Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality." ~ Joe Paterno, College Football Head Coach, Athletic Director and Player
TRENDING: Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews listed on NHL's 100 greatest players list. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Bears Mobile-ize efforts to identify, acquire players via draft. See the football section for Bears news an NFL updates).
TRENDING: Bulls bounce back with win over 76ers. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Serena Williams sets record with 23rd Grand Slam title. (See the third article from the bottom of this blog for Australian Open Tennis Results).
TRENDING: Serena Williams sets record with 23rd Grand Slam title. (See the third article from the bottom of this blog for Australian Open Tennis Results).
TRENDING: Rahm shoots back-nine 30 for first Tour win at The Farmers Insurance Open. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks and Central lose first game, Metropolitan wins NHL All-Star Game.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Wayne Simmonds scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:58 to play, and fill-in coach Wayne Gretzky led the Metropolitan Division to a 4-3 victory over the Pacific Division on Sunday in the final match of the revamped NHL All-Star Game.
Columbus' Cam Atkinson scored the tying goal for the Metropolitans in the four-team, 3-on-3 divisional tournament format introduced to the midseason classic last season. Washington goalie Braden Holtby then made several big saves to secure the win for his 11-man team, which will split a $1 million prize.
Simmonds, the Flyers' first-time All-Star, was named the game's MVP after he put the Metropolitans ahead. The goal completed a hat trick for the former Kings forward, who is still well-liked in Los Angeles after he was traded to Philadelphia in 2011.
Simmonds and Atkinson, a late addition to the team, scored three goals apiece.
But the game was secondary when the NHL's best gathered on a 72-degree day in Hollywood. A sellout crowd at Staples Center cheered the first All-Star Game for Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and a host of young talent.
It was also just the second All-Star appearance by Sidney Crosby, who hadn't been healthy for the game since 2007. Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were played together by Gretzky, who stepped in to coach the Metropolitan team when Columbus' John Tortorella couldn't attend the weekend festivities due to an ailing dog.
The Great One even played a significant role in the outcome: Gretzky challenged an apparent goal by the Pacific in the final minutes and got it successfully taken off the board when McDavid was ruled offside.
The All-Stars got an additional thrill before the game when roughly half of the 100 greatest players in NHL history stood in a line on the ice and shook hands with the current players during introductions. The greats then dropped a ceremonial first puck for each of the 44 All-Stars.
The Pacific beat the Blackhawk-dominated Central Division team 10-3 in the first 20-minute semifinal, and the Metropolitan team beat the Atlantic 10-6 in the second. Jonathan Toews scored and Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford also represented the Blackhawks.
The Pacific won last year in Nashville in the first edition of the open-ice format designed to inject excitement and goal-scoring a sometimes staid exercise. The formula worked again at Staples Center, but the two finalists tightened up their defense with real money on the line in the final minutes.
Crosby and Ovechkin, the long-standing rivals with parallel careers in Pittsburgh and Washington, were teammates on the Metropolitan team for the first time in a decade since they teamed up in the 2007 All-Star Game.
McDavid scored one of the afternoon's best goals early in the third when he slipped behind the Metropolitan defense, got a pinpoint long pass from Anaheim's Ryan Kesler and beat Columbus' Sergei Bobrovsky's poke check with a nimble stop and a push shot while falling to his knees.
While Crosby and Ovechkin are arguably hockey's two biggest stars, their supporting cast got the job done. The Metropolitans scored three goals in 19 seconds during their semifinal, including two goals five seconds apart by Seth Jones and Taylor Hall.
The Atlantic Division team won Saturday's Skills Competition and got to choose its opponent for Sunday, but choosing the Metropolitan didn't work so well. Even pulling goalie Tuukka Rask with 2:55 to play and a three-goal deficit only led to an empty-netter by Atkinson, the last All-Star picked after Evgeni Malkin dropped out.
Columbus' Cam Atkinson scored the tying goal for the Metropolitans in the four-team, 3-on-3 divisional tournament format introduced to the midseason classic last season. Washington goalie Braden Holtby then made several big saves to secure the win for his 11-man team, which will split a $1 million prize.
Simmonds, the Flyers' first-time All-Star, was named the game's MVP after he put the Metropolitans ahead. The goal completed a hat trick for the former Kings forward, who is still well-liked in Los Angeles after he was traded to Philadelphia in 2011.
Simmonds and Atkinson, a late addition to the team, scored three goals apiece.
But the game was secondary when the NHL's best gathered on a 72-degree day in Hollywood. A sellout crowd at Staples Center cheered the first All-Star Game for Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and a host of young talent.
It was also just the second All-Star appearance by Sidney Crosby, who hadn't been healthy for the game since 2007. Crosby and Alex Ovechkin were played together by Gretzky, who stepped in to coach the Metropolitan team when Columbus' John Tortorella couldn't attend the weekend festivities due to an ailing dog.
The Great One even played a significant role in the outcome: Gretzky challenged an apparent goal by the Pacific in the final minutes and got it successfully taken off the board when McDavid was ruled offside.
The All-Stars got an additional thrill before the game when roughly half of the 100 greatest players in NHL history stood in a line on the ice and shook hands with the current players during introductions. The greats then dropped a ceremonial first puck for each of the 44 All-Stars.
The Pacific beat the Blackhawk-dominated Central Division team 10-3 in the first 20-minute semifinal, and the Metropolitan team beat the Atlantic 10-6 in the second. Jonathan Toews scored and Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Corey Crawford also represented the Blackhawks.
The Pacific won last year in Nashville in the first edition of the open-ice format designed to inject excitement and goal-scoring a sometimes staid exercise. The formula worked again at Staples Center, but the two finalists tightened up their defense with real money on the line in the final minutes.
Crosby and Ovechkin, the long-standing rivals with parallel careers in Pittsburgh and Washington, were teammates on the Metropolitan team for the first time in a decade since they teamed up in the 2007 All-Star Game.
McDavid scored one of the afternoon's best goals early in the third when he slipped behind the Metropolitan defense, got a pinpoint long pass from Anaheim's Ryan Kesler and beat Columbus' Sergei Bobrovsky's poke check with a nimble stop and a push shot while falling to his knees.
While Crosby and Ovechkin are arguably hockey's two biggest stars, their supporting cast got the job done. The Metropolitans scored three goals in 19 seconds during their semifinal, including two goals five seconds apart by Seth Jones and Taylor Hall.
The Atlantic Division team won Saturday's Skills Competition and got to choose its opponent for Sunday, but choosing the Metropolitan didn't work so well. Even pulling goalie Tuukka Rask with 2:55 to play and a three-goal deficit only led to an empty-netter by Atkinson, the last All-Star picked after Evgeni Malkin dropped out.
Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews listed on NHL's 100 greatest players list.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Duncan Keith thought someone was messing with him.
The Blackhawks defenseman had a message on his phone following a morning skate. It was from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and Keith had to call him back.
"I thought it was a joke or something, a prank call," Keith said. "Then I realized there were a couple of other guys who had those calls. We decided to call the number back and, sure enough, it was him congratulating us on this achievement."
That achievement was the NHL 100, a list which Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane as well as seven former Blackhawks were named to on Friday night. The trio, part of three Stanley Cups and each a Conn Smythe winner (Toews in 2010, Kane in 2013 and Keith unanimously in 2015). The former Blackhawks on the list were Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall, Bobby Hull, Max Bentley, Denis Savard, Tony Esposito and Chris Chelios.
The Blackhawks' current players have accomplished quite a lot these past few seasons but making this list was special.
"I don't really know how to describe it," Toews said. "I want to let myself believe it but at the same time there's that part of you who wants to stay humble. The amount of incredible people and special players who have done so much to build this team, they're the ones who make it special for you to get drafted and to realize your dream. I'm midway through my career and all of a sudden I'm being thrown on a stage with some of the all-time greats. It's special."
The Blackhawks defenseman had a message on his phone following a morning skate. It was from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and Keith had to call him back.
"I thought it was a joke or something, a prank call," Keith said. "Then I realized there were a couple of other guys who had those calls. We decided to call the number back and, sure enough, it was him congratulating us on this achievement."
That achievement was the NHL 100, a list which Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane as well as seven former Blackhawks were named to on Friday night. The trio, part of three Stanley Cups and each a Conn Smythe winner (Toews in 2010, Kane in 2013 and Keith unanimously in 2015). The former Blackhawks on the list were Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall, Bobby Hull, Max Bentley, Denis Savard, Tony Esposito and Chris Chelios.
The Blackhawks' current players have accomplished quite a lot these past few seasons but making this list was special.
"I don't really know how to describe it," Toews said. "I want to let myself believe it but at the same time there's that part of you who wants to stay humble. The amount of incredible people and special players who have done so much to build this team, they're the ones who make it special for you to get drafted and to realize your dream. I'm midway through my career and all of a sudden I'm being thrown on a stage with some of the all-time greats. It's special."
Current Blackhawks weren't the only ones awed.
"It means a lot. A lot of guys aren't here tonight that could have been here," said Savard, who made sure he got a picture with Kane near the end of the evening. "This is once in a lifetime. I want him next to me because I was his first [NHL] coach. I said, ‘you're going to have that picture now, and you won't forget it in 20, 30 years.'"
The Blackhawks had a healthy representation on the NHL 100 list. For the current players, getting that call from Bettman and the chance to be on that stage together will stick with them for a while.
"Two close friends like Kane and Duncs, it's pretty incredible and I don't think it's anything that will sink in," Toews said. "Winning Stanley Cups is the ultimate thing because you get to share that with your teammates. Whenever you get those individual recognitions – I think if you ask the other two I think they'll say the same thing – the first thing you always think of is always acknowledging a tribute to the teammates who helped you get there in the first place."
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Jordan Howard has five carries, AFC hang on to win Pro Bowl.
By Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Andy Reid had a good time leading the AFC to a 20-13 victory over the NFC in a competitive Pro Bowl.
Alex Smith and Andy Dalton threw touchdown passes, and Reid reached into his bag of trick plays to entertain an announced crowd of 60,834 as the annual All-Star event made its debut in Orlando on Sunday night.
Smith threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Delanie Walker, Dalton tossed a 23-yarder to Travis Kelce and Justin Tucker kicked a pair of field goals for AFC, which build a 20-7 lead before holding on for the victory.
Drew Brees threw a 47-yard TD pass to Doug Baldwin for the NFC. Matt Parter booted a pair of fourth-quarter field goals to keep the outcome in suspense until Lorenzo Alexander's interception stopped a NFC drive led by Kurt Cousins-deep in AFC territory with just over a minute remaining.
Bears running back Jordan Howard had five carries for 21 yards and offensive lineman Josh Sitton also played.
Bears Mobile-ize efforts to identify, acquire players via draft.
By Chris Boden
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Back from a week in Alabama that should help them identify Day Two and Three draft candidates three months from now (yes…it's still three months away!), Ryan Pace and John Fox's coaching staff now start ping-ponging back and forth for several weeks in targeting potential draft and free agent acquisitions.
While the new members of their coaching staff settle in, with Jeremiah Washburn, Curtis Modkins and Roy Anderson bunkering down into the film room, going over every snap this season of the offensive linemen, running backs, and safeties they respectively inherit, brainstorming has likely begun as well about ways to keep the players they have healthier. Thirty-three of them landed on injured reserve in this regime's first two seasons.
But last week's exposure as the North coaches in the Senior Bowl has gotten the staff a getting-to-know-you head start on the crop of collegiate talent available. While unfortunately, I wasn't there to watch in person, my football-nerdism found me watching every hour of NFL Network's coverage of the three days of televised practices, and finally, Saturday's game, won by the South, 16-15.
I'm not sure one can draw a straight line between the fact Vic Fangio's defense in Mobile collected five takeaways, when his professional version this past season totaled a franchise-low 11 in 16 games. But it leads me to wonder just how much it was pounded into the players' mindset any more than he's done with the Bears these first two years (just 17 turnovers in 2015). When the cameras took us into the locker room at halftime, we heard Fox stressing takeaways when they already had three of them. I'm not sure Fox, Fangio, or anyone else will admit to putting any greater emphasis on it going into this year than they previously have, but the results were certainly there Saturday afternoon. Perhaps those players simply have "noses for the ball." But my Pre and Postgame analysts, Lance Briggs and Alex Brown (who played on those Turnover Party defenses under Lovie Smith) have sworn repeatedly it's an attitude and mindset way more than a knack for picks, punches, and recoveries.
One of their safeties, Lorenzo Jerome of St. Francis (PA), had two interceptions and a forced fumble that was recovered by the offense. Another safety, the freakish (6'4, 219) Obi Melifonwu of Connecticut, impressed in practice all week and flashed a couple of times in the game. Depending on how he couples that with what he does at the Scouting Combine, he may have moved himself into the first round, which would be bad for the Bears. Cornerback Rasul Douglas (6’2) of West Virginia impressed all week with his ball skills and aggressiveness at the line.
None of the quarterbacks appeared to become a revelation in the game more than the expectation level heading into the week. While Pitt’s Nate Peterman may have been most impressive of the group in practice, it was not a good game at all for the two-year starter. He seemed rattled into bad decisions and throws (thought to be a strength) and the arm strength didn't show, either. Even the MVP, the South's Davis Webb (11-of-16, 165 yards, TD) seemed just OK in these eyes. The one-year starter at Cal (succeeding Jared Goff) averaged 52 passes per game last season, but just moved under center for the first time ever this week. He became the most promising prospect, but a lot of work is needed, and who knows if he ever grows into a starter in the NFL?
Fox and position coach Curtis Johnson had the two best receivers on their side, in East Carolina's Zay Jones and Eastern Washington's Connor Kupp. Jones (6'2) ascended all week, and while he had six catches Saturday, the two ruled incomplete were the biggest eye-openers. But he may be an even better bet to have moved into the first round than the aforementioned Melifonwu. Kupp (also 6'2) averaged 107 catches and over 1,600 yards over his four seasons, remained productive versus FBS opponents and knows how to return kicks (three punt return TD's in his career).
