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TRENDING: North Carolina-Gonzaga, 9:20 p.m. ET, CBS; South Carolina beats Mississippi State to capture first women’s basketball national title. (See the NCAABKB section for team news and tournament updates).
(Photo/AP)
TRENDING: With little to play for, Blackhawks fall to Bruins in regular season finale. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: 'Best available' has Bears leaning toward pass rusher or DB as draft approaches. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Jimmy Butler's 39 points lead Bulls past Pelicans. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Jimmy Butler's 39 points lead Bulls past Pelicans. (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Henley rallies for SHO win, Masters invite. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Brad Keselowski emerges on top after classic duel with Kyle Busch in STP 500. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
2017 NCAA "MARCH MADNESS" SCORES (UP TO THE MINUTE):
Saturday, April 1, 2017 (Semi-Final Games)
Game 1: Gonzaga 77, South Carolina 73
Game 2: North Carolina 77, Oregon 76
Monday, April 3, 2017 (Finals)
North Carolina-Gonzaga, 9:20 p.m. ET, CBS
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? With little to play for, Blackhawks fall to Bruins in regular season finale.
Game 1: Gonzaga 77, South Carolina 73
Game 2: North Carolina 77, Oregon 76
Monday, April 3, 2017 (Finals)
North Carolina-Gonzaga, 9:20 p.m. ET, CBS
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? With little to play for, Blackhawks fall to Bruins in regular season finale.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Blackhawks didn't have much on the line heading into Sunday's game.
They were already deemed best in the West on Saturday, when the Nashville Predators beat the Minnesota Wild. They'll have home ice throughout the conference playoffs. And while the Blackhawks almost pulled it out in the final 20 minutes, the visiting Boston Bruins, with more on the line, came away with this one.
Artemi Panarin scored his 29th goal of the season but Kevan Millar's third of the season proved to be the game winner as the Bruins beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday. The Blackhawks wrapped up their regular-season home schedule with a push in the third period but Anton Khudobin was stellar throughout to keep them from pulling off the comeback.
So did the Blackhawks, with nothing on the line entering this one, have a tough time getting motivated for it?
"Tough to forecast," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Early game for both teams, and important game for them. For us, we wanted to make sure we played the right way. We didn't give up a ton and got better as the game went on."
No doubt, the Blackhawks saved their best for the final 20 minutes. After Millar gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead midway through the third Jordin Tootoo scored his second of the season just 25 seconds later to cut the Blackhawks' deficit to 3-2.
"We talked about all three of us going to the net, not being too pretty and getting some rebounds, some quick shots," said John Hayden, who had the primary assist on Tootoo's goal. "Fortunately that one worked out."
But Khudobin wouldn't allow anything more, stopping 15 of the Blackhawks' 16 third-period shots. He stopped 41 of 43 for the game.
The Bruins took advantage of the Blackhawks' semi-sluggishness, staking themselves to a 2-0 lead (Ryan Spooner and Patrice Bergeron) by the end of the first.
Panarin's late second-period goal was an interesting one. His first attempt hit Richard Panik, who had slid into the net, but he would score on the second attempt.
"I just battled with the guy to the net. I got an elbow to the head, then I just heard we scored," said Panik. "I was just shaking off from the elbow. I didn't even know there was a shot coming."
The Blackhawks will have some decisions to make during their final three road games. They may rest players as the road trip wears on and may tinker with some lines to see what their postseason options are. Sunday's game was fine but considering how much the Blackhawks already had wrapped up entering it, it wasn't surprising it wasn't their best 60-minute effort.
"I think we had to come out hard. I think both teams were feeling each other out," Brent Seabrook said. "A couple of plays we could have been better on. That's it."
Quick Hits: Anton Khudobin stellar afternoon leads Bruins over Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
They were already deemed best in the West on Saturday, when the Nashville Predators beat the Minnesota Wild. They'll have home ice throughout the conference playoffs. And while the Blackhawks almost pulled it out in the final 20 minutes, the visiting Boston Bruins, with more on the line, came away with this one.
Artemi Panarin scored his 29th goal of the season but Kevan Millar's third of the season proved to be the game winner as the Bruins beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday. The Blackhawks wrapped up their regular-season home schedule with a push in the third period but Anton Khudobin was stellar throughout to keep them from pulling off the comeback.
So did the Blackhawks, with nothing on the line entering this one, have a tough time getting motivated for it?
"Tough to forecast," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Early game for both teams, and important game for them. For us, we wanted to make sure we played the right way. We didn't give up a ton and got better as the game went on."
No doubt, the Blackhawks saved their best for the final 20 minutes. After Millar gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead midway through the third Jordin Tootoo scored his second of the season just 25 seconds later to cut the Blackhawks' deficit to 3-2.
"We talked about all three of us going to the net, not being too pretty and getting some rebounds, some quick shots," said John Hayden, who had the primary assist on Tootoo's goal. "Fortunately that one worked out."
