CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 01/02/2017.

Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica

"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"

We offer: Select Opportunities, For your convenience, At Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing

Because it's all about you!!!

"Sports Quote of the Day"

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." ~ Helen Keller, Author, Political Activist and Lecturer

Trending: Blues, Blackhawks set for Winter Classic today. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).   

Trending: Bears finish historically bad season with expectations that John Fox stays as coach. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

Trending: Preview: Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls, 12/02/2017. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

Trending: NASCAR: The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule,
The 2017 Xfinity Series schedule and The 2017 Camping World Truck Series schedule. (See the NASCAR section for racing news and NASCAR updates).

Trending: UFC 207: Ronda Rousey knocked out in 48 seconds. (See the last two articles on this blog for MMA updates and fight news).

NFL SCORES, Sunday 02, 2017.

Baltimore Ravens 10 

Cincinnati Bengals 27

Houston Texans 17

Tennessee Titans 24

Carolina Panthers 16

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

Jacksonville Jaguars 20 

Indianapolis Colts 24

New England Patriots 35

Miami Dolphins 14

Chicago Bears 10

Minnesota Vikings 38

Buffalo Bills 10

New York Jets 30

Dallas Cowboys 13

Philadelphia Eagles 27

Cleveland Browns 24

Pittsburgh Steelers 27

New Orleans Saints 32

Atlanta Falcons 38

New York Giants 19

Washington Redskins 10

Arizona Cardinals 44

Los Angeles Rams 6

Oakland Raiders 6

Denver Broncos 24

Kansas City Chiefs 37

San Diego Chargers 27

Seattle Seahawks 25

San Francisco 49ers 23

Green Bay Packers 31

Detroit Lions 24

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blues, Blackhawks set for Winter Classic (Jan 02, 2017).

AP Stats

Playing in one of the NHL’s outdoor games is becoming an almost annual event for the Chicago Blackhawks, but for all but two members of the St. Louis Blues, Monday’s game will be a new experience.

The Winter Classic matchup at Busch Stadium will be the fifth outdoor game for the Blackhawks since 2009. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook each played in the previous four, and Corey Crawford started the last three in goal.

The only players who will be on the ice for the Blues to have played in an outdoor game are defenseman Carl Gunnarsson, who was with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the game against the Detroit Red Wings at the University of Michigan stadium on Jan. 1, 2014, and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who was with Calgary for an outdoor game in 2011.

A third Blues defenseman, Robert Bortuzzo, played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in an outdoor game, but he is on injured reserve and won’t play on Monday.

Toews thinks there is at least one area where the extra experience playing outdoors could give the Blackhawks an advantage.

“Sometimes in games, it’s not like you get caught looking around but you are still trying to get your bearings,” he said after Sunday’s practice. “Everything is a little bit different. In hockey you use your peripheral vision a lot too. You don’t quite see your teammates, everything’s white and it’s harder to see in the distance where guys are. That’s the kind of thing you have to get used to a little bit.”

It also will be the first outdoor game — at least in the NHL — for Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who has logged 1,441 regular-season games behind the bench since 1995.

Hitchcock said Sunday he coached an outdoor game before — against a team of prison inmates years ago when he was coaching in Prince Albert, Canada.

“I had this bright idea that we were going to give back to the community so I organized a game against the inmates,” he said. “They were playing for real and we were trying to play for fun. They won.

“It was a lot scarier than the one is going to be tomorrow. Really scary as a matter of fact. We were afraid to score a goal to be honest with you. … It wasn’t one of my brightest ideas.”

Hitchcock said being on the ice outdoors on Sunday also was emotional, reminding him of when he was growing up in Edmonton.

“My dad was a caretaker for two outdoor rinks and it just brings you back to the old days,” he said. “I told the guys I could be a laborer and they gave me two pieces of wood to carry onto a wheelbarrow, so I did my day’s work. It was really neat when I was out there with the workers.”

One of the challenges both teams might have to deal with is the weather. Rain is in the forecast, and there is a possibility the game could be delayed or even postponed until Tuesday. An NHL announcement on the game time is scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday.

“That’s the fun part about these types of games, all the different kinds of challenges and things that you run into,” Keith said. “I like that sort of thing, it’s different, it changes it up.”

The Blackhawks will be without Marcus Kruger, who was placed on injured reserve on Sunday because of an upper-body injury suffered on Friday night. Jaden Schwartz of the Blues missed practice on Sunday because of illness, but Hitchcock said he is hoping Schwartz will be well enough to play on Monday.

Outdoor game still enticing, especially to newer Blackhawks.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Ryan Hartman was a middle-school student when the Blackhawks played in their first outdoor game, the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

“I remember it was freezing, it was so cold. We were on the first level but tucked up underneath [the mezzanine]. My buddy and I snuck up to the top row; they were better seats because you were looking over the ice, so we had a really good view of the ice,” said Hartman, who didn’t think too much about the possibility of playing in one someday.

“There was always a dream, yeah,” he said. “But never thought I would be at that point.”

Yet, here he is, on the eve – unless the weather dictates otherwise – of playing in his first outdoor game. For many of the other Blackhawks, this is hardly new. seeing the reactions of teammates new to this energizes those who may consider it old hat now.

“You get that excitement from those new guys who haven’t played in one, who have family here. And being in an outdoor game, bigger venue, it’s special,” Corey Crawford said. “It’s something every guy’s done when he was younger and to be able to play like that at the NHL level, it’s a cool thing.”

Scott Darling was part of last year’s game in Minnesota but that hasn’t diminished his excitement coming into this one.

“This stadium, especially, it’s different than the football vibe last year. It’s really cool, a great view from the ice,” said Darling. “I was able to come to the alumni game and see what it looks like with people in the stands [on Saturday]. It’s so much fun to do stuff like this and with our families here, too, it’s a once-in a lifetime opportunity. We didn’t get to do the family skate last year, so my family’s been looking forward to this one.”

Duncan Keith will be playing in his fifth outdoor game but it still hasn’t gotten old for him.
“I grew up on the outdoor rinks my whole life. Any time I get a chance to be out skating outside, it’s flashbacks to being a kid,” he said. “[It’s] having that feeling of sometimes it’s tiring skating when you’re skating against the wind, and all those things that play into outdoor hockey.”

We joke that you can just pencil the Blackhawks in for their annual outdoor game. That’s pretty much what it’s become. But for those who have done these before, the allure is still there. For those who haven’t, getting that first one in will be a childhood dream.

“There was one [game] when I was juniors that was supposed to be outdoor, but I missed it for World Juniors. I was pretty bummed. So to be able to do it this year is going to be really cool,” Hartman said. “Just being out there, seeing the whole skyline, the arch and all of that is pretty cool. It’s just going to be fun.”

Blackhawks: Marcus Kruger out 2-3 weeks, Marian Hossa still out for Winter Classic.

By Tracey Myers 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Marian Hossa will not play and Marcus Kruger will be out for about three weeks as the rest of the Blackhawks practiced for the Winter Classic on Sunday.

Hossa (upper body) did skate on Sunday back in Chicago. Coach Joel Quenneville is hopeful that Hossa is ready for Thursday, when the Blackhawks host the Buffalo Sabres.

Corey Crawford is expected to start Monday vs. the St. Louis Blues.

Kruger was placed on injured reserve on Sunday afternoon. With Kruger out, Tanner Kero took his spot on the third line with Dennis Rasmussen and Richard Panik. Andrew Desjardins centered the fourth line with Tyler Motte and Jordin Tootoo. The top two lines remained the same.

As for how Quenneville feels about his center situation without Kruger, he said they’ll adjust as they go. Rasmussen and Vinnie Hinostroza could also help at center.

“Those [options] are all vital in games where we’ll probably be using them in situations, faceoffs or three-line look. Sometimes you may look at the top-line guys getting a little more,” Quenneville said. “Kero, in the short amount of time he’s been here, has done a nice job for us and gives responsibility defensively. Desi hasn’t played a ton at center but has the ability to play there. But we have a lot of guys who can be moved.”

Blackhawks prepare for potential game delay in Winter Classic.

By Tracey Myers

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The New Year’s Day weather in St. Louis was perfect for an outdoor game: a little sun here or there but mostly cloudy and chilly. The ice, Blackhawks players said following their practice on it, was in very good shape.

As for Monday’s weather, well, that may not be nearly as perfect. With rain still prevalent in the forecast, there could be a delay. So if you’re a hockey player waiting during that time, what do you do?

“I don’t know. Batting cages, maybe?” Corey Crawford said to laughs.

OK, as fun as that may be, finding a way to stay loose is something the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues will have to consider if the Winter Classic gets delayed.

The current forecast for Monday, according to Weather.com, is 51 degrees with 60 percent chance of rain. The temperature isn’t a problem. The rain could be. In 2011 the Washington Capitals-Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic was delayed until 8 p.m. ET due to heavy rain in the afternoon, when the game was originally scheduled. Players are hopeful they’ll know one way or another by Sunday night (the Pittsburgh game time was changed the previous day). Regardless, they’ll adjust.

“You do whatever it takes not to be sitting around all day. Obviously if it gets pushed back, whether, it’s last minute or they give us a head’s up, you gotta adjust,” Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “I’m sure everyone will be prepared; nobody will be shocked by anything. That’s the good thing: everyone already has it in their head that there’s a possibility [of a delay]. They’ll probably have their routines all planned out for any situation.”

Duncan Keith doesn’t mind the curveballs the outdoor games can throw you. He also said it’s not just about being physically ready.

“As long as you do some preparation, get your body ready and loosened up to play, then the rest of it is mental,” he said. “Certainly there are things that come into play but a lot of it is just being mentally tough, strong and understanding that nothing’s going to be perfect. Every time you suit up and put on the gear, there are going to be situations you have to find a way to play in and be your best.”

The Blackhawks have seen every type of weather in their outdoor-game history: frigid temperatures at Wrigley Field, a snow globe-like setting Soldier Field, glaring sun at Nationals Park and near-perfect conditions at TFC Bank Stadium. Heavy rain, however, can wreak havoc with the ice. The Blackhawks could be waiting to play this outdoor game. If there are changes, they’ll roll with them.

“Especially hockey, you don’t find delays too much. But we have our system and every player has his things he does to prepare,” Ryan Hartman said. “If it gets prolonged you deal with it. It’s something you just gotta do.” 

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Bears finish historically bad season with expectations that John Fox stays as coach.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

First, settling any questions about 2017… .

"I guarantee you we are going to win the Super Bowl next year," wide receiver Alshon Jeffery said after the Bears’ 38-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Of course Jeffery didn’t say who exactly the “we” was that he was referring to, and he is headed toward free agency after his franchise tag expires. But for now he’s a Bear, and he was asked about “this team,” meaning the Bears, so take that as him handicapping his current team’s chances this year.

Now, there’s also the matter of who will coach the Bears to that Super Bowl, but indications continue pointing to that being John Fox.

So, pulling the camera back to take in the much bigger picture after Fox finishing his first two Bears seasons a combined 9-23.

Jay Glazer out at FOX Sports reported before Sunday’s kickoff that Fox would indeed be back in 2017 as Bears head coach. And everything from GM Ryan Pace supports the conclusion reached here over the recent past that the Bears will not be making another coaching change.

Speaking with Bears announcer Jeff Joniak on WBBM radio before the game, Pace was clear that on strategic matters, beyond the obvious disappointments of this season, Fox has gotten the Bears turned around culturally and moving in a direction the organization wants.

“In order to develop these younger players, you really need a coaching staff that’s on board with preparing them and with playing them,” Pace said, “and I think John’s done a good job in leading our team and his staff in assisting that development.

“I also think he’s done a good job of instilling the right culture we want in our locker room, and those aren’t small things. The change of culture, that’s extremely difficult. But I think if you get it right, with the foundation of our roster, you can really build on that.”