The biggest star of the week was Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, not rich enough for the Bears' number-three pick, yet not likely to last past the midpoint of the first round. But it's a deep tight end class where the Bears could help themselves on Day Two.
Still, there are still so many areas where the Bears need help and only so many picks to address them with. It's about getting it right, and while Pace may relish the pressure, I'm not sure anyone in their right mind wants to be in his shoes to fix this quarterback quandary. There's still time to sort through some of these unknowns, and which path to take, from the Combine, interviews, and Pro Days. But just think: the Jaguars' staff had Jimmy Garappolo and Derek Carr on their Senior Bowl team in 2014 and chose Blake Bortles anyway. What to do with, and about, Alshon Jeffery (and potentially replacing him) lingers for now, but becomes clearer in a month. The Bears got clearer answers and a jump-start on a bunch of college talent this past week, but there’s still so much digging, decision-making, and trigger-pulling that remains.
Key Upcoming Offseason Dates:
Feb. 15: First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition tag players
Feb. 28 - March 6: Scouting Combine (Indianapolis)
March 1: 3 p.m. deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition tag players
March 7-9: 48-hour window begins at 3 p.m. (CT) on the 7th to negotiate with agents for unrestricted free agents
March 9: 2017 league season begins at 3 p.m. (CT) and teams can begin signing unrestricted free agents
April 17: Offseason workouts begin for teams with returning head coaches
April 27-29: NFL Draft (Philadelphia)
Bears-coached North team falls to South in Senior Bowl.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Davis Webb looked for Josh Reynolds on his initial third-down play Saturday, found him again on his next pass and a third time for a long touchdown.
It's just like the California quarterback predicted the night before the Senior Bowl, when that connection with the Texas A&M wide receiver helped the South to a 16-15 victory over the North.
"I told Josh (Friday) night, 'You were my favorite outside receiver all week. If we get 1 on 1, I'm going your way so you'd better win,'" Webb said. "And he did. He won multiple times."
Webb spread the ball around to other receivers like Mississippi State's Fred Ross as well. The Pac-12 Conference's leading passer directed scoring drives on all three of his possessions while completing 11 of 16 passes for 165 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown strike on a well-thrown fade to Reynolds. Reynolds had six catches for 96 yards, most of them on that first drive with Webb.
Nate Peterman of Pittsburgh had a similarly strong passing performance for the North in the showcase game for senior NFL prospects that actually featured late drama. Peterman fired a 6-yard scoring pass to East Carolina's Zay Jones with 1:51 left but the North went for two points and a potential lead.
Under heavy pressure from Chattanooga's Keionta Davis, Peterman's pass was deflected and intercepted by BYU's Harvey Langi. The South ran out the clock from there.
The week was about auditioning for NFL teams, more than winning, but Peterman said he wanted that last completion "very bad."
"You're always competitive," said Peterman, who was 16-of-23 passing for 153 yards and played most of the game. "To say you can drive down and win the Senior Bowl in the last seconds, that would have been pretty cool. We didn't get it but it was a great experience still."
Webb was the game's overall MVP after passing for 4,295 yards and 37 touchdowns last season as a graduate transfer from Texas Tech.
He led the South to a touchdown and field goal in the final three minutes of the first half. He and Reynolds proved a prolific combination on the touchdown drive, moving downfield on connections of 21 — on a third-and-10 play — and 13 yards before the touchdown.
Game rules require teams to go for two points in the second quarter, and the South's attempt failed to keep the halftime lead at 9-3.
Coaching staffs
Hue Jackson and his Cleveland Browns staff led the South team, and have the first, 12th and 33rd overall picks in the April draft. The Chicago Bears' John Fox, who has the No. 3 pick, coached the North. They're mostly looking for players beyond their top pick in Mobile, since stars like Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen turned down invitations and Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is a junior and not eligible.
It's just like the California quarterback predicted the night before the Senior Bowl, when that connection with the Texas A&M wide receiver helped the South to a 16-15 victory over the North.
"I told Josh (Friday) night, 'You were my favorite outside receiver all week. If we get 1 on 1, I'm going your way so you'd better win,'" Webb said. "And he did. He won multiple times."
Webb spread the ball around to other receivers like Mississippi State's Fred Ross as well. The Pac-12 Conference's leading passer directed scoring drives on all three of his possessions while completing 11 of 16 passes for 165 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown strike on a well-thrown fade to Reynolds. Reynolds had six catches for 96 yards, most of them on that first drive with Webb.
Nate Peterman of Pittsburgh had a similarly strong passing performance for the North in the showcase game for senior NFL prospects that actually featured late drama. Peterman fired a 6-yard scoring pass to East Carolina's Zay Jones with 1:51 left but the North went for two points and a potential lead.
Under heavy pressure from Chattanooga's Keionta Davis, Peterman's pass was deflected and intercepted by BYU's Harvey Langi. The South ran out the clock from there.
The week was about auditioning for NFL teams, more than winning, but Peterman said he wanted that last completion "very bad."
"You're always competitive," said Peterman, who was 16-of-23 passing for 153 yards and played most of the game. "To say you can drive down and win the Senior Bowl in the last seconds, that would have been pretty cool. We didn't get it but it was a great experience still."
Webb was the game's overall MVP after passing for 4,295 yards and 37 touchdowns last season as a graduate transfer from Texas Tech.
He led the South to a touchdown and field goal in the final three minutes of the first half. He and Reynolds proved a prolific combination on the touchdown drive, moving downfield on connections of 21 — on a third-and-10 play — and 13 yards before the touchdown.
Game rules require teams to go for two points in the second quarter, and the South's attempt failed to keep the halftime lead at 9-3.
Coaching staffs
Hue Jackson and his Cleveland Browns staff led the South team, and have the first, 12th and 33rd overall picks in the April draft. The Chicago Bears' John Fox, who has the No. 3 pick, coached the North. They're mostly looking for players beyond their top pick in Mobile, since stars like Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen turned down invitations and Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is a junior and not eligible.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls bounce back with win over 76ers.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
This was the response that was expected Friday night after the Bulls' family meeting, only they were so emotionally spent the blowout against the Miami Heat was an afterthought.
But Sunday's contest against the surging Philadelphia 76ers produced the desired result as the game before a critical six-game western swing that could make or break their season.
A 20-point first half lead completely disappeared by the third quarter, but the Bulls regrouped without Taj Gibson to pull away late with an 121-108 win at the United Center, as Gibson missed the game with a left ankle injury.
Jimmy Butler looked like his usual self after Friday night's bizarre one for 13 showing, putting up 28 points with eight rebounds and seven assists with four steals in 38 minutes.
Robin Lopez scored 21 with 10 rebounds in 32 minutes, taking advantage of the 76ers being without Joel Embiid and not playing Chicago native Jahlil Okafor either.
"We came out with great energy," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, a man who looked one step away from the emergency room Friday but seemed to have a little more pep in his step as his team somewhat stabilized things.
"We shared the ball. We played together for the entire game. Even when they went on their runs, which is what they do (because) they played with great effort, we had to go out there and match that."
Rajon Rondo anchored the second unit, getting shots for Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott early, as Mirotic scored 13, McDermott 14 and Paul Zipser had two big baskets late on his way to a 13-point night as the bench showed its worth, helping the Bulls to a 45-25 lead three minutes into the second quarter.
"Rondo is the leader of that group," Dwyane Wade said. "He did a good job quarterbacking those guys. He played with a swagger, they brought it to another level."
Rondo scored a quick five to start the fourth quarter, finishing with eight points, 10 assists and five rebounds in 21 minutes before giving way to a closing unit that featured Zipser with Butler, McDermott, Wade and Lopez.
"He's done a great job of accepting that rile, he's taken pride in it," Hoiberg said. "Niko, Doug and Paul have all benefitted greatly from playing with him and our pace just picks up when Rajon is in the game. He was terrific."
It's no surprise the Bulls are a different team when McDermott and Mirotic are hitting shots, an occurrence that hasn't happened consistently enough this season.
When the 76ers clawed back to tie the game at 79 with four minutes in the third quarter, the Bulls showed some poise in not letting the 76ers take the lead or get a little more than cautiously optimistic.
"We didn't get flustered, like in the last couple of games," Wade said. "We were able to pull away."
With the Bulls hitting eight three-pointers and getting to the line 28 times, they played with the right amount of urgency late to overcome an unexpected performance from 76ers' forward Ersan Ilyasova, who scored 31 in 35 minutes as they were without standout center Embiid.
Embiid didn't make the trip with a knee injury and all five 76ers scored in double figures, including local native Robert Covington, who scored 21 with 12 rebounds in 38 minutes. Point guard T.J. McConnell scored 14 points with 12 assists as the 76ers shot 44 percent from the field, taking an early six-point lead and storming back in the second half when it looked as if they would give the Bulls another home headache.
But luckily for the Bulls, they gave themselves a little relief after a tumultuous week, right before a treacherous one begins.
Road Ahead: Bulls hit the road for six straight games.
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
With a six-game road trip looming, Sunday night's win over the Philadelphia 76ers was vital for the Bulls.
Now, the team will try to build off that result against top-flight opponents. Oklahoma City is the first destination on the Bulls' excursion, as All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Russell Westbrook go head-to-head for the second time on Wednesday.
The Bulls then battle the Rockets, Kings, Warriors and Suns before closing out the trip against the Timberwolves.
Now, the team will try to build off that result against top-flight opponents. Oklahoma City is the first destination on the Bulls' excursion, as All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Russell Westbrook go head-to-head for the second time on Wednesday.
The Bulls then battle the Rockets, Kings, Warriors and Suns before closing out the trip against the Timberwolves.
Bulls players have 'no regrets' after airing grievances, front office disappointed with distraction.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo each spoke to the media after being fined by the Bulls, according to Rondo. Each gave strong statements about the state of affairs in the last 48 hours and after criticism from Rondo, Wade and Butler said they would have no issues having a working relationship after Rondo's pointed Instagram post Thursday afternoon.
The Bulls had a team meeting before morning shootaround Friday, where apparently all grievances were aired, and the meeting was attended by GM Gar Forman and VP John Paxson.
"Good meeting. Grown men talking to grown men," Wade said. "(Forman) has a role and a position and he didn't like the way the way things were said and done. He decided to put a halt to that and hold us accountable."
Forman said in his statement that the public statements were unacceptable, without taking questions from the media.
"We were extremely disappointed that several players chose to speak out after our last game," Forman said. "Every team has issues and it's our strong belief that when you have issues or critical comments that you keep those issues or critical comments in house, that it is not shared through you (media) guys, that it is not shared through social media.
"It's now how we want to operate; it is totally unacceptable, and we made it very clear to the players that were involved that it's unacceptable."
Wade said he accepted whatever punishment management came down with, but reiterated he has no issues with anyone in the locker room.
"I can't speak for everybody. (But) I have no ill intentions or hard feelings for anyone," Wade said. "I want everyone to succeed in this locker room, this year and beyond, in this game."
Wade seemed more than comfortable in his own skin in addressing his comments and standing as a leader on this team.
"Like I always tell everybody, if I get in front of you guys 10 times, I may not get it right 10 out of 10," Wade said. "But for the most part, I try to say the things that I feel and I try to be truthful. I can always live with that. When you're a leader, certain things you do and say aren't always going to be the popular thing in the locker room. You have to understand this.
"That's why some guys don't want to be leaders. Some guys want to be in the middle of the pack so they can be liked. As a leader, sometimes you can't be liked. It's the harsh truth and harsh reality. I'm probably not liked in this locker room today. I'm OK with that."
Rondo took aim to Wade's leadership style and the fact he doesn't practice all the time, indirectly comparing Wade to the players who ushered him in with the Boston Celtics in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
Wade coolly replied, "I'm 35. I'm not practicing every day."
"I have a professional relationship with anybody who I need to and I have to," Wade said of Rondo. "I have no problem. I've been a big supporter with Rondo out in the public eye with what he's been dealing with and being taken out of the starting lineup and how he's handled it. I have no issues, no problems with Rondo at all."
All three, along with Fred Hoiberg taking questions and Forman issuing a statement without taking questions, addressed the event in differing details.
"We met with all of them this morning," Hoiberg said. "We went in that room and hashed a lot of things out, and we're going to move forward from this. A lot of things were handled from within, and we're going to leave it that way."
Butler, who found himself in the eye of a storm last year after saying Hoiberg should coach the team harder, didn't seem to mind the attention, even claiming he thrives on controversy.
"I'm sorry but I like controversy," Butler said. "I like it. Butting heads. At the end of the day we're all we got anyways so you gotta go out and battle with the guys that's around here. That's that."
As for Rondo, Butler said, "I'm gonna come in here every day. Your opinion is your opinion. I'm gonna still come out and go to war with you. I don't have anything negative to say to him. You spoke your mind, I spoke my mind, move on."
Rondo felt he was speaking for the unheard, the young players who don't have a voice but were criticized by Wade and Butler, to varying degrees.
"I said what I said. People can take it how they want to," Rondo said. "I made a statement. I wasn't angry, it wasn't a rant. Just my thoughts."
When asked if he was sticking up for the young guys, Rondo said, "Yes, absolutely. I wasn't trying to be the bad guy or talk down to anyone, but the young guys, some who didn't have a voice or a certain platform, I wanted to speak freely and say what I thought. I have a great relationship with a lot of them, pretty much all of them, and they got it out today.''
Rondo took affront to the notion the young players don't work as hard on their games, noting that through his benching, they're in the Advocate Center trying to get better.
"Certain comments were made and I just felt like I needed to make a statement for my team," Rondo said. "One thing I loved about this team that was different from the past the last couple years of my career, was that when I got here the young guys were in the gym.
"I love to comeback myself at night, but when I came back there were seven or eight guys here getting their work in. I disagree with the comment about the work ethic. Like guys want to win, guys take their job very seriously. And they're young, so they needed to be guided the right way."
To a man, each of them felt like the strong words could be productive in the long run even though the drama in the moment has added some unwanted attention in the eyes of the front office, started by Wade and Butler's comments following Wednesday's loss to Atlanta, capped off by Rondo's elaborative and even scathing Instagram post Thursday afternoon where he criticized the leadership on the floor.
