CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 01/20/2017.

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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"It's when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached." ~ Mike Huckabee, Politician, Minister, Author, Musician and Commentator

TRENDING: Why La Liga is the most balanced league in Europe. What's Your Take? (Please go to the soccer section and answer the question, which league is better, the Premier League or La Liga League? We can't wait to hear from the fans of both leagues)

TRENDING: Julien, Bruins feeling heat ahead of clash vs. Blackhawks. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: A safety at No. 3? Historically it's a reach, but maybe not for Bears in 2017. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

TRENDING: Jimmy Butler acknowledges 'huge accomplishment' but stays nonchalant about All-Star starter nod. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: Former White Sox OF Tim Raines elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: College basketball Power Rankings, Jan. 19: North Carolina into the top 5. (See the NCAABKB for collegiate basketball news and team updates).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Julien, Bruins feeling heat ahead of clash vs. Blackhawks.

By Associated Press

The talk shows are filled with the chatter. Social media is filled with tweets. Is Claude Julien about to lose his job coaching the Boston Bruins?

The Bruins, fresh off a hard-to-swallow 6-5 shootout loss in a game that saw them lead 3-0 and 4-1, host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. But the off-day, with the team off the ice, was reportedly a day for meetings. The brass is trying to find answers for a team mired in mediocrity.

This isn't the first time the public has called for a Julien firing. Even in 2011, when the team eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup, there was talk he had lost control of his players.

The talk was heavy after last year's second straight season of not making the playoffs, but he survived that -- and is now coaching a team that has had trouble scoring and had even more trouble winning at home, where the Bruins take a 10-11 record into Friday night's game.

The Bruins (23-19-6) scored five goals Wednesday night in Detroit and all it got them was one point in the standings.

"We collapsed," said Julien. "It's pretty obvious. It's one of those games. We didn't get the save when we needed it, and we made some mistakes, which gave them some chances, so a lot of things went wrong tonight after we took that lead."

Now they have to deal with the Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup at TD Garden in 2013 and who come in with an 11-9-1 road record this season. It continues a stretch that includes two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and a return match with Detroit.

"Yeah, it's not going to get easier," said Tuukka Rask, who allowed five goals on 26 shots. "This is probably the biggest couple of weeks in our season coming up, really good teams against us. We'll have to play some good hockey."

The Blackhawks have lost two of their last three, but won five of their last seven. Prior to last night's Minnesota game against Arizona, they were tied with the Wild for first place in the Central Division but had played four more games than Minnesota.

Corey Crawford, who has started the last five games in the Chicago net, won't start in Boston, where Scott Darling gets the nod -- coach Joel Quenneville saying after Thursday's practice in Boston he wanted everyone to get a chance to play on the team's dad's trip.

And Crawford has been struggling.

"We feel very comfortable that he'll be able to get back and be confident and doing his thing," Quenneville said of Crawford, a 6-4 winner at Colorado Tuesday night. "You look around the league over the last week or two, it's amazing the (high) scores."

Darling stopped 39 of 40 shots in his last start, a 2-1 home win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Darling is 2-1 with a 3.40 goals against average and .905 save percent in his career against Boston; while Rask is 3-1-1 with a 2.36 average, a .920 percentage and a shutout against the Blackhawks.

Playing close to home a special experience for Hartman, Hinostroza families.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

When Ryan Hartman went to Michigan at age 16 to play with the U.S. National Development Team, his father Craig moved the whole family there, too. Craig wanted Ryan to stay close with his brother, who's several years younger.

The move was worthwhile but not easy. Craig traveled back and forth to Chicago for his work, and the stay in Michigan, originally expected to be two years, turned into four when Ryan played for the Plymouth Whalers.

Now when the Hartmans want to see Ryan, whether it was in Rockford last season or in Chicago this season, it's less than an hour away from their West Dundee home.

"Either transition's been great because I've been seeing him a lot, taking care of his dog when he's on the road," Craig said. "It's pretty cool when he comes and sees his little brother play hockey. It's pretty amazing to have him home. If he's in any other city, he'd be gone. It's special to have him here."

For many of the fathers currently on the Blackhawks' dads trip, this excursion is one of maybe a handful of times they'll get to see their sons play in a season. But for Craig Hartman and Rick Hinostroza, Vinnie Hinostroza's dad, their sons play for the hometown team. They get to see them at least half of the season. And for both of them, it's an incredible feeling.

"It's pretty unbelievable to be able to just drive, depending on how traffic is, it could take us a little over an hour to get there. But just to be able to be home in 35 minutes and we get to sit and talk to him after a game or go out to dinner, things like that," Rick Hinostroza said. "It's really nice, and we'll take it as long as we can."

Craig and Rick are also enjoying their first dads trip, which began in Denver and now goes to Boston. Ryan Hartman said it's been a great experience for him and his father.

"It's my first year here and (it's a chance) for him to be able to see what we go through on the road, so he has a better idea of what I'm doing when I'm gone all the time. I'm sure it's good for him to be here and see that," Hartman said. "And just being on the road with him, it's a cool experience. I'm glad to have him here."

Vinnie Hinostroza said this was the first hockey trip he'd been on with his dad since his midget hockey days.

"It's so special to bring him along, where he used to bring me and pay for the hotels and everything. It's nice he gets to enjoy this," Hinostroza said. "It's special for us to have them here. They sacrifice so much for us growing up, taking us on hockey trips."

Rick Hinostroza got his first taste of how his son travels on this trip. The elder Hinostroza was impressed, from the charter jet to the hospitality that wasn't the usual commercial-flight can of soda and bag of pretzels.

"The attendants going back and forth, asking if I wanted something to eat and here you have this list, a choice of all this stuff. I'm used to the attendant coming around with the cart and you get what you get when you get it," he said. "To be exposed to that and see just how the organization treats the families and players, it's pretty neat. It's really surreal."

But as important as playing in hometown Chicago is for Hartman and Hinostroza's parents, it means so much to the players as well.

"It's a blessing, really, having them so close," said Ryan, who sees his younger brother play hockey whenever he can. "It's nice. You don't have to plan a trip for them to come, and you don't have to be waiting for the next time you're going to see them. Sometimes there are off days when I go home and relax with them. It's definitely nice to have."

The latest Blackhawks' dads trip will end this weekend. Most of the fathers will head back to their respective homes, most of which are a good distance from Chicago. For the Hartmans and Hinostrozas, the return to Chicago means being back home and continuing to live the dream of watching their sons play here.

"I've gotten to meet a lot of fathers and having a nice time," Craig Hartman said. "It's fantastic. Growing up in the city — I was born probably about 15 blocks from the UC — being part of this and having my kid play with the Blackhawks, it's crazy."

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! A safety at No. 3? Historically it's a reach, but maybe not for Bears in 2017.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Since 1991, only eight safeties have been among the first 10 players selected in the NFL Draft. Of those, only three have been top five picks.

With the Bears having across-the-board needs, grabbing a safety with the No. 3 pick in three months may seem like a stretch. But ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has the Jacksonville Jaguars nabbing LSU safety Jamal Adams with the fourth overall pick, and mentioned on Thursday that the Bears could be in the mix for him as well. If Ryan Pace & Co. are looking for the best available player, Adams could wind up being that guy. 

Adams' versatility, notably, would answer a question Pace will have to pose when looking at a safety: Would he prefer a safety who can be a rangy cover guy, or does he want a physical, downhill player who can line up closer to the box? 

"He can do anything you want," Kiper said. "He can cover on the back end as a center fielder, he can come up in the box, he tackles well, he works hard. He's going to be a premier player."

The 6-foot-1, 213 pound Adams totaled 76 tackles his junior year at LSU, with 7 1/2 tackles for a loss, one interception, one sack, one forced fumble and four pass break-ups. Kiper has him ranked sixth on his big board, though with the same grade as the third-best player on it. Scouts Inc rates Adams as the fourth-best player in the 2017 draft class. 

As things stand in January, Kiper has the Bears selecting Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen at No. 3. A defensive lineman would be a far more conventional pick at No. 3, where a franchise-altering talent can be plucked (the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers took defensive end Joey Bosa there in 2016). 

The last safety taken in the top five was Eric Berry, who the Kansas City Chiefs took fifth overall in 2010. Since 1991, only one safety has gone higher than that — Eric Turner, who was the No. 2 pick in the 1991 draft by the Cleveland Browns. The success rate of top 10 safeties in the last 25 years is high, too. 

Turner led the NFL in interceptions with nine in 1994 and made two Pro Bowls, though his career was tragically cut short when he died of stomach cancer in 2000. Berry is widely regarded as one of the best safeties in the NFL and is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All Pro. 

Roy Williams (2002 No. 8, Dallas) was a five-time Pro Bowler for the Cowboys; Sean Taylor (2004 No. 5, Washington) was a two-time Pro Bowler who died far too young at the age of 24 in 2007; Donte Whitner (2006 No. 8, Buffalo) made three Pro Bowls, though none with the Bills; and LaRon Landry (2007 No. 6, Washington) reached the 2012 Pro Bowl but was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in 2015 for a third violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug testing. 

Stanley Richard (1991 No. 9, San Diego) and Michael Huff (2006 No. 7, Oakland) are the only players among those eight top-10 safeties who didn't go on to reach a Pro Bowl.
Those eight players, though, only represent 3 percent of top 10 picks since 1991.