But Khudobin wouldn't allow anything more, stopping 15 of the Blackhawks' 16 third-period shots. He stopped 41 of 43 for the game.
The Bruins took advantage of the Blackhawks' semi-sluggishness, staking themselves to a 2-0 lead (Ryan Spooner and Patrice Bergeron) by the end of the first.
Panarin's late second-period goal was an interesting one. His first attempt hit Richard Panik, who had slid into the net, but he would score on the second attempt.
"I just battled with the guy to the net. I got an elbow to the head, then I just heard we scored," said Panik. "I was just shaking off from the elbow. I didn't even know there was a shot coming."
The Blackhawks will have some decisions to make during their final three road games. They may rest players as the road trip wears on and may tinker with some lines to see what their postseason options are. Sunday's game was fine but considering how much the Blackhawks already had wrapped up entering it, it wasn't surprising it wasn't their best 60-minute effort.
"I think we had to come out hard. I think both teams were feeling each other out," Brent Seabrook said. "A couple of plays we could have been better on. That's it."
Quick Hits: Anton Khudobin stellar afternoon leads Bruins over Blackhawks.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It’s hard to get motivated for something when there’s really nothing at stake. The Blackhawks experienced that on Sunday, a game that meant nothing to them in the standings but meant plenty to the Boston Bruins, who won 3-2.
We’ll see who plays and who sits over the final three regular-season games. Don’t expect the race for the Presidents’ Trophy to impact the Blackhawks’ decisions. Now before we hit the road, the notables in this one.
What Worked: Boston’s early game. The Bruins started Sunday in a wildcard spot and came out like a team wanting to improve on that position. Getting a 2-0 lead in the first – their second goal came with just 1:03 remaining in the period – went a long way to getting them there. Their goaltender did the rest.
What Didn’t Work: The power play. The Blackhawks’ first one only lasted 17 seconds, so you can’t really assess that one. But the next two generated little for the Blackhawks, who looked better at 5-on-5 than they did 5-on-4 on Sunday.
Star of the game: Anton Khudobin. He faced 43 shots in this one, the quality of them increasing as the game continued. With the Bruins trying to hold onto a postseason spot they needed everyone on board. Khudobin more than did his job, stopping 41 of those 43.
He Said It: “I think we want to play our hockey. We want to play good hockey. We want to play our game, [be] [laying our best hockey going into the playoffs. The fun hockey. The real hockey’s going to start here in a week, 10 days and we want to be rolling and playing our best hockey and that’s what these games are for.” Brent Seabrook on the Blackhawks’ final three regular-season games.
By the Numbers:
10th – Where Artemi Panarin currently sits among NHL forwards in points (72), thanks to his goal on Sunday (Evgeni Malkin is currently listed at No. 9 with the same amount of points). If Panarin finishes the season in the Top 10 among forwards, he will collect bonuses for the second consecutive season.
36 – Assists for Brent Seabrook this season. He’s three shy of his career high of 39 set in 2010-11.
5 – Shots on goal for Brent Seabrook, one of four Blackhawks players to have that many on Sunday. It’s the fourth time this season Seabrook’s had five or more shots on goal in a game.
18 – Faceoffs won, out of the 30 he took, by Jonathan Toews. He was the only Blackhawks player to finish above 50 percent in that category.
What nerves? Rookies holding their own alongside Blackhawks' veterans.
We’ll see who plays and who sits over the final three regular-season games. Don’t expect the race for the Presidents’ Trophy to impact the Blackhawks’ decisions. Now before we hit the road, the notables in this one.
What Worked: Boston’s early game. The Bruins started Sunday in a wildcard spot and came out like a team wanting to improve on that position. Getting a 2-0 lead in the first – their second goal came with just 1:03 remaining in the period – went a long way to getting them there. Their goaltender did the rest.
What Didn’t Work: The power play. The Blackhawks’ first one only lasted 17 seconds, so you can’t really assess that one. But the next two generated little for the Blackhawks, who looked better at 5-on-5 than they did 5-on-4 on Sunday.
Star of the game: Anton Khudobin. He faced 43 shots in this one, the quality of them increasing as the game continued. With the Bruins trying to hold onto a postseason spot they needed everyone on board. Khudobin more than did his job, stopping 41 of those 43.
He Said It: “I think we want to play our hockey. We want to play good hockey. We want to play our game, [be] [laying our best hockey going into the playoffs. The fun hockey. The real hockey’s going to start here in a week, 10 days and we want to be rolling and playing our best hockey and that’s what these games are for.” Brent Seabrook on the Blackhawks’ final three regular-season games.
By the Numbers:
10th – Where Artemi Panarin currently sits among NHL forwards in points (72), thanks to his goal on Sunday (Evgeni Malkin is currently listed at No. 9 with the same amount of points). If Panarin finishes the season in the Top 10 among forwards, he will collect bonuses for the second consecutive season.