Rondo intimated Butler and Wade have influence on the coaching staff, which Butler didn't necessarily deny.
"I don't think like that. I just play ball. Maybe? If I have a concern, I go to them," Butler said. "That don't mean he listens to me all the time, but I would hope that he takes my opinion into mind."
Talk is cheap: Lifeless Bulls struggle in loss to Heat. (Friday night's game, 01/27/2017.
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It was no wonder the Bulls were no match for the Miami Heat Friday night, in a game that was supposed to be a rousing response from a team that usually responds on the occasion when its back is to the wall.
The 100-88 final score at the United Center wasn't as close as the score indicated, as the telling faces in the aftermath of the game said more in a handful of minutes than anything that's been said or expressed over the past 48 hours.
And with a stretch of games on the west coast that will nearly carry the Bulls to the All-Star break, this is as critical a time as they've had in years.
Fred Hoiberg's stressed out look, complete with more exasperation than usual.
Dwyane Wade's short but respectful responses to the media after a six for 17 performance against his former team—coming off the bench in a disciplinary move from Hoiberg that seemed to backfire.
Jimmy Butler's smile only belied his one for 13 night, one of the worst outings of his career, a game where nothing seemed to work for him after joining Wade on the pine for the first half of the first quarter.
When asked if the benching was fair, Butler said: "Sure. That's on them. It's not my job to worry about what's fair. It's my job to hoop."
He didn't look into it and his usual determination and stubbornness only showed up in spurts during his 33 minutes.
"Disengaged? Nah. It was a little different. I was still into it," Butler said. "Still knew what I was supposed to be doing. Took the shots I take. That's fine. Just gotta be better."
Butler was a team-worst minus-23, one game after scoring 40 against the Hawks and nearly carrying the Bulls back to .500.
"I hope what happened has long-term benefits for our team," Hoiberg said, sound like a man who has to believe that rather than a coach who is resolute in his methods and message to his team.
Calling it the worst performance of the season, one would think it was hyperbole when factoring in a couple stinkers to the Bucks on back-to-back nights last month, but the lifeless way the Bulls came out didn't compare to the mere matchup problem posed by the Bucks.
Even the Heat being a team that's won five straight couldn't explain how exhausted the Bulls looked—but the drama since Wednesday night's game filled in the blanks.
"It's…something where we gotta get back together, we gotta work," Hoiberg said. "We gotta regroup, we gotta find a way to come together. Huge game. We gotta find a way to get back together and put this one behind us and hopefully stay together as a team going forward."
They looked like a team coming apart at the seams as Goran Dragic dissected the Bulls with precision and the Bulls didn't have much of a counter, after a tumultuous 48-hour period.
Dragic scored 26 points with 11 assists and five rebounds while Willie Reed scored 20 on nine of 11 shooting as the Heat shot 46 percent from the field, forced 20 turnovers and led by as much as 20.
But this was much more about the Bulls than Heat, starting with Hoiberg's decision to bench Butler and Wade for their comments Wednesday night—sitting them for the first half of the first quarter.
It didn't produce the desired effect, and although Paul Zipser and Rajon Rondo played well with increased playing time, with Ziper scoring a career-high 14 in 27 minutes, starting in Butler's place, it rang hollow.
"I don't think that had an impact," said Hoiberg about the benching producing something negative. "It has been an emotional 48 hours, no doubt about that. A lot of guys talked about not sleeping last two days, thinking about what's going on with our team."
The Bulls only committed 12 fouls on the night, barely close enough to get back on defense as the Heat got whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted, however it wanted.
"I don't think that was our worst game of the season," Butler said. "It was another loss at home. Correct it tomorrow and get ready for (Philadelphia) on Sunday."
One would've expected a rousing response, but like everything else in the past few days, it was unpredictable, a struggle and quite ugly.
And the Bulls must regroup before going out west because this has potential to get uglier in no time.
Cubs have high hopes for top prospect Ian Happ in 2017.
By Tony Andracki
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
At this point, maybe the highest compliment a Cubs official could give a prospect would be to compare his mental makeup to that of Kyle Schwarber's.
The Legend of Schwarber has grown to the levels of Greek mythology with the way he came back from a devastating knee injury to emerge as a hero in the World Series.
So it's natural Cubs fans would want to know who in the farm system is the next Schwarber in terms of mental toughness and makeup.
When posed that question at the Cubs Convention earlier this month, director of player development Jaron Madison pointed to Ian Happ, the Cubs' first round pick (ninth overall) in 2015.
Happ was drafted the year after Schwarber and fit the same mold as "America's large adult son" — an advanced college bat with a refined approach at the plate and no set position in the field.
And like Schwarber's drive to stick at catcher, Happ insists he can stay at second base and is not just an outfielder.
When the Cubs sent Happ to short-season Eugene after he signed following the draft, Madison told Happ and the coaches the young player was going to play outfield only. But when Happ showed up, he told the coaches he was strictly a second baseman.
Of course, the Cubs front office won out and Happ only appeared in the outfield in 2015, but when he returned for Instructional League, Madison and the Cubs allowed him an opportunity to prove his worth in the infield.
"He was a different guy when he came back in Instructional League and we let him work at second base," Madison said. "He opened up; he was a completely different personality. His conviction and dedication to trying to get good at second base is special.
"It's the same thing you saw with Schwarber. It's the same thing you saw with [Kris] Bryant and all the questions about what position he was gonna play coming up once he got to the big leagues.
"Those guys work hard and they're determined that's where they're going to play and Ian has that conviction."
Happ appeared in 134 games in 2016 between Advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee, playing 92 games at second base and only 23 in the outfield.
Happ's success in 2016 — which included a .279/.365/.445 slash line — was enough to earn him the consensus No. 2 prospect in the Cubs system (behind outfielder Eloy Jimenez) and also the third best second base prospect in the game by MLB.com behind new White Sox phenom Yoan Moncada and Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves.
"With Ian, he went out and had such great success early when he was in Myrtle, which we expected," Cubs director of amateur scouting Matt Dorey said. "He was such an advanced college hitter coming out of the draft that year and we felt the most important thing for Ian was to really allow him the opportunity to settle in at one position defensively.
"All through college, he played shortstop, center field. That's one of the things we liked about him — his versatility. But at the same time, we thought it was in his best interest to settle in in his first full season in the minor leagues to really sink his teeth in on one position, feel comfortable and really get into a good routine."
The Cubs still want Happ to work in the outfield in an effort to fine-tune his versatility before making it to the big leagues.
Joe Maddon loves moving players all around the diamond and the Cubs already have a quandry at second base between Javy Baez and Ben Zobrist.
But even in the outfield, Happ's road to Chicago appears to be blocked by the Cubs' stable of young position players, which explains why Happ's name is often bandied about in trade rumors as the Cubs look for long-term pitching answers.
A big 2017 season would help put Happ on the map even more after wearing out down the stretch last year, finishing with a .231 average and .730 OPS over the final month with Double-A Tennessee.
"Ian had to, for the first time, really learn how to manage his body," Dorey said. "He was always in really good shape and he took care of himself, but that first experience and taste of a long full season can really beat you up. At the end of the year, he did get a little bit tired and I think we saw that a little bit in the Arizona Fall League.
"Just hearing some of the feedback from the instructors, the strength and conditioning guys, he really embraced that challenge coming into 2017. We're all really excited to see him really develop into the type of player he's going to be — whether it's in 2017 on the major-league roster at some point or 2018 moving forward.
"He's an exciting player; he can do a lot of things on the field. Switch-hitter with power and really controls the zone. We all have high hopes for Ian in the 2017 season."
WHITE SOX: Jose Abreu: Rebuild 'was the right move for' White Sox.
The Legend of Schwarber has grown to the levels of Greek mythology with the way he came back from a devastating knee injury to emerge as a hero in the World Series.
So it's natural Cubs fans would want to know who in the farm system is the next Schwarber in terms of mental toughness and makeup.
When posed that question at the Cubs Convention earlier this month, director of player development Jaron Madison pointed to Ian Happ, the Cubs' first round pick (ninth overall) in 2015.
Happ was drafted the year after Schwarber and fit the same mold as "America's large adult son" — an advanced college bat with a refined approach at the plate and no set position in the field.
And like Schwarber's drive to stick at catcher, Happ insists he can stay at second base and is not just an outfielder.
When the Cubs sent Happ to short-season Eugene after he signed following the draft, Madison told Happ and the coaches the young player was going to play outfield only. But when Happ showed up, he told the coaches he was strictly a second baseman.
Of course, the Cubs front office won out and Happ only appeared in the outfield in 2015, but when he returned for Instructional League, Madison and the Cubs allowed him an opportunity to prove his worth in the infield.
"He was a different guy when he came back in Instructional League and we let him work at second base," Madison said. "He opened up; he was a completely different personality. His conviction and dedication to trying to get good at second base is special.
"It's the same thing you saw with Schwarber. It's the same thing you saw with [Kris] Bryant and all the questions about what position he was gonna play coming up once he got to the big leagues.
"Those guys work hard and they're determined that's where they're going to play and Ian has that conviction."
Happ appeared in 134 games in 2016 between Advanced Class-A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Tennessee, playing 92 games at second base and only 23 in the outfield.
Happ's success in 2016 — which included a .279/.365/.445 slash line — was enough to earn him the consensus No. 2 prospect in the Cubs system (behind outfielder Eloy Jimenez) and also the third best second base prospect in the game by MLB.com behind new White Sox phenom Yoan Moncada and Ozzie Albies of the Atlanta Braves.
"With Ian, he went out and had such great success early when he was in Myrtle, which we expected," Cubs director of amateur scouting Matt Dorey said. "He was such an advanced college hitter coming out of the draft that year and we felt the most important thing for Ian was to really allow him the opportunity to settle in at one position defensively.
"All through college, he played shortstop, center field. That's one of the things we liked about him — his versatility. But at the same time, we thought it was in his best interest to settle in in his first full season in the minor leagues to really sink his teeth in on one position, feel comfortable and really get into a good routine."
The Cubs still want Happ to work in the outfield in an effort to fine-tune his versatility before making it to the big leagues.
Joe Maddon loves moving players all around the diamond and the Cubs already have a quandry at second base between Javy Baez and Ben Zobrist.
But even in the outfield, Happ's road to Chicago appears to be blocked by the Cubs' stable of young position players, which explains why Happ's name is often bandied about in trade rumors as the Cubs look for long-term pitching answers.
A big 2017 season would help put Happ on the map even more after wearing out down the stretch last year, finishing with a .231 average and .730 OPS over the final month with Double-A Tennessee.
"Ian had to, for the first time, really learn how to manage his body," Dorey said. "He was always in really good shape and he took care of himself, but that first experience and taste of a long full season can really beat you up. At the end of the year, he did get a little bit tired and I think we saw that a little bit in the Arizona Fall League.
"Just hearing some of the feedback from the instructors, the strength and conditioning guys, he really embraced that challenge coming into 2017. We're all really excited to see him really develop into the type of player he's going to be — whether it's in 2017 on the major-league roster at some point or 2018 moving forward.
"He's an exciting player; he can do a lot of things on the field. Switch-hitter with power and really controls the zone. We all have high hopes for Ian in the 2017 season."
WHITE SOX: Jose Abreu: Rebuild 'was the right move for' White Sox.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It isn't easy to see for him to see the top-tier talent go, but Jose Abreu said he's OK with the direction the White Sox are headed.
The White Sox slugger spent much of Friday at SoxFest with fellow Cuban Yoan Moncada doing tandem interviews or participating in team social media activities. Moncada, one of two elite prospects acquired in the Chris Sale trade, represents the franchise's new path.
After years of trying to compete without the aid of a fully functioning farm system, the White Sox opted to go a different route, dig deep and start a rebuild. And even though Abreu's main goal is to play for a winner, he said he understands why general manager Rick Hahn set a different course for the White Sox.
"(Trades) are things we can't control as players," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I'm glad I'm here right now because I love this team and I want to play for this team for a very long time.
"About the trade, that was a team decision. They felt in that moment, and we all think right now, it was the right move for us, thinking about the future.
"We'll see. I'm glad to be here. I'm glad to be with all these guys, the new players too."
Abreu and Moncada played together one season for Cienfuegos in the Cuban National Series when the second baseman was only 17. The veteran slugger, who is under team control for three more seasons, said the two have spoken quite a bit since the Dec. 6 brought the second baseman to the White Sox about what to expect and "what we expect," he said.
Abreu sounds ready to take Moncada under his wing if the White Sox want him to and, of course, as long as he stays with the team.
"I embrace every role the team wants me to play," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's a mentor role or a leader role, I'm going to be the same player I've been during my whole career. Right now, I'm going to try to do a little bit more teaching these guys how to do well here."
Just how long Abreu would stay remains to be seen. Now in his first season of arbitration, Abreu will earn $10.83 million in 2017. He's eligible for free agency after the 2019 season, which adds value to his trade stock because a team would be able to acquire him for more than just next year.
But similar to Todd Frazier, Abreu's trade market has been slower to materialize this offseason because of a glut of available right-handed power in free agency. Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo and Mike Napoli were all available via free agency as was switch-hitter Kendrys Morales.
Rather than trade away prospects, teams could simply sign free agents for the cost of money -- and in the case of Encarnacion and Houston, a draft pick.
With fewer options likely to be readily available, there's a better chance Abreu or Frazier could be moved before the Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline. But Abreu said he'd like to stay if he were given the choice even though he expects rough times ahead.
"I think we are ready for all the challenges we are going to face during the season and in the future," Abreu said. "It's a long season. You're gonna hits some bumps. You have to move on and do your best every single day. That's the way we need to approach the season. There's no other way to do it."
Former White Sox teammates applaud Tim Raines' election to Hall of Fame.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Carlton Fisk played with Tim Raines for about two and a half seasons with the White Sox, but during that time the Hall of Fame catcher never considered that Raines would eventually join him in Cooperstown enshrined among baseball's greatest players.
