Wednesday, January 25, 2017

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"Sports Quote of the Day"

"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it." ~ Napoleon Hill, New Thought Author

TRENDING: Lightning's third-period onslaught too much for Blackhawks. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).

TRENDING: Senior Bowl: Sadowski sees huge benefit for Bears. (See the football section for Bears News an NFL updates).

TRENDING: NBA Buzz: With trade deadline looming, Bulls' season at a crossroads.(See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBupdates).

TRENDING: Here's Why We Should Be Bullish About Golf In 2017. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).

TRENDING: NASCAR announces enhancements to race formats. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Lightning's third-period onslaught too much for Blackhawks.

By Tracey Myers

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks were hardly in a safe position entering the third period on Tuesday night, but they were definitely in a familiar one, taking a lead into the final 20 minutes. Even with some hiccups in recent third periods, they still found a way to keep their winning intact.

On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning had other ideas.

Tyler Johnson scored twice in 30 seconds, part of a four-goal third period for the Lighting as they stormed back to beat the Blackhawks 5-2 on Tuesday night. The Blackhawks remain in second place in the Western Conference, two points behind the Minnesota Wild, who still have three games in hand.

The Blackhawks' three-game winning streak is snapped. The bigger, more impressive number of 78-0-5, the Blackhawks' regular-season record when leading after two periods (dating back to the start of the 2014-15 season), is also done.

In all honesty, that record was going to end at some point. How it ended wasn't so pretty. The Blackhawks, taking a 2-1 lead into the third period, trailed 4-2 just 6:44 into it. Nikita Nesterov, Johnson (twice) and Nikita Kucherov (empty-net goal) inflicted the third-period damage.

"They got a big shot right off the faceoff. Didn't look dangerous, and then they scored two quick goals and now we're behind it against a dangerous team," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We did some good things around the net. We had a lot of scoring chances. We didn't have the finish."


Jonathan Toews did early. The Blackhawks captain had another strong outing, recording a goal and an assist. He was active all night and creating scoring opportunities, especially in the first 40 minutes. But the Lightning were active and aggressive all night and, as Quenneville said, had the finish to go with their chances. Tied 2-2, the Blackhawks were fine. Once Johnson scored his two in 30 seconds — Quenneville wasn't happy with the third goal (Johnson's first) the Blackhawks allowed — the Blackhawks looked stunned.

"It doesn't happy very often," Trevor van Riemsdyk said. "I don't think we were too shell-shocked or whatever you want to say. It takes a little more than that to really do that to us, but obviously we didn't respond the way we wanted to and they got another one there and that was tough. You want to respond a little better right after that first one. The next shift, just put the puck in their end and keep it going that way rather than our end."

On Sunday the Blackhawks squandered a two-goal lead they built entering the third period. They came back to win and extend that impressive when-leading-after-two-periods streak. On Tuesday, they had no answers. Quenneville wasn't in too angry of a mood after this one but considering how good the Blackhawks have always been in third periods, they wanted to be much better in this one.

"We can't be letting games like that slip away," Toews said. "I think the talk for a long time has been starting games a little bit better. I think we've been seeing that.

Obviously if we're in the right spot, we're in the driver's seat going into the third periods with a lead. Whether it's one goal or more than that, we've got to find ways to play better. I think a team like that, especially with their speed, they're going to come hard and the finish wasn't there tonight."

Five things from Blackhawks-Lightning: Underestimating the Lightning.


By Tracey Myers

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

That didn't end well, did it?

Listen, we're as surprised to see this as you all are. The Blackhawks have been automatic for so long when leading after two periods that you just assumed they were going to win those games for the next five years. So much for that.

But time to break this one down. With one game remaining before the All-Star break, let's look at the Five Things to take from the Blackhawks' 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

1. A rare loss recorded. When entering the third period with a lead, the Blackhawks were 78-0-5 in regular-season games (dating back to 2014-15) heading into Tuesday night's game. Well, if you're going to snap a great streak, why not do it with a thud? The Blackhawks were just steamrolled in the third period. Yes, they had some quality scoring chances, but Andrei Vasilevskiy was great, making 14 of his 34 stops in the third period. And at the other end — well, you all saw it.

2. Jonathan Toews scores again. There have been a few times this season when, after Toews has a good night, we assume this is going to be the start of a roll for him. This time he might really be onto one. Toews had a goal and two assists and had an outstanding game overall on Tuesday. He was creating whenever he was on the ice, and that included taking a few shifts with Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. It's a good sign for Toews, though his mood was tempered by the goals allowed. "It was nice to feel it out there and make plays and be in on a couple goals," he said. "Unfortunately, wasn't good enough defensively tonight, but you want to keep playing the same way I have the last couple of games."

3. Underestimating the Lightning? That might have happened. The Lightning might be hurt, they might be struggling in goal (except for Tuesday) and they might have a bad record. But that team still has a ton of skill and speed, both of which were on display against the Blackhawks. Coach Joel Quenneville warned about the Lightning still being "an extremely dangerous team." Indeed, the Bolts were.

4. Power play doesn't convert. The Blackhawks are struggling in this department again. They went 0-for-3 on Tuesday and have now gone six games without a power-play goal (0-for-12 in that span). Quenneville's big concern with the power play is if it's lack of scoring leads to a loss of momentum. That didn't happen. But capitalizing on one of those could have changed the complexion of this one.

5. A good start again. Remember when we said that if the Blackhawks would only start well they'd be much better off? Well, that's been hit and miss. The Blackhawks had another good start, this one including a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. But the finish wasn't there.

TSN coaches poll: Wild favored to win West over Blackhawks.

By Charlie Roumeliotis

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups since 2010, and have eliminated the Minnesota Wild from the playoffs three times from 2013-15.

But it's the Wild that NHL coaches believe will win the Western Conference this season as we approach the trade deadline.

In his annual midseason poll, TSN's Bob McKenzie surveyed 25 of 30 coaches to vote on multiple categories, such as the league's best player and the team most likely to win it all.

According to the survey, 11 coaches predicted the Wild will win the West while the Blackhawks and Sharks tied for second with four votes.

As for winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals are the favorite, earning 10 votes, followed closely by the reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins with eight. The Wild and Blackhawks rounded out the poll with three and two votes, respectively.

Joel Quenneville earned one vote as the NHL's best coach, which is three fewer votes than he had last year, despite this year being arguably his most challenging — and best — coaching job since arriving in Chicago, given the youth on the roster.

Extra incentive fuels Tanner Kero in second stint with Blackhawks.

By Tracey Myers

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Incentive. For many young prospects trying to latch onto an NHL roster, there's already plenty of it there. It's a chance at playing on a bigger stage, a bigger opportunity for a career and, if you're on a two-way contract, a bigger paycheck.

Tanner Kero already had that incentive but in November, received an even more special one: he and his wife welcomed their first child, a boy. Now when Kero plays, it's not just what it means for him. It's what it means for his family.

"It's been a fun experience. It's something a little extra special that you play for," Kero said. "You get your mind away from the game when you go home. You just relax and enjoy that part of life. It's just something extra to play for and it's been special."

Kero has been making the most of his second shot with the Blackhawks, recording two goals and two assists on the Blackhawks' dads trip. That included a three-point night against the Colorado Avalanche and a building chemistry with line mates Vinnie Hinostroza and Marian Hossa. 

Coach Joel Quenneville likes what he's seen thus far.

"He did a great job for us," Quenneville said. "Defensively, we like his availability in his own end. We like his positioning offensively. He had a nice couple of games to finish the dads trip but he's been good for us. I like the consistency."

Rockford coach Ted Dent said Kero started playing better in November, not long after Kero became a dad. Whether or not that had anything to do with it Dent didn't know, but the results were there nonetheless.

"I think he'd be the first to say his season started off slow with us and he finally caught his stride, maybe 15-20 games into our season," Dent said. "He was skating better, skating stronger, he had more confidence with the puck and things just came together."

Kero's line is a good blend of familiarity, defense and skill. Kero and Hinostroza are good friends who played together plenty in Rockford. Hossa is... well, Hossa, and pretty much benefits any line mate.

"It's been good," Kero said. "We've been trying to continue, get some secondary scoring. But we also want to be relied on defensively, be counted on to play in big situations, a defensive draw, at the end of a period or end of a game. We're trying to focus on being good defensively, being simple and hard to play against. We're getting fortunate enough to contribute offensively as well."

Hossa, whose game-winning goal in Boston came off a Kero feed, said the 24-year-old is adapting well.

"Since they called him up he took it to his advantage. Right now he's playing the 200-foot game, [he's] real smart in our zone, doesn't panic, makes the right play at the right time, and he's showing more offensive abilities," Hossa said. "It seems like things are going well for him and we're glad we can help as a third line right now in scoring some important goals. With young players, that's definitely big."

Kero's made an impact and an impression with the Blackhawks. Quenneville said on Sunday that, even when Marcus Kruger returns from his injury, Kero will likely remain where he is – "I don't see too many things that would change his positioning because he really helped himself," Quenneville said.

"That comment tells you the trust level he's gained in Kero," Dent said. "I knew over time that Kero was a player that Q was going to love. I've gotten to know Q over the years and in talking to him I know what he likes in players and it was just a matter of time because Kero's a responsible two-way player. He doesn't cheat the game and he's very aware of his defensive responsibilities and that's what Q loves, first and foremost. A lot of us coaches love that."

Kero is making strides in his second stint with the Blackhawks. He already had plenty of incentive to make an impact on this roster. Now a new father, he has that much more of one.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! Senior Bowl: Sadowski sees huge benefit for Bears.

By Larry Mayer


Bears director of college scouting Mark Sadowski is ecstatic that John Fox and his entire staff are coaching the North squad this week at the Senior Bowl.

"It's always been a positive experience coming here year after year as an observer sitting in the stands, but with us having the opportunity to spend more time with these athletes, it's a huge, huge help," Sadowski said in an exclusive interview with ChicagoBears.com.

"We get a chance to meet with them. We get a chance to visit with them. We get to see how they interact with their teammates, how they interact with our coaches. All of that is very big when it comes time to make a decision to draft these guys."

The Bears will coach the North team in practice Tuesday and Wednesday and then flip-flop with the Browns and work with the South team for one day in practice Thursday.

By the end of the week, Fox and his staff no doubt will have a good understanding of not only which traits some of this year's top draft prospects possess but what makes them tick off the field. The players will be evaluated on everything they do, from their performance on the field to the smallest detail, such as whether they bring a pen to take notes at a meeting.

"We're looking for dynamic playmakers," Sadowski said. "We want to get guys who are going to give us continued sustained success for the Bears. Obviously they wouldn't be here if they didn't have the physical attributes—size, athleticism, all that stuff. But we like going a little deeper.

