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"Sports Quote of the Day"

 “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abolitionist and Author

TRENDING: Surging Wild beat Blackhawks 3-2 for Western Conference lead. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: List of 2017 important offseason dates. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates). 

(Photo/NFL)

TRENDING: Devin Hester: From busting returns to a bust in Canton. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates). 

TRENDING: Doug McDermott scores career-high 31 as Bulls fight past Grizzlies. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).

TRENDING: This is the thanks Joe Maddon gets for Cubs winning the World Series? (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).

TRENDING: New PGA Tour commissioner open to possible legal sports betting. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

TRENDING: SATURDAY’S SNACKS: Butler, Louisville, North Carolina earn wins over top-15 teams. (See the NCAABKB section for collegiate basketball news and team updates).

NFL Playoffs Weekend Scores, January 14-15, 2017.

Seattle Seahawks 20
Atlanta Falcons 36

Houston Texans 16
New England Patriots 34

Green Bay Packers 34
Dallas Cowboys 31

Pittsburgh Steelers 18
Kansas City Chiefs 16

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Surging Wild beat Blackhawks 3-2 for Western Conference lead.

By Jay Cohen

 

(AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Playing on the road for the second straight night against one of their biggest rivals, Devan Dubnyk and the Minnesota Wild rallied to another impressive victory.

Not much to complain about for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau.

"They just refuse to lose at this stage," he said.

Dubnyk made 33 saves, Jason Pominville scored in the third period and Minnesota beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday to grab sole possession of the top spot in the Western Conference.

Nino Niederreiter and Chris Stewart also scored as Minnesota earned its fourth straight win and improved to 17-1-1 since Dec. 4. The Wild also beat the Blackhawks for the eighth straight time.

"To beat this team eight times in a row is really something," said Boudreau, who was behind the bench in Anaheim when the Ducks were eliminated by the Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Conference finals. "I don't understand how you can do it. I wish I had had that knowledge a couple years ago."

Minnesota (28-9-5) jumped in front for good when Marco Scandella shot the puck behind the net and it caromed right to Pominville standing all alone on the right side of the crease. He knocked it into the open net for his sixth of the season at 5:08.

Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter was sent off for tripping with 22.4 seconds left, but Chicago was unable to get a good look even with the 6-on-4 advantage.

"It's a big game, just point-wise," Dubnyk said. "If we want to be in first place, we're going to have to win games against these guys."

Patrick Kane scored twice on a whopping 12 shots for the Blackhawks (27-14-5), who were coming off an ugly 6-0 loss at Washington. Artem Anisimov, battling an illness, had two assists, and Corey Crawford made 29 stops.

"Frustrating. Even though it was 2-0, at 2-2 you still feel good being in a tie game going to the third at home playing a team playing on back-to-back nights," Kane said. "Tough not to get anything out of that game."

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville called Friday night's performance against the Capitals a failure "across the board," and he went with seven defensemen for the Blackhawks' first game of the season against Minnesota. He also leaned heavily on Kane, who has six goals and 12 assists in his last 14 games.

"Kaner had the touch tonight," Quenneville said.

The reigning NHL MVP beat Dubnyk on the stick side at 4:33 of the first, and then added his 14th of the season in the second. The winger dug the puck out of the faceoff circle and snapped it over Dubnyk's left shoulder for a 2-0 lead at 4:16.

Minnesota got one back after Anisimov was sent off for tripping at 5:04 of the second. Jonas Brodin's long shot went off Wild center Mikael Granlund in front and dropped to the ice near Niederreiter, who slammed it in for his 12th.

Stewart tied it at 2 when he beat Crawford on the short side from the left circle with 9 minutes left. Stewart also scored in Minnesota's 5-4 victory at Dallas on Saturday night.

"We didn't have the best legs right from the get-go, but I feel like we found a way," Niederreiter said. "Then we kind of find a rhythm and kept going."

NOTES: Kane played more than 27 minutes in his first multigoal game of the season. ... The Blackhawks scratched forwards Andrew Desjardins and Jordin Tootoo. ... D Nate Prosser and RW Kurtis Gabriel were inactive for Minnesota.

UP NEXT

Wild: Begin a four-game homestand Tuesday night against New Jersey.

Blackhawks: Visit Colorado on Tuesday night.

Blackhawks routed by Capitals as winning streak ends at four games. (Friday night's game, 01/13/2016).

By Associated Press

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Jay Beagle can't explain his offensive success against the Chicago Blackhawks.

It's much easier to see why his Washington Capitals are rolling against everybody.

Beagle scored twice to solidify his status as a Blackhawks killer and Washington blew out Chicago 6-0 on Friday night to win its eighth consecutive game. In a showdown of the NHL's hottest teams, the Capitals looked the part and the Blackhawks fell flat, ending their winning streak at four.

During their eight-game run to vault to the top of the league standings, the Capitals have snapped five opposing winning streaks of three or more.

"We're playing good hockey right now and we're starting to get confident in our game, in our structure," said Beagle, who has eight goals this season and is just two shy of tying his career high. "Getting these wins against great teams can only build that confidence, and we just got to keep going moving forward."

Beagle's inexplicable, self-admitted "weird" showing of six goals in eight career games against the Blackhawks notwithstanding, this winning streak has been built on contributions from almost every player. Three different lines were in on the scoring Friday as all six goals came at even strength.

But the biggest piece of the streak is goaltender Braden Holtby, who looks to be back in Vezina Trophy form. Holtby stopped all 24 shots he faced against the Blackhawks and is 9-2-2 with a 1.34 goals-against average, .950 save percentage and five shutouts in his past 14 games.

Holtby and the Capitals haven't allowed an even-strength goal in five games dating to when he was pulled against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 3.

"I worked on a few things that I wanted to get better at, but we've been playing pretty well through that stretch, too," said Holtby, who leads the league with six shutouts. "There's still things to work on, but our game and my game are going in the right direction."

Chicago's game was going in the right direction but took a nosedive Friday. A would-be goal from Vinnie Hinostroza was called back for goaltender interference and Corey Crawford was pulled after allowing five goals on 30 shots. There were no positives to be found.

Coach Joel Quenneville called it a failure "across the board."

"It was a big game to start with and we didn't meet the challenge," Quenneville said. "Let's forget about this one because there's nothing good about it."

It's all good right now for the Capitals, who had four short-handed shots to the Blackhawks' two on the power play. In reaching 61 points, they passed the Columbus Blue Jackets - who played later at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night - for first in the Metropolitan Division, the Eastern Conference and the NHL.

Coach Barry Trotz has eased the minutes burden on Alex Ovechkin and his top players and been rewarded with scoring depth. He was pleased that "all four lines were pulling on the rope" against Chicago, just the latest in a line of top teams Washington has beaten.

Just in 2017, the Capitals have ended the Maple Leafs' winning streak at five, the Blue Jackets' at 16, the Montreal Canadiens' at three, the Pittsburgh Penguins' at five and then the Blackhawks' at four. Now they have their own winning streak, which center Nicklas Backstrom said "doesn't matter."

"Obviously you know it's eight in a row, but you're playing every other day so you just try to reset and get back to work," Backstrom said. "We've just got to play good next game."

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Offseason begins with self-evaluation.

By Larry Mayer

Bears general manager Ryan Pace knows that he needs to add to a young core of players. (Photo/www.chicagobears.com)

Before the Bears focus on free agency or the draft, their thorough and meticulous offseason plan will begin with a long look in the mirror.

"It starts with first analyzing our current roster," general manager Ryan Pace said last week during his end-of-season press conference. "Your offseason plan is flawed if you don't identify your roster and step back, take a deep breath and really say, 'OK, where are our current needs at?' We've got to look at that with a real honest, open approach."

Those evaluations are especially important given that the Bears have 18 players due to become unrestricted free agents in March.

The Bears placed 19 players on injured reserve this season, including several key starters on both sides of the ball. But Pace knows that injuries were only partly to blame for an ugly 3-13 record that was the worst by the franchise since the NFL expanded to 16 games in 1978.

"We only won three games this year and it's not just because of the injuries," Pace said. "So it starts [with self-evaluation]. From there, we develop our needs. And then you've got to have a really good feel for free agency and the draft and where they're strong in different areas.

"Maybe this is an area we really want to attack in free agency because it's deep there and I feel like there are some capable players. Maybe there are positions where we need to add a vet; we need that experience at this position. There are some real deep positions in the draft that I know, so it's still got to come together."

The silver lining in the rash of injuries the Bears suffered was that several young players gained valuable experience. Three rookie draft picks led the charge in first-round outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, second-round center Cody Whitehair and fifth-round running back Jordan Howard.

Floyd registered seven sacks in 12 games, Whitehair started all 16 contests at center—a position he had never played at Kansas State—and Howard earned a trip to the Pro Bowl after setting Bears rookie rushing records with 1,313 yards and seven 100-yard games.

"I feel like we've got a really good locker room with a lot of young guys that are arrow-up, and it's just us continuing to add to that, really," Pace said. "We had the most starts among rookies and second-year players. That's a lot of youth on the team and a lot of guys getting better."

Pace is seemingly in good position to add to that core this offseason; the Bears have the third overall pick in the draft and are in the top-five in the NFL in salary-cap space.

"This offseason is huge," Pace said. "There's a big responsibility with that much cap space and this high in the draft. It's a significant offseason for us. I was pleased with this year's draft class. I think it's going to take three years to really get a full picture of it. But there's a lot of good young players that are ascending and we've just got to add to that group."

Despite the disappointing 3-13 record, there's optimism throughout Halas Hall that the Bears can improve significantly in 2017.

"A lot of it's going to hinge on what we do this offseason and hinge on how much these players take the next step going forward—how much these young players grow—and I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff that they will," Pace said.

"In my [exit] meetings with the players, the common theme was a genuine honest excitement about where we're heading. That's coming from them and that's from a lot of them. I know these are just words and I get there's a lot of skepticism; we won three games. But I'm here to tell you that we're going to work hard this offseason. We're going to get this thing going in the right direction. We have a lot of ammunition to do so."

Pace and coach John Fox are both committed to turning the Bears around.

'There's not a moment that goes by that we're both not consumed with getting this right," Pace said. "This is unacceptable. It's painful to deal with. I get it. We're going to get better. There are a lot of young players that are going to improve. There are a lot of players coming back that are going to help us. There are a lot of things we can do this offseason to make us better.

"I knew this wasn't an overnight fix, and I think you've got to be careful with that sometimes. Sometimes there's a little bit of panic and then you start reaching for bad character guys or big contracts on wrong players. We've got to be calculated and measured why we're going through this, and we will be."

How many Round 1 QBs for Bears?

By Larry Mayer

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.

How many times have the Bears picked a quarterback in the first round of the draft? William N.West Chester, Pennsylvania

The Bears have chosen eight quarterbacks in the first round of the draft: Sid Luckman (second in 1939), Johnny Lujack (fourth in 1946), Bobby Layne (seventh in 1948), Bob Williams (second in 1951), Jim McMahon (fifth in 1982), Jim Harbaugh (26th in 1987), Cade McNown (12th in 1999) and Rex Grossman (22nd in 2003).

I read about the Steve Fuller-Deshaun Watson Clemson connection in your article this week and remember Fuller was a good backup quarterback with the Bears. How many games did he start for the 1985 Super Bowl champions?

Phil R.Rosemont, Illinois

Steve Fuller started five games for the 1985 Bears, posting a 4-1 record. He opened a Week 3 game against the Vikings in Minnesota and was famously replaced by Jim McMahon, who threw three touchdown passes to rally the Bears to a thrilling 33-24 victory after spending most of the week in the hospital with a back injury. Fuller started four straight games later in the season when McMahon was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The Bears won Fuller’s first three starts during that span by a ridiculous combined score of 104-3, beating the Lions 24-3, Cowboys 44-0 and Falcons 36-0. In 1985, Fuller completed 53 of 107 passes for 777 yards with one touchdown, five interceptions and a 57.3 passer rating.

How many times have the Bears closed a season by losing their last four games and how did they fare the following year?

Russell G.Oak Lawn, Illinois

This season marked the eighth time in franchise history that the Bears lost their last four games, previously doing so in 1969, 1971, 1973, 1989, 1993, 2004 and 2014. Three of the last four times it happened, the Bears made the playoffs the following year, winning the NFC Central with an 11-5 record in 1990, earning a wildcard berth with a 9-7 mark in 1994 and winning the NFC North with an 11-5 record in 2005. On the other four occasions, they posted a losing record the next season. Interestingly, the Bears never lost their final four games in their first 50 years of existence with all eight instances occurring over their last 47 seasons.

Looking forward and not back, how many Bears players are due to become free agents?

Paul S.Downers Grove, Illinois

The Bears have 27 players who are due to become free agents in March. The 18 unrestricted free agents are set to include receivers Alshon Jeffery, Marquess Wilson and Deonte Thompson, quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Brian Hoyer, guards Eric Kush and Ted Larsen, outside linebacker Sam Acho and kicker Connor Barth. The others are tackle Mike Adams, tight end Logan Paulsen, cornerback Johnthan Banks, offensive linemen Nick Becton and Matt McCants, defensive back Brandon Boykin, safety Chris Prosinski, defensive end Cornelius Washington and nose tackle C.J. Wilson. Two restricted free agents will be defensive back Demontre Hurst and inside linebacker Christian Jones. And seven exclusive free agents will be receiver Joshua Bellamy, tight end Daniel Brown, defensive back Bryce Callahan, quarterbacks David Fales and Connor Shaw, linebacker Danny Mason and long-snapper Patrick Scales. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any NFL team without any draft choice compensation owed to the original club; restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet with another team but their original team has the opportunity to match it or receive draft pick compensation; and exclusive free agents can only negotiate and sign with their own team.

List of 2017 important offseason dates.

By Larry Mayer

The NFL’s busy offseason includes free agency, the draft and training camp. Grab a calendar and mark down these key dates that impact the Bears leading up to the 2017 regular season:

January 21: East-West Shrine Game, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida.

January 21: NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, StubHub Center, Carson, California.

January 22: AFC and NFC Championship Games.

January 28: Senior Bowl, Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama.

January 29: NFL Pro Bowl, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida.

January 31: Deadline for NFL clubs to try out and negotiate with CFL players whose 2016 contracts are due to expire at 11 a.m. (CT), on February 14.

February 7: Super Bowl LI, NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas.

February 6: Waiver system begins for 2016.

February 14: Beginning at 11 a.m. (CT), NFL clubs may begin to sign players whose 2016 CFL contracts have expired. Players under contract to a CFL club for the 2017 season or who have an option for the 2017 season are not eligible to be signed.

February 15: First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

February 28-March 6: NFL Scouting Combine, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana.

March 1: Prior to 3 p.m. (CT), deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.

March 7-9: Beginning at 3 p.m. (CT) on March 7, clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2016 player contracts. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 3 p.m. (CT), on March 9.

March 9: Prior to 3 p.m. (CT), clubs must exercise options for 2017 on all players who have option clauses in their 2016 contracts.

March 9: Prior to 3 p.m. (CT), clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.

March 9: Prior to 3 p.m. (CT), clubs must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2016 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.

March 9: Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2017 salary cap prior to 3 p.m. (CT).

March 9: All 2016 player contracts expire at 3 p.m. (CT).

March 9: The 2017 league year and free agency period begin at 3 p.m. (CT).

The first day of the 2017 league year will end at 10:59:59 p.m. (CT) on March 9. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 3 p.m. and 10:59:59 p.m. on March 9.

March 9: Trading period for 2017 begins at 3 p.m. (CT) after expiration of all 2016 contracts.

March 26-29: Annual League Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona.

April 17: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

April 21: Deadline for Restricted Free Agents to sign offer sheets.

April 27-29: 2017 NFL Draft, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

May 5-8: First weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.

May 9: Deadline for prior club to send “May 9 Tender” to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents. If the player has not signed a contract with a club by July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a contract from that date until the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season only with his prior club.

May 12-15: Second weekend after the NFL Draft: clubs may elect to hold their one three-day post-draft rookie minicamp from Friday through Sunday or Saturday through Monday.

May 15: Rookie Football Development Program Begins.

May 18-21: NFLPA Rookie Premiere. Invited Rookies (typically, first and/or second-round selections) must be permitted by their respective clubs to attend. Such players are unavailable for offseason workouts, OTA days, and minicamps during this period.

May 22-24: NFL Spring League Meeting, Chicago, Illinois.

June 1: Deadline for prior club to send “June 1 tender” to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents who received a qualifying offer for a Right of First Refusal Only in order for such player to be subject to the CBA’s “June 15 tender” provision.

June 2: For any player removed from the club's roster or whose contract is assigned via waivers or trade on or after June 2, any unamortized signing bonus amounts for future years will be included fully in Team Salary at the start of the 2018 League Year.

June 15: Deadline for club to withdraw qualifying offer to Restricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting "June 15 Tender" of one-year contract at 110 percent of the player's prior-year Paragraph 5 Salary (with all other terms of his prior-year contract carried forward unchanged).

Late June: Rookie Transition Program to be held at individual clubs. Attendance is mandatory for all rookies.

July 15: At 3 p.m. (CT), deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2017 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club's last regular season game.

Mid-July: Clubs are permitted to open preseason training camp for rookies and first-year players beginning seven days prior to the club's earliest permissible mandatory reporting date for veteran players.

Veteran players (defined as a player with at least one pension-credited season) other than quarterbacks or "injured players" (as defined in CBA Article 21, Section 6) may report to a club's preseason training camp no earlier than 15 days prior to the club's first scheduled preseason game or July 15, whichever is later.

Veteran quarterbacks and injured players may be required to report to the club's preseason training camp no earlier than five days immediately prior to the mandatory reporting date for all other veteran players, provided the club has already opened (or simultaneously opens) its official preseason training camp for all rookies and first-year players.

A three-day acclimation period will apply to players who are on a Club's roster up to and including the mandatory veteran reporting date. Players who join the roster after that date may practice (including wearing pads) and play immediately after passing a physical.

July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later): Signing Period ends for Unrestricted Free Agents to whom a “May 9 Tender” was made by prior club. After this date and until 3 p.m. (CT) on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.

July 22: Signing Period ends for Transition Players with outstanding tenders. After this date and until 3 p.m. (CT) on the Tuesday following the 10th weekend of the regular season, prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.

Aug. 3: Hall of Fame Game, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio.

Aug. 5: Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony, Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio.

Devin Hester: From busting returns to a bust in Canton.

By Chris Boden

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Difference makers. Playmakers.  Game changers.

It's more of what the present-day Bears are trying to stock their roster with and develop the potential ones that might already be there. The Bears of the mid- and late-2000s either inherited, drafted, or signed enough of them on the defensive side to remain a contender that too often fell short. A big reason for that was their inability to do the same on the offensive side of the ball.

But general manager Jerry Angelo made a boom-or-bust roll of the dice in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft on a kid from Miami. He was definitely special and could be a difference maker, but didn't really have a position.

If Devin Hester did indeed play the final game of his career Saturday in Atlanta, the 11-year pro gave us a quick flashback at age 34, if only wearing the navy, white and neon green of the Seahawks instead of the navy, white and orange of the Bears.

An 80-yard punt return was nullified due to a holding call. But he had five kick returns for 194 yards. Had he produced like that more consistently in recent years with the Falcons, or this season with the Ravens before signing a pre-playoff deal with Seattle, he wouldn't be retiring, as he says he now will.

Those Bears teams with the frustrating, inconsistent offenses that fell short of the mostly-high defensive standard set during Lovie Smith's years needed something extra. That was Hester.

When you pore through the hits and misses of Angelo Era drafts, this gamble was a thumbs up, even if the desire to further implement Hester's natural gifts fell short (and confirmed by Atlanta's short-lived attempts to do the same once the Bears let him go three years ago).

The Brian Mitchells and Eric Metcalfs and Dante Halls and Leon Washingtons and Joe Cribbses who preceded him set a certain standard in the return game. Hester blew them away. Had Gale Sayers never suffered his knee injuries, perhaps that would have been the standard Hester chased, and could still be chasing.

But the combined 14 punt return touchdowns (first all-time), five kickoff return touchdowns and one missed field goal return should push Canton's door open for the first time for a return specialist. Whether it's five years from now, or if the wait needs to be a little longer, it's deserved.

The biggest stage, the one in Super Bowl XLI when Hester opened the game with his 92-yard scoring return, turned into one of just six losses the Bears suffered when he returned a kick for a score. Hester's weaponry capped a perfect special teams storm that picked up slack in those years when the offense lagged. He was the cherry on top of Dave Toub's group that rarely seemed a concern on gameday when the likes of Patrick Mannelly, Brendan Ayanbadejo, Jason McKie, Robbie Gould, Nick Roach, among many others, found often-overlooked ways to make a subtle impact.

And that rainy night in Miami was the highlight and, unfortunately, the exception to what was often common in games Devin would do his "ridiculous" thing.  His magic helped them to 12 wins, while most of the other five losses were ones in which the Bears fell short by 10 or fewer points.

B.H. ("Before Hester") was the time we'd get up in the press box, or watching at home, to take a bathroom break or go on a snack run as opposing teams set up to punt or kickoff. He changed that. By the time the NFL determined in 2011 that kickoffs should come from the 35-yard line instead of the 30, most of Hester's serious damage to opponents had been done.

Plus, the league was concerned about the growing number of injuries on kickoffs. But that likely took away a few more opportunities to add to Hester's record. Touchbacks went from 16 percent in 2010 to 52 percent in 2015. Then this past year, the league got even "safer" by giving offenses five more yards (to the 25) on touchbacks (a rule which will revisited this off-season).

Toub has the newest return sensation in Kansas City in Tyreek Hill, whose game so far seems more versatile offensively than what Hester was ever able to provide. Time will tell about his staying power.

But between rule changes, impact on games and opponents' strategy, the record, plus a don't-turn-your-back now change of mindset, it wasn't just us in Chicago who realized Devin Hester was a game changer. It's fun to listen to and watch smile when his former teammates relate the charge of energy that burst through the team whenever Hester took one to the house.

The second-most memorable, of course, was the one that capped the Monday night comeback in Arizona his rookie season. He was an impactful addition, just as he should eventually be the first of his kind in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Because he was one of a kind.

Sandberg in Cooperstown. Jordan in Springfield. Here's to another Chicago No. 23 in the Hall.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Doug McDermott scores career-high 31 as Bulls fight past Grizzlies. 

By K. C. Johnson

Photos from the Bulls-Grizzlies game on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. (Chicago Tribune)

There's at least one positive to the Bulls playing in such short-handed fashion of late: The youth movement has gained traction.

With Dwyane Wade resting back in Chicago and Nikola Mirotic staying home as well while missing his fourth game because of illness, the Bulls at one point Sunday night ran veteran Rajon Rondo with Doug McDermott, Denzel Valentine, Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio.

McDermott's big night fueled the Bulls' gritty 108-104 victory over the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum, their second straight.

Playing in the NBA's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration games is considered an honor. And the Bulls have played here, where the day obviously takes on even greater significance, four times.

But they treated it like a burden in the first quarter as they finished a busy stretch of five games in seven nights. In setting a season low for first-quarter points with 14, the Bulls at one point missed 11 straight shots and shot 27.3 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from the line.

McDermott quickly erased that stench as the Bulls tied their season high with a 38-point second quarter. McDermott shot 6-for-7 in the second, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range. His 22 points fell eight points shy of Michael Jordan's franchise record for points in a quarter, not to mention McDermott's career high.

"I've been in the gym," McDermott said. "You're going to go through some stretches like this in the season. You just have to be able to work yourself out of it."

Wade missed his fifth game of the season and fourth as part of the new plan to rest him in the second of back-to-back games. Wade played fully in six of the first eight back-to-back sets before missing one game with a swollen left knee.

Coach Fred Hoiberg said Wade's impact is felt even when he's not with the team.

"The biggest thing with getting Dwyane in here was getting a guy with the type of experience and great leadership who really teaches our young guys what it's like to be a pro at this level," Hoiberg said. "And he's been great in that area. With all the young players that we have in that locker room, it's invaluable to have a guy like that, that has championship experience and has been through as many things as he has. He's been on the Olympic team, obviously taken different teams to championships, won several of them. Just the fact that you have a guy like that in your locker room will pay off for these young guys down the line in their careers."

Wade also has emboldened Jimmy Butler, whose leadership has grown and whose on-court play has risen to another level. In the three games Butler had played before Sunday with Wade out, he had averaged 39.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

"It doesn't surprise me just because I know how much time and effort he puts into his offseason workout programs," Hoiberg said. "He's always looking to add to his game."

Jimmy Butler returns after the flu, shows his value in Bulls win. (Saturday night's game, 01/14/2017).

By Tracey Myers and Nina Falcone 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Jimmy Butler looked like a new man, playing like it was the season opener when it was Game 41 for the Bulls, all over the floor with the Pelicans probably feeling like he was in two places at once.

Perhaps it was the near-five night rest where he was bed-ridden with the flu, one that caused him to lose 10 pounds over the last week.

Or it could've been one the NBA's hardest-working players needed the rest for a few days to recharge his batteries.

But more than anything, it could've been the fact he wasn't experiencing the worst part of his flu episode, not holding back when asked about the most difficult aspect of his absence.

"Diarrhea, my stomach…" Butler said before thinking better of it after getting his point across. "You asked, I told you."

What Butler didn't have to tell public or NBA world is how different the Bulls are when he's right or at least healthy, as his 28 points was only part of the Bulls returning to some level of functionality in their 107-99 win over the Pelicans Saturday afternoon at the United Center.

"I felt good. Had a lot of energy," Butler said. "Guess that's what rest will do for you. I'm just happy to be somewhat healthy, I feel incredible right now."

And he played that way, with the type of energy surge that had him named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on the same day he came down with the flu that is making its way around the NBA.

Getting back and turning what was supposed to be a light practice into a fullcourt scrimmage session Friday helped him get back in the groove of things, hence his team-high 39 minute, 11-second performance.

"I went up and down yesterday but I have awhile before I get into basketball shape," said Butler, adding Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg asked him if he wanted to get right back into a scrimmage to prepare for Saturday's game.

"I already had it in my mind that I was gonna play anyways," Butler said. 

Considering where he was the past several days, practice was a welcome sight.

"Hell. Yeah, it's what it's been like. My body was all types of messed up," Butler said. "They let me get better. My guys were taking care of me at home, with fluids. But yeah it wasn't a pretty sight."

It certainly wasn't pretty on the floor in his absence, as Butler was unable to contribute against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, leaving the arena in the third quarter.

Being left behind in Chicago for losses against the Wizards and Knicks gave everyone a glimpse of what life without Butler looked like—and boy, it was ugly.

"You said it, not me," Taj Gibson said to CSNChicago.com to the notion of the Bulls looking like a rough outfit if Butler were to be injured for a long stretch—or given the rumors of the past few weeks, traded away.

It's why the light chants of "MVP" for Butler in the fourth quarter didn't seem so shocking even though it was Wade who played the role of most valuable late in Saturday's win.

"You can tell how important a player is based on the difference of how we play when he's not out there," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "You can only talk about a select few in this league that has the type of impact on the game that Jimmy does. He does everything out there."

Seeing the game from a different standpoint—when he was keeled over or hugging the commode during his illness—made him see some of the younger players in a better light as they tried to step in his shoes when he was hurting.

What he saw in them was promise.

Denzel Valentine had a big game against the Wizards Monday, along with Bobby Portis as the last two first-round picks finally began playing up to their billing.

Cristiano Felicio has emerged in the last two weeks to be more dependable for Hoiberg as an athletic option defending pick and rolls, along with getting above the rim with his quick feet and hands to help on the offensive glass.

"A lot of potential in these young guys and how much they meant o this organization and this team," Butler said. "When they're confident, what they can do out there. We want to keep those guys confident. Because we gotta let them know their time is coming very soon."

"I tell them things like this happen, nobody wants to get injured, nobody wants to get sick. I think you don't look over at the bench when guys are down bodies. That's just being real. When I was in that position and guys were sick or hurt, you just play because there's not too many bodies."

The key is integrating that potential with his production and them playing with the freedom and confidence they did when Butler and Wade were out. It's reasons like that—along with general health—that gives Butler reason to believe the best days for the Bulls are ahead.

"We got a long way to go, just halfway," Butler said. "We're gonna be okay. We have to start stringing together some wins and make this push."

CUBS: This is the thanks Joe Maddon gets for Cubs winning the World Series?

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Amid all the euphoria surrounding the franchise's first World Series title in more than a century, the first question from the audience to Theo Epstein and a panel of Cubs executives on Saturday morning involved why Joe Maddon pulled Kyle Hendricks with two outs in the fifth inning of Game 7.

In the next Q&A session inside the same massive hotel ballroom, another fan raved about Maddon's style, how he had envisioned him as the perfect personality to manage this team: "That being said, now Game 7…"

"There's always a big but in the room," Maddon said into the microphone.

Another fan at the Sheraton Grand Chicago wondered: "If (Aroldis) Chapman was here, would you ask him to do one hour of autographs last night, two hours today and three hours tomorrow?"

Welcome to Cubs Convention.

"He's definitely in shape – he's in good enough shape to do something like that," Maddon said. "This is the best-conditioned baseball player I've ever been around."

To be clear, this didn't sum up the overall mood at a fanfest that could produce giddy vibes and this-is-the-year optimism coming off a last-place season. It's just fascinating that this is the thanks Maddon gets after doing what no Cubs manager had done since 1908.  

"Listen, honestly, I love the second-guessing," Maddon said. "I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I hung out at Bellhops bar all the time. And if you don't have these kinds of conversations – that's a big part of why our game is so popular and is as great as it is."

Could you imagine Bill Belichick or Gregg Popovich sitting up on stage at an event like this for 60 minutes – and patiently explaining their decision-making yet again – after the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl or the San Antonio Spurs won an NBA title?

Maddon welcomed Chapman to Chicago after a 30-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic-violence policy and a controversial midseason trade from the New York Yankees. Maddon went along with the closer's one-clean-inning-at-a-time preferences during the regular season before having him throw 97 pitches combined in Games 5, 6 and 7 against the Cleveland Indians.

Chapman repaid Maddon by telling New York reporters – on the conference call to officially announce his five-year, $86 million contract with the Yankees last month – that the manager misused him in the playoffs.

"We do kind of manage along with Joe in the stands," said Epstein, who felt like he died about three different times during Game 7. "I'll be the first to say I don't always agree with everything, but he's always got a reason for everything.

"Before the game, he had a real strong feeling. The way he saw it going was Hendricks for five or so, (Jon) Lester for a couple and then Chapman, which is different because Joe usually really makes sure he watches the game.

"He likes to anticipate all different scenarios before the game, but he's really big on watching the game and seeing how the game's going and managing the game that he sees – not the game that he thought he had anticipated.

"We forget that Kyle had some hard-hit balls in the second, third inning and he had to get Lester up early. A big part of that decision…was that once he got Lester up he couldn't wait too long to then get him in the game.

"From the scouts' section, it looked to me probably like it looked to you at home – Hendricks was rolling and probably could have gone seven or something. But there are other things a manager has to consider – like the fact that he already had Lester up – that you don't necessarily think about at home.

"The bottom line is that I'm usually a process-based person – not outcome-based – but when you win the World Series, I love being outcome-based."

There's no telling how this rebuilding project would have turned out if the Cubs hadn't lucked into Maddon using an escape clause in his contract and leaving the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2014 season.

But the Cubs absolutely needed the force of Maddon's personality to win 200 games and five playoff rounds across the last two years. It's his faith in young talent, embrace of data, the ability to charm, distract and defuse the media and an overall "When It Happens" confidence that he projected to the entire organization.

"Listen, the great part about the game is everyone manages along with the manager and second-guesses," Epstein said. "Everyone GMs along with the GM and second-guesses. It's their right. But ultimately to do a great job and win – that kind of speaks for itself – so he's got the ultimate defense.

"No one's perfect, right? I've messed a lot of things up. Our players mess up from time to time. A manager's not going to get everything right. Or at least certainly he's not going to make decisions that please everyone all the time.

"But in a great organization, people pick each other up to get to a point where you can win."

Ben Zobrist knows Cubs need to make room for Javy Baez in everyday lineup.

By Tony Andracki

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

As Javy Baez emerged from the Cubs dugout on the third-base side of Wrigley Field, he was also bursting onto the national baseball scene.

Baez had just driven a Johnny Cueto pitch into the basket down the left-field line to break a scoreless tie in Game 1 of the National League Division Series and celebrated accordingly with the raucous Wrigley crowd.

It was the biggest hit of his young career and the moment he put the baseball world on notice.

Baez broke out in a big way during the Cubs' miraculous World Series run, making dazzling plays almost every night and even taking home NLCS co-MVP honors.

"[October] really helped me a lot," Baez said. "It's basically where I made my name — in the postseason. I feel good about it, and obviously ready to do it again."

Baez started every postseason game at second base, bumping veteran Ben Zobrist to left field.

So when the Cubs reconvene in Arizona for spring training ahead of the 2017 season, one of the biggest questions will be: How does manager Joe Maddon get Baez in the lineup on a regular basis?

Zobrist understands what's coming.

"Since Javy really came into his own last year at the end of the year, my guess is you gotta get him in there more," Zobrist said on the "All-Star Infield" panel of Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. 

"At the beginning of the season, he wasn't in there much, which is why I wasn't moving around much. I'll probably be moving around more as we get into it more this year."

Zobrist — who turns 36 in May — began his big-league career as a do-it-all utility man for Maddon's Tampa Bay Rays, but when the Cubs signed the battle-tested veteran at the 2015 Winter Meetings, they envisioned him playing a majority of time at second base, hoping that sticking to one position would help keep him fresh.

With Baez's eye-popping baseball instincts, the lightning-quick tags and overall athleticism at second base, Zobrist knows what it means for him, even if he hasn't talked to Maddon yet.

"Over the years, he knows I have to be ready for anything and I know that," Zobrist said. "So over the years, he's like, 'Yeah, Zo knows.'

"I just don't want to play catcher," he joked. "That's not in the cards for me."

Baez had a similar answer when asked about his position for 2017.

"I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be moving around again, like everybody," Baez said.

At this time last year, Baez was fielding questions about his work in center field in winter ball.

Now, post-breakout, he knows that he's ready for a bigger role. (Not that confidence was ever an issue for a former first-round pick with the MLB logo tattooed on his neck.)

"Yeah, for sure. I'm 100 percent an everyday player," Baez said. "I don't mind [moving around] but obviously I wanna have my own position and just stay there some day."

In a Saturday morning panel at Cubs Convention, Theo Epstein's front office was asked a question about where the lineup stood after Dexter Fowler's surprise signing last spring and how many quality options Maddon had at his disposal. 

"We were all thinking, 'That's Joe's problem,'" GM Jed Hoyer joked.

Of course, Kyle Schwarber went and wrecked his knee in the third game of the season, lessening the everyday lineup complications.

There's no guarantee everybody is going to be healthy or produce at optimal levels in 2017.

Still, an abundance of high-level position players is a good problem to have. Especially for a team that has eyes on playing into November for the second year in a row.

"It enables us to get more off days and give guys breathers at times," Zobrist said of the depth. "I think it will be good for us."

Cubs pushing to host 2020 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field.

By Patrick Mooney

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs are lobbying Major League Baseball to host the All-Star Game, targeting 2020 as the ideal time to showcase a fully renovated Wrigley Field.

 If that All-Star question seems to come up at Cubs Convention on an almost annual basis, there are reasons to think it's becoming less of a hypothetical: The pace of construction and progress with the $600 million Wrigleyville development combined with Commissioner Rob Manfred's leadership style and sense of urgency to grow the game.

Still buzzing from their champagne-fueled celebrations, the Cubs have been working with City Hall on their sales pitch to a commissioner's office that no longer believes in simply alternating the marquee event between the American and National leagues each year, hoping to make it more like the bidding for a Super Bowl.

"I'm optimistic," business operations president Crane Kenney said Saturday at the downtown Sheraton Grand hotel. "No question, Chicago would be an incredible venue. We saw it during the World Series and the playoffs. We saw it with the TV ratings that were generated.

"We think an All-Star Game here would be hugely popular and do great things for our city and great television ratings for the league."

The Cubs need Mayor Rahm Emanuel – who delivered the NFL draft the last two years after a long run at New York's Radio City Music Hall – to help with an economic message and an increased security plan around an urban neighborhood ballpark that hasn't hosted the Midsummer Classic since 1990.

"We should get the All-Star Game," Kenney said. "In 2020, our building's complete, and what (better) way to celebrate the completion of our building than host the All-Star Game?

"If you think about the economic impact of the World Series, the All-Star Game is another World Series, right? So the city wants it. We want it. But we got to convince Manfred that we've earned it. It's a little bit of politics. He has a very open mind to Wrigley getting the All-Star Game at some point.

"We're working closely with the city. We've got a great partnership with Mayor Emanuel, and he understands the value of this team in this market. He would like to see nothing more than an All-Star Game."

One potential roadblock: After striking out on other proposals, the Ricketts family used private mechanisms to bankroll the Wrigleyville project at a time when All-Star Games have been used as bargaining chips in public negotiations in cities like Miami and Washington. Marlins Park (2017) and Nationals Park (2018) will make it four straight All-Star Games for NL stadiums.

"We still think we're deserving," Kenney said. "There's a reality to the All-Star Game, though. The All-Star Game gets held based on the commissioner's discretion and typically awarded to cities that have supported the clubs through public financing.

"So if you just look at the slate of cities that are going to get it – from the last couple years going forward – they are generally cities that have new ballparks that were financed with some city support. That obviously didn't happen here.

"It is a little bit of a hurdle for the league to suggest you should reward the city of Chicago – and us with an All-Star Game – when we didn't get the kind of support the other cities got."

White Sox avoid arbitration with Todd Frazier, four pitchers.

By Dan Hayes

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The White Sox agreed to one-year contracts with five players on Friday, including a $12-million deal for Todd Frazier.

Frazier established a franchise record for home runs by a third baseman in 2016 when he blasted 40 in his first season with the White Sox. A free agent after the 2017 season, Frazier hit .225/.302/.464 in 666 plate appearances, drove in a career high 98 runs and produced 2.4 Wins Above Replacement, according to fangraphs.com. 

Starting pitcher Miguel Gonzalez is set to earn $5.9 million this season. The team also agreed to deals with relievers Dan Jennings ($1.4 million), Zach Putnam ($1.1175 million) and Jake Petricka ($825,000).

The White Sox acquired Frazier in a three-player trade from the Cincinnati Reds in December 2015. It's expected they would try to trade Frazier, who has hit 104 homers since 2014 and participated in the All-Star Game Home Run Derby three consecutive years, before the Aug 1 non-waiver trade deadline as part of the club's rebuilding efforts. 

Gonzalez went 5-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 24 games (23 starts) after he was signed to a minor-league deal in early April. 

Jennings posted a 2.08 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. 

Putnam had a 2.30 ERA in 27 1/3 innings with 30 strikeouts before he had surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. 

Petricka was limited to nine appearances before his season was ended by hip surgery.

Both Petricka and Putnam are expected to be ready for spring training.

Golf: I got a club for that..... Thomas wins Sony with PGA Tour-record score.

By Al Tays

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Justin Thomas closed with a 5-under 65 to complete his domination of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Thomas finished seven shots ahead of runner-up Justin Rose and broke the PGA Tour's all-time low score record for 72 holes, coming in at 253. Here's how things went down at Waialea Country Club in Honolulu.

Leaderboard: Thomas (-27), Justin Rose (-20), Jordan Spieth (-19), Kevin Kisner (-18), Jamie Lovemark (-18)

What it means: In winning for the second week in a row, Thomas erased Tommy Armour III's 72-hole record of 254, set in 2003 in the Valero Texas Open. Thomas not only eagled the par-5 finishing hole to break the record, he did it with a tap-in eagle. Thomas, who opened with a 59, established or tied records for low 36- , 54- and 72-hole scores.

Round of the day: Stop us if you've heard this before, but there was another 59 watch at Waialea. First, Thomas did shoot 59 on Thursday, then Kevin Kisner gave it a go before missing a 9-foot putt at the last and signing for a 60. On Sunday it was Chez Reavie's turn. Starting on the back nine, Reavie sprinted out of the gate, going birdie-birdie, par-par, birdie-birdie. After another par, he put us all on full alert with a hole-in-one at the 17th, and topped that off with a birdie at the 18th for 28. Waialea's first few holes are considered some of its toughest, but he chalked up two more birdies in the first three. That was the end of his magic, though, as he bogeyed No. 6. A birdie at the ninth left him at 61.

Best of the rest: Jordan Spieth, Michael and John Huh all shot 63. End of story.

Biggest disappointment: On Saturday we noted Ryan Brehm shooting a 64 to move up 41 spots. On Sunday he shot a 71 to move down 29 spots. In a tournament n one but Thomas had a chance to win, it's tough to find a "biggest disappointment," but a category is a category.

Shot of the day: Yes, Reavie had a hole-in-one, but we have to give props to Thomas' 1-foot tap-in for eagle on 18 that gave him the 72-hole scoring record.

Quote of the day: "I was really nervous this morning." - Thomas, who had a seven-shot lead after 54 holes.

Storm tops McIlroy in playoff to win S. African Open.

Associated Press

(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)

Graeme Storm beat Rory McIlroy on the third playoff hole to win the SA Open on Sunday, earning the Englishman a second European Tour title 80 days after losing his card by 100 euros.

After the 251st-ranked Storm tapped in for a par, McIlroy slid his par putt wide from 7 feet on their fourth visit to the 18th hole at the Glendower Golf Club.

''I'm in shock, this has been a surreal week,'' Storm said. ''To find myself in the position I was in, playing on the final day with the best player in the world right now. It's just a dream come true.''

McIlroy, the world No. 2, started the final round three strokes behind Storm but chased down the overnight leader, moving atop the leaderboard when Storm missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 14. McIlroy relinquished the lead by bogeying No. 17 after taking two shots in a greenside bunker, sending the event to a playoff with both at 18-under 270.

McIlroy shot 4-under 68 and Storm had a 71.

Storm lost his card at the end of last year, only to get a reprieve when American Patrick Reed failed to play enough events to join the tour.

His other title came at the French Open in 2007.

Tour rookie Jordan Smith of England was a shot back in third, ahead of a trio of South African players. Dean Burmester was fourth on 273, one stroke ahead of Thomas Aiken and Trevor Fisher Jr.

On the first playoff hole, Storm sank a close-range putt for par. They went back up the par-4 18th and both players drove into the rough but still managed to make par.

The third time round, McIlroy hit his approach shot short of the green to give Storm the advantage. The Englishman's 45-foot birdie putt just missed, as did McIlory's putt for par minutes later.

Storm played cautiously Sunday, coming up short with many putts on the back nine to allow McIlroy to eat into his lead.

Woody Austin unwittingly shoots 59 in Diamond Resorts Invitational.

By Ryan Ballengee

Woody Austin becomes the second pro in as many days to shoot 59. (Photo/Getty Images)

Breaking 60 has become so passe in golf that Woody Austin did it on Friday in the first round of the Diamond Resorts Invitational … and didn’t know he’d done it.

We kid, of course; shooting 59 or better is still a big deal. However, Austin wasn’t keeping track of his strokes in the conventional sense at the Orlando event. The field, which features a mix of 27 PGA Tour Champions and four LPGA Tour pros, as well 47 celebrities, is being contested under the modified Stableford scoring system. Austin made 10 birdies and an eagle, adding up to 43 points and first place among the pros. It also added up to 59 at the par-71 Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort.

“I really never thought about it until I birdied 16,” Austin said. “That got me to 11 under and I thought, OK.”

The thing is, Austin didn’t know the host course was a par-71 track. So when he walked off the 18th hole, he had no idea of what he accomplished.

“I didn’t know it was a par-71 so when I walked off the last green I thought I shot 60,” Austin said. “Everybody goes, ‘No, it’s a par-71.’ So, ah, cool.”

This 59 follows the one shot by Justin Thomas in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii on Thursday. That was done on the par-70 Waialae Country Club in Hawaii, the eighth such sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.

As for Austin’s round, it’s considered unofficial because this tournament is considered a silly-season event for unofficial money. In the PGA Tour Champions record book, there is only one official sub-60 round, shot by Kevin Sutherland in the 2014 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in New York.

New PGA Tour commissioner open to possible legal sports betting.

By Ryan Ballengee

New PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is diving into his new role head first. (Photo/Getty Images)

New PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is keeping an open mind to all kinds of new opportunities and avenues now that he is at the helm — including not shutting the door on an embrace of legalized sports betting.

“You look at [daily fantasy sports providers] DraftKings and Fan Duel, you look at gaming in the international markets, there’s a lot of opportunity there,” Monahan said in a Tuesday interview with Golf Channel. “There’s some complexity, and that complexity has held us back from moving forward. But we will look at it and have an open mind toward it.”

Sports betting is only legal in a few American states, including full sports betting in Nevada. However, through online off-shore sportsbooks and local bookmakers, Americans are estimated to wager in the hundreds of billions on sports each year. Overseas, particularly in Europe, sports betting is legal and in the open, with books sponsoring sports teams and leagues.

There is some legislative momentum to bring about an overhaul of federal gambling laws, including allowing sports betting and clearing the way for more regulated and taxed online gambling sites.

Monahan’s views appear to fall short of the full-throated embrace of sports betting voiced by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. However, there was talk dating back to former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem’s final 18 months that the Tour was studying legal sports betting and potential impact on the sport.

NASCAR: Lifelong dream comes true: Christopher Bell wins Chili Bowl in native Oklahoma.

By Jerry Bonkowski

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

As they might say in Oklahoma, “That Sooner kid done good.”

Less than a month after turning 22 years old, Norman, Oklahoma native Christopher Bell earned the biggest victory of his young racing career, capturing the 31st Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Saturday night at the indoor Tulsa Expo Raceway.

It has been Bell’s lifelong dream to win the Chili Bowl in his home state, and he did so Saturday in commanding fashion.

Starting from the outside of the front row, Bell – who drives fulltime in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (finished third in 2016) for Kyle Busch Motorsports – stayed near the front of the field for much of the 55 laps to capture the prestigious Golden Driller trophy.

“I’m speechless right now,” Bell told ChiliBowl.com. “I’ve been coming to this building for so long trying to win one of these things, and I thought I was really close to one at the Shootout a couple weeks ago, but we had a lot of bad luck but I’ll trade all that bad luck in for this Driller right here. This means the world to me.”

Bell becomes the second Oklahoma native to win the Chili Bowl in its 31-year existence. Andy Hillenburg was the first, in 1994.

In an ironic twist, Hillenburg won the first Chili Bowl title for Keith Kunz Motorsports. Since then, KKM has recorded five additional Chili Bowl wins, with Bell being the sixth and most recent to do so.

“You know, I’ve been in this position before,” Bell said. “I think this is the third time I’ve started on the front row and I would run into trouble because I was pushing too hard.

“Every time I’ve come here, it’s been attack, attack, attack and in this 55 lap race, you don’t need to do that so I just ran as hard as I needed too.”

This was Bell’s fourth appearance in the A-Feature to decide the Chili Bowl’s championship.

Pole sitter Justin Grant led the first 25 laps in the Clauson-Marshal No. 39BC (in memory of 2014 Chili Bowl champion, the late Bryan Clauson).

But from that point on, it was Bell’s race.

Fellow Sooner Daryn Pittman, from Owasso, Oklahoma, finished second. Pittman experienced engine problems late in the race that kept him from making a late surge and challenge of Bell. Still, it was Pittman’s first podium finish in seven Chili Bowl starts.

“We don’t have a spare engine, so we weren’t able to change it,” Pittman told ChiliBowl.com. “… It lasted for 54 and three-quarter laps.”

Grant finished third in his second A-Feature appearance.

“It’s just a thrill to be driving for Clauson-Marshall Racing,” Grant told ChiliBowl.com. “Obviously, I wanted to win for him (Bryan Clauson) really bad, but I’m on the podium at Chili Bowl so I should be happy about that.”

Rounding out the top-10 were Tanner Thorson (fourth), Jake Swanson (fifth), Tyler Courtney (sixth), Zach Daum (seventh), Jerry Coons Jr. (eighth), Ronnie Gardner (ninth) and Damion Gardner (10th).

Competing in his first Chili Bowl, veteran sprint car driver Donny Schatz, earned 2017 Rookie of the Year honors, finishing seventh in the B-Feature.

Rico Abreu, who won the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Chili Bowl, finished 11th. Abreu announced last week he would not be returning to NASCAR in 2017.

Although there were six NASCAR drivers entered in the record 365-driver overall Chili Bowl field, only two made the championship race: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished 16th, and K&N Pro Series driver Chase Briscoe, who finished 22nd (DNF).

Other NASCAR drivers Kyle Larson, J.J. Yeley and Justin Allgaier fell short in their efforts to reach the main event.

The 32nd Chili Bowl will be held January 9-13, 2018, again at the River Spirit Expo Center (also known as Tulsa Expo Raceway).

RESULTS:

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, Okla.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Lucas Oil/General Tire Championship Night

Event Count: 365 (New Record)

A-FEATURE (car number, driver name, starting position):

A Feature (55 Laps): 1. 71W-Christopher Bell[2]; 2. 21-Daryn Pittman[8]; 3. 39BC-Justin Grant[1]; 4. 67-Tanner Thorson[20]; 5. 68W-Jake Swanson[5]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[3]; 7. 5D-Zach Daum[11]; 8. 5-Jerry Coons Jr.[15]; 9. 68-Ronnie Gardner[9]; 10. 71G-Damion Gardner[16]; 11. 97-Rico Abreu[25]; 12. 31-Travis Berryhill[4]; 13. 99W-Larry Wight[7]; 14. 25C-C.J. Leary[10]; 15. 17W-Shane Golobic[13]; 16. 17BC-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.[14]; 17. 91T-Tyler Thomas[18]; 18. 35F-Michael Faccinto[23]; 19. 51X-Colby Copeland[12]; 20. (DNF) 8J-Jonathan Beason[19]; 21. (DNF) 47-Danny Stratton[6]; 22. (DNF) 5CB-Chase Briscoe[22]; 23. (DNF) 1R-Thomas Meseraull[21]; 24. (DNF) 5X-Justin Peck[24]; 25. (DNF) 05T-Gary Taylor[17].

Changes to NASCAR rulebook: Driver biometrics, roof hatch and rear spoiler height.

By Daniel McFadin

NASCAR has issued updates to its rulebooks for all three national series.

A noteworthy update for all three series involves allowing drivers to wear biometric devices in the cockpit

For the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series there are changes in restrictor-plate hole size, roof hatch requirements and toe board energy material requirements.

The only change exclusive to the Cup Series is rear spoiler height.

Driver Biometrics (Cup, Xfinity, Trucks)

Driver biometric devices are now permitted to be worn in the vehicle provided they do not have telematics capability and operate on their own internal battery power.

The devices can’t connect to any vehicle electrical system (e.g. vehicle battery, ECU, digital dash display, etc.). Data generated by the device can only be stored within the device itself. External data loggers are also not permitted.

The data stored on the driver biometric device will not be permitted to be downloaded during qualifying or a race.

It is the team’s responsibility to make sure the biometric device is suitable for use in the driver’s cockpit.

In order for a device to be eligible for use, it must either be listed on NASCAR’s approved driver biometric device list or be similar in functionality to the devices listed.

NASCAR may allow additional biometric devices to be used in special circumstances if required by the driver’s doctor. If the need arises, the driver and team must notify the senior vice president of competition in advance of a race and provide the specifications and any special requirements of the biometric device.

Rear-spoiler height (Cup)

In 2016, the Cup series ran a rough draft of the 2017 aero package at both Michigan races and at Kentucky Speedway. That package featured a rear spoiler that was 2.5-inches tall, down from 3.5 inches. In 2017, the spoiler will be 2.35 inches tall.

Roof hatch (Cup, Xfinity)

An emergency roof hatch for driver exit is now mandatory at all superspeedway events, after being optional last season. The roof hatch remains optional at all non-superspeedway tracks.

Restrictor-plate hole size (Cup, Xfinity)

The size of the holes in restrictor plates used at Daytona and Talladega will now be 7/8ths of an inch, a change from 57/64ths of an inch.

Toe board energy absorbing material (Cup, Xfinity)

NASCAR now requires teams to use toe board energy absorbing material at superspeedway races in order to strengthen the driver foot box. The measure, an answer to Kyle Busch‘s leg injuries in the 2015 Xfinity Series opener at Daytona, was previously optional.

The absorbing material adds approximately 20 pounds to the car’s weight.  NASCAR has raised the minimum weight of cars the same amount in order to encourage teams to use the material at non-superspeedway tracks.

NASCAR reduces number of tires Cup teams can use in half of Chase races.

By Dustin Long

(Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

NASCAR will limit Monster Energy Cup teams to fewer sets of tires in half of the 10 Chase races this season, including four of the final five races, according to a NASCAR rules update issued Friday.

Teams will be allowed fewer sets of tires in 13 of 36 points races this year. Teams will be given an additional set of tires in eight races this season.

The change comes after NASCAR and Goodyear examined tire usage by teams in recent years. NASCAR sought to have the numbers of sets available closer to what had been used.

Still, tire management could be key. With fewer sets of tires, crew chiefs will not be able to call for a four-tire change every time they might want to do so.

The biggest change in tire allocation is for the season finale in Miami. Teams will be allowed 10 sets for that race, down from 12 sets they were allowed last year.

Another change for this season is that teams must start the race on the same set of tires they used in qualifying.

List of races with fewer sets of tires for teams in 2017:

Daytona 500 … eight sets (reduction of one)

Phoenix I … eight sets (reduction of one)

Auto Club … 11 sets (reduction of one)

Martinsville I … nine sets (reduction of one)

Bristol I … eight sets (reduction of one)

Kansas I … nine sets (reduction of one)

Kentucky … nine sets (reduction of one)

Bristol II … eight sets (reduction of one)

* Chicagoland … nine sets (reduction of one)

* Kansas II … nine sets (reduction of one)

* Martinsville II … nine sets (reduction of one)

* Phoenix II … eight sets (reduction of one)

* Miami … 10 sets (reduction of two)

* Denotes Chase race

List of races with additional sets of tires allowed in 2017:

Talladega I … seven sets (increase of one)

Sonoma … six sets (increase of one)

Daytona II … seven sets (increase of one)

New Hampshire I … eight sets (increase of one)

Watkins Glen … six sets (increase of one)

Darlington … 13 sets (increase of one)

* New Hampshire II … eight sets (increase of one)

* Talladega II … seven sets (increase of one)

SOCCER: Daniel Johnson went on a winding journey to become the Fire's first pick.

By Dan Santaromita

  

(Photo/USATODAY)

Daniel Johnson’s path to first round pick in Major League Soccer has taken a number of different paths.

It all led to Johnson being selected by the Chicago Fire with the No. 11 pick in Friday’s draft. As Johnson himself said, not many players have an easy path to the pros, but his youth career had a number of key turns.

For starters, Johnson headed to England at 13 years old to train in Premier League team West Ham United’s academy. He spent three years and a half years there, but had to come back to America after work visa issues ended his tenure there. (One of the noticeable things he held onto from his time in England is the way he says Premier League like the English with the short e in the word premier.)

Coaches at West Ham compared him to Joe Cole, who came up with West Ham and had 56 caps with the English national team.

“I learned so much about myself when I went over at 13," Johnson said. "I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did about myself off the field. I was over without parents and had to mature at an alarming rate really to survive and be successful. On the field, it was incredible being in that sort of environment and learn everyday being around pros. Being really a young pro because that’s what it takes to make it there.”

Being a young American in a well-respected Premier League academy and being compared to an English national team player gave Johnson a huge confidence boost. When he had to leave the club, it was a huge setback.

“I felt like I was successful over there and maybe was on track to have that sort of impact or have that sort of opportunity in the Premier League,” Johnson said. “Having that opportunity sort of taken away from me by factors outside of my ability on the field was devastating, honestly. That experience and dealing with that adversity taught me so much about how I deal with adversity and that everyone has a different path to their goals.”

When it came time for Johnson to pick a college to continue his career, he was now out of the loop. Johnson by his own admission knew “next to nothing” about college soccer, but was being recruited by Division I programs.

His dad was a baseball player at Maryland and his dad’s father also went to Maryland so that became the first school he visited. Johnson knew it was one of the top programs in the country. He met with coach Sasho Cirovski and committed early on.

In two years at Maryland he made just one start, struggling for time on talented teams. Maryland made the national championship game in Johnson’s freshman year in 2013 and won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in his sophomore year.

“He got stuck with a glut of midfielders,” Cirovski said on the league’s draft day broadcast. “Maybe he was a little young. We had some key guys in the midfield. (Current Toronto FC midfielder) Tsubasa Endoh in there and guys that played his position so he couldn’t get up there. We supported his decision to find a new place and he revitalized his career at Louisville.”

Johnson transferred to Louisville, but didn’t hold a grudge. When Johnson stood on the podium at the draft after being selected by the Fire he thanked both Maryland and Louisville.

“I wish I had done a little more research, but it was just a case of me not fitting into the system and a combination of different philosophies that Sasho and I had,” Johnson said.

“We had a good relationship, but during my time there we were a really successful program so it’s really hard to make a case for changes, especially someone who is going to come in and really change your style when you’re being successful playing one way.”

Johnson got connected with coach Ken Lolla at Louisville, who Johnson said was focused on development. In two years with the Cardinals, he started all 41 matches and emerged as a pro prospect.

Earlier in his career Johnson had been a central attacking midfielder, calling himself a “10.” Lolla had him play out wide at Louisville. He said it’s been a learning curve to adjust to the position the past two years, but has become comfortable as a winger. His preferred spot is to play on the left wing and cut inside as a right-footed player, but he’s still learning to play both sides.

“I’m comfortable on the wing, playing more of an inverted winger on the left, but also being able to do some of the things that a more traditional winger does if I’m deployed on the right,” Johnson said. “Still working on my left foot and being able to provide those things on the left.”

Johnson was a stand out at the combine, especially in the first game of the combine. Johnson drew and converted a penalty kick and had two assists in the first half. His draft stock seemed to soar in the week leading up to the draft. The attention Johnson was getting from around the league certainly went up, although general manager Nelson Rodriguez said the Fire had watched Johnson the past two years at Louisville.

“I think a product of combine performance I met with 20 teams so on Wednesday I started at 8 a.m. and skipped both breakfast and lunch and dinner,” Johnson said. “In the meeting process I think the longest time between meetings I had was 15 minutes so they ended up blurring together. Calling my mom that night and sort of giving her the update there were a few teams that stuck out, but Chicago was one that I remembered from the entire meeting.”

Johnson said it was his longest interview of the day.

“He has certain qualities that we think are different from the qualities that we have within the team right now,” Rodriguez said. “We think he can also slide inside and play a central role because he’s good on the ball and he’s a good decision maker.

“He has a real reverence for the game. He’s very descriptive in how he appreciates the game and the artistry of the game.”

Johnson’s winding journey has included two continents and two colleges. He thinks his background and skillset make him rare among young Americans.

“I feel like I am a unique case in terms of young American attacking players, especially being a product of an academy like West Ham and having unique training,” Johnson said. “I’m really excited to just get started and show what I can do.”

Fire trade into second round to make two picks.

Dan Santaromita 

(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Chicago Fire entered draft day with no second round picks, but traded with Toronto to land two early second round picks.

The Fire sent $75,000 in targeted allocation money to Toronto for the fourth and fifth picks in the second round. The Fire then took Louisville goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland with the 26th overall pick and followed up by taking Guillermo Delgado with the 27th pick.

Cleveland was a college teammate of the Fire's first round pick, Daniel Johnson, at Louisville. The Fire have two goalkeepers under contract in Matt Lampson and recently signed Jorge Bava. Cleveland could be one of the early favorites for the No. 3 goalkeeper spot, although he doesn't have a guaranteed contract and will likely face competition in preseason camp.

"We really like his approach to goalkeeping, his comfort away from the line, his steadiness, there’s an overall maturity to his game that we liked and we really like our goalkeeper corps now," Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez said. "We think there’s a nice blend of hierarchy, age and experience so we feel very good about how that competition will begin at the start of training camp.”

Delgado, 22, was born in Madrid, but left Spain to play college soccer for Delaware. He quickly stood out with 15 goals and five assists as a freshman. He notched double-digit goals in all four years, including 12 goals and eight assists as a senior. He finished his collegiate career with 49 goals and 19 assists in 78 matches.

"I'm excited and thrilled to give everything I have on the field during the next year," Delgado said on the draft podium.

An extra wrinkle on the Delgado pick is that he would count as an international player for the Fire, as confirmed by the club. That gives the Fire nine international players with only eight international slots for them. That means either Delgado has an uphill climb to make the roster or the Fire have moves coming involving either a trade for an international slot or a move to trade away a current international player.

Soon after the draft Rodriguez was asked if Delgado was worth the pick as another international player.

“We selected him so that’s the answer," Rodriguez said. "What we believe is this is a very good player. A player who is dynamic off the ball, knows how to find space, knows how to exploit it. A proven finisher and has good pedigree. He got his soccer education, if you will, in Spain. Again a player that we believe adds a different element to what we currently have.”

Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool: Ibrahimovic salvages Red Devils point.

By Kyle Bonn

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

A rivalry with plenty of buildup produced a clunky game that needed a late moment to savor a draw as things ended level 1-1 at Old Trafford.

A penalty for handball on Paul Pogba gave Liverpool a 1-0 first-half lead, and the Reds seemed comfortable to defend that advantage.

It broke down late, as Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced an incredible looping header to draw United level and salvage a point with six minutes to go.

United had most of the early chances, with Anthony Martial sending one to the far post for Zlatan Ibrahimovic that was just out of the Swede’s outstretched leg on 13 minutes. A Liverpool mistake at the back nearly cost them, as Dejan Lovren‘s back-pass was too short and came to Ibrahimovic, but Simon Mignolet did just enough to see the ball land on the roof of the net with Zlatan waiting to pounce on the empty net. Moments later Paul Pogba was fed through by Henrikh Mkhitaryan but scuffed his shot just inches wide right.

As Liverpool worked themselves into the game, they would press forward and win a penalty in the 27th minute. The ball popped up into the air in the United penalty area, and Pogba completely lost sight of it, finally getting a bead on it and awkwardly getting a head to it, but he also handled the ball in the process, and referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot. James Milner stepped up and buried the penalty to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead.

United came close past the half-hour mark as Ibrahimovic delivered a venomous free-kick that forced Mignolet into a sharp save low to his right. Mignolet was required again five minutes from halftime as Mkhitaryan was played through by Ander Herrera, but Mignolet was there to parry the shot from a tight angle.

The hosts made a surprising change out of the break, with manager Jose Mourinho replacing Michael Carrick with Wayne Rooney. They had the first chance out of the break but couldn’t capitalize. Ibrahimovic sprung Mkhitaryan down the right, and his heavy touch brought out Mignolet, but he was still able to get the ball into the middle where Anthony Martial was streaking in. Martial tried to rabona the ball into the empty net, but under pressure from Trent Alexander-Arnold he couldn’t get a touch.

Both teams brought on playmakers past the hour mark as Juan Mata and Philippe Coutinho came on. Coutinho had a chance straightaway with a brilliant touch to Roberto Firmino whose close-range shot was saved by David De Gea.

Wayne Rooney crashed his studs into the shin of James Milner, causing a bit of a delay and a bit of controversy, as replays showed he stepped over the ball onto Milner’s leg. No card was shown by the referee. Wayne Rooney nearly had a moment to remember, a goal away from breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record at United but his 82nd minute shot was saved.

As the game wore down and Liverpool defended comfortably, Mourinho brought on Marouane Fellaini and changed tactics, targeting Ibrahimovic and Fellaini with long balls instead of the flowing play they had been using prior. This caused Liverpool problems and produced a late equalizer, as Fellaini’s initial header clanged off the post, but it came back to Ibrahimovic who ducked down low and brilliantly looped a header into the corner in the 84th minute. There looked to be a missed offside call early in the buildup, but Liverpool’s frantic defending with the ball in the air did them in.

There were some tense moments down the stretch, and a scuffle as well as Ander Herrera nearly ripped off Roberto Firmino’s shirt, and the Brazilian reacted violently, earning both yellow cards. The managers got into it at the same time, seeing Jurgen Klopp bouncing up and down mocking Mourinho.

The game ended level, leaving Liverpool third in the table, failing to take the opportunity to move into second. Manchester United will be disappointed with the point as well, up to 40 points and still in sixth, two points behind Manchester City.

Everton 4-0 Manchester City: Toffees Counter Hammers Leaky City.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Getty Images)

After Everton’s second goal, Pep Guardiola was shown with a gloomy expression, staring straight into the ground without even watching as the game continued on. It was a fitting expression as Everton’s cutting edge on the counter-attack downed a leaky Manchester City 4-0 at Goodison Park.

On a day of Manchester vs. Liverpool, the latter struck the first blow, leaving Manchester City a whopping 10 points adrift of the league’s top spot as Everton’s counter-attack was ruthless, a stark contrast to the toothless visitors. The Toffees picked up four shots on target on the day, and Claudio Bravo came up empty-handed on all four.

Everton looked early on for the long ball to Romelu Lukaku, while City maintained possession with little result. On the break, Everton had the ball in the net through Kevin Mirallas, but it was ruled out as Seamus Coleman was offside. Following a cagey first 10 minutes, the game sprung open.

City had its own early chance, also on the break, as Kevin De Bruyne sprung down the left and fed Raheem Sterling one-on-one with Leighton Baines in the box. Joel Robles came out of the net and smothered the ball, taking down Sterling as well with no call from referee Mark Clattenburg. They had another on 25 minutes as de Bruyne again from the left sent a spectacular ball to the far post where David Silva was waiting all alone, but Robles was again there to smother it before Silva could get a good shot off.

Everton had fewer chances, but took the one big one it had. After Gael Clichy gave the ball away in midfield, 18-year-old Tom Davies threaded a perfect through-ball to Mirallas, and his square pass across the box to Lukaku allowed the Belgian to simply touch home.

After going down, City continued to pummel the Everton goal. Sterling unleashed a vicious one from outside the box that went just wide on 38 minutes. Manchester City finished with a massive 71% possession, but nothing to show for it.

Out of halftime, Everton stunned the visitors straight away. Yaya Toure gave the ball away this time, and Ross Barkley fed Mirallas who hit into the far corner just past a sliding John Stones, just 62 seconds into the second half, leaving Pep Guardiola staring straight into the ground.

Changes were rung past the hour mark, as Guardiola replaced Pablo Zabaleta with striker Kelechi Iheanacho, while Ronald Koeman brought on Morgan Schneiderlin for his Everton debut, but it was another first that put an exclamation mark on the game as the 18-year-old Davies picked up his first Premier League goal with a smart finish dinked over a charging Claudio Bravo.

They’d get a fourth in laughable fashion, through 19-year-old Ademola Lookman on his Premier League debut. John Stones, in an attempt to clear the ball, fired it against Seamus Coleman. The ball caromed back into the box straight into the path of Lookman, who hit through the legs of Claudio Bravo and into the back of the net.

The Everton win brings them up to 33 points, although the gap between their 7th place and Manchester United in 6th is still a large six points with the Red Devils still yet to play. Manchester City, meanwhile, drops a full 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, while they remain outside the top four, two back of both Liverpool and Arsenal.

PL Saturday roundup: Spurs, Arsenal win big; Costa-less Chelsea get back on track.

By Matt Reed

(Photo/Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Both ends of the table continue to provide intrigue after another busy day around the Premier League, including the division’s top three sides each picking up convincing victories.

Here, we take a look back at Saturday’s action from around England’s top flight.

Tottenham 4-0 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP

Mauricio Pochettino‘s side is hitting its stride at the right time, and now Spurs find themselves all the way up to second in the PL. Harry Kane‘s hat-trick helped guide Tottenham to an easy home win over West Brom on Saturday at White Hart Lane as Spurs picked up their sixth-straight victory. The Baggies have now lost three of their last five matches despite sitting in the top 10.

Swansea City 0-4 Arsenal — RECAP

Swansea’s struggles continued on Saturday despite a lively start from the hosts. Once again though, the Gunners proved that they can punish any team in the blink of an eye if given the opportunity. Goals from Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, as well as two own goals, helped guide Arsenal up to third in the table as the top of the league remains congested. Meanwhile, the Swans still sit at the bottom of the PL on 15 points.

Leicester City 0-3 Chelsea — RECAP

No Diego Costa, no problem. While speculation over the Spaniard’s future continues to swirl, the Blues got back on track against the reigning top-flight champions. A brace from Marcos Alonso and a third from Pedro helped give Chelsea all three points and a tentative seven-point advantage over Spurs at the top of the PL. The Foxes once again fell short on Saturday for their ninth loss of the campaign, after having fallen just three times a season ago. Claudio Ranieri‘s men are now just five points above the bottom three with 17 matches remaining.

Burnley 1-0 Southampton — RECAP

The Clarets continued their impressive home record this season with another home victory. Joey Barton‘s first goal since returning to Burnley helped push the hosts up to 10th in the standings after the midfielder came on as substitute. All eight of Burnley’s victories have come at home this season, while 25 of the team’s 26 points have been picked up at the Turf Moor.

Hull City 3-1 Bournemouth — RECAP

Marco Silva received everything he could have wished for on his PL debut for the Tigers. Despite going down early after Junior Stanislas converted from the penalty spot, it was all Hull the rest of the way. An Abel Hernandez double helped put Hull out in front against the Cherries, while a Tyrone Mings own goal sealed the fate of the visitors on Saturday. Hull now has four wins on the season, moving the Tigers up to 18th in the table.

Sunderland 1-3 Stoke City — RECAP

Marko Arnautovic and Peter Crouch both scored for the visitors as Stoke City rose to ninth on Saturday against the Black Cats. While Jermain Defoe continues to keep Sunderland in the hunt to climb out of the relegation zone, the Englishman lacks a supporting cast up front. Sunderland remains in the bottom three on 15 points, although the Black Cats are just one point behind 17th place Crystal Palace.

Watford 0-0 Middlesbrough — RECAP

Both sides remain above the drop zone despite an uneventful encounter at Vicarage Road. Middlesbrough failed to record a shot on target on Saturday, however, the visitors came the closest to finding an opener when Cristhian Stuani knocked home a flicked ball from Alvaro Negredo. Unfortunately for Boro, the finish was called back for offsides.

West Ham 3-0 Crystal Palace — RECAP

The Hammers remain in fine form as of late courtesy of Michail Antonio‘s three assists against the Eagles at the Olympic Stadium. Manuel Lanzini, Sofiane Feghouli and Andy Carroll all punched their names on the scoresheet for West Ham, who now move up to 12th in the league. None were better than Carroll’s bicycle kick strike which put an exclamation on the match. Palace, however, have fallen all the way to 17th after failing to win in their last seven matches.

La Liga & Serie A: Barca blasts five past Las Palmas and more

By Matt Reed

(Photo/David Ramos/Getty Images)

A roundup of Saturday’s action in Spain and Italy’s top flights…

Barcelona 5-0 Las Palmas

The visitors never stood a chance on Saturday, and Barcelona showed once again just how dangerous they can be when firing on all cylinders. The Blaugrana saw goals from four different goalscorers pace Luis Enrique’s side, including a brace from Luis Suarez.

Despite only going into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead, Barcelona immediately expanded its advantage to 4-0 in the second stanza after finding the back of the net three times in a span of seven minutes. Lionel Messi, Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal all scored for Barca, who now sit two points behind league leaders Real Madrid.

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Betis

Nicolas Gaitan scored the game’s lone goal as Atletico solidified its spot in the top four against Betis. The visitors managed twice as many shots on target (6), however, it wasn’t enough for Betis to break past goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya. Diego Simeone’s Atleti are six points behind Real at the top of La Liga, while Real Betis currently sits 14th on 21 points.

Elsewhere in La Liga

Leganes 0-0 Athletic Bilbao

Deportivo La Coruna 0-0 Villareal

Inter Milan 3-1 Chievo Verona

The hosts needed a strong second half performance to mount a comeback and Inter managed to get just that on Saturday. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half by way of a Sergio Pellissier finish, Inter stormed back after the break on three separate occasions. Mauro Icardi, Ivan Perisic and Eder all scored inside of the final 21 minutes to move the Milan side into seventh place. Stefano Pioli’s side currently sits 13 points behind league leaders Juventus.

Crotone 0-1 Bologna

Crotone remains at the bottom of Italy’s top flight courtesy of Blerim Dzemaili’s second-half strike. Bologna moved up to 14th in the table on 23 points while Crotone sits on nine points through 19 Serie A matches. Bologna has now won four of the last five meetings against Crotone in all competitions.

NCAABKB: SATURDAY’S SNACKS: Butler, Louisville, North Carolina earn wins over top-15 teams.

By Scott Phillips

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

SATURDAY’S THINGS TO KNOW

The struggles continued for No. 7 Duke as they had another game to forget in a road loss at No. 14 Louisville. Anas Mahmoud had the best game of his career for the Cardinals and Duke struggled to defend ball screens. CBT’s Rob Dauster has four takeaways from this one including one on Duke being a total mess.

Two more of the ACC’s best teams also did battle on Saturday as No. 11 North Carolina handed No. 9 Florida State its first loss in conference play. Three more takeaways from Dauster on this one as he goes more into detail on Joel Berry’s outstanding game.

The Big East also had a big game on Saturday afternoon that saw No. 12 Butler hold on to beat No. 15 Xavier for a home win. Kelan Martin continued his sluggish Big East start, but a freshman guard is continuing to emerge for the Bulldogs. Here’s more on the Bulldogs and their very strong NCAA tournament profile.

Coming off of a blowout loss at the hands of West Virginia, No. 1 Baylor managed to go into Manhattan and knock off No. 25 Kansas State, 77-68. At the same time Baylor was winning that game, the No. 10 Mountaineers had to come back to knock off a Texas team that was playing without their best player.

No. 19 Virginia was able to outlast Clemson for an ACC road win as senior London Perrantes buried the key go-ahead three in the final two minutes. While this was a solid win for the ‘Hoos, this loss is potentially devastating for Clemson’s tourney hopes.

STARRED

Lonzo Ball, UCLA: The Bruins struggled as their legs gave out on them, but Ball still managed to post 15 points, eight assists, six boards and five steals in an 83-82 win at Utah. The Bruins swept the Mountain school.

Alec Peters, Valparaiso: The senior scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half to help the Crusaders beat Cleveland State. Peters also added nine rebounds on the day as he’s now over 2,100 career points.

Jack Gibbs, Davidson: The senior guard poured in 30 points and added seven rebounds in Davidson’s big Atlantic 10 win over VCU. Gibbs played all 40 minutes of Saturday’s game and was 9-for-19 from the floor with four three-pointers.

Tucker Haymond, Western Michigan: It was a career afternoon for the senior guard as Haymond had 35 points to lead the Broncos over Kent State for a MAC win. The career-high effort came on 12-for-18 shooting for Haymond.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25

• It didn’t come easy, but No. 2 Kansas overcame an off-shooting night to get past Oklahoma State as Frank Mason had 22 points.
• No. 3 Villanova had a strong outing from guard Donte DiVincenzo (19 points) as the Wildcats won on the road at St. John’s.
• Some hot shooting sparked No. 6 Kentucky past Auburn as freshman Malik Monk tallied 24 points.
• Marcus Foster had 21 points to lead No. 8 Creighton to a rout over Truman State.
• No. 10 West Virginia survived with a two-point road win over Texas in the Big 12. Teyvon Myers led with 16 points.
• It took another close win but No. 20 Notre Dame was able to hold on for a road win at Virginia Tech. Steve Vasturia paced the Irish with 20 points.
• This one needed overtime, but No. 23 Florida outlasted Georgia as Canyon Barry finished with 27 points and seven rebounds.
• Penn State used a big second-half run to push past No. 24 Minnesota. This is the type of loss that could come back to haunt the Gophers as they held a 10-point halftime lead. Mike Watkins had 15 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Nittany Lions.

NOTABLE

• Miami cruised past Pitt for an easy ACC win. The Hurricanes were led by Davon Reed as he finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. The win was also a milestone for Jim Larrañaga as he notched his 600th career victory.
• Dayton stayed in the Atlantic 10 race with a road win at Duquesne. Charles Cooke led the way for the Flyers with 19 points.
• Providence handed Seton Hall another bad loss for its NCAA tournament resume in Big East play. Kyron Cartwright led the Friars with 20 points and eight rebounds.
• Georgetown held off UConn in an old-school rivalry game. The Hoyas trailed by six at half before rallying as L.J. Peak had 21 points and eight rebounds.
• After the bad road loss at Illinois, Michigan bounced back with a Big Ten win over Nebraska as Moe Wagner led with 23 points.

UConn women win 91st straight game to break their own NCAA record.

Associated Press

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

Top-ranked UConn broke its own NCAA record with its 91st consecutive victory, scoring the first 21 points and romping past SMU 88-48 on Saturday.

Coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies (16-0, 4-0 AAC) broke the record of 90 wins in a row that his team first accomplished more than six years ago. They matched that mark with a 65-point rout of No. 20 South Florida last Tuesday.

The four-time defending national champion Huskies haven’t lost a game since falling in overtime at sixth-ranked Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.

Their first 90-game winning streak broke the Division I record of 88 straight wins by the UCLA men’s basketball team and famed coach John Wooden. That UConn streak also started after a loss to Stanford, in the 2008 national semifinal game, and ended with another loss at Stanford on Dec. 30, 2010.

While the only way UConn will play Stanford this season will be in the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies do have wins this season over second-ranked Baylor, third-ranked Maryland and sixth-ranked Notre Dame – the latter two on the road.

Katie Lou Samuelson scored 28 points, Naphessa Collier added 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for UConn, while Gabby Williams also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, along with six assists.

Alicia Froling led SMU (10-7, 1-3) with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The junior from Australia entered the game as the AAC’s top rebound at 10.6 per game.

UConn is 58-0 in American Athletic games in its four seasons since joining that league, plus nine more wins while sweeping through the conference tournament each of the past three seasons.

Samuelson was 11-of-21 shooting and had five 3-pointers while finishing one point short of her matching her career high. She had 10 points in the first quarter, when Collier had nine points and seven rebounds as UConn jumped out to a 26-2 lead.

The Mustangs are 0-7 against UConn, and had lost the first six by an average margin of 51 points.

No. 5 Gonzaga stays undefeated with 79-56 win over No. 21 Saint Mary’s.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Nigel Williams-Goss scored 19 points and handed out six assists as No. 5 Gonzaga used a game-ending, 21-4 run as the Bulldogs beat No. 21 Saint Mary’s, 79-56.

Here are three takeaways from this season’s first installment of the WCC’s best rivalry:

1. It’s time to start talking about the potential of Gonzaga entering March undefeated: The Zags are the only undefeated team left in America. They’re legitimately ranked No. 5 in America. They have arguably the most underrated back court in college basketball – Nigel Williams-Goss and Josh Perkins are two former five-star point guard prospects that can share a starting lineup – and this may be the most talented, versatile and deep front line that Mark Few has ever had.

And to top it all off, they just beat their only real challenger in the WCC by 23 points.

It’s nothing close to a lock yet, not when the Zags still have to make a return trip to Moraga to play at Saint Mary’s, but it’s starting to look more and more like a real possibility that Gonzaga can enter March undefeated. The trip to Saint Mary’s will be tough, and BYU has the offensive firepower to make a run at just about anyone. The WCC is not a great league, but it is tough for Gonzaga to go on the road and take every team’s best shot in a gym packed to capacity.

Mark Few’s team has their work cut out for them.

But it’s time to start considering the possibility.

2. Which means you need to get ready for the No. 1 seed controversy!: It’s going to happen, and you know it. If the Zags run the table in the WCC and win the conference tournament title, they should be a No. 1 seed. When you enter Selection Sunday at 34-0, you get a No. 1 seed. That should be a hard-and-fast rule written into the tournament bylaws.

The bigger question is going to be what happens if Gonzaga has one or two losses on Selection Sunday, particularly in UCLA puts together the kind of résumé that we should expect them to. Then who would get the No. 1 seed out west? In an absolute best-case scenario, Gonzaga will have three wins over Saint Mary’s and wins over Arizona, Iowa State and Florida on neutral floors.

That’s not great, but it will give us plenty of fodder to argue about on podcasts and in columns.

3. Jock Landale’s inability to stay out of foul trouble ruined this matchup: Landale, the star center for Saint Mary’s, is a legitimate all-American candidate, but he spent the first 20 minutes on Saturday night battling foul trouble. He played just six minutes, and the Gaels entered the half lucky to be down just nine points. In the second half, Saint Mary’s looked like they were on the verge of taking this thing to the wire, but Landale committed three dumb fouls in the second half, getting sent to the bench as Gonzaga closed the game on a 21-4 run that made this game look like a mollywhopping instead of a WCC title fight.

Coach Cal, Bruce Pearl trade verbal jabs after Kentucky beats Auburn.

By Rob Dauster

(Photo/Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

John Calipari and Bruce Pearl had themselves a nice little war of words on Saturday.

Auburn lost to No. 6 Kentucky in Rupp Arena, but they gave the Wildcats a fight.

“I was at Tennessee, and Memphis was a smaller school in a corner,” Pearl, who now is the head coach of Auburn, said, according to SEC Country. When Pearl was with the Vols and Cal was with the Tigers, the two programs were at their absolute peak. They once played as the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in AP poll. “They hated Tennessee, and that was the beginning of John and I having a bit of a rivalry. I’d like to think that the things he doesn’t like about me are some of the things I don’t like about him, but I had great respect for him.”

“I want him to have to prepare to play Auburn,” Pearl added. “I want him to be pissed off that we beat them last year. They weren’t a great team and we made some shots and made some plays. It was a tough place to play and it matters if you can beat John Calipari at Kentucky.”

Cal’s response?

“Why would he think I don’t like him? You guys, it doesn’t matter what I say,” Calipari said, reportedly with a smile on his face. For what it’s worth, Cal’s jokes and Cal’s barbs are all both said with a smile on his face. “Did they beat us last year? Oh, they did? Oh. Yeah, I’m pissed off they beat us last year.”

As an unbiased observer, you should want Auburn to be good if, for no other reason, we can stoke the coals on this coaching rivalry.

NCAAFB: Ohio State’s best hopes to replace its departing NFL talent.

By Chuck McKeever

(Photo/Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

When I was 16, I got my first job: a summer gig at a barbecue restaurant that paid me too much for what I actually contributed to the organization. I worked there for the next few summers, putting at least as much effort into cutting off the sleeves of my t-shirt as I did into pulling pork and running coleslaw to the servers. It was perfect, really, a long stretch of halcyon days that I thought would last forever. And then one day real life beckoned, and it was over. Poof.

Ohio State football has felt a lot like that in recent years. In the seasons when the program was supposed to be rebuilding, the team was (mostly) more fun to watch than in those years when it was supposed to conquer the world. And now, somehow, another college football season is over, and another round of college football’s biggest talents are leaving Columbus for greener pastures unless you count the ones drafted by the Browns. Poof. Gone. The good news: there are plenty of absurdly talented guys to fill their shoes. Who’s in line for a breakout year in 2017?

Binjimen Victor, WR

It’s no secret that Ohio State’s passing game struggled mightily in 2016, especially when held up to earlier years. Blame who you will for that particular downturn. What’s certain is that the Buckeyes are still loaded at the position despite losing some of their best receiving threats, including Noah Brown and Curtis Samuel. The cream of the crop is Binjimen Victor, who saw just nine targets in his true freshman season. Despite how few looks he got, he still managed to parlay his playing time into a touchdown and a 16.0 yards/catch average.

At 6’4, 185 lbs., Victor will make for a matchup nightmare for any defensive back in the Big Ten. He also showed he can take a lick while holding onto the ball, as he managed against Clemson. Victor outshone his fellow freshmen Austin Mack and Alex Stump this year; look for him to do the same to the rest of the conference in 2017.

Demario McCall, RB (for now)

Another true freshman in 2016, McCall showed speed, reliability, and field vision in his limited snaps backing up 1,000-yard rusher Mike Weber. The bad news for McCall is that Weber’s hold on the first RB spot is ironclad after a tremendously successful first year as a starter. The good news? Do-it-all H-Back Curtis Samuel is gone for the NFL, leaving the Buckeyes with a hole at a position that’s of paramount importance in Urban Meyer’s offense.

McCall has shown glimpses of the skill set needed to succeed as an H-Back for Ohio State. In six games, he found the end zone three times and averaged 5.5 yards/carry. He also reeled in four of five passing targets, good for 21 yards a pop. (Literally—these were largely “pop” passes, which every college football commentator is really mad about not counting as runs. It’ll be hard to replicate Samuel’s output at H-Back, especially if he’s reluctant to change roles, but he could do a fraction of what Samuel did and still have a wildly successful year.

Damon Arnette, CB

Ohio State’s lockdown pass defense is losing just about every major contributor to the NFL, with Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore, and Malik Hooker all leaving school to cash in on their tremendous 2016 seasons.

That leaves plenty of room for Arnette to step up and become the No. 1 corner for the Buckeyes. Arnette will be a redshirt sophomore next season, and the experience he gained during the Buckeyes’ playoff run—16 tackles, 1 interception—will be invaluable toward his development as the next lockdown guy in the secondary.

His game certainly has holes, and his transformation into the next Darrelle Revis is hardly a guarantee. But people pointed out the same flaws in Gareon Conley’s game before he took over the top job, and he turned into one of the best DBs in the conference. At 6’0, 195 lbs., Arnette’s a perfect Conley analog. If his ball skills get to Conley’s level, the Buckeyes will be in good shape next season.

Jordan Fuller, S

Speaking of the secondary, the Buckeyes still need to fill that gaping void where Malik Hooker used to play. Given the current options on the depth chart, rising sophomore Jordan Fuller looks like a good bet to take up the open job at safety. There’s a chance that Erick Smith—who will be in his senior season in 2017—could win the job; he was a highly-touted prospect whose battles with injuries have so far hindered what might otherwise have been a spectacular Ohio State career. But Fuller is younger and bigger than Smith, and that combo might prove appealing enough to earn him some immediate playing time.

Failing that, Fuller could still see the field plenty if Smith or Damon Webb struggle. (For all intents and purposes, the Buckeyes don’t designate between free and strong safeties.) Fuller made nine tackles in mop-up duty and on special teams this past year; even without a starting job, expect that number to skyrocket in 2017.

Tennis-Inspired by Federer, Bencic eyes Serena upset.

Reuters; Reporting by Simon Cambers; Editing by Peter Rutherford

It was when she spotted Roger Federer pretending to play the bongo drums during one of her matches at the Hopman Cup in Perth this month that Belinda Bencic really knew she was having fun.

And that fun, combined with a few tips from the record 17-time grand-slam winner, has left the 19-year-old in the mood to cause Serena Williams a few problems when they meet in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

"That was the best thing," Bencic said, laughing at the memory of Federer hamming it up with some shadow drumming. "I won like four games (in a row) after that."

Bencic, a former junior Wimbledon and French Open champion, combined with Federer to make a formidable mixed doubles partnership.

Spending time with the 35-year-old former world number one n inspired Bencic and renewed her belief that she can climb back up the rankings from her current mark of 59th after a frustrating 2016 season interrupted by a number of injuries.

"He's very fun," said Bencic, who peaked at seventh in the world before the injury problems and dropped out of the top 50 this week.

"We got to know each other and he gave me advice, tips. He's such a relaxed and nice person, off the court, he makes you relaxed."

The tips were wide ranging.

"How to set up your team, how to deal with the media, injuries, dealing with losing, with pressure, everything. It was great."

Williams, a six-times champion in Melbourne, is the clear favorite for their first-round match but Bencic plans to draw on her victory when they played in Canada in 2015.

"At the start of that match not much went right but I was just trying to hang in there, enjoy being on the court against her, play good rallies, good shots and always fight," Bencic said of her 3-6 7-5 6-4 win.

"She had a (bad) phase and that's when I could turn it around.

"In the third set, I was leading very much but I was aware, she's Serena, she always turns it around. Until the last point, I didn't expect it could actually happen."

Having recovered from her injury problems of 2016, Bencic has a renewed appreciation of how fortunate she is to be playing tennis for a living.

"I think a lot of players realize that later (in their careers)," she said.

"I was so young and I didn't enjoy it really. I was stressing out, having pressure with the ranking.

"My career was going up and there is a point where you have to deal with the expectations.

"Then I felt a little different, I got injured, I was not in a very good mood, not very happy and when I came back I put too much pressure on myself.

"Now I just want to stay healthy and enjoy tennis, don't look at the ranking, don't try to defend points."

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, January 16, 2016.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1896 - The first five-player college basketball game was played at Iowa City, IA.

1961 - Mickey Mantle signed a contract which made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.

1981 - Leon Spinks was mugged. Even his gold teeth were taken by the assailants.

1988 - The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they would be moving to Phoenix.

1993 - Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) scored 64 points against the Orlando Magic. It was Jordan's second highest single-game total of his career.

1995 - Malcolm Glazer bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an estimated $192 million.

2002 - Baseball owners voted to approve the record $660 million sale of the Boston Red Sox.

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