Even as Raines inched his way toward reaching the 75 percent vote threshold for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fisk wasn't sure his former teammate's credentials would get him in. Then, last summer, Fisk joined former White Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak for a round of golf and had an epiphany of sorts.
"We started talking about Tim Raines," Fisk recalled over the weekend at the Hilton Chicago during SoxFest. "And he said, 'You know, Pudgy, you look at Tim's numbers — and you don't think he's a Hall of Famer?' I said, 'I don't even know his numbers.' I know he stole a lot of bases, I know he got a lot of hits.
"But I didn't know they were that many stolen bases or that many hits. I didn't even know — it just didn't register that he played that long, either, maybe because he came over from a different league. And then Walt worked with him a lot — hitting and that while mental approach to the game. And he says, 'This guy was good. This guy's got great numbers.' I said, well, we'll see, I hope everybody else recognizes that also."
In his 10th and final year on the ballot, Raines received 85.9 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer along with Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez. Raines, statistically, is one of the best leadoff hitters of all time, finishing his 23-year career with a .395 batting average and 808 stolen bases. Not once in those 23 seasons did Raines have more strikeouts than walks, among his other accomplishments.
"I have no reason, no understanding of why it took him so long to get there," Frank Thomas said during a panel discussion with CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien on Saturday.
Thomas put Raines among the top three leadoff hitters in baseball history, along with Rickey Henderson and Pete Rose. Probably to Raines' Hall of Fame detriment was that he played at the same time as Henderson (Raines and Henderson both debuted in 1979 and retired one year apart in the early 2000's), who stole nearly 600 more bases than him, won an MVP and finished his career with 3,055 hits.
"He's in the hall now," former two-sport superstar and White Sox outfielder Bo Jackson said. "What he did, what Rickey did, they're both in the Hall of Fame. Whenever you think of base-stealing, three people in our era that you can point to when you mention the words base stealing: Vince Coleman, Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson."
Thomas, though, pointed out that Raines stole bases at a better average than Henderson (84.6 percent to 80.7 percent) and brought a loose, "goofball" presence to the White Sox clubhouse after the team acquired him from the Montreal Expos prior to the 1991 season. But he was overshadowed nationally by Henderson, and with stars like Fisk, Thomas and Jackson on the White Sox in the early 1990's, he had a spotlight to share on his own team.
"Tim Raines was under the radar as far as consideration in that area," Fisk said. "I think that's why a lot of people didn't recognize that he had the presence and the numbers that he had. I'm really glad that they recognize that now."
Raines only spent four years of his career on 35th and Shields, during which he helped the White Sox win a division title in 1993. He'll enter the Hall of Fame wearing an Expos hat, but his impact on the South Side won't be forgotten.
"I am glad to have had the privilege to say I was on the same team with Tim Raines at one point in time," Jackson said.
Even as Raines inched his way toward reaching the 75 percent vote threshold for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Fisk wasn't sure his former teammate's credentials would get him in. Then, last summer, Fisk joined former White Sox hitting coach Walt Hriniak for a round of golf and had an epiphany of sorts.
"We started talking about Tim Raines," Fisk recalled over the weekend at the Hilton Chicago during SoxFest. "And he said, 'You know, Pudgy, you look at Tim's numbers — and you don't think he's a Hall of Famer?' I said, 'I don't even know his numbers.' I know he stole a lot of bases, I know he got a lot of hits.
"But I didn't know they were that many stolen bases or that many hits. I didn't even know — it just didn't register that he played that long, either, maybe because he came over from a different league. And then Walt worked with him a lot — hitting and that while mental approach to the game. And he says, 'This guy was good. This guy's got great numbers.' I said, well, we'll see, I hope everybody else recognizes that also."
In his 10th and final year on the ballot, Raines received 85.9 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers Association of America and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer along with Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez. Raines, statistically, is one of the best leadoff hitters of all time, finishing his 23-year career with a .395 batting average and 808 stolen bases. Not once in those 23 seasons did Raines have more strikeouts than walks, among his other accomplishments.
"I have no reason, no understanding of why it took him so long to get there," Frank Thomas said during a panel discussion with CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien on Saturday.
Thomas put Raines among the top three leadoff hitters in baseball history, along with Rickey Henderson and Pete Rose. Probably to Raines' Hall of Fame detriment was that he played at the same time as Henderson (Raines and Henderson both debuted in 1979 and retired one year apart in the early 2000's), who stole nearly 600 more bases than him, won an MVP and finished his career with 3,055 hits.
"He's in the hall now," former two-sport superstar and White Sox outfielder Bo Jackson said. "What he did, what Rickey did, they're both in the Hall of Fame. Whenever you think of base-stealing, three people in our era that you can point to when you mention the words base stealing: Vince Coleman, Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson."
Thomas, though, pointed out that Raines stole bases at a better average than Henderson (84.6 percent to 80.7 percent) and brought a loose, "goofball" presence to the White Sox clubhouse after the team acquired him from the Montreal Expos prior to the 1991 season. But he was overshadowed nationally by Henderson, and with stars like Fisk, Thomas and Jackson on the White Sox in the early 1990's, he had a spotlight to share on his own team.
"Tim Raines was under the radar as far as consideration in that area," Fisk said. "I think that's why a lot of people didn't recognize that he had the presence and the numbers that he had. I'm really glad that they recognize that now."
Raines only spent four years of his career on 35th and Shields, during which he helped the White Sox win a division title in 1993. He'll enter the Hall of Fame wearing an Expos hat, but his impact on the South Side won't be forgotten.
"I am glad to have had the privilege to say I was on the same team with Tim Raines at one point in time," Jackson said.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Rahm shoots back-nine 30 for first Tour win.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The Farmers Insurance Open was anyone's game coming down the stretch - that is, until Jon Rahm reached up and grabbed the trophy with both hands. Here's how things ended up at Torrey Pines, where Rahm eagled the final hole for his first career victory:
Leaderboard: Jon Rahm (-13), C.T. Pan (-10), Charles Howell III (-10), Pat Perez (-9), Tony Finau (-9), Justin Rose (-9), Keegan Bradley (-9)
What it means: This time last year, Rahm was still finishing up a stellar amateur career at Arizona State. But in just his 12th start as a professional, the 22-year-old tore up the inward half on the South Course, carding a pair of eagles to leave a jam-packed leaderboard in his dust. It marks his PGA Tour breakthrough, earns him a trip to the Masters and signals him as yet another star to watch in the ever-growing crop of young talent.
Round of the day: Rahm started the day three shots off the lead, and he was still an afterthought with eight holes to play. But the Spaniard birdied No. 11, eagled the par-5 13th and then closed out his round by stuffing his approach on No. 17 and then curling in a dramatic eagle putt from the back of the final green. It added up to a 7-under 65 and marked Rahm's lowest score of the week by four shots.
Best of the rest: Bradley hasn't won since 2012, but he gave himself a chance coming down the stretch after shooting a 5-under 67 that was highlighted by a hole-out eagle on the par-4 14th. Bradley made five birdies in addition to the holed approach to go against two bogeys, and he leaves San Diego with his third top-10 finish of the young season.
Biggest disappointment: Brandt Snedeker was looking to join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the only three-time champions at Torrey Pines, but he wasn't able to muster any momentum en route to a 1-over 73. As Rahm and others surged up the leaderboard, the defending champ stalled out after costly bogeys on Nos. 12 and 15 to finish T-9.
Shot of the day: Rahm was already in good position after reaching the final green in two shots, but the 60-foot putt he faced down a slick slope could have easily rolled into the lake that fronts the putting surface. Rather than just cozy it up, Rahm watched as the ball trickled down the hill and dropped in for a closing eagle that sealed the tournament.
Brittany Lincicome tops Lexi Thompson in playoff to win LPGA opener.
Golf/AP News
(Photo/Golf/AP News)
Brittany Lincicome won the LPGA Tour's Pure Silk Bahamas Classic on Sunday in wind and some late rain, beating U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Lexi Thompson with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
Playing a group ahead of Thompson, Lincicome birdied the par-5 18th - after dropping strokes on 14 and 17 - for a 5-under 68 and 26-under 266 total - one off the tour record for relation to par to by Annika Sorenstam on a par-72 course in the 2001 Standard Register Ping.
With Lincicome looking on from a tent, Thompson played the 18th as strong sideways rain blew through the Ocean Club, holing a 3-footer for her third straight par and a 70.
"I was thinking that I was very lucky," Lincicome said. "Obviously, the last three or four holes for all of us was really unfortunate. It was gusting. The par 3 that we played, I was just trying to hit it on the front of the green and I took three extra clubs. It was blowing almost 35 miles an hour into, and when it started pouring I was already done, so I was feeling blessed that I was already done and didn't have to compete with the elements. So, for Lexi to make par on 18 with those conditions is pretty awesome."
The first U.S. winner since Brittany Lang in the U.S. Women's Open, the 31-year-old Lincicome won her seventh tour title and first since the 2015 ANA Inspiration. She's projected to jump from 48th to 34th in the world ranking.
"It was pretty incredible. Just the leaderboard all week has been amazing," Lincicome said. "Obviously, a lot of Americans up at the top. Obviously, friends of mine, so to come down to the final stretch, I played with Lexi yesterday, and it was an awesome day. We had so much fun, and to obviously have the playoff today is a bummer, but it's just incredible."
In the playoff on 18, Lincicome hit her hybrid second shot from 227 yards to 20 feet and tapped in for birdie.
"I just put the hybrid in actually a couple of weeks ago, and it's been one of my new favorite clubs. So I hit it perfect, right where we were aiming and ended up with the same putt that I had the first go-round, which is pretty crazy, and knew the line better and just, obviously, super, super nervous. My hands were shaking pretty bad, I was just happy to kind of lob it up there and get the easy birdie."
"I just put the hybrid in actually a couple of weeks ago, and it's been one of my new favorite clubs. So I hit it perfect, right where we were aiming and ended up with the same putt that I had the first go-round, which is pretty crazy, and knew the line better and just, obviously, super, super nervous. My hands were shaking pretty bad, I was just happy to kind of lob it up there and get the easy birdie."
Thompson went through the green in two and, after Lincicome holed out, missed a 15-foot birdie try.
"I played well all week. My putter definitely saved me," Thompson said. "I made a lot of birdies out there, just a lot of positives to take from the week. Brittany played amazing, amongst a lot of other players out there, and it just got tough out there today, especially with three or four holes to go. That's the hard stretch."
Stacy Lewis, undone by a triple-bogey 7 on No. 14, was third at 25 under after a 71. Lewis was second in 2014 and tied for second last year. The Texan is winless since June 2014.
"Generally, I played pretty well. Obviously, I had one bad hole," Lewis said. "Kind of a series of bad breaks and just proud of the way I came back there and finished really good, and really had a chance there coming up 18, which is really all you can ask for."
On 14, her drive hit a tree and went into knee-high plants on the other side of the cart path. Her next shot ricocheted off the far curb of the path and went back across the path into grass as high as the plants.
"The iron shot I just pulled a little bit and it caught a palm tree," Lewis said. "I didn't have much of a shot the next shot, and was just hoping to catch the cart path before it caught the edge and it would skip over it, and just came out of there better than I thought. Didn't have a shot once it was in the weeds and had to take an unplayable."
Gerina Piller (71) completed the Solheim Cup quartette atop the leaderboard at 24 under.
Nelly Korda birdied the two late par 5s in a 67 to tie for fifth at 21 under in her first start as an LPGA Tour member. The 18-year-old Korda is the sister of Jessica Korda - the 2014 winner who shot a 65 on Sunday to tie for 16th - and daughter of former tennis player Petr Korda.
Pornanong Phatlum matched Nelly Korda at 21 under, also finishing with a 67.
Lincicome earned $210,000.
"I'm going to the casino tonight. Hopefully, try not to lose all of our money that we won today," the Pure Silk endorser said. "I haven't been to the casino since Wednesday night, so I'm itching to go play.
Would a move to May be the best thing for the PGA?
Would a move to May be the best thing for the PGA?
By Rex Hoggard
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Earlier this month in Maui, incoming PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was asked what the advantages would be if the PGA Championship moved from its current spot on the calendar, August, to May.
Shifting the PGA to an earlier date has become a water cooler topic ever since Monahan introduced the idea of a dramatically remade Tour schedule that ends before Labor Day and features a more condensed major championship season.
It was one of the few items Monahan was asked that he deferred an answer.
“I think that would be a question for Pete [Bevacqua] to answer,” Monahan said.
Bevacqua is the CEO of the PGA of America, which owns and manages the PGA Championship, and he got his chance on Wednesday at the PGA Merchandise Show. Not surprisingly, he pulled from his debate club past.
“I could argue May until I was blue in the face, but if you said argue August, I could argue August until I was blue in the face, those are the conversations we’ve had with our senior staff. We want to do what makes sense for the overall golf calendar, but we have to do what’s best for the PGA Championship,” Bevacqua said.
Bevacqua added that no decision on the future date of the PGA Championship has been made and that the conversation has been ongoing at PGA headquarters for the better part of four years.
The idea first surfaced when the PGA announced in 2014 that the ’20 championship would be played at San Francisco’s Harding Park.
Maybe the fact that then-Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was on hand for that announcement should have been a sign of things to come, but the PGA conceded that having the event at Harding Park would give them flexibility to move the championship around the calendar to avoid a conflict with that year’s Olympic Games in Japan.
Last year’s PGA Championship was played two weeks earlier than normal, in late July, to accommodate golf’s return to the Game’s in Rio, and it wasn’t ideal.
“We’re huge proponents of the Olympics, we believe it’s good for golf, but we also don’t want to see the PGA Championship getting bounced around every four years,” Bevacqua said. “We felt that at Baltusrol [site of the 2016 PGA], it took its toll on the championship.”
But the current conversation is about more than avoiding Olympic scheduling issues every four years. “It would be something we would do for the next 100 years,” Bevacqua said.
A permanent shift to May, along with The Players move back to March, would give the calendar a distinct flow, with “major” events every month from March through July’s Open. It would also give Monahan and the Tour the flexibility to end the season before Labor Day and mitigate head-to-head competition with the NFL and college football.