"Do they love this? Are they passionate about this? Who's early for meetings? Who's late for meetings? All that stuff really comes into factor because there are a lot of great athletes out there, but to be a Chicago Bear you have to have all of those extra traits that we look for."

Sadowski grew up in Chicago and attended St. Rita High School. After eight years with the Saints, he joined the Bears in 2005 as a southeast area scout before being promoted to senior national scout in 2012 and director of college scouting in 2016.

Sadowski praised Senior Bowl director Phil Savage for assembling the best talent in the country. Of the 108 prospects who played in last year's Senior Bowl, 87 were drafted.

The Bears selected four Senior Bowl participants in last year's draft: Second-round offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, fourth-round linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, fourth-round cornerback Deiondre' Hall and sixth-round safety DeAndre Houston-Carson.

Whitehair, as much as anyone, boosted his draft stock with his performance at the Senior Bowl.

"He stood out in several ways," Sadowski recalled. "Obviously he was here for his talent; he had a great career at Kansas State. What we noticed about him right off the bat was how serious he was, how business-like he was, how smart he was.

"The thing that stood out was the way he conducted himself day-in and day-out, during his interviews, on the practice field. And we gravitated toward those traits."

Bears guard Josh Sitton named as injury replacement in Pro Bowl.

By Tony Andracki


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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Bears have another Pro Bowler.

After initially getting shut out on the Pro Bowl roster, the Bears have since had two players named as injury replacements with guard Josh Sitton now joining running back Jordan Howard.

Sitton was named as an injury replacement Monday afternoon for Packers guard T.J. Lang, who left Sunday's NFC Championship game early.

This will be Sitton's third straight Pro Bowl and fourth career honor.

The 30-year-old offensive lineman signed with the Bears before 2016 after the Packers released him.

Sitton played in 13 of the Bears' 16 games including 12 starts, helping to anchor the Bears' line when healthy.

Howard replaced Cardinals running back David Johnson on the NFC Pro Bowl roster earlier this month.

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Bulls ride Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler to win over Magic.

Associated Press

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Dwyane Wade scored 21 points, Jimmy Butler added 20 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Orlando Magic 100-92 on Tuesday night for their second straight victory.

Facing an Orlando team that was missing three of its four top guards, Wade and Butler took full advantage with drives to the basket and pull-up jumpers as the Bulls pulled away in the fourth quarter.

The turnover-prone Magic simply could not keep pace with a Bulls team that is going through point guard issues of its own with the surprising benching of Michael Carter-Williams.

Nikola Vucevic had 20 points for the Magic, who have dropped two straight and 11 of their last 14 games.

NBA Buzz: With trade deadline looming, Bulls' season at a crossroads.

By Mark Schanowski

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

With an extremely difficult six-game road trip right around the corner, it's safe to say we'll have a pretty good idea about the Bulls' playoff hopes by mid February, which just happens to be right before the league's trade deadline on Feb. 23.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg says he talks about big picture issues with his players "all the time" but acknowledges the perspective from the coaching staff has to be on preparing for the next game. Still, with Atlanta playing its best basketball of the season and the Wizards also enjoying a New Year's resurgence, we're probably looking at six teams (Bulls, Hornets, Pacers, Bucks, Pistons and Knicks) battling it out for the final three playoff spots in the East.

Yes, the Bulls did go 4-2 on their last extended road trip, but they were playing much more efficiently early in the season. Now, a trip that includes games against the Thunder, Rockets, Kings, Warriors, Suns and Timberwolves looks much more daunting. Even the teams with losing records will be tough to beat, considering Sacramento will be looking for payback after last Saturday's controversial loss at the United Center, the Suns are playing very well right now led by high-scoring guards Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker and Minnesota is also starting to find its way under Tom Thibodeau.

When the Bulls hit the All-Star break on Feb. 17, front-office executives John Paxson and Gar Forman should have a clear indication of which direction to pursue. Will they be looking to add another veteran scorer off the bench for a playoff run or start trading off pieces for draft picks? I'm guessing it's more likely the latter.

Right now, Taj Gibson and Niko Mirotic look to be the most tradeable commodities. Gibson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and it seems unlikely the Bulls will be of the mind to offer a big money, long term contract to a role-playing power forward who turns 32 in June.

With the experience of losing Pau Gasol for nothing last year still fresh in their minds, look for the Bulls to pursue trades with playoff teams trying to add another piece for the stretch run. The Toronto Raptors immediately come to mind, since they've been interested in Gibson for quite some time and look at power forward as their weakest position in a potential Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Cleveland. Would the Raptors be willing to give up their late first-round pick for a half season of Gibson's services? If they believe they have a legitimate shot at knocking off the Cavs this season, the answer is probably yes, especially considering their star point guard Kyle Lowry can also become a free agent at season's end.

Finding equal value for Mirotic might be a more difficult proposition, especially considering his reputation around the league has taken a hit since he came over before the 2014-15 season hailed as the best prospect in Europe. Mirotic was billed as a classic "stretch 4," but to this point, he's only shooting 34 percent for his career from 3-point range, and only 31 percent this season.

Anyone who's watched Mirotic play over the last couple months can see he's battling his confidence and that he might benefit from a fresh start with a new team. Plus, it looks like the Bulls have a ready-to-go replacement on the roster in second-round draft pick Paul Zipser, coincidentally, another European import. Add in the fact Mirotic will be a restricted free agent at season's end, and you can see why the Bulls might be better off exploring trade options now rather than being faced with the choice of matching a big contract offer this summer.

As for Rajon Rondo, unless he's involved as part of a blockbuster deal, there's little chance any NBA team is going to trade for the money remaining on his $14 million contract for this season. Look for the Bulls to explore buyout talks after the trade deadline.


Here are a few stories from around the Association that have caught my attention.

All-Star reserve picks

With the announcement of NBA All-Star reserves coming Thursday, here are my picks.

Remember the coaches from each conference will select two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild card choices from any position.

In the East, I would go with Isaiah Thomas and John Wall at guard, Paul George, Kevin Love and Joel Embiid in the frontcourt and Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker as my wild card picks. I know the East will have a point guard heavy roster, but that's the way the game is trending and Lowry and Walker are more deserving in my opinion than frontcourt players like Paul Millsap and Hassan Whiteside.

In the West, I've got Russell Westbrook and Klay Thompson as my reserve guards, DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan and Gordon Hayward in the frontcourt and Marc Gasol and Damian Lillard as my wild card picks. Apologies to other worthy choices in the West like Draymond Green, C.J. McCollum, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, but in case you haven't noticed, Jordan is having the best season of his career (averaging 13 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks a game while shooting 69 percent from the field) and he's kept the Clippers afloat with the injuries to both Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.

Boston's Thomas deserved to start All-Star Game

Back to the East, Thomas really should have been voted a starter. All he's done this season is average 29 points and six assists a game, carrying Boston to the third best record in the conference. But more impressively, the 5-foot-9 dynamo leads all NBA players in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging just over 10 points during winning time.

And, one thing we know for sure, the last player selected in the 2011 draft isn't lacking for confidence.

For years now, we've been hearing about Celtics general manager Danny Ainge looking to package some of his haul of future draft picks for a veteran star (like the Bulls' Jimmy Butler). Turns out his under-the-radar deal for Thomas back in February 2015 brought the C's a big-time scorer in one of the league's smallest players.

Stats of the week

Speaking of Butler, our stats "cruncher" Chris Kamka highlights some of the accomplishments that earned Jimmy Buckets the first All-Star start of his career.

— Butler has four games with 40 or more points this season, the most by a Bulls player in a season since Michael Jordan's 12 in 1997-98.

— He is the first Bulls player with three 40-point games over a six-game span since Jordan in January 1998.

— Butler put up 52 points, 12 rebounds and six assists on Jan. 2 vs. Hornets, the first time in United Center history a player had a game with at least 50 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

— He has two career 50-plus-point games, joining Jordan (38) as the only Bulls players with more than one (including playoffs).

— Butler had a streak of 15 straight games with 20 or more points this season, the longest such streak by a Bulls player since Jordan's last 23 games with Bulls (including playoffs).

— His 9.7 free-throw attempts per game this season are the most by a Bulls player since Jordan's 9.8 per game in 1988-89.

— Butler has attempted 10 or more free throws in 24 of his 43 games this season. He attempted 20 or more free throws twice.

Butler has improved his points per game in every year of his career:

— 2011-12: 2.6 PPG
— 2012-13: 8.6 PPG
— 2013-14: 13.1 PPG
— 2014-15: 20.0 PPG
— 2015-16: 20.9 PPG
— 2016-17: 24.8 PPG


Most 40-point game in Bulls history, including playoffs:

— Michael Jordan: 203
— Bob Love: 13
— Jimmy Butler: 7
— Ben Gordon: 5
— Scottie Pippen: 5
— Reggie Theus: 5


Quote of the week

And finally, with so many trade rumors circulating around the league these days, it was refreshing to hear Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy give beat reporters some candid comments about what actually goes on between front office execs, courtesy of the Detroit News.

"These discussions happen all the time, and I love it when teams say somebody is off limits. I won't lie to my guys. There's no one in this league who is off limits," Van Gundy said. "Who's the most off-limits guy? LeBron? What if the Warriors offered Kevin Durant and Steph Curry? They wouldn't consider that? There's no deal they wouldn't consider?

"Everybody's available. I got asked a question the other day: There's a report out there that Reggie (Jackson)'s available for the right price. Everyone in the league is available for the right price. It's just for your main guys, the right price is a lot steeper and usually doesn't come around."

Interesting stuff from the always-quotable Van Gundy. But I don't think we'll have to worry about that James-for-Durant-and-Curry suggestion getting a lot of play before the deadline.

CUBS Report: Cubs preparing to roll the dice with Brett Anderson.

By Patrick Mooney

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Cubs are preparing to roll the dice with Brett Anderson, hoping the talented, frequently injured pitcher can stay healthy and provide insurance for their rotation.

Anderson posted a telling message on his Twitter account on Monday night, hinting at what would be another offseason check mark for the defending World Series champs.

The physical for the agreement — first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and MLB Network — won't just be a formality as Anderson underwent back surgery last March and appeared in only four games for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.

But Anderson fits on paper as a left-hander who will turn only 29 on Feb. 1 and won't have to carry front-of-the-rotation responsibilities or feel Opening Day urgency on a team with five projected starters.

The Cubs had been willing to gamble around $6 million on Tyson Ross, who recently signed a similarly structured one-year deal with the Texas Rangers as he recovers from surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome.

