9 and 9 catches).

And the Bears admittedly didn’t fully know they had what they had in an undrafted free agent who was a quarterback until his junior year at Illinois State.

“No, sir,” said offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. “It goes back to training camp when I think about Cam. You see the mistakes that young players make and you don’t know. They teeter, they flash. Cam showed enough last year, you’re intrigued by it.

“But is he going to take the next step, is he going to turn the corner, is he going to become a consistent player and not a flash in the pan and that to me, that’s where Cam has made the biggest jump is he’s become very consistent. He’s become reliable and the quarterbacks trust him.”

Meredith has far exceeded others’ expectations of him — that’s how players become undrafted free agents, because of minimal expectations — but not his own.

“I wanted to become a starter in the league; I got an opportunity to do that so I can check that off the list,” Meredith said. “A thousand yards, getting close there (827). There are little step-by-steps to take to being a great player in this league. I’m just trying to take one week at a time.”

For comparison purposes, Jeffery caught 24 passes his first year as a starter, in 10 starts.

What adds to the intrigue with Meredith is that he is operating from an experience base far, far less than Jeffery, who missed four games with two different injuries his rookie season, seven games with a litany of injuries last season and four games to a PED suspension this year.

Meredith stepped into White’s vacant starting spot and delivered 20 catches in his first two starts. More correctly, he stepped up, not just into the job.

“Kevin was leading our team in receptions when he got hurt,” Loggains said. “You gotta give a lot of credit to Cam that he stepped up, made himself very valuable, a really important part of the offense.

“Where Cam really separated himself from the rest of the group was the ability to play all three spots. So we can move him around when guys do get banged up. Or we’ve been down in a couple of these games. All of a sudden you’re throwing the ball more and the receiver rotation starts to change. Cam gives you the flexibility: [Josh Bellamy] needs a break, [Deonte Thompson] needs a break, [Jeffery] needs a break? [Meredith] can step in at ‘X’ [split end], ‘Z’ [flanker, slightly off the line] and ‘F’ [slot or No. 3] and play, and that’s critical.”

That’s also called “leverage.”

Bears will learn first-time lessons about Matt Barkley vs. Vikings.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Every game that Matt Barkley plays this season is its own evaluation opportunity for a Bears organization looking to put in place a quarterback depth chart designed for success in 2017 and far beyond. One game doesn’t represent a really meaningful sample size for an Aaron Rodgers or any quarterback with more than a multiple of the five NFL starts Barkley has amassed in his personal hurry-up season.

But the Minnesota game represents a more meaningful case study of Barkley that any of his others in this, his first meaningful NFL look.

The obvious reason is that the Vikings represent the best defense that the inexperienced quarterback will have faced out of Green Bay, Washington, Tennessee, San Francisco and Detroit. The Vikings are No. 8 in points allowed (19.3 ppg.) and No. 2 in yardage allowed. Only the New York Giants (18.3 ppg.) are allowing fewer points per game but the Giants are giving up 40 more yards per game. The Vikings also are No. 4 in sacks and are fifth in the NFL in passer rating and completion percentage against.

Which is why coach John Fox had a ready answer for what he most needed to see from Barkley after the latter’s five interceptions in the loss to Green Bay.

“Avoiding interceptions,” Fox said. “Ball security I think is critical. You play one of the top four best offenses in the league, the main idea is to keep it away from them, not give it to them more. So I think cleaning that up … it’s all correctable things. Our coaching staff will work hard on that.

‘We’re going against a very good Minnesota Vikings defense I think ranked second in a lot of important categories anyways at their place with crowd noise, so it’s not an ideal situation for a young quarterback, but one we have to improve quickly.”

As important as Barkley’s turnovers, or lack of same, will be, however, the degree to which he puts his problems behind him may be the more important evaluation point for the Bears, and for Barkley. One point in Fox’s philosophical foundation is that the measure of someone is not whether they make mistakes, but how they respond to the ones they and everyone inevitably do make.

Barkley’s five starts produced just the one win, against San Francisco. But those starts were stunningly successful in terms of producing points (more per game than the Bears under either Jay Cutler or Brian Hoyer) or yardage (281 per game, which would be No. 4 behind only New Orleans, Washington and Atlanta on a full-season basis).

And Barkley became more accurate with each passing week, with completion percentages of 51.9, 61.1, 62.5 and 69.8.

Until last week: 58.9 vs. Washington.

Barkley’s response after a step backwards is something the Bears haven’t seen from him. That process was clearly underway already, with Barkley hinting that he understood what went wrong, which would be the first, biggest step.

“Not because of the game, but maybe once we got down in points, then I felt like we needed to kind of get back into it,” Barkley said on Wednesday. “Sometimes during that [Washington] game, I was forcing the ball or two to try and get some chunk plays, trying to get more yards, trying to win the game in one play, and that wasn’t going to happen.

“It was calming down, take my reads, go through, let my feet make the right decisions.”

Vic Fangio on returning to Bears in 2017: 'Nothing's changed'.

By John Mullin

(Photo/AP)

Vic Fangio has not given up on the possibility of becoming an NFL head coach. The Bears defensive coordinator has seen Bruce Arians land his first top job at age 61 after a successful stint as offensive coordinator with Indianapolis, and NFL sources told CSNChicago.com that some of the real reason for Fangio’s frustration in recent weeks had little to do with a specific issue between himself and coach John Fox and more to do with the feeling that the Bears’ 2016 woes would serve to squelch thoughts around the NFL that Fangio should be a candidate for head-coaching vacancies this offseason (already three and counting).

Turning the Bears around from the disasters of 2013 and 2014 might have heated up his chances, but, “I haven’t really thought about it,” Fangio said on Wednesday as the Bears prepared to finish 2016 against the Minnesota Vikings. “When you’ve had the season we’ve had, it’s not something you usually have on the front burner so haven’t really thought about it.”

Fangio acknowledged that the maelstrom around his supposed friction with Fox made its way into work at Halas Hall.

But as far as Fangio plans for returning in 2017?

"Nothing’s changed," he said.

View from the Moon: Bears not slipping into disarray like handful of others around NFL.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Still sorting through impressions, perspectives, whatevers of the 2016 Bears and John Fox.

The fact that the Bears have for the most part remained competitive, focused and playing with professional intensity through a dismal season doesn’t ultimately mean much in a business which has only one true measure of success – winning. But events elsewhere in the NFL suggest that maintaining an even strain amid losing is an exception rather than the rule.

The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Bears Sunday in Minneapolis having fragmented in a loss last Saturday to the Green Bay Packers, with indications that players ignored coaches’ (including head coach Mike Zimmer’s) instructions in what could only politely be called insubordination. Zimmer and players have since claimed “miscommunication” as a lock-step explanation, but Zimmer’s comments after the game – “somebody decided they wouldn’t do that,” referring to not following the game plan for defending Packers wideout Jordy Nelson – suggested more than just “miscommunication.” Zimmer later went so far as to fault himself for being “too honest” after the game.

Subsequent reports suggested that the mutiny lasted only a series or two, and Zimmer will talk Wednesday via conference call with the Chicago media. Whatever that situation, the Vikings started the season 5-0, still stood 7-6 and in NFC North contention, then delivered double-digit losses the past two weeks to miss a postseason that appeared to be theirs, even sans Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Kalil and others.

Rex Ryan was fired on Tuesday, maybe doing the popular but underachieving coach a favor given the quagmire the Buffalo Bills have become. Ryan got to AFC Championship games his first two years coaching the New York Jets, then hasn’t had a winning season in the six since. He left with players complaining in his wake that his systems were too complicated, and noting that the unit supposedly his specialty had gone from No. 4 the year before he was hired to the bottom half of the league.

New York Jets players said that some of them were looking past this season as this year, their second under coach Todd Bowles, was winding down and unraveling. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said after last week’s 41-3 loss to New England that wide receiver Brandon Marshall “should be embarrassed.” And the New York Post mused afterwards that owner Woody Johnson uncharacteristically may have stayed away from the Patriots game because he was tired of watching his team be uncompetitive.
No one is happy at Halas Hall. But “uncompetitive” wouldn’t be an overall Bears descriptor even with backups at times in as many as half the starting spots on both sides of the football.

For as well as the sometimes-makeshift Bears offensive line has played this season, tackle projects as one of the top three need areas along with quarterback and cornerback. This is not a simple swipe at Charles Leno Jr. or Bobby Massie, just a look around at what is working around the league.

Right now 10 teams have clinched playoff spots. Of those, seven have left tackles selected in the first rounds of drafts. And one of the others – Pittsburgh – used No. 1’s at center and guard in recent drafts.

The Bears have a No. 1 in Kyle Long at left guard, an elite veteran in Josh Sitton at left guard, and a budding star in Cody Whitehair, a No. 2 this year, at center. What they don’t have, following the NFL template, is “elite” at either edge position, and it is a spot that hasn’t been addressed by the Bears before the fifth round in a draft since 2011, and it didn’t work then (Gabe Carimi, No. 1) or the time before that (Chris Williams, No. 1, 2008).

Missing Cutler? Who’d’a thunk it?

If the Bears appeared to regress in 2016 from where they were at the end of their 6-10 first year under Fox, one obvious reality is that the Bears had Jay Cutler in the best full season of his career, relatively turnover-free, for 15 starts. This year’s edition had Cutler Interrupted (starting two games, miss five, play a few, then done for the year), then Brian Hoyer briefly, followed by Matt Barkley, with about the norm for results when a team loses its No. 1 quarterback for extended periods.

The 2013 injury riddled Green Bay Packers were slumped to 0-4-1 in games after Aaron Rodgers was injured on the Shea McClellin sack. They did recover to reach the playoffs with Rodgers returning to hit Randall Cobb over Chris Conte in Game 16 that season.