The Tour would benefit, no doubt, but would it be good for the PGA Championship?
Before the 2016 edition, the PGA had been played in August every year since 1971, when it was held in February at PGA National in South Florida. In the championship’s earliest days it hopscotched around the calendar, with stops in October (1928), November (1927), December (1929). But it has been its place as the anchor of the major championship season that has been the championship’s identity.
Even when the PGA gave up the tag line “Glory’s Last Shot” in 2013 in an odd give-and-take with the Tour, it was the championship’s cleanup spot in the lineup that defined it.
The Masters holds its status as the season’s first major played on the same iconic venue each year, the U.S. Open is always the game’s toughest test and The Open stands as the oldest championship. If the PGA Championship were to move to May what happens to the event’s persona?
A move to May would also likely change where the championship could be played. In 2023, for example, Oak Hill in Pittsford, N.Y., is scheduled to host the event. The average high for May in Pittsford is 66 degrees and the average low is 33 degrees. Not exactly the best conditions for growing grass.
In fact, four of the next seven venues for the PGA are northern stops, from Bellerive in St. Louis next year to Trump National in New Jersey in ’22. A May date could make many historic PGA stops agronomically undesirable.
“When you run a major championship it starts and ends with the quality of the golf course, it starts and ends with the quality of the competition,” Bevacqua said.
Bevacqua explained it’s not a single factor that could see the PGA move to a new spot on the calendar, but instead a collection of data points – from golf course availability to how a May vs. August date could impact TV viewing.
“What would it mean to the quality of the broadcast, what would be a more powerful timeframe to broadcast the PGA?” Bevacqua asked hypothetically.
Despite some media reports to the contrary, Bevacqua stressed that any potential change is far from assured at this point, before the old debate team captain diverted his approach to a vague middle ground which would indicate the PGA’s current thinking.
“The great news is we’re in a good spot,” Bevacqua said. “We don’t have to do anything, we can leave it in August, we can move to May.”
NASCAR: No. 10 Cadillac team - with co-driver Jeff Gordon - wins Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Ricky Taylor’s aggressive pass with about five minutes left won the Rolex 24 for Wayne Taylor Racing at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
The No. 10 Cadillac driven by Taylor, brother Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, dominated the 24-hour race. But was second to the No. 5 Action Express team driven by Filipe Albuquerque, Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa as the minutes wound down.
But Taylor slowly reeled in the No. 5, driven by Albuquerque, and dove to the inside entering turn 1 as Albuquerque left the bottom lane open. For a brief moment, anyway. As Taylor got to the inside of the No. 5, Albuquerque closed the door and the two made contact. And Albuquerque went spinning.
In-car camera view (Via Fox)
The pass was reviewed by IMSA race officials and no action was taken. The inaction was perhaps karmic retribution for a maneuver Action Express pulled on the race’s next-to-last restart. Mike Conway, driving the lapped No. 31 car for the team was ahead of the No. 10 heading to the green flag as the No. 5 was leading. As the No. 5 accelerated when the green flag flew, The No. 31 conspicuously didn’t, opening up a huge gap for the Albuquerque on Taylor.
Gordon, who finished third in the 2007 Rolex 24 driving alongside Wayne Taylor, drove two stints for the team, both on Saturday. Gordon drove in the car on Saturday afternoon and then later Saturday evening as rain started to fall at Daytona.
It’s the first Rolex 24 win for Gordon and his three co-drivers. And with it, Gordon becomes part of a select group of drivers — including A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Jamie McMurray — to win both the Daytona 500 and Rolex 24. It’s also a fitting way for Angelelli’s career to end, as the driver had said the 2017 Rolex 24 would be his final race before retirement.
While the racing was dramatic in Prototypes for the overall win, the GT Le Mans category was the most thrilling event for the entirety of the race as Ford, Corvette, Ferrari and Porsche raced within fractions of a second of each other for significant periods of time. Dirk Mueller, driving for Chip Ganassi’s Ford GT team, won, while Porsche finished second.
Series sponsor logo replacing driver’s name on front windshield of Cup cars.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The names of drivers no longer will appear on a Cup car’s front windshield, according to an addition to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rule Book.
Instead, Monster Energy will have its logo and name across the top of the front windshield with the car manufacturer’s logo. Both Xfinity and Camping World have their names across the front windshield of the vehicles in their series.
The driver’s name moves to the rear windshield on Cup cars – matching where a driver’s name is located in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series.
The change is a part of an update to the rule book. Section 20.4.19 includes a diagram showing the alteration.
The move was made to align the Cup series with the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series in series sponsor placement on the vehicle.
The driver’s name has adorned the front windshield of Cup cars since 2013. During the opening round of last year’s Cup playoffs, the Twitter handles for each title-eligible driver was placed on the front windshield instead of the driver’s name.
The past two years, NASCAR has honored fallen service members by placing their name on the front windshield of each car in the Coca-Cola 600 as part of the sport’s “600 Miles of Remembrance.” Details for this year’s program are being determined.
Last year, NASCAR Xfinity Series cars had the names of active military units and
installations on the front windshield for the July Daytona race in place of the series sponsor’s name.
On ‘back burner’ of rookie class, Ty Dillon aims to leave doubters ‘surprised’ in Cup Series.
By Daniel McFadin
Instead, Monster Energy will have its logo and name across the top of the front windshield with the car manufacturer’s logo. Both Xfinity and Camping World have their names across the front windshield of the vehicles in their series.
The driver’s name moves to the rear windshield on Cup cars – matching where a driver’s name is located in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series.
The change is a part of an update to the rule book. Section 20.4.19 includes a diagram showing the alteration.
The move was made to align the Cup series with the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series in series sponsor placement on the vehicle.
The driver’s name has adorned the front windshield of Cup cars since 2013. During the opening round of last year’s Cup playoffs, the Twitter handles for each title-eligible driver was placed on the front windshield instead of the driver’s name.
The past two years, NASCAR has honored fallen service members by placing their name on the front windshield of each car in the Coca-Cola 600 as part of the sport’s “600 Miles of Remembrance.” Details for this year’s program are being determined.
Last year, NASCAR Xfinity Series cars had the names of active military units and
installations on the front windshield for the July Daytona race in place of the series sponsor’s name.
On ‘back burner’ of rookie class, Ty Dillon aims to leave doubters ‘surprised’ in Cup Series.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Ty Dillon‘s biggest dream came true last November.
At the age of 24, he was finally going full-time racing in the NASCAR’s premier series.
When all the paperwork was done, Dillon was overwhelmed when he called his wife, Haley, with the news he would replace Casey Mears in Germain Racing’s No. 13 Chevrolet.
“I remember driving down the road and first called my wife and told her it was a done deal and just started bawling on the phone,” Dillon said last week at the NASCAR Media Tour. “And I called my mom and bawled.”
The grandson of Richard Childress, Dillon will make his debut with the team in the Daytona 500, the day before his 25th birthday. It will be his second start in the “Great American Race.”
“I love this sport, and just to have the chance to be one of the top drivers and chase my dream,” Dillon said. “I know you say I’ve made it, which is obviously a big moment for me in my life, but I still have a lot to accomplish. My grandfather said the other night that he feels like he still hasn’t made it, and that’s how I kind of feel. I’m not going to be satisfied until I win races and championships.”
It’s been such a busy offseason, you may have missed Dillon’s promotion. Erik Jones, the 2015 Truck Series champion and 2014 Xfinity Rookie of the Year, will pilot the No. 77 for Furniture Row Racing.
Daniel Suarez, the defending Xfinity champion and first foreign-born driver to win a national NASCAR title, got the unexpected promotion to replace Carl Edwards in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 car.
Between all that, Monster Energy becoming the Cup Series’ new sponsor and NASCAR’s race and points format overhaul, even Dillon believes his presence in the 2017 rookie class – which will also include Gray Gaulding – is being overlooked.
“I kind of feel people put us on the back burner – me and Germain Racing – and I think they’ll be surprised,” said Dillon, who’s made 18 Cup Series starts since 2014. His best finish last year was 17th at Atlanta.
But in his 111 Xfinity starts dating back to 2012, Dillon has only visited victory lane once, in the 2014 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has 29 top fives driving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Camaro while finishing in the top two seven times.
In that same four-year span, his brother Austin Dillon won eight races in 106 starts, six of them coming as a part-time driver the last two seasons. He also claimed 53 top fives.
Jones won six times in 56 starts the last two seasons while Suarez won three times in 2016 on the way to his title. Ty Dillon finished fifth in the standings after failing to advance to the championship race in Miami.
Given all that, what makes him confident he’s ready for the full-time challenges of the Cup Series stage at this point in his career?
“In my heart I feel like I’m the best driver,” Dillon said. “If I didn’t have that kind of confidence, I wouldn’t be driving a race car. I knew I was ready for this opportunity and I’ve proved in different situations. The wins weren’t what we wanted in the Xfinity Series the past couple of years, but we were growing as a team and changing as a team at RCR. We will win Xfinity races this year; I can guarantee you that.”
Dillon will compete in 20 of 33 Xfinity races this season while navigating his rookie Cup season. His efforts with Germain Racing will be aided by a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
“I feel it’s going to be the best of both worlds for me,” Dillon said. “We’ll still have that multi-car feel but also be able to separate ourselves and be Germain Racing … so it will be nice to have a little bit of our own identity and me to have my own identity, too. I just think it will help the growth of both programs – myself and the team.”
At the age of 24, he was finally going full-time racing in the NASCAR’s premier series.
When all the paperwork was done, Dillon was overwhelmed when he called his wife, Haley, with the news he would replace Casey Mears in Germain Racing’s No. 13 Chevrolet.
“I remember driving down the road and first called my wife and told her it was a done deal and just started bawling on the phone,” Dillon said last week at the NASCAR Media Tour. “And I called my mom and bawled.”
The grandson of Richard Childress, Dillon will make his debut with the team in the Daytona 500, the day before his 25th birthday. It will be his second start in the “Great American Race.”
“I love this sport, and just to have the chance to be one of the top drivers and chase my dream,” Dillon said. “I know you say I’ve made it, which is obviously a big moment for me in my life, but I still have a lot to accomplish. My grandfather said the other night that he feels like he still hasn’t made it, and that’s how I kind of feel. I’m not going to be satisfied until I win races and championships.”
It’s been such a busy offseason, you may have missed Dillon’s promotion. Erik Jones, the 2015 Truck Series champion and 2014 Xfinity Rookie of the Year, will pilot the No. 77 for Furniture Row Racing.
Daniel Suarez, the defending Xfinity champion and first foreign-born driver to win a national NASCAR title, got the unexpected promotion to replace Carl Edwards in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 car.
Between all that, Monster Energy becoming the Cup Series’ new sponsor and NASCAR’s race and points format overhaul, even Dillon believes his presence in the 2017 rookie class – which will also include Gray Gaulding – is being overlooked.
“I kind of feel people put us on the back burner – me and Germain Racing – and I think they’ll be surprised,” said Dillon, who’s made 18 Cup Series starts since 2014. His best finish last year was 17th at Atlanta.
But in his 111 Xfinity starts dating back to 2012, Dillon has only visited victory lane once, in the 2014 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has 29 top fives driving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Camaro while finishing in the top two seven times.
In that same four-year span, his brother Austin Dillon won eight races in 106 starts, six of them coming as a part-time driver the last two seasons. He also claimed 53 top fives.
Jones won six times in 56 starts the last two seasons while Suarez won three times in 2016 on the way to his title. Ty Dillon finished fifth in the standings after failing to advance to the championship race in Miami.
Given all that, what makes him confident he’s ready for the full-time challenges of the Cup Series stage at this point in his career?
“In my heart I feel like I’m the best driver,” Dillon said. “If I didn’t have that kind of confidence, I wouldn’t be driving a race car. I knew I was ready for this opportunity and I’ve proved in different situations. The wins weren’t what we wanted in the Xfinity Series the past couple of years, but we were growing as a team and changing as a team at RCR. We will win Xfinity races this year; I can guarantee you that.”
Dillon will compete in 20 of 33 Xfinity races this season while navigating his rookie Cup season. His efforts with Germain Racing will be aided by a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing.
“I feel it’s going to be the best of both worlds for me,” Dillon said. “We’ll still have that multi-car feel but also be able to separate ourselves and be Germain Racing … so it will be nice to have a little bit of our own identity and me to have my own identity, too. I just think it will help the growth of both programs – myself and the team.”
SOCCER: David Accam back with Fire after missing out on African Cup of Nations.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Accam was in camp with the national team ahead of the African Cup of Nations, a tournament currently underway in Gabon. The Chicago Fire winger trained in Denmark ahead of the camp to try to get ready for the tournament, but was one of the last players to be cut from the team.
“I trained with the national team for a week or two,” Accam said on Friday. “Then obviously I didn’t make the cup, but for me I had a good workout and also spending quality time with my family home."
Accam also spent some of his offseason babysitting a newborn niece while back home with his family.
He has played five times for Ghana, including in World Cup qualifiers last year, but has yet to crack the roster as a regular on the team. He still said being in camp was a positive experience.
“Of course I enjoyed it,” Accam said. “Every time you are with the guys you enjoy it. You train with some of the best players in the country and you learn a lot from the players and also from the technical team.”
Accam said he watched all three of Ghana’s group games. The Black Stars advanced to the quarterfinals and will play against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday. He is optimistic about the team’s chances to make the final.
Making the roster for the African Cup of Nations was a goal for Accam, but he will likely have more chances with the national team.
“Obviously I was really disappointed, but that’s part of the game,” he said. “For me not to make the AfCoN is a big disappointment for me because I wanted to go to AfCoN, that’s huge for any African player, but obviously that’s a positive sign for me to come and have a good preseason for Chicago Fire.”
Accam is entering his third season with the Fire. He has scored 19 goals in two seasons with the Fire, but has missed 10 games each year mostly due to injuries. He is hoping to improve on his previous two years with the Fire.
“Personally I just want to get fitter and stronger and do better than I did in the last three years that I’ve been here,” Accam said. “For me I know it’s going to be a huge, huge, huge season for me and also for the team. There’s a lot to work on this season.”