The calculus would essentially be the same with Anderson. The Cubs have to factor in last year's grueling playoff run into early November, this season's sky-high expectations, the organization's lack of high-end, upper-level pitching prospects and the uncertainty surrounding the 2018 rotation.

Anderson finished sixth in the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year voting with the Oakland A's, but he's reached the 30-start mark only one other time and never accounted for 200 innings in a single season.

Anderson underwent Tommy John surgery in the middle of the 2011 season, and the injuries piled up from there, dealing with a strained right oblique, a stress fracture in his right foot and a broken left index finger.

Anderson had such a fragile reputation that he accepted the one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers after a strong platform year in 2015 (10-9, 3.69 ERA). The Dodgers only got 11 1/3 innings out of Anderson, who didn't pitch during a playoff run that ended at Wrigley Field in the National League Championship Series.

The Cubs stayed exceptionally healthy while winning 200 games across the last two seasons and need to be prepared in case John Lackey sharply declines at the age of 38 or Mike Montgomery experiences growing pains while transitioning from the bullpen.

Whether or not Anderson is ultimately the answer, the Cubs will be looking to place a sixth starter into their plans.

"I don't know if a six-man rotation on a permanent basis is the wave of the future," team president Theo Epstein said earlier this winter. "But we certainly endorse it on a temporary basis as a nice way to pace guys for the whole season.

"We can get them some rest, whether you do it in April to preserve depth and ease guys into the season, especially after a deep October and November run. Or after the All-Star break in the summer to kind of get through the dog days and give guys a little bit of a breather as you ramp up for the stretch run.

"I think it would be tough to pull off all season long. But it's something that (could certainly work) in the right spot."

Cubs' Carl Edwards Jr. looks to follow in Mariano Rivera's footsteps.

By Tony Andracki

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Carl Edwards Jr. couldn't dream up a better pitcher to try to emulate than Mariano Rivera.

Not for a young right-hander who is still getting used to being a reliever with a cutter as his bread and butter pitch.

After picking up his first career save late in 2016, Edwards mentioned how he has been watching video of Rivera. At the Cubs Convention earlier this month, Edwards name-dropped Rivera again in response to a fan question and went into more detail with exactly what he's aiming to accomplish by watching Rivera tape.

Let's be clear: Mariano Rivera is inimitable. He's a once-in-a-lifetime talent and there almost assuredly will never be a better closer in Major League Baseball.

But Edwards knows that.

"He's great. He's a Hall of Famer," Edwards said. "He goes out there like he has the world in the palm of his hand. He's very competitive; I've never seen him back down. That's one [takeaway] for myself — I'm gonna go out and never back down.

"I don't really get into trying to be like him. I just look more into how he goes about his business. That's something that I can control — how I go about my business."

Cubs coach Mike Borzello was there with Rivera in 1997 when the now-legendary cutter was born.

It's not fair to compare Edwards' cutter to one of the greatest pitches ever, but his version is pretty nasty in its own right:


https://twitter.com/ThePitcherList/status/794191921161900033

The Cubs are still searching for long-term answers in the rotation, but don't have any intentions of moving Edwards back to a role as a starter.

Like Edwards, Rivera began his career as a starting pitcher coming up through the Yankees system. But Edwards actually has a leg up on baseball's all time saves leader: Edwards' first save came in his age 24 season while Rivera didn't tally his first save until age 26 in New York.

Edwards also struck out 13 batters per nine innings in 2016 while Rivera never posted eye-popping whiff totals (a career 8.2 K/9 rate).

As Edwards gets set for what he and the Cubs hope will be his first full season in the big leagues in 2017, his maturation will be important in an age of baseball where relief pitchers have never been more valued.

Rivera pitched in the playoffs nearly every year, routinely working more than one inning and posting ridiculous postseason numbers: 0.70 ERA, 0.759 WHIP and 42 saves while taking home the World Series MVP in 1999 and ALCS MVP in 2003.

The Cubs hope Edwards will be pitching in the postseason on a regular basis, too.

For now, the 25-year-old is still reveling in the glory following the 2016 Cubs championship.

He served as honorary drummer at the Carolina Panthers game in November.

"That was pretty amazing. That's a highlight of my offseason," Edwards said.

He grew up as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan despite being a South Carolina native, but Edwards said he did get a pair of Cam Newton cleats to wear for 2017 when he and Cubs teammates like Addison Russell or Matt Szczur throw the football around in the outfield to get loose.

Edwards was also blown away by the reception from Cubs fans at the Convention — "This is my third year and every year as been better" — but still hasn't fully wrapped his mind around the ending of the 108-year drought.

"Everything happened so quick," he said. "Hopefully in the next couple weeks when I have a break, I can sit down and soak it all in."

CSN will air six Cubs spring training games in 2017.

By Tony Andracki 

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(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Cubs fans will get to see 10 spring training games on TV in 2017 as they begin their World Series title defense, including six contests on CSN.

The Cubs released their spring broadcast schedule Monday afternoon, featuring 10 games on TV, 10 on the radio on 670 The Score and then 27 internet radio broadcasts on Cubs.com.

Len Kasper and Mick Gillispie will be the broadcasters for Cubs.com games while Kasper and Jim Deshaies will serve as the announcers for all TV contests.

Here are all six of CSN's broadcasts (all game times in Mountain Time Zone): 

—Wednesday, March 15 (7:05 p.m.) vs. Diamondbacks
—Sunday, March 19 (7:05 p.m.) vs. Royals
—Wednesday, March 22 (6:05 p.m.) vs. Reds
—Saturday, March 25 (1:05 p.m. PT) vs. Reds
—Tuesday, March 28 (1:05 p.m.) vs. Giants
—Friday, March 31 (1:10 p.m. CT) vs. Astros


Here's the complete Cubs spring schedule:



WHITE SOX: Four top prospects among 19 players invited to White Sox big league camp.

By Dan Hayes

zcollins.png
(Photo/csnchicago.com)

Four of the team's top-10 prospects and a former All-Star are among the 19 nonroster invitees to White Sox big league camp this spring.

The team announced Monday that prospects Michael Kopech, Zack Collins, Zack Burdi and Spencer Adams have all been invited to camp next month. Everth Cabrera, an All-Star in 2013 for the San Diego Padres, Cody Asche, Cory Luebke and Geovany Soto are among the eight minor league free agents who also received an invitation. Pitchers and catchers report to camp in Glendale, Ariz. on Feb. 14 while the team holds its first full-squad workout on Feb. 18.

Kopech was acquired in the Chris Sale trade in December while Collins and Burdi were both selected in the 2016 amateur draft. Adams was drafted in 2014.

Signed earlier this month, Soto is expected to earn a spot on the 25-man roster. Soto, who played for the White Sox in 2015, finished last season with four home runs and an .809 OPS in 86 plate appearances for the Los Angeles Angels.

Cabrera, who produced 4.6 Wins Above Replacement between 2012-13, hasn't played in the majors since he appeared in 29 games for the Baltimore Orioles in 2015. Luebke, who has twice had reconstructive elbow surgery, finished with a 9.35 ERA in nine games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. Asche blasted 31 homers with a .240/.298/.385 slash line in 1,287 plate appearances since 2013 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Other minor league free agents include: left-handed pitcher David Holmberg, right-handers Blake Smith and Anthony Swarzak, and catcher Roberto Pena.

White Sox minor leaguer pitchers Aaron Bummer, Brian Clark, Jace Fry and Matt Purke, infielders Nicky Delmonico and Danny Hayes, and outfielder Courtney Hawkins also have been invited to camp.

CSN set to air nine White Sox Spring Training games.

By CSN Staff

rickrenteriawhitesox.jpg
(Photo/csnchicago.com)

White Sox fans will get an extended look at the team this spring.

The White Sox released their 2017 spring training broadcast schedule on Tuesday afternoon, highlighting that 10 games will be televised from Arizona (nine on CSN). In addition, there will be 15 radio broadcasts on WLS-AM and 12 webcasts on whitesox.com.

The broadcast team of Jason Benetti and Steve Stone will work all 10 televised games, Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson will serve as the radio broadcasters on WLS-AM and Russ Langer will return for his seventh White Sox spring training for all webcasts.

Here are all nine of CSN's White Sox spring training broadcasts:

- Tuesday, March 14 (3:10 p.m.) @ Mariners
- Friday, March 17 (2:05 p.m.) vs. Cubs
- Monday, March 20 (3:05 p.m.) vs. Dodgers
- Thursday, March 23 (3:05 p.m.) vs. Reds
- Friday, March 24 (3:05 p.m.) @ A's
- Sunday, March 26 (3:05 p.m.) vs. Giants
- Monday, March 27 (3:05 p.m.) @ Dodgers
- Wednesday, March 29 (2:05 p.m.) vs. Padres
- Saturday, April 1 (1:05 p.m.) @ Brewers


Check out the complete White Sox spring training schedule below:



Golf: I got a club for that..... The Comfort Zone: Farmers Insurance Open.

By Rob Bolton


If we’re going to fair to the true test of Torrey Pines, what transpired in last year’s Farmers Insurance Open is a lot like the experience of last week’s CareerBuilder Challenge. When weather throws a tournament off its axis, it becomes nothing more than survival. The usual factors that project success are no longer reliable. So it goes. That’s golf.

Brandt Snedeker is the defending champion in La Jolla, California, but he was arguably the least likely to win any tournament entering the final round in all of 2015-16. That he carded a 69 and didn’t have to face the elements on Monday was a break he’ll embrace and never expect again. Of course, it’s not the first time he’s shimmied his way to victory at Torrey Pines. He was the benefactor of Kyle Stanley’s regulation-concluding snowman in 2012. It yielded a playoff that Snedeker won.

A shortcut to get the pulse for what works best on a track that has hosted for a while is to review the past champions in reverse chronological order. In crossing off Sneds twice, you’re left with Jason Day (2015), Scott Stallings (2014), Tiger Woods (2013) and Bubba Watson (2011), all guys who moved it off the tee en route to their titles. Ben Crane upsets the trend with his triumph in 2010 (in which Snedeker shared runner-up honors) before Nick Watney aligns the stars again in 2009. Take it all the way back to 2003 and you’ll find John Daly (2004) as the only exception to Woods during that six-year stretch. It’s a murderer’s row of smashers.

Indeed, length off the tee has been a prerequisite, which means the 2016 edition has to be ignored in the long run. Of the 12 who finished inside the top 10 on the leaderboard, only J.B. Holmes also ranked inside the top 10 in measured driving distance for the week. (Only Torrey South is lasered for the tournament.) That doesn’t happen without Mother Nature treating the final round like a snow globe. The scoring average in the finale alone was nearly six strokes over par.

So, while the three groupings of identifiers carry value as components of scoring, confidence is greatest in the guys with muscle. In 2015, eight of the golfers who posted a top 10 in the tournament slotted inside the top 11 in measured drives. That set included Day (1st), Holmes (6th) and Stallings (8th).

RECENT WINNERS COMPARISON

STATBrandt Snedeker (2016)Jason Day (2015)Scott Stallings (2014)
Driving AccuracyT57T49T45
Greens in RegulationT14T8T22
Putting: Birdie-or-Better %30thT373rd
Putts per GIR4th33rd10th
Scrambling5th8thT24
Bogey Avoidance1stT7T10
Par-3 ScoringT2T31T9
Par-4 Scoring5th1stT11
Par-5 ScoringT40T31T13


Golfers in this week’s field inside the top 10 in the following categories in the 2016 edition of the Farmers Insurance Open:

Greens in Regulation

Rank Golfer (Tournament Finish)

1 Martin Laird (T8)
T2 K.J. Choi (2nd)
T2 Smylie Kaufman (T25)
T4 John Huh (T8)
T4 Kevin Streelman (3rd)
7 Billy Horschel (T8)
T8 Kyle Reifers (T31)
T8 Kyle Stanley (T25)
T8 Brendan Steele (T49)
T8 Jhonattan Vegas (T18)
T8 Gary Woodland (T18)


Scrambling

Rank Golfer (Tournament Finish)

1 Jamie Lovemark (T31)
3 Shane Lowry (T13)
4 Hudson Swafford (T13)
5 Brandt Snedeker (Win)
6 J.B. Holmes (T6)
7 Hunter Mahan (T43)
T8 K.J. Choi (2nd)
T8 Harris English (T31)
T8 Patton Kizzire (T8)


Bogey Avoidance

Rank Golfer (Tournament Finish)

1 Brandt Snedeker (Win)
2 Kevin Streelman (3rd)
T3 K.J. Choi (2nd)
T3 Martin Laird (T8)
T3 Jamie Lovemark (T31)
T6 Aaron Baddeley (T8)
T6 J.B. Holmes (T6)
T6 Shane Lowry (T13)
T10 Nine others


Length is expected to matter again this week because of the wet weather that rolled through on Monday on Tuesday, but rough as long as three-and-a-half inches will be awaiting wayward drives. Still, with the potential for receptive greens, at least early, and four par 5s on both courses, the bombers could feast yet again.

Despite the customary fluctuation in the conditions over the years, there are several competitors who have made enough noise to be included below. Good golf is good golf. As the saying goes, class is permanent.

NOTE: Low rounds and scoring averages take into account rounds on both courses.

HORSES FOR COURSES

Selected golfers with multiple cuts made sorted by rank on the tournament's money list.

1. Tiger Woods. Cuts made: 14/15, Top 10s: 12, Best finish: Win (x7), Low round: 62*, Average: 68.91
2. Brandt Snedeker. Cuts made: 8/10, Top 10s: 6, Best finish: Win (x2), Low round: 61^, Average: 70.33
3. Phil Mickelson. Cuts made: 20/27, Top 10s: 10, Best finish: Win (x3), Low round: 64 (x2), Average: 70.30
4. Charles Howell III. Cuts made: 14/14, Top 10s: 6, Best finish: 2nd/T2, Low round: 64 (x2), Average: 70.73
5. Nick Watney. Cuts made: 9/12, Top 10s: 6, Best finish: Win, Low round: 63, Average: 70.88
6. Jason Day. Cuts made: 5/7, Top 10s: 3, Best finish: Win, Low round: 65, Average: 71.29
7. Scott Stallings. Cuts made: 3/5, Top 10s: 2, Best finish: Win, Low round: 66, Average: 71.13
9. K.J. Choi. Cuts made: 10/14, Top 10s: 3, Best finish: 2nd/T2, Low round: 65 (x2), Average: 71.15
18. Jimmy Walker. Cuts made: 5/9, Top 10s: 4, Best finish: T4 (x2), Low round: 65, Average: 71.36
95. Brad Fritsch. Cuts made: 2/2, Top 10s: 2, Best finish: T9, Low round: 67, Average: 70.38


* - Tiger Woods' third-round 62 in 1999 is the course record at Torrey Pines South.

^ - Brandt Snedeker's opening round 61 in 2007 shares the course record at Torrey Pines North.


GETTING COMFY


Sorted by best finish, selected golfers who are either finally finding form on the course or are still relatively new to the tournament but have enjoyed some success.


J.B. Holmes. Cuts made: 8/11, Best finish: P2, Low round: 66
Harris English. Cuts made: 4/4, Best finish: P2, Low round: 66
Kevin Streelman. Cuts made: 2/6, Best finish: 3rd, Low round: 67
Aaron Baddeley. Cuts made: 10/13, Best finish: T6, Low round: 66 (x2)
John Huh. Cuts made: 4/5, Best finish: T6, Low round: 64
Jonas Blixt. Cuts made: 4/5, Best finish: T6, Low round: 65
Martin Laird. Cuts made: 6/8, Best finish: T7, Low round: 68 (x4)
Shane Lowry. Cuts made: 2/2, Best finish: T7, Low round: 67
Billy Horschel. Cuts made: 3/6, Best finish: T8, Low round: 66
Patton Kizzire. Cuts made: 1/1, Best finish: T8, Low round: 67


OTHER SIGNS OF COMFORT


Sorted by most recent top 10s, selected golfers for whom it's been a few years since their last.

Ben Crane. Cuts made: 8/12, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2010 (Win), Best finish: Win
Marc Leishman. Cuts made: 6/8, Top 10s: 3, Last: 2014 (T2), Best finish: T2 (x2)
Pat Perez. Cuts made: 9/15 , Top 10s: 2, Last: 2014 (T2), Best finish: T2
Graham DeLaet. Cuts made: 3/5, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2014 (T2), Best finish: T2
Charley Hoffman. Cuts made: 10/19, Top 10s: 2 Last: 2014 (T7), Best finish: T7 (x2)
Ryo Ishikawa. Cuts made: 2/5, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2014 (T7), Best finish: T7
Gary Woodland. Cuts made: 7/7, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2014 (T10), Best finish: T10
Seung-Yul Noh. Cuts made: 3/5, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2014 (T10), Best finish: T10
Kyle Stanley. Cuts made: 4/6, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2012 (P2), Best finish: P2
Cameron Tringale. Cuts made: 5/7, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2012 (T4), Best finish: T4
Hunter Mahan. Cuts made: 9/12, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2012 (T6), Best finish: T6 (x2)
D.A. Points. Cuts made: 6/10, Top 10s: 3, Last: 2012 (T8), Best finish: 5th
Rod Pampling. Cuts made: 7/11, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2012 (T8), Best finish: T8
Martin Flores. Cuts made: 4/5, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2012 (T8), Best finish: T8
Rickie Fowler. Cuts made: 5/7, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2013 (T6), Best finish: T5
Robert Garrigus. Cuts made: 7/11, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2013 (T6), Best finish: T6
Dustin Johnson. Cuts made: 6/8, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2011 (T3), Best finish: T3
Jhonattan Vegas. Cuts made: 5/6, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2011 (T3), Best finish: T3
Lucas Glover. Cuts made: 7/12, Top 10s: 3, Last: 2010 (T9), Best finish: T3
Camilo Villegas. Cuts made: 6/10, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2009 (T3), Best finish: T3
Stewart Cink. Cuts made: 10/14, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2008 (T3), Best finish: T3
Rory Sabbatini. Cuts made: 8/14, Top 10s: 2, Last: 2008 (T3), Best finish: T3
John Senden. Cuts made: 8/10, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2008 (T8), Best finish: T8
Stuart Appleby. Cuts made: 6/13, Top 10s: 1, Last: 2008 (T8), Best finish: T8


The Rules of Golf are about to undergo a big makeover.

By Alistair Tait

(Photo/Golfweek.com)

Get ready for arguably the biggest shake up to the Rules of Golf in generations.

The R&A and USGA are set to introduce a plethora of revised rules that will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. It will be an attempt to simplify the code by which the game is played.

David Rickman, the R&A’s executive director of rules, addressed the European Tour’s players during a meeting at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where he highlighted new innovations being considered for the 2020 edition of the Rules of Golf.

Golfweek understands that among the revised rules under consideration are: reducing the search time for lost balls from five minutes to three; allowing players to repair spike marks on greens; allowing players to drop a ball from any height when taking relief rather than the current stipulation of shoulder height; more of an emphasis on using red stakes for water hazards while still allowing yellow stakes in some cases; and eliminating the use of club lengths for taking relief.

Golfweek contacted the R&A, but a spokesman said: “the R&A does not wish to comment at this time since the rules process is still under review.”

The three-minute search rule will be seen as a means to try to speed up the game, while tour professionals will cheer any new rule allowing spike marks to be repaired. Professionals have complained for years at the unfairness of earlier groups playing on perfect greens while the leaders have to putt through marks left by the rest of the field. The European Tour even defied the R&A on this issue during the 1976 season, allowing its members to fix spike marks.

Previous R&A chief executive Peter Dawson revealed during his tenure that the R&A and USGA were working on a process to bring more clarity to the rules.

In 2013, he said: “This whole issue of complexity of the rules is important. We are actually doing a study at the moment with the USGA and the professional game to see if we feel the rules can be materially simplified. The group working on that is just about to come to a conclusion about whether we can go forward with that, and there is a lot of excitement about it.”

It’s taken over three years for the governing bodies to complete this process. The R&A and USGA are expected to reveal the full extent of the changes shortly.

Here's Why We Should Be Bullish About Golf In 2017.

By Erik Matuszewski

(Photo by Marco Garcia/Getty Images)

Golf has a big problem.

It’s the pervasive – and lazy -- narrative that the sport is dying. It’s not just misguided, it’s wrong.

But it’s a story often regurgitated because golf is an easy target, with detractors saying it’s too slow, too expensive and too exclusionary. The naysayers insist the sport must be in its death throes because participation is down, more golf courses are closing than opening, Golfsmith filed for bankruptcy and Nike stopped making clubs. Those things clearly aren’t positives, but the issue is that they never seem to come with proper context.

The reality is that the good in the game right now far outweighs the negatives, which is why – during the week of a PGA Merchandise Show that draws more than 1,000 passionate exhibitors to Orlando – we should be bullish on golf in 2017. There are, in fact, plenty of reasons for optimism.


Golf generates almost $70 billion in economic impact in the U.S. annually, impacts close to 2 million American jobs and pours about $4 billion into charitable coffers.

No, there aren’t as many rounds being played as during the sport’s zenith – when Tiger Woods was at his prime, the economy was strong and new courses were popping up like mushrooms. But what we’re seeing is not a precipitous drop in rounds-played, but a return to the level before golf’s popularity spike . And youth participation is up. Yes, far more courses are closing than opening, yet that’s because the market is going through a natural correction caused by over-saturation during the boom years.


The new courses that are debuting give proof to the maxim, “If you build it, they will come,” with gems like glorious Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia, the trend-setting reversible Loop at Forest Dunes in Michigan and the magnificent Mossy Oak in Mississippi. If nothing else, true golfers are passionate and dedicated souls. Buddies trips aren’t going anywhere.

Nike’s exit from the club-making side of the business shouldn’t have come as a major surprise.

Nike was never a major player in the golf equipment industry. Sure, the swoosh is highly visible on golf hats, shirts and shoes, but Nike clubs failed to gain a significant foothold in hard goods. The world’s largest sporting goods maker is used to dominating whatever part of the game it gets into. When that doesn’t happen, it pulls the plug – the same way it did 10 years ago when Nike gave up on its slumping ice hockey division known as NikeBauer. And the sport of hockey is doing just fine.


Other parts of the golf industry are in a state of consolidation too, including Adidas selling its golf division that includes TaylorMade to focus on apparel and footwear. Dick’s Sporting Goods, the owner of Golf Galaxy, acquired Golfsmith for $70 million in a bankruptcy auction and took over operations of at least 30 stores.

Shares of Callaway Golf are up more than 30% year-over-year. Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist, has exceeded analysts’ estimates since going public late last year with an IPO that sold more than 22 million shares of stock under the ticker symbol “GOLF.” Upstart companies like PXG have found a niche in the high-end of the equipment market, with increasing visibility.

What we’re seeing on the equipment side is manufacturers recognizing that mass production and short product cycles are not a viable business model. That strategy just lead to excess inventory – including a lot of clubs languishing in retail stores – and consumer frustration. (Who wants their $500 driver to be seen as “obsolete” after only a year?) The shift is now more toward longer product cycles and custom fitting.

I recently went through my first full-fledged club fitting, an eye-opening half-day process at The Reynolds Kingdom of Golf presented by TaylorMade. And that expansive facility, on the shores of Lake Oconee, Georgia, just got even bigger – with the recent opening of even more fitting bays – at a destination popular for instruction, club-fitting, corporate outings and junior programs. Golf is certainly alive and well at spots like Reynolds Lake Oconee, which features six distinctive courses and is just an hour from Augusta National, the home of the Masters.

Reynolds is in the first year of a 5-year partnership with the American Junior Golf Association and in October will host an invitational tournament for players 12-15 that caps a season-long series of events – the “Road to Reynolds.” It’s another sign that youth golf programs are stronger and more substantial than ever: The First Tee; the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship; U.S. Kids Golf; TGA Premier Junior Golf and Youth on Course to name a few of national prominence.

And golf today is more international than any time in its history. The sport got a major visibility boost from its return to the Olympics in 2016 following a 112-year absence, even with stars like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson taking a pass (this time around).

“It was game-changing for the sport,” says LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “We’ll see the impact of that for years to come.”

Speaking of the LPGA, its girls’ golf program introduced 62,000 young girls to the game in 2016 – a staggering increase from 4,500 just six years ago. Programs for women, in general, are making golf more welcoming and less intimidating, seeking to boost female participation. A recent study found that 29% of women who are non-golfers indicated an interest in taking up the game.

Millennial engagement will continue to be vital, though there are encouraging signs. The PGA Tour last year said that the percentage of millennials who play golf (28%) mirrors that of group’s percentage of the total population, although they only play about half as frequently as previous generations. The PGA Tour has actively embraced digital to try to engage with millennials, including active social media content and the creation of a cool Internet-only network called SkratchTV.

Here's a sampling of the multitude of other reasons to be optimistic about golf:

  • TopGolf’s growth.  With 28 bustling locations across the country, TopGolf may be more about entertainment than it is about golf, but it’s an incredibly enjoyable way to introduce newcomers to the game in a novel way – with music, food and fun. And competitors – like TaylorMade-backed Driveshack – are on the way.
  • New courses for the bucket list. If new courses are being built, they need to have a combination of great location and innovative design. Case-in-point: eagerly-awaited 2017 newcomers like Streamsong's Black course amid thousands of acres of phosphate mining property in central Florida, stunning Sand Valley in central Wisconsin or Dazante Bay on Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
  • Sub-60 scoring. Whether it’s better equipment, perfectly-conditioned courses, ideal weather or the depth of talent at the professional level, we’ve now seen 59’s in back-to-back weeks for the first time in PGA Tour history. Going low is in vogue.
  • The Kirkland Signature. The inexpensive ball from Costco created an almost unprecedented buzz throughout the industry, generating both considerable excitement and heated debate. The ball’s lifespan might have already run its course, but its impact was noteworthy.
  • Surfing the earth. GolfBoards – almost a cross between a surfboard and a skateboard -- are increasingly being embraced by a sport rooted in tradition. The company this year has introduced a new rental program for courses to try before they buy.
  • Fashionable golf. Golf casual is popular and it’s why we see brands like Bradley Allen, Peter Millar, Travis Mathew and Dunning designing apparel that can be worn both on the golf course and in the office. There are more than 400 apparel and apparel accessories exhibitors at the PGA Show.
  • New formats. The game is time consuming and people are seemingly busier than ever, which is why it’s heartening to see golf courses offer six- or nine-hole options, while others are toying with pay-by-the hole options. Short courses are also becoming more prevalent.
  • Tiger Woods is back. After a layoff for more than a year while recovering from his latest back surgery, Woods looks like he’ll again be relevant and competitive. Woods doesn’t just move the needle in golf; he is the needle – drawing fans while raising interest and TV ratings.
  • Golf’s depth. While Tiger was out of the picture, younger golfers got a chance at more visibility and took full advantage. From Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas to Hideki Matsuyama and Brooks Koepka, the talent at the highest levels of the game might be deeper than ever.
  • Play where the pros play. This one never gets old. Whether it's TPC Sawgrass, Kapalua, Torrey Pines, Pinehurst or Pebble Beach, weekend warriors have the opportunity to tee it up on the same courses the pros do. It's safe to say not as many sports fans have the chance to take batting practice in Yankee Stadium, shoot baskets at the Boston Garden or run routes at Soldier Field.
  • Tech in Golf. From TopGolf to Trackman and Arccos, golf is truly in the technological age, with offerings that help you have more fun, lower your handicap, or both.
  • New blood. Jay Monahan, 46, has taken over this year as the new PGA Tour Commissioner and brings fresh ideas and youthful exuberance. Among the changes ahead could be a global tour, a revised schedule and new formats that include men and women playing in the same tournament, perhaps as soon as January 2018 in Maui.

Golf unquestionably has concerns it needs to address.

It also has a passionate core following that’s committed to addressing those deficiencies. The thousands who gather in Orlando for the PGA Merchandise Show are proof of that, as are the millions more who await word of the latest and greatest to come out of the annual gathering. Focusing on a few negative stats doesn’t capture the whole picture of the industry, although many try to paint it that way. I encountered it first-hand in the media business: those who would come up with the negative narrative first and then hand-pick a few numbers to push along the storyline of golf’s demise.


But golf isn’t going anywhere. It truly is the game of a lifetime. Part of its beauty is that I can play it with my 80-year-old father or my 9-year-old daughter.


Oh, and she’s bullish about golf too. For a lot of reasons. And she doesn't even realize there's only a few months until The Masters Tournament.

NASCAR announces enhancements to race formats.

By Dustin Long

(Photo/nbcsports.com)

NASCAR revealed enhancements to the race format Monday that are intended to create more urgency and make the regular season more meaningful.

Under the new system, for the first time, points will be awarded during the 26-race regular season that carryover through the playoffs, all the way until the season finale in Miami.

The adjustments will be for all three series — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series — and come after collaboration and input from industry stakeholders, including drivers and teams.

NASCAR also noted that the alterations to the race format will allow fans to see more racing, minimizing green-flag laps missed because of natural breaks.

“Simply put, this will make our great racing even better,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, in a statement. “I’m proud of the unprecedented collaboration from our industry stakeholders, each of whom had a common goal – strengthening the sport for our fans. This is an enhancement fully rooted in teamwork, and the result will be an even better product every single week.”

Said reigning Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin on what all this means to the drivers: “There are no off weeks. Every single race matters. Not only that, but every lap of every race matters.”

For fans who might be uneasy about what was announced, Brad Keselowski said: “Wait to see this on the race track. This is going to be the best racing you’ve ever seen.”

Every race will consist of three stages with points earned in each stage. The Daytona 500 will not be altered. Stage points will be awarded in the duel qualifying races, which are held three days before the Daytona 500.

Points will be awarded to the top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages of a race. The stage winner will receive 10 points. Points will descend to the 10th-place finisher, who will receive one point.

The race winner will receive 40 points. Second place will collect 35 points with third earning 34 points. That descends one point per position. The driver who finishes 35th receives two points. Any driver who finishes 36th or worse scores one point.

There will be no bonus points awarded for leading a lap.

If a driver wins both stages and the race, they’ll score a maximum 60 points for the event.

A race will be deemed official at the end of the second stage. If the race ends at that point, the leader would receive the stage points and race points.

“I think this is an exciting time for NASCAR and the fans should be excited about this,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

NASCAR also announced a playoff bonus structure that will see the regular-season points leader honored.

The regular-season points leader will be given a 15-point bonus that will be added to the driver’s reset total of 2,000 points. The driver who is second in the standings after the regular season ends receives a 10-point bonus. That descends to a one-point bonus for the driver 10th in the standings. Drivers 11th or lower who qualify for the playoffs do not receive a bonus.

The bonus points carry through the first three rounds of the playoffs.

Also, the winner of the first two stages of each regular-season race would receive one bonus playoff point to be added to their reset total before the playoffs begin. The race winner will receive five bonus playoff points to be added to their reset total.

Those bonus points also can be earned in the playoff races. Thus, a driver who wins the playoff opener at Chicagoland would receive five points that would count to their total.

“Race fans deserve to see races that matter,” said NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton. “When races matter, the fans win.”

A race win will still help a driver and team qualify for the playoffs. NASCAR will no longer use the term Chase

The overall structure of the playoffs remains the same. There will be 16 drivers who make the playoffs in Cup (12 in Xfinity and eight in the Truck Series). NASCAR will reseed after each round.

In Cup, four drivers will be eliminated after each round, leaving four to compete for the title in the season finale in Miami.

The season finale in Miami will remain unchanged. Four drivers will compete for the title with the one finishing highest among the group the series champion.

Questions and answers about NASCAR’s announcement.

By Dustin Long

OK everyone, let’s take a deep breath and we’ll get through this.

NASCAR announced enhancements to the race formats on Monday that are intended to give fans more exciting moments during a race and the season.

As with anything new, there are plenty of questions. Here are answers to those questions.

So what is it with these stages?

Each NASCAR race will be divided into three stages. Points will be awarded for the top 10 finishers in each of the first two stages. That descends one point per position. Thus, 10th place in a stage receives one point. The final stage marks the end of the race. The winner receives 40 points with second-place receiving 35 points, third gets 34 points … on the way down to 1 point for any driver that finishes 36th or worse.

When will these stages take place?

The first stage will take place approximately 25 percent into the full race distance. So, for a 400-lap race at Richmond, the first stage would end somewhere around Lap 100.

The second stage will take place about 25 percent later.

That will leave the last half of the race to be run to conclusion.

So what happens after the first stage?

Once the field completes the lap that marks the end of the first stage, the caution will come out. Pit road is then opened for any teams that wish to stop. Once the pit stops are complete, TV will go to commercial break so fans can see more green-flag racing. Once TV returns from break, the race will resume. NASCAR estimates the breaks should take about five minutes.

How do they align the field for the next stage?

The field lines up the way the cars come off pit road. If not every car pits, then they are at the front with cars that made pit stops behind them for the restart.

OK, so what about those caution laps after the segment ends? Do they count?

Yes. All laps count.

Anything else unique about the stages?

Yes, pit road will be closed for five laps before each of the first two stages end.

Wait, what if there’s a caution right before the end of a segment? Can a segment end under caution or will it be extended?

Segments can end under caution. The end of the race will still have the overtime policy.

What is NASCAR calling these stages?

Stage 1. Stage 2. Stage 3.

What about the Daytona 500?

The 500 will have segments. The top 10 finishers in each of the duel qualifying races will receive points just like a regular segment. One difference is that the segment winner will not receive a bonus point for the playoff (more on these a little further down).

So what is the maximum number of points a driver can earn in any race now?

A driver can earn as many as 60 points. That would be 20 points for the two stage wins (10 points each) and 40 points for the race win.

Wait a minute, you’re forgetting those points for leading a lap and leading the most laps, aren’t you?

No. There will no longer be bonus points for leading a lap or leading the most laps.

Isn’t there a way the race winner can score fewer points than the runner-up?

Yes. Consider if the race runner-up won both stages (20 points) and then had their 35 points for second. That would be 55 points. Say the race winner failed to score a point in either stage. Thus, they would have only 40 points (for the win) for the event. So, the runner-up could score 55 points and the winner 40 points.

What else was announced?

The regular-season points leader after the 26th race will be rewarded — something many fans had requested.

How will the regular-season champ be rewarded?

The regular-season winner will receive 15 bonus points that carry over to their total once the playoff field has its points reset to 2000.

Is that it?

No, the top 10 drivers leading into the playoffs will receive a bonus. The second-place driver in the standings after the regular season ends will earn 10 playoff points, third place will earn eight points, fourth place will get seven points and so on. All playoff points carry through to the end of the Round of 8.

OK, is that it?

No, NASCAR has made those bonus points more valuable. Follow me. Say a driver finishes with six wins in the regular season. They would earn 30 playoff bonus points (five wins for each win). Now, say, they won seven segments in the regular season, they would have seven bonus points (one playoff point for each segment win). And, let’s say they finished as the regular-season champ, earning 15 bonus points. That means they would have 52 bonus points (30 from wins plus seven from segments and 15 for regular-season crown).

The driver will continue to receive those bonus points in each round of the playoffs as long as he/she remained eligible for the title — plus any additional victory or segment points earned in that round.

Anything else I should be aware of?

Yes, NASCAR is now using the word “playoffs” to describe its run to the championship instead of Chase. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. joked: “I think that for all the folks that have been asking us to get rid of the Chase for years, this is a great day for them.’’

Are these changes for the Cup Series only?

No, they are for the Cup, Xfnity and Camping World Truck Series.

What were some things the drivers said about all of this?

Denny Hamlin: There are no off weeks. Every single race matters. Not only that, but every lap of every race matters. From our standpoint, you always felt a little bit relaxed once you got a race win, and you would sometimes maybe go into test mode or something. Now with each accomplishment that you have during each given race, whether you’re collecting points for the overall regular season or you’re trying to collect points through a stage win or a race win, each accomplishment gives your road to Homestead a little bit easier, gives you a little bit of cushion there to be able to get through the playoffs and make it to Homestead, and that’s what it’s all about for us is making it to Homestead and trying to race for a championship.’’

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: “I love the fact that the bonus points or the playoff points will carry through the playoffs all the way to the last round. So everything you do throughout the season is really going to help you throughout the playoffs. That’s a great change.

Brad Keselowski: “Wait until you see it on the racetrack. When you see this on the racetrack, this is going to be the best racing you’ve ever seen.’’

Nature’s Bakery in discussions with Stewart-Haas Racing about Danica Patrick sponsorship.

By Daniel McFadin

AVONDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 11:  Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Nature's Bakery Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on November 11, 2016 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Stewart-Haas Racing and Nature’s Bakery, primary sponsor since last year for Danica Patrick, are “in discussions” regarding their partnership, the team confirmed to NBC Sports in a statement.

The news that seems to cast doubt on the sponsor’s future was first reported by the Associated Press.

The baked goods company became Patrick’s primary sponsor last season and was on the No. 10 Chevrolet for 28 races in 2016. It was slated to be the primary sponsor for more than 20 races this year.

Nature’s Bakery replaced GoDaddy, which left Patrick after sponsoring her in IndyCar and NASCAR for several years.

During media appearances Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center, Patrick wore a firesuit emblazoned with Tax Act, a sponsor for the partial season the last few years,  instead of Nature’s Bakery.

Here is the statement from Stewart-Haas Racing:
Nature’s Bakery and Stewart-Haas Racing are in discussions about how the sponsorship might look in 2017. Both sides have options, and it’s a matter of determining what is best for both parties. 
Stewart-Haas Racing remains focused on its preparation for the 2017 NASCAR season where it will again field four entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series while also introducing a full-time NASCAR XFNITY Series team.
SOCCER: The start of preseason brings the return of hope for the Fire.

By Dan Santaromita

pauno-123.jpg
(Photo/csnchicago.com)

A year ago there was hope surrounding the Fire. Hope that general manager Nelson Rodriguez, entering his first offseason with the club, and new coach Veljko Paunovic could spark a turnaround at the club. Those new faces, coupled with an overhauled roster, meant there was hope that things could be better.

Rodriguez and Paunovic had not yet failed with the Fire so there was still that hope that they had a magic touch.

That eroded as the season unfolded and the team’s shortcomings were quickly apparent. The reworked defense seemed to be improved, but the midfield was typically overwhelmed.

Now, after the Fire finished last in Major League Soccer for the second consecutive year, that innocent hope that a new coach and general manager bring is gone. Fans have seen Rodriguez and Paunovic fail and, even though they inherited a team that was not an easy one to turn around, there will be more skepticism.

This year there is hope again, but instead of coming in the form of new management, it comes in the form of accomplished players. Juninho (a three-time MLS All-Star and three-time MLS Cup winner), Dax McCarty (an MLS Best XI selection in 2015) and Nemanja Nikolic (the leading goalscorer in the Polish Ekstraklasa in 2015-16) on paper make the Fire a better team. Can they mesh into a cohesive team that will actually perform better in matches?

“You’d like to think so,” Rodriguez said on Monday at the team’s media day at the PrivateBank Fire Pitch on the North Side. “It’s an inexact science, or at least for me it is. I know others will be more brash and saying it’s all there and all the pieces are together. Until they’re on the field, until they’re in the hotel rooms, until they’re off the field at team meals you never really know.”

Rodriguez did say that this group is “very different” than last year’s.

“You can talk about all these clever ways to change culture, but the best way to have a winning team is to have winners as part of your team,” he said. “With those four guys (including goalkeeper Jorge Bava) at least we’ve added certified winners.”

So with two former MLS All-Stars arriving in central midfield, arguably the team’s biggest weakness last season, and a proven goalscorer, the pieces are there for the Fire to be better. Now it’s up to Paunovic to put the pieces together in a winning way.

“Obviously we have high expectations because we believe we did this job so far in offseason by the acquisitions that we had and the guys that are still to come,” Paunovic said. “It’s going to be a better team, more competitive.”

Even with the additions, the roster isn’t finished yet. Two trialists are in camp with the Fire, right backs Drew Beckie and Boyd Okwuonu. Beckie is a 26-year-old Canadian who played the 2016 season with the Carolina Railhawks in the North American Soccer League. Importantly, Beckie has a green card and would not count against the Fire’s international roster spots.

Okwuonu, 23, was drafted by Real Salt Lake in the second round of last year’s draft but was not retained. He has represented the U.S. at youth levels, including as a part of the Olympic qualifying team last year.

Right back has been an opening on the roster since Rodrigo Ramos’ loan was not renewed and no player has been added to fill that spot yet so those two could be fighting for a contract. Rodriguez said further additions to defense and midfield are still possible.

“Preseason is going to tell us where we have to improve,” Paunovic said. “Of course, theoretically we all know that there are a couple of spots still to reinforce and a couple of spots that we have to improve. For us now during all this time we are open to all the possibilities.”

The roster appears to be better, but even Rodriguez admitted he had hope last year.

“I was confident last year and the results of last year were bitterly disappointing and utterly unexpected by me," he said. "I have to believe our roster is better, whether that roster comes together the way we imagine, time will tell.”

Fire showing patience with emotional Dax McCarty.

By Dan Santaromiota

mccarty-124.jpg
(Photo/csnchicago.com)

The Chicago Fire opened its preseason on Monday, but much of the focus was on a player that wasn’t there: Dax McCarty.

The Fire traded for the midfielder from the New York Red Bulls last week and he is in camp with the U.S. national team.

Leaving New York hasn’t been easy for McCarty. He tweeted a lengthy thank you note to Red Bull fans on Sunday and still hasn’t mentioned anything about the Fire publically.

Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez and coach Veljko Paunovic visited McCarty at national team camp last week to make introductions.

“We obviously knew that this had to come as a surprise to him,” Rodriguez said on Monday. “A captain of another team, he had just gotten married. There’s never a good time to have unexpected change hit you.”

Getting McCarty on board with what the club is building is going to be key for the team’s success in 2017. Integrating McCarty and the other high-profile offseason additions, fellow midfielder Juninho and striker Nemanja Nikolic, into what Paunovic wants to implement will play a big role in how the Fire start the season. In order to do so effectively means making McCarty happy with his new team.

“For sure he’s a very, very emotional guy,” Paunovic said. “I like the way he expressed how he feels at this point. We all have to empathize with that and respect his time and the situation that he is going through.”

As poor as the timing of McCarty being traded two days after getting married was, it could be to the Fire’s benefit that McCarty is with the national team now and can have some time to process the change before arriving in preseason camp with the Fire in Florida in February.

“We are waiting for him here with open arms and waiting for him to come back, to handle all this situation, to go through that, then come here clear with desire that he played so far, with the same passion, with the same effort on and off the field and for sure with leadership that he will bring to our locker room,” Paunovic said.

For now, both Rodriguez and Paunovic are preaching patience. Rodriguez said McCarty was the top target of the Fire and said the move was six months in the making.

“We respected his need to breathe and to have time to go through his emotions, to spend time with his wife,” Rodriguez said. “I think everything will come in its due course and when his time with the national team camp ends we’ll give him a little time that he might need to recover from that camp and to attend to some personal matters and we’ll embrace him when he comes.

“For those of us that are married we know that happy wife equals happy life so we have work to do with Dax and his wife and his family and having them feel comfortable about Chicago. They were looking to put down roots in New York. Whether it’s unexpected like that or it’s someone like Nemanja Nikolic who chose us and chose to come here, we still have to work with him and his family and acclimating them. Our approach and our attitude is the same, although the circumstances are different. We have to be empathetic to the sensitivity that Dax and his wife are going through.”

Premier League player Power Rankings – Week 22.

Joe Prince-Wright

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22:  Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at the Emirates Stadium on January 22, 2017 in London, England.  (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
(Photo/Getty Images)

So. Much. Movement.

We have a new numero uno in our Power Rankings and plenty of movers and shakers up and down the list, plus nine new entries. Players from Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal continue to dominate our rankings.

Remember: this is a list of the top 20 performing players right now in the Premier League.

Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with the selections of the top 20 players in the PL right now.
  1. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) – Up 3
  2. Dele Alli (Tottenham) – Up 1
  3. Diego Costa (Chelsea) – New entry
  4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United) – Down 2
  5. Harry Kane (Tottenham) – Down 4
  6. Andy Carroll (West Ham) – New entry
  7. Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) – Up 6
  8. Michail Antonio (West Ham) – Down 3
  9. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) – Down 3
  10. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) – Down 2
  11. Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea) – Down 1
  12. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) – New entry
  13. Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) – New entry
  14. Raheem Sterling (Man City) – New entry
  15. Adam Lallana (Liverpool) – Down 8
  16. Phil Jones (Man United) – New entry
  17. Seamus Coleman (Everton) – New entry
  18. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) – New entry
  19. Gary Cahill (Chelsea) – New entry
  20. Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City) – Down 4
EFL Cup second legs preview: Liverpool, Hull City aim for comebacks.

By Nicholas Mendola

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11:  Divock Origi of Liverpool battles with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (L) and Ryan Bertrand of Southampton during the EFL Cup semi-final first leg match between Southampton and Liverpool at St Mary's Stadium on January 11, 2017 in Southampton, England.  (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Manchester United and Southampton are 90 minutes from Wembley Stadium.

Hull City and Liverpool would prefer to change that.

After first legs a fortnight ago, the EFL Cup semifinals play out on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of Feb. 26’s final at Wembley.

First up is Southampton‘s trip to Liverpool, with the Saints nursing a 1-0 lead from the first leg at St. Mary’s. The Wednesday kickoff sees Saints hoping the Reds’ poor run of form will continue at Anfield. Liverpool has one win 2017, and that was an FA Cup replay victory over Plymouth Argyle.

Southampton boss Claude Puel knows the Reds will be ornery:
“We know Liverpool. They lost against Swansea at home, and I am sure they will want to react against us, but it’s important to keep all of our focus about our play. 
“We know they are fantastic, a great team, with great players, but you saw in the first leg we have the ability to produce a strong game against them. It will be important to make a strong game – a perfect game – I think.”
Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United got a terrific result in the first leg at Old Trafford, scoring twice and holding Hull City from scooping up a valuable road goal. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored the goals in the 2-0 win, but the KC Stadium will be rocking on Thursday as the Tigers look to reverse the result.

United midfielder Michael Carrick says the Red Devils will play as if they are starting from scratch:
“It’s definitely not over, we all know that. We are telling ourselves that. I think we’ll be pretty much full strength and will approach the game like it’s a 0-0 and starting from scratch. 
“It’s dangerous when you go in there defending a lead to tell yourself this result will do or that result will do, or we can afford to do this or that.”
CONCACAF Champions League gets reboot; MLS benefits.

By Nicholas Mendola

Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey, right, clears the ball away from Club America midfielder Rubens Sambueza (14) during the first half of a CONCACAF Champions League soccer quarterfinal, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Changes to the CONCACAF Champions League will benefit Major League Soccer in a big way.

Long requested by MLS, the North American league will only have to send its clubs to the CCL for the final four rounds, which will be home-and-away affairs.

Previously, clubs competed in a group stage from August to October, then joined the knockout rounds in February.

While MLS sides may still be just starting their seasons and have to contend with clubs who have been playing meaningful games, they will also be less likely to draw successful Liga MX sides in the Round of 16.

All of the details are here, but here’s a simplified takeaway:

— The 16 teams that qualify for the CCL, which will begin in February, will include four U.S. teams, one Canadian team, and four Mexican teams.

— The next six sides will be the Caribbean Club Championship winner and the champions of Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama.

— The remaining side will win its spot via a new tournament which includes 13 Central American teams and three from the Caribbean.

For those of us hoping to see an MLS side in the Club World Cup, the odds will become better come the 2018 CCL. As for this year, MLS will again have to deal with the split season.

NCAABKB: 2017 NCAA Associated Press Basketball Rankings, 01/23/2017.

AP

RANK

               SCHOOL

     POINTS

     RECORD

     PREVIOUS

1               Villanova (35)     1591     19-1     1
2               Kansas (28)     1572     18-1     2
3               Gonzaga (2)     1471     19-0     4
4               Kentucky     1414     17-2     5
5               Baylor     1379     18-1     6
6               Florida State     1215     18-2     10
7               Arizona     1190     18-2     14
8               UCLA     1177     19-2     3
9               North Carolina     1171     18-3     9
10               Oregon     1035     18-2     11
11               Butler         914     17-3     13
12               Virginia       803     15-3     16
13               Louisville       796     16-4     12
14               Notre Dame       767     17-3     15
15               Wisconsin       746     16-3     17
16               Creighton       731     18-2     7
17               Duke       628     15-4     18
18               West Virginia       569     15-4     7
19               Cincinnati       478     17-2     20
20               Purdue       412     16-4     21
21               St. Mary's (Cal.)       290     17-2     23
22               Maryland       261     17-2     25
23               South Carolina       171     15-4     24
24               Xavier       146     14-5     22
25               Florida         47     14-5     19

Others receiving votes: Kansas St. 41, SMU 33, Northwestern 28, UNC Wilmington 14, Iowa St. 12, Virginia Tech 7, Dayton 6, Southern Cal 6, Akron 1, Illinois St. 1, Middle Tennessee 1, Utah 1

Late Night Snacks: Villanova, Kansas, Kentucky all go down.

By Terrence Payne


MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 24:  Jajuan Johnson #23 and Duane Wilson #1 of the Marquette Golden Eagles celebrate with fans following an upset victory over the Villanova Wildcats at BMO Harris Bradley Center on January 24, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo/nbcsports.com)

GAME OF THE NIGHT: Marquette 74, No. 1 Villanova 72

The Golden Eagles were down by 15 at half to the nation’s top team, but closed out the game on a 19-4 run led by Duane Wilson and Katin Reinhardt. If I told you that duo was going to lead Marquette to a win over Villanova, would you have believed me? … Didn’t think so. We need to stop sleeping on this team.

In less than five days, Marquette has played its way into the NCAA Tournament field with a pair of signature wins.

IMPORTANT OUTCOMES

No. 18 West Virginia 85, No. 2 Kansas 69:  After back-to-back losses, the Mountaineers responded in a big way with a double-digit win over the Jayhawks. This didn’t follow the typical ‘Press Virginia’ blueprint, but that’s what made it all the more impressive. Frank Mason III was held to a 12 points, needing a 15 shots to score his dozen.

Tennessee 82, No. 4 Kentucky 80: Tennessee snapped Kentucky’s seven-game win streak. The Wildcats were held in check in transition, while the Volunteers’ bench outscored Kentucky’s, 37-4. Robert Hubbs III and Malik Monk both led their teams with 25 points apiece.

Well this is one way to set up Saturday’s matchup with Kansas.

No. 12 Virginia 71, No. 12 Notre Dame 54: Shots didn’t fall early for Notre Dame, as the pack-line defense held the league’s best 3-point shooting team to 18 percent shooting from deep. London Perrantes scored 22 points and once again came up with timely shots.

No. 20 Purdue 84, Michigan State 73: Hot shooting couldn’t be sustained and Purdue’s frontline became too much for Michigan State’s shorthanded front court. Caleb Swanigan finished with another monster stat line: 25 points and 17 rebounds. Miles Bridges had a season-high 33 points.

STARRED

  • Katin Reinhardt, Marquette: The grad transfer scored 18 of his 19 points after halftime. Playing the role of point forward was even more important after Markus Howard struggled all night.
  • Donovan Mitchell, Louisville: The sophomore guard had 16 points at half. Pitt had 18 as a team. Mitchell’s career-best of 27 points included 6-of-8 from three.
  • Caleb Swanigan, Purdue: The 6-foot-9 sophomore recorded his 17th double-double of the season. The Boilermakers have played 21 games.

STRUGGLED

  • Pitt: Louisville throttled the Panthers, 106-51. It was the worst loss for the program in more than a century.
  • Deadspin: You made Ted Cruz likable. Enough said.

TOP 25

  • Bronson Koenig’s 20 points led No. 15 Wisconsin to an 82-55 win over Penn State. The Badgers are still the co-leaders in the Big Ten.
  • Behind 15 3-pointers, No. 23 South Carolina routed Auburn, 98-69. The Gamecocks, coming off a loss to Kentucky, is 6-1 in the SEC.
  • No. 22 Maryland was led by Melo Trimble’s 17 points in a 67-55 win over Rutgers. The Terrapins still share the top spot in the Big Ten standings with No. 15 Wisconsin.

NOTABLE

  • Akron (7-0 MAC) remained unbeaten in conference play with a 90-80 win over Western Michigan
  • The nation’s leading scorer, Marcus Keene, had 28 points in Central Michigan’s 82-76 win over Bowling Green.
  • St. Bonaventure came back from down 18 to defeat St. Joe’s, 67-63
  • Wichita State has won three in a row after an 87-45 victory over Southern Illinois
  • It’s fitting that on the day the school honored Steph Curry that Jack Gibbs recorded a 32-point outing. Davidson beat Duquesne 74-60
  • Syracuse is back to .500 in ACC play by beating Wake Forest, 81-76
  • Daryl Macon’s last second free throws capped

Player of the Year Power Rankings: Frank Mason is having an incredible year.

By Rob Dauster

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15:  Frank Mason III #0 of the Kansas Jayhawks in action against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2016 in New York City.  (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo/csnchicago.com)

One quick note before we get into these rankings: Creighton’s Mo Watson Jr. has been dropped out of them completely.

If you’ve been living under a rock for the last week and haven’t heard, he tore his ACL and is done for the season. As of today, he deserves to be on this list somewhere – maybe even as high as No. 5 – but since he will not be returning at any point, I’ve taken him off the list.

I also dropped Luke Kennard out of the top ten. I still think that he is the best player on the Duke roster and the guy that they should be running their offense through, but the fact of the matter is that he’s just not doing that. And when a team with as much talent on it as Duke has is struggling the way that the Blue Devils are struggling, it’s hard to give anyone in that program an award for anything.

On to the top ten:

1. Frank Mason III, Kansas: By this point in the season, freaky outlier stats are supposed to have regressed to the mean, but that hasn’t happened with Mason. He’s still averaging 20.1 points and 5.4 assists for the nation’s No. 1 team, but what’s even more impressive is that he’s shooting 53.7 percent from three while attempting more than four per game. And Mason is the starting point guard for Kansas. His shooting isn’t close to the most valuable thing he does for this team, which should give you an idea of just how good he’s been.

2. Josh Hart, Villanova: Hart was terrific last week in Villanova’s win over Providence, finishing with 26 points, six boards and four assists. Most of his heroics came earlier on in the season, which some of the folks just tuning into college hoops these days may not have seen. And if you haven’t had a chance to watch Hart play yet, make sure you do. He’s not the same player he was a season ago.

3. Lonzo Ball, UCLA: While I still believe that there is a clear-cut top three in the Player of the Year race, Ball trails the top two in my mind. His offensive numbers are terrific and his effect on the culture of the UCLA program is still underrated, but it’s also become very clear that the Bruins’ defensive struggles are something that could cost them a shot at a national title, and Ball has never been known for his ability on that end of the floor.

4. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky: We all got to see what Fox’s value truly is to Kentucky on Saturday. UK’s star point guard rolled his ankle midway through the first half against South Carolina, when the Wildcats held a big lead on the second-place Gamecocks. South Carolina came roaring back after Fox went out and kept things close for much of the rest of the game, before UK was able to pull away late. Isaiah Briscoe filled in for him at the point, and went scoreless with seven turnovers in the game.

5. Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
6. Ethan Happ, Wisconsin: The debate between Caleb Swanigan and Ethan Happ for Big Ten Player of the Year is heating up, and it’s one that will likely rage throughout the rest of the season. They are the star players on the two most relevant Big Ten title contenders, and they just so happen to play the same position and put up similar numbers.

The argument for Happ is pretty simple: He’s a better defender than Swanigan, and it’s not particularly close. One example? Swanigan and 16 steals in more than 1500 career minutes. Happ has 15 steals in 180 minutes in Big Ten play this season. Then when you factor in the pace that Purdue and Wisconsin play at and the fact that Swanigan averages six more minutes than Happ, their per-40 numbers are more or less similar. Swanigan is an improved but Happ is still a better passer and he’s not a turnover machine.

If you lean Happ, I don’t think you’re wrong.

But as of today, Swanigan gets my vote simply because of the role he plays for Purdue and the value that he has in how that team runs their offense. Happ has been Wisconsin’s best player this season, but the difference in the Wisconsin that we see now and the Wisconsin that we saw in November is that Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig have accepted their respective roles. Hayes’ has been particularly important, accepting that he needs to be a point forward for this team to reach their ceiling.

7. Joel Berry II, North Carolina: It’s hard to pick between Justin Jackson and Berry for who should be deserving of being North Carolina’s Player of the Year candidate, but I think that it’s Berry simply because he’s the guy that makes their offense run. Jackson has turned into UNC’s go-to guy, the player that seems to make every big shot and who gets his number called on critical possessions, but it’s Berry who makes the Tar Heel offense work for the other 39 minutes of the game. If you lean Jackson, I have no qualms. They’ve both been terrific.

8. Lauri Markkanen, Arizona: While everyone is celebrating the return and Allonzo Trier and the emergence of Kobi Simmons at UCLA, they are overlooking the fact that Markkanen has consistently been the best player for the Wildcats this season and spent Saturday outplaying T.J. Leaf, another potential lottery pick.

9. Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga: Williams-Goss has come back to earth a little bit since putting up 19 points and six assists on Saint Mary’s in Gonzaga’s 23-point win, but he still leads Gonzaga in scoring and assists and is second in rebounding despite being a 6-foot-2 point guard.

10. Johnathan Motley, Baylor: The 6-foot-10 Motley went for 32 points and 20 boards against Texas last week, backing that up with 15 points and 11 boards in a win over TCU. On Feb. 1st, we’ll get to see him go up against Kansas for the first time this season.

JUST MISSED THE CUT

Luke Kennard, Duke
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
Dwayne Bacon, Florida State
Markelle Fultz, Washington
Josh Jackson, Kansas
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Jock Landale, Saint Mary’s
Alec Peters, Valparaiso
Melo Trimble, Maryland

NCAAFB: Jim Harbaugh becomes first coach to pay three assistants $1 million.

By Zach Barnett

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 21:  Jim Harbaugh head coach of the Michigan Wolverines run onto the field prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on November 21, 2015 in State College, Pennsylvania.  (Photo by Evan Habeeb/Getty Images)
(Photo/Getty Images)

According to the USA Today coaching salary database, a dozen assistant coaches took home at least $1 million in 2016.

That number will rise to at least 15 in 2017, and three of the coaches will wear maize and blue.

Michigan released contract information Tuesday that shows offensive coordinator Tim Drevno, defensive coordinator Don Brown and quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton will each take home $1 million in 2017. This comes on the heels of Jim Harbaugh taking home an industry-leading $9 million himself in 2016.

In another move that will not go unnoticed within the industry, Harbaugh has also handed lengthy contracts to each assistant. Drevno and Brown each inked 5-year deals, and Hamilton a 4-year one.

Brown’s deal stays at a flat $1 million through the first four years before jumping to $1.4 million in Year 5, with $1.4 million in retention bonuses built in. Hamilton will make $1.25 million in the final year of his contract, with $700,000 waiting after the second and third seasons. Drevno will make $1 million with no retention bonuses, but he has netted a $150,000 signing bonus.

Contract details oncoming:




Don Brown Contract


Timothy Drevno Contract


Pep Hamilton Contract

Chrome morning-line favorite for $12M Pegasus Cup.

ESPN

(Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin)

California Chrome is a favorite to win his finale and potentially make history.

The two-time Horse of the Year has been set as the 6-5 top choice to win Saturday's inaugural running of the $12 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park. If California Chrome prevails over the mile-and-an-eighth distance in the world's richest race, his last before being retired to stud, he would become the first horse to pass $20 million in career earnings.


Arrogate, who beat California Chrome in their lone head-to-head meeting in the Breeders' Cup Classic last fall, is the 7-5 second choice.

As if there wasn't enough intrigue for such a big-money race, neither got an ideal spot in Monday's draw at Gulfstream. Arrogate drew the inside No. 1 post; California Chrome got the outside post in the 12-horse field.

"We won't have to be in the starting gate long," California Chrome trainer Art Sherman said. "Chrome's Chrome. He's got tactical speed. I was hoping we might get closer inside, but he's going to overcome all this, believe me."

Keen Ice -- whose initial odds were set at 12-1 -- is the third choice. Keen Ice was third behind Arrogate and California Chrome in the Breeders' Cup Classic but was beaten by more than 10 lengths.

"Already, the drama is starting," Gulfstream Park president Tim Ritvo said.


The 12 stakeholders all put up $1 million for a spot in the starting gate for this first-time event. Had it not come together, it would have been unlikely that Arrogate and California Chrome would face off for a second time.

"I think it could be another great race," Arrogate jockey Mike Smith said.

California Chrome had his final official work over the weekend, though he was back out for a pre-dawn jog on Monday and even got to meet some members of the U.S. Polo Team.

His connections say he's ready.

"He's like a stick of dynamite," exercise rider Dihigi Gladney said.


It is largely expected to shape up as a two-horse race on Saturday.

Perhaps the best illustration of what lured some into this race is 9-year-old Prayer for Relief -- who has lost his last 20 starts yet is in the field with an eye on racing's biggest payday.

California Chrome's earnings to date are $14,502,650. The rest of the field has earnings of $12,856,216. And owners of the other 10 horses in the field know that they'll likely need a lot of help to beat either California Chrome or Arrogate to the finish.

"It is a horse race. Anything can happen," Neolithic owner Jack Wolf said. "But I think it's great to have these two horses."

The field, from the rail out followed by their morning lines, is Arrogate, 7-5; Prayer for Relief, 50-1; Neolithic, 30-1; Noble Bird, 25-1; War Story, 50-1; War Envoy, 50-1; Shaman Ghost, 20-1; Semper Fortis, 50-1; Keen Ice, 12-1; Breaking Lucky, 25-1; Eragon, 50-1; California Chrome, 6-5.


On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, January 25, 2017.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1924 - The first Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Winter Olympic Festival, were inaugurated in Chamonix in the French Alps. Sixteen countries sent 294 athletes to compete in five sports and thirteen events.

1981 - The Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. The Raiders won the Super Bowl after entering the playoffs as a wildcard team.

1987 - Neil Diamond sang the U.S. national anthem at Super Bowl XXI.

1987 - The New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI on NBC. The game featured TV commercials cost $550,000 for 30 seconds.

1988 - Rickey Green of the Utah Jazz scored the 5 millionth point in NBA history.

1995 - The defense gave its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson trial.

1998 - The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway. The win also broke the 13 game winning streak of the NFC.

2002 - Ken Hitchcock was fired as head coach of the Dallas Stars. He had a record of 277-160-60-6, five straight division titles and two Stanley Cup finals appearances. His post season record was 47-33.

2003 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVIII in San Diego. Coach Jon Gruden, at age 39, was the youngest coach to ever win the title.

2010 - Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a PBA Tour title.


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