Cutler appeared to regress this season, returning to his high interception percentage and middling completion percentage. But amid all the IR’s, none stands as big as Cutler’s in what is likely his last season in Chicago.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Chicago Bulls Vs. Indiana Pacers Preview, 12/30/2016.

Scores & Stats

The Indiana Pacers are losers of four straight games and are hoping a stretch with four of five games at home can turn their fortunes. The Pacers, who are 11-5 in their own building, will begin that stretch by hosting the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

The Bulls contributed to Indiana's recent woes with a 90-85 win at Chicago on Monday in a game that led Pacers star forward Paul George and head coach Nate McMillan to question the referees due to a 28-10 disparity in free-throw attempts. George was handed a $15,000 fine by the NBA for his comments, in which he called Indiana the NBA's "little brother" for the way it's treated by officials, and went from one free-throw attempt on Monday to eight on Wednesday at Washington, but the Pacers still suffered a 111-105 loss to the Wizards and were at a 37-29 disadvantage in attempts overall. The Bulls needed a last-second jumper from Jimmy Butler to earn a 101-99 home win over the lowly Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The triumph was the second straight after a stretch of six losses in seven games for Chicago, which will take one last shot at winning a road game in December after dropping its first five this month away from home.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Indiana

ABOUT THE BULLS (16-16): Butler was held under 20 points in back-to-back games before exploding for 40 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in Wednesday's win, including the 18-footer at the buzzer for the win. The star swingman had to be helped off the court after coming down on an opponent's foot with over five minutes left but came back and scored nine points down the stretch to guide Chicago back to the .500 mark. The Bulls, who are 10-6 at home, can build some momentum with four of five at home after the trip to Indiana.

ABOUT THE PACERS (15-18): Indiana is still losing, but at least George appears to be emerging from a shooting slump. The All-Star forward shot 36.2 percent, including 1-of-12 from 3-point range, during the first three games of the losing streak but buried 6-of-10 from beyond the arc on Wednesday and scored 34 points for his third 30-point outing of the campaign. "I just came in tonight with a clear understanding of how these games are going to go, and then I just chose to either let what's happening happen on that court continue to happen, or continue to just be me," George told reporters of tuning out the officiating on Wednesday. "I owe this team more and I am going to give more regardless of what is going on that court. I am going to make sure I am having fun.

"BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers SG Monta Ellis (groin) returned from a seven-game absence on Wednesday and managed four points on 1-of-5 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench.

2. Bulls PG Michael Carter-Williams (wrist) is 1-of-11 in two games back after missing nearly two months.

3. Chicago took two of the first three meetings this season but suffered a 111-94 loss at Indiana on Nov. 5.

PREDICTION: Bulls 106, Pacers 103

Dwyane Wade good to go vs. Pacers after migraine episode.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Dwyane Wade was shooting around after Bulls practice with passes from Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg and assistant Jim Boylen, apparently over his recent bout with the debilitating migraine headache that caused him to miss most of the second half of Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.

With the last two games of the calendar year up ahead, Hoiberg said Wade should be good to go against the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks on back-to-back nights starting Friday.

Having dealt with it in spurts throughout his career, it crept up on him last week before the Bulls played the Charlotte Hornets, as he missed the morning shootaround but played. It came back in full effect Wednesday, and Wade said he was having trouble with his vision and recognizing his wife sitting courtside.

“It’s something he has dealt with his whole career. He has missed a couple games every year because of it,” Hoiberg said. “It’s something you have to try to manage. It’s something where certain things may trigger it. Usually he says he wakes up with it if it does happen, like he did last week.

“But it subsided as the day went on, and he was able to play in the game. That was the first time we had to pull him out of a game because of it. And obviously, he’s a key member of our team down the stretch and we missed him.”

Wade missed games before during his career with the Heat when the migraines left him unable to play, and Hoiberg knows it’s something that likely will pop up again during his time in Chicago.

It’s more than just your random headache that a Tylenol can cure, and because of its unpredictable nature, there’s no way Wade or even the Bulls can prepare for it.

“No, it's just something that will pop up a few more times this year, deal with it the best way you can,” Hoiberg said. “We're fortunate to finish the game without him last night. He knows what triggers it, and he has to do the best job possible to limit the times it happens to him over the course of the season.”

Jimmy Butler caps off monster night with buzzer-beater to give Bulls win over Nets. (Wednesday night's game, 12/28/2016).

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Apparently it wasn’t too much for the Bulls to put everything on Jimmy Butler’s shoulders.

Walking down Bojan Bogdanovic, he got to the spot he wanted, took the shot he wanted and got the result he desired at the buzzer, hitting a jumper to give the Bulls a 101-99 win over the woeful Brooklyn Nets.

It took 40 points from Butler, 27 in the second half when the game was slipping away from the Bulls against a team they had no business trailing to, including the game-winner to get the Bulls back to .500.

Being mobbed by his teammates as the United Center went into delirium, Butler released emotion that seemed more out of frustration that it took so much to beat a team that isn’t on par with the Bulls talent-wise.

“I think we desperately need every win, not just this one,” said Butler, who added 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in 38 minutes. “But the way the game was going, I guess I had the hot hand, and coach and players said, ‘Hey, make something happen.’ At the end, I did just that.”

He nailed a go-ahead jumper with 33.7 seconds left, but Brook Lopez dunked it over his brother to tie the game again, setting the stage for Butler to work his magic one more time.

“I said, ‘Get the hell out of his way and let him go to work,” said Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, in a statement Butler wouldn’t mind being framed for future references—as in every game.

A Butler takeover didn’t look likely for most of the night, especially after turning his right ankle on a jumper that caused him to writhe in pain on his way to the bench before returning moments later.

As the Bulls trailed 97-90 with three minutes left, Butler put on his Superman cape and went to work, hitting a triple and then two free throws to make it a manageable deficit with 1:50 left.

Michael Carter-Williams forced a turnover and scored on a layup to tie the game at 97 with 1:22 left, mostly due to the defensive attention paid to Butler.

“Be aggressive. Take the shots that the defense gives to you and continue to be you,” Butler said. “When you can’t shoot it, you pass it to the open guy. I pride myself on that too. We learn from it, and we’ll be better.”

With no Dwyane Wade (16 points in 22 minutes) after early in the second half due to migraines, it was solely on Butler to make most of the plays down the stretch, and the Nets kept the Bulls on their heels for nearly the entire night, jumping out to a 9-0 lead, leading to groans all across the United Center.

“They came out and were the aggressors. They took it right to us,” Hoiberg said. “Give them credit, they came out of the gate with fire. It was disappointing to come out in our own building like that.

“We dug ourselves a hole and found some fire and passion in the last four or five minutes. That’s the message, we have to play like that from the opening tip.”

The Nets are, if nothing else, a team that plays hard and will launch threes mercilessly as they have nothing to lose and no expectations on a nightly basis, stripping down their entire operation to start over, figure out what works with what players under a new coach and general manager.

The Bulls have familiar players and a second-year coach in Hoiberg, but still appear no more closer to finding out who they are or what works on a nightly basis—hence the up and down performances.

Brook Lopez dominated the matchup with his brother, scoring 33 with four assists and three rebounds, hitting five 3-pointers that compromised the Bulls’ defense all night.

The Nets made 13 of them, launching from all angles and forced 18 turnovers from the Bulls. Sean Kilpatrick, starting in place of the injured Jeremy Lin, took advantage of increased minutes, scoring 18 with six assists and Randy Foye scored 11 off the bench.

The Bulls could find no such resourcefulness before Butler saved them. Excluding Butler’s 14 for 29 showing, the Bulls shot 35.5 percent and 39.8 overall.

“We can’t go through the motions and expect another team to lay down,” Hoiberg said. “They’re coming out, they’re fighting, they’re coming off a huge win against Charlotte. They had Golden State down 18.”

During one third-quarter stretch, the Bulls had four traveling violations in five possessions—which was followed by the Nets taking a 73-66 lead on a Justin Hamilton triple with four minutes to go in the third quarter.

The Bulls put together a few decent minutes, forcing some turnovers with pressure from Michael Carter-Williams, 14 straight points from Butler and tied the game at 76 before Foye’s layup gave the Nets a two-point lead to start the fourth.

The Bulls’ first half rivaled their 48-minute showing against the Pacers two nights ago for ugliest showing, as they couldn’t hit a shot and space was impossible to find.

It made life almost miserable for Butler as 15 of his shots came in the first half and he only converted on five of them before the half.

Add to the tough luck misses the Bulls had inside in addition to their customary struggles from the outside, the Nets gained more confidence as the first half went on.

But confidence can only take you so far, as you need a frontline player to take you home. Luckily for the Bulls, they had the frontline player and frontline play, just in the nick of time.

CUBS: Lesser-celebrated feats by the much-celebrated 2016 Cubs.

By Chris Kamka

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs' championship season was full of fun facts and historic statistical notes. 

But today, let's go back and recap some of the things you may not have known or perhaps forgot about, with assistance from the incomparable Baseball-Reference.com Play Index (subscribe now!). I selected twelve players and found one fact for each. 

So without further ado…

Miguel Montero

• The only Cubs player with a regular season (9/6/2015) AND postseason (10/15/2016) grand slam at Wrigley Field (Will Clark has one of each as an opponent).

Anthony Rizzo

• On Aug. 1, Rizzo had a single, double, triple, walk and a HBP. He’s the only Cubs player (1913-present) to do that in a game.

Addison Russell

• Russell led the Majors with 9 bases loaded hits in 2016; the most by a Cubs player in a season since Derrek Lee (9) in 2009.

Dexter Fowler

• On May 31, the Cubs were shut out 5-0 by Dodgers; held to one hit and one walk. The hit and walk were both by Dexter Fowler. The last time the Cubs were held to a lone hit and walk – both by the same player – was July 6, 1940 (Stan Hack).

Javier Baez

• On June 28, Baez hit the latest grand slam (inning-wise) in Cubs history – in the 15th inning at Cincinnati. The previous “record” was held by Cliff Johnson (14th inning in 1980).

Willson Contreras

• Both his first AND second career home runs were in games he didn’t start. The last Cubs player to make that claim was Bobby Scales in 2009.

Jason Heyward

• On Sept. 4, Heyward collected 3 RBI singles accounting for all three Cubs runs in a 3-2 walk-off win vs Giants. The last Cub to do exactly that (3 RBI singles accounting for all 3 runs in a Cubs win) was Randy Hundley (also including a walk-off) July 26, 1969.

Kyle Schwarber

• Schwarber is the first player ever to have no hits during the regular season but at least three during that season’s World Series (he had 7 hits).

Jake Arrieta

• Over the 2015-16 seasons, Arrieta has posted a .201 BA and .562 OPS at the plate. He has held opponents to a .189 BA and .543 OPS over that span.

Kris Bryant

• In 2016, Bryant had three games with at least 4 Runs, 4 Hits and 5 RBI. There were three such games in Cubs history from 1960-2015. Hack Wilson was the last Cub with three such games in a season (1930).

David Ross

• Ross hit a home run in the World Series in the final game of his career. (Assuming Javier Baez, Dexter Fowler & Rajai Davis all play again) Ross finishes his career as the third player to do this, joining Bobby Kielty (2007) and Shawon Dunston (2002).

Ben Zobrist

• On May 6, Zobrist hit 2 home runs off Max Scherzer, who went on to win the 2016 NL Cy Young Award. The last Cubs player to hit 2 HR in a game off that season’s eventual  Cy Young winner was Ernie Banks in 1963 (off Sandy Koufax).

White Sox look to focus on positives in 2016.

By Scott Merkin

(Photo/chicagowhitesox.com)

With some top prospects acquired in trades, club starts rebuilding phase in '17.

A number of positive results transpired for the White Sox during the 2016 season.

Jose Quintana became an All-Star for the first time in his steady career, often bordering on spectacular, while the southpaw also notched a career-best 13 wins, a 3.20 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 208 innings.

Chris Sale topped the Majors with six complete games, reaching All-Star status for a fifth straight season, while striking out 233 in a career-high 226 2/3 innings.

Jose Abreu produced at least a .290 average with 25 homers and 100 RBIs for the third straight Major League season since coming from Cuba. Third baseman Todd Frazier reached 40 home runs for the first time in his career and logged 98 RBIs. Adam Eaton played Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field from start to finish.

So how did these strong efforts add up for the White Sox?

The sum of the parts were not close to greater than the individual accomplishments, as the South Siders finished 78-84 and 16 1/2 games back in a fourth-place finish in the American League Central. The managerial situation changed from Robin Ventura to bench coach Rick Renteria after the campaign, and the direction changed via trades of Sale and Eaton after general manager Rick Hahn described his team as "mired in mediocrity" late in the season.

Here's a look at some of the top storylines from 2016, which marked a fourth straight sub-.500 season for the White Sox.

1. Let the rebuild begin

White Sox fans searched for a puff of white smoke coming from Guaranteed Rate Field or any sort of sign to indicate the team's direction. That answer arrived at the Winter Meetings when the White Sox traded Sale to the Red Sox for an elite four-prospect return including infielder Yoan Moncada and hard-throwing right-hander Michael Kopech.

The club then shipped Eaton to the Nationals for right-handers Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning. These were trades built for the future, as in 2018 and '19 more so than '17, even if a few of these projected Minor League standouts get to the Majors this season.

"It's a weird feeling. Mixed emotions. You never like parting ways with stalwarts on this roster like Chris Sale and Adam Eaton," Hahn said. "At the same time, it's nice to feel good about the first steps in our plan and the return which we received."

This rebuilding process remains ongoing. More trades are possible in January, during Spring Training, at the non-waiver Trade Deadline or into next offseason.

2. Sale(ing) away

Eaton played an important part of the White Sox offense and defense for three seasons, but with all due respect to the team's catalyst, Sale's departure falls in a category by itself. The White Sox selected Sale 13th overall in the 2010 MLB Draft, promoted him to the bullpen two months later, moved him into the starting rotation in '12 and agreed to a five-year, $32.5 million deal in Spring Training '13.

Sale developed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and in team history. He also emerged as the face of the franchise.

"He was excited about the chance to potentially go win something with Boston, which you have to respect," Hahn said. "We wished him well, but he was very considerate and appreciative for what the organization had done for him."

"You don't know how long you are going to have guys, you just never do," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "But while they are under the Chicago White Sox care, it's important to me that we maximize what they are able to do, and I feel comfortable that certainly happened with Chris Sale."

3. Ventura out; Renteria in

Ventura's final season of a five-year tenure certainly was an eventful one. Adam LaRoche unexpectedly retired during Spring Training over a disagreement with executive vice president Ken Williams on restricted team access for LaRoche's son, Drake, leading to a strong player reaction. Sale had an issue with wearing a throwback jersey on a night he was scheduled to pitch, leading to the destruction of said jerseys and his ensuing five-game suspension, and on the field, the team started strong and then faded immediately thereafter. Ultimately, Ventura's contract ended after the '16 campaign, and he decided not to return.

Renteria, who dealt with a rebuild as the Cubs manager in '14, served as White Sox bench coach this past season. He's an energetic teacher who should benefit the team at its current construction.

"It goes back to me handling the job with whomever it is that we have available to us and trying to get the most out of those guys that we have," Renteria said.

4. What happened?

Frazier launched a 12th-inning grand slam off of the Rangers' Cesar Ramos on May 9 to give the White Sox an 8-4 victory. At that point, they were 23-10 and held a six-game lead in the division. While the White Sox weren't quite as good as that impressive start, they didn't foresee going 10-26 over the next 36 games. Key injuries and shortcomings on offense stood as a few of the significant problems contributing to the downfall.

5. Anderson arrives

Carlos Lee, Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede would qualify as the last homegrown position players who made a consistent impact. But Tim Anderson, the team's top pick in the 2013 Draft who debuted on June 10, gave the White Sox fans hope that a shortstop had been found for years to come. Anderson fanned 117 times against 13 walks, but he hit .283 with 37 extra-base hits in total and played solid defense.

Bonus: Triple their pleasure

The White Sox turned three triple plays, or make that four if a Cactus League tri-killing is added. One of them came on April 22 at home against the Rangers, of the 9-3-2-6-2-5.

Golf: I got a club for that..... 2016 Flashback: Palmer's passing stirs vivid memories of the King.

By Brandel Chamblee

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

A century passes and depending on one’s age, maybe 10 years are so indelibly marked that the mere utterance of the number brings to mind an event. 1961: Roger Maris hits 61 home runs. 1974: Richard Nixon resigns. 1945: World War II ends. You know those connections instantly. 2016 was that kind of year. The King died.

Once in a great while the future can be foreseen. When Tiger won the Masters by 12 shots in 1997, no one doubted that the history books were about to get dented up. But mostly, clairvoyance is impossible. Nobody could’ve predicted Arnold Palmer’s popularity.

Sure he was handsome and muscular, but so was Frank Stranahan. Arnold won often enough, eight times each in 1960 and 1962, but Byron Nelson won 18 tournaments, including those 11 in a row, in 1945. Sam Snead won 10 times in 1950 and even Paul Runyan won nine times in 1933. Arnold had a great come-from-behind win at the U.S. Open in 1960 when he started the final round seven shots back, shot 65 and won. But just the year before, Bob Rosburg had won the PGA Championship from six back with 18 to play, and in 1950 Ben Hogan won the U.S. Open after having been near death from a 1949 head-on collision with a bus.

It wasn’t any one thing that made Arnold Palmer the King, it was everything. He was handsome and muscular. He won often, and in dramatic ways that would bring the crowd to a whirling mass of astonishment. He lost, too, and his knees would buckle and his body would contort in some kabuki pose of self-chastisement. It was as if he were the home team of every city in America and they had just lost the big game and an entire country's worth of fans threw their arms in the air and screamed at the TV over the inequity.

Sports may just be about entertainment, but in an ideal way - OK, maybe in a romantic way - we want it to convey values, too. We don’t need our sports stars to be worthy of our admiration - think of Kobe Bryant or Ty Cobb - but it would be nice if they were. There was an integrity to the way Arnold Palmer played golf and a humility to the way he interacted with sports fans and members of the media. He was unfailingly polite and generous with his time, time and time again.

Great golfers have a kinesthetic sense, where they are able to match themselves to the landscape, simultaneously matching themselves to the weather conditions and to the topography that their ball must traverse in flight and upon landing. Arnold Palmer had this, but in the exact same way he could sense the appropriate way to talk to an individual and to handle himself in any situation.

Such was his gift of charisma that his popularity wasn’t just specific to the knowledgeable sports fan. Sports nuts and those who didn’t follow sports knew him equally. Nor was his appeal dependent upon one’s demographic or nationality. He was universally loved by the man who worked with his hands, by scientists, politicians and generals, artists and the biggest stars in Hollywood. 

In the summer of 1981 I went to Great Britain to play golf. One day, while playing at Carnoustie, I was paired with an artist by the name of Harold Riley. Some 21 years before that summer, Harold had been sent to St. Andrews to sketch some pictures of an American who had won the 1960 U.S. Open and the Masters. There was Grand Slam talk for the first time since Bobby Jones, 1930. Arnold Palmer had never played The Open and Harold Riley had never seen the man he was to paint.

Exiting the train at St. Andrews, Harold went for a walk across the links, sketching the landscape and people as they crisscrossed the fairways. One man drew his attention for the way he moved. For the way he drew on that Salem cigarette as if it were his muse. For the way he slashed at the ball and cocked his head and the way he strode from hole to hole through the peloton of patrons. It turned out to be Arnold Palmer.

As the week went by Harold Riley painted and sketched the man who would be King many times over. In one scene Palmer was leaning on his putter as he waited for his turn to play with that Salem cigarette, giving off a thin line of smoke, hanging from his mouth. In another he was somewhere in the finish of his swing, with turf and dirt and sinew flying everywhere.

Over the years as I got to know Harold his popularity grew (he painted presidents and popes)  and he made a gift of many paintings to me. One of them is a pencil sketch of Palmer at St. Andrews in 1960, where he finished second to Kel Nagle. Palmer has his legs crossed, is leaning on his putter and wearing a cardigan sweater, the last button left fashionably undone. He is staring off at something he needed to figure out, caught perfectly in the vacuum of competition.

In 1983, I made a pilgrimage to Los Angeles to play Riviera. There I ran into a group of men who were laughing and wisecracking and playing fast off the 18th tee. One of them was the head of Columbia pictures, another was one of the men who produced "All in the Family." Bud Yorkin was his name, as I recall. Another, who had a big Rolex watch on his wrist as he played, was a man by the name of Rudy Durand. After the round, I met them for drinks in the club. Somewhere in the course of that post-round banter, Rudy said, “Friendship is serious business,” and the look in his eyes when those words left his mouth, well, it made you want to be his friend. As the years went by, decades even, he became one of my best friends. Rudy was also best friends with one of the biggest movie stars of all time, Jack Nicholson.

I played a few rounds of golf at Riviera with Rudy and Jack and I found out, among the many things that Nicholson loved, he loved art, he loved golf ... and he loved Arnold Palmer. So a few years ago, when “The Colonel” as Rudy calls Jack, (after his iconic, “You can't handle the truth!!!” role as Colonel Jessup) in "A Few Good Men") turned 75 and Rudy and I were talking about what one gives to someone who has every material possession, every kind of professional admiration, for such a monumental birthday.

When I got back to my home in Scottsdale I boxed up the Harold Riley picture of Arnold Palmer and sent it to Rudy to give to Jack for his 75th birthday. A few days later, Rudy called and after the usual greeting of lovable insults, he told me Jack had said that the gift made him smile and made him cry.

Arnold Palmer could do that. He did it to us all.

Top Golfers Honor Military at Patriot All-America.

By John Marshall

Ginger Gilbert-Ravella stood before the crowd, calmly describing the day her husband died.

Major Troy Gilbert, a U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot, was killed in 2006 when his plane crashed in Iraq. Standing on a stage on a sunny desert day 10 years later, his widow talked about their five children, the normalcy of the day, the shock of answering the door to the Luke Air Force Base chaplain surrounded by base leaders — all without cracking.

It wasn't until she turned to the 80-plus college golfers sitting on the stage around her that Gilbert-Ravella's voice began to crack.

"Know who you're playing for," she said. "Honor your parents and the people you're playing for because they're missed and they're loved and they're not just a name. They're a dad, they're a husband, they're a father, they're a brother, a son, a friend."

Gilbert-Ravella's speech was the centerpiece of the moving opening ceremonies for the Patriot All-America Invitational, one of the most unique tournaments college tournaments in the country.

At most tournaments, the players are there for team, the name of their school on their bags. The Patriot All-America pairs them with fallen or injured soldiers and their family, the name of that solider on their bag.

Because of the format, the 54-hole event that started Wednesday at The Wigwam Golf Club attracts some of the best college players from around the country.

"It's definitely an honor being able to represent a fallen solider and an honor to be here," James Madison player Ryan Cole said. "It's great weather and we're happy to be here."

The Patriot All-America began in 2011, when the Golf Coaches Association of America wanted to hold a tournament at The Wigwam for the top players from all three NCAA divisions, along with players from NAIA, NJCAA and AJGA rankings.

The resort is just a few miles away from Luke Air Force Base and military families live all around the area, so tournament organizers wanted to do something a little different by having the players honor a soldier.

The format became a big hit, drawing top players from around the country, including PGA Tour players Brooks Koepka, Ollie Schniederjans, Patrick Rodgers, Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger and Bryson DeChambeau.

"When we first started this, we weren't sure what a 19- or 20-year-old kid was going to think about it," said Tom O'Malley, COO of JDM Partners, which owns The Wigwam. "What we found out was that they're calling us to see if they can be a part of this event. The big surprise was that they wanted to come represent these soldiers. They play golf for a living, but what really resounded for them was the opportunity to honor the military."

The golf is typically top notch, great players on a superb golf course.

But the opening ceremonies are often what resonates.

The players were introduced, along with the soldier they're representing, then took their seats as the American flag was dropped in by a parachutist who landed on the driving range during the national anthem. The base commander gave a few words before an all-veteran crew flew over in private C16s in the missing man formation. Then Gilbert-Ravella spoke about how her husband's remains had not been found until recently and were buried at Arlington National Cemetery after a 10-year wait.

"Their names still should be spoken, their stories should still be told," she said, choking back tears. "Their families miss them. They just had a Christmas without them and I want you to think about those kids."

NASCAR: 8 Monster Energy Cup drivers who need to step it up in 2017.

By Joe Menzer

(Photo/NASCAR/foxsports.com)

With the 2017 Monster Energy Cup Series fast approaching, here are eight drivers who need to step it up after 2016 seasons that may have had some successes, but not enough of them to keep the heat off in the upcoming year.

    

(8) Kyle Larsen (Photo/Getty Images)

Sure, the driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing finally won his first Cup race at Michigan and also finished with career highs in top-five finishes (10) and laps led (79). He also made the Chase playoffs for the first time.

But after entering the Chase as one of the favorites to actually contend for a title, he flamed out. In 2017, more will be expected of him.                 

(7) Ryan Blaney (Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports)

Running his first full-time Cup season in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, Blaney finished with three top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Now it's time to get the Wood brothers back to Victory Lane.

    

(6) Austin Dillon (Photo/Getty Images)

Yes, Dillon made the Chase for the first time in his career and even survived the first round of playoff cuts. But as driver of the famed No. 3 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, he's expected to win races -- which he hasn't done yet in 121 career starts.

(5) Chase Elliott (Photo/Getty Images)

Expectations are high when you inherit the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ride that Elliott did from Jeff Gordon when Gordon stepped out of the ride at the end of the 2015 season.

And while the Sunoco Rookie of the Year did win two poles while also posting 10 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, he was in position to win at least a couple of races and didn't. In 2017, he will be expected to close those types of deals.

(4) Danica Patrick (Photo/Getty Images)

Danica is about to enter her fifth full-time Cup season. She has yet to win a race in her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy and in 2016 failed for the first time to post a single top-10 finish. That's not progress.

Look, no one really expects her to win. But she's in the same equipment others are winning with, so it's not out of the question to expect more than the occasional top-10 run. 

(3) Clint Bowyer (Photo/NASCAR via Getty Images/Jeff Zelevansky)

His miserable one-year lame-duck season at HScott Motorsports finally behind him, Bowyer now moves on to fill a big driver's seat in the No. 14 Chevy vacated by the retiring Tony Stewart for Stewart-Haas Racing.

That means he'll be expected to immediately get back to the kind of driver he was before last season, when he had no top-five finishes and placed a career-worst 27th in the points.

(2) Ryan Newman (Photo/Getty Images/Jeff Zelevansky)

Although he nearly stole a championship in 2014 without winning a race, he slipped out of the Chase playoff picture in 2016.

The driver of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet hasn't won since coming over to RCR from SHR in 2014, with his last victory at Indianapolis coming in 2013 -- 124 starts ago. 

(1) Kasey Kahne (Photo/Getty Images)

Kahne knows he's in trouble if he doesn't step it up in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy this season. In fact, he said as much in an interview recently when he stated: "If I haven't performed by 2018, I need to leave."

That means it's all on the line in 2017. In 2016, Kahne failed to lead a single lap for the first time in his 13-year Cup career -- and he hasn't won since Atlanta in 2014, or 83 starts ago.

Martin Truex Jr. named driver of year by Eastern Motorsport Press Association.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo/Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

After the best season of his Cup Series career, Martin Truex Jr. has received recognition from the Eastern Motorsport Press Association.

The group has named the Furniture Row Racing driver, a native of Mayetta, New Jersey, its driver of the year. This season, Truex’s third season with the team, he won a career-best four races, including the Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and two Chase races.

This is the second time Truex has been awarded the EMPA’s Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year trophy. He was given it after winning the Xfinity Series title in 2004.

“My racing roots are in the Northeast and to be recognized by the EMPA takes on a special meaning for the entire Truex family,” said Truex in a press release. “My family has spent many days and nights racing at Northeastern tracks, and that’s why I always feel like I’m going home when the NASCAR series competes at Dover, Pocono and New Hampshire.”

Truex led a record 392 laps in his Coke 600 win and led a career and season high 1,809 laps. He also earned a career-high five poles. He qualified for the Chase for the second year in a row, but came up shorter than in 2015, failing to advance out of the second round.

All this occurred in FRR’s first season with Toyota as its manufacturer.

“Martin had an impressive season, winning two of the triple crown events – the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 ,” said Earl Krause, EMPA board member and lead announcer at Pocono Raceway in a press release. “He nearly pulled off NASCAR’s version of the triple crown but came up inches short of winning the Daytona 500. He also had exciting Chase victories at Chicago and Dover. I covered Martin since his early racing days at Wall Stadium in New Jersey, and like his father – Martin Truex Sr. — he has always been a class act both on and off the track.”

Other NASCAR drivers who have been named the EMPA’s driver of the year: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart and Terry Labonte.

Richard Petty selected to North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

By Daniel McFadin

(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Seven year after being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Richard Petty has been named to another auto racing hall of fame in North Carolina.

Petty, the seven time Premier Series champion, has been named a 2017 inductee to the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame.

Petty and three others will be inducted on Feb. 18 at the 15th annual Shriners Hot Rod & Drag Racing Expo at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Joining Petty are Frank Teague, Jean Howard and Terry Adams.

Petty’s eligibility for enshrinement is a result of the year he spent in the form of racing in 1965.

“The King” went drag racing after NASCAR had banned the Chrysler 426 Hemi engine, which he had used to earn nine Cup Series wins in 1964 on the way to his first NASCAR title.

Petty built a Hemi-powered Barracuda, named it the “43 Jr.” and mostly competed in exhibitions across the country.

A 200-time race winner in the Cup Series, Petty won one event in the B/Altered class at the NHRA spring nationals at Bristol International Dragway.

Petty’s drag racing career was marred by tragedy in February 1965 when a crash sent his front suspension into the crowd, killing a child and injuring others.

That car was buried on Petty’s property and a new “43 Jr.” built.

But NASCAR eventually did away with its ban of the Chrysler 426 Hemi engine and Petty returned to stock car racing late in the 1965 season. Beginning in July, he competed in the final 14 races of the 55-race season, winning four times. He returned to full-time NASCAR racing in 1966, winning eight races and finishing third in the point standings.

SOCCER: Report: PFA asks FA to consider ban on heading for kids under 10.

By Andy Edwards

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

English football seems set to follow in the footsteps of the American game, as the Professional Footballers’ Association has urged the English Football Association to consider a ban on heading the ball for children under the age of 10, according to a report from the Telegraph.

U.S. Soccer announced last November a new youth-level initiative that would “(a) improve concussion awareness and education among youth coaches, referees, parents and players; (b) implement more uniform concussion management and return-to-play protocols for youth players suspected of having suffered a concussion” in an attempt to better protect players aged 13 and under.

The PFA’s call to action is founded on a study, conducted by the University of Stirling, which uncovered “frightening anecdotal evidence of former players suffering with serious brain conditions.” A terrifying statistic from the study:

The Stirling study reported a reduction in memory performance of 41-67 per cent in the 24 hours after players headed a football 20 times that was delivered with the pace and power of a corner kick. Memory function did return to normal 24 hours later but, with many former footballers being diagnosed with brain conditions in later life, the call for urgent and more detailed research has grown ever louder.

WATCH, STREAM: Premier League schedule – Week 19.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

Week 19 of the 2016-17 Premier League season is here as we hit the midway point as we prepare to wave goodbye to 2016.

Hull City host Everton host on Friday to kick things off (3 pm. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at the KCOM Stadium with the Tigers desperate to drag themselves off the bottom, while Everton will be looking to end 2016 in fine form and push closer towards the top six.

On Saturday, New Year’s Eve, red-hot Manchester United welcome Middlesbrough to Old Trafford (10 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with Jose Mourinho’s men aiming to put more pressure on the top four. Mourinho will be coming up against his former assistant, Aitor Karanka as Boro look to climb up into midtable.

Roundup off Saturday is a massive game at Anfield as Liverpool welcome Manchester City (12:30 p.m. ET live NBCSand online via NBC Sports.com) with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola colliding on the sidelines. This should be a very fun way to celebrate 2016 and see in the new year.

On Sunday, New Year’s Day, there are two games coming up with Watford hosting Tottenham (8:30 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) as Walter Mazzarri aims to stop Mauricio Pochettino‘s streaking Spurs, while Arsenal then host Crystal Palace in a London derby (11 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at the Emirates Stadium.

You can watch every single second of every single game live online via NBC Sports.com and the NBC Sports App, plus you can also watch Premier League “Goal Rush” at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday for all the goals as they go in. Goal Rush is available via NBC Sports.com and the NBC Sports App,

If you’re looking for full-event replays of Premier League games, you can find them here. They are available soon after the final whistle, but rights limit us to a certain number each week. Looking for game highlights? Try this. Here’s your full TV schedule for the coming days. Enjoy.

FULL TV SCHEDULE

Friday

3 p.m. ET: Hull City vs. Everton – NBCSN [STREAM]

Saturday

10 a.m. ET: Manchester United vs. Middlesbrough – NBCSN [STREAM]

10 a.m. ET: Chelsea vs. Stoke City– Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

10 a.m. ET: Burnley vs. Sunderland – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

10 a.m. ET: Leicester City vs. West Ham – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

10 a.m. ET: Swansea City vs. Bournemouth – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

10 a.m. ET: Southampton vs. West Brom – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

12:30 p.m. ET: Liverpool vs. Manchester City – NBC [STREAM]

Sunday

8:30 a.m. ET: Watford vs. Tottenham Hotspur – NBCSN [STREAM]

11 a.m. ET: Arsenal vs. Crystal Palace – NBCSN [STREAM]

Prince-Wright’s Premier League picks: New Year’s Eve, Week 19.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

The final matchday of 2016 has arrived Premier League with seven games on New Year’s Eve in a festive feast of action.

If you, like me, love to dissect all the games and predict what the score will be and which team will win, I encourage you to get involved in the comments section below. Let’s have a bit of fun.

Okay, so I’ve consulted my crystal ball and here’s how we see things panning out. Click play on the videos below to hear my score prediction and preview of each game.

With the first section labelled “basically, free money” for the picks I think are dead certs. The section labelled “don’t touch this” means if you’re betting I advise you to stay clear, while the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance” section are the longshots. If it is better odds you are after, those are the picks to go for.

BASICALLY, FREE MONEY

Chelsea 3-1 Stoke City – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Manchester United 2-0 Middlesbrough – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Leicester City 1-3 West Ham – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

DON’T TOUCH THIS… 

Watford 1-2 Tottenham – (Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Southampton 2-1 West Brom – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Burnley 1-1 Sunderland – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Liverpool 1-2 Man City – (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC) – [STREAM]

Hull 1-1 Everton – (Friday, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

“SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THERE’S A CHANCE…”

Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace – (Sunday, 11 a.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Swansea City 1-4 Bournemouth – (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Premier League player Power Rankings – Week 18.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

Week 18 of the 2016-17 Premier League season is in the books. Now, it’s time to rank the performers in the latest PL player Power Rankings.

It’s a quick turnaround from the Boxing Day games to the New Year’s Eve slate of matches, but here are the guys in form.

Remember: this is a list of the top 20 performing players right now in the Premier League.

Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with the selections of the top 20 players in the PL right now.

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United) – Even
2. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) – Up 1
3. Diego Costa (Chelsea) – Down 1
4. Dele Alli (Tottenham) – Up 5
5. David Silva (Man City) — New entry
6. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea) – Down 2
7. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) – Down 1
8. Paul Pogba (Man United) – Down 1
9. Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea) – New entry
10. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – New entry
11. N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – Down 1
12. Jordan Pickford (Sunderland) – Up 8
13. Harry Kane (Tottenham) – Down 1
14. Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton) – Down 1
15. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) – Down 1
16. Gary Cahill (Chelsea) — Up 2
17. Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – Even
18. Romelu Lukaku (Everton) – New entry
19. Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) – Even
20. Andy Carroll (West Ham) – New entry

Infantino believes 48-team World Cup a strong possibility.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Gianni Infantino remains convinced that expansion to the World Cup is the tournament’s best option, but now the FIFA president has declared that the world football federations are “overwhelmingly in favor” of an increase from 32 teams.

The FIFA council will meet once more on Jan. 7, where a potential change could be made to the structure of the World Cup in the future. While the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions of the tournament would likely go unchanged, a deal could still be implemented for expansion to the World Cups that follow in 2030 and beyond.

“I am still convinced to expand the participation in the World Cup more than 32 teams,” Infantino said. “We would still consider increasing the competition to 40 or 48 teams. A tournament to 48 teams would have the same period of the current one, and federations are clearly in favor of a World Cup with more teams.”

Since earning the FIFA presidency, Infantino’s stance has remained non-wavering over World Cup expansion. With the potential for 40 or even 48 teams on the horizon, it seems as though the FIFA boss will get his wish in the near future despite the hesitation from several club teams.

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has been one of the biggest figures to push back against World Cup expansion as more and more clubs express their concern over player safety and the fact that so many of the game’s top players are scheduled to be involved in so many fixtures for both club and country.

“In the interest of the fans and the players, we urge Fifa not to increase the number of World Cup participants,” Rummenigge said. “Politics and commerce should not be the exclusive priority in football.”

NCAAFB: Group of Five teams considering their own playoff after feeling jilted by the CFP. What's Your Take?

By Graham Watson

Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck has his team in a NY6 bowl this year. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier told ESPN.com on Wednesday that the Group of Five schools are contemplating forming their own playoff.

“It’s time to have a realistic conversation about creating a playoff for the Group of Five,” Frazier told ESPN. “Why not?”

As it stands, the Group of Five schools, which include programs from the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt conferences along with independents BYU, UMass and Army, have little chance of making the College Football Playoff.

This season, Western Michigan was one of two undefeated programs (Alabama) with wins against Big Ten foes Northwestern and Illinois and still only ascended to No. 15 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Broncos ranked behind six Power Five teams with three losses and one Power Five team with four losses. Memphis notched the highest-ever Group of 5 ranking (in the CFP era) at No. 13 in 2015, but no team among the Group of Five has won a national title since 1984.

“There is absolutely no ability for us (teams in the Group of Five) to be in that national title conversation,” Frazier said. “That’s just reality. Anyone that says we can: That’s a flat-out lie.”

While Frazier and other athletic directors in the Group of Five are exploring the idea of a separate playoff, especially with ESPN reporting that NBC, CBS and ESPN have expressed interest in televising the event, several other Group of Five athletic directors aren’t thrilled about the idea.

“You mean compete for a junior varsity championship?” one Group of Five AD told ESPN.com. “No thanks.”

Currently, the highest ranked Group of Five team plays in a New Year’s Six Bowl, which is a financial boon to that school’s conference. Would this separate playoff be worth enough to offset that? Or would the highest-ranked Group of Five team still play in the CFP while the remaining conference champions and some at-large teams formed a Group of Five playoff field?

“Every division of college football has a national championship — Power 5, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA — every division, that is, except the Group of 5,” Frazier said.

Teams from the Group of Five have been treated like second-class citizens in terms of the national championship for decades. It took Boise State’s 2007 Fiesta Bowl win against Oklahoma for many to realize Group of Five teams could compete with the Power Five, and it took Utah’s undefeated season, which was capped with a thrashing of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, for the BCS powers that be to realize that the current system wasn’t adequately rewarding deserving teams. While the CFP was supposed to address those concerns by allowing every team a fair shake by an independent panel of voters, it’s clear the chasm still exists.

So it’s no surprise that some programs are getting a little antsy about where they fall in the college football hierarchy and whether there’s really any place for them in the system at all.

While a separate playoff would accentuate the divide between the haves and have-nots of college football, it might be the only way for teams from these conferences to get a chance to lift a national championship trophy. The only other possible solution would be to have an impossibly difficult nonconference schedule and then go undefeated to force the CFP committee’s hand. But the fact that Group of Five teams are held to such a higher standard when it comes to their schedules — while Power Five teams can lose three games and still be in contention for a playoff spot — is just another part of the problem.

What do you think? Should the Group of Five break away and form its own playoff?

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: The College Playoffs have had a problem for a long time as far as coming up with an all inclusive playoff format. Someone always feels left out when they have a great season. “Every division of college football has a national championship — Power 5, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA — every division, that is, except the Group of 5.” Should they have their own playoff? We are looking at this issue, however we would like to get the opinions of several diehard collegiate football fans to help come up with a viable alternative format. We're asking our readers to share your thoughts with us and let us know, what's your take? on this concern. Solutions to difficult problems are best served when we put our heads together. Please take a moment and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your ideas and your take with us.

As always, we love hearing from you and truly appreciate your time, consideration and ideas.

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

Virginia Tech overcomes 24-0 halftime deficit to shock Arkansas in Belk Bowl.

By Sam Cooper

Bret Bielema is 25-26 in four seasons at Arkansas. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)

What a difference a half can make.

In the Belk Bowl against Arkansas Thursday night, Virginia Tech trailed 24-0 at halftime. From there, the Hokies scored 35 unanswered points to shock the Razorbacks, 35-24.

Arkansas completely controlled things early on, but the Hokies looked like a different team coming out of the locker room for the third quarter. The Virginia Tech defense forced turnovers on three of Arkansas’ first four second half possessions (a fumble and two interceptions) and scored touchdowns after all three of them.

All three turnovers gave the Hokies and quarterback Jerod Evans a short field. Evans accounted for all three of those third quarter touchdowns — a four-yard run and short passes to Sam Rogers and Chris Cunningham.

Rogers’ catch was a beauty:

Bret Bielema is 25-26 in four seasons at Arkansas. In the Belk Bowl against Arkansas Thursday night, Virginia Tech trailed 24-0 at halftime. From there, the Hokies scored 35 unanswered points to shock the Razorbacks, 35-24. (Rogers)

And even when the Razorbacks weren’t turning it over, the offense went nowhere. After a punt late in the third, the Hokies drove straight down the field to take their first lead. On the tenth play of the drive, Travon McMillian took it in from five yards out to give Tech a 28-24 lead.

Any chance of a comeback was quickly thwarted by the swarming Hokies defense. Tech sacked Arkansas’ quarterback Austin Allen six times in the second half, and later intercepted him for a third time to set up another short Evans touchdown run to put the game out of reach with 6:41 to go.

When the dust finally settled, Arkansas gained a total of 34 yards in the second half. That was after the Razorbacks had everything going their way in the first half.

Virginia Tech fumbled on its first offensive play, giving Arkansas a short field for a field goal. The Razorbacks had an impressive nine-play, 90-yard scoring drive later in the first quarter to go up 10-0. And Evans threw an interception on the ensuing possession, leading to yet another Arkansas score and a 17-0 lead after one quarter.

That lead jumped to 24-0 on an Allen touchdown pass to Keon Hatcher midway through the third. Allen had a hot start, completing 12 of his 14 passes, but those early second half turnovers and the aggressive Hokies front turned things for him in the second half. He finished 18-of-31 for 278 yards.

The win is a great end to Justin Fuente’s first season as Hokies head coach. With the win, Tech (10-4), which won the ACC Coastal this year, reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2011. It also marks the first time in program history the Hokies have won a bowl in three consecutive seasons. With Evans, who threw for 243 yards, ran for 87 and had four combined TDs, returning for his senior season, the Hokies should generate a lot of hype entering next season.

The loss puts an end to an up-and-down year for Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks. After a 3-0 start, the Hogs alternated wins and losses the rest of the regular season before Thursday night’s loss dropped their record to 7-6. Don’t be surprised if Bielema, now 25-26 in his four seasons, is connected with some hot seat talk leading up to the 2017 season.

Oh, and if you were wondering: the ACC is now 5-1 in bowl play. The SEC is 1-4.

Alamo Bowl blowout sees No. 12 Oklahoma State dominate No. 10 Colorado.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

The Alamo Bowl saw a 31-point lead evaporate last season, but there would be no meltdown this year. No. 12 Oklahoma State (10-3) steamrolled No. 10 Colorado in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, 38-8.

Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns and caught a 24-yard pass from Chris Carson, and James Washington was on the receiving end of 171 yards and one touchdown from Rudolph. For a good stretch, Washington equaled Colorado’s total offensive production in the game in the second half. Colorado was just unable to get anything going on offense, with an injury to Sefo Liufau keeping the Buffs QB out of the mix for a stretch. Colorado did manage to avoid a shutout with a fourth quarter touchdown and two-point conversion. Phillip Lindsay ran for a six-yard score and Liufau completed a pass to Lindsay for a two-point conversion. At that point, however, it was more about pride than anything else, because Oklahoma State had the game all but locked down.

Cowboys running back Justice Hill hit the century mark with a late 37-yard touchdown run up the middle of the Colorado defense. Oklahoma State ended the night with over 500 yards of offense and zero turnovers.

Oklahoma State held a 31-0 lead until 5:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, preventing the Cowboys from recording their first shutout victory over a ranked opponent since 1958. The last time Oklahoma State pitched a shutout in a postseason bowl game was in the 1944 Cotton Bowl, against TCU. Oklahoma State beat their future conference foes, 34-0.

Looking Ahead

Oklahoma State will have plenty of reason to feel confident about what they can do in the Big 12 next season with Mason Rudolph and James Washington saying they will be back for one more season in Stillwater. Barring any changes on that front, the Cowboys will have one of the most potent combos in the Big 12, which is really all you need sometimes in the conference, right? Oklahoma State and Oklahoma look to be situated well to be heavy preseason favorites in Big 12 play, and each could start the year in the top 10 of the preseason polls (which are even more meaningless than the bowl games). The 2017 season begins with a Group of Five team to watch in 2017, Tulsa. The Cowboys host Tulsa on Sept. 2, 2017 in Stillwater before playing back-to-back road games at South Alabama and Pittsburgh. Big 12 play opens with a home game against TCU on Sept. 23, 2017.

What will we make of Colorado? The Buffs have a hire to make at defensive coordinator (Bob Diaco would be a good addition), and Sefo Liufau will be moving on. The Buffs will certainly have a bit of a new look next season, but the big question is how much can this program rebound in the offseason after seeing an otherwise dream season end with the thud it did in postseason play (Pac-12 championship game and Alamo Bowl)? That is not easy to predict, but the bar has been raised for Colorado and there is a renewed sense of optimism for the program to utilize to its advantage. The 2017 season opens in Denver against Colorado State and two home games against Texas State and Northern Colorado. Getting into Pac-12 play with a winning record is certainly to be expected, and anything less than a 3-0 mark should be considered a disappointment. Colorado will also get home game sin conference play against both USC and Washington, which could be interesting if Colorado continues to improve rather than take too many steps back.

NCAABKB: Big 12 primer: Surprises, disappointments, tiered rankings and more.

By Jeff Eisenberg

Kansas starters Frank Mason, Landen Lucas and Devonte Graham. (Photo/Getty Images)

January is just around the corner. Conference play is finally here. And that means it’s time to reassess college basketball’s top teams and players, as well as its most competitive leagues, as the season kicks into gear. We’ll highlight surprises, disappointments, and player and freshman of the year candidates before ranking teams by tiers and making one bold prediction for the next two-and-a-half months.

The last of our six conference primers looks at the Big 12, which yet again features a bunch of challengers all chasing Kansas.

Biggest surprise: Baylor

Baylor is on pace to surpass the accomplishments of last year’s 22-win team despite the departures of leading scorer Taurean Prince, leading rebounder Rico Gathers and starting point guard Lester Medford. The unbeaten Bears (12-0) have climbed from unranked before the season to No. 4 in the latest AP poll by defeating five perennial NCAA tournament teams — Louisville, Michigan State Xavier, Oregon and VCU. The formula for Baylor’s success is similar even if its personnel has changed. The Bears still favor a traditional two big man lineup, still play at a glacial pace and still rely heavily on zone defense. While Baylor no longer bludgeons opponents on the offensive glass as thoroughly as years past, they make up for that by taking better care of the ball and scoring more efficiently at the rim. Johnathan Motley is enjoying a breakout season, Manu Lecomte has solidified the point guard position and Jo Lual-Acuil leads the nation in blocked shots.

Biggest disappointment: Texas

It was only two months ago that Texas was projected third in the Big 12’s preseason poll. Now the Longhorns appear more likely to finish in the league’s bottom three instead. Texas fell to 6-6 on Tuesday night with a ghastly 63-58 home loss to Kent State. All six of the Longhorns losses have now come against teams outside the AP Top 25, a list that includes setbacks against Northwestern, Colorado, Texas Arlington, Michigan, Arkansas and now the Golden Flashes. Poor point guard play and a dearth of outside shooting have been Texas’ biggest issues. The Longhorns are shooting below 30 percent from behind the arc and are 302nd nationally in assists per made basket. In their six losses, they have 54 assists and 85 turnovers. Shaka Smart wisely has called for more full-court pressure as another way to generate offense, but the trouble is Texas isn’t all that good at it. The Longhorns are 159th in generating turnovers, a far cry from Smart’s best defensive teams at VCU.

Player of the Year favorite: Frank Mason, G, Kansas

Kansas guard Frank Mason is probably the only national player of the year candidate who once couldn’t find a high-major program willing to offer him a scholarship. Mason was committed to unheralded Towson until he flubbed a government class his senior year of high school and failed to qualify academically. Only after he reopened his recruitment did he happen to catch the attention of a Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend. Kansas is sure glad he did because Mason has evolved into one of the best point guards in the country. Not only is he averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds, he’s also at his best when the game’s on the line. He spearheaded a late comeback in Kansas’ lone loss against Indiana and a he hit a game winner from the elbow to topple Duke.

Freshman of the Year favorite: Josh Jackson, F, Kansas

In a year in which the nation’s most heralded freshmen are exceeding expectations, Jackson is no exception. Rivals.com’s top player in the 2016 class might be the most complete freshman Bill Self has ever coached at Kansas. At 15.6 points per game, Jackson is the Big 12’s highest-scoring freshman. His 6.5 rebounds per game are a team high and his 3.1 assists are third only to Mason and Devonte Graham. The only glaring weakness the 6-foot-8 forward has is his outside shooting. Jackson has made just 7 of 26 3-pointers so far this season, enabling opposing defenders to back off him and dare him to shoot from the perimeter.

BIG 12 TIERS

TIER 1: THE 12-TIME CHAMPS

1. Kansas (11-1)

At the height of its dynasty almost a half century ago, UCLA set a Division I college basketball record by capturing 13 consecutive conference titles from 1967-1979. It would be a surprise if Kansas didn’t match that streak next spring. While Baylor and West Virginia are both capable of mounting a spirited push this season, Kansas has turned back more formidable challengers before. The Jayhawks are in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency this season and boast the Big 12’s best perimeter corps. Mason is a national player of the year candidate, Jackson is a national freshman of the year candidate, Graham is an elite shooter and capable distributor and Svi Mykhailiuk and LaGerald Vick are so good off the bench that Kansas will often go to four-guard looks.

TIER 2: TOP CHALLENGERS

2. Baylor (12-0)

3. West Virginia (11-1)

If anyone is going to prevent Kansas from tying UCLA’s record this season, it’s probably going to be one of these two surprise teams. Baylor is one of college basketball’s five remaining undefeated teams despite losing three starters from last year’s 22-win NCAA tournament team. The Bears have a formidable frontcourt, a capable point guard and maybe the best collection of wins of any team in the country. West Virginia is piling up wins because its aggressive full-court press is the most intimidating defense in the country. Opponents turn the ball over a national-best 35 percent of their possessions against Press Virginia, yet the Mountaineers aren’t fouling as frequently or giving up as many layups so far this season.

TIER 3: GIVING CHASE

4. Iowa State (8-3)

5. Oklahoma State (10-2)

6. Kansas State (11-1)

7. Texas Tech (11-1)

A Big 12 title contender may not emerge from this quartet, however, you can bet at least a couple of these four teams will be playing in the NCAA tournament. Iowa State is nowhere near as explosive offensively this season as it has been in the past, but the Cyclones have taken a big step forward on defense. Kansas State has thrived against a soft schedule intended to give it a chance at 20 wins, but whether the Wildcats’ improvement on offense is real or a mirage won’t be clear until conference play begins. Oklahoma State and Texas Tech have thrived under new coaches, but the Cowboys’ propensity for fouling and inability to control the defensive glass are concerns, as is the fact that the Red Raiders have lost to the only top 100 opponent they’ve faced.

TIER 4: IT’S PROBABLY NOT THEIR YEAR

8. Oklahoma (6-5)

9. Texas (6-6)

10. TCU (11-1)

One of these three teams built a gaudy non-conference record against a tissue-soft schedule. The other two are league powers who lost a ton of talent from last season and are struggling to make up for it. All three are probably going to win a handful of league games this season, but it would be a surprise to see any of them in the NCAA tournament.

Nebraska snaps No. 16 Indiana’s 26-game home court winning streak.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Glynn Watson Jr. scored 26 points and added four assists and five steals as Nebraska went into Assembly Hall and stunned No. 16 Indiana, 87-83.

This is just a massive win for Nebraska and Tim Miles, as the Huskers had entered this game losing six of their last eight games – including falling at home to Gardner-Webb – which had created a negative enough atmosphere around the program that the always-affable Miles had to take a twitter-hiatus.

While this isn’t enough to get Nebraska anywhere near the NCAA tournament conversation, it should relieve some of the pressure on Miles and his program while giving them a nice boost of confidence heading into Big Ten play. Remember, the year that Miles took Nebraska to the NCAA tournament the Huskers were just 19-13 on the season and needed a flurry of impressive league wins to get the bid.

So good for Nebraska.

But the bigger story here is Indiana, who saw their 26-game home-court winning streak get snapped. No team in college basketball has as big of a gap between their ceiling and their floor as the Hoosiers do, and there are a number of reasons for that.

For starters, they are a team that relies heavily on the three-ball to win games. When they’re hot, they can beat anyone in the country; ask Kansas and North Carolina. The problem comes when the Hoosiers aren’t making those threes. There are just so many question marks on the offensive side of the ball. They don’t have a point guard and they don’t have a go-to guy, meaning that when they can’t score in transition and when they can’t get an open look from three, their offense can struggle to get good looks. As good as Thomas Bryant and O.G. Anunoby are, they are role players through and through.

And then there is Indiana’s defense, which hasn’t been a hallmark of the program since Crean arrived. The only year that he finished better than 38th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric is the year he had Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, and even then they were 21st.

That all somewhat belies the point here, because the issue is Tom Crean.

It’s not his coaching, mind you. I’d argue that the reason Indiana holds the wins that they currently hold have as much to do with Crean’s coaching as anything Indiana has done this season. Lest we forget that just eight months ago, Indiana was in the Sweet 16 after winning the Big Ten title outright by two games despite a horrid start to the 2015-16 season.

To me, the issue Indiana is dealing with is expectations. Last season’s performance combined with the hype the Hoosiers received when they won those early season games had Indiana getting ranked among the teams that are truly national title contenders. ESPN had the Hoosiers No. 1 in their Power Rankings during the second week of the season.

Indiana fans saw that.

They expected this team to pick up where last season’s team left off, even though the flaws in this roster were as clear as day; there is a Yogi Ferrell-sized hole in Indiana’s back court this season.

And that normally wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact Crean’s Big Ten title team played him off of the hot seat. He was a conference champion eight months ago, but 20 months ago Indiana fans were chanting “Tom Crean sucks” at his son’s basketball games.

Getting off the hot seat is nearly impossible to do in college basketball. Once the fan base turns, it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re one bad season – or bad month, or bad game – away from being the worst thing to happen in the history of the program. And that seems to be the way this season is trending for Crean.

Because people see the two potential first round picks on the roster and the wins over Kansas and North Carolina and assume that a flawed roster should spend an entire season playing above their heads.

Gonzaga could be poised to make a run at unbeaten regular season.

By Jeff Eisenberg

For the first time in program history, the Zags completed non-league play without a loss (Photo/AP).

Shortly before his team’s visit to Tennessee earlier this month, Gonzaga coach Mark Few gathered his players on the floor of the McCarthey Center and asked them to gaze up at the banners commemorating the program’s conference titles and NCAA tournament bids.

Few then told the Zags they had a chance to accomplish something none of those previous teams had achieved.

With victories over Tennessee and South Dakota in its final two non-league games last week, this year’s Gonzaga team became the first in school history to enter conference play with an undefeated record. The seventh-ranked Zags have stormed to a 12-0 start highlighted by impressive wins over Arizona, Florida, Iowa State, San Diego State and the Vols, all of whom are top 75 teams in the KenPom rankings.

“With all the success we’ve had the past 18 years, it’s getting harder and harder to accomplish something nobody has done before,” Few told Yahoo Sports. “It was nice to be able to put that out there as a goal for them. I think they rallied around that. It was a good way to assure there wasn’t going to be a letdown.”

Gonzaga’s blemish-free non-conference performance puts the Zags in position to take aim at another benchmark they’ve never before met. They have a chance to become the sixth Division I college basketball team since 1976 to complete the regular season without a loss, an exclusive club that includes Indiana State (1979), UNLV (1991), Saint Joseph’s (2004), Wichita State (2014) and Kentucky 2015).

Of college basketball’s five remaining undefeated teams this season, Gonzaga has the most realistic shot at an undefeated regular season because its remaining schedule is the most manageable. Whereas Villanova, Baylor, Creighton and USC will all be tested frequently in their respective leagues, the Zags only play four more games against top 150 KenPom squads, home and road matchups with No. 16 Saint Mary’s and No. 64 BYU.

In Few’s previous 17 years as Gonzaga’s head coach, the Zags have gone undefeated in West Coast Conference play four times — in 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013. College basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy gives Gonzaga a 7.4 percent chance of doing it a fifth time this year and entering the WCC tournament with a spotless 30-0 record.

To Few, an undefeated WCC season is tougher now because the top of the league is stronger than it used to be. Methodical yet ultra-efficient Saint Mary’s (10-1) returns every key player from last year’s 29-win NIT team. High-speed BYU (9-4) boasts young talent and a formidable home-court advantage. And while the rest of the league isn’t especially good this season, those schools treat their annual home game against Gonzaga like its their Super Bowl.

“If we negotiate our way through the first round of league play unscathed, then you can probably start talking about it as a realistic goal,” Few said. “But this is the first time ever during our entire run that there’s a top 20 team like Saint Mary’s looming there. They had one eight-minute stretch where they didn’t play well (against Texas Arlington) or they would be sitting in the top 10. They’re a legit, legit basketball team that doesn’t make mistakes or beat itself.”

It’s a testament to the strength of his team that Few doesn’t laugh off questions about going undefeated with more than half the schedule remaining. Gonzaga has exceeded even Few’s expectations after losing four starters from last year’s 28-win team including lottery pick Domantas Sabonis, 20-point-a-game scorer Kyle Wiltjer and WCC defensive player of the year Eric McClellan.

With nine newcomers on the roster including three transfers projected to start from the outset, Few was concerned during the offseason that it might take his team awhile to jell on and off the court. As a result, he took his players on a September weekend retreat to the Idaho wilderness, where they had no cell phone service, no TV and no choice but to bond.

“We slept in tents one night and made a campfire,” Gonzaga center Przemek Karnowski told Yahoo Sports in October. “I thought it was really cool to see all of our guys talk about stuff that we don’t really talk about on a daily basis. We did some team activities in the woods, and then the next day we went to a lake to hang out and relax. We spent the entire weekend there, and I thought it was a great idea from the coaching staff. We had done stuff like that before but never on such a big scale. With so many new pieces, it was the perfect time to do it.”

Whether that retreat played a role or not, Gonzaga has looked like a team that has played together for years, not weeks. They consistently take high-percentage shots, communicate on defense and make the extra pass, huge reasons that they’re in the top 15 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

“Everyone just assumes we’ll be good year after year, but we looked around at the start of practice and there were so many new guys,” Few said. “Guys that were new to Gonzaga, new to the system, new to each other. It has been impressive how well they’re playing together, how well the ball is moving, how well defensively they cover for each other. Thus far, they deserve a lot of credit.”

The key to Gonzaga’s defensive prowess has been the influx of frontcourt talent. Whereas the Zags last year often had to hide Wiltjer on defense and protect Sabonis from foul trouble, this season Few has the depth to be able to match up conventionally and switch between man-to-man or zone whenever he pleases.

Karnowski’s return from a career-threatening back injury has given Gonzaga a space-eating rim protector who also rebounds effectively and cannot be moved off the block. McDonald’s All-American Zach Collins uses his length and athleticism to defend the rim, while fellow freshman Killian Tillie impacts the game defensively with his energy and motor.

Defensive rebounding has been Gonzaga’s most glaring weakness, but Few is spending time in practice to correct that. He believes the Zags can be competent in that area if they break the habit of watching the ball come off the rim and start pursuing it with more urgency.

Balanced, efficient offense has so far enabled Gonzaga to overcome surrendering an occasional second-chance basket. Junior point guard Nigel Williams-Goss leads the Zags at 14.0 points per game, but six other players are averaging between 8.0 and 11.9 points per game, making it tough for opposing defenses to key on any one weapon.

Double-team Karnowski or Collins in the post, and both slick-passing big men will kill you by finding cutters and spot-up shooters. Extend the defense to take away the 3-point line, and Williams-Goss or Josh Perkins will beat you creating off the dribble. Wall off the paint or the driving lanes with a compact zone, and the Zags can make you pay by putting shooters all over the floor and raining down threes.

“If you’re scouting us, it’s probably a tough call on what to do,” Few said. “In the past, teams were like, ‘We’ve got to do everything to try and take Wiltjer away or we’re going to double the heck out of Sabonis.’ Well, this year we’ve got four or five guys who are shooting over 40 percent from three, yet Karnowski’s effective around the basket, Collins is effective around the basket and Johnathan Williams has shown he can be good down there too. So maybe we don’t have a definitive go-to guy, but to me if you’re looking at it from a game plan point of view, it makes it challenging.”

After Gonzaga defeated Tennessee in Nashville 11 days ago, Vols coach Rick Barnes was effusive in his praise. Unprovoked, Barnes called this “as good a team as [Few] has ever had and described Gonzaga as “a team capable of being undefeated heading into postseason play.”

To Few, it’s a little early to broach that subject. Only if Gonzaga makes it through the first half of league play unscathed will Few gather his players on the McCarthey Center floor, point up at the banners once more and note the possibility of reaching another milestone no previous Zags team has hit.

“If we get to that point, I think I’d probably try to use it as motivation,” Few said. “A lot of the games it comes down to being physically and mentally ready. If we’re physically ready and mentally dialed into the game plan, then most of the time we should be fine.”

Ronda Rousey Returns to the Octagon in a Bid to Reclaim Her Title Belt at UFC 207.

By Greg Beacham

Rousey was arguably the most dominant mixed-martial-arts fighter in the young sport's history until she lost her belt 13 months ago in a stunning knockout. (Photo/yahoo sports.com)

Ronda Rousey climbed on the scale and glared into the distance while the crowd roared. Moments later, she directed that withering gaze at UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, who stared right back.

Rousey then left the stage at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday without a word to Nunes or the thousands of fans gathered largely to support her at the weigh-in on the eve of UFC 207.

Rousey (12-1) was arguably the most dominant mixed martial arts fighter in the young sport’s history until she lost her belt 13 months ago in a stunning knockout. After devoting a year to getting back on top, Rousey is determined to earn her redemption Friday night with her skills, not her words.

Her comeback fight against Nunes (13-4) is the main event in the UFC’s traditional end-of-the-year show in its hometown, and few events in the promotion’s blockbuster 2016 have been more anticipated.

Nobody is certain which Rousey will show up in the cage.

Will it be the confident judo genius who thrashed a series of overmatched opponents while blazing a trail into the mainstream for women’s MMA and the UFC in general?

Or will it be the shaky, distracted veteran who stumbled, flailed and eventually got stopped by Holly Holm’s head kick in Australia last year?

“I’m not sure how it’s going to be, but she could do a lot of things,” Nunes said. “Nobody knows, but I know I’m going to be ready. We will see about her.”

Just don’t ask Rousey what she thinks. She has largely refused to promote her fight, even declining to speak to the UFC’s broadcast team after stepping on the scale.

The UFC reluctantly agreed to Rousey’s media blackout, realizing it could cost the promotion untold numbers of pay-per-view buys.

“It’s definitely not ideal,” UFC President Dana White said of Rousey’s decision. “It’s what she asked for.”

Instead, Rousey expressed her thanks in an Instagram post moments after the weigh-in.

“Looking forward to proving you all right tomorrow,” Rousey said. “It’s going to be the happiest New Year ever.”

Rousey has a nascent acting career and innumerable endorsements, but her celebrity still hasn’t outstripped her athletic accomplishments, as it did for fellow women’s MMA trailblazer Gina Carano. Rousey could have walked away from the sport already, but the Olympic medalist’s willingness to return underlines her determination to get back on top.

The women’s bantamweight belt has changed hands three times in the last 13 months, and nobody has successfully defended it. Holm lost the belt when Miesha Tate choked her unconscious in March, and Tate lost the title when Nunes brutalized her at UFC 200 in July.

Holm is now a featherweight, and Tate has retired. Nunes is getting her career-defining shot at Rousey, whose status as one of the world’s most famous female athletes has scarcely waned despite her decision to take a year off from competition.

Rousey clearly doesn’t scare Nunes, even though the champ has three career losses to fighters who were beaten easily by Rousey.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” said Nunes, who has won four straight fights. “Everything I work for comes down to this. I don’t know what’s going on with Ronda, but I know I’m ready.”

Although Rousey should draw in plenty of casual fans in for the UFC despite her refusal to promote, there’s no shortage of intriguing reasons for MMA aficionados to check out the final card of the year.

Men’s bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and unbeaten challenger Cody Garbrandt have put on a promotional show heading into their own title fight in the co-main event at UFC 207.

The loquacious Cruz (22-1) has cleverly taunted his increasingly irritated opponent, culminating in a thoroughly entertaining joint interview on Wednesday and a subsequent staredown that required White to break them apart. Garbrandt (10-0) then got into a brief physical altercation with Cruz’s teammate, Jeremy Stephens, at the weigh-in.

Cruz relishes the chance to beat another fighter from the Team Alpha Male camp in Northern California.

“None of those guys have a clue what to do with me,” Cruz said. “He’s going to figure that out after the first round when he’s in there punching, he’s in there missing. He’s looking to land that big punch he’s landed on everybody else, and I’m gone. I’m a ghost. I’m not there.”

UFC 207 also includes former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw against Brazil’s John Lineker, and former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, who missed weight, against rising star Neil Magny.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, December 30, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1926 - The Chicago Tribune broke a story that the Detroit Tigers threw a 4-game series to the Chicago White Sox in 1917.

1934 - Two NHL games ended in a scoreless tie. The games were Boston at the New York Rangers and the New York Americans at Detroit.

1954 - The 24-second shot clock was used for the first time in professional basketball.

1961 - Jack Nicklaus lost his first attempt at pro golf to Gary Player in an exhibition match in Miami, FL.

1978 - Ohio State University fired Woody Hayes as its football coach, one day after Hayes punched Clemson University player Charlie Bauman during the Gator Bowl. Bauman had intercepted an Ohio pass.

1983 - Julius "Dr. J" Erving (Philadelphia 76ers) became the 9th basketball player to reach 25,000 points.

1996 - Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers) won a second consecutive NFL MVP Award.

1997 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored more than 10 points in 788 consecutive games.

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