USMNT 0-0 Serbia: Nagbe, Lletget shine in Bruce Arena’s return.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Kent Horner/Getty Images)
The Bruce Arena Era is back on with the U.S. Men’s National Team, but the second-term boss has his work cut out for him.
The USMNT earned a 0-0 draw against Serbia on Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, however, both sides struggled to create opportunities in the final third and the hosts still hold many questions regarding their lineup heading into March’s resumption of World Cup qualifying.
While both sides recorded a combined four shots on target, Arena did get a solid look at several players that impressed on the day. Sunday was a day of firsts for several players in the U.S. ranks making their debuts with the senior team, while Jozy Altidore earned his 100th cap for the Stars and Stripes.
Second-half substitute Juan Agudelo carried the ball into the penalty area with just minutes remaining before Chris Pontius pulled his effort just wide of net.
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando wasn’t tested often on the afternoon but the Real Salt Lake shot-stopper came up big in the 89th minute with a close-range save on Lazar Jovanovic.
The U.S. nearly took the lead in the 25th minute when the hosts pushed a counterattack deep into the Serbia end but Jermaine Jones’ final pass into the center of the penalty area couldn’t pick out another American player.
Darlington Nagbe, who really shined on the afternoon, had a quality chance of his own four minutes later but the Portland Timbers attacker couldn’t bend his shot enough and his effort missed just wide to the right.
Nagbe had an almost identical chance to pick out the corner seven minutes before halftime, but the Timbers man once again curled his shot wide of Serbia goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic.
Arena made just one change at halftime as LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget came on to replaced his new teammate Jones. Sunday marked Lletget’s first senior cap for the USMNT.
The USMNT boss could potentially use Lletget or another player in a holding midfield role come March when the U.S. takes on Honduras with Jones suspended.
The U.S. was fortunate to avoid a sending off in the 57th minute when Sacha Kljestan lunged in on Marko Gobeljic with two feet. The New York Red Bulls attacker was shown a yellow card, however, it could’ve just as easily been red.
Lletget nearly linked up with Kljestan just minutes later when he picked out the head of the New York Red Bulls attacker, but Kljestan’s nodded effort just missed to the right post.
Arena opted to go to his bench late in the match, with Jorge Villafana and Chris Pontius two more players in the USMNT system to made their first appearance on Sunday.
The U.S. will take the field again on Friday when Arena’s squad faces Jamaica in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
La Liga & Serie A: Real takes advantage of Barca result and more.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
A roundup of Saturday’s action in Spain and Italy’s top flights…
Real Madrid 3-0 Real Sociedad
While the rest of La Liga’s top-tier sides all faltered over the weekend, Real Madrid has created some separation at the top of the league following their solid performance at the Santiago Bernabeu. Mateo Kovacic put Los Blancos in front prior to halftime, while Cristiano Ronaldo dazzled for the game’s second and Alvaro Morata put the finishing touches on the effort for the hosts. Sociedad looked on the back foot all afternoon, and Iñigo MartÃnez’s second-half red card summed up the match for the fifth-place side.
Real Betis 1-1 Barcelona
The Blaugrana slipped up in a big way on Sunday, although Luis Enrique’s side surely wasn’t aided by the game’s officiating. Luis Suarez rescued the visitors in the 90th minute after Betis took the lead 15 minutes prior through Alex Alegria. However, it was the game’s refereeing in the dying minutes that cost Barca dearly.
Neymar was on the receiving end of a nasty takedown inside the penalty area with under a quarter hour to play, but the official opted to not blow his whistle. Then, an own goal was missed after Betis defender Aissa Mandi cleared the ball away after the ball had already crossed the line.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Espanyol 3-1 Sevilla
Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Sporting Gijon
Sampdoria 3-2 Roma
Despite getting off to a fast start, Roma succumbed to midtable side Sampdoria at Comunale Luigi Ferraris. The visitors led on two separate occasions on Sunday but a pair of late finishes from Patrik Schick and Luis Muriel ensured that Sampdoria would come away with all three points. Roma now sit four points behind leaders Juventus, although the Bianconeri hold a game in hand.
Sassuolo 0-2 Juventus
Gonzalo Higuain is up to 15 goals on the season and Sami Khedira added the second for Juventus before halftime to give the Bianconeri a more comfortable lead at the top of Serie A. The loss for Sassuolo leaves the bottom half side in 16th place, however, the side is still 11 points above the drop zone.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Torino 1-1 Atalanta
Cagliari 1-1 Bologna
Crotone 4-1 Empoli
Fiorentina 3-3 Genoa
Udinese 2-1 AC Milan
Napoli 1-1 Palermo
AFCON wrap: Ghana, Egypt advance after nabbing narrow victories.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
The AFCON semifinals are all set after another thrilling day of action on Sunday in host nation Gabon.
DR Congo 1-2 Ghana
The brothers Ayew helped book Ghana’s place in the final four after a pair of second-half goals gave the Black Stars a victory over a tough Congo side. Jordan Ayew found his name on the scoresheet first in the 63rd minute, before Congo equalized through Paul-José Mpoku five minutes later. Ghana sealed its position in the semifinals 12 minutes from time when West Ham attacker Andre Ayew scored from the penalty spot.
Egypt 1-0 Morocco
Mahmoud Kahraba was the hero on the day for the Egyptians and they now find themselves one match away from the final. The second-half substitute scored with four minutes to play in regulation, and from there Egypt held off Morocco.
Semifinals schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 1
Burkina Faso vs. Egypt — 2 p.m. ET
Thursday, Feb. 2
Cameroon vs. Ghana — 2 p.m. ET
La Liga & Serie A: Villareal rolls, Lazio stumbles against Chievo.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Marco Rosi/Getty Images)
A roundup of Saturday’s action in Spain and Italy’s top flights…
Villareal 2-0 Granada
Bruno and Alvaro booked their names on the scoresheet at the Estadio El Madrigal to put Villareal comfortably into sixth place. Granada was held to no shots on target during the match, and the lack of finishing touch keeps the side at the bottom of La Liga on 10 points.
Alaves 0-0 Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s men continue to struggle to find consistency in La Liga, and that proved to be the case again on Saturday at the Estadio Mendizorroza. Atletico struggled to break down the Alaves backline throughout the encounter, and the draw now puts the Rojiblancos seven points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table. Alaves currently sits 12th in Spain on 24 points and the side has now drawn three straight fixtures in all competitions.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Eibar 3-1 Deportivo La Coruna
Leganes 0-2 Celta Vigo
Inter Milan 3-0 Pescara
Inter moved up to fourth in Serie A on Saturday after a convincing home effort over last-place Pescara. Danilo D’Ambrosio and João Mario both found the back of the net prior to the halftime whistle before Eder added a third for the hosts inside of the final 20 minutes of play.
Lazio 0-1 Chievo
Roberto Inglese scored in second-half stoppage time to lift Chievo into the top 10 in Italy’s top flight. Despite facing an onslaught of pressure from Lazio throughout the match, the visitors broke the deadlock in the 90th minute when Inglese knocked home Massimo Gobbi’s cross. Lazio currently sits fourth in Serie A on 40 points, eight behind league leaders Juventus.
AFCON wrap: Cameroon edges Senegal on PKs, Burkina Faso advances.
By Matt Reed
(Photo/Getty Images)
While several of the tournament’s big boys have fallen out, two sides booked their tickets in the African Cup of Nations semifinals on Saturday.
Burkina Faso 2-0 Tunisia
The Stallions scored twice inside the final nine minutes to give Burkina Faso the first spot in the AFCON semifinals.
Aristide Bance and Prejuce Nakoulma scored in the 81st and 84th minutes, respectively to keep Burkina Faso unbeaten in its four matches at this winter’s competition in Gabon.
Bance gave the Stallions the advantage after finishing a free kick just minutes after coming onto the pitch, while Nakoulma doubled the lead three minutes later after a rebound fell to the attacker.
Paulo Duarte’s side will take on the winner of Egypt-Morocco, who will meet on Sunday.
Senegal 0-0 (4-5 on PKs) Cameroon
Both sides mustered up chances in the first 120 minutes of play, but ultimately penalty kicks were what decided the second semifinalist.
After both sides converted from the penalty spot in the opening rounds, Sadio Mane‘s miss left the door open for Cameroon, who then took full advantage of the opportunity.
Cameroon keeper Joseph Ondoa made six saves on the day, including one in the shootout, to help give his nation a place in the next round.
The Lions will meet the winner of Congo-Ghana in the semifinals.
FA Cup wrap: A day for the underdogs, though Man City, Chelsea cruise.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Lower league sides Oxford United, and Lincoln City joined Wolverhampton Wanderers as clubs to earn memorable FA Cup wins during Saturday’s fourth round.
Wycombe Wanderers nearly made the headline of the day when they led Spurs 2-0 and 3-2 at White Hart Lane, but Heung-Min Son took advantage of a baffling amount of stoppage time to earn a 4-3 win for Spurs.
Liverpool had fallen to Wolves earlier, setting the tone for the day. One more Saturday match remains: Southampton vs. Arsenal.
Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 Wycombe Wanderers
Paul Hayes scored twice in the first half, the second on a questionable penalty given away by USMNT prospect Cameron Carter-Vickers, as Wycombe built a shock 2-0 lead at White Hart Lane. Yet a Heung-Min Son 60th minute goal and a Vincent Janssen penalty four minutes later knotted the tie.
All set, right? Wrong. Garry Thompson scored with just minutes to spare, only to see Spurs substitute Dele Alli knock in an equalizer. Son scored again in the sixth minute of stoppage time to set Tottenham up for the fifth round, and save Spurs a trip to Buckinghamshire.
Crystal Palace 0-3 Manchester City
Selhurst Park again found little joy, as Sam Allardyce‘s reign refuses to turn over. Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, and Yaya Toure scored for City.
Chelsea 4-0 Brentford
Brentford has moments for the visiting crowd, but never looked like it would force a replay. Willian, Pedro, and Branislav Ivanovic scored as the Blues cruised into the fifth round. Michy Batshuayi converted a late penalty to provide the final score line.
Oxford United 3-0 Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez‘s Magpies trotted out a variety of young prospects and second-choice players, and the League One hosts relished the spoils. Kane Hemmings and Curtis Nelson scored for the U’s.
Full schedule
Friday
Derby County 2-2 Leicester City — RECAP
Saturday
Liverpool 1-2 Wolverhampton — RECAP
Middlesbrough 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Blackpool
Burnley 2-0 Bristol City
Rochdale 0-4 Huddersfield Town
Lincoln City 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
12:30 p.m. EDT
Southampton 0-5 Arsenal — Welbeck goes off
NCAABKB: Bubble Banter: Northwestern looks like they’re tournament bound.
By Rob Dauster
To see the latest NBC Sports bracket projection, click here.
WINNERS
Northwestern (RPI: 37, KenPom: 30, No. 8 seed): At this point in the season, it’s too early to call anyone a lock for the NCAA tournament unless their school resides in a town like Spokane, Lexington or Lawrence. It’s particularly difficult to label Northwestern a lock considering that A) Their best win this season is over Wake Forest, Dayton or an Indiana team that is without James Blackmon Jr. and O.G. Anunoby, and B) They’re Northwestern. There’s a reason that they haven’t been to the NCAA tournament in the history of the program, and it’s not simply because they cannot get talent to Evanston.
It’s because they’re Northwestern, the program that always finds a way to choke a defeat out of the jaws of victory.
“We’ll either do something special or we’ll be like every other NU team,” Bryant McIntosh said after a win over Indiana on Sunday night. “I worry about it every second,” head coach Chris Collins added when asked about whether he is concerned about how his team will handle success. (Both of those quotes came via Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated.)
But it seems awful unlikely that this Northwestern team will follow that path. As of today, they’re 18-4 on the season and 7-2 in the Big Ten, something they haven’t done since 1937-38. The win over Indiana was they’re sixth straight win, something they haven’t done in league play since 1932-33. Their schedule is somewhat backloaded – NU still has to play Purdue twice, at Wisconsin and Maryland at home – but all of those games are winnable; no one in the Big Ten is markedly better than Northwestern, and while the Big Ten is down this year, that still says more about the Wildcats than it does after the conference.
Bottom line? I don’t even think that Northwestern can mess this one up.
Michigan State (RPI: 50, KenPom: 51, No. 10 seed): The Spartans are going to be a fascinating team on Selection Sunday. This is clearly not one of Tom Izzo’s best teams, but is it really bad enough that they could end up missing out on the Big Dance? Sunday’s win over Michigan was important because, at this point, Sparty can’t really afford anymore dumb losses. They’re 13-9 on the season. They’re 5-4 in the league after this win snapped a three-game losing skid. They’ve lost to Northeastern, Penn State and Ohio State. Five of their last nine are on the road. This is going to be an uphill battle.
Virginia Tech (RPI: 35, KenPom: 50, No. 8 seed): Virginia Tech is interesting because they’re a team with an awesome record that doesn’t really have many awesome wins. Beating Duke at home is huge, and Duke winning at Wake Forest helps them in that regard, but there isn’t much else in their 16-5 record – other than losses to Texas A&M and N.C. State – worth noting. Four of their next five games are on the road, and three of their next five games are against Louisville and Virginia. This is the stretch that will make or break their at-large profile.
Cal (RPI: 48, KenPom: 59, first four out): Cal picked up a win over Stanford on Sunday night, which isn’t exactly a great win but it means they avoided an ugly loss. The biggest issue for the Golden Bears right now? They don’t have any good wins, but they still get Arizona on the road and Oregon at home.
Wichita State (RPI: 79, KenPom: 21, first four out), Illinois State (RPI: 36, KenPom: 37, No. 10 seed) and Valparaiso (RPI: 74, KenPom: 90, No. 13 seed autobid): At this point, I think it will be nearly impossible for two of these three teams – Wichita State and Valpo – to get an at-large bid if they lose before their conference tournament final, while I think Illinois State is going to get to Selection Sunday with a profile that would make things much less stressful if it comes with an automatic bid. All three won their games on Sunday.