36 – Assists for Brent Seabrook this season. He’s three shy of his career high of 39 set in 2010-11.
5 – Shots on goal for Brent Seabrook, one of four Blackhawks players to have that many on Sunday. It’s the fourth time this season Seabrook’s had five or more shots on goal in a game.
18 – Faceoffs won, out of the 30 he took, by Jonathan Toews. He was the only Blackhawks player to finish above 50 percent in that category.
What nerves? Rookies holding their own alongside Blackhawks' veterans.
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Ryan Hartman had two choices as he and Marian Hossa broke on a 2-on-1 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins: keep the puck and take the shot yourself, or pass it to the guy who's scored 525 goals in his career.
He passed to Hossa, and if you saw Wednesday's game you know the result. But even if Hartman had taken the shot himself, he figured his line mate wouldn't get angry.
He passed to Hossa, and if you saw Wednesday's game you know the result. But even if Hartman had taken the shot himself, he figured his line mate wouldn't get angry.
"That goal the other night, if I shot the puck I don't think Hoss would've had too many hard feelings about it. I think he would've understood I made a hockey play," Hartman said. "We're all professionals here, and I may have saw something that was open. But the right play was to get that across to him, and he scored a nice goal."
The on-ice choices are there for every player. But if you're a young guy playing with a veteran, you might weigh every decision that much more. The Blackhawks' rookies have lined up with the team's multi-Cup winners throughout this season, and while there might have been early jitters, most of the young guys have played well alongside the veterans.
"(For) every guy, it's a different story," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Certainly you don't want to try to make plays or try to get certain guys the puck because it's too noticeable and easy to defend. But there are certainly advantages of playing with those (veteran) guys. They're better with the puck, so make sure you guys keep the puck and we'll go to the net and keep it simple."
Hartman and Hossa have found some success on that third line. Nick Schmaltz has carved his niche with Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik. Tanner Kero has worked well with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin in Artem Anisimov's absence. For the rookies, it was important to just focus on the game, to just play hockey and trust their instincts. Still, there were some feelings of intimidation.
"Maybe a little at the start," Schmaltz said. "Maybe you're trying to get them the puck a little too much or forcing things that aren't there. You're not playing your game. You're a little shocked to be playing with those guys, but more and more you get comfortable with how they play and you realize it's another player. You try not to think about all the things they've done throughout their careers."
Kero agreed.
"You're just looking around the dressing room and you see all those big names, all those great players and you're a little star struck right away," he said. "But once you're on the ice, you play hockey."
The dynamic in the Blackhawks' room helps, too. Regardless of how much individual players have won the team mentality always comes first. Every veteran started as a wide-eyed rookie, and they're willing to help and teach the new guys what they've learned over the years.
"I think as a young guy that's definitely something. You're really nervous coming in here, working with all those guys. You don't know whether you should say stuff, or ask a stupid question. But they made it really comfortable for all of us coming in," said Vinnie Hinostroza, who played with Toews a few games earlier this season. "All these guys have been so welcoming this year and really helped us make the adjustment."
The Blackhawks' rookies have been a big part of the team's success this season. Playing alongside guys who have won Stanley Cups, Hart and Conn Smythe trophies can be intimidating, but the Blackhawks' young players have handled it like they've been here for years.
"The goal is to win as a team every game and doesn't matter who's scoring. It's just that all these guys are unselfish, and you have to be a team-first guy to have the success they've had the last 10 years," Schmaltz said. "Everyone's buying in and everyone's team first."
Penalty kill key part of equation for Blackhawks chasing fourth Stanley Cup in eight years.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
It took the Blackhawks nearly two months to climb out of the basement in the penalty kill department after a historically bad October when they allowed 15 goals on 30 attempts in their first eight games of the season.
Since then, the Blackhawks rank ninth in the league with an 83 percent success rate.
The unit came up large in Friday's 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, killing all four penalties, a few of which came at key moments of the game.
"Penalty killing was outstanding," Joel Quenneville said after the game. "I thought they did a good job of denying the shots, the point shots from the middle especially, their execution and movement together was excellent. They had some good clears, (Corey Crawford) made some good stops. Critical timing of some of the kills was important as well."
The Blue Jackets, who have been a top-5 power play team for the majority of the campaign, slipped outside the top-10 with an 0-for-4 night, extending their goal drought on the man advantage to nine games (0-for-17 over that span).
They recorded nine shots on their four opportunities Friday, but the Blackhawks did a great job of limiting their quality chances.
"Yeah, the penalty kill was huge," said Patrick Kane, who had three assists and moved within four points of Connor McDavid in the NHL's scoring race. "It seems like we did a great job penalty killing as far as not really giving them too many lanes to shoot. Guys were getting in front of pucks, and when they got shots through, it seemed like they were going wide or (Crawford) was getting his body on it. Great job by them tonight. That's going to be huge going into the playoffs."