Whether a turnaround can come sooner rather than later, “we’re on the right course,” Pace said. “I think you see how quickly teams can flip in this league.”

Fox has been part of the NFL long enough to know that kind, even supportive words are hardly conclusive. But he has said privately that he wants to see this thing through, and he reaffirmed that on Sunday.

“I haven’t, at the end of the day, I’ve never worried about job security and I’m not about to start now,” said Fox, adding, “when you have people who look at things logically, you usually come to the same conclusion.”

And right now, Pace and Fox are looking at the situation with some of the same logic, factoring in franchise direction and player development more than win totals even over a two-season stretch, the first in Fox’s 28-year career that he’s been part of two consecutive losing seasons at any level.

“It’s definitely a job I want to finish,” Fox declared.

Which is precisely what the leaders in his locker room want to hear.

“I love coach Fox,” said defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. “I never saw him in despair. He’s put together this team, wants to see it successful and was fighting tooth and nail to make it successful. We never saw any, ‘Oh, well… .” We never saw that. And when you see that kind of thing from your leader, you can’t help but want to play harder for the guy.

“One of the reasons I felt so welcome here was John Fox’s personality. It was refreshing for a coach to have that swagger, that air around him.”

Bears Grades: Turnovers, quarterback errors unravel offense one final time.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

In the end, rolling with a third-string castoff quarterback (fourth string, if one presumes that Connor Shaw was more in Bears plans than Matt Barkley before Shaw broke his leg in preseason) truly caught up with the Bears.

John Fox and every other coach cite turnovers as the key to most games and Bears poor ball security effectively undid Fox’s team again. Three giveaways (two by the offense, one by special teams) set up 17 Minnesota points in the first half, and two more in the second half ended one Bears drive and gave the Vikings 7 more points on another. The Bears turned the football over four of the first seven times they had their hands on it, including a muffed punt by recent-addition Bralon Addison.

The offense generated 323 yards after topping 400 in three of the last five games. Coaches let the running game loose, with some success, but the turnovers destroyed opportunities. Those will be on Barkley’s mind heading into whatever future the Bears or anyone else offers him.

“Every turnover or every play that could have been a touchdown,” Barkley said without citing any one mistake over another. “I do not want to say ‘haunt,’ but I do not ever want to make those mistakes again. That is my goal going forward, to not make the mistakes I made this year. My outlook will be positive going into this offseason.”

Quarterback: F

The quarterback evaluation needs look no further than Matt Barkley being pulled in the fourth quarter after losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, followed by David Fales getting into the game and himself sacked once, for symmetry if nothing else. “We just wanted to look at David,” Fox said. “We had not seen him. Neither one of those quarterbacks were even on our team in [training] camp. So again, it’s an opportunity for us to evaluate.”

Barkley, who finished with 10-of-14 passing for 125 yards, opened his day the way his one against Washington generally went, with an interception. This one killed a promising opening drive on which the run game appeared to be in gear. Instead, Barkley off play-action forced a back-foot throw toward Alshon Jeffery, into double coverage and underthrown such that cornerback Xavier Rhodes had a better chance at the football than Jeffery.

“We knew that he was going to throw some balls and we just had to be in position to make [takeaways],” said Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr.

It was one of two Barkley interceptions, plus losing the football a final time in the fourth quarter when he was sacked by Linval Joseph. The ball was recovered and run 20 yards by Everson Griffen for Minnesota’s final touchdown.

Running back: B+

Jordan Howard has been the offensive story for the Bears for 2016 and that held true on Sunday when Howard rushed for 135 yards on 23 carries (5.9 ypc), setting the franchise rookie rushing record at 1,313 yards. It marked the seventh 100-yard rushing game for Howard and the 11th time in 13 starts that Howard has topped 100 combined yards from scrimmage.

“[The record] means a lot,” Howard said. “My teammates did a great job opening the holes and the coaches getting us in the right place… . It does mean something to me and the offensive line because they did a great job."

Damaging the overall grade for the position was Jeremy Langford losing a fumble in the Bears end of the field on his second carry, without the Vikings even going for a strip on a second-quarter run. The turnover resulted in 7 Minnesota points and a loss of momentum when the game was still forming. Langford caught 3 passes for 41 yards, with a long of 19.

Receivers: C

Receivers were generally non factors, partly because of the score, partly because of poor play at quarterback killing off three possessions. Cam Meredith led the Bears with four catches, the seventh time this season he topped the Bears or was tied in receptions. His 61 yards also were a team high and he was able to make two acrobatic catches to convert near-throwaways into first downs.

Meredith also contributed the Bears’ only touchdown pass, taking a handoff from Langford on a reverse and flipping to a wide-open Barkley in the right side of the Minnesota end zone.

Alshon Jeffery was again ineffective as the Vikings repeatedly devoted double coverage to the wideout, limiting him to 1 catch on 3 targets, with one pass intercepted as Barkley tried to force the ball to him in the end zone.

Offensive line: A-

Any ‘A’ grade in a defeat with only 10 points scored can be suspect. But the Bears offensive line pounded on a very good Minnesota front to get 183 rushing yards and allow 2 sacks, but both in the fourth quarter when the Vikings had no need to worry about defending the run.

Guard Josh Sitton was dominant at the point of attack, getting consistent movement on the Vikings’ down linemen and getting to the second level as Howard in particular powered late in plays rather than going down on first contact. Center Cody Whitehair was stout in the middle despite crowd noise and interior Minnesota linemen among the NFL’s best.

Coaching: C+

The game turned on giveaways, mostly by the quarterback, and no game plan is going to overcome those on offense. Coaches stayed with pounding the football in the first half, with 22 rushing plays vs. nine passes. The offense generated 211 yards for the half and 10 points, which likely would have been substantially more but for a fumble and interception by the offense and a special-teams punt muff, all combining for 17 Minnesota points. The offense began the second half with another strong drive but were done in again by a Barkley interception deep in the Vikings end.

Defensive execution was poor, particularly in the secondary, and Sam Bradford was not sacked, and hit only once, the entire game. Tackling and angles throughout were not good.

Special teams had breakdowns in several areas but against one of the NFL’s better return games, the Bears were put in position to succeed but appeared to fail to maintain lane integrity, allowing good returners openings they exploited.

Bears Grades: Defense finishes 2016 season with third straight game giving up 30-plus points.

By John Mullin

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

If the Bears were once, and not too long ago, among the top 10 defenses in the league, that distinction was not reflected in the final days and hours of the 2016 season.

The 38-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings was the third straight game with the Bears allowing 30 or more points. With struggles against Green Bay (30 points), Washington (41) and now Minnesota, the Bears allowed an average of 36.3 points per over the final three games of a lost year.

Still, “I’m not frustrated right now,” insisted linebacker Willie Young. “There’s a lot of upside to look at.”

Not all of the points Sunday came on the defense’s watch. But the overall was another game marked by poor tackling, poor execution and a general lack of anything resembling NFL-grade football.

Minnesota scored on four of its first six possessions and piled up 244 yards to go with 24 points in the first half, with the Bears repeatedly suffering individual breakdowns at points of attack, and no one making impact plays, particularly in the back-seven, which was exploited throughout the game by quarterback Sam Bradford (25-of-33 passing for 250 yards, 3 touchdowns and a meaningless late interception) and a variety of receivers.

The defense was given less than no help by the offense and special teams, which turned the football over five times, including two possessions that permitted the Vikings to score 14 points needing to cover only 56 yards total in the first half.

Defensive line: D-

Akiem Hicks delivered another strong game in a lost cause, with disruptions and pursuit in multiple situations. But Bradford was never sacked and hit only once, while a very average Vikings run game netted 124 yards on 28 carries, including a 24-yard scramble by Bradford when discipline in rush lanes broke down.

Nose tackle C.J. Wilson led linemen with three tackles, one for a loss. But the Bears never gained any dominance along the front and were able to convert 6 of 12 third downs.

Linebacker: F

Jerrell Freeman had a team-high 10 tackles and 2 passes deflected. But he and Nick Kwiatkoski were too often a step slow getting off toward tackle targets, and too often unable to get off blocks in time to force plays. Kwiatkoski and Freeman were ineffective in coverage, particularly against tight end Kyle Rudolph, who finished the game with 11 catches for 117 yards and a 22-yard touchdown grab.

Sam Acho was beaten around the edge by Jerrick McKinnon for a 10-yard touchdown run off a Wildcat formation in the fourth quarter. Willie Young was in on 3 tackles but had no quarterback hits and was without a sack for the sixth time in the last seven games.

Pernell McPhee not making the trip because of the shoulder injury suffered last week against Washington did not help, particularly with Leonard Floyd inactive. The absence of two of the Bears three best pass rushers had a predictable effect. Christian Jones logged considerable time at outside linebacker in 4-3 nickel packages but got little pressure on Stafford in rush situations.

“What it comes down to is each individual doing his job to the best of their ability,” Young said. “Do your job, dominate the one-on-one battles and everything else will take care of itself.”

The problem was too many players too infrequently winning those battles.

Secondary: F

Team leader and No. 1 cornerback Tracy Porter overslept and was penalized by being left out of the starting lineup at the outset. The bigger problem was that too many of the other defensive backs appeared to sleep during the game.

The poor play and breakdowns that characterized too much of the secondary’s play against Green Bay and Washington resurfaced early. Cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc allowed Cordarelle Patterson to break behind him on a third-down play on the opening possession, giving up a 39-yard completion into the Bears red zone.

Then safety Adrian Amos was slow to react and then took a bad angle on a swing pass to running back Jerrick McKinnon, who scored from 21 yards out. Amos was out of position and lost the football on McKinnon’s fourth-quarter touchdown run.

Safety Harold Jones-Quartey made a failed flying tackle try that allowed Rudolph to get into the end zone for the Vikings second TD. Jones-Quartey missed a one-on-one tackle in the open field on McKinnon, contributing to a 26-yard burst in the fourth quarter.

Special teams: D-

Bralon Addison was brought in for a look in the return game and damaged things by mishandling a second-quarter punt in the Chicago end, leading to a Vikings TD and 24-7 lead, when a return and score potentially changes the game. Instead of the Bears getting the football at their 25 with time for one drive before halftime, the Vikings got the ball at the Chicago 21 and turned it into points.

Deonte Thompson returned a late-second quarter kickoff 64 yards to set up a field goal but little else was positive in special teams, something the Bears needed to be at least even with the Vikings. But Thompson failed to bring two fourth-quarter kickoff returns even to the 20, somehow an effective emblem for the all-around futililty of the game.

Punt coverage was woeful in allowing a 36-yard return by Marcus Sherels in the second quarter. Cordarrelle Patterson took advantage of slow kickoff coverage that appeared to assume Patterson would keep the opening boot in the end zone. Thirty-five yards later the Bears figured it out that he hadn’t.

The Right Combination: Jordan Howard puts his name in the Bears' record book.

By #BearsTalk

Jordan Howard was the lone bright spot in a lopsided loss to the Vikings on Sunday. 

The running back put an exclamation point on his first NFL season, rushing for 135 yards on 23 carries. With the impressive effort, Howard surpassed Matt Forte for most rushing yards by a Bears rookie (1,313). 

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Preview: Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls, 12/02/2017.

By SportsDirect Inc. Staff

There might not be a hotter seat in the NBA right now than the one under Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, who is overseeing a team that dropped eight of its last 11 games. Hoiberg will try to quiet the noise and get 2017 started off strong when the Bulls host the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.