LOSERS
N.C. State (RPI: 64, KenPom: 78, No. 11 seed): The Wolfpack lost at No. 13 Louisville, which is hardly a blemish on their profile. In fact, with No. 17 Duke avoiding a loss at Wake Forest – N.C. State won at Duke on Monday – this weekend was probably a net-positive for them. But that Louisville win had the potential to erase some of the ugliness that N.C. State had endured early-on in league play; they had a chance to give themselves some breathing room.
Michigan (RPI: 59, KenPom: 35, play-in game): On paper, losing at Michigan State isn’t all that bad of a loss, but given the muck that is the middle of the Big Ten and a rough close to the regular season – the Wolverines play four of their last five and five of their last seven on the road – John Beilein’s 13-8 Michigan team is in a tough spot.
Indiana (RPI: 80, KenPom: 39, No. 7 seed): Assuming that whatever is ailing James Blackmon Jr. isn’t season-ending, the Hoosiers should be able to shake this loss off. The bigger issue for them is going to be how the committee judges their hideous RPI and just how much they take into account the fact that O.G. Anunoby played in the big wins Kansas and North Carolina but is now out for the year.
SATURDAY’S SNACKS: Duke gets huge road win; three ACC ranked teams fall to unranked teams.
Wycombe Wanderers nearly made the headline of the day when they led Spurs 2-0 and 3-2 at White Hart Lane, but Heung-Min Son took advantage of a baffling amount of stoppage time to earn a 4-3 win for Spurs.
Liverpool had fallen to Wolves earlier, setting the tone for the day. One more Saturday match remains: Southampton vs. Arsenal.
Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 Wycombe Wanderers
Paul Hayes scored twice in the first half, the second on a questionable penalty given away by USMNT prospect Cameron Carter-Vickers, as Wycombe built a shock 2-0 lead at White Hart Lane. Yet a Heung-Min Son 60th minute goal and a Vincent Janssen penalty four minutes later knotted the tie.
All set, right? Wrong. Garry Thompson scored with just minutes to spare, only to see Spurs substitute Dele Alli knock in an equalizer. Son scored again in the sixth minute of stoppage time to set Tottenham up for the fifth round, and save Spurs a trip to Buckinghamshire.
Crystal Palace 0-3 Manchester City
Selhurst Park again found little joy, as Sam Allardyce‘s reign refuses to turn over. Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, and Yaya Toure scored for City.
Chelsea 4-0 Brentford
Brentford has moments for the visiting crowd, but never looked like it would force a replay. Willian, Pedro, and Branislav Ivanovic scored as the Blues cruised into the fifth round. Michy Batshuayi converted a late penalty to provide the final score line.
Oxford United 3-0 Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez‘s Magpies trotted out a variety of young prospects and second-choice players, and the League One hosts relished the spoils. Kane Hemmings and Curtis Nelson scored for the U’s.
Full schedule
Friday
Derby County 2-2 Leicester City — RECAP
Saturday
Liverpool 1-2 Wolverhampton — RECAP
Middlesbrough 1-0 Accrington Stanley
Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Blackpool
Burnley 2-0 Bristol City
Rochdale 0-4 Huddersfield Town
Lincoln City 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
12:30 p.m. EDT
Southampton 0-5 Arsenal — Welbeck goes off
NCAABKB: Bubble Banter: Northwestern looks like they’re tournament bound.
By Rob Dauster
(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
To see the latest NBC Sports bracket projection, click here.
WINNERS
Northwestern (RPI: 37, KenPom: 30, No. 8 seed): At this point in the season, it’s too early to call anyone a lock for the NCAA tournament unless their school resides in a town like Spokane, Lexington or Lawrence. It’s particularly difficult to label Northwestern a lock considering that A) Their best win this season is over Wake Forest, Dayton or an Indiana team that is without James Blackmon Jr. and O.G. Anunoby, and B) They’re Northwestern. There’s a reason that they haven’t been to the NCAA tournament in the history of the program, and it’s not simply because they cannot get talent to Evanston.
It’s because they’re Northwestern, the program that always finds a way to choke a defeat out of the jaws of victory.
“We’ll either do something special or we’ll be like every other NU team,” Bryant McIntosh said after a win over Indiana on Sunday night. “I worry about it every second,” head coach Chris Collins added when asked about whether he is concerned about how his team will handle success. (Both of those quotes came via Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated.)
But it seems awful unlikely that this Northwestern team will follow that path. As of today, they’re 18-4 on the season and 7-2 in the Big Ten, something they haven’t done since 1937-38. The win over Indiana was they’re sixth straight win, something they haven’t done in league play since 1932-33. Their schedule is somewhat backloaded – NU still has to play Purdue twice, at Wisconsin and Maryland at home – but all of those games are winnable; no one in the Big Ten is markedly better than Northwestern, and while the Big Ten is down this year, that still says more about the Wildcats than it does after the conference.
Bottom line? I don’t even think that Northwestern can mess this one up.
Michigan State (RPI: 50, KenPom: 51, No. 10 seed): The Spartans are going to be a fascinating team on Selection Sunday. This is clearly not one of Tom Izzo’s best teams, but is it really bad enough that they could end up missing out on the Big Dance? Sunday’s win over Michigan was important because, at this point, Sparty can’t really afford anymore dumb losses. They’re 13-9 on the season. They’re 5-4 in the league after this win snapped a three-game losing skid. They’ve lost to Northeastern, Penn State and Ohio State. Five of their last nine are on the road. This is going to be an uphill battle.
Virginia Tech (RPI: 35, KenPom: 50, No. 8 seed): Virginia Tech is interesting because they’re a team with an awesome record that doesn’t really have many awesome wins. Beating Duke at home is huge, and Duke winning at Wake Forest helps them in that regard, but there isn’t much else in their 16-5 record – other than losses to Texas A&M and N.C. State – worth noting. Four of their next five games are on the road, and three of their next five games are against Louisville and Virginia. This is the stretch that will make or break their at-large profile.
Cal (RPI: 48, KenPom: 59, first four out): Cal picked up a win over Stanford on Sunday night, which isn’t exactly a great win but it means they avoided an ugly loss. The biggest issue for the Golden Bears right now? They don’t have any good wins, but they still get Arizona on the road and Oregon at home.
Wichita State (RPI: 79, KenPom: 21, first four out), Illinois State (RPI: 36, KenPom: 37, No. 10 seed) and Valparaiso (RPI: 74, KenPom: 90, No. 13 seed autobid): At this point, I think it will be nearly impossible for two of these three teams – Wichita State and Valpo – to get an at-large bid if they lose before their conference tournament final, while I think Illinois State is going to get to Selection Sunday with a profile that would make things much less stressful if it comes with an automatic bid. All three won their games on Sunday.
LOSERS
N.C. State (RPI: 64, KenPom: 78, No. 11 seed): The Wolfpack lost at No. 13 Louisville, which is hardly a blemish on their profile. In fact, with No. 17 Duke avoiding a loss at Wake Forest – N.C. State won at Duke on Monday – this weekend was probably a net-positive for them. But that Louisville win had the potential to erase some of the ugliness that N.C. State had endured early-on in league play; they had a chance to give themselves some breathing room.
Michigan (RPI: 59, KenPom: 35, play-in game): On paper, losing at Michigan State isn’t all that bad of a loss, but given the muck that is the middle of the Big Ten and a rough close to the regular season – the Wolverines play four of their last five and five of their last seven on the road – John Beilein’s 13-8 Michigan team is in a tough spot.
Indiana (RPI: 80, KenPom: 39, No. 7 seed): Assuming that whatever is ailing James Blackmon Jr. isn’t season-ending, the Hoosiers should be able to shake this loss off. The bigger issue for them is going to be how the committee judges their hideous RPI and just how much they take into account the fact that O.G. Anunoby played in the big wins Kansas and North Carolina but is now out for the year.
SATURDAY’S SNACKS: Duke gets huge road win; three ACC ranked teams fall to unranked teams.
By Scott Phillips
(Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
SATURDAY’S THINGS TO KNOW
The biggest game of the day featured No. 2 Kansas going into Rupp Arena and taking on No. 4 Kentucky, and thanks to 20 points and ten boards from Josh Jackson, the Jayhawks left Lexington with a 79-73 win.
Pulling off one of its biggest wins of the season was No. 17 Duke as the Blue Devils rallied from double-digits with under five minutes left to win on the road at Wake Forest. Sophomore Luke Kennard put himself back in the Player of the Year discussion with an outrageous effort as he had 30 points in the second half alone.
It was the kind of win that can ignite a struggling Duke team and give them confidence going forward. CBT’s Rob Dauster has more on this one.
The ACC had an insane day to kick things off in the afternoon as three ranked teams suffered upsets to unranked opponents on the road.
It began with Georgia Tech winning another ACC home game against a ranked opponent as the Yellow Jackets stung No. 14 Notre Dame with a buzzer-beating layup from freshman Josh Okogie. Tadric Jackson (25 points) had a monster outing for Georgia Tech and I wrote about how the Yellow Jackets are now in the NCAA tournament hunt.
Shortly after Georgia Tech’s win, Syracuse held off No. 6 Florida State for a very important conference win of their own. Andrew White led the Orange with 24 points — while continuing to look more comfortable on both ends of the floor — while guard John Gillon added 21 points and 11 assists. CBT’s Rob Dauster has more on how this affects the Seminoles and Syracuse from here. Florida State has dropped two straight games.
Miami wanted to also partake in the ranked team takedown in the ACC as they thoroughly outplayed No. 9 North Carolina for a home win. The Hurricanes had a great game from freshman Bruce Brown while the Tar Heels had another sluggish outing from point guard Joel Berry. I wrote more on what both individual performances mean for each team’s season going forward while also discussing Miami’s NCAA tournament chances here.
Those weren’t the only teams to get upset on Saturday, as No. 10 Oregon fell at Colorado and No. 11 Butler lost at home to Georgetown. All told, eight of the top 11 teams in college basketball have lost this week, and No. 12 Virginia plays at No. 1 Villanova on Sunday.
No. 3 Gonzaga didn’t lose. They haven’t lost all season long, and look like they’re headed to No. 1 in the country on Monday morning.
STARRED
Luke Kennard, Duke: Desperately needing a win on the road, the sophomore scored 30 points in the second half to lift No. 17 Duke past Wake Forest. Kennard finished with 34 points as he was 11-for-14 from the field and 6-for-6 from three-point range. He was 10-for-10 in the second half and made all five of his threes. He might have jumpstarted the Blue Devils and changed their fortunes with his efforts.
Marcus Keene, Central Michigan: Another Saturday and another gargantuan effort from the nation’s leading scorer. After putting up 50 last Saturday, Keene poured in 41 points in an overtime MAC road win over Kent State. Keene was 13-for-26 from the field and also added 10 rebounds and four assists on the afternoon.
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin: Bailing out the struggling Badgers on Saturday as the sophomore forward as Happ accounted for over half of the team’s points (32 overall) in an overtime road win over Rutgers. Also adding six rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks, Happ was 12-for-18 from the field. He could have done even more damage but was only 8-for-16 from the free-throw line.
Peyton Aldridge and Jack Gibbs, Davidson: Both Aldridge and Gibbs had 28 points each as the Wildcats ran past Fordham for an A-10 road win. The duo combined to go 17-for-28 from the field and 11-for-15 from three-point range as Gibbs also had seven assists.
Nisre Zouzoua, Bryant: The Bulldogs pulled off an overtime win over Fairleigh Dickinson as Zouzoua hit the game-winning jumper with four second left. Zouzoua also added a game-high 25 points.
THE REST OF THE TOP 25
- No. 5 Baylor overcame a 13-point first half deficit to beat Ole Miss in Oxford. Manu Lecomte buried a huge three with 20 seconds left to seal the win.
- Georgetown went into Indianapolis and picked off No. 11 Butler, who has not looked like the same team they were early on in the season since league play started.
- This one wasn’t pretty but No. 15 Wisconsin needed overtime to outlast Rutgers for a Big Ten road win. The Badgers needed a huge performance from forward Ethan Happ as they were 3-for-25 from three-point range.
- Needing a win in the worst way, No. 16 Creighton rolled past DePaul for a Big East home win behind a balanced effort. Khyri Thomas had 18 points to pace the Bluejays.
- Pressure defense was the key for No. 18 West Virginia in a home win over Texas A&M. The Mountaineers forced 23 turnovers as junior guard Jevon Carter had 19 points and nine rebounds.
- Winning in Minnesota is never easy but No. 22 Maryland made a late push to escape with a solid Big Ten road win. Freshman Justin Jackson had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Terps while freshman Kevin Huerter (19 points) and junior Melo Trimble (13 points) also finished in double-figures.
- Another blowout win for No. 22 Florida as they destroyed Oklahoma in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Kevarrius Hayes led four Gator double-figure scorers with 20 points.
- No. 23 South Carolina didn’t get an invite to the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, but they did pick off Missouri on the road to keep pace with Kentucky in the SEC standings.
- No. 25 Florida beat the breaks off of Oklahoma, winning by 32 in Norman.
NOTABLE:
- Clemson hadn’t won since the football team captured the national championship so they picked up a desperately-needed ACC road win at Pitt. The Tigers still have NCAA tournament hopes as senior Jaron Blossomgame led with 25 points.
- The Big 12/SEC Challenge had some dud games as Texas Tech beat LSU by double-digits and Tennessee smoked Kansas State by jumping out to a 17-point halftime lead. It did give us this legendary LSU highlight though.
- Major letdown game for Marquette as they fell at home to Providence after back-to-back top-10 wins over Creighton and Villanova. Kyron Cartwright had 18 for the Friars.
NCAAFB: So long two-a-days? NCAA recommends ending the tradition, limiting tackling further during regular season.
By Bryan Fischer
(Photo/Getty Images)
Just about every football player knows what it means to go through a grueling two-a-day practice during fall camp each year. The days of that happening, however, appear to be just about over.
As first noted by CBS Sports, the NCAA Sport Science Institute has formally recommended eliminating two-a-days and reducing contact at all other practices. In addition, the group also wants to limit full contact practices to once a week during the regular season and further change the way postseason practices are run depending on the amount of time between games.