Conversely, 20 percent of the top 10 picks in the last 25 years have been defensive linemen. 

Or, to put it another way, only 2 percent of top five picks since 1991 have been safeties. That would signal that, most years, taking a safety at a pick as high as the Bears have is a reach. 

Still, Kiper doesn't necessarily see Adams like that at No. 3. But given the recent history of success with highly-picked safeties, perhaps the Bears will wind up considering him with such an critical selection. 

"Chicago certainly could use a player with his capabilities," Kiper said. "He's going to go very high. … Anywhere in the top five, he could go."

Pro Football Focus gives Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman historical 2016 grade.

By Scott Krinch

 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Bears GM Ryan Pace struck gold with his signing of Jerrell Freeman last offseason.

Freeman, who signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the Bears last March, was graded as the NFL's No. 1 inside linebacker in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus.

Freeman's 93.8 overall grade was PFF's third-highest defensive grade behind Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald (95.6) and Oakland Raiders standout edge rusher Khalil Mack (93.9). 

Here's what PFF's Mike Renner had to say about Freeman's historic 2016 season:

One of the most impressive pure statistics any player amassed this season came from Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman. He made 40 tackles in coverage while missing only one tackle attempt. That ratio is insane, and it’s the best we’ve recorded since 2012. That’s about the only exciting stat, though, as the Bears’ front-seven desperately missed a fully-healthy Pernell McPhee for a good portion of the year.

Despite Freeman's outstanding season, he was left off of PFF's All-Pro Team for 2016. Although he was ranked ahead of Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner (91.6) and Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (92.9), PFF likely omitted Freeman due to him missing four games with a PED suspension.

In his first season with the Bears, the 30-year-old Freeman led the team with 110 tackles (the next highest total was Harold Jones-Quartey's 78). Freeman also finished with a team-high 7 tackles for a loss. 

Check out a snapshot below of Freeman's PFF metrics from last season:

If there's any doubt about Freeman's play falling off after serving a suspension, he put that theory to rest. Freeman's second-best game grade came in Week 17 against the Minnesota Vikings (3.5). Freeman also had a positive grade (1.4) in his first game coming off the suspension against the Washington Redskins in Week 16.

"People know me," Freeman told the media after returning from suspension. "People know who I am. People know what I'm about. I wouldn't do that on purpose. I made a mistake and that's what it is. It's not like I was going out of my way to do something (illegal). But it happened. It's my fault and I take responsibility for it."

Bears announce additions to John Fox's coaching staff.

By CSN Staff

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bears announced Monday several additions to John Fox's coaching staff in 2017.

Roy Anderson has been hired as the assistant defensive backs coach, Curtis Modkins has been named the new running backs coach and Jeremiah Washburn is the new offensive line coach. The team also announced that outside linebackers coach Clint Hurtt's contract was not renewed.

Anderson was the assistant defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers last season, and spent his previous seven years with the Indianapolis Colts (2012-15) and Baltimore Ravens (2009-11). He replaces Sam Garnes.

Modkins has 22 years of coaching experience, and also spent the 2016 season with the 49ers as the team's offensive coordinator. His previous stops include the Detroit Lions (2013-15), Buffalo Bills (2010-12), Arizona Cardinals (2009) and Kansas City Chiefs (2008). Modkins replaces Stan Drayton.

Washburn served as the Miami Dolphins assistant offensive line coach last season, and spent his previous 14 years with the Lions (2009-15), Ravens (2003-08) and Carolina Panthers (2002). He replaces Dave Magazu.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Chicago Bulls Vs. Atlanta Hawks Preview, 01/20/2017.

By Stats, LLC

The Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls haven't squared off since Nov. 9, but they'll get very familiar with each other over the next six days.

The teams meet in Atlanta on Friday and then in Chicago next Wednesday.

The Hawks, who have a five-game winning streak against the Bulls, won 115-107 at home in the first meeting as part of a 9-2 start that included a victory the night before in Cleveland.

Atlanta (24-18) then went into a 1-10 funk before recovering to post a 14-6 mark, with nine wins in the past 11 games.

The Hawks, though, are coming off a 118-95 loss at Detroit on Wednesday in which they trailed 42-18 after the first quarter and were down 54-24 in the second.

"They punched us, punched us hard," said forward Paul Millsap, who was one of the few Hawks to play well with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists. "We weren't able to come back from that."

"We just didn't come ready to play," said guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 10 points.

Chicago (21-22) is also coming off a loss, but a much different kind of one. The Bulls haven't played since a 99-98 disappointment at home on Tuesday against Dallas when Wes Matthews won it for the Mavericks with a late 3-pointer.

"We were coming off one of our better performances of the year, but you've got to play 48 minutes in this league," said coach Fred Hoiberg, whose team had won a Memphis the previous day.

Jimmy Butler had just put the Bulls ahead before Matthews outdid him for heroics. After being sidelined by the flu last week, the forward had his third straight strong game with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.

"You've gotta maintain your body through the grind," said Butler, who lost about 10 pounds while ill. "That's what this job calls for. This is the dream that we wanted. Now that you have it, it's what you have to put up with."

Chicago reserve forward Nikola Mirotic returned against Dallas after missing four games with an illness, but the Bulls played without starter Taj Gibson, sidelined by left ankle soreness. Gibson could be available against the Hawks.

Mike Muscala, the first big man off the bench for Atlanta, has missed three games after spraining his left ankle against Boston last Friday. He is doubtful to play against Chicago.

Butler had 30 points and guard Dwyane Wade scored 25 for the Bulls in the first meeting for the Hawks, but Chicago received little else offensively.

The Bulls need another scorer, which brings attention to forward Doug McDermott. He had a career-best 31 points at Memphis, but scored just seven against Dallas as his inconsistency continued.

The Hawks outrebounded the Bulls 49-30 back in November, but were dominated on the boards in the loss at Detroit.

"I can't remember the last time 60-32," coach Mike Budenholzer said of the rebounding difference against the Pistons. "It's just indicative. They were just better than us."

Jimmy Butler acknowledges 'huge accomplishment' but stays nonchalant about All-Star starter nod.

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/USA TODAY)

Jimmy Butler insisted being a starter in the All-Star Game means next to nothing, but it seems to go against his never-ending battle for credibility and validation as a legit superstar.

Moments after it was revealed he would be an All-Star starter for the first time and make his third overall trip to All-Star weekend, he sang the same nonchalant tune.

"It hasn't changed at all," Butler said on a conference call Thursday evening. "Obviously, it's a huge accomplishment and honor to be named a starter. But it's All-Star weekend. There are going to be a lot of good players there. I guess it's just another name thrown in with some decent players."

The NBA's format for selecting the All-Star starters changed this season, with fans no longer being the sole group that gets to vote for starters. If it was still a fans-only vote,
Philadelphia's Joel Embiid would've started in Butler's place.

But with the new formula that allows the media and the players to take part in the vote, the fan vote accounts for just 50 percent of the formula. So Butler joined Cleveland's LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, Milwaukee's Giannis Antekounmpo and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan in the starting five for the Eastern Conference.

Butler's is averaging 24.8 points with 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists, career-highs across the board, and had he not been selected as a starter, the Bulls' 20-21 record would not have prevented coaches from selecting him as a reserve as they had the last two seasons.
He won't be joined in the starting lineup by Dwyane Wade, who finished second in backcourt voting behind Irving, but cast his vote for his teammate anyway and hopes Wade will be selected as a reserve.

"Of course. He's been a huge part of what we're doing here, and I think he has played extremely well the first part of the season," Butler said. "He got my vote. I will tell you that."

Golden State's Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will start for the West, along with Houston's James Harden, San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans' Anthony Davis, a Chicago native.

The fun-filled and busy weekend in New Orleans begins Feb. 17, from the league events to the parties to the festivities and then finally the All-Star Game on Sunday night.

Butler likely views it as more of an accomplishment for his team of trainers and confidants then himself.

"It's fun, man. You get to know the other really good players in the league, and you get to know a little bit about them," Butler said. "And the experience that you get to be a part of, whether it be the Jordan party or taking your guys with you everywhere. That's the most fun part for me, my trainers, my brothers, everybody that's behind the scenes helping me gets to experience it too."

Bulls' continued inconsistencies 'an issue of focus'.

By Mark Strotman

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Forty-three games into the season and the Bulls are still struggling with focusing on a consistent basis, specifically against lower-tiered teams.

That's according to center Robin Lopez, one of the few Bulls who did show up in their 99-98 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.

Though buzz words such as energy, effort and consistency can be cliche for a team over the course of an 82-game season, where lulls are bound to occur at one point or another, question marks regarding those traits have followed them all year.

Tuesday night marked the Bulls' 12th loss against a team with a record below .500. They are the only of the current 16 playoff teams with a losing record (9-12) against sub-.500 teams. That .428 win percentage is far worse than the .703 win percentage the remaining 15 playoff teams have against such opponents.

"I really think it's an issue of focus," said Lopez, who had 21 points and five rebounds in 36 minutes against the Mavericks. "I think against the good teams we've displayed that focus. We're a little more keen because we're afraid of losing to good teams. There are moments I think where we take certain situations for granted and we have mental lapses.

"I'm not going to go out there and question anybody's effort," he said. "I think we're all busting our asses. But focus is something a little bit different. That's something all of us can be a little bit more consistent with."

Those inconsistencies that dropped the Bulls (21-22) below .500 for the fourth time this season are more frustrating because of their continued successes against the league's elite teams. Just 43 games in, the Bulls have wins over Cleveland (twice), Toronto, San Antonio, Memphis, Utah and Boston.

"We're afraid of losing to good teams in a good way," Lopez clarified. "I think it's a good fear. You go in against the Cavs or somebody, the champs, and you have that fear in your gut. That's a natural instinct. That's a good fear to have because it drives you to stay focused and to be prepared.

"I don't think we have that fear or level of respect at times for other (lesser) opponents."

Focus may be a factor in the Bulls' recent woes against bottom feeders, but so too has production from the second unit. A year-long issue reared itself on Tuesday when the reserves lost the lead in the second quarter that allowed Dallas to take a lead into halftime. The reserves shot 8-for-23 and had almost as many personal fouls (14) as they did rebounds (16) in 90 combined minutes. Though Doug McDermott tied the game at 96-96 in the final minute, the second-quarter struggles from than unit loomed large in a game that was decided in the final seconds.

The bench has been a bit of a revolving door in the past few weeks. With both Denzel Valentine and Nikola Mirotic battling illnesses, and Taj Gibson missing Tuesday's contest with a sprained ankle - he'll play Friday in Atlanta - Hoiberg has had to adjust on the fly, and playing time has been sporadic because of it.

"We do have so many young guys on that bench, and all of them at some point over the course of the year have given us good minutes," Hoiberg said. "You've just got to try to find the right combinations to put out there. It's something that we'll continue to juggle until we find the right group and the right mix out there coming off the bench."

Still, little victories like the Bulls fighting back in the third quarter from 13 down and eventually take the lead early in the fourth quarter proved to Hoiberg that there's enough talent on the team to show it on a more consistent basis. With seven games against teams with winning records before the All-Star break, the Bulls will need to show that effort more frequently as they fight for positioning at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"Keep working on it, keep harping on what's important out there. And again, (in the) second half we did it. I told our guys they screwed up. They showed me that they can do it," Hoiberg said. "It's 48 minutes, it's consistency. And we'll keep working on it."

CUBS: Joe Maddon’s messaging to Cubs before the 2017 campaign.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Joe Maddon's Washington itinerary didn't include an hour-long sit-down with Chuck Todd for NBC's "Meet the Press." There would be no rehashing the manager's Game 7 decisions as he stood outside the West Wing, though the second question during the media stakeout involved "last year's team" and how the 2017 Cubs are prepared to defend a World Series title.

"You're already there, huh?" Maddon said to a CNN reporter, minutes after President Barack Obama's final official White House event ended on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

But last year's team is gone — preserved now in highlight films and the hearts and minds of generations of Cub fans — even if so many familiar faces will be in Mesa when pitchers and catchers officially report to Arizona on Valentine's Day.

It would be impossible to replicate everything that made the 2016 Cubs so special. Baseball has its own relentless pace and the dynamics are constantly shifting. (Remember when players were passive-aggressively complaining about Maddon's spring-training approach during the final week of a 103-win regular season?) The clubhouse chemistry will inevitably feel different after climbing a Mount Everest of professional sports.

"A mind once stretched has a very difficult time going back to its original form," Maddon said. "We're motivated by it. We want to do it again, of course. There's no question we're trying to do that.

"I'm really leaning on the phrase or the thought of being uncomfortable. I want us to be uncomfortable. I think the moment you get into your comfort zone after having such a significant moment in your life like that, the threat is that you're going to stop growing.

"So I really want us to be uncomfortable. I really want to continue (to see) a pattern of growth and really try to get at them very quickly again."

Can Jason Heyward recover from one of the worst offensive seasons in the majors last year? Is Willson Contreras ready to be a frontline catcher? Will Javier Baez have to adjust back to being a role player after becoming a playoff superstar? Does Kyle Schwarber in the leadoff spot and Albert Almora Jr. and Jon Jay in a center-field timeshare represent an upgrade over Dexter Fowler?

If healthy, Wade Davis should be a trusted, lower-maintenance closer than Aroldis Chapman, with an advanced approach to pitching and more clubhouse presence. As a staff, the Cubs will have to bounce back from pitching into early November (or not, in the case of the relievers Maddon didn't trust during the playoffs).

As it stands, Jon Lester (33) and John Lackey (38) have already combined to throw almost 5,000 innings in The Show (including the postseason). Jake Arrieta will have to deal with the pressure of playing for his megadeal in his final season before becoming a free agent.

The drop-off after Mike Montgomery — and it's still mostly projected potential with the No. 5 starter — appears to be very steep in an organization that doesn't have any high-end pitching prospects in the upper levels of the farm system.

After painting the bull's-eye on the chest and turning "Embrace The Target" and "Try Not To Suck" into viral T-shirts, a guy who hates meetings is still working on his themes for this campaign.

"I'm really rotating around the thought of authenticity," Maddon said. "I talked about it a lot last year, the fact that I think authenticity has a chance to repeat itself without even trying. It's part of who you are. It's not fabricated. It's real.

"I've talked about our guys a lot the last couple years. I think one of our strongest qualities is the authentic component of our players. So I'm really focusing on that word right now.

Again, that's a great word to bring an entire message from (when) you get in front of the group that first day in spring training.

"I kind of just think like authenticity happens. And let's work it from there."

The costumes should be in midseason form with Maddon planning a house party around Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Festival before driving his RV from Florida to Arizona.

Maddon will turn 63 on Feb. 8 and have to keep evolving, just like his players, who might outgrow some of those gimmicks. But the Cubs are still a reflection of their future Hall of Fame manager.

Amid all the uncertainty in Washington, Maddon wouldn't touch a question about what advice he would give Donald Trump before Friday's inauguration.

"I'm not even going to go anywhere close to that," Maddon said. "I will say this: I have a lot of respect of the office.

"At the end of the day, just have a lot of respect for the office, regardless of your political persuasion. My point would be to encourage people to really respect the office and let's see what we get done here over the next four years."

Wrigley Field named one of the happiest places in the world by CNN.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

In terms of overall satisfaction for a fanbase in total, it'd be hard for any team could beat the Cubs' faithful right now.

Ending a 108-year drought will make even the most pessimistic of fans ecstatic.

So it's no surprise Wrigley Field would be considered one of the happiest places on Earth.

To counteract "Blue Monday," CNN discussed 15 of the world's happiest places and Wrigley was included.

But the kicker is — CNN doesn't even mention the World Series championship.

Here's the rationale:

"Wrigley Field, on a warm summer night when the breeze off Lake Michigan makes the flags flutter and your cheeks flush with relief from the damp heat. 

"No matter where you sit, you are close to the field, which makes you feel both the intimacy of the game and the immensity of it. 

"The players, standing just feet away from you, feel like giants. And the vendors in the stands hawking hot dogs and beers and Italian ice really are a study in that particular species of Chicago native."

Don't know many people who would argue with that.

The only other American location on the list was Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Other worldwide locations include Bangkok, Japan, New Zealand and Copenhagen.

Between Cubs' victory lap and Hall of Fame vote, Sammy Sosa barely staying in the picture.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Sammy Sosa has stayed so far off the radar that his long-running absence from Cubs Convention didn't even come up during last weekend's Q&A session with ownership.

And the Cubs can't go viral all the time and dominate every offseason news cycle, with the National Baseball Hall of Fame revealing the election results on Wednesday and welcoming Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines and Ivan Rodriguez as part of its 2017 class.

But it's become out of sight, out of mind for Sosa, who barely crossed the 5-percent threshold (8.6) needed to remain on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot for another year.

Sosa — a seven-time All Star, 1998 National League MVP and the franchise's all-time leader with 545 home runs (and 609 overall) — hadn't gained any traction at all during his first four years under BBWAA consideration, hovering between 12.5 and 6.6 percent.

It's complicated with Sosa, a diva personality who experienced a dramatic late-career renaissance and got named in a New York Times report that exposed him as one of the players who tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003 (during what was supposed to be an anonymous survey).

The Cubs have undergone a complete makeover since Sosa walked out in 2004, leaving him without many allies in the organization. It's nothing personal, but in the past the Ricketts family has hinted that Sosa could mend certain fences and fill in some of the blanks he once left open during an unconvincing performance in front of Congress.

The Cubs brought Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Ryne Sandberg to meet President Barack Obama during their Martin Luther King Jr. Day visit to the White House and keep adding former players to the front office. It's awkward after a World Series run where so many alumni showed up to do TV work, throw first pitches, spray champagne or simply watch a rare playoff game at Wrigley Field.

— If Sosa's looking for a roadmap, Manny Ramirez did his penance and cooperated with Major League Baseball to the point where Cubs president Theo Epstein shockingly hired him as a Triple-A Iowa player/coach in the middle of the 2014 season, something that would have been unthinkable during their clashes with the Boston Red Sox.

As a hitting consultant, Ramirez took a come-and-go-as-you-please arrangement, becoming a national story during the 2015 playoffs but largely staying away from the 2016 championship team, perhaps gearing up for his independent-ball comeback in Japan this year. Even after failing multiple drug tests, one of the greatest right-handed hitters of his generation still finished at 23.8 percent in his first year on the BBWAA ballot.

— Lee Smith (34.2 percent) — a drafted-and-developed Cub and the franchise's all-time leader with 180 saves — didn't come close in his 15th and final time on the BBWAA ballot. Smith had been grandfathered when the Hall of Fame narrowed the eligibility window to 10 years, possibly trying to squeeze Steroid Era symbols like Roger Clemens (54.1 percent) and Barry Bonds (53.8 percent).

— This will make Cub fans feel old: Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano are Hall of Fame-eligible for the first time in 2018, when based off this year's returns Trevor Hoffman (74) and Vladimir Guerrero (71.7) should be building momentum toward the 75 percent needed for induction into Cooperstown.

CSN Chicago will live stream Cubs, White Sox games in 2017.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

CSN will live stream Cubs and White Sox games plus pre and postgame shows throughout the 2017 season.

This is thrilling news for all Chicago baseball fans and comes at an absolutely perfect time for a Cubs fanbase that will spend the rest of the year reveling in the 2016 World Series championship.

White Sox fans will also gain more opportunities to get up-close looks at the future as the South Siders continue on with their rebuild.

Both teams and the pre and post shows will be streamed on CSNChicago.com and the NBC Sports app.

CSN already streams Bulls and Blackhawks games and pre/post shows.

"We are thrilled to launch live streaming of our Chicago White Sox and Cubs telecasts beginning this MLB season," said Phil Bedella, Vice President/General Manager of CSN Chicago. "With live streaming currently offered for our Bulls and Blackhawks telecasts, the addition of MLB streaming further illustrates our commitment to provide our viewers with the most in-depth and compelling Cubs and White Sox content in and out of the home and on any device."

The complete CSN broadcasting schedules for Cubs and White Sox telecasts will be released over the next couple weeks.

"We are very pleased that our partners at CSN will be able to provide fans with the opportunity to watch the White Sox anywhere," White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for fans to watch their White Sox, regardless of where they are or what they are doing.  Sports fans deserve to see all the action all season long."

"After such a historic season, we are thrilled Cubs fans will be able to stream games on their choice of device, either inside or outside the home," Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said. "This access has been years in the making for our fans, but the timing is awfully good given the excitement around the 2017 campaign."

For more information, check out the complete press release.

WHITE SOX: Former White Sox OF Tim Raines elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.

By JJ Stankevitz

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

On his tenth and final year on the ballot, Tim Raines finally earned enough votes to earn the title of being a baseball immortal. 

"Rock" Raines will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this summer after 86 percent of voters from the Baseball Writers Association of America cast ballots for the former White Sox outfielder. Raines played for the White Sox from 1991-1995, but was best known for being a star outfielder for the Montreal Expos from 1979-1990.

Raines received the second-highest vote percentage among the three players who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame July 30 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell (86.2 percent) and former Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins and Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez (76 percent) will join Raines in the class of 2017. 

Over his 23-year career, Raines put together a Hall of Fame-worthy resume in spite of being overshadowed by fellow leadoff hitter and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. Over 10,359 plate appearances (63rd all-time), Raines stole 808 bases (5th), drew 1,330 walks (38th), scored 1,571 runs (54th), hit 113 triples (118th) and had an on-base percentage of .385 (135th). His 69.1 WAR ranks 73rd in major league history and is squarely in the realm of plenty of current Hall of Famers, including Barry Larkin (70.2), Carlton Fisk (68.2), and Ryne Sandberg (67.5), among others.

Raines made seven consecutive All-Star teams from 1981-1987 and won the 1987 All-Star Game MVP. He led the National League in runs scored twice, led the National League with 38 doubles in 1984, hit a league-best .334 in 1986 and stole 70 or more bases in six consecutive seasons (including 90 in 1983).

In 1993, Raines was an integral part to the White Sox American League West crown, with the then-33-year-old hitting .306 with an .880 OPS, both of which were his best marks of his post-Expos career. 

"We got a guy at the top who could steal bases," former White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura, who played with Raines from 1991-1995, recalled last summer. "He got on base and did a lot of things. A switch-hitter that could get on base and steal some bases. He was a definite impact, similar to what Rickey did with the A's and some other teams. He just immediately gave credibility at the top of the lineup.

"… When you break down his numbers with some other people, I think he ranks right up there with anybody."

Still, Raines' Hall of Fame election has hardly been a sure thing since he debuted on the 2008 ballot. His year-by-year vote percentages reveal gradual progress, then a surge in 2016:

2008: 24.3 percent
2009: 22.6 percent
2010: 30.4 percent
2011: 37.5 percent
2012: 48.7 percent
2013: 52.2 percent
2014: 46.1 percent
2015: 55.0 percent
2016: 69.8 percent

"This is probably the first year out of the nine years that I've been on the ballot that I really, really feel like I have a chance," Raines said last May. 

What began as a sort of fringy, sabermetric-oriented campaign to get Raines elected eventually received a groundswell of support from a broad voting audience. And because of it, on July 30 this summer, Raines will head to Cooperstown to take his place among the greatest players to ever play the game.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Rookie Bozzelli leads CareerBuilder by 1.

By Al Tays

Rookie Dominic Bozzelli broke out of a logjam on Thursday, shooting an 8-under 64 to take a one-shot lead in the annual birdie-fest known as the CareerBuilder Challenge. Here's how things stand after 18 holes in the tournament that Bob Hope built:

Leaderboard: Dominic Bozzelli (-8), Patton Kizzire (-7), Hudson Swafford (-7), Jhonattan Vegas (-7), Harold Varner III (-7), five players tied at -6 

What it means: Bozzelli, 25, played collegiately at Auburn after transferring there from the University of Central Florida. A native of Rochester, N.Y., he won once on the Web.com Tour last year and finished seventh on that tour's money list.

Round of the day: Bozzelli played at PGA West's Stadium Course, Pete Dye's Sawgrass sequel that was removed from the tournament rotation for more than 25 years because many pros deemed it unfair. Bozzelli obviously had no such qualms, making six birdies and an eagle-2 in a bogey-free round. The eagle came at the par-4 14th, where he holed out from 113 yards.

Best of the rest: We're going with Nick Watney's 5-under 67 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course. Watney made 10 birdies, but unfortunately he also made a triple bogey and a double bogey. The double came on his first hole, No. 10, but he recovered sufficiently to make the turn in 1 under. He caught fire on his second nine, making birdies on every hole except No. 2 (par) and No. 6 (triple). The triple came courtesy of an OB tee ball on the par 4.

Biggest disappointment: Yes, low scores are the norm in this tournament, but the Stadium Course can jump up and bite you, as former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson found out. After an opening par, Simpson went bogey-bogey-bogey-double bogey. He steadied himself with two birdies, but his troubles returned on the back nine, where he made three more bogeys and three more birdies for a 3-over 75.

Shot of the day: Bozelli's hole-out for eagle-2 on the 389-yard 14th hole (his fifth of the day) on the Stadium Course.

Flawless Stenson takes early lead in Abu Dhabi.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

After a banner 2016 season, Henrik Stenson picked up right where he left off.

Stenson was flawless during his opening round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, shooting an 8-under 64 to take a two-shot lead over a group that includes Martin Kaymer and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The Swede was limited in his practice entering the week, but he showed no signs of rust while playing alongside fellow major champs Danny Willett and Dustin Johnson. Starting on the back nine, Stenson shot an outward 30 and appeared ready to challenge the course record of 62 that he shot in 2006.

While that didn't come to fruition, Stenson still curled in a 12-foot birdie on No. 9 to cap a bogey-free round and build an early advantage.

"I'm delighted with that score," Stenson said. "I think I scored better than what I played, but I kept it under control somewhat, hit a couple of close iron shots and made the putts. There wasn't much stress out there."

Stenson hasn't played since a runner-up finish at the Hero World Challenge, and he didn't arrive to Abu Dhabi until Tuesday because of a detour to Stockholm to accept the award as Swedish male athlete of the year. Given his opening-round success, he joked that he may consider adopting this new pre-tournament routine going forward.

"It must be the lack of practice that does it," he said. "A lack of sleep and a lack of practice."

Els: If I can win a major in my 40s, Tiger Woods can.

By Ryan Ballengee

Ernie Els is still getting it done in his late 40s. (Photo/Getty Images)

Tiger Woods will make his season debut next week at the Farmers Insurance Open, kicking off a stretch of four planned starts in a five-week span. He’ll play a few more times as a tune-up for the Masters, where he hopes to put on the green jacket for a fifth time and win his first major since 2008.

Some would see there’s not a snowball’s chance on the sun of Woods winning another major. But four-time major winner Ernie Els says not so fast to those critics.

“I am in my late 40s, and he is just getting into them,” Els said of the 41-year-old Woods ahead of this week’s Singapore Open, according to Reuters. “There have been a few cases where we have won majors in our 40s. It doesn’t happen that often but it does happen. If players like myself, Darren Clarke and Mark O’Meara won (majors) in our 40s, surely Tiger thinks he can do it, too. I am sure it’s on his agenda.”

Mind you, Els and Clarke won their majors in their 40s in the British Open, while O’Meara won both the Masters and Claret Jug in an incredible 1998. Of all the majors, the Open lends itself to older champions.

Els is interested to see what Woods will do, coming off what amounts to a 16-month break from competition that ended with a 15th-place finish in the Hero World Challenge in December. The South African believes Woods has the mental acumen to still work his way around a course and beat a field. He just has to find form good enough to beat the likes of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson.

“Mentally, he is as strong as anybody but he needs to find some momentum at his favorite events and if he gets that, he can start believing again,” Els said. “I would love to see him play like he did back in the 90s, but I am not sure that is going to happen. … There’s a lot of excellent players out there, some of them playing great golf, so it will be great to see if Tiger can get back in the mix at some of the big events and create even more of a buzz.”

NASCAR: World's top drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 to compete in unique race.

CBS Sports

(Photo/yahoosports.com)

Kurt Busch, Helio Castroneves and Travis Pastrana are among the drivers who will compete.

Ever wonder who the fastest driver is, regardless of what vehicle is being driven?

Well wonder no more, because stars from Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Le Mans, MotoGP and Rally X will compete for supremacy Sunday in the Race of Champions. The unique event will take place at Marlins Park in Miami and air live on the CBS Sports Network with coverage beginning at noon ET.

The race will feature 16 drivers from different disciplines, including Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch from NASCAR, Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves from IndyCar, Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel from Formula 1 and action sports legend Travis Pastrana.

The drivers will compete in identical vehicles on a specially designed racetrack that creates a level playing field for all of the competitors.

Here's the full television schedule for the event Sunday:

12:30-1:30 a.m. ET: "Race Of Champions Highlight Show" -- Recapping the action from the head-to-head competition

12-2 p.m. ET: "Race Of Champions: America vs. The World - ROC Nations Cup"(LIVE)

9-10 p.m. ET: "Race Of Champions Highlight Show" (ENCORE)

10:30-11:30 p.m. ET: "Race Of Champions: America vs. The World - ROC Nations Cup Highlight Show" -- Recapping the action from the international team competition.

Ford driver racing a Chevy is ‘right thing to do’ Ford executive says.

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

While it can’t top Carl Edwards announcing he won’t drive this year, one of the more surprising things that took place this offseason was the news that Chris Buescher, a Ford driver, would be loaned to JTG Daugherty, a Chevrolet team.

“At first sight, it certainly gave us second thoughts,” admitted Raj Nair, executive vice president for Global Product Development and Chief Technical Officer for Ford. “As we thought about it … this is the right thing to do.”

Dave Pericak, Global Director for Ford Performance, said there wasn’t room for Buescher, a Roush Fenway Racing driver, with another Ford team for this season.

Roush Fenway Racing downsized to two teams and both were set with sponsorship for Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports downsized to one team and that car was set with sponsorship for Aric Almirola. Team Penske was not expanding. The Wood Brothers have Ryan Blaney in the car. Stewart-Haas Racing, which joins Ford this year, had no room. Front Row Motorsports, where Buescher was loaned to last year and made NASCAR’s playoffs after his Pocono win, also wasn’t a viable option and will have David Ragan and Landon Cassill as its drivers.

That meant the 24-year-old Buescher would need to run with another manufacturer if he was to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. Roush loaned Buescher and a charter to JTG Daugherty to ensure Buescher is in every race.

“If you look at where we are in our transition and our plans going forward, we just didn’t have a seat for him and it’s not right to ask him to sit and not drive,” Pericak told NBC Sports. “That’s just not right. Knowing he wants to be a Ford guy, knowing we want him to be a Ford guy, we thought there might have been a unique solution to keeping him basically in the Ford family. This is the right thing for him.”

Clint Bowyer looks to be relevant again.

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

Clint Bowyer can be loud, wild and ready for the next good time, but after a season that felt as arduous as Odysseus’ journey, Bowyer’s voice softens when he states a goal for this season.

“I sure hope you are watching me,’’ Bowyer said as he stood next to his No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. “At the end of the day, relevancy in this sport is everything, and I’ve lost that a little bit. Not a little bit. A lot.’’

Four years after finishing runner-up in the championship, Bowyer could barely finish in the top 20 in races last year for HScott Motorsports, a team no longer competing in NASCAR.

It was a stunning fall for driver who seemed on solid ground after he signed a three-year contract extension with Michael Waltrip Racing in May 2014, following back-to-back finishes in the top 10 in points.

Fourteen months later, though, Michael Waltrip Racing announced it would cease operations after the season.

A month after that, Bowyer signed to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing, replacing Tony Stewart in 2017. That left Bowyer without a ride for 2016. With few options, Bowyer went to HScott Motorsports and suffered through a season that saw him record three top-20 finishes in the last 19 races.

“Was it the best thing in the world for me?’’ Bowyer said of last season. “Probably not. It probably wasn’t healthy as a matter of fact, but, nonetheless, this deal was worth it. This opportunity was worth whatever you had to go through, whether it was sitting at home or getting into something. It didn’t matter, I signed on for this thing. I want to be in this car because I knew it was my soonest opportunity to be in the best possible situation to win races.’’

But it has been four years since he last won, a span of 149 races.

He was asked Wednesday at the Ford Performance Technical Center if he is any good still.

“That’s a real legitimate question,’’ Bowyer said. “You just don’t know. I think the last time I was in a good car, I was good. I think that I’m a smarter driver than I was three years ago. I think I’m plenty capable of winning races. I love what I see at Stewart-Haas.’’

His team was set up for him. Mike Bugarewicz gained experience last year in his rookie season as a crew chief for Stewart. That should help Bugarewicz in the transition to his new driver. Bowyer and Bugarewicz started talking weekly in the second half of last season, discussing what setups Bowyer liked, track conditions, tires, etc. Anything to learn each other and help their communication this season.

“For me, that driver/crew chief relationship is everything and you’ve got to get that established,’’ Bowyer said.

Bowyer also can lean on some familiar faces at Stewart-Haas Racing. He was a teammate to Kevin Harvick at Richard Childress Racing. Bowyer was at Michael Waltrip Racing when Harvick’s crew chief, Rodney Childers was there. Billy Scott, crew chief for Danica Patrick, was Bowyer’s crew chief, for part of the 2015 season.

About the only person he doesn’t know well at SHR is Kurt Busch.

“We just never really hung out,’’ Bowyer said of the 2004 champion. “He’s the one guy that I really think has more raw talent than about anybody out there. I want to go out and learn as much as I can. I know he can really diagnose what’s going on with the car. The depth he goes in with the debrief is probably a lot higher than I’ve had in the past.’’

That’s just part of the culture at Stewart-Haas Racing that has Bowyer excited.

“They don’t take second as an option,’’ Bowyer said. “They go and work hard and figure out how to go win these races.’’

No longer does he have to worry about finishing 25th (his average finish last year was 23.6).

“With equipment like this, if you’re 25th or something at the end of the day … there’s a reason for it,’’ Bowyer said. “That’s the breath of fresh air. It’s not expected. It’s not going to happen.’’

Told that Stewart sees Bowyer as calmer, the 37-year-old replies that he’s “confident again.

“When 2016 finally came to an end, I was looking at Dale (Earnhardt) Jr and Amy having a good time (at their New Year’s Eve wedding), and I’m like I can’t wait for tomorrow morning,’’ Bowyer said. “Just get all that brushed off, get it behind you and … focus on the task at the hand and using this wonderful opportunity to be good and great again.’’

And relevant. 

SOCCER: No offside, orange cards and more: Looking at the wild proposed FIFA rule changes.

By Roger Gonzalez

The World Cup may change into something like we never expected.

World soccer could be changing into something almost unrecognizable. According to the AP, FIFA's technical director Marco Van Basten has been contemplating numerous extreme changes to the game, many of which could easily be taken as a joke.

Van Basten, a legend of the game with the Netherlands, AC Milan and Ajax, has mentioned the following as potential changes.

Restricting players to 60 games

Explanation: Van Basten doesn't like the fact that some players could play 75 official games in one year, and he thinks it impacts the quality of the game. He said a cap at 55 or 60 would improve the quality of the games and limit injuries.

Take: So, what? If Lionel Messi has played so many games in a calendar year, including a summer international tournament, he can't play in clubs games in December because he is capped? That will go over well. That one makes no sense and would only hurt the game, not help it. Try telling Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo they have to sit out an important clash.

Replacing penalty kicks with eight-second run-ups

Explanation: No penalty kicks to decide matches, just those old MLS-style run-ups instead. This could potentially be deciding games at the 2026 World Cup if it is proposed and adopted.

Take: Don't get me started. This could be the one that ruins the World Cup. This isn't hockey, this isn't old NASL, this is the beautiful game and the world's most popular sport. Adding something like this would make it and FIFA a mockery. Penalty kicks are a fine way to decide matches after extra time, and not some play-ground run-ups.

Introducing orange cards

Explanation: I joked about giving out a blue card to a player to kick them off the field for 10 minutes. FIFA isn't joking. Van Basten is interested in playing an orange card for infractions that are between a yellow and a red, removing the player for 10 minutes. Seriously.

Take: Again, this puts even more pressure on the officials. And to take a player off the field is huge. Think about a red card in a match now. It forces the coach to usually make a sub to adjust the formation, and going even more than five minutes without a player puts a team at a serious disadvantage. To think it could happen several times a game, it's another rule that would hurt the sport.

No offside

Explanation: "I think it can be very interesting watching a game without offside," Van Basten said. "Football now is already looking a lot like handball with nine or ten defenders in front of the goal. It's difficult for the opposition to score a goal as it's very difficult to create something in the small pieces of space they give you."

Take: No offside? Cherry picking galore. While we are at it, let's make goals 10 times bigger, play in plastic bubbles and allow one Pepe-like tackle to go unpunished each match.

Four quarters

Explanation: Pretty simple. The game is broken up into quarters instead of two halves.

Take: We see this in a way sometimes with water breaks in the middle of a half, but that is as far as it should go. Hydrating players, especially in extreme heat, is more than fine and understandable. But quarters would just slow everything down even more and could certainly negatively impact teams that are in a good spell during a match and looking to capitalize.

What happens next?

Official proposals would have to be made and approved by the International Football Association Board, with FIFA controlling eight of the votes and four belonging to the British associations. The plan is for Van Basten to get feedback and then see if a proposal comes forward.

I'm hoping this is the last we hear about this, but sadly that won't be the case.

Manchester United has passed Barcelona, Real Madrid as world's best on one list. 

By Roger Gonzalez

United topped the world in revenue.

Manchester United may be sixth in the Premier League and playing in Europa League, but the Red Devils still top all clubs in the world, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, in one category.

According to the Deloitte Football Money League's 2017 report, Manchester United had the highest revenue in world soccer for 2015-16, knocking Real Madrid off the top spot after the Spanish club topped the list for the last 11 years. United pulled in $730 million in revenue from matchday, broadcast, commercial and other sources.

Real Madrid was second on the list just over $100,000 short of United. Barcelona was third with $633 million. United, Real Madrid and Barca were the only teams to top $600 million.

Also making the list was Leicester City, which stunned the soccer world by winning the Premier League. The Foxes finished 20th and pulled in $157 million.

Why La Liga is the most balanced league in Europe. What's Your Take?

By Shahan Ahmed

Sevilla did not back down to Ronaldo and Real. (Getty Images)

Last Sunday’s comeback by Sevilla to shock first-place Real Madrid and end its historic run of 40 matches unbeaten was just the latest example of why La Liga offers the most intriguing, competitive and balanced domestic league in Europe.

And, yes, that includes the Premier League.

Zinedine Zidane and his men still sit one point clear at the top with a game in hand, but Spain is no longer a two-horse or even a three-horse race. Sevilla, a team built on dominating at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, has won eight of nine matches and collected more points at home than any other club in the league. With new coach Jorge Sampaoli, who led Chile to its first-ever Copa America title in 2015, the side from the south of Spain is no longer content to being defined by Europa League glory, advancing to the round of 16 of the Champions League. Based on the current campaign, Los Rojiblancos should be favored to beat Leicester City and advance to the final eight in Europe.

Only one point behind Sevilla, Barcelona continues to sit in the long grass waiting to pounce when its prey experiences an unexpected stumble. If Real Madrid drops points against Real Sociedad in a couple of weeks and Sevilla drops points away to either Osasuna or Espanyol before the end of January, Barcelona can go top of La Liga in the blink of an eye with two victories to end the first month of 2017. Incredibly, even after Real Madrid went unbeaten from the end of February 2016 to the middle of January 2017, Barca – with Lionel Messi, in particular, looking hungry and motivated at the start of the new year – is only two points behind its biggest rival.

Meanwhile in England, Chelsea sits on a seven-point cushion over its closest opponent in the domestic league. But unlike La Liga, where the race for the final Champions League berth is far less predictable, the Premier League has a major drop-off from the top six to the rest of the pack. Even after Everton smashed Manchester City last weekend, the Toffees are seven points back of the top six and not considered a genuine threat to even capture a Europa League berth.

In Spain, however, Atletico Madrid currently occupies the final Champions League spot and sits only two points ahead of Real Sociedad, while a resurgent Villarreal is only one point behind Sociedad in sixth place. This is where La Liga really differs from the Premiership. Basque country’s most famous club, Athletic Bilbao, is hot on the trail and only three points away from Villarreal, but Athletic also has seven teams within seven points of it.

To illustrate the mobility factor of a team on the fringes of the top in England versus one in Spain, Athletic Bilbao gaining six points would go from seventh place into a tie for fourth and into a Champions League spot. Seventh-place Everton gaining six points would remain in seventh. Conversely, Bilbao removing six points would put the Basque club in a tie for 11th place. Everton magically losing six points would only drop the Merseyside club one position and into a tie for eighth place.

La Liga is a curiously well-balanced league at the halfway point in the season. From No. 1 Real Madrid sitting on 40 points to No. 20 Osasuna sitting on nine points, no team trails the team above it in the table by more than four points. Upward and downward mobility is possible at every level of the league. Italy also offers an intriguing title race in which the top six are only separated by nine points, but the quality in La Liga is undeniably better than Serie A. It’s not even close.

The Premier League’s spending power generates the argument that it is the best league on the planet and a narrative that any team can earn a surprise result because of the quality at the bottom. But it should be pointed out that one of Sevilla’s three league defeats came against second-from-the-bottom Granada and one of Sevilla’s three draws came against third-from-bottom Sporting Gijon. Likewise, newly-promoted Alaves is one of only two teams to claim a victory over Barcelona in the current season (Celta Vigo being the other).

As results have displayed, the top teams in La Liga can be shocked by the lower-level teams. Parity exists in Spain, as it does in England, if not more so.  All three of Chelsea’s defeats have come against teams in the top four: Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Similarly, second-place Spurs has only suffered defeats against sixth-place Manchester United and clear title favorite Chelsea. Sure, Liverpool’s two defeats came against Bournemouth and Burnley, but both of those clubs occupy mid-table positions.

The bottom of the Premier League is not exactly smashing teams at the top, even if it has the power to spend bigger than the bottom of La Liga. And in terms of quality, Spain has been ahead of every league in Europe for several years, evidenced by the fact that Spanish sides have won the Champions League and Europa League in each of the previous three seasons. In fact, the Champions League final has only featured one non-Spanish team over the past three years.

In addition, the top four Spanish teams in the table at the midway point have also all qualified for the knockout rounds of the Champions League. No other country has four sides in the round of 16, and only one of England’s current top four is in the Champions League’s last 16. While Premier League defenders will point to the holiday fixtures to explain the drop-off, the Champions League group stage ended in early December, when all the leagues had been going full throttle at about the same pace.

After 16 rounds of the Premier League, which wrapped up play in the week after the Champions League group stages, Arsenal sat in third place as the top English club qualifying for the round of 16. Currently, none of the three Premier League sides to qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds sit in the top three in England. Pointing to the Champions League as an excuse, defending Premier League champion Leicester City is currently in 15th place domestically and still not free and clear of the relegation battle. Second-place Tottenham crashed and burned into the Europa League.

In Europe, Spain continues to convincingly win the argument over the Premier League.

While the Premiership may be a more popular league from top to bottom, La Liga offers far more competition and mobility from the middle to the top. At the top, Spain features a fiercer battle to go along with the best skills and brightest talents in the sport. Paul Pogba may have his own hashtag emoji on Twitter, but La Liga still has the top two talents in the sport: Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

For a change, though, La Liga seems to be deeper and narrower than ever before, making it less about Barcelona and Real Madrid and more about all the rest. While its finances may still be far from fair, the Spanish top flight is currently the most balanced domestic league in all of Europe.

Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica Take: We've always heard that the Premier League was the best league in Europe. Please educate us, we'd love to hear the pros and cons on this question from the fans of both leagues. Tell us here in America why your league is the best. Please go to the comment section at the bottom of this blog and let us know what's your take? We can't wait to hear your thoughts.

As always, we love hearing from you and thanks in advance for taking the time to share your opinion with us.

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

NCAABKB: College basketball Power Rankings, Jan. 19: North Carolina into the top 5.

By Henry Bushnell

Saturday’s top 10 clash between North Carolina and Florida State told us a lot about both teams, and almost all of it was positive. (Photo/Getty)

Heartbreaking is too strong a word. As Creighton coach Greg McDermott said at a Wednesday press conference that was both reflective and upbeat, nobody died. Nobody was diagnosed with a serious illness. It’s just an ACL.

But nonetheless, something about Maurice Watson’s season-ending injury was heart-twinging. The fact that McDermott had to give that reminder in the first place spoke volumes about the response to the news.

“Someone in the national media said, ‘Maurice Watson’s injury is bad for Maurice, it’s bad for Creighton, and it’s bad for college basketball,” McDermott said Wednesday. “I think that’s the ultimate compliment. This little guy has had an impact on our game that people really, really appreciate.”

As a fan of the sport, it’s impossible to dislike Watson, an unheralded and undersized recruit from Philadelphia who didn’t have a major conference offer and ended up at Boston University. He excelled, then elevated himself to his dream conference, the Big East, to elevate Creighton to its best start in program history.

Watson, his career arc and his style embodied so much of what we love about college basketball. He was the overlooked, “Philly-tough” point guard who had earned his coach’s trust to the extent that McDermott never had to tell him to go back in the game. Watson would just bolt to the scorer’s table and check himself in.

McDermott spoke of Watson growing before his eyes, and the changes Watson made in his life to get to the point he was at. And he spoke of dreams. Big dreams. “You have a vision in your mind of how something’s going to end,” he said. “For Maurice and I, I was hoping it was going to be deep into an NCAA Tournament run, accomplishing some things we’ve never accomplished before as an institution.”

If not for the injury, this week’s Power Rankings might have discussed the possibility of that very dream coming true. Instead, the Bluejays have fallen in the ranks, but remain in the top 20, in part out of respect for what Watson and his teammates have achieved, and out of regret that we won’t get to see Watson make a run at that dream.

Here is that top 20, along with, as always, five more teams to keep an eye (or two) on. And five mid-majors. So 30 teams in all to label underrated or overrated, or properly rated, or something else. If you do so on Twitter (@HenryBushnell), just make sure to include the reasoning.

1. Villanova | 18-1 | KenPom: 2 | Last week: 1

There are a lot of college basketball players that would qualify as “not very smart,” especially when it comes to end-of-half clock management and the navigation of potential two-for-one opportunities. Jalen Brunson, whom we’ve gushed about in this space before, is not one of those players. So it’s time to gush about him again. Brunson made a small, relatively innocuous play at the end of the first half Monday against Seton Hall that every college point guard should study:

The argument against going two-for-one at the end of halves is simple: Because college players aren’t capable of hitting contested shots at the same rates as pros, the expected value of two rushed, low-quality shots doesn’t equal or surpass the expected value of one high-quality look. That argument, however, only applies to what happens after a team sets up in its halfcourt offense.

Watch what Brunson does immediately after Seton Hall scores. He looks up to check the game clock, sees 1:01 remaining, and claps his hands to demand the inbounds from Kris Jenkins. He then gets Villanova into its halfcourt offense with 26 seconds on the shot clock:

This is how you go 2-for-1 in college basketball. The above argument is two-sided; but the tactic doesn’t have to be associated with low-quality shots. Push the pace, and you increase your odds of getting a high-quality shot with 40-plus seconds left on the game clock. If one emerges, take it, and take the extra possession; if none emerge, play out the possession as usual, and there’s no harm done. This is common sense, yet so many college coaches refuse to abide by it.

2. Kansas | 17-1 | KenPom: 7 | Last week: 2

Kansas still trails Villanova despite a 17th-consecutive victory. But does Frank Mason still trail Josh Hart in the Player of the Year race? As promised last week, here’s the case for Mason, which is threefold. There is statistical evidence, both per game numbers — 20.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds — and tempo-free rates — an 127.2 offensive rating and a 61.6 effective field goal percentage. There is anecdotal evidence, such as Mason’s clutch buckets and boards down the stretch that held off Iowa State on Monday. And more than anything, there is role-based evidence. Mason plays over 35 minutes per game at the most important position in basketball on a team that hasn’t lost since opening night. The argument is far from irrefutable. But it’s a pretty darn good one.

3. Kentucky | 16-2 | KenPom: 1 | Last week: 3

The biggest development for Kentucky since our last Power Rankings correspondence? Surely it’s Wenyen Gabriel’s offense. The lanky frosh hit five of his six three-pointers in wins over Auburn and Mississippi State after starting his Kentucky career just 4-of-20 from deep. The raw 6-foot-9 forward will always be the fourth or fifth option for John Calipari’s crew when he’s on the floor; if he can contribute consistent scoring, the Wildcat offense could go from high-powered to a UCLA level of historically potent. And with Bam Adebayo preferring to dwell in his natural habitat, the paint, if Gabriel can be a serviceable perimeter threat, even better.

4. UCLA | 18-1 | KenPom: 12 | Last week: 4

NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster dug up a stupendous stat on Lonzo Ball that is as remarkable as it is telling:

In related news — very related news — Ball’s offensive rating is 132.2, and even higher through six Pac-12 games. You know, he might be a pretty good basketball player.

5. North Carolina | 17-3 | KenPom: 6 | Last week: 8

The best offensive rebounding team in the nation was at it again Saturday, even without talented freshman center Tony Bradley, and even against the second-tallest team in college basketball. North Carolina retrieved 45.7 of its own missed shots in a 96-83 victory over Florida State, an even higher percentage than its season-long average of 42.7. Both are extremely influential numbers, and are two of many reasons the Tar Heels are back into the top five of these rankings. Theo Pinson is another.

6. Gonzaga | 17-0 | KenPom: 3 | Last week: 11

Jeff Eisenberg brought up the possibility weeks ago. You laughed it off as premature. But now, after a 79-56 takedown of St. Mary’s, everybody is climbing aboard. It’s time to start using “Gonzaga” and “undefeated” in the same sentence with regularity. KenPom says the probability of an unblemished regular season is better than one in three. A superficial look at the schedule, which has just three remaining top 100 foes, agrees. Provided the Zags don’t slip up at Santa Clara on Thursday, next week’s Power Rankings will feature some more nuanced analysis on what has made 30-0 a real possibility.

7. Florida State | 17-2 | KenPom: 18 | Last week: 6

In the fourth and fifth legs of a treacherous six-game stretch, the Seminoles did absolutely nothing to disprove the notion that they are bonafide ACC contenders and a Final Four threat. Even in eventual defeat at North Carolina, Florida State battled back from an early deficit, overcame poor free throw shooting and turnovers, and hung with one of the hottest teams in America. Four days later, Leonard Hamilton’s team beat ACC leader Notre Dame despite the Irish shooting 15-for-21 from three. Not a bad week.

8. West Virginia | 15-3 | KenPom: 4 | Last week: 5

Are opponent turnovers a requisite feature of West Virginia victories? Not necessarily. Will they be required if the Mountaineers are to mount a charge in March? It’s too early to tell. As much press as Press Virginia garners, there are many other redeeming qualities of this West Virginia team that topped KenPom’s rankings before a puzzling home loss to Oklahoma. But that loss, coupled with an earlier loss to Texas Tech, tell us that, stripped of its defining characteristic (its ability to force turnovers), West Virginia can look like an unremarkable — but still very good — team. With those leading questions hanging over the Mountaineers in the coming weeks, they’ll be one of the most intriguing teams to follow in college basketball.

9. Baylor | 17-1 | KenPom: 8 | Last week: 9

Expectations, both our own and those of others, can have a devilish effect on perception. Baylor is exhibit 1A. Two months ago, the Bears were unranked and without a single vote in either poll. Two weeks ago, they were No. 1. Their performance against those expectations would have you believe they’re trending in the wrong direction. In reality, they’ve more or less played all season at a level that should have them at the back end of the top 10. Their defense is vastly improved, while their offense is roughly in line with what it’s been ever since 2011/12. With West Virginia’s loss to Oklahoma, Scott Drew holds the rest of the Big 12’s best hope of dethroning Kansas.

10. Virginia | 14-3 | KenPom: 5 | Last week: 14

Hot take: Virginia is going to win the ACC. Reasoning: The Cavaliers have shown an encouraging ability to win games with offense in recent weeks. They scored 1.27 points per possession against Wake Forest and 1.18 in a tight road win at Clemson. The defense, which doomed them in the OT loss to Pittsburgh two weeks ago, should never be a concern. The offense still is a slight one, but with London Perrantes (49 combined points in the Wake and Clemson victories) adjusting to his larger offensive load, and others around him following suit, Virginia, even with two losses and an unforgiving conference schedule, is a sneaky bet for the ACC crown.

11. Oregon | 16-2 | KenPom: 21 | Last week: 13

The bottom half of the Pac 12 is bruuuuuuuuutal. Oregon State, whom Oregon trounced 85-43 on Saturday, has one top-200 win, three Division I wins overall, and might be one of the worst major conference teams of the 21st century.

12. Duke | 14-4 | KenPom: 11 | Last week: 10

There’s not much use in intricate forward-thinking analysis of games that Amile Jefferson misses. There’s also no point in overreacting to a tough road loss to a top-10 team. Duke has real problems, yes. The lack of a true point guard is chief among them. And sure, it is falling out of the ACC race. It is also almost certainly a top 10 team once Jefferson returns, and still has the third-best national title odds in Vegas. Don’t abandon ship.

13. Notre Dame | 16-3 | KenPom: 22 | Last week: 16

Notre Dame met its match Wednesday. The Irish offense was severely inhibited by Florida State’s length, and struggled to score within 15 feet of the rim, going 12-for-37 from inside the arc. But there’s absolutely no shame in losing at Florida State by three. You can bet Mike Brey will learn from the struggles and get his guys set for the next showdown with an elite defensive team, Tuesday against Virginia.

14. Butler | 16-3 | KenPom: 16 | Last week: 18

Kelan Martin isn’t an overwhelmingly efficient offensive player, but he’s a wonderfully problematic mismatch. Oftentimes when we think of that word, we think of bigs abusing guards in the post, or guards blowing by bigs on the perimeter. Martin will exploit any player who doesn’t neutralize every single facet of his offensive game, and he’ll do so from anywhere on the court. Here he is on three separate second-half occasions against Marquette, first out-pacing a big on a switch, then using his strength to muscle past a guard, and finally shooting over a sagging perimeter defender:

C’mon, give him the benefit of the doubt. Of course he called “bank.”

15. Louisville | 15-3 | KenPom: 9 | Last week: 7

Louisville was rolling, and proving to be every bit the top-10 team that these Power Rankings told you the Cardinals were. Then point guard Quentin Snider strained his hip flexor, and the positive vibes were momentarily squelched. Snider will miss 2-3 weeks, and Louisville isn’t the same team without him. The top priority will be to get the junior healthy for March.

16. Wisconsin | 15-3 | KenPom: 10 | Last week: 17

When in doubt — or when you don’t have much to say about a relatively uneventful week in Badgerland — revert to watching Ethan Happ do extraordinary things a month ago:

https://youtu.be/8F3RezR9PZk

17. Arizona | 16-2 | KenPom: 17 | Last week: 19

There isn’t enough verified information on the Allonzo Trier situation to fire off an opinionated take on the suspension, the appeal, or anything that led to either. There may never be enough information for that. But this we can say: If Trier were to return to the lineup, given a two- or three-week adjustment period, Arizona would become a top-10 team and a Final Four contender. For now, though, that “if” remains as tantalizing for Wildcat fans as ever.

18. South Carolina | 15-3 | KenPom: 29 | Last week: NR

South Carolina didn’t make a two-point field goal until there were less than eight minutes remaining in the first half of its top-25 matchup against Florida Wednesday night. It still won the game, and ascended to No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency in the process. The Gamecocks, who are 5-0 in the SEC and unbeaten this season with Sindarius Thornwell in the lineup, get Kentucky Saturday. More to come Friday on Frank Martin and his reclamation project in Columbia.

19. Florida | 14-4 | KenPom: 13 | Last week: 20

Wednesday was ugly. The Gators scored 53 points on 70 possessions. But rest assured, they won’t shoot 0-for-17 from three every night, nor will they come up against a defense as stout as South Carolina’s. Mike White has a nice little squad down there in Gainesville.

20. Creighton | 18-1 | KenPom: 15 | Last week: 12

As I wrote in the immediate aftermath of the injury, and as Greg McDermott said the following day, “there’s maybe not one player that’s as important to a team anywhere in the country as Maurice was to us.” We’ll leave the Bluejays in the top 20 until we get definitive evidence they don’t belong. But I have a disheartening feeling that that evidence is coming sooner rather than later.

Keep an eye (or two) on: Purdue, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Iowa State, TCU

Best of the mids (Atlantic-10 excluded): St. Mary’s, Illinois State, Wichita State, UNC-Wilmington, Chattanooga

NCAAFB: NCAA committee moves forward with December early-signing proposal.

By Nick Bromberg

(Photo/AP)

The NCAA could be implementing an early-signing period for football recruits soon. But the signing period won’t be in June.

The Division I Football Oversight Committee is moving forward with a proposal that would open a 72-hour signing period for high school recruits in December. The timeframe would correspond with the current December signing time for junior college recruits.

But the committee isn’t recommending an early-signing time for recruits in June. Unlike basketball, there is not currently an opportunity for football recruits to sign early. The earliest a recruit can sign a letter of intent is on National Signing Day the first Wednesday in February.

“What we heard from the coaches at the American Football Coaches Association meetings that the June signing date was problematic,” Big 12 commissioner and committee chair Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “We knew one of the charges to our committee was to open earlier access. We will continue to look for an earlier signing date than mid-December, but we will move ahead on the other parts of the process. This is a significant move forward in football recruiting. We think it is student-athlete-friendly, family-friendly and coach-friendly.”

The possibility of a June signing day seemed tenuous at best after the lack of support it received at the American Football Coaches Association meetings in Nashville last week. The AFCA said it unanimously supported a December signing date but there was no traction for a June committal time.

A June period could have allowed recruits to sign with a school before their senior seasons and provide an insurance plan of sorts in case of an injury over their final season. But, on the flip side, others feared recruits could skip their senior seasons with their college futures secure.

As part of the committee’s proposal, rules on official visits for recruits would also be modified. Recruits would be allowed to take official visits from April-June of their junior years, to months earlier than initially proposed.

Proposal for 10th assistant coach gains support of NCAA Division 1 Council.

By Kevin McGuire

The NCAA’s Board of Directors is expected to approve a proposal that will allow college football programs to add a 10th assistant to the coaching staff. The proposal has received the support of the Division 1 Council in this week’s NCAA meetings, which was to be expected. There appears to be nothing else to stand in the way of passing the proposal and expanding the coaching staff at football programs across the country.

There appears to be a widespread show of support for the addition of a coach to the staff from head coaches, which makes sense. With many programs adding on special assistants as analysts, some programs would benefit from being able to promote an analyst to a coaching role and get them more involved in the program. Just within the last week, Alabama hired Mike Locksley to a full-time coaching role after he had been helping the program out as an analyst. Alabama also picked up Steve Sarkisian as an analyst and promoted him to offensive coordinator following the awkwardly timed decision to push Lane Kiffin on his way out the door to take the FAU head coaching job.

The concern is this would lead to a greater divide between the haves and the have-nots in college football, as the addition of an extra coach will increase the payroll. This is hardly a concern for programs like Alabama and Ohio State, but perhaps more of a concern for a program like UMass or UAB (yes, UAB is back this year), for example.

Regardless, Donald Trump will happily take credit for the creation of potentially 128 new jobs in college football.

The Division 1 Council did scrap the idea of having an early signing period in the summer but there does still appear to be momentum for an early signing period in December. Another proposal receiving support from the council include the option for high school seniors to make official visits starting April 1 until the end of June (official visits currently cannot take place until September 1). The Council has also discussed organizing a 14-week season to play 12 games, thus providing two bye weeks for each team and push the start of the season into August.

Defending champ Kerber advances to 4th round vs Vandeweghe.

Associated Press

(Photo/Getty Images)

Angelique Kerber had a straight-sets win for the first time in her first Australian Open title defense, starting her 6-0, 6-4 third-round victory with an eight-game streak against Kristyna Pliskova on Friday.

Top-ranked Kerber beat the other Pliskova twin, Karolina, in the final of the last U.S. Open to capture her second career Grand Slam title. Her first was here at Melbourne Park 12 months ago.

Kerber marked her 29th birthday on Wednesday with a second-round win over fellow German Carina Witthoeft, but said she didn’t celebrate much between matches and hoped to do more at the end of the tournament.

She’ll next play 35th-ranked CoCo Vandeweghe, who reached the fourth round in Australia for the first time with a -4, 3-6, 7-5 win over 2014 semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard.

“It will be tough,” Kerber said. “I’m ready. I’m feeling good. I’m loving to play on this court.”

Eighth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova was broken in the second and third sets when serving for the match before finally beating former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 in a 3-hour, 36-minute match.

Two-time major champion Kuznetsova will next play No. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat No. 11 Elina Svitolina 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Vandeweghe recovered from an early break in the third set in a tense win over Bouchard, who was ranked as high as No. 5 in 2014 when she reached the semifinals in Australia and France and the final at Wimbledon.

Vandeweghe converted her only break-point chance to take the first set but Bouchard leveled the match with two breaks in a dominant second set.

The 22-year-old Canadian broke to open the third set and appeared to be in control until Vandeweghe changed her approach.

“She started playing better and I got a little passive in my game plan and executing it – I was able to turn it around thankfully,” Vandeweghe said.

After holding in the key eighth game of the third set, when she saved four break points in a game that went to deuce eight times, Vandeweghe had the benefit of serving first with no tiebreakers in the deciding set.

She easily held for a 6-5 lead and then, after Bouchard had a game point, went on a roll to close with a big backhand winner on her first match point.

Vandeweghe has reached the quarterfinals and the fourth round in the last two years at Wimbledon, but her run to the third round in Australia in 2016 was her best at any major not played on grass.

“It’s just another opponent on the way to achieving my goal,” Vandeweghe said of her win. “Anyway I could get it done – I just wanted to get the result. Achieved my goal.”

Vandeweghe’s new doubles partner, Martina Hingis, cheered her on throughout the match. Afterward, the American joked that Hingis might scold her for playing “too long to be fresh for the doubles.”

Bouchard has been gradually improving her ranking in recent months. She hasn’t gone past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since slipping and falling in the locker room during the 2015 U.S. Open

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Friday, January 20, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1892 - The first official basketball game was played by students at the Springfield, MA, YMCA Training School.

1937 - Nels Stewart (New York Americans) became the NHL's career leading scorer when he scored his 270th NHL goal.

1949 - Free substitution was adopted for one year in the NFL.

1952 - Patricia McCormick debuted as the first professional woman bullfighter.

1968 - Houston ended UCLA's 47-game winning streak with a 71-69 victory at the Astrodome before 52,693 fans. The game also set a NCAA attendance record.

1985 - The most-watched Super Bowl game in history was seen by an estimated 115.9 million people. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins, 38-16. Super Bowl XIX marked the first time that TV commercials sold for a million dollars a minute. Joe Montana was awarded his third MVP award.

1995 - The NHL season opened with the teams playing a 48-game schedule instead of the usual 84. The season had been shortened due to a players strike.

1999 - ESPN announced the creation of the Great Outdoor Games to be held in Lake Placid, NY, in 2000.

1999 - The NBA lockout officially ended after 204 days.

2002 - Joe Nieuwendyk (Dallas Stars) played in his 1,000th career NHL game.

2003 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first NHL goalie to play in 1,000 games.

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