Hoiberg tried to shake up the team in the last two games by sitting veteran point guard Rajon Rondo in favor of Michael Carter-Williams, beginning in the second half of Friday's 111-101 loss at Indiana and continuing throughout Saturday's 116-96 setback against the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Rondo, who met with Hoiberg prior to Saturday's game, was due to meet with general manager Gar Forman after the contest to discuss his role with the team. The Hornets have no trouble identifying their point guard of the present and future in Kemba Walker, who did everything he could with 37 points on Saturday but could not quite push his team past the Cleveland Cavaliers. Charlotte won five of six prior to Saturday's setback, including a 103-91 home win over the Bulls in which Walker scored 20 points and backcourt mate Nicolas Batum recorded a triple-double.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE HORNETS (19-15): Charlotte is at its best when it's playing strong team defense, and it held the Bulls to 39.6 percent from the floor in the Dec. 23 meeting. That defense had more trouble with the Cavaliers on Saturday, yielding 50.6 percent from the field and 71 first-half points, and enters the New Year tied for eighth in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage at 44.6. Offensively, Batum followed up his triple-double against the Bulls with four more solid outings and is averaging 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists in the last five contests.

ABOUT THE BULLS (16-18): Hoiberg said it was a basketball decision to bench Rondo, who is averaging 7.2 points - his lowest mark since his 2006-07 rookie campaign - on a career-worst 36.9 percent shooting. "It's been a tough season for us right now," Rondo told reporters. "It's been ups and downs. Certain buttons are being pushed. The Bulls are trying to figure things out." Carter-Williams struggled to four points on 1-of-6 shooting with four assists and a pair of turnovers in Saturday's loss and is shooting 23.8 percent from the field in seven games this season.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Hornets SG Marco Belinelli (ankle) sat out the last four games and is questionable for Monday.

2. Chicago PF Taj Gibson is 7-of-24 from the field in the last two contests.

3. Charlotte took the last three in the series.

PREDICTION: Hornets 109, Bulls 103

Bulls suffer third blowout loss to Bucks this month. (Saturday,game, 12/31/2016).

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Well, at least the Bulls cured their ills of having slow starts in their recent losses.

They’ll have to hope that 2017 brings about more solutions for the other three quarters, though.

The Bulls finished up their 2016 portion of their schedule with a new starting lineup and wonderful new vibes for the first 12 minutes but finished out with the same old familiar result against the Milwaukee Bucks at the United Center, losing 116-96 Saturday night.

Fred Hoiberg made the expected decision of benching Rajon Rondo in favor of Michael Carter-Williams and it provided a momentary energy boost — emphasis on “momentary”.

Carter-Williams had a pretty no-look flip pass to Dwyane Wade in the first quarter from halfcourt that resulted in a dunk on a play in which both he and Jimmy Butler dove on the floor for loose balls.

In general, the Bulls played with more fervor to start the game, shooting 48 percent and taking a 10-point lead. Butler had a low-key start but finished with 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

But it wasn’t sustainable as the Bucks held the Bulls to 17 of 44 shooting in the middle two quarters — as the Bulls again failed to identify the rare hot shooter. Friday it was Doug McDermott who went AWOL. Saturday it was Nikola Mirotic who started off three for three in the first but didn’t get another shot until the start of the fourth.

Perhaps he was quarantined off by the massive arms of Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was literally everywhere at all times.

There may be no bigger matchup problem for the Bulls in the East than the Bucks and Antetokounmpo signifies that more than anybody, as he finished with 35 points on just 19 shots to go along with nine rebounds, seven assists, seven blocks and a measly two steals.

After the short surge, the game drastically got away from the Bulls as the Bucks kept pushing, kept jumping and never stopped running.

Rookie Malcolm Brogdon, a second-round find for the Bucks, had a triple-double with 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes

Antetokounmpo had five blocks in the first half, often triggering their potent fast break. And when he wasn’t underneath the Bulls’ fingertips, he was above the rim — on both ends. Rising above for rebounds, flying over and posing for dunks.

At one moment in the third quarter, with his team firmly in control of whatever the Bulls were doing, he smiled and rubbed his hands together like they were cold — but he had his hands on the ball and game so much, he probably didn’t know what it was like to be without it.

He was aided by a familiar face to this area in Jabari Parker, who scored 27 with five rebounds and three assists.

Parker, the Chicago native who had a slow start to his career after a storied prep stint, has truly begun to find his footing and stuck it right in the middle of the Bulls’ defense, using his 250-pound frame to bully the Bulls inside and while on the perimeter just rose above defenders to unleash a silky smooth jumper.

He hit a triple midway through the fourth with the shot clock running down, easily solving the Bulls’ defense after the first quarter. In sharp contrast to the Bulls’ decline, the Bucks scored 58 points in the middle two quarters and shot 22 of 37 from the field, with Greg Monroe scoring 15 with 12 rebounds off the bench.

It became fairly obvious where things were headed — and they went there quite quickly.

Onto 2017, uncertain days ahead for these Chicago Bulls.

Rajon Rondo's future with the Bulls appears to be up in the air after benching.

By Vincent Goodwill 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Rajon Rondo stood for plenty of moments during the Bulls’ 116-96 beating at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, the first full game of his benching after sitting the entire second half Friday night against the Pacers.

The Bulls guard stood at his locker moments later, candidly and honestly answering questions from the media about his future — one that seems to be in doubt some 30 games into his first season as a Bull.

“Absolutely,” said Rondo when asked if he accomplished enough in the NBA for the Bulls to accommodate him on a trade or some transaction to allow him to seek another team should the benching continue.

“Gar (Forman, Bulls GM) and I will have a talk. We’ll talk tonight and go from there. I don’t know if it’s right now, maybe the next 30, 18, 45 minutes. Tonight, before ’17 (the clock strikes midnight).”

By then, one wonders if the Bulls and Rondo will be working on a buyout to free him from the remainder of his contract — one that includes a $3 million buyout that has to be exercised before next July.

“No, I’m not surprised. Not surprised,” Rondo said. “It’s been a tough season. Certain buttons are being pushed and the Bulls are trying to figure things out.”

A source told CSNChicago.com early Saturday evening a buyout hadn’t been discussed, but that was before the game and things can change quickly.

“I’m gonna explode…No, I’m not,” said Rondo when asked what he’d do if the benching continued. “I’m gonna continue to work, get some work in, play some one on one. Take care of my body, lift and give these young guys as much advice while I’m on the bench.”

On the heels of a report about Hoiberg’s job security being in question, one has to wonder if this is some preemptive strike from the coach to take more control of this operation.

“I’m Rajon Rondo, it is what it is,” he said when asked if he felt as if he was being singled out for the Bulls’ issues — a nod to his history of being difficult to deal with in Boston and Sacramento in addition to his dust-up with associate head coach Jim Boylen in Dallas a few weeks ago.

So far, it’s been 72 minutes of inactivity and Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg seems noncommittal about re-inserting his $14 million point guard back into the rotation, going with Michael Carter-Williams as starter and Jerian Grant as the backup.

“He was very professional about it,” Hoiberg said before the game. “Again, talked about doing whatever he can to help the team. I think that is very admirable for a guy that has had the type of career that he has had.”

Sounds like a statement from a coach who isn’t looking for much of an opening, a sharp contrast to their introduction over the summer when the two bonded over film sessions and early in training camp when Hoiberg allowed the likes of Rondo with Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler to stop practices to get on their teammates.

Rondo hasn’t performed too dissimilarly from his last couple seasons since his knee injury in 2013.

Shooting 37 percent and 32 from 3 makes him a hot button for criticism because the game is moving in a direction that emphasizes shooting more than ever, and he’s an awkward fit alongside Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler.

Not having other shooters around him has certainly exacerbated his weaknesses, as he hasn’t been a top-level defender in quite some time but the Bulls made him a top priority in free agency, signing him before the Wade coup even seemed feasible.

Nikola Mirotic not being able to claim the starting power forward spot in training camp made things worse for Rondo, as the spacing has been nil and if the Bulls aren’t out and running its supremely hard for Rondo to be effective.

He said he thought he would be able to have more control over calling the offense but that hasn’t been the case.

“I think, not necessarily my best year but I’m calling a pretty good year,” Rondo said. “In Sacramento I was able to do things differently but knowing coming here to play with Dwyane and Jimmy it would be different. That was okay with me. Fred and I talked in the beginning, said I would be able to call a lot of plays. The flow of the game and throughout the season things may change. Fred and I spoke and we talked about it.”

Rondo didn’t sound very hopeful about his chances of playing again, not willing to buy into the notion that this is a temporary benching, like Mirotic’s two-game break.

“Yeah. But anything can happen. I just go off actions versus the words,” he said.

Rondo acknowledged he and Hoiberg met Saturday morning at the Advocate Center to discuss the decision, with Hoiberg apparently giving the explanation that he felt Rondo looked “slow” the last five games and asked Rondo if he was healthy.

Rondo said he told his coach that it’s the best his body has felt at this point in the season in his career, obviously showing a difference in opinion in terms of evaluating his performance to date.

“No I disagree but it’s part of it,” Rondo said. “He’s the head coach and we’re gonna go with that.”

Rondo admitted his pickup point on defense could be better, when asked about what things he could do better. The Bulls obviously felt their defense is better with Rondo off the floor but Rondo feels he’s at his best when the team defense is effective — meaning he doesn’t feel like he’s the big culprit in terms of slippage.

He’s been an unlikely barometer for the Bulls in their up and down season. The Bulls were 8-2 when Rondo amassed nine assists or more but were 3-8 when he had five assists or fewer.

On the season, he’s averaging 7.2 points, 7.1 assists and 6.5 rebounds, with big games in wins over Cleveland and San Antonio, balanced out against puzzling performances against Washington, Detroit and Milwaukee.

“It goes as far as our team goes. I think I’m most effective when we get stops,” Rondo said. “I’m able to get on the break and do what I do best. If not, it comes to the slowdown game, teams load the paint and we lose.”

Hoiberg intimated he spoke with Wade and Butler about it but was adamant it was his decision, while Rondo made inferences to Boylen being part of Friday’s decision to bench him for the second half.

Either way, it’s a situation that unraveled rather quickly and it wouldn’t be surprising to see some peaceful resolution shortly after many people break their New Year’s resolutions.

Bulls comeback falls short against Pacers. (Friday night's game, 12/30/2016). 

By Vincent Goodwill

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A rumor, a benching, a lethargic start and rousing comeback all took place in a matter of hours at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, all involving the Chicago Bulls in their second game in five days against the Indiana Pacers.

But it started with bricks and ended that way in a 111-101 loss Friday afternoon, as they were seemingly doomed by an early start that made one think if they knew what time the game began and were surely doomed when their inability to execute came back to haunt them.

“We had open threes that didn’t knock down tonight but I’m proud of the way our guys competed and fought their way back in it to tie the game,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Couldn’t just quite get over the hump.”

After coming back from a 14-point deficit, the Bulls tied the game at 95 midway through the fourth quarter, seemingly with enough momentum to complete it—on the heels of Fred Hoiberg benching Rajon Rondo for the second half after a minus-20 showing in 10 minutes of first half run.

A fourth quarter surge started with Cristiano Felicio getting a follow-up dunk and foul and a dunk from a pick-and-roll from Dwyane Wade. After Nikola Mirotic finally hit an open jumper, the Bulls found themselves trailing by five with 9:02 left—plenty of time to complete the comeback but perhaps not enough energy.

“It’s something where you gotta take it personally,” Hoiberg said. “About a week ago, it was us getting out to good starts. You spend so much energy getting out of it, you don’t have enough to finish.”

Perhaps if the Bulls found a way to keep feeding Doug McDermott on the offensive end, they could’ve stayed afloat as he went without a shot in the second half after going four for five in the first 24 minutes.

But McDermott also blew plenty of coverages defensively, drawing the frustration of his teammates and coaches in the moment.

“We better know what it takes to win games. We gotta be more focused in on our personnel,” said Jimmy Butler, who led the Bulls with 25 points. “We gotta be more focused on what this and that player is gonna do. We can’t take for granted we have good players who can score. Nowadays teams can score 120 points, we gotta lock in on the defensive end. We gotta rebound, it’s the little things we’re not doing that are changing it for the worst.”

When asked if the Bulls are becoming too comfortable falling behind only to have to make late comebacks, Butler couldn’t deny the evidence that’s been on display for several weeks.

“I don’t wanna say that’s what it is. (But) that’s what it’s trending to right now,” he said. “Is it fun for us? I don’t think so but we love to put ourselves in those situations. I can’t put my finger on it. The team that runs and wins the first quarter usually wins the game.”

The Pacers hit their first seven shots and took a 24-10 lead before Paul George finished the night off with some big buckets on his way to 32 points, a game-high.

“Poor start, poor finish. I think everyone wants to win,” Butler said. “We gotta play better in the beginning and down the stretch. We didn’t get stops, from miscues on defense. PG hit tough shots, that’s what he does.”

Missing shots is apparently what the Bulls do.

Mirotic went three for 14, including missing nine of his 11 3-point attempts as the Bulls shot six for 23 from long-range, playing from behind the entire night and never taking the lead.

Wade scored 20 with five assists, but the Bulls shot just 42 percent and surrendered way too many easy baskets to the Pacers as their rivals built a double-digit lead early.

After the Bulls’ comeback, George slithered around the Bulls defense for a layup to put the Pacers up 102-99, after hitting three free throws from a foul on Butler with the game tied.

George, who was fined after saying the NBA favors other teams against the Pacers in the wake of the Pacers’ close loss to the Bulls Monday, went to the foul line nine times.

The Pacers nearly equaled the Bulls in free-throw attempts (31-30, Bulls) and shot 48 percent as Jeff Teague sliced the Bulls’ defense for 17 assists—partially a reason why Hoiberg could’ve pulled Rondo for the second half.

Thad Young scored 17 and Myles Turner scored 15 as the Bulls again found themselves playing behind the 8-ball—something they seem way too familiar with as this season progresses.

CUBS: Title leaves Cubs fans on top of the World. (Championship -- and joy it brought to Chicago faithful -- among best stories of 2016).

By Carrie Muskat

John Daly was 9 years old when he got a ticket to Game 3 of the 1935 World Series between the Cubs and Tigers at Wrigley Field. He had enough money for either a program or a hot dog, and opted for the snack.

"He always regretted getting the hot dog but kept the ticket, and we have it today," said John's son, Tom.

At the start of the Cubs' 2016 season, John Daly was 90 and living in Phoenix, and Tom, who lives in Orlando, Fla., bought an MLB television package so his father could watch every game. But after the National League Championship Series, John's health began to fade. Fourteen family members gathered in his hospital room to watch Games 5-7 of the World Series between the Cubs and the Indians.

"We smuggled in hot dogs, chips, peanuts ..." Tom Daly said. "'There was no way we were going to lose Game 7 -- at least, that's what he kept telling me."

The Cubs did win Game 7 -- in dramatic fashion, beating the Indians, 8-7, in 10 innings.

John Daly died four days later.

"Thanks, Cubbies, for the greatest send-off a man could have," Tom Daly said.

The Cubs' first World Series championship since 1908 was euphoric and a relief, tearful and joyful for their legions of fans. It was a magical experience that sparked a downtown parade and rally for an exuberant 5 million people and their "W" flags.

While the World Series trophy continues its goosebump tour, here's a look at a few Cubs fans and what those seven World Series games meant to them.

Wyomania

Mark Edwards grew up in Chicago and developed a love of the Cubs from his grandfather, John Orchard, who lived a few miles from Wrigley. Edwards' first Cubs game was July 23, 1988, when he was 8 years old, and he was able to get an autograph from his favorite player, Andre Dawson. Even better, Dawson hit a home run in the Cubs' 3-2 win over the Padres.

Now a mortgage loan processor in Gillette, Wyo., Edwards started saving money when he was 13 just in case the Cubs got to the World Series. Every bonus he received, every tax refund and more went into the reserve. In 2003, he presumed the Cubs had the NLCS locked up against the Marlins and dipped into the fund, but then Chicago lost Game 6 and the series. In '08, the Cubs went 0-3 against the Dodgers in the NL Division Series, and Edwards used the funds to buy a new car.

This year, Edwards could finally use the money for a ticket to Game 3 at Wrigley Field. He watched Game 4 in Chicago with his grandfather, now 90, and then he returned home to see Game 5.

"It was probably better that way because when I left Chicago, they started winning," Edwards said.

Iowa Cubs

Don McLeese, 66, is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Iowa but lives in Des Moines, and he is a regular at the Cubs' Triple-A Iowa games. He's been a dedicated Cubs fan since 1955.

"I've never experienced the heightened tension that I felt throughout [Game 5]," said McLeese, who drove in for the game at Wrigley, which the Cubs won, 3-2. "I was sure the Cubs would need more runs, that the game wouldn't end with the score as it was. But it did. I really have nothing else to compare it to."

McLeese has attended other Cubs postseason games -- and even other World Series games -- but seeing his favorite team win at home was a thrill that he and thousands of fans thought they'd never witness in their lifetime.

"I can die happy now, my life fulfilled. My work here is done," McLeese said. "And I'll never forget that exquisite tension of attending what turned out to be the most important game in Wrigley Field history."

Brotherly love

For Ned Colletti, the World Series games at Wrigley provided a chance to fulfill a promise made 71 years ago. Colletti's Uncle Frank was 11 years old on Oct. 7, 1945, when the Cubs played the Tigers in Game 5 of the World Series. Frank's three brothers said he was too young to take the streetcar and go to the game, promising the youngster he would go the next time.

That was the last World Series played at Wrigley before this year. So Ned Colletti fulfilled his father's promise, taking Uncle Frank, now 82, to Games 3-5 at Wrigley against the Indians. Ned worked for the Cubs as the media relations director and was there in 1984, when the team lost to the Padres in the NLCS. He joined the Giants' front office as assistant general manager, and he was later the Dodgers' GM. Now a special advisor to the Dodgers, Ned was happy to take care of Uncle Frank.

There were Cubs fans who flew in from around the world to be in Wrigleyville. They had to be there.

Brick by brick

Generations of fans paid homage to departed family members who missed the historic event by writing their names and heartfelt messages on the brick walls outside Wrigley Field.

The spontaneous celebration was in full swing when the World Series ended. The players saw it upon their return to Chicago. Anthony Rizzo's father, John, wrote an "R.I.P." message to family on one of the bricks.

"I thought that was coolest thing of the whole postseason, aside from stuff on the field," Anthony Rizzo said of the artistic salute. "People writing in memory of family and friends, and all the wishes -- it was awesome.

"You see that, and we know as players how much it meant to the fans, but I don't think we knew just how much. I hope it's a tradition that goes on. Everyone was just happy."

That may be the best way to sum up the Cubs' championship.

WHITE SOX: With eye on long term, White Sox build for 2017. (Offseason makeover has set South Siders on different course).

By Scott Merkin

Giolito, Moncada head to Chicago as part of an impressive group of prospects acquired by the White Sox in the Winter Meetings. (Photo/chicagowhitesox.com)

The White Sox have a long-term goal of contending for, and hopefully winning, numerous World Series championships.

In order to reach that goal, they will be taking a new approach during the 2017 season. The South Siders started what many believed to be a long overdue rebuild by trading Chris Sale, one of the game's top starting pitchers, to Boston, and by trading multi-threat outfielder Adam Eaton to Washington during the Winter Meetings.

Their return of seven solid prospects, including MLBPipeline.com's No. 1 player in Yoan Moncada and No. 1 pitcher in Lucas Giolito, instantly jumped Chicago's Minor League system from outside the Top 20 to inside the Top 10. The White Sox also started building up much-needed depth in the farm system.

And the process has only just begun. With this rebuild firmly in mind, here's a look at five big questions to be answered about the 2017 season.

1. How deep is the rebuild? 

The White Sox could supply a frontline starter such as Jose Quintana or a power-hitting third baseman such as Todd Frazier or a steady closer in David Robertson to a team more likely to contend in '17 or '18, but only if their often-times lofty demands are met in return.

General manager Rick Hahn proved in the Sale and Eaton deals there will be no settling in regard to the prospects received. In a case such as Quintana, teams not only would add an All-Star hurler but also a pitcher under favorable team control through 2020 with a pair of team options. 

2. Who will catch?

One of the glaring openings on the roster is behind the plate. Zack Collins, the team's top pick in the 2016 Draft, remains one or two years away as he refines his catching craft, while Omar Narvaez earned a roster spot with a strong finish to '16, but he probably isn't considered the starter.

Free agents could deliver a year or two until Collins is ready, while providing veteran guidance for Collins. A catcher also could come via trade. 

3. When will top prospects arrive?

There's rarely been a time when the White Sox held back prospects if they were deemed ready to compete at the big league level. See Sale or Carlos Rodon as prime examples. But some promotions have looked a little rushed or forced, and Hahn already has made it clear current prospects won't be brought up because there might be an opening at fifth starter or at catcher, as examples.

Moncada, Giolito and pitcher Reynaldo Lopez already have a small amount of big league experience, and they figure to be the fastest arrivals from the rebuild moves. Even in this instance, though, it could be a few months into the season. Keep an eye on Zack Burdi, the team's 21-year-old closer of the future and 26th pick overall last year, who could break camp with the team or reach the Majors at some point in April.

4. Will Rick Renteria make a difference? 

Renteria already has earned rave reviews for his offseason work and the energy brought to the team. Players are familiar with him from one year as bench coach, and he has rebuild experience from his managerial campaign with the Cubs.

5. Can Rodon become a rotation stalwart?

Rodon, the third overall selection in the 2014 Draft, had a 4.67 ERA at the end of July last season but produced a 3.11 ERA over his final 11 starts, covering 66 2/3 innings. Rodon fanned 70 and walked 20 during that stretch, so signs of dominance and -- more importantly -- consistency existed for the southpaw.

A similar finish took place for Rodon in '15, but remember, the 24-year-old has 51 starts of experience in his career. If Quintana is moved, Rodon could become the team's Opening Day starter. But as part of this rebuild, the pressure won't exactly be intense in '17 as Rodon continues to develop his changeup and command, while developing as a pitcher.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Power Rankings: Tournament of Champions.

By Will Gray

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

The 2017 fantasy golf season kicks off in Hawaii, as the PGA Tour heads to the Aloha State this week for the Tournament of Champions. A field of 32 winners from last year will gather to tackle the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

Be sure to join the Golf Channel Fantasy Challenge to test yourself against our panel of experts, including defending champion Ryan Lavner. Click here for full fantasy assistance, including stats and picks.

Jordan Spieth won this event last year by eight shots over Patrick Reed. Here are 10 players to watch in Maui:

1. Hideki Matsuyama: There's no better place to start than with the hottest player for the final months of 2016. Matsuyama has won four of his last five worldwide starts, including an easy victory at the limited-field Hero World Challenge last month in the Bahamas.

2. Jordan Spieth: Spieth took things to another level at this event a year ago, reaching 30 under par en route to an eight-shot win. He also finished solo second here in his 2014 tournament debut and clearly has developed an affinity for the Plantation Course, where he'll look to be the first back-to-back winner since Geoff Ogilvy in 2009-10.

3. Dustin Johnson: Kapalua tends to favor the bombers, and few can match the aerial prowess of Johnson, who won this event in 2013 when winds shortened it to 54 holes. Johnson also finished T-6 here in 2014 and enters off a season where he won three times and was named PGA Tour Player of the Year.

4. Patrick Reed: Reed won this event in 2015, then beat everyone not named Spieth last year in his title defense. While he wasn't able to keep pace with the two-time major winner, Reed clearly thrives in Maui and has now carded eight straight rounds in the 60s on the par-73 layout.

5. Jason Day: The world No. 1 would be much higher on this list were he not coming off a lengthy layoff. Day hasn't played competitively since withdrawing from the Tour Championship with a back injury, and he may try to ease his way back into form. But as his final-round 62 in 2015 indicated, the Aussie has all the tools required at Kapalua.

6. Justin Thomas: Thomas didn't fare especially well in his debut last year, but he quietly ended the year on quite a tear. Thomas had four top-10 finishes in his final five starts of 2016, highlighted by his win in Malaysia, and he appears poised for a strong year that could start with a big week in Hawaii.

7. Tony Finau: Finau is one of 11 players making their first appearance at Kapalua, and few players seem more tailor-made for its lengthy layout with plenty of elevation changes. Finau is arguably the longest driver on Tour, and his first career win came in another tropical location at the Puerto Rico Open.

8. Brandt Snedeker: Snedeker may not fit the profile of a typical Kapalua contender, but he has finished third at this event in two of his last three starts. That includes a T-3 finish last year when he closed with 65-67, and Snedeker has been under par in each of his 15 competitive rounds here.

9. Branden Grace: The South African has been a fixture on major championship leaderboards for the last few years, and he finally broke into the winner's circle at the RBC Heritage. Grace has plenty of pop off the tee, and while he hasn't played in the U.S. since the BMW Championship he could certainly factor this weekend.

10. Bubba Watson: Watson has hit some of the more memorable shots at Kapalua in recent years, and he has the shotmaking creativity to go low on the Plantation Course. But Watson's T-4 finish in 2013 remains his only top-9 finish in five starts at Kapalua, a surprising stat given his advantage off the tee.

Tiger! Phil! Spieth! Why 2017 Will Be Golf's Best Year Ever.

By Michael Bamberger

Tiger and Spieth! Why 2017 Will Be Golf's Best Year Ever. (Photo/Golf)

Tour Confidential: Who Will Be 2017's Player of the Year? Can DJ repeat? Will Jordan Spieth have a bounce-back year? Our panel debates who will be the top player next season.The new year, in golf and beyond its borders, is a house with many mansions, with many fresh starts, with many reasons to hope, to forget, and to hope again. What sport gives more fresh starts than golf? You halve the first, lose the second, win the third, take an X on four to go one down, and what do you think standing on the fifth tee? Fresh start.

The so-called "wrap-around season" is a tool of marketing. We know a new year when we see it. The new golf year begins at Kapalua, when Phil plays at Torrey Pines, at the Masters. The new golf year begins when you play your first round, when Lydia Ko and Co. congregate at the Ocean Club in the Bahamas in late January, when your after-work golf league begins again in late April, when coach tapes a sign-up sheet for spring tryouts on her classroom door.  

Could this be golf's best year EVER? Yeah, sure, it could be. Of course it could. Not that the competition is not stiff, because it is. Who could forget 1930, when Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam? Or 1953, when Ben Hogan won the Masters and the two Opens? Or 20__ (fill it in), when you first broke __ (fit it in). Or 2000. Y2K was astounding going in: The Masters at Old Reliable. The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. The British Open at St. Andrews. The PGA Championship at Valhalla. OK, that last part could have been brown shoes with a navy suit but it wasn't, not after Bob May and Tiger Woods were tied after 72 holes and one shot separated them in a three-hole add-'em-up playoff. (Tiger, by a nose.) You know what happened at Pebble and the Old Course.

And now it is 2017. Tiger will play all four majors, or at least it looks that way. Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day are all at the height of their powers. Mickelson is 46, the same age Big Jack was when he won the '86 Masters. Youngins Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka all coming on. The men's game is more global than ever: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, Henrik Stenson of Sweden, Branden Grace of South Africa, Hao Tong Li of China, Bubba Watson of the U.S. of A. When the world is playing the world is watching and that adds to the fun.  

Venues matter, more so at the U.S. Open than anywhere else. In mid-June, golf will congregate at Erin Hills, a rugged, long, decade-old public course. It's a challenging walk and there are numerous opportunities to lose golf balls on it. It sounds like Chambers Bay all over again, except the view from the high points is Wisconsin farmland and not the shimmering sea. If Bob May and Tiger Woods go 90 holes there, the course will be in the pantheon. Let it play out.

The 2017 British Open is at Royal Birkdale (can't go wrong there), the 2017 U.S. Women's Open is at Trump Bedminster (that'll be interesting), the 2017 Senior PGA Championship will be at Trump D.C. Ditto.  

The 2017 Women's British Open will be at Kingsbarns in Scotland and the 2017 Women's PGA Championship will be played at Olympia Fields in Chicago. Two big-time courses for a tour that is brimming with talent. Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson won nearly $7 million between them last year. Lexi Thompson, No. 18 on the 2016 LPGA money list, made $888,571 on the course, and who knows how much off it. It's about time. Best year ever, coming right up. No, you wouldn't say that if you came up on Mickey Wright, on Nancy Lopez, on Annika Sorenstam. Best-year-ever says as much about your own mood as it does about the golf played right there in front of you. But if you don't think the women have some lineup you're not paying attention. The PGA Tour and the LPGA are going to have—they're going to want—more joint events in the future. Halleluiah.  

And what about us, we green-fee paying ams? The best among us will gather at Riviera for the U.S. Amateur. A subset will gather down the road for the Walker Cup at the Los Angeles Country Club. The Couples League at the Ironwood Golf Course in Sussex, Wis., begins in May. Sign up now! Golf tryouts at Belton-Honea Path High School, smack-dab in the middle of South Carolina, will be on January 30, at Pine Lakes Golf Club at 3:45 p.m. Don't be late! Trump Doral is looking for a course ranger. Part of the job, according to the website, is to monitor the courses "for guests or patrons who are not registered to be on the golf course and politely ask that anyone not registered to be on the course to immediately exit."  

You can do that, right? But here's what we really need to know:  

Does the job come with access to the driving range? Because this is the year we're going to finally get better. Golf-wise? This year is gonna be the best . . . year . . . ever!

Punch Shot: Breakout performer of 2017?

By Golf Channel Digital

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

By Rex Hoggard

If it wasn’t for Jason Day, Kevin Chappell would have had a better year in the Sunshine State than Donald Trump.

Chappell finished runner-up to the Australian twice in Florida, first at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and two months later at The Players. It was all part of a season that was so close to being truly special.

All total, Chappell had eight top-10s and four runner-up showings, which included a playoff loss to Rory McIlroy at the Tour Championship. Although he remains winless on the PGA Tour, that is certain to change in 2017.

He’ll need to improve his play in the majors, where he has just two top-10 finishes, but Chappell has proven he can compete against the world’s best players. The next step is to prove he can beat them.

By Ryan Lavner

Jon Rahm … unless you don’t like your budding stars to have titanium-denting power, laser-like precision and soft hands on and around the green. This kid is the real deal.

Earning his Tour card only a few months after graduating from Arizona State, Rahm simply built on what was an epic college career, which was highlighted by the second-most victories in school history (behind only Phil Mickelson) and remarkable consistency, finishing in the top 10 in all 13 events last season.

Rahm has already shown that he’s capable of playing with the big boys, finishing in the top 3 twice in his first four pro starts. He’ll win at least once in 2017.

By Will Gray

This will be the year that Jamie Lovemark puts it all together.

On the cusp of his 29^th birthday, Lovemark no longer qualifies as a young gun by PGA Tour standards. But the fresh face that cruised to an NCAA individual title while at USC is still there, and his game isn’t far behind.

Lovemark’s career was derailed by a back injury, but he has once again found his footing on Tour. He shared the Sunday lead last year in Houston, and he lost a playoff a few weeks later in New Orleans.

Those results were largely thanks to an improved short game, which now complements the missiles he routinely launches from the tee. He came close in 2016, but this will be the year that Lovemark finally wins on the PGA Tour and once again stamps his name as one to watch in the game’s biggest events.

By Randall Mell

Thomas Pieters.

The 24-year-old Belgian was known among golf faithful before the Ryder Cup last fall, but his profile soared with his effort in Hazeltine. The first European rookie to win four points in a Ryder Cup, Pieters starred on one of golf’s largest stages, teaming formidably with Rory McIlroy to go 3-0.

Pieters showed a lot of moxie in a hostile environment, fist pumping and even shushing American crowds. He showed us something special just making the European team, mounting a hard, late run under pressure late last summer to secure one of Darren Clarke’s captain’s picks. Pieters is 6 feet 5, a long-hitting, giant talent on the European Tour lauded for his potential. Now, we should be seeing more of him on the PGA Tour, with his top-50 world ranking getting him into more World Golf Championships and majors, including this year’s Masters.

NASCAR: The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

By Kelly Crandall

NASCAR’s new era is upon us.

With the ringing in of a new year, it’s now officially the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 59th annual Daytona 500 will be held Feb. 26 and will be the first race under Monster Energy’s sponsorship of the premier series.

There are a few changes on the schedule for this season.

The fall race at Kansas Speedway has been swapped with the race at Talladega Superspeedway. It makes Kansas the final race of the second round of the Chase.

Other changes include the spring Texas Motor Speedway race moving to a Sunday afternoon event from Saturday night; Dover International Speedway’s first race of the season will be held in June instead of May, a week after the Coca-Cola 600; and Michigan International Speedway’s second race moves back into its traditional early August spot.

Here is the full 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule:

2/18	Daytona International Speedway (The Clash) – 8 p.m. ET (FS1)
2/23	Daytona International Speedway (The Duels) – 7 p.m. ET (FS1)
2/26	Daytona 500 – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/5	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/12	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/19	Phoenix International Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/26	Auto Club Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/2	Martinsville Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (FS1)
4/9	Texas Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/23	Bristol Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
4/30	Richmond International Raceway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/7	Talladega Superspeedway – 2 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/13	Kansas Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/20	Charlotte Motor Speedway (All-Star Race) – 6 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/28	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 6 p.m. ET (FOX)
6/4	Dover International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/11	Pocono Raceway – 3 p.m. (FS1)
6/18	Michigan International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/25	Sonoma Raceway – 3 p.m. ET (FS1)
7/1	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
7/8	Kentucky Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/16	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/23	Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
7/30	Pocono Raceway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/6	Watkins Glen International – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/13	Michigan International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/19	Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
9/3	Darlington Raceway – 6 p.m. ET (NBSCN)
9/9	Richmond International Raceway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/17	Chicagoland Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/24	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/1	Dover International Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/7	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/15	Talladega Superspeedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
10/22	Kansas Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/29	Martinsville Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
11/5	Texas Motor Speedway – 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/12	Phoenix International Raceway – 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/19	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

The 2017 Xfinity Series schedule.

By Kelly Crandall

There will be plenty of fresh faces and a change in competition for the Xfinity Series this year.

Daniel Suarez returns to defend his 2016 championship and will find new challenges from drivers such as Daniel Hemric, Spencer Gallagher, Michael Annett, and Cole Custer among others. Favorites such as Justin Allgaier, Elliott Sadler, and Brennan Poole will also be back.

But the biggest difference in 2017 will be that the Xfinity Series will only see the infusion of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers (who have more than five years of full-time experience) in 10 of the season’s 33 races. Those drivers will also not be eligible to compete in the season’s final eight races, which make up the Chase.

It all begins at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25.

Here is the complete 2017 Xfinity Series schedule:

2/25	Daytona International Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/4	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/11	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
3/18	Phoenix International Raceway – 4 p.m. ET (FOX)
3/25	Auto Club Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (FS1)
4/8	Texas Motor Speedway – 1:30 p.m. (FOX)
4/22	Bristol Motor Speedway – 12:30 p.m. (FS1)
4/29	Richmond International Raceway – 12:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
5/6	Talladega Superspeedway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
5/27	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/3	Dover International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/10	Pocono Raceway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
6/17	Michigan International Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/24	Iowa Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)
6/30	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/7	Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/15	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 4 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/22	Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
7/29	Iowa Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
8/5	Watkins Glen International – 2 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/12	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/18	Bristol Motor Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
8/27	Road America – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
9/2	Darlington Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/8	Richmond International Raceway – 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/16	Chicagoland Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/23	Kentucky Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
9/30	Dover International Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/6	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 8 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
10/21	Kansas Speedway – 3 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/4	Texas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
11/11	Phoenix International Raceway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
11/18	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 3:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

The 2017 Camping World Truck Series schedule.

By Kelly Crandall

The start of the 2017 NASCAR season is now just over a month away.

The Camping World Truck Series will begin its 23rd year of competition at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 24. Johnny Sauter, the 2016 champion, is the defending winner of the Nextera Energy 250.

There will be five standalone races for the series this year – Texas Motor Speedway (June 9), Gateway Motorsports Park (June 17), Eldora Speedway (July 19), Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Aug. 27) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 30).

Here is the full 2017 CWTS schedule (all races broadcast on Fox Sports 1 unless otherwise noted):

2/24	Daytona International Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET
3/4	Atlanta Motor Speedway – 4:30 p.m. ET
4/1	Martinsville Speedway – 2:30 p.m. ET
5/12	Kansas Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
5/19	Charlotte Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
6/2	Dover International Speedway – 5:30 p.m. ET
6/9	Texas Motor Speedway – 8 p.m. ET
6/17	Gateway Motorsports Park – 8:30 p.m. ET
6/23	Iowa Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
7/6	Kentucky Speedway – 7:30 p.m. ET
7/19	Eldora Speedway – 9 p.m. ET
7/29	Pocono Raceway – 1 p.m. ET
8/12	Michigan International Speedway – 1 p.m. ET
8/16	Bristol Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
8/27	Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – 2:30 p.m. ET
9/15	Chicagoland Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
9/23	New Hampshire Motor Speedway – 1 p.m. ET
9/30	Las Vegas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
10/14	Talladega Superspeedway – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
10/28	Martinsville Speedway – 1:30 p.m. ET
11/3	Texas Motor Speedway – 8:30 p.m. ET
11/10	Phoenix International Raceway – 8:30 p.m. ET
11/17	Homestead-Miami Speedway – 8 p.m. ET

SOCCER: Premier League schedule – Week 20.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

Week 20 of the 2016-17 Premier League season is here as we kick off the first matchday of 2017.

Middlesbrough host Leicester City (7:30 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at the Riverside Stadium with Aitor Karanka‘s side aiming to hop above Claudio Ranieri‘s Foxes with a win.

Second-place Liverpool head to struggling Sunderland (10 a.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with Jurgen Klopp aiming to cut the gap with league-leaders Chelsea to three points with a win. At the same time Manchester City host Burnley (10 a.m. ET live CNBC and online via NBC Sports.com) with Pep Guardiola‘s men trying to keep the pressure on Liverpool and Chelsea with a win.

Rounding off Monday is a big game at the London Stadium as West Ham welcome Manchester United (12:30 p.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com). Slaven Bilic‘s side have the unenviable task of shutting down Jose Mourinho’s United who have now won five-straight games in the PL.

On Tuesday, Arsenal visit Bournemouth (2:45 p.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) with Arsene Wenger aiming to keep in touch with the title contenders.

And then on Wednesday comes the big game of the matchweek as Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in a big London derby (3 p.m. ET live NBCSN and online via NBC Sports.com) at White Hart Lane. Mauricio Pochettino‘s side have scored eight goals in their last two games but Antonio Conte‘s Chelsea have won 13-straight and if they beat Spurs they set a new record for most consecutive victories in a single PL season. This promises to be a spicy encounter.

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

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

FULL TV SCHEDULE

Monday

7:30 a.m. ET: Middlesbrough vs. Leicester City – NBCSN [STREAM]
10 a.m. ET: Manchester City vs. Burnley – CNBC [STREAM]
10 a.m. ET: Sunderland vs. Liverpool – NBCSN [STREAM]
10 a.m. ET: West Brom vs. Hull City – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
10 a.m. ET: Everton vs. Southampton – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
12:30 p.m. ET: West Ham vs. Manchester United– NBCSN [STREAM]

Tuesday

2:45 p.m. ET: Bournemouth vs. Arsenal – NBCSN [STREAM]
3 p.m. ET: Stoke City vs. Watford – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]
3 p.m. ET: Crystal Palace vs. Swansea City – Premier League Extratime [STREAM]

Wednesday

3 p.m. ET: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea – NBCSN [STREAM]

Prince-Wright’s Premier League picks – Week 20.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

The first matchday of 2017 has arrived in the Premier League.

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

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

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

BASICALLY, FREE MONEY

Everton 3-1 Southampton – (Monday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

West Ham 0-2 Manchester United – (Monday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Sunderland 1-3 Liverpool – (Monday, 10 a.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

DON’T TOUCH THIS… 

Bournemouth 1-2 Arsenal – (Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Middlesbrough 1-1 Leicester – (Monday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Man City 2-1 Burnley – (Monday, 10 a.m. ET, CNBC) – [STREAM]

Crystal Palace 1-0 Swansea – (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

West Brom 1-1 Hull – (Monday, 10 a.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

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

Stoke 1-2 Watford – (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Premier League Extratime) – [STREAM]

Tottenham 2-2 Chelsea – (Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, NBCSN) – [STREAM]

Premier League roundup: Blues, Reds nab wins.

By Nicholas Mendola

(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Things are getting tight in Manchester.

We’re still two months away from Feb. 26’s derby at the Etihad Stadium, but United has won five-straight games under Jose Mourinho to pull within three points of crosstown rivals Man City.

That’s because Pep Guardiola‘s Citizens fell 1-0 in Liverpool in a cagey, sloppy affair at Anfield.

All that and more — including a history-making win for the table leaders — in our PL roundup.

Chelsea 4-2 Stoke City — RECAP

A pair of Willian goals helped offset two uncharacteristic concessions as Chelsea matched a Premier League record by winning its 13th-straight match. Diego Costa and Gary Cahill also scored for the Blues, who lead the league by six points. Bruno Martins Indi and Peter Crouch scored for the Potters, the latter becoming the first English goal scorer for Stoke in nearly 40 tallies.

Manchester United 2-1 Middlesbrough — RECAP

United should’ve led in the first half, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic‘s karate action goal was not given by referee Lee Mason. Then Boro went ahead through Grant Leadbitter before Paul Pogba helped key a deserved three-point run. United is now within a win of City, sniffing the Top Four.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City — RECAP

Georginio Wijnaldum‘s early goal turned out to be the appetizer for a disappointing meal. Both teams defended well but also played very sloppy with the ball. It was a choppy game, but don’t look for Jurgen Klopp to be anything but pleased by keeping pace with Chelsea. City is now 10 points back of Chelsea.

Swansea City 0-3 Bournemouth — RECAP

Bob Bradley‘s gone, but Swansea is still shipping in goals at an alarming rate. Benik Afobe started the scoring early, as the Cherries moved 10 points clear of safety. Josh King and Ryan Fraser also scored for Bournemouth. Swansea appear set to tab Paul Clement as PL boss.

Southampton 1-2 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP

Shane Long‘s early goal wet his dry spell, but Tony Pulis‘ Baggies took advantage of another poor performance from the mercurial Saints. Matty Phillips and Hal Robson-Kanu scored for West Brom, the latter netting a laser of a strike.

Leicester City 1-0 West Ham United — RECAP

The Foxes ended 2016 on a strong note thanks to Islam Slimani‘s first half goal, and Leicester is now six points clear of the drop zone.

Burnley 4-1 Sunderland — RECAP

Andre Gray scored three-straight goals, and strike partner Ashley Barnes netted a penalty as the Clarets heaped misery on relegation-battling Sunderland. Jermain Defoe scored a late consolation tally for the Black Cats.

Transfer needs for each Premier League club in January.

By Joe Prince-Wright

(Photo/Getty Images)

The first day of 2017 has arrived.

That also means the January transfer window has opened for every Premier League team as they have 31 days to spend big or ship out players midseason.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at where each club needs to add in the January transfer window.

Arsenal

Biggest need: Center back, attacking midfielder
Dream additions: Chris Smalling; Ross Barkley, Dimitri Payet

Bournemouth

Biggest need: Striker
Dream addition: Marcus Rashford

Burnley

Biggest need: Experienced striker
Dream addition: Chris Wood

Chelsea

Biggest need: Center back, defensive midfielder, striker
Dream additions: Leonardo Bonucci, Michael Keane; Arturo Vidal; James Rodriguez

Crystal Palace

Biggest need: Striker, winger, center back, defensive midfielder
Dream additions: Jermain Defoe; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Lamine Kone; James McCarthy, Morgan Schneiderlin

Everton

Biggest need: Center back, central midfielder, winger
Dream addition: Jose Fonte; Morgan Schneiderlin; Memphis Depay, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Hull City

Biggest need: Striker, defenders
Dream additions: Marcus Rashford, Sebastien Haller; Carl Jenkinson, Hans Hateboer

Leicester City

Biggest need: Center back, right back
Dream additions: Michael Keane; Kieran Trippier

Liverpool

Biggest need: Goalkeeper
Dream additions: Joe Hart

Manchester City

Biggest need: Center back
Dream additions: Leonardo Bonucci, Virgil Van Dijk

Manchester United

Biggest need: Center back, right back, playmaker
Dream additions: Jose Fonte, Virgil van Dijk, Victor Lindelof; Nelson Semedo; Dimitri Payet

Middlesbrough

Biggest need: Striker
Dream addition: Marcus Rashford

Southampton

Biggest need: Striker, attacking midfielder
Dream additions: Marcus Rashford, Daniel Sturridge; Hatem Ben Arfa, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Stoke City

Biggest need: Striker
Dream addition: Marcus Rashford

Sunderland

Biggest need: Striker, central midfielder
Dream additions: Marcus Rashford; Tom Cleverley

Swansea City

Biggest need: Striker, winger, defenders
Dream additions: Dwight Gayle, Jordan Ayew, Aleksandar Mitrovic; Luciano Narsingh; Carl Jenkinson, Steven Caulker

Tottenham Hotspur

Biggest need: Center back, attacking midfielder
Dream additions: Michael Keane; Ross Barkley

Watford 

Biggest need: Center midfielder
Dream addition: John Obi Mikel

West Bromwich Albion

Biggest need: Central midfielders
Dream additions: Morgan Schneiderlin, James McCarthy

West Ham United

Biggest need: Striker, defender
Dream additions: Jermain Defoe, Marcus Rashford; Taulant Xhaka

NCAAFB: Bo Scarbrough powers No. 1 Alabama back to championship game after Peach Bowl win over No. 4 Washington.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Faced with a 3rd and nine from their own three-yard line and Washington making a push to generate enough momentum to put a scare in Alabama, the Crimson Tide handed the ball to Bo Scarbrough. Scarbrough moved right up the middle of the field for a 12-yard gain. At that exact moment in the fourth quarter, that may have been nothing more than a sigh of relief for Alabama, having picked up a first down to get out of their own end zone, but Scarbrough was not done yet. A few plays later, Scarbrough once again broke tackles by Washington’s solid defense, and in the process of working his way 68-yards down the field for a cherry-on-top touchdown, broke the hearts of Washington faithful in Atlanta and on the west coast. Alabama, who had the upper hand for nearly the entire game, pulled away for a College Football Playoff semifinal victory in the Peach Bowl for a 24-7 victory that was fueled by capitalizing on Washington’s mistakes.

Two Washington turnover sin the first half led to 10 points for the SEC champion Crimson Tide. Jake Browning, who set the new Pac-12 single-season passing touchdown record in the first quarter, was picked off by Ryan Anderson late in the first half, and Anderson returned the interception for a touchdown. In a game in which Washington could not afford mistakes like this, the pick-six was a critical blow. The Huskies had a very good night on defense, but the offense was unable to do anything against a superior Alabama defense loaded with some of the top talent in the country, like Jonathan Allen (who recovered a fumble and was tough to get by once again). That was to be expected, but the Huskies looked like they may have found a good situation after Browning stepped back from the line of scrimmage on a fourth down play around midfield to drop a punt on the Tide. The punt pinned Alabama deep in their end, and Washington forced a third-and-nine that will likely haunt them for some time.

Moments later, Alabama was out to the 30-yard line, when Bo struck once more to get the party started a little early for the Crimson Tide fans.

Scarbrough ended his night with 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Washington had a total of 194 yards in the entire game.

Alabama will now await to find out their next challenger, which will be decided in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State and Clemson will play in the other College Football Playoff semifinal to determine Alabama’s next opponent in the national championship game. Alabama has faced each in the last two years of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State, with Ezekiel Elliott, upset the Crimson Tide en route to a national championship run two seasons ago, and Alabama outlasted Deshaun Watson and Clemson in last year’s championship game. Whoever plays Alabama should make for a very entertaining championship game.

The national championship game will be played on Monday, January 9, 2017 in Tampa. Alabama will look to become the first repeat winner in the infancy of the College Football Playoff era and clinch its fifth national championship since 2009.

The season is now over for Washington. At 12-2, there is still more than enough to be happy about this season for the Huskies under head coach Chris Petersen, and still much to look forward to moving forward as the program continues to take strides forward. Washington’s next game will be September 1, 2017 at Rutgers. The Huskies should be able to get off to a good start once again next year with nonconference games against Montana and Fresno State before opening Pac-12 play.

Rematch on! Clemson shuts out Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl to book trip to title game.

By Bryan Fischer

(Photo/Getty Images)

Clemson kicked off 2016 at University of Phoenix Stadium by losing a heartbreaker in a thrilling national title game to Alabama.

The Tigers closed out the year with a bit of sweet revenge at the same site however, shutting out Ohio State 31-0 in the Fiesta Bowl to book their tickets to the national title game in Tampa and a rematch with the Crimson Tide.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson threw two interceptions but was otherwise his terrific self behind center with 259 yards and a touchdown pass. The Heisman finalist also rushed for two more scores on a pair of keepers and led the team in rushing with 85 yards. It certainly wasn’t a perfect performance but it was an efficient one as he picked apart the vaunted OSU secondary aside from two ill-advised throws that wound up in their hands.

As good as Watson was though, his favorite target Mike Williams might have been the best player on the field Saturday evening. The likely first-rounder caught a team high six passes for 96 yards and came close to one remarkable long touchdown in the second quarter until he got tripped up. While he was the headliner, the deep receiving corps also showed up all game long with seven others catching a pass and tailback Wayne Gallman put the cherry on top of the outing with a seven yard rushing touchdown following a turnover.

Not to be out done, the Clemson defense truly paved the way for their return trip to the national title game with 11 tackles for loss and three sacks. Freshman Clelin Ferrell had the game of his young career with near constant pressure on every snap, recording three tackles for loss and a sack. Linebacker Kendall Joseph led the team in tackles and basically shutdown the middle of the field in holding the Buckeyes to just 81 yards rushing.

Not being able to run the ball was a big reason for Ohio State’s struggles, which were chiefly the result of the team’s offensive line not having an answer for the speed of the Tigers front four. Quarterback J.T. Barrett didn’t have a terrible game as one of the few offensive threats for the team but only managed to throw for only 127 yards with two interceptions. All-purpose threat Curtis Samuel did receive plenty of touches as the offense tried to get something going but managed only 110 total yards, most of which came on a handful of plays when the game was already decided.

The end result of yet another blowout semifinal was the worst loss Urban Meyer has suffered during his time in Columbus and, given the stakes, probably the biggest ‘L’ of his career. The team began the game with several nice kick returns to setup some early series but a pair of missed field goals in the opening quarter set the tone for a disastrous outing for the scarlet and grey.

Given how everything played out, it’s safe to say it just wasn’t the Buckeyes’ night as everything that could go wrong typically did. While a lot of those issues were self-inflicted, most had to do with a dominating performance by the Tigers that they controlled from wire-to-wire.

And with that, Clemson has punched their ticket for a return trip to the national title game and a never before seen rematch for the sport’s ultimate prize. It may not have been pretty for Ohio State, but on the other sideline there was nothing like that little bit of sweet revenge out in the desert for how this year began — and no better way to cap off the season than by ringing in 2017 with what should be a thriller in Tampa next week.

LSU sacks Louisville Heisman QB Lamar Jackson eight times in Citrus Bowl romp, 29-9.

By Kevin McGuire

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

It was a long afternoon for Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and No. 13 Louisville (9-4) in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, as No. 20 LSU (8-4) used its signature defense to sack the Heisman quarterback eight times and limit the once College Football Playoff contenders to just nine points in a 29-9 victory.

Louisville was held to just 220 yards of offense and was an astounding 2-for-17 on third down conversion attempts. Jackson ended his 2016 Heisman season with just 10-of-27 passing for 153 yards without a score. Jackson rushed for a net-gain of 33 yards despite being taken down eight times. Tashawn Bower recorded three of those sacks, and Arden Kelly had two more. And check out how Jamal Adams tracked down Jackson on this play (look where Adams starts the play)…

LSU was playing without running back Leonard Fournette, but Derrius Guice was ready to lead the offense with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown. As a result, Guice ended the season as the SEC’s rushing leader, just nudging his way past Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. Guice will be back for the 2017 season, which means LSU should have one of the top running backs to utilize in its offense, and that is a very good thing.

LSU will now once again ride this wave of optimism and look to build on that in the offseason leading up to the start of the 2017 season. This is now Ed Orgeron‘s program and he will be adding one of the top offensive coordinators to the staff in Matt Canada, to go along with already having one of the top defensive coordinators in Dave Aranda. The addition of Canada should help solve some concerns with the LSU offense, although trusting the running game is a nice luxury to have in 2017. LSU will begin the 2017 season in Houston for a neutral-site game against BYU on Saturday, September 2, 2017. LSU will have a challenging SEC schedule next season with road games at Florida (thanks to the rescheduling development this season), Alabama and Tennessee.

As for Louisville, there is still plenty to be optimistic about with Jackson returning for a follow-up season to his Heisman Trophy season. The luster on the 2016 season will be dulled as a result of how this season ended for the Cardinals, but Louisville will get a terrific opportunity to get started on a fast track to lighting things up on offense next season. The Cardinals begin the 2017 season on September 2, 2017 in Indianapolis against Purdue (with new head coach Jeff Brohm at the helm), followed, potentially, by two ACC contests (the ACC schedule has yet to be confirmed). Louisville will also host Kent State and Murray State in non-conference play, which should be two relatively easy wins with opportunities to pile up big offensive stats. Louisville will get Clemson at home and Florida State on the road in ACC Atlantic play. And, just because it had become a bit of a story lately, Louisville travels to Wake Forest next season.

NCAABKB: Defending champ Villanova is undefeated, No. 1 and still flying under the radar.

By Travis Hines

(AP Photo/John Peterson)

It was almost camouflaged, but still visible. On the back of the reigning national champions’ warmups, in a darker shade of blue than the rest of the shirt, read “VILLANOVA.” You almost had to squint to see it, as if it was hiding in plain sight.

In a year where Grayson Allen’s antics, Kentucky’s freshmen and UCLA’s resurgence have gobbled up headlines, conversation and college basketball oxygen, right in front of everyone stands Jay Wright’s group, somewhat unnoticed, certainly underappreciated and, after beating 10th-ranked Creighton at CenturyLink Center on Saturday, still undefeated.

The Wildcats are the country’s top-ranked team, but they’ve never been the sport’s top storyline this season. They’re respected, but not revered.

In their 80-70 win over Creighton, they showed why history will be in their grasp this spring.

Facing down a 10-point deficit, a crowd of 18,831 and a Bluejays team that had previously vanquished all challengers behind one of the country’s best offenses spearheaded by one of its best backcourts, the No. 1 Wildcats simply prevailed to win their 20th-straight game and run their record this season to 14-0.

“There’s a lot of guys there that just won a national championship,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said, “and they don’t get shook. They don’t get rattled.

“If you’re not going to get rattled the way that crowd was (with the early score at) 24-14, you’re not going to get rattled because they won’t play in a tougher environment all year.”

Beyond the record and the accolades accumulated by Villanova, it’s their demeanor that stands out. It’s an uncanny resolve in the face of adversity.

The Wildcats, after taking Creighton’s best in the first half and still taking a leading into the locker room, led for nearly all of the second half until Isaiah Zierden’s 3-pointer with 4 minutes, 47 seconds remaining tied the game and sent the crowd into a frenzy. It was exactly the moment when a road team against a top-10 opponent folds under the weight of momentum and pressure.

“We knew we had to stick with doing what we were doing,” senior Josh Hart said, “and that’s being solid, playing Villanova basketball for 40 minutes. Against the best teams, it’s going to take 40 minutes. (Creighton) is a great team. One of the best teams in our league so we knew when that happened, come closer together and play Villanova basketball.

“Don’t try to go win it yourself. Don’t try to go outside of doing what we do. Stick with Villanova basketball, and we’re going to live and die with that.”

Live, Villanova did.

After Zierden’s 3, Villanova made 4 of 5 shots (rebounding and converting their one miss), made all six of their free throws and held Creighton to just one field goal.

It was a masterclass of poise and execution. When a big shot needed making, Villanova cashed in. When the defense needed a stop, the Wildcats buckled down. It wasn’t just the results, though, that were impressive. Villanova didn’t luck into made shots or Creighton turnovers. Almost every dribble, switch and rebound was executed with cool precision belying the circumstances.

Of course, for this group, a Saturday afternoon in Omaha isn’t as daunting when you’ve played on a Monday night in April.

“I think (the experience) is what it is,” coach Jay Wright said. “We have three seniors that are just amazing. Not just Xs and Os and making shots, but communicating and leading the team in tough times because they’ve been through it.”

Villanova’s foundation is its experience and its maturity, but what gives the Wildcats the best chance at a repeat national championship since Florida a decade ago is their multitude of weapons. Josh Hart is a national player of the year candidate. Kris Jenkins hit one of the biggest shots in the sport’s history and came into the afternoon averaging nearly 13 points per game. It was the third – and youngest – option that kept Villanova afloat amid the volleys Creighton fired their way in the first half. With Hart bottled up and Villanova floundering some, Jalen Brunson hit four consecutive shots, three of them from distance and scored 11-straight points for the Wildcats.

“You go through their run in the NCAA tournament,” McDermott said, “they’re so good at taking what the defense gives you. They’re so intelligent that way.”

It’s impossible to separate last year’s Villanova team for this season’s. Yes, Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu are gone, but that’s it. There’s also the matter of the fact they just keep winning. Six to end last season, 14 to start this one. Wright, however, won’t let this version of Villanova take credit for last year’s success, even if the public wants to draw a line from the team that showered under confetti in Houston last April to this undefeated start.

“It’s completely different,” he said. “It’s a different completely different crew. A completely different team. We’re playing differently.

“But they have to deal with everyone else’s impact from last season. They have to deal with everybody treating them like the No. 1 team, treating them like the former national champions. Still talking about last year. They all have to deal it. It’s part of the responsibility. It’s a good challenge to have, but it’s a totally different team this season.”

It’s not, of course, a totally different team. Not exactly the same, sure, but certainly not far removed. This is a team with national championship pedigree. It has one of the best players in the country, and a supporting cast that can star when called upon. Experience, talent and no apparent complacency make for a dangerous team.

Only two programs – Duke and Florida – have repeated as national champions since UCLA’s run in the 1960s and ‘70s. Villanova is equipped to potentially join that group. It’s the biggest story in the sport, and it’s happening in front of the entire country. You don’t even need to strain to see it, let alone appreciate it.

Duke’s loss to Virginia Tech proves they have more issues than just Grayson Allen.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Losing was inevitable.

In a league where Virginia can win at Louisville three days before losing at home to Florida State, in a league where a bottom-feeder like Georgia Tech can pick off a top ten team like North Carolina, in a league where it wouldn’t be crazy to see ten teams get to the NCAA tournament, we knew that Duke was going to get picked off a time or two – or three, or four – before March got mad.

It was always going to happen.

Conference road trips are the most miserable place to be in college basketball, and Duke was never going to get through nine of them unscathed.

We all could see that coming.

But did you see this coming?

A trip to Blacksburg ending with an 89-75 drubbing, a game where the final score doesn’t do justice to the control that Buzz Williams’ club had on the game? (Before I continue this, a disclaimer: Virginia Tech is very good. They are top 25 good. They are Sweet 16 good. The Hokies won this game, and may have done so even if Duke played well.)

In the first game of Grayson Allen’s suspension stemming from his third tripping incident in 2016, No. 5 Duke went scoreless or the first four minutes, dug themselves a double-digit hole before the second TV timeout and spent 40 minutes getting totally and completely outplayed by Virginia Tech. If it wasn’t for a 34-point effort from Luke Kennard, who was the only Blue Devil that decided to show up on New Year’s Eve, the final score would have looked much worse.

Duke missed Allen.

But this loss had nothing to do with the absence of Allen and everything to do with the fact that this Duke team is not what the sums of its parts says it should be. That doesn’t mean that they can’t get there, it doesn’t mean that they can’t win a national title this season, but it does mean that, as of today, Duke is not a very good basketball team.

What’s wrong with them?

Let’s start with their defense, which was awful against Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils gave up 1.235 points-per-possession to Virginia Tech. The Hokies were able to penetrate at will on Saturday, and the rim protection that was supposed to be provided by the health of Harry Giles III and Marques Bolden simply wasn’t there.

That side of the ball has been an issue with recent Duke teams, including 2014-15, when Duke’s defense during the NCAA tournament covered up the fact that it was a mess for most of the regular season.

It wasn’t just half court defense on Saturday, either; the Hokies got layup-after-layup in transition.

They also have plenty of issues on the offensive end of the floor, where Duke’s possessions would eventually devolve into one of their guards trying to beat a Hokie defender one-on-one. Much of that credit has to be given to Virginia Tech, who proved themselves a top 25-caliber team that will be a factor in the ACC this season, but it’s certainly worrisome that a team with this kind of talent had that kind of trouble against anyone.

Because youth can no longer be an excuse for Duke. Yes, it took a while for them to get Giles, Bolden and Jayson Tatum healthy, but the latter two have been back in the mix for a month while it’s been three weeks since Giles missed a game. Duke has played just twice since they beat Florida, 84-74, in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 10th. They’ve had plenty of opportunities to get the newcomers up to speed.

So what is it?

Leadership? There isn’t an alpha-dog on this roster, and when the junior captain (well, ex-captain) is continuously tripping people and having on-bench meltdowns, it’s fair to wonder just who is the voice in the locker room that holds teammates accountable, the voice that the freshmen listen to.

Because that seems to be a problem as well. After the Elon game, Luke Kennard told reports that “I just don’t think we’re a very unselfish team right now.” It’s hard to convince players that expect to be one-and-done stars to play into a role, especially when that role is limited. Just because John Calipari makes it look easy doesn’t mean it is.

But that’s all speculative.

It’s also fixable, or at least it should be.

Because Duke’s ceiling is higher than anyone else’s ceiling.

But it’s time to start being concerned about whether or not they will ever actually get there.

No. 9 North Carolina loses ACC opener at Georgia Tech.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Josh Pastner’s tenure at Georgia Tech is young enough that the majority people outside the city of Memphis, including the numerous fans that didn’t actually make it to their the seats McCammish Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, probably didn’t realize he was the new Yellow Jacket head coach.

In the immortal words of comedic philosopher Kevin Hart, “You gon’ learn today.”

The Yellow Jackets opened up ACC play on Saturday afternoon with a 75-63 win over No. 9 North Carolina in Atlanta. Josh Okogie led the way for Georgia Tech with 26 points, five boards and three assists while Josh Heath chipped in with 15 points off the bench, a terrific performance and a terrific win that will be the feather in the cap of Pastner’s inaugural season regardless of how it ends.

So good for him. Pastner is a good man that had an ugly split with Memphis which gave him a reputation nationally that would make Scott Drew blush.

But the real story on Saturday was North Carolina, who started the day as 18-point favorites but will head home with a 12-point loss and an 0-1 record in ACC play. The issue was that the Tar Heels couldn’t figure out the zone that Georgia Tech was running. As a team, North Carolina shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and 5-for-26 (19.2%) from three and committed 20 turnovers.

But it was worse than that for North Carolina’s stars. Josh Jackson and Joel Berry II, two guys that are in contention for All-American honors, finished a combined 9-for-30 from the floor and 2-for-14 from three. They turned the ball over nine times. Throw in Kenny Williams’ 0-for-6 performance from three and, well, you get the point.

North Carolina couldn’t do anything on the offensive end of the floor, and that’s what the concern for this team has been and will be all season long. Their bigs were kept in check in part because Ben Lammers is one of the best rim protectors in the sport and in part because Tech could collapse defenders into the paint; if UNC is going to shoot like they shot from three, you let them shoot. The zone took away Berry’s ability to operate in isolation and eliminated the ball-screen and down-screen actions UNC had used against Kentucky to such effect.

The concern for Tar Geel fans now has to be whether or not Pastner just provided the ACC with a blueprint for how to beat them.

My guess?

Probably not.

Jackson and Berry are too good to play like this consistently, and Roy Williams is too good not to adjust what he does against a zone. He made the switch to a four-guard lineup with Jackson at the four in the second half, but it was too late to have any real impact.

More than anything, this is a loss that will end up being a drag on UNC’s seed and their chance to win the ACC regular season title. If the Tar Heels end up as a No. 3 seed on Selection Sunday, note this loss on their profile. If they finish a game behind the regular season champs, remember that they gave one away to one of the teams from the bottom of the conference.

UFC 207: Ronda Rousey knocked out in 48 seconds.

By Kevin Iole

Amanda Nunes finished off Ronda Rousey in just 48 seconds on Friday. (Photo/Getty)

Ronda Rousey was once again pummeled by a striker and lost her second consecutive bout.

The former women’s bantamweight champion was completely outclassed in the striking game by Amanda Nunes, who stopped Rousey at 48 seconds of the first round to retain her women’s bantamweight championship in the main event of UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena.

Nunes landed a big right just seconds into the fight that clearly hurt Rousey, who was fighting for the first time since a stunning defeat at the hands of Holly Holm on Nov. 14, 2015.

Rousey tried to throw punches with Nunes, but she had nothing to offer. Nunes was blistering her with combinations, hitting her with virtually everything she threw.

“This is amazing,” Nunes said in exultation.

Nunes landed 23 of 35 strikes she threw, all of which were powerful shots. She backed Rousey up from the very first seconds of the bout and simply overwhelmed her.

The loss leaves Rousey’s future in serious question. Her return attracted a standing-room-only crowd of more than 19,000 and pay-per-view sales are expected to exceed 1 million.

She was guaranteed $3 million to show, and will make money millions more than that.

But Rousey, who had a media blackout and didn’t speak much at all in the fight’s build-up, may no longer fight. She had frequently said that she would judge when to quit by the damage she has taken.

Her judo made her the sport’s biggest sensation and top stars, as she was able to win her first 12 fights primarily with a seemingly unstoppable arm bar.

Rousey hit hard, but her striking defense was never great and so she had problems when facing elite strikers like Nunes and Holm.

If the loss prompts Rousey to retire, as expected, it will be the end of an incredible run. UFC president Dana White had famously said he would never allow women to fight in the UFC, but after seeing Rousey, he changed his mind.

She sold out arenas all over the world and sold pay-per-views at an astonishingly high rate.

She won her first six UFC fights and it looked like no one could compete with her.

But Holm, a former world boxing champion, showed the blueprint last year at UFC 193. Holm moved smartly and countered Rousey before ending the fight with a kick to the head.

On Friday, it wasn’t so subtle. Nunes was eager to trade with Rousey, whose head never moved off the center line as she was getting blasted by hard shots.

Nunes was in the middle of a multi-punch combination when Dean stepped in to save Rousey from further punishment.

Follow-up: Ronda Rousey speaks out for first time after devastating UFC 207 loss.

By Kevin Iole

Less than 24 hours after being stopped by Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds in their fight for the women’s bantamweight title before a sell-out crowd of 18,533 at T-Mobile Arena in the main event of UFC 207, Ronda Rousey has broken her silence.

In a statement released to ESPN, Rousey said, “I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future.”

Rousey, the former unbeaten champion, has had a precipitous fall in the last 13 months. She was stopped by Holly Holm in the second round at UFC 193 in a fight in which she was dominated. After more than a year off, she returned Friday but was no match for Nunes‘ powerful strikes.

She took the bout against Nunes after negotiating a deal with UFC president Dana White in which she didn’t have to do any media. She did an interview with ESPN the Magazine and appeared on “Conan” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” But she did not speak at all before the fight and failed to attend the post-fight news conference.

Rousey’s statement:

I want to say thank you to all of my fans who have been there for me in not only the greatest moments but in the most difficult ones. Words cannot convey how much your love and support means to me. 

Returning to not just fighting, but winning, was my entire focus this past year. However, sometimes — even when you prepare and give everything you have and want something so badly — it doesn’t work how you planned. I take pride in seeing how far the women’s division has come in the UFC and commend all the other women who have been part of making this possible, including Amanda. 

I need to take some time to reflect and think about the future. Thank you for believing in me and understanding.

Her mother, former star judoka Ann Maria DeMars, told TMZ on Friday she hoped her daughter would retire, but said it would be Rousey’s decision.

DeMars told TMZ that as a parent, she wanted her daughter to retire because she didn’t want to see her get injured. But she said Rousey needed to think of it dispassionately after the emotion wears off.

“I think making snap decisions like that is probably not the best idea, so I don’t know,” DeMars told TMZ. “I would like to see her retire. I would have liked to have seen her retire a long time ago. Who wants to see their kid get hit? She’s got a lot of talent to do other things. Movies, writing, producing. She’s really, really smart. I told her at the very beginning when she started this. I said, ‘You’re smart and beautiful. Let the stupid people get punched in the face.’”

If this is it for Rousey, who turns 30 in February, she’ll leave as the biggest star in the sport. She was 12-2 and won six UFC title fights before losing to Holm.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, January 02, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1953 - The Baltimore Bullets (NBA) began a 32 game road losing streak.

1957 - Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to win the middleweight boxing title.

1965 - "Broadway" Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football.

1971 - In Glasgow, Scotland, 66 people were crushed when fans trying to leave encountered fans trying to return after hearing that a late goal had been scored.

1972 - Elvis Presley gave Muhammad Ali a $10000 robe with "People's Champion" inscribed on it. Ali wore the robe on March 31, 1973 when he lost to Ken Norton.

1982 - The New York Islanders began a 23 undefeated home streak.

1983 - Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals) completed 20 consecutive passes to set an NFL record for passing accuracy.

1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods. The final score of 142-140 set a new NCAA record for total points in a basketball game (282). The game took over three hours to play.

1986 - Mike Bossy (New York Islanders) scored his 500th career NHL goal.

2002 - Mike Modano (Dallas Stars) scored his 400th career NHL goal. Modano became only the fourth United States-born player to reach 400 goals.

2002 - Ron Francis (Carolina Hurricanes) scored his 500th career NHL goal. Francis became only the fifth player in NHL history to reach 500 goals and 1,000 assists.

2003 - It was announced that Bill Parcells would be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

*****************************************************************

Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.