Schools received the document from the institute at the recent NCAA Convention and will soon move forward with legislation based on the recommendations over the coming months. Included in the foundational statements are precise guidelines for when — and what amount of — contact is permitted over a seven day period, which could form the basis of any new rules put forth by member institutions.
Concussion awareness is no doubt the driving force behind all this, with the report itself coming after several studies were released on the subject and the NCAA conducting its own ‘Safety in College Football Summit’ last February. There has certainly been a general trend in this direction already, with the Big 12 limiting in-season contact to no more than twice a week back in 2015. The Ivy League also eliminated live tackling during all in-season practices last year but this could be the start of something enacted more formally across the entire NCAA structure.
So have we seen the end of two-a-days? With the American Football Coaches Association and the NCAA Football Oversight Committee among the organizations endorsing this report, it seems very likely we will say goodbye to this rite of passage in the not too distant future.
As first noted by CBS Sports, the NCAA Sport Science Institute has formally recommended eliminating two-a-days and reducing contact at all other practices. In addition, the group also wants to limit full contact practices to once a week during the regular season and further change the way postseason practices are run depending on the amount of time between games.
Schools received the document from the institute at the recent NCAA Convention and will soon move forward with legislation based on the recommendations over the coming months. Included in the foundational statements are precise guidelines for when — and what amount of — contact is permitted over a seven day period, which could form the basis of any new rules put forth by member institutions.
Concussion awareness is no doubt the driving force behind all this, with the report itself coming after several studies were released on the subject and the NCAA conducting its own ‘Safety in College Football Summit’ last February. There has certainly been a general trend in this direction already, with the Big 12 limiting in-season contact to no more than twice a week back in 2015. The Ivy League also eliminated live tackling during all in-season practices last year but this could be the start of something enacted more formally across the entire NCAA structure.
So have we seen the end of two-a-days? With the American Football Coaches Association and the NCAA Football Oversight Committee among the organizations endorsing this report, it seems very likely we will say goodbye to this rite of passage in the not too distant future.
Serena Williams sets record with 23rd Grand Slam title.
Serena Williams (right) poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the women's final against sister Venus, posing with the runners-up trophy, on Saturday at the Australian Open Melbourne. | Scott Barbour/Getty Images
For Serena, the 6-4, 6-4 win to hoist the Australian Open trophy for a seventh time establishes a new record. At 35, she is the only player — man or woman — to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.
”It’s such a great feeling to have 23,” Williams said. ”It really feels great. I’ve been chasing it for a really long time. It feels like, really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I’m here.”
Now that Williams has Steffi Graf in her rear-view mirror ” the two were tied at 22 Grand Slam titles since Wimbledon last year ” she can look ahead to the next record to break.
Australian Margaret Court holds the overall record with 24 Grand Slam titles, an achievement which spans the pre-Open and Open Era. Court was in the crowd watching Serena inch closer to her claim to fame in the game on Saturday night.
Williams was also in position to return to the world No. 1 ranking if she won the title. But she had no idea that was in the offing as her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, told her a fib by saying it wasn’t a possibility.
”She trusts me, because I never lie unless it’s for her own good,” said Mouratoglou, laughing. ”She’ll forget. Give me a few weeks and she won’t think about anymore. But, actually, I think she’s happy I did it now.”
Williams admits she was clueless that she could take back the No. 1 ranking she relinquished to Angelique Kerber when she fell in the U.S. Open semifinals and Kerber went on to win the title.
In the beginning of the tournament, I was like, ‘If I win, will I be No. 1?” Williams said. ”(Mouratoglou) said ‘No, no, no.’ Today on the court … I was like, ‘Whoa, really?”’
In Mouratoglou’s mind, a win here was essential for Williams to start the new season. After she lost in last year’s U.S. Open semifinals to Karolina Pliskova, she hung up her rackets for the rest of the year.
At Auckland, her first tournament this year, Williams was flat in her only match. She lost in three sets to fellow American Madison Brengle in the opening round and did so with a shocking 88 unforced errors. In their one previous match, Brengle only won one game.
"She needed to win this one,” Mouratoglou said of the Australian Open. ”I feel that when you end the season with a loss, especially at a Grand Slam, you don’t have a good feeling. You have to fight back to get that confidence back. So that’s why this one was very important for the rest of the season.”
Williams was already the oldest women’s champion at a major in the Open Era, a record she set by winning the 2016 Wimbledon title at 34 years and 287 days old.
At the outset of the match against Venus there were definite nerves on both sides with the first four games seeing service breaks. From there they both settled into the outing, but still returning better than serving.
In the end, it was Serena who secured the upper hand. She just had that little something extra ” a bit more fight, a bit more confidence ” to get the job done in 82 minutes.
For now, the sisters have played on 28 occasions and Serena’s won 17 of those meetings. In Grand Slams, Serena leads Venus 10-5 in matches played, and 7-2 in Grand Slam final encounters played.
”Playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. ”I couldn’t have written a better story. I just feel it was the right moment. Everything kind of happened. It hasn’t quite set in yet, but it’s really good.”
And on the topic of even more interest for some than her winning a 23rd Grand Slam title – there is another reveal to report regarding her fiancee, Reddit co-owner Alexis Ohanian.
While it’s true that she forgot to mention his presence in her box on the court, he did show up as part of her entourage in the interview room, and he couldn’t stop beaming and eyeing her sitting by the trophy. And on her finger, there was finally a sighting of a classic engagement ring — big, beautiful and bright.
Roger Federer wins Australian Open in a dramatic fifth set that ended with a challenge.
By Cork Gaines
Rafael Nadal watches as Roger Federer kisses the Australian Open trophy. (Issei Kato/Reuters)
Roger Federer won his 18th career Grand Slam, beating longtime rival Rafael Nadal in an epic five-set match at the Australian Open, and enhancing Federer's case as the greatest men's tennis play of all time.
After Federer won the opening set 6-4, the pair traded three ho-hum sets to force a fifth and deciding set. It was the fourth time the pair went five sets in a Grand Slam final, the most in the Open era, according to ESPN.
The fifth set was a masterpiece.
In the fifth, Nadal quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead, breaking Federer in the first game and then avoided several break points to hold his own serve in the second game.
But with Federer trailing 3-1, he finally broke through. Federer held his own serve to pull within 3-2. Then, after failing to convert on his first five break points of the set, Federer converted the sixth to level the fifth set at 3-3. Federer held on his serve again and then broke again on Nadal's next serve to win his fourth straight game and go up 5-3.
That set up the dramatic ninth game. Nadal jumped out to a 40-15 lead. Federer held off both break points with an ace followed by a cross-court forehand winner to send the game to deuce.
That's when things started to get a bit wonky.
On championship point, Federer initially had his first serve ruled out. He challenged the call, and replay overturned it, leading to a let and another shot at the first serve.
The next serve was then ruled out and Federer challenged again.
Nadal didn't have a play on the serve, so if the call had been overturned, it would have ended the match. However, this time the review showed the call was correct and the match continued.
Nadal would hold on Federer's second serve and it was deuce again.
Federer forced a second championship point. After Nadal's weak return up the middle, Federer went for a forehand winner and the ball appeared to catch the line. But for the third time in the last three points, the call was challenged, this time by Nadal.
The call was upheld and Federer was the champ.
Nadal's chance to win his 15th career Grand Slam, and pull within two of Federer, had been dashed.
Arrogate dominates Pegasus World Cup.
By Jay Privman
(Photo/thenationalae.com)
Just after Arrogate came over to the paddock at Gulfstream Park on Thursday afternoon for a schooling session for the Pegasus World Cup on Saturday, trainer Bob Baffert spoke briefly with jockey Mike Smith. As they parted, Baffert called to Smith, “Just don’t [mess] it up.”
Baffert knew. He knew that despite all the rainy weather he had to navigate in Southern California, he had Arrogate, as he said earlier in the week, “super cherry” for the richest race ever run.
There were 12 horses in the race, but the anticipated match race between the two best horses in the world never materialized. California Chrome finished ninth, beaten 29 1/2 lengths, in the final start of his career. The result of the Breeders’ Cup Classic – in which Arrogate had run down California Chrome -- had been confirmed, and then some. All hail Arrogate.
“He’s a superior racehorse,” Baffert said. “He has a stride that’s just incredible.”
Arrogate used that stride to leave a struggling California Chrome in the dust more than three furlongs from the wire. Once Arrogate took the lead from the early pacesetter, Noble Bird, the only question was the margin of victory, and the final time. He completed 1 1/8 miles – one lap around Gulfstream Park’s main track -- on a surface rated fast in 1:47.61.
Shaman Ghost rallied for second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of Neolithic, who pressed the pace of Noble Bird and held on for third. Keen Ice was fourth and was followed, in order, by War Story, Noble Bird, Semper Fortis, Breaking Lucky, California Chrome, Prayer for Relief, War Envoy, and Eragon.
Arrogate (4-5) was favored over California Chrome (6-5). He paid $3.80.
Arrogate broke from the rail, and Smith rode him aggressively into the first turn to make sure he wasn’t shuffled back. Smith smacked Arrogate with the whip on his rump and on his shoulder several times in the opening strides, and Arrogate put himself in a terrific stalking position as the field went into and around the first turn.
California Chrome was marooned in the fast outside post. Owing to the short run to the first turn, jockey Victor Espinoza threw the reins at California Chrome leaving the gate to try and prevent him from being caught wide. He was five paths wide when he reached the first turn, but was able to slide over to the No. 3 path before the midway point of the turn.
As the field advanced up the backstretch, Noble Bird led narrowly over Neolithic, with Arrogate just behind them, and California Chrome just to Arrogate’s outside. It was seemingly an ideal spot for California Chrome to try and pin in Arrogate, but California Chrome had trouble keeping up shortly after passing the half-mile pole, and Smith was able to slide Arrogate off the rail to take dead aim on the two leaders three furlongs out.
Arrogate, as he showed in his victories in the Travers and Breeders’ Cup Classic, gets stronger as a race progresses, and this was no different. Once turned loose by Smith, Arrogate immediately opened daylight on his outmatched rivals. He was four lengths in front with a furlong to go, and Smith let him coast to the wire.
“He was geared down the last 100 yards,” Smith said.
This was Arrogate’s first start since the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But unlike his preparation coming into that race, with fast tracks on which to work at Santa Anita, the rainy winter in California forced some improvisation. There were many mornings where Arrogate could only jog, but on work days Santa Anita allowed Arrogate to drill before the day’s races, and he was able to stay on a regular work schedule.
“The elements were the worst with the rainstorm, but Santa Anita has a great trackman,” Baffert said, referring to Dennis Moore, “and everybody worked to make it happen.
“He was working on nothing but mud. This is the first time he’s seen a dry track in a month.”
Arrogate got here Tuesday. California Chrome, by contrast, had left California three weeks in front of the Pegasus and had two works here, his training uninterrupted. But something was clearly amiss midway through the race, as he had no response when asked by Espinoza to keep up with a little less than half-mile to go. Back at the barn, the reason became apparent.
As California Chrome cooled out, he began showing some discomfort in his right knee, trainer Art Sherman said. Sherman said there was fluid on the knee, a sign of swelling, “but it’s not like he’s dead lame.”
California Chrome is scheduled to fly on Sunday morning to Kentucky, where he is scheduled to go to stud at Taylor Made Farm. Sherman said California Chrome would still be on that flight unless his condition unexpectedly worsened Saturday night. He said California Chrome would be checked over by noted veterinarian Dr. Larry Bramlage. Sherman theorized that California Chrome at worst had a chip in a knee. If so, he said he expected it would be removed arthroscopically.
While this was the final start for California Chrome after 27 races, Arrogate is still in the infancy of his career; this was just his seventh race in a career that only began in April. While Arrogate lost the Horse of the Year vote to California Chrome at last Saturday’s Eclipse Awards, he was named best horse in the world by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, and he is clearly the front-runner for 2017 Horse of the Year. There’s no one close to him in ability now.
Arrogate has now won six straight starts since losing his debut. He has put together successive victories in the Travers, Breeders’ Cup Classic, and now the Pegasus World Cup, all Grade 1 races. His $7 million payday brought his career earnings to more than $11 million.
Arrogate, 4, is a son of Unbridled’s Song owned by the Juddmonte Farms of Prince Khalid Abdullah.
“He just goes from strength to strength,” Garrett O’Rourke, the manager of Juddmonte Farms, said of Arrogate.
Baffert had said before this race that Arrogate – last year’s champion 3-year-old male -- likely would get a freshening, as he wants to point for the second half of the year, his primary focus now a title defense in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. That’s a race Baffert has won three straight times, with Bayern, American Pharoah, and Arrogate. He doesn’t mess it up.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, January 30, 2017.
emoriesofhistory.com
1910 - Work began on the first board-track automobile speedway. The track was built in Playa del Ray, CA.
1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Nordiques) scored seven goals against the Toronto St. Patricks in a 10-6 win.
1960 - The women’s singles U.S. figure skating championship was won by Carol Heiss.
1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII. The Dallas Cowboys won 30-13 over the Buffalo Bills.
1994 - Dan Jansen of the United States set a world record of 35.76 when he became the first to skate 500 meters in less than 36 seconds.
2000 - The New York Mets announced that Garth Brooks would begin training with the team on February 20.
2000 - John Rocker (Atlanta Braves) was suspended from major league baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in an interview published by Sports Illustrated.
1920 - Joe Malone (Quebec Nordiques) scored seven goals against the Toronto St. Patricks in a 10-6 win.
1960 - The women’s singles U.S. figure skating championship was won by Carol Heiss.
1994 - Natalie Cole sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXVIII. The Dallas Cowboys won 30-13 over the Buffalo Bills.
1994 - Dan Jansen of the United States set a world record of 35.76 when he became the first to skate 500 meters in less than 36 seconds.
2000 - The New York Mets announced that Garth Brooks would begin training with the team on February 20.
2000 - John Rocker (Atlanta Braves) was suspended from major league baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in an interview published by Sports Illustrated.
*****************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment