CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 01/13/2017.

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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Team sports are very important for shaping personalities. It's important that kids understand the mentality behind playing team sports and playing for one another and playing with friends." ~ Brian O'Driscoll, Professional Rugby Player

TRENDING: Blackhawks' Capitals on a roll heading into matchup. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: Bears rookie running back Jordan Howard named to Pro Bowl. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).  

TRENDING: Bulls allow Knicks to live in the paint in third straight loss. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: Justin Thomas opens Sony Open in Hawaii with 59. (See the Golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

TRENDING: Somehow, Tiger Woods is a 5-1 favorite to win a major this season. What's Your Take? (See the golf section for our take on Tiger's chances of winning a major this year and don't be bashful about sharing your thoughts with us).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks, Capitals on a roll heading into matchup.

Associated Press

The Washington Capitals' home ice has lately been a graveyard for visiting teams' winning streaks and now it's the Chicago Blackhawks' turn to try their luck.

The Central Division-leading Blackhawks (27-12-5) bring a four-game winning streak into Friday's game with the Capitals, who are on a streak of their own. Washington (27-9-5) has won seven straight and along the way ended runs by Columbus (16 games) and Pittsburgh (five games) at Verizon Center.

Alex Ovechkin's goal at 35 seconds of the first period got the Capitals started against the Penguins on Wednesday night. It was Ovechkin's 1,000th career point and he added a power play goal in the second period.

Washington also got goals from Justin Williams, Nicklas Backstrom and Lars Eller.

"We're getting contributions from everyone," said Williams, whose goal was his 12th of the season. "If you look at the time on ice, we're spreading it around pretty good so everyone feels a part of it and everyone's contributing, which is vital to success."

Backstrom, who had a goal and three assists, added, "We've been talking a lot about details -- being in the right position, playing smart and puck management. I feel like when do that we usually have a good game."

It also helps to have a goaltender as hot as Braden Holtby, who has allowed three goals in his last four games. He'll bring a 5-2 career record and 2.55 goals-against average against Chicago into Friday's game. That includes a 3-2 overtime win at Chicago in November.

The Blackhawks' four straight wins have all come at home, including Tuesday night's 4-3 overtime affair against the Red Wings. Chicago improved to 17-6-5 in one-goal games.

"We'd like to win by a little bit more of a cushion," defenseman Brian Campbell told the Chicago Sun-Times. "At least we're in every game, I guess."

Against Detroit, the Blackhawks led 2-0, trailed 3-2 and won in overtime on Duncan Keith's goal

"We've been finding ways to win," Keith told the Chicago Tribune. "We do a lot of good things. But there have been times where we still have to be better, whether it's lapses in the game or whatnot. I thought we did what we had to."

Keith is one of four Blackhawks with more than 30 points, led by top-10n NHL scorers Patrick Kane (12 goals, 33 assists) and Artemi Panarin (17 goals and 25 assists). The Blackhawks have also been getting scoring from the third line of Ryan Hartman, Tanner Kero and Richard Panik, which scored two goals on Tuesday night after Hartman's hat trick on Sunday.

"They have some physicality in the puck area, they have some separation," coach Joel Quenneville told the Tribune.

Crawford is 3-3-2 with a 3.26 GAA against Washington. Marian Hossa has 25 goals and 33 assists in 53 games against the Capitals.

Ovechkin, who has eight goals and four assists in 13 games against Chicago, has four goals and three assists in his last five games overall.

Washington has outscored opponents 29-11 during its season-high winning streak.

"Yeah, we're winning," Ovechkin said, "but I'm hoping our best hockey's going to be a little bit later."

Artem Anisimov comfortable, confident and capitalizing with Blackhawks.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Patrick Kane was showing his admiration for Artem Anisimov following the center’s two-goal night, a performance the Blackhawks needed en route to an overtime victory.

"I know he’s confident and good to see out of him because that’s a piece of the puzzle we were probably missing for a long time, that second-line center," Kane said. "And he’s probably filling it better than anyone ever could."

Anisimov has become a big piece of the Blackhawks’ puzzle. Last year he played more of a supporting role on that second line, getting the puck to Artemi Panarin and Kane and letting them work their magic. But Anisimov has been more at the forefront this season, finishing more than setting up and leading the Blackhawks with 18 goals.

So, he’s feeling pretty comfortable right now, right?

"Actually, yes," Anisimov said with a nod and a laugh. "I feel comfortable, yes."

Anisimov’s level of comfort with Chicago ranks up there with his lockout stint with his hometown Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the fall of 2012. Of his 36 games there, Anisimov played 30 games with Emil Galimov and Sergei Plotnikov, who would be the team’s top scorer that season.

While the Blackhawks’ second line as a whole was slower out of the gate this season, Anisimov was not. From the start Anisimov has been consistent in his all-around game, from being on that line to the power play to the penalty kill. He’s been consistent in production, too; Anismov’s longest point-less streak this season has been three games. 

"I just try to work hard and every game, every shift and do the right things on the ice and go to the net hard. Sometimes I get rewarded," Anisimov said. "Playing with these two players, they need somebody to be around the net, screen the goalie and just go there."

Throughout his Blackhawks career, Kane has put up points regardless of linemates. Still, there’s something great about having consistent and familiar ones, especially a center like Anisimov who has been very good at blocking opposing goaltenders’ vision.

"In the past before they [Panarin and Anisimov] came, you saw a lot of different forwards and different center man that I was playing with and it was fine. But I think Anisimov’s filled that role great," Kane said. "He’s just a great hockey player. He does everything right, plays both ends of the ice. I think people probably don’t see it a lot, but he’s so skilled. And you know when he gets those chances in front, he’s not going to miss them too often because he’s so patient, he’s skilled and he knows where to put the puck."

Anisimov’s name was usually mentioned after Kane’s and Panarin’s last season. The snipes and style those two bring just grab the attention. But Anisimov’s season, be it his overall game or production, has earned him more of that second-line spotlight.

"I don’t even think about his production. It’s how effective he is to our team game, 5-on-5, faceoffs," coach Joel Quenneville said. "When he gets to the net it enhances all of our opportunities and he finishes around there because he’s hanging around the dirty part. Kills penalties, power play, can’t say enough about how timely his goals have been and how useful he’s been in all areas for us."

Blackhawks Magazine Excerpt: Recharged.

By Bob Verdi / Team Historian

 

(Photo/Blackhawks Magazine)

The following is excerpted from the January 2017 issue of Blackhawks Magazine, featuring Marian Hossa. Pick up a copy at the next Blackhawks home game, or by calling the Blackhawks Store at 312-759-0079.

In October, Marian Hossa became the 44th player in NHL history to record 500 goals. Then he collected his 82nd game-winner. Three weeks before Christmas, he registered his 13th and 14th goals of the season, surpassing his admittedly disappointing output from 2015-16. As ever, Hossa skates with veteran verve beside whomever, whether it's an icon like Toews or twenty-somethings like Vinnie Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman. Head Coach Joel Quenneville hails Hossa as a model mentor, Niklas Hjalmarsson raves about how Hossa has found the fountain of youth, and Assistant Coach Kevin Dineen ascribes Hossa's genius to business as usual.

"I played with him when he was just a kid in Ottawa with the Senators," Dineen said. "He was a man-child then, and he's still special."

Special, for sure. But a superstar?

"No," Hossa insisted. "Like I said before, Tazer and Kaner, they're superstars. I do what I do, the best I can, and I'm just a small piece of the puzzle here. Besides, I've never won an individual award."

Hossa uttered that last remark almost as an aside, without even a tinge of remorse or dismay. But for a man with Hall of Fame credentials, he lacks some of the accouterments. Perhaps when he finished second in the 1999 Calder Trophy derby to Chris Drury of the Colorado Avalanche, it was a harbinger that Hossa's elegance would cost him flash points. He has been a disciple of defensive prowess, yet has not won a Frank J. Selke Trophy. He's attracted votes in multiple years, but the hardware often goes to a center. Time and again, Hossa has been mentioned as the very essence of a Lady Byng Trophy recipient for sportsmanship coupled with quality work on ice. But no cigar.

Does Hossa require louder numbers to roust those who cast ballots? Maybe that's it. He's never scored 50 goals in a season, and has amassed 40 or more in just three. He posted 100 points once with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2006-07, one of only two seasons that he landed in the top 10 of scorers. He's played in five NHL All-Star Games, but only in 2008-09 was he selected a postseason NHL All-Star, and then as a second team right winger. Of course, Hank Aaron is regarded by many as baseball's purest home run champion with 755 for his career. Yet he never even sniffed 50 in any season.

"I really don't like talking about myself," said Hossa, who is absolutely content when others don't talk about him either. He would rather do his thing, which is everything. He scores at even strength, on the power play and while shorthanded. He makes plays with his hands and his head and his feet. Yes, his feet. Watch his feet. He sets up teammates, and occasionally himself, with his skates. He caresses the puck as if it were a pet and pursues it as if someone absconded with his car keys. The rink is 200 feet from end to end, and Hossa treats every inch, every quadrant, as fertile territory. Stripping an opponent of the puck? That he'll discuss.

"Oh, that's fun," he said. "A clean takeaway. That can be as rewarding as scoring a goal."

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears rookie running back Jordan Howard named to Pro Bowl.

By Scott Krinch

(

Photo/csnchicago.com)

Bears running back Jordan Howard has been rewarded for his record-breaking rookie season.

The Bears announced on Wednesday that Howard has been named to the 2017 Pro Bowl, replacing Cardinals running back David Johnson who is unable to participate due to a knee injury.

Howard joins Gale Sayers as the only two rookie running backs to be named to the Pro Bowl in Bears' franchise history. The last Bears rookie to be named to the Pro Bowl was offensive lineman Kyle Long in 2013.

Howard, the Bears' fifth round selection (150th overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Indiana, set the rookie franchise record with 1,313 rushing yards on 252 carries and six touchdowns. Howard also had 29 receptions for 298 yards and one receiving touchdown. Howard's 1,313 rushing yards ranked second in the NFL behind Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. 

Howard joins Hall of Famer Walter Payton as just the second player in Bears history to rush for 1,300-plus yards while averaging at least 5.0 yards per carry. Howard's 5.2 yards per carry ranked second in the NFL among running backs with at least 200 carries in 2016.

The 2017 Pro Bowl will take place on Sunday, Jan. 29 in Orlando.

Bears' Jordan Howard is 'nowhere near what he’s going to be'.

By John Mullin 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Stan Drayton knows some things about running backs. At one time the all-time leading rusher in Division III history, Drayton also was assistant head coach and running backs coach under Urban Meyer at Ohio State, where he coached Carlos Hyde to 1,521 rushing yards in 2013, then followed with Ezekiel Elliott netting 1,878 the next year.

From there he went to become Bears running backs coach, where this year he had the lead role in guiding rookie Jordan Howard to a franchise-rookie-record 1,313 yards.

As good as Howard's season was – culminating with being named to the NFL Pro Bowl, replacing Arizona's David Johnson – it is only the beginning.

"He's nowhere near what he's going to be in this league," said Drayton, now associate head coach and run game coordinator with the University of Texas. "Nowhere."

Howard said Wednesday that Drayton had told him during this season that Howard has a chance to be one of the best backs in the league for a long time. The reasons are both physical and emotional, Drayton told CSNChicago.com.

Howard was a healthy scratch in the opener at Houston, the only player in uniform besides backup quarterback Brian Hoyer not to see a single snap in the game. Howard said it discouraged him at first, but also motivated him, and that was what Drayton saw.

"It was burning in him to play [at Houston]," Drayton said, "but he wasn't going to be disruptive. He just worked harder, and I think it all ultimately took its proper course."

Drayton saw mindset from the beginning of their time. Howard, a fifth-round pick out of Indiana, was motivated by where he was finally drafted, but focused away from the disappointment.

"He just has that quiet confidence in himself," Drayton said. "From day one he just let down all of his guards and let himself be coached. He just had such a drive to get better, and there was no resistance at all."

Howard may not have elite pure speed. But he tied for third in runs of 20 yards or longer (10) and third in rushing first downs (70)

"He has the ability to get to the second level at full speed," Drayton said. "It's not about top-end speed with Jordan. He's a big back and he hits like a big back. He's perfect for that [Bears] zone-blocking scheme. He is decisive and has an amazing sense of timing.

"And he's going to just keep getting better."

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls allow Knicks to live in the paint in third straight loss.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Only in New York where the unpronounceable turns into a chant, and seemingly only against the Bulls would it become a rallying cry, as the Bulls restored the Knicks' morale by donating more than a few uncontested dunks.

Whether it was scintillating drives from Derrick Rose or open lanes for Joakim Noah, the Bulls were in such a charitable mood at Madison Square Garden, they provided little resistance in a 104-89 loss Thursday night.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas strolled down the paint for easy dunks and backdoor layups, and the Bulls were more than happy to watch and help out a team mired in drama to go along with a 1-9 stretch.

Rose scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half against a shorthanded Bulls team that has a flu bug ravage its locker room with Jimmy Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Denzel Valentine unavailable—Valentine arrived at the arena throwing up and was sent back to the team hotel.

Dwyane Wade tried to pick up the slack, scoring 22 in 33 minutes but clearly needed an anchor to lean on when there wasn't one to be found. A cold third quarter where the Bulls missed 16 of 20 shots, scoring 14 points, spelled doom in the long run.

"I like scoring, no question about that," Wade said. "But I understand certain guys need shots and I have to be a playmaker. You want to be comfortable in those spots that guys will make shots. It's frustrating. We got good shots, it just wasn't going in."

Rose and Carmelo Anthony (23 points, nine rebounds, six assists) picked apart the Bulls and cruised for most of the way, only exerting energy when the Bulls felt like putting a handful of possessions together to make the score appear interesting.

"A player is always gonna be amped to play against his former team," Wade said. "Jo has had two big games versus us. I'm can't say he's had two big games verus other teams so he definitely raised his level of play. For them, personally, I know it feels good."

Noah, who scored 12 with 15 rebounds, was catching and dunking inside and Kuzminskas, the reserve who was called "Koooo" by the home crowd, scored 19 points in 30 minutes off the bench.

"I give those guys credit," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "They both came out, Jo controlled the game on the glass, getting tip ins, got behind our defense, doing the things Jo does. A couple times we got completely off him and he drove right to the basket. We can't have those breakdowns if you want to win."

Both on the periphery of the Eastern Conference playoff race, both without their best all-around players as Kristaps Porzingis was out with a sore Achilles, it was easy to see why neither squad has put together enough consistency to be in the top eight of the East.

The Bulls were going to have to make it work with three performers on the Campbell's soup list, and looked every bit of shorthanded, at times lacking energy and mostly lacking effectiveness as they shot just 19 percent from the 3-point line and shot just 41 percent for the game.

Giving up 17 offensive rebounds and allowing some wide-open breakdowns for easy baskets made it look like the first week of training camp.

"Nope, we had a lot of young guys out there," said Wade when asked if he was surprised at the breakdowns. Continue to try to learn and practice to get better at those things, but I'm not surprised."

Rose had some moments where he probably made the Bulls feel sick, starting with an in-and-out dribble and finish with the left hand at the end of the first half, earning a 3-point play opportunity.

Paul Zipser made a surprise start in place of Doug McDermott, as Hoiberg wanted to come out with a different look and bring some length to the defensive end. He responded by running the floor for a couple layups and hitting a triple in the first half.

Aside from that and an early flash from Jerian Grant, there wasn't much positivity to be documented. Grant (14 points) made his first four shots in his return to New York, but struggled defensively, as did virtually every Bulls guard. 

McDermott's struggles continued, as he followed up his two for 11 performance against the Wizards with a scoreless 0-5 showing. 

"This game is a lot about confidence," Hoiberg said. "The big thing is getting him out there, putting him in position to hit shots. He's too good a shooter to stay in a slump like this. I'm confident he'll get out of it."

Rajon Rondo managed eight assists but there was hardly any flow to be had, as he and Michael Carter-Williams combined to shoot just three for 17 in 39 minutes, making it impossible for the space in Fred Hoiberg's "pace and space" system to work.

And it's clear, for this Bulls team to work, it needs Jimmy Butler because there's too many ills without him to be covered up with just Campbell's Soup.

NBA Buzz: No easy answers for Bulls rotation issues.

By Mark Schanowski

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Rajon Rondo situation is one of many issues Fred Hoiberg faces in trying to put together a consistent rotation for the second half of the season. Outside of Paul Zipser and Isaiah Canaan, the other 12 players on the roster are competing for playing time, but the reality is any NBA rotation that contains more than 9 or 10 players is too difficult to manage.

Rondo played well in his first game back, scoring 12 points while dishing out six assists in a close loss to the Wizards. With key rotation players Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Niko Mirotic sidelined, Hoiberg decided it was the right time to end Rondo's 5 1/2 game banishment for ineffective play. But what happens when everyone's healthy again?

For now, it looks like Rondo will displace second-year man Jerian Grant as Michael Carter-Williams' backup at point guard. The coaches like Carter-Williams' defensive length at 6-foot-6 and his ability to finish at the rim, but Grant has been inconsistent. Taj Gibson made it clear how he felt about the situation, saying after the Wizards' game the Bulls are a better team with Rondo on the floor. Gibson is one of the team's most respected vets, so if he's saying the offense works better with Rondo at the point, that opinion will be hard for the coaching staff to ignore.

Hoiberg also has to figure out how to get some playing time for the Bulls' last two first round draft picks, Bobby Portis and Denzel Valentine. Portis put up 13 points and seven rebounds against the Wizards, showing the shooting range at 6-foot-11 that had NBA scouts so intrigued before the 2015 draft. Meanwhile, Valentine scored a career-high 19 points, hitting 5 of 11 shots from 3-point range, while showing the court vision that made him such an exceptional college player at Michigan State.

I would expect we'll be seeing a lot more of Valentine in the second half of the season, especially when Wade is resting on the second leg of back-to-back games. It's no secret the Bulls are looking to get more outside shooting on the court, and if Valentine proves he can shoot the NBA three consistently, he'll get minutes. 

Still, the rookie should probably forget about doing that little celebration dance we saw after making a big shot in the fourth quarter. John Wall told reporters after the game he had a message for Valentine when the teams took the court after a timeout, "You just woke up a monster."

The Portis situation is a little more difficult, since he lost out to fellow second-year player Cristiano Felicio for the backup center role. Portis is best suited to play the power forward spot, but unless the Bulls decide to trade Gibson before the February 23rd deadline, his prospects for playing time are a little murky right now. 

Once the flu-bug is finished making its way through the Bulls' locker room, the second unit figures to be Rondo and Valentine in the backcourt, with Doug McDermott, Mirotic and Felicio up front. And, as we saw in the come-from-behind win over Toronto, look for Doug and Niko to be on the floor late in close games as floor spacing shooting threats to open up driving lanes for Butler and Wade.

Around the Association

Boogie nights continuing in Sacramento? If the eternally petulant DeMarcus Cousins is contemplating taking the extra money to stay with the dysfunctional Kings' franchise, will ANY impact free agent change teams again in the NBA? Under the designated veteran provision in the new CBA, Cousins can command 35 percent of the team's salary cap and reports out of Sacramento suggest it's only a matter of time before he agrees to a long-term contract extension worth more than $200 million. Not bad for a guy who's never led his team to the playoffs, and is constantly bickering with teammates, coaches, officials and the media. Cousins was scheduled to become a free agent in the summer of 2018 when the Bulls are among a small group of teams expected to have enough salary cap room to offer a max deal. Instead, Cousins now will join superstars Russell Westbrook and James Harden in accepting early extensions and pass on a chance for free agency. Looks like getting lucky in the draft lottery or trades are now the only way to acquire a franchise-changing talent.  

The rich get richer. Speaking of trades, how about the deal pulled off by Cavs' general manager David Griffin, acquiring one of the league's best 3-point shooters, Kyle Korver, from Atlanta in exchange for Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Mo Williams and a 2019 first round draft pick. The 35-year-old Korver might not be the same player he was a few years ago, but he's still shooting 40 percent from 3-point range, giving the Cavs another long range option for the inevitable third straight finals match-up against Golden State in June. De facto GM LeBron James told Griffin it's time for the team to add a veteran point guard to replace the departed Matthew Dellavedova, so can Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole or Jarret Jack be far behind?

Hawks calling off the rebuild? The Korver trade sent the impression the Hawks' front office was ready to go into rebuild mode and trade off other veterans with expiring deals like Paul Millsap and Thabo Sefolosha. But with Atlanta riding a seven-game winning streak to move into fourth place in the East, Millsap has been taken off the trade market and it appears the Hawks are going to try to make another playoff run with the current cast. Atlanta added Dwight Howard in free agency this past summer, and fourth-year shooting guard Tim Hardaway, Jr., is playing the best basketball of his career. The reality is, no team in the East is equipped to take down the Cavs as long as LeBron James stays healthy, but the Hawks aren't ready to tear things down just yet.

Uneasy alliance by the Bay? Did you catch the heated "discussion" between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant last Friday after KD broke off a play in the closing seconds of a tie game against Memphis? Durant tossed up a low percentage 3-pointer that missed badly, and Green immediately confronted his superstar teammate to tell him that's not the way things are done with the Warriors. Durant is putting up good numbers in his first season, averaging 26 points a game, while shooting 53 percent from the field, but the marriage with fellow All-Stars Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson hasn't gone as smoothly as some people predicted. Remember, Durant can opt out of his contract after this season, and Curry is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Odds are Warriors management will be able to keep the band together, but it will be interesting to watch what happens if the All-Star quartet falls short of the championship everyone predicted. 

Stat of the week

The Bulls get their second look at Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah playing for the Knicks Thursday night. By now, I'm sure you're up to date on the Rose drama, who left the team without explanation to be with his family in Chicago on Monday. Rose returned to the Knicks the next day, and was fined for his absence, but the larger question involves his fit playing with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.

Which leads us to our stat of the week: when Rose takes 17 or more shots from the field, the Knicks have a 1-12 record. Not exactly a glowing endorsement for the free agent-to-be, who's still looking for a max contract this summer. 

Quote of the week

Of course, the Bulls have their own point guard soap opera going. Rajon Rondo had this to say about getting benched by Fred Hoiberg: "Playing for the Bulls, playing for big organizations, like Boston, you’re going to be judged from Day One. It’s part of it. You signed up for it. I don’t mind being judged or pressure being put on myself. People have been counting me out since Day One. That doesn’t matter about being in a box. It’s not a great feeling as a player to play like that. You're only as good as your coach thinks you are. That's a big part of each individual's success in the NBA.

"You look at James Harden and the year he's having. Mike D’Antoni turned over the keys to him and he’s having his best year ever with the right personnel around him. Certain guys got an opportunity to shine and play without restraint and certain guys will rise to the occasion. And some won’t."

Rondo is back in the Bulls' rotation for now, but it sounds like his unhappiness about his role with the team won't be ending anytime soon.

CUBS: Spring is in the air: First workout dates announced.

MLB.com

Despite the frigid temperatures throughout many big league cities, Major League Baseball's announcement Tuesday of the first workout dates of Spring Training should be enough to warm the hearts of baseball fans everywhere.

The following are the first Spring Training workout dates, subject to change, both for pitchers and catchers and full squads of the 30 Major League clubs. 

SPRING TRAINING FIRST WORKOUTS

(PITCHERS AND CATCHERS; FULL SQUAD)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Orioles: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Red Sox: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

White Sox: Feb. 14; Feb. 18

Indians: Feb. 14; Feb. 19

Tigers: Feb. 14; Feb. 18

Astros: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Royals: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Angels: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Twins: Feb. 15; Feb. 19

Yankees: Feb. 15; Feb. 19

A's: Feb. 15; Feb. 19

Mariners: Feb. 15; Feb. 19

Rays: Feb. 14; Feb. 19

Rangers: Feb. 15; Feb. 21

Blue Jays: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

NATIONAL LEAGUE

D-backs: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Braves: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Cubs: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Reds: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Rockies: Feb. 14; Feb. 20

Dodgers: Feb. 16; Feb. 21

Marlins: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Brewers: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Mets: Feb. 14; Feb. 19

Phillies: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Pirates: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Cardinals: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Padres: Feb. 15; Feb. 18

Giants: Feb. 14; Feb. 17

Nationals: Feb. 16; Feb. 19

After bitter presidential campaign, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts on board with visit to Obama White House.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, whose billionaire family is heavily involved in Republican politics, dismissed the idea that the team might have waited out President Barack Obama's final days in the Oval Office to make a ceremonial visit to Donald Trump's Washington.

"When you get invited to go to the White House, you just say yes," Ricketts said Wednesday during Joe Maddon's "Thanksmas" dinner at The Salvation Army Freedom Center in West Humboldt Park. "We're excited about it. It's certainly a plus that President Obama is a Chicagoan, although I hear he's a Sox fan. But other than that, I think it's perfect."

Ricketts tries to be apolitical, relatively speaking, at least compared to his siblings on the team's board of directors. Todd is nominated to be Trump's deputy commerce secretary. Pete is Nebraska's Republican governor. Laura was a superdelegate and a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton.

After the franchise won its first World Series title since the Theodore Roosevelt administration, Obama posted a Twitter message to the Cubs on Nov. 3 and phoned Maddon, the manager, from Air Force One. 

President Obama ✔

                 @POTUS

It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That's change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?

1:03 AM - 3 Nov 2016

There were rumblings that the Cubs may have had some internal tension over the timing of the trip to Washington and what sort of political statement the franchise would make. This weekend's Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago became the logical launching point for Monday's White House appearance.

"It was a scheduling thing for a while, so that kind of left it a little up in the air for a few weeks," Ricketts said. "But, no, once you get invited, you go. That's it. There's really no other way around it. I don't care where you live or who you vote for or whatever. It's an honor to just be involved."

Trump, of course, targeted the Cubs owners on Twitter during spring training. The Ricketts family then flip-flopped during the presidential race, using the TD Ameritrade fortune to fund an anti-Trump Super PAC before pouring money into the Republican nominee's campaign.

An anti-Obama Super PAC cost the Cubs roughly $150 million in potential funding for the Wrigley Field renovations during the 2012 election cycle, when The New York Times exposed plans for racially charged attack ads, which infuriated Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Obama's former White House chief of staff.

"Look, we're excited to go," Ricketts said. "How many times in your life do you get that invite? Hopefully, it's an annual thing for us – this White House visit – but we're really going to appreciate this one."

Dynasty? Anthony Rizzo wants Cubs to follow in Blackhawks' footsteps.

By Tony Andracki

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

If anybody knows the landscape and impact of sports in Chicago, it's Anthony Rizzo.

The face of the Cubs knows all too well what it's like to be at the bottom, making his Chicago debut on a team that lost 101 games and earned the No. 2 pick in the MLB draft (which the Cubs used on Kris Bryant, nbd).

And Rizzo also knows how Chicago embraces champions. Long before he helped lead the Cubs to the first World Series championship in more than a century, he witnessed the city's reaction to the Blackhawks year in and year out, including the 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cups.

So when Rizzo says the Cubs want to be just like the Blackhawks, it carries some weight.

"You respect their greatness," Rizzo said, talking to CSN after he took part in Shoot the Puck during intermission of the Blackhawks-Red Wings game Tuesday night. "Our organization tries to pretty much model off what they have done. They've built a dynasty and that's what we want to do."

The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last seven years and are consistently one of the top teams in the NHL.

The Cubs have only made the playoffs the last two seasons, but Rizzo doesn't sound crazy using the word "dynasty."

After accomplishing the most triumphant feat in American sports history, what's next? 

It may be too soon to call Rizzo's Cubs a dynasty, but isn't that exactly what their next big-picture goal should be?

WHITE SOX: Top White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada impresses club at minicamp.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

It was a limited look, but Yoan Moncada made a strong first impression on the White Sox this week.

Acquired from the Boston Red Sox last month in the Chris Sale trade, Moncada arrived in Glendale, Ariz., earlier this week with the franchise hopeful he'd offer a glimpse of the skills that earned him the designation as baseball's top prospect.

Moncada didn't disappoint, either, as he had White Sox evaluators excited throughout a three-day hitters camp. Whether it's his physicality, how he carried himself or his baseball IQ, White Sox staffers couldn't have been happier about their first experience with their new prized possession.

"(Moncada) looks like a linebacker, but he moves like a wide receiver," player development director Chris Getz said. "He's got good actions. He's obviously a switch hitter. He's got power. He can hit. He's got a good smile. He seems to be enjoying himself out here, he interacts well with his teammates.

"So far it has been very impressive, and we look forward to seeing more."

Hitting coach Todd Steverson said Moncada, 21, looked every bit the part when he first observed him from across the hall at the team's facility. Steverson spoke to friends in the scouting community and wasn't the least bit surprised when he encountered the 6-foot-2, 205-pound second baseman. Moncada was just as impressive on the field with his skills and effort, Steverson said.

"This is a large specimen right here," Steverson said. "He's put together pretty well.

"On defense it looks like he has some really good hands.

"He got in the box and he hadn't swung for a while. But still, you could tell he had good hands going through the zone, has a nice approach and wants to work real hard."

Moncada's fancy tools have been well publicized since he received a $31.5-million signing bonus from the Red Sox in March 2015.

MLB.com graded Moncada's hit tool at 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale while his base running is 65 and arm is 60. Moncada's power received a 55 grade, and his fielding is 50. Moncada received an overall grade of 65, which suggests he has the ability to be a perennial All-Star and worth 4 Wins Above Replacement, according to fangraphs.com.

But the White Sox weren't just impressed with Moncada's physical ability.

One of manager Rick Renteria's top objectives for the camp was to emphasize fundamentals and what's important to the team. Renteria wanted to identify specific game situations and how players are expected to handle them so they're well prepared for the future. Moncada handled that area well, too.

"Yoan is a very knowledgeable baseball player who has experience on a multitude of levels," amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler said. "In the brief time we had with him this week, he showed a tremendous ability to drive the ball the opposite way as well as drive balls to the gap and out of the ball park from both sides of the plate. That ability will help him handle and any all situations that Ricky asks him to do at the plate. Defensively his hands and feet are very good and will have no problem there. He's a bright hard-working kid that is part of a bright future for the organization."

Don Cooper's 'eyes lit up' watching White Sox prospect Michael Kopech.

By Dan Hayes 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

There are bittersweet emotions because he's no longer Chris Sale's pitching coach, but Don Cooper is excited about the future of the White Sox.

The team's veteran pitching coach joined the White Sox Talk podcast on Tuesday and said even though he's sad see Sale go, it's hard to overlook the talent the team has received in return. Last month the White Sox traded their five-time All-Star to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for four prospects, including Michael Kopech. The club also added Lucas Giolito and two other pitching prospects in a trade for Adam Eaton. 

"When I saw Kopech, my eyes lit up," Cooper said. "Not only is he a big strong son of a gun, the stuff out of his hand is really good, life, energy stuff. He's just untapped talent right now. He's 20 years old. But he's already moved up the scale. 

"Delivery-wise it was like, 'Whoa.' Everything I like, he does. ...

"If he stays healthy he has a chance to be a killer."

Cooper also has high hopes for Giolito, baseball's top pitching prospect in 2016, who posted a 6.75 ERA in six big league games last season. He discounted Giolito's struggles as a small sample size and hopes to maximize the pitcher's talent.

"He still has his good stuff," Cooper said. "We've got to mix it up. We need more strikes. We need more consistency."

Cooper also noted that the stuff of Reynaldo Lopez, acquired with Giolito and Dane Dunning from Washington for Eaton, caught his eye. Combined with the pitching prospects already in the organization, Cooper thinks the White Sox have a talented farm system.

"Looking around, all of a sudden, combined with the younger pitchers we had in the system already, the injection of these guys that Rick (Hahn) has traded for, it's giving us a stronger, stronger system," Cooper said. "We’re amassing a lot of good talent."

Cooper said Sale is the most talented pitcher he's ever coached and he'll miss their everyday relationship. He described Sale as one of the 10 best pitchers on the planet. But Cooper hasn't been surprised by any moves since the White Sox allowed Mark Buehrle to leave via free agency. 

"It's sad that Chris is gone because my individual everyday relationship with him is over as a coach," Cooper said. "But the exciting thing is one of the reasons, the excitement of the guys you get back in return.

"It was mixed. 'Listen man, I'm sad you’re leaving because of that, the relationship. The everyday relationship is no longer there. We're friends.' I know this guy. I've seen every pitch in the big leagues he's thrown. 

"When you get to see every pitch and you're with them every single day and that relationship is over, it's sad in some ways. But this has happened before. It happened to Buehrle. If it can happen to Buehrle, it can happen to everybody."

Golf: I got a club for that..... Justin Thomas opens Sony Open in Hawaii with 59.

By Ryan Ballengee

Justin Thomas is the latest member of the Sub-60 Club (Getty Images)

Justin Thomas shot the eighth round of sub-60 in PGA Tour history on Thursday, shooting 11-under 59 in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

For anyone who thought last week’s winner of the SBS Tournament of Champions was due for a post-victory letdown, they were wrong.

Thomas came to his final hole of the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at 9 under on the day. With a birdie on the second of the two par 5s he’d see on the round, he could top the course record he already had a share of from two years ago. After finding the fairway bunker with his tee shot, Thomas smashed his 207-yard second shot to 15 feet from the hole for an eagle that would give him a 59.

“I was so bummed when that tee shot went in the bunker,” he said. “I thought it was going to be good. I got up there and had a perfect lie, and I’m like, you know what am I going to do, lay up? And if it comes off, great, and if not, whatever.”

Then, Thomas, who already has two PGA Tour wins on this young season, finished the job to make the 3 that sent the crowd — and playing partner Jordan Spieth — into a frenzy.

“I wasn’t thinking a lot. I was just really more focused on trying to make the putt,” Thomas said afterward. “Obviously I knew what it meant if I made it, and that was the first time I had a putt at 359. I was like, well, who knows when this is going to happen again, I may as well try and knock it in. I hit a great putt.”

Even had he needed two putts for a closing birdie, Thomas still would’ve taken sole possession of the Waialae Country Club course record, of which he’s had a share with a 61 in this event in 2015.

The 23-year-old Alabama product finished the morning session five clear of five players with the next-best score of 64. For his part, Spieth shot 65.

Jim Furyk still holds the PGA Tour record for lowest single round with the 12-under 58 he shot in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The first sub-60 round in PGA Tour history was shot 40 years ago when Al Geiberger first shot 59 at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.

Furyk named 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup captain.

By Will Gray

Jim Furyk is the new U.S. Ryder Cup captain. (Photo/Getty Images)

Jim Furyk is the new United States Ryder Cup captain, set to lead the American dozen into Paris for the 2018 matches.

Furyk was officially named the head man on Wednesday, winning over the votes of the Ryder Cup committee that includes three PGA of America officials, as well as players Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and outgoing captain Davis Love III.

“I am anxious to get started and recapture the momentum we enjoyed at Hazeltine, both in the team room and on the golf course,” Furyk said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve won in Europe and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Love won’t be going far from the Ryder Cup, however, as Furyk has named Love as one of his assistant captains for the matches.

“Davis is going to be a tough act to follow. He put a system in place, got the players behind it,” Furyk said. “His experience, two captaincies and a vice captaincy, will be priceless for me, so I’m happy to have him by my side.”

The 46-year-old 2003 U.S. Open champion, Furyk has been a prolific American Ryder Cup player, competing in nine consecutive matches from 1999-2014. Only Phil Mickelson has more Ryder Cup appearances for the U.S. with 11 and counting. Unfortunately for Furyk, his long-standing tenure representing the stars and stripes has come in an era of European domination of the biennial matches. Furyk has the most losses of any American player in Ryder Cup history, carrying a 10-20-4 career mark.

Nevertheless, Furyk, who made a late push to make the team after an early-season stint recovering from surgery, did not shut the door on being a playing captain were he to make the team on merit.

Of course, Furyk’s dismal Ryder Cup record is no indication of the kind of captain he will be. Furyk was an assistant to Love at Hazeltine last year as the American side ended a three-match losing skid in Minnesota. The challenge will be slightly more stout for Furyk in trying to deliver the first consecutive pair of American Ryder Cup wins since 1991 and 1993, the latter of which represents the last time the U.S. won the Ryder Cup on European soil.

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn will be the opposing European captain, already named to the role in December 2016.

The 2018 Ryder Cup will be played Sept. 28-30, 2018 at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, France.

Jordan Spieth wants 2017 to be more fun, avoid having a 'short fuse'.

By Ryan Ballengee

Jordan Spieth is looking to simplify and have more fun in 2017. (Photo/Getty Images)

Jordan Spieth wants to flash the pearly whites a little more in 2017, and, aside from perhaps getting revenge at Augusta National, enjoy his professional life a little more.

“Honestly, I want to have a lot more fun,” Spieth said Tuesday at the Sony Open in Hawaii, in Honolulu. “I want to smile more on the golf course. I want to just feel like I’m really enjoying the process of playing and living out my dream.”

Spieth said he wants more in 2017 than the two PGA Tour and three total worldwide wins last year, but he also said he needs to acknowledge that it’s not going to come as easy as it did in 2015, something he admitted he failed to do at times post-Masters.

“I think there were certainly times where my fuse was a little too short,” he said. “I mean, people go through those kind of stretches. I don’t know, just here and there, complained a bit where it was unnecessary. Just when I’m talking to [caddie] Michael [Greller] and stuff. It doesn’t do any good.”

A slightly more Zen approach for Spieth doesn’t imply that he would be alright posting rounds in the 80s, or that he’ll sudden become Pedro Cerrano through most of “Major League 2.” That’s not the case. Rather, Spieth just wants to know when to start the fire and have a better handle on how quickly to turn up the heat.

“It doesn’t mean not be angry at bad rounds or bad holes, because that’s natural and that’s how you bounce back. If you were okay with bogeys, then it would be harder to go on a birdie string right after,” he said. “But it just means not taking it to that extra level and just, you know, recognizing what happened and then fix it.”

Payne, Davis, or Slumbers: Who hands Tiger a trophy?

By Nick Menta

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Even in Central America, at an event with no connection to him whatsoever, three of the most powerful executives in golf could not escape the spectre of Tiger Woods.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday at the Latin America Amateur Championship, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, and USGA executive director Mike Davis were all lauding the growth of their co-founded event when, after 16 minutes, they faced an unusual question, at least given the circumstances.

Who will be the first one amongst you three to hand Tiger Woods his next trophy?

The question prompted cackling in the room and some shifty glances between the three chiefs assembled on stage.

Rather quickly, Slumbers pointed out: "I believe the Masters is first."

"Yeah, I'll have the first chance," Payne agreed, laughing. "I'll have the first chance."

But then Slumbers, who had previously been discussing grow-the-game efforts, appeared to take the question to heart, perhaps seeing a connection between the topics.

"You know, if I could just say," he began, "I think it's wonderful to see Tiger back playing. When he played in the event just before Christmas (the Hero World Challenge), I turned on the TV to watch an event I probably wouldn't have watched had he not been playing, and I think it's great for the game."

Back to the original question, Woods hasn't won a U.S. Open since 2008, an Open since 2006, or a Masters since 2005.

Follow up: Somehow, Tiger Woods is a 5-1 favorite to win a major this season. What's Your Take?

By Kyle Porter

How do Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama stack up next to Big Cat?

The 2017 golf calendar is well underway with Justin Thomas taking the Tournament of Champions last week and Rory McIlroy looking strong at the BMW SA Open on Thursday. Two of the top 12 golfers in the world are off to a hot start so far in 2017. That begs the question, which golfers have the best odds of winning a major championship this year? McIlroy is the obvious favorite, but where does everyone else fall?

Here are the odds according to Bovada.

• Rory McIlroy: 7-5
• Jason Day: 3-2
• Dustin Johnson: 8-5
• Jordan Spieth: 7-4
• Hideki Matsuyama: 3-1
• Henrik Stenson: 9-2
• Tiger Woods: 5-1
• Justin Rose: 11-2
• Rickie Fowler: 7-1
• Sergio Garcia: 9-1
• Brooks Koepka: 10-1
• Patrick Reed: 10-1
• Paul Casey: 14-1
• Thomas Pieters: 14-1
• Matt Kuchar: 14-1
• Brandt Snedeker: 16-1
• Jim Furyk: 18-1

Tiger Woods at 5-1! You might as well light your hard-earned cash on fire! I love Garcia at 9-1 and love Koepka at 10-1 even more. I do not like Reed at 10-1, Day at 3-2 or Furyk at 18-1.

The major season, as always, will be fascinating. Obviously Augusta for the Masters is a known quantity, but The Open hasn't been at Royal Birkdale since Padraig Harrington won it in 2008 and the U.S. Open is going to Erin Hills for the first time. The PGA Championship will be at McIlroy's home away from home at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. That's why I'm not denouncing his absurd 7-5 odds quite yet.

The only lesson here for me: Don't bet on Tiger Woods. Look, I'm as excited as the next guy that Woods is back playing golf. But the reality is that he has not had a top 10 at a major championship since the 2013 Open. He has also had three back surgeries since then. If your expectation is that Woods has a 5-1 chance to win a major in 2017, then your expectation is too high. That doesn't mean he won't. It just means that that number is absurd.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: The only things that really takes a toll on you in sports are injuries and old man time. Tiger has both of these bug-a-boos stalking him, however, commitment, desire and perseverance can work wonders for him in winning a major this year. The competition is much younger, stronger and as hungry if not hungrier than he is but experience, mental toughness and the ability to just grind it out will make Tiger successful. He just has to play within himself.  It's not going to be easy but we feel he's going to surprise everyone and sneak a win (major) in. Never say never. That's just the way it is.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and your take, do you think Tiger has a chance to win a major or any tournaments this year? Take a moment and go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and share your feelings with us. We can't wait to hear what other diehard golfers and golf fans are thinking. Let it rip!!!

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

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

NASCAR: Monster Energy Executive Says 'We're Going To Bring A Party' To NASCAR.

By Dustin Long

A Monster Energy executive told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday that “we’re going to bring a party. We’re going to bring girls. We’re going to have a lot of fun’’ at NASCAR races.

This season marks Monster Energy’s debut as title sponsor of NASCAR’s Cup Series.

Mitch Covington, vice president of sports marketing for Monster Energy, was on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “Tradin’ Paint’’ show to talk about what fans might expect from the new sponsor.

“Monster, we were built on girls, music and racing,’’ Covington said. “We think that fits with NASCAR really good.’’

Covington was asked how NASCAR and the racing will look under Monster’s sponsorship.

“We want it to have a Monster look and feel to it, for sure,’’ Covington said. “At the same time, we want the racing to be really exciting, and NASCAR has been very open to be willing to change some formats and things. I don’t have any specifics. Anything that can make it better for the fans.

“There’s 2.5 million or so that go to a race in a year, and there’s 180 million that watch it on TV. While we want to have a great experience at the track, we have to keep that in mind, too, how it looks to all the fans at home.’’

“We went into this at the end of the season at the last minute. We’re going to have to kind of learn as we go. We don’t pretend to have had a plan mothballed in the closet over there in case we sponsored NASCAR. We’re going to be learning and watching everything that goes on to hopefully, as we go, make it better.’’

Covington said that Monster Energy is excited about the NASCAR fan base and how both can interact, saying that “we look forward to exposing our line of products and our lifestyle and our culture to some people that maybe have not experienced it before.

“Would we like to see more young people get involved? Of course we would. That’s the future of the sport and the future of the fans. We have to bring some young people into the sport, but, at the same time, we consider all ages our people.’’

Also about the fans, Covington said that Monster wants “the NASCAR fan base to look at us as one of them and supporting their sport and really authentically ingrained into NASCAR racing.

“NASCAR is kind of the pinnacle of racing in America. Monster is an American brand. We have a global presence, but at the root of things, we’re an American brand. Being an integral part of NASCAR is really special for us because it’s the biggest form of racing in America and we want to be there.’’

Healthy and satisfied with his career, Carl Edwards walks away from NASCAR.

By Nick Bromberg

Carl Edwards won’t be driving in the Cup Series in 2017. (Photo/Getty)

Carl Edwards said three main factors contributed to his sudden departure from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Edwards, who declined to use the word “retire” throughout his press conference Tuesday, confirmed that he wouldn’t be driving full-time in the Cup Series in 2017. He’ll be replaced by Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suarez in the No. 19 car.

Edwards’ decision to walk away from one of the most competitive rides in the Cup Series less than two months from the beginning of the 2017 season took many by surprise. But watching Edwards discuss his reasons for leaving, it was apparent that he’d given the decision countless hours of brainpower.

– A 28-time winner in the Cup Series. Edwards said he’s satisfied with his career, even though he doesn’t have a Cup title or a Daytona 500 win. Edwards has come oh-so-close to two championships, including crashing out while leading on a late restart in November at Homestead.

“You guys know that I don’t race just for the trophies,” Edwards said. “This has been a neat journey for me and something that I’ve been rewarded by the challenges.”

– Edwards, 37, said he wanted to spend more time doing things outside of racing. He lives with his wife, a doctor, and their two children on a farm near Columbia, Missouri.

“I need to take that time right now and devote it to people and things that are important to me. Things I am really passionate about.

– And Edwards said he’s happy to walk away from driving full-time while completely healthy.

“I can stand here healthy and that’s a testament — after all the races I’ve done and the stupid stuff I’ve done in a race car, that’s a true testament to NASCAR, to the tracks, to the people who’ve built my racecars, to the competitors and to the drivers who have come before me who haven’t been so fortunate.

“Having said that though, it’s a risky sport. I’m aware of the risks. I don’t like how it feels to take the hits that we take and I’m a sharp guy and I want to be a sharp guy in 30 years.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed 18 races in 2016 after the lingering effects of a concussion suffered over the summer. The concussion, not the first in Earnhardt Jr.’s career, caused him to deal with vision and balance issues. Edwards noted that watching what Junior went through — he’s cleared to return to the Cup Series in 2017 — played a role in his decision making.

” I think everyone in the sport paid attention to that and I have a lot of respect for him and whatever decision he makes I back him,” Edwards said.

Though it’s fair to assume, based off what Edwards said next, that he also looked at the impact head trauma has had to other sports’ participants.

“But like anyone in a contact sport today, you have to look at the risks. And fortunately today, because of the work people have done, I can stand here 100 percent healthy. And 15, 20 years ago, I don’t know if that was possible.”

Joe Gibbs Racing Begins New Era With Birthday Boy Daniel Suarez.

By Daniel McFadin

Depending on how you look at it, Daniel Suarez‘ best birthday gift came either four days late or one year early.

About 10 minutes after the Carl Edwards era in the No. 19 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing ended, the Suarez era began.

Suarez, who turned 25 on Jan. 7, was introduced as Edwards’ successor in a press conference at the team’s headquarters Wednesday morning.

“I wasn’t expecting to be in this position right now,” said Suarez, who made history in 2016 by becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a national NASCAR title, capturing the Xfinity championship. “It’s been an amazing time. This is hard to believe that I’m in this position. We started all this dream 10 years ago with NASCAR, and right now to be in this position, to be in this opportunity is just something amazing for me and for everyone that has been helping me.”

Suarez said he expected to make the jump to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next year.

While the rest of the NASCAR community had spent the last 24 hours getting caught up on Edwards’ January surprise, the native of Monterrey, Mexico, had been in on the secret for a while. At some point after Christmas, Suarez was informed of the biggest news of his career during lunch with his girlfriend, Silvia, and her family.

“I was actually in the middle of everything, and I got a call,” Suarez recalled. “I had to jump out of the middle of lunch, and then I never came back after 40 minutes. And then when I came back, Silvia and her parents, they were asking me what was going on because I came back with a (big smile). So they were asking me what was going on. Well, really I wasn’t able to say anything, so I didn’t say anything.”

But on Wednesday, 46 days before the Daytona 500 and his first start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Suarez could say everything.

“Very, very happy for this opportunity,” Suarez said. “It’s something that we really were waiting for. It came a little bit sooner than what we were expecting, but I think we are ready, and we’re ready to go, and we are ready to start learning about everything and ready to perform well.”

Suarez has already been exposed to the impact of his historic NASCAR title, which came after he won three Xfinity races. Suarez came face-to-face with it when he attended an exhibition NASCAR Mexico Series race earlier in the offseason in Mexico City.

“I was expecting a good welcome as a champion, but what I lived in that moment, just, I don’t know, five, six hours, it was just unbelievable,” Suarez said. “I felt like I was like … a rock star. Everyone was thanking me and everyone was asking me for pictures. Actually some big names in México, they were asking me for pictures, where normally three years ago I was asking them for pictures. So it was something huge.”

For Joe Gibbs, the alumni of the NASCAR Next and Drive for Diversity program was “the obvious choice” to fill the unexpected vacancy created by Edwards.

Gibbs championed the two years of work Suarez put in driving in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series and his selflessness.

“We have a lot of things where we have sponsors come in here and do different two‑ and three‑day events, and we’d be down at the bowling alley with a sponsor that had nothing to do with Daniel,” Gibbs said. “I’d turn around and there he is, he’s bowling. Or he’s at the pit and driving the go‑karts and stuff like that.”

Even with the state of flux Edwards is now in, Gibbs hopes the driver who won five races for him in two Cup seasons will be part of Suarez’s transition.

“What we have discussed with (Edwards) is continuing to work with us and continuing to work inside of NASCAR, and we’ve got some things coming up,” Gibbs said, adding he hopes Edwards can attend Suarez’s first test later this month at Phoenix International Raceway.

“He’s going to help Daniel and our support group, but then there’s going to be other things that we’ve kind of been thinking about with Carl. So hopefully that’s what we’ll see in the future going forward.”

Suarez’ first time in the No 19 car is still 19 days away, but he’s itching to get started.

“I can’t wait to drive that car,” Suarez said. “I wish I could take it to the street right now.”

SOCCER: 2017 Chicago Fire Regular Season Soccer Schedule.

Chicago Fire Communications; Twitter

      

As draft nears, Fire still pursuing midfield help.  

By Dan Santaromita

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Major League Soccer’s offseason is in full force with the SuperDraft on Friday and the international transfer window being open in January.

The Chicago Fire have two of the top 11 picks in the upcoming draft, but have other potential moves still stirring ahead of the start of preseason camp on January 23. For starters, general manager Nelson Rodriguez told reporters on Wednesday via conference call that the team is still chasing midfielders even after the addition of Juninho.

“We’re in active discussions with three players,” Rodriguez said when asked about the club's pursuit of further improvement in midfield. “We continue to scout. We continue to see what options may arise through the balance of January. Our goal is to have as close to a complete team as possible by the start of the season, not necessarily by the start of training camp.”

Rodriguez said nothing is imminent and the Fire won’t likely add any players before the draft.

One thing the club has added, according to Rodriguez, is more team leadership. The additions of Nemanja Nikolic, Juninho and goalkeeper Jorge Bava bring experience and winning pedigrees. Nikolic is coming off winning the Polish league with Legia Warsaw and Juninho won three MLS Cups with the LA Galaxy.

“I think that Juninho and Nemanja Nikolic are able to add a great layer of leadership to our locker room,” Rodriguez said. “I feel much, much better about the development and boss type personality and voice on the field and in the locker room. If we can add to it, we will.”

Bava’s addition was more about filling the type of goalkeeper the Fire wanted. Goalkeeper coach Aleksandar Saric helped to create a list of candidates to fill the team’s opening that was created by trading away Sean Johnson. Coach Veljko Paunovic saw Bava play live twice during the Fire’s offseason.

Goalkeeper is one of the deepest positions in the domestic player pool so using an international roster spot, of which teams have eight unless one of those spots is traded for or away, comes with the risk of unnecessarily using a limited resource. When asked about using an international slot on a goalkeeper Rodriguez said he felt it was worth it.

“Some of the characteristics that we’re looking for in our goalkeeper are rarer among the crop of available American or domestic goalkeepers,” Rodriguez said. “We understood for some time that the likely solution that we sought was going to have to come from an international slot.”

One reason for this to receive attention is that the Fire currently have all eight international slots filled. That could limit the rest of the Fire’s offseason unless the team trades for an international slot or trades away a current international player. Rodriguez did indicate that international players on the roster are pursuing green cards, which would allow them to count as domestic players. Juninho, a Brazilian, is one such player who has a green card and is not one of the eight internationals on the team.

The Fire can still add more international players this offseason as long as the team is compliant by the start of the season.

“We do have players that are pursuing green cards, but that is impossible for us to project,” Rodriguez said.

Top Premier League Storylines Ahead Of Week 21.

By Andy Edwards

Ahead of Week 21 of the 2016-17 Premier League season, we’re most looking forward to keeping an eye on the following storylines…

Rivalry renewed (with meaning)

The last time both Manchester United and Liverpool finished in the top-four of the PL, the year was 2009 (when they finished first and second, respectively). For a pair of clubs their size, that’s almost unfathomable. Entering Sunday’s derby at Old Trafford (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com), five points are all that separate the northeast rivals (Liverpool in 2nd, Man United in 6th). The Red Devils are unbeaten in 11 straight league games, while the Reds haven’t lost in six. Something’s going to give.

The start of a new streak?

Chelsea’s unbeaten run (13 games) came to an end last week, away to Tottenham Hotspur, one short of new PL record. On Saturday, their attention must shift from their first league defeat since Sept. 24, to reasserting themselves in the title race. Liverpool sit just five points back of the Blues, as Antonio Conte‘s side visits the defending champions, Leicester City (Watch live, 12:30 p.m. ET, on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).

The race for 4th is hot

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Home	Away	Pts
Liverpool	20	13	5	2	48	23	25	7-2-0	6-3-2	44
Tottenham Hotspur	20	12	6	2	39	14	25	8-2-0	4-4-2	42
Manchester City	20	13	3	4	41	22	19	6-3-1	7-0-3	42
Arsenal	20	12	5	3	44	22	22	7-2-1	5-3-2	41
Manchester United	20	11	6	3	31	19	12	5-4-1	6-2-2	39

Tottenham vs. West Brom — Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and NBCSports.com

Everton vs. Manchester City — Sunday, 8:30 a.m. ET, on NBCSN and NBCSports.com

Relegation race rolls on

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Home	Away	Pts
Crystal Palace	20	4	4	12	30	37	-7	2-1-7	2-3-5	16
Sunderland	20	4	3	13	19	37	-18	3-2-5	1-1-8	15
Swansea City	20	4	3	13	23	45	-22	2-2-6	2-1-7	15
Hull City	20	3	4	13	17	44	-27	2-3-5	1-1-8	13

Hull City vs. Bournemouth — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, on NBCSports.com

Swansea City vs. Arsenal — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, on NBCSports.com

Sunderland vs. Stoke City — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, on NBCSports.com

West Ham United vs. Crystal Palace — Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, on NBCSports.com

MLS will play during World Cup qualifying, break for World Cup.

Associated Press

(Photo by Daniel Smith/Getty Images)

Major League Soccer will play again during World Cup qualifying, but with a reduced schedule.

Three games each are scheduled during the June and September international fixture periods and two in October, the league said Thursday. National teams have the right to players during those dates, meaning clubs may be without stars.

The U.S. hosts Trinidad and Tobago on June 8 and plays at Mexico three days later. On June 10, Atlanta is at Chicago, Montreal is at Kansas City and Dallas is at Portland.

Qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region resumes when the U.S. hosts Costa Rica on Sept. 1 and plays at Honduras four days later. On Sept. 2, the New York Red Bulls are at Dallas and Chicago is at Montreal. Kansas City is at New York City on Sept. 6.

The hexagonal concludes with the U.S. at home against Panama on Oct. 6 and at Trinidad four days later. The MLS schedule has Kansas City at expansion Minnesota and Vancouver at the Red Bulls on Oct. 7.

MLS will break between July 6 and 19 for the group stage of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Atlanta, the league’s other expansion team, hosts Orlando on July 30 in the first sporting event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Wanting to avoid heat, the league reduced matches on summer early afternoons from 15 to nine.

NCAABKB: Michigan State moves into first place in Big Ten by beating No. 24 Minnesota.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Miles Bridges scored all 16 of his points in the first half as Michigan State used a 15-0 run to close the half and open up a 39-17 lead as they blew out No. 24 Minnesota, 65-47.

The win moved the Spartans to 4-1 in the Big Ten with a pair of wins of the Gophers, who, like Michigan State, appear to be a team destined to fight it out for a top four finish in the conference.

The Spartans appear to be trending in the right direction these days. After struggling through a brutal early season schedule, Michigan State has seemingly righted the ship. Their lone league loss came against Penn State in a game played in the Palestra, and they won their first three conference games despite playing without Miles Bridges, who was battling an ankle injury.

With Bridges back, the Spartans looked terrific on Wednesday.

There were still the lapses on the offensive end of the floor that, unfortunately, are going to be a constant storyline with a team that plays two walk-ons up front and starts Tum Tum Nairn at the point. It’s inevitable. But the good news is that this team can really defend when they have to, like on Wednesday. The Gophers managed just 47 points on 33.3 percent shooting.

The Big Ten race is wide open this season. Purdue lost to this Minnesota team at home. They also worked over Wisconsin in that same building. Indiana stinks, Maryland is still something of an unknown and Nebraska just lost Ed Morrow for an undetermined about of time.

The Spartans are a flawed basketball team. They’re also a basketball team that’s playing pretty well at the moment, one coached by Tom Izzo that defends and has a star like Bridges on the roster.

In this league and in this season, why not?

Should I mention that today’s win puts them all alone into first place in the conference?

Five Takeaways From No. 8 Creighton's Win Over No. 12 Butler.

By Scott Phillips

(Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)

Creighton had a strong overall performance on Wednesday night as the No. 8 Bluejays ran past No. 12 Butler for a 75-64 home Big East win.

Here are five takeaways from Creighton’s impressive win.

1. Creighton’s defense is getting better — Creighton’s top-10 offense has been praised repeatedly this season but its defense also appears to be improving.

The Bluejay defense has never been bad this season — they ranked a respectable 69th in KenPom defensive efficiency entering Wednesday — but this team appears to be more focused on that end of the floor from the start of the season.

Butler was held to 41 percent shooting on Wednesday night as they were 32 percent from three-point range and only shot seven free throws. Creighton defended without fouling and made perimeter looks very tough. The Bluejays also clearly had the right gameplan for Bulldogs star Kelan Martin as they held him scoreless in the first half and made things frustrating for him all night.

Creighton doesn’t need to be a defensive juggernaut to win its games, but they do need to show that they can get late stops in a tight game like they couldn’t during the Villanova loss. This game obviously didn’t give the Bluejays a test in that department but their defense was so good early that they didn’t need to get stops to win.

2. Butler needs Kelan Martin to show up in Big East play — Junior forward Kelan Martin is Butler’s leading scorer and best player. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging north of 17 points per game this season. But he’s had a slow start in Big East play.

Wednesday saw more of the same. Martin missed his first eight shots and was held scoreless in the first half as the Bulldogs fell behind big and never recovered. To start the second half, Martin found himself on the bench as he finally started to make some shots once he re-entered the game.

So far in five Big East games, Martin is only shooting 30 percent (20-for-66) from the field. At 6-for-27 from three-point range during that same span, Martin has also struggled to find his perimeter shooting stroke during conference play. Clearly, Martin needs to make some adjustments because the Big East seems to be more familiar with his game and is having an easier time of slowing him down.

Much like Wisconsin senior forward Nigel Hayes, Martin could stand to tone down the number of perimeter looks he is taking at the moment. Martin has always hovered around 37 percent from three, and that’s a respectable number, but he’s now attempting over six attempts a game from three even though he’s been off the last five games.

3. With Justin Patton rolling, Creighton’s offense becomes a juggernaut — Watching Creighton has been fun for a number of reasons this season but the continued development of freshman center Justin Patton continues to be thrilling to witness. The 7-footer has really stepped up his overall game lately as he’s been more productive while getting the lion’s share of the minutes at center.

When Creighton’s guards like Mo Watson and Marcus Foster can get to the rim, Patton becomes a valuable dump-off option. With the amount of shooting that Creighton has on the roster it also gives Patton plenty of room to operate on the interior. If Cole Huff is knocking down shots, it makes the Bluejays such a matchup nightmare on the offensive end because they have so many unique weapons and ways to score.

Patton only finished with 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting but that all came in the first half as Butler’s bigs had no answer for him. Since Creighton’s guards could get in the paint whenever they wanted, Patton’s post touches weren’t as necessary in this one, but Patton’s confidence is growing immensely as the season goes on.

4. Butler can have struggles containing dribble penetration against good guards — One of Butler’s major issues during Wednesday night’s loss was the ability to slow down guards like Watson, Foster and Khyri Thomas from doing what they wanted off the bounce.

In the first half, the Bluejays built their commanding lead by attacking the rack and sharing the scoring balance and the second half saw a strong takeover performance from Watson. The senior was simply unguardable for Creighton in the second frame as he was able to touch the paint whenever he wanted on his way to 21 points and seven assists.

Butler has some strong defensive players and strong defensive principles, but senior Tyler Lewis isn’t a good on-the-ball defender and his size makes him susceptible to being beat. It’s going to be interesting to see how Butler adjusts its perimeter defense after this game to prepare for elite guards. The good news is that Butler isn’t going to have to face many top-10 offenses with killer backcourts, but it was still concerning to see how much they were getting beat.

5. Nobody else is going to beat Creighton at home — Sorry, Big East. No disrespect, Xavier. But I’d be stunned if Creighton lost another home game this season.

Creighton’s dismantling of Butler was an impressive effort on both ends of the floor as the Bluejays made a good, disciplined team look average for most of the game. With Villanova already having won at Creighton this season, I don’t see another Big East team going into CenturyLink Center and picking up a win.

The Bluejays have always been a tough out at home over the years as it is, but with how talented this team is and how they’re playing right now, it would take a huge effort to earn a win there.

No. 20 Notre Dame survives Miami, stays unbeaten in ACC.

By Terrence Payne

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

No. 20 Notre Dame, on the road against Miami on Thursday night, shot 37 percent, got out-rebounded by nine and had 12 shots blocked.

That had all the ingredients for a loss to Miami. It would have not only been the Hurricanes’ best win to date, it’s importance was magnified when you consider they are about to hit the road for three games against three top-50 teams.

However, the Fighting Irish’ free throw-shooting, turnovers (or lack thereof) and decision-making resulted in a 67-62 win over the ‘Canes.

Matt Farrell finished with 15 points and six assists. V.J. Beachem added 13. Davon Reed led all scorers in a losing effort.

Tied at 28-all after the break, Notre Dame broke open a 10-point lead twice in the second half, but in a game in which both teams shot the ball poorly, Miami’s athleticism helped spark a rally and take a 61-57 lead.

Notre Dame would knot the score at 61-all with 1:35 remaining after a pair of Bonzie Colson free throws.

This is when Notre Dame’s experience and decision-making proved to be the x-factor. In a tie game, Miami senior guard Davon Reed coughed up the ball right into the Rex Pflueger’s hands. Farrell, the junior point guard who had to replace the NBA Draft who also had to replace the NBA Draft pick, had carved up the Miami defense in the second half and continued in the final moments. Taking advantage of a defense that had not yet set up, Farrell got into the lane before finding the streaking Beachem on the baseline for the reverse lay-in.

After Ja’Quan Newton split a pair of free throws, Farrell once again got into the lane, kicking to the baseline where Steve Vasturia, another experienced senior, made another winning play, driving to the bucket for the layup.

Miami never got a potential game-tying shot off, as the inbounds pass bounced off of Anthony Lawrence.

Notre Dame sunk 12 of 14 free throws (four straight in the last 95 seconds of regulation) and committed just six turnovers on the night, only one of which came after halftime.

Even on an off-shooting night on the road, Notre Dame still had the experience to close out a close game. That’s been the theme through its undefeated start in league play, and reason why you have to like the Irish moving forward.

The Irish opened the conference schedule by beating Pitt by one in overtime on the road. They then held off Louisville at home despite Beachem scoring just two points. They followed by overcoming a slow start to top Clemson.

They’ll have two more chances to do so coming up, as the Irish close out a three-game road trip against Virginia Tech and No. 9 Florida State.

Ohio State, the best program in the Big Ten four years ago, is now 0-4 in the league.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

No. 18 Wisconsin pounded Ohio State into oblivion on Thursday night, jumping out to an 18-point lead at the break and eventually going up by more than 30 points before winning 89-66.

And frankly, based only on what we’ve seen out of the Buckeyes this season, that result isn’t all that surprising. They’re now 0-4 in Big Ten play and 10-7 on the season, already having lost to Florida Atlantic at home before conference play even started.

But based on what the Ohio State program has been under Thad Matta – and, frankly, what Thad Matta has been as a head coach throughout his career – this result is surprising, but not quite as surprising as what has happened to Ohio State basketball.

Let’s start with the here and now: This slow start to the season is coming a year after Ohio State made a trip to the NIT. That came after back-to-back years where Ohio State lost double-digit games and failed to finish in the top four of the Big Ten.

And while Ohio State basketball doesn’t have the same reputation as Ohio State football, prior to this recent drop off, the Buckeyes has arguably more success on the hardwood under Matta than they did on the football field. Matta’s first season in Columbus was in 2004-05, when the program was still ineligible for the NCAA tournament. But in five of the next seven seasons, Matta won at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title and three outright Big Ten regular season titles. He went to the national title game in 2007 and another Final Four in 2012. He reached the Elite 8 in 2013, when the Buckeyes finished second in the conference, and made another pair of Sweet 16s.

And that was after a four-year coaching career when Matta won the Horizon in his one season at Butler before winning two Atlantic 10s in three seasons, reaching the Elite 8 in the year he didn’t win the league, with Xavier.

In other words, the fall from grace for Ohio State and Matta was both sudden and unpredictable.

Because this is not a good basketball team right now, and with games coming up against Michigan State, at Nebraska, Northwestern and Minnesota, it’s not going to get easier anytime soon.

So what happened?

Well, the easy answer is that they’re not getting the same level of talent into the program that they were before. They reached the national title game with Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook on the roster. The reached the Final Four in 2012 with Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and DeShaun Thomas. Evan Turner won a player of the year awards. D’angelo Russell was an all-American.

They don’t have anyone anywhere near that level right now, unless you have a drastically different opinion of JaQuan Lyle than I do.

Then there is the issue of the guys they actually do bring in. Their 2015 recruiting class consisted of Lyle and four players that have transferred out of the program. Outside or Russell, who left after one season, no one in the 2014 class turned into much more than a role player in the Big Ten. None of the 2016 recruits Ohio State landed have been instant impact guys, and this is all while the most talented players in the state of Ohio – Luke Kennard, Carlton Bragg, Nick Ward, Nigel Hayes, V.J. King, Omari Spellman, Devin Williams, Esa Ahmad … do you get the point by now? – have ended up elsewhere.

Three straight lean recruiting classes combined with the fact that the best players from the program’s natural recruiting base have gone elsewhere is an easy way to drive a Big Ten title contender into the conference’s cellar.

NCAAFB: Dabo Swinney wins second straight Bear Bryant coaching award.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Getty Images)

Dabo Swinney vanquished Bear Bryant‘s former team in the national championship game earlier in the week.  Last night, the Clemson head coach claimed an award named in the legend’s honor.  Again.

At a ceremony Wednesday, Swinney was named as the 2016 recipient of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year award.  Swinney won the award last year, and is the first in its history to win it in  back-to-back seasons.

The former Alabama walk-on becomes just the second two-time winner, joining Boise State’s Chris Petersen (2006, 2009).

Monday night, Swinney guided the Tigers to its first national championship in more than three decades.

Swinney and his counterpart on the opposing sideline, Nick Saban, were two of the nine finalists for the award.  The other seven included Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), P.J. Fleck (Western Michigan), James Franklin (Penn State), Clay Helton (USC), Dana Holgorsen (West Virginia), Mike MacIntyre (Colorado) and Bob Stoops (Oklahoma).

Deshaun Watson claims back-to-back Manning Awards.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Getty Images)

Deshaun Watson may be off to the NFL, but he’s taking one more piece of collegiate hardware with him.

Thursday, the Allstate Sugar Bowl announced that Watson, one of 10 finalists, has been named as the recipient of the 2016 Manning Award.  The Clemson quarterback won the Manning after the 2015 season, making him the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons.

The other finalists for this year’s Manning Award were: J.T. Barrett (Ohio State), Jake Browning (Washington), Sam Darnold (USC), Luke Falk (Washington State), Jalen Hurts (Alabama), Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Patrick Mahomes II (Texas Tech), Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) and Zach Terrell (Western Michigan).  Seven of those 10 finalists (Barrett, Browning, Darnold, Falk, Hurts, Jackson, Mayfield) will return in 2017 with another opportunity to claim the Manning.

The award, named in honor of the quarterbacking Mannings — Archie, Peyton and Eli — is the only one to take into account a player’s performance in the postseason.  And what a postseason performance it was for Watson.

In the national championship game win over defending champ Alabama, Watson accounted for 463 yards of offense and four touchdowns against the vaunted Crimson Tide defense.  It was the perfect ending for a stellar collegiate career.

“Over the years, we have seen so many tremendous performances in the postseason, and this year we saw Deshaun Watson turn in an amazing two-game playoff performance,” said Archie Manning in a statement. “When the Allstate Sugar Bowl created the Manning Award in 2004, one of the key components was to recognize achievements throughout the entire year, including bowls, and now the playoff. This year is a prime example of why we do that.”

A Heisman finalist each of the past two seasons — some would say if the Heisman followed the Manning lead and voted after the postseason he would’ve won at least one — Watson also claimed the Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas quarterbacking awards.  He also won the former in 2015.

Michigan confirms hiring of Pep Hamilton.

By John Taylor

(Photo/Cleveland Browns)

The latest addition to Jim Harbaugh‘s staff is officially official.

Following up on reports that have been simmering for a few days now, UM confirmed Thursday that Pep Hamilton has been hired as the Wolverines’ assistant head coach and passing-game coordinator.  The release also stated that “Hamilton will work with the Wolverines’ quarterbacks and wide receivers on a daily basis.”

Hamilton replaces Jedd Fisch, who left Ann Arbor earlier this year to take over as the offensive coordinator at UCLA.

“Pep Hamilton is a proven, outstanding football coach, husband and father,” said Harbaugh. “His teaching and mentoring skills have produced quality athletes and quality young men, including some of the finest quarterbacks and wide receivers in the country. We are thrilled and excited to have Pep and Nicole and their children — April, Jackson and Elizabeth — as members of our Michigan family.”

“It is an honor and privilege to be part of one of the most storied programs in college football history,” said Hamilton. “I look forward to working with Coach Harbaugh and members of the staff at Michigan. I am excited to get to work meeting our players so that I can assist with their development on the field and in the university community.”

Hamilton, of course, has a previous working relationship with his new boss, having served on Harbaugh’s staff at Stanford.  This past season, Hamilton was the top offensive assistant with the Cleveland Browns.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, January 13, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 73 points against the Chicago Packers.

1968 - Bill Masterson (Minnesota North Stars) was injured when he was checked into the boards. He died two days later. He was the first casualty in the NHL.

1983 - The Quebec Nordiques played their 251st NHL game without being shutout.

1984 - Wayne Gretzky extended his NHL consecutive scoring streak to 45 games.

1986 - The NCAA adopted the controversial "Proposal 48," which set standards for Division 1 freshman eligibility.

1995 - A collective bargaining agreement was ratified by NHL players.

1998 - The NFL completed a $9.2 billion deal to keep "Monday Night Football" on ABC and the entire Sunday night cable package for ESPN.

1999 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) announced his retirement from the NBA.

2003 - The NHL's Buffalo Sabres filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

2005 - Major League Baseball adopted a steroid-testing program that suspended first-time offenders for 10 days and randomly tested players year-round.

2005 - The NFL fined Randy Moss (Minnesota Vikings) $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay Packer crowd during a playoff win the previous weekend.

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