It gave the Blackhawks some much-needed confidence in that area after they went 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) in their previous four games before Pittsburgh's contest, where they bounced back with a 2-for-2 performance. That's now six straight penalties killed, putting the team back on track.
The Blackhawks increased their season point total to 107 with the victory, and reached the 50-win mark for only the second time in franchise history. They've all but locked up the Central Division and home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference, but they're not losing sight of the bigger prize.
"I like how we’ve progressed in our game," Quenneville said. "Tough league, tough conference, tough division. But we’re happy with what we’ve achieved in the regular season. That’s not what we’re looking for, but it’s certainly put us in the spot we wanted."
In their previous three championship runs, the Blackhawks have finished fifth (2010), third (2013) and 10th (2015) in penalty kill percentage. If they want to get to where they want to go, which is a fourth Stanley Cup in eight years, the penalty kill is a vital part of the equation.
Since then, the Blackhawks rank ninth in the league with an 83 percent success rate.
The unit came up large in Friday's 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, killing all four penalties, a few of which came at key moments of the game.
"Penalty killing was outstanding," Joel Quenneville said after the game. "I thought they did a good job of denying the shots, the point shots from the middle especially, their execution and movement together was excellent. They had some good clears, (Corey Crawford) made some good stops. Critical timing of some of the kills was important as well."
The Blue Jackets, who have been a top-5 power play team for the majority of the campaign, slipped outside the top-10 with an 0-for-4 night, extending their goal drought on the man advantage to nine games (0-for-17 over that span).
They recorded nine shots on their four opportunities Friday, but the Blackhawks did a great job of limiting their quality chances.
"Yeah, the penalty kill was huge," said Patrick Kane, who had three assists and moved within four points of Connor McDavid in the NHL's scoring race. "It seems like we did a great job penalty killing as far as not really giving them too many lanes to shoot. Guys were getting in front of pucks, and when they got shots through, it seemed like they were going wide or (Crawford) was getting his body on it. Great job by them tonight. That's going to be huge going into the playoffs."
It gave the Blackhawks some much-needed confidence in that area after they went 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) in their previous four games before Pittsburgh's contest, where they bounced back with a 2-for-2 performance. That's now six straight penalties killed, putting the team back on track.
The Blackhawks increased their season point total to 107 with the victory, and reached the 50-win mark for only the second time in franchise history. They've all but locked up the Central Division and home-ice advantage throughout the Western Conference, but they're not losing sight of the bigger prize.
"I like how we’ve progressed in our game," Quenneville said. "Tough league, tough conference, tough division. But we’re happy with what we’ve achieved in the regular season. That’s not what we’re looking for, but it’s certainly put us in the spot we wanted."
In their previous three championship runs, the Blackhawks have finished fifth (2010), third (2013) and 10th (2015) in penalty kill percentage. If they want to get to where they want to go, which is a fourth Stanley Cup in eight years, the penalty kill is a vital part of the equation.
Blackhawks Quick Hits: Patrick Kane gets three assists and hits another milestone. (Friday night's game summary, 03/31/2017).
By Tracey Myers
(Photo/AP)
You could've looked at the Blackhawks' victory in Pittsburgh and perhaps added an asterisk. The Penguins were beat up, and they were no match for the Blackhawks' complete game.
On Friday the Blackhawks faced a healthy Columbus Blue Jackets team and put forth the same great 60-minute effort. No asterisk needed.
There were a few great performances out of this one — you could even include Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who made some outstanding stops against the Blackhawks. But we'll break things down a little more in the notables.
What worked: The pace. For both teams, it was outstanding. Perhaps the Blue Jackets deserve even more credit for the pace they had in this one, considering they played on Thursday night in Carolina and plane issues forced them to delay their flight to Chicago until Friday morning. Regardless, two of the league's best looked it on Friday. Honorable mention to the Blackhawks' penalty kill, which went 4-for-4 against the league's ninth-best power play.
What didn't work: The Blackhawks' faceoffs. It was another not-so-good night from the circle for the Blackhawks, who went 15-for-45 against the Blue Jackets. Tanner Kero, who had a decent night in Pittsburgh, went 2-for-11 on Friday. Marcus Kruger won five of his 13. It ultimately didn't hurt the Blackhawks on Friday, but they definitely need to be better in that department.
Star of the game: Patrick Kane. He didn't finish with a goal, but he garnered three assists, setting one more milestone that we'll get to below. His second assist was a well-timed pass to Marian Hossa on what proved to be the game-winning goal. The other two went to Artemi Panarin, who scored bookend goals for the Blackhawks. Honorable mention to Corey Crawford. He was solid throughout but great late, when the Jackets were looking for the game-tying goal.
He said it: "Hossa's one of those guys who scored some big goals early on and some big goals lately. But you know the best part of his game is the little things he does. He's a consummate pro and makes guys around him better. He's great for our young guys to watch him prepare and play, plays the right way with or without the puck and finishing is definitely good for our team and good for him as well," coach Joel Quenneville said about Hossa.
By the numbers:
50. Victories for the Blackhawks this season, the second time they've hit that mark in franchise history. The other season was 2009-10, when they finished with 52 victories.
750. Career points for Kane, thanks to his three-assist night against the Blue Jackets.
350. Career assists for Toews, who had the secondary assist on Panarin's power-play goal in the first.
26. Goals this season for Hossa, the most for him since the 2013-14 season (30). Hossa, who has four goals in his last six games, now has 525 for his career.
On Friday the Blackhawks faced a healthy Columbus Blue Jackets team and put forth the same great 60-minute effort. No asterisk needed.
There were a few great performances out of this one — you could even include Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who made some outstanding stops against the Blackhawks. But we'll break things down a little more in the notables.
What worked: The pace. For both teams, it was outstanding. Perhaps the Blue Jackets deserve even more credit for the pace they had in this one, considering they played on Thursday night in Carolina and plane issues forced them to delay their flight to Chicago until Friday morning. Regardless, two of the league's best looked it on Friday. Honorable mention to the Blackhawks' penalty kill, which went 4-for-4 against the league's ninth-best power play.
What didn't work: The Blackhawks' faceoffs. It was another not-so-good night from the circle for the Blackhawks, who went 15-for-45 against the Blue Jackets. Tanner Kero, who had a decent night in Pittsburgh, went 2-for-11 on Friday. Marcus Kruger won five of his 13. It ultimately didn't hurt the Blackhawks on Friday, but they definitely need to be better in that department.
Star of the game: Patrick Kane. He didn't finish with a goal, but he garnered three assists, setting one more milestone that we'll get to below. His second assist was a well-timed pass to Marian Hossa on what proved to be the game-winning goal. The other two went to Artemi Panarin, who scored bookend goals for the Blackhawks. Honorable mention to Corey Crawford. He was solid throughout but great late, when the Jackets were looking for the game-tying goal.
He said it: "Hossa's one of those guys who scored some big goals early on and some big goals lately. But you know the best part of his game is the little things he does. He's a consummate pro and makes guys around him better. He's great for our young guys to watch him prepare and play, plays the right way with or without the puck and finishing is definitely good for our team and good for him as well," coach Joel Quenneville said about Hossa.
By the numbers:
50. Victories for the Blackhawks this season, the second time they've hit that mark in franchise history. The other season was 2009-10, when they finished with 52 victories.
750. Career points for Kane, thanks to his three-assist night against the Blue Jackets.
350. Career assists for Toews, who had the secondary assist on Panarin's power-play goal in the first.
26. Goals this season for Hossa, the most for him since the 2013-14 season (30). Hossa, who has four goals in his last six games, now has 525 for his career.
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! 'Best available' has Bears leaning toward pass rusher or DB as draft approaches.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
With the 2017 draft now one month off, decisions are firming and options considered. And the Bears have given themselves interesting options at the No. 3 pick.
Adding quarterbacks (Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez), cornerbacks (Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper) and a safety (Quintin Demps) have the immediate effect of filling their most dire of the position needs and reducing the pressure to place need above quality, never a good situation.
Instead the Bears are positioned to stay with their preferred best-available philosophy, with strongest indicators pointing to a defensive player in a draft considered by many to be among the best-ever for defensive backs.
Which remains a need, two needs actually, even with free-agent additions.
The Bears do not have a proven elite-grade cornerback; Cooper is considered ascending, but Amukamara was signed to a one-year deal for a reason, Kyle Fuller missed all last season after ostensibly minor knee surgery, and Tracy Porter turns 31 in August and has just 3 total interceptions through two Bears seasons.
Adding quarterbacks (Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez), cornerbacks (Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper) and a safety (Quintin Demps) have the immediate effect of filling their most dire of the position needs and reducing the pressure to place need above quality, never a good situation.
Instead the Bears are positioned to stay with their preferred best-available philosophy, with strongest indicators pointing to a defensive player in a draft considered by many to be among the best-ever for defensive backs.
Which remains a need, two needs actually, even with free-agent additions.
The Bears do not have a proven elite-grade cornerback; Cooper is considered ascending, but Amukamara was signed to a one-year deal for a reason, Kyle Fuller missed all last season after ostensibly minor knee surgery, and Tracy Porter turns 31 in August and has just 3 total interceptions through two Bears seasons.
The 2016 draft had five cornerbacks selected in the first 25 picks, led by Jalen Ramsey to Jacksonville at No. 5. Four went in the 2015 first round but none before Trae Waynes to Minnesota at No. 12. The 2014 class had five in the first 31 picks.
This draft is projected to have starter-quality corners as late as the fourth round but the Bears have those; they don’t have the definitive depth-chart-topper.
And they do not have a ball-hawking free safety, which GM Ryan Pace considers one of the most difficult positions to fill, and of which the 2017 has a couple.
"Obviously, the league has shifted toward passing quite a bit," coach John Fox said during this week’s owners meetings. "I think largely because a lot of the rules of the game for a long time there has been more yards per pass than more yards per rush.
This draft is projected to have starter-quality corners as late as the fourth round but the Bears have those; they don’t have the definitive depth-chart-topper.
And they do not have a ball-hawking free safety, which GM Ryan Pace considers one of the most difficult positions to fill, and of which the 2017 has a couple.
"Obviously, the league has shifted toward passing quite a bit," coach John Fox said during this week’s owners meetings. "I think largely because a lot of the rules of the game for a long time there has been more yards per pass than more yards per rush.
"Because of that, you don’t need in many cases a big, banger box safety. When I was with the New York Giants in the late '90s, my safeties were 6-3, 220. Now [offensive] people are going to no-backs. Obviously, it’s not going to be a run. So you’re covering specialized backs, specialized tight ends. So you have to be more corner-like to play safety, as far as cover ability, range, defending passes way more than runs."
The Bears traded up to invest a Top 10 pick (and the fourth-round selection needed to move up from No. 11 to 9) in a pass rusher with Leonard Floyd. One could be available around No. 3 if edge rushers Myles Garrett and Solomon Thomas don't go 1-2.
"I’ve always been of the belief that the best pass defense is the pass rush," Fox said. "There are a lot of different coverages, a lot of different schemes. But at the end of the day, when you’re putting pressure on the quarterback – and not just sacks – but pressing the quarterback puts stress on him to make errors. I think we still need to improve in that area. I think we have improved. But we still need to improve."
Bears looking in the mirror for major improvements in 2017.
By John Mullin
The focus of every NFL offseason is necessarily and obviously on adding to the talent base and core of a team. That spotlights free agency and then the draft.
The Bears are looking elsewhere. Much closer to home, actually.
Any next-step in what the Bears are going to become under GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox starts less from who they bring in and more from getting more from what they already have.
In 2016, for example, that took the form of Jordan Howard, albeit a draft choice but in fact starting from the bench the first couple of games, ultimately replacing Matt Forte with a better rushing year (5.2 ypc.) a full yard better than Forte's career average. It took the form of Cam Meredith going from 11 to 66 receptions.
In 2017, that will take the form of those players and others – Leonard Floyd, Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, Kevin White, more – staying not where they were, but ascending.
To that end the Bears have looked internally for upgrades to come in the form of better health in particular, since any improvement starts with their core players — i.e. high draft choices in particular — simply being on the football field for more than just a handful of games.
"We just put everything on the table," Pace said last week at the NFL owners meetings. "I value when people do that. We have made some tweaks and some adjustments, without going into specifics. But it could be some scheduling things, some training camp things, things we're doing in the weight room, things we're doing in the training room, just dialing things to adapt.
"And not just putting our heads in the sand and saying, 'bad luck.' We made some adjustments and tweaks that we're all supportive of and we all had input on. we're excited about the outcome of that."
The Bears will adjust not so much the intensity of a full-pad training camp day, for instance, but with how they add a recovery element that spaces out the max-effort stretches and allows players to recharge and go hard at high levels. They will not add the extra travel and disruption of practices against other teams, after going early to Indianapolis and New England the past two preseasons for work against the Colts and Patriots.
"A couple of things we've done dealing with some of our sports science people is kind of two-days-on-and-then-a-soft-day, so actually have time to recover," Fox said. "We're not going to work against anybody this year, just because from a scheduling standpoint you're not in camp near as long as you used to be… .
"So just kind of adjusting the science of that and how to deal with it, how to best utilize it."
The Bears will end training camp before the second preseason game rather than the third. They also have had an ongoing investigation into their own injuries, apart from work the NFL is doing in the area of injury management.
After 2015 they upgraded the condition of their practice fields, looking at ways to cut down on soft-tissue injuries. Ironically, the injury rate increased, although arguably in no small part to injuries decidedly NOT minor soft-tissue: broken arm (Brian Hoyer), broken leg (Connor Cook), catastrophic ankle (Kyle Long), torn labrum (Jay Cutler), and others.
"Obviously the injuries are something that we've looked at very hard," Fox said. "To be quite honest with you, we had some injury issues even that first year. They were a little more soft tissue, a little more practice-oriented. We did a lot to improve the fields. We did a lot to improve how we practice. we actually did a lot more adjustments.
"This year it actually got worse. So we kinda go back to the drawing board. Our league does the research, we do it. We've done quite a few things that we've looked at; it's been a collaboration, whether it's strength coaches, assistant coaches, practice techniques, which we actually dropped our injuries in practice this year. but we got more catastrophic injuries in games this year — broke leg, broke arm, broken bones. But you still evaluate it and do everything in your power to try to correct it."
Bears part ways with defensive lineman Ego Ferguson.
By Tony AndrackiThe Bears traded up to invest a Top 10 pick (and the fourth-round selection needed to move up from No. 11 to 9) in a pass rusher with Leonard Floyd. One could be available around No. 3 if edge rushers Myles Garrett and Solomon Thomas don't go 1-2.
"I’ve always been of the belief that the best pass defense is the pass rush," Fox said. "There are a lot of different coverages, a lot of different schemes. But at the end of the day, when you’re putting pressure on the quarterback – and not just sacks – but pressing the quarterback puts stress on him to make errors. I think we still need to improve in that area. I think we have improved. But we still need to improve."
Bears looking in the mirror for major improvements in 2017.
By John Mullin
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The focus of every NFL offseason is necessarily and obviously on adding to the talent base and core of a team. That spotlights free agency and then the draft.
The Bears are looking elsewhere. Much closer to home, actually.
Any next-step in what the Bears are going to become under GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox starts less from who they bring in and more from getting more from what they already have.
In 2016, for example, that took the form of Jordan Howard, albeit a draft choice but in fact starting from the bench the first couple of games, ultimately replacing Matt Forte with a better rushing year (5.2 ypc.) a full yard better than Forte's career average. It took the form of Cam Meredith going from 11 to 66 receptions.
In 2017, that will take the form of those players and others – Leonard Floyd, Eddie Goldman, Cody Whitehair, Kevin White, more – staying not where they were, but ascending.
To that end the Bears have looked internally for upgrades to come in the form of better health in particular, since any improvement starts with their core players — i.e. high draft choices in particular — simply being on the football field for more than just a handful of games.
"We just put everything on the table," Pace said last week at the NFL owners meetings. "I value when people do that. We have made some tweaks and some adjustments, without going into specifics. But it could be some scheduling things, some training camp things, things we're doing in the weight room, things we're doing in the training room, just dialing things to adapt.
"And not just putting our heads in the sand and saying, 'bad luck.' We made some adjustments and tweaks that we're all supportive of and we all had input on. we're excited about the outcome of that."
The Bears will adjust not so much the intensity of a full-pad training camp day, for instance, but with how they add a recovery element that spaces out the max-effort stretches and allows players to recharge and go hard at high levels. They will not add the extra travel and disruption of practices against other teams, after going early to Indianapolis and New England the past two preseasons for work against the Colts and Patriots.
"A couple of things we've done dealing with some of our sports science people is kind of two-days-on-and-then-a-soft-day, so actually have time to recover," Fox said. "We're not going to work against anybody this year, just because from a scheduling standpoint you're not in camp near as long as you used to be… .
"So just kind of adjusting the science of that and how to deal with it, how to best utilize it."
The Bears will end training camp before the second preseason game rather than the third. They also have had an ongoing investigation into their own injuries, apart from work the NFL is doing in the area of injury management.
After 2015 they upgraded the condition of their practice fields, looking at ways to cut down on soft-tissue injuries. Ironically, the injury rate increased, although arguably in no small part to injuries decidedly NOT minor soft-tissue: broken arm (Brian Hoyer), broken leg (Connor Cook), catastrophic ankle (Kyle Long), torn labrum (Jay Cutler), and others.
"Obviously the injuries are something that we've looked at very hard," Fox said. "To be quite honest with you, we had some injury issues even that first year. They were a little more soft tissue, a little more practice-oriented. We did a lot to improve the fields. We did a lot to improve how we practice. we actually did a lot more adjustments.
"This year it actually got worse. So we kinda go back to the drawing board. Our league does the research, we do it. We've done quite a few things that we've looked at; it's been a collaboration, whether it's strength coaches, assistant coaches, practice techniques, which we actually dropped our injuries in practice this year. but we got more catastrophic injuries in games this year — broke leg, broke arm, broken bones. But you still evaluate it and do everything in your power to try to correct it."
Bears part ways with defensive lineman Ego Ferguson.
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The Bears announced on Twitter Friday afternoon they have parted ways with defensive lineman Ego Ferguson:
Ferguson was the Bears' second-round pick in 2014 (51st overall) and played in all 16 games that season, tallying 24 tackles and two sacks.
However, injuries have derailed each of the last two seasons — he missed all of 2016 and played in just four games in 2015.
The Bears may very well take a defensive lineman in next month's NFL Draft help supplement the depth chart still contains Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Mitch Unrein, Jonathan Bullard and Will Sutton, among others.
However, injuries have derailed each of the last two seasons — he missed all of 2016 and played in just four games in 2015.
The Bears may very well take a defensive lineman in next month's NFL Draft help supplement the depth chart still contains Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Mitch Unrein, Jonathan Bullard and Will Sutton, among others.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... Jimmy Butler's 39 points lead Bulls past Pelicans.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Jimmy Butler defied any inclination to give in to fatigue, and the rest of the Chicago Bulls followed suit with the kind of performance that left little doubt about their desire to make the playoffs.
Taking the court on the Gulf Coast one night after a narrow victory on the shores of Lake Michigan, Butler poured in 39 points to lead Chicago to a 117-110 win over the recently resurgent New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
"I just want to win. I think my will to do that is going to overcome all the fatigue," Butler said. "At this time of the year, everybody's tired, everybody's nicked up. But when you have mental toughness, you overcome all that."
Butler made 14 of 26 shots, including all three of his 3-point shots, to help the Bulls win for the fifth time in six games. The All-Star guard's final points came on a step-back jumper with 20 seconds left to stem a late Pelicans run.
Chicago took sole possession of seventh in the Eastern Conference after beating a Pelicans squad that came in having won eight of 11 and six straight at home.
Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg marveled at the way Butler was "just shooting from all over the floor, the rhythm that he had going ... just rising up and shooting it like there is nobody else in the gym."
"It was a great performance to get us going, get us a nice lead at halftime, and hold out down the stretch."
Butler hit nine of his first 11 shots and it didn't seem to matter who guarded him. He made everything from a short step-back fade over the 6-foot-11 Davis to decisive mid-range jumpers coming off of screens and a pair of 3s in the first half, when he had 25 points.
"He made some tough shots, shots off one leg, turnarounds, contested," said Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, who had 30 points and 11 rebounds. "I think they played a little harder than us and it showed with the offensive rebounds, with the 50-50 balls."
Bobby Portis, who finished with 21 points, hit six of his first seven shots. His and Butler's accuracy helped Chicago shoot nearly 57 percent during the first half. The Bulls led by as many as 19 in the second quarter before going into the halftime up 63-47.
Chicago still led by 13 with less than three minutes left, but New Orleans quickly got as close as six when Davis' jumper capped a 7-0 run that began with Jrue Holiday's 3.
However, New Orleans missed a chance to get closer when Paul Zipser blocked Holiday's transition layup with 36 seconds left. Butler then drained his final basket, a 20-footer over Holiday from the right side, to help the Bulls close it out comfortably.
Taking the court on the Gulf Coast one night after a narrow victory on the shores of Lake Michigan, Butler poured in 39 points to lead Chicago to a 117-110 win over the recently resurgent New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
"I just want to win. I think my will to do that is going to overcome all the fatigue," Butler said. "At this time of the year, everybody's tired, everybody's nicked up. But when you have mental toughness, you overcome all that."
Butler made 14 of 26 shots, including all three of his 3-point shots, to help the Bulls win for the fifth time in six games. The All-Star guard's final points came on a step-back jumper with 20 seconds left to stem a late Pelicans run.
Chicago took sole possession of seventh in the Eastern Conference after beating a Pelicans squad that came in having won eight of 11 and six straight at home.
Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg marveled at the way Butler was "just shooting from all over the floor, the rhythm that he had going ... just rising up and shooting it like there is nobody else in the gym."
"It was a great performance to get us going, get us a nice lead at halftime, and hold out down the stretch."
Butler hit nine of his first 11 shots and it didn't seem to matter who guarded him. He made everything from a short step-back fade over the 6-foot-11 Davis to decisive mid-range jumpers coming off of screens and a pair of 3s in the first half, when he had 25 points.
"He made some tough shots, shots off one leg, turnarounds, contested," said Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, who had 30 points and 11 rebounds. "I think they played a little harder than us and it showed with the offensive rebounds, with the 50-50 balls."
Bobby Portis, who finished with 21 points, hit six of his first seven shots. His and Butler's accuracy helped Chicago shoot nearly 57 percent during the first half. The Bulls led by as many as 19 in the second quarter before going into the halftime up 63-47.
Chicago still led by 13 with less than three minutes left, but New Orleans quickly got as close as six when Davis' jumper capped a 7-0 run that began with Jrue Holiday's 3.
However, New Orleans missed a chance to get closer when Paul Zipser blocked Holiday's transition layup with 36 seconds left. Butler then drained his final basket, a 20-footer over Holiday from the right side, to help the Bulls close it out comfortably.
Jimmy Butler pulls Bulls into three-way tie with third straight win. (Saturday afternoon's game, 04/01/2017).
By Vincent Goodwill
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Jimmy Butler stood at the line, showered with adoration from a suddenly engaged United Center crowd, encouraged with letters he probably never imagined possible, in a situation he only dreamed to be in.
Two free throws as twenty thousand chanted "M-V-P" for the man who scored 25 of his 33 points in the second half as he didn't get a moment's rest, the man who had to defend Tim Hardaway on the game's final play as a triple went off the back iron with 2.1 seconds left.
Butler literally willed the Bulls to a 106-104 win over the Atlanta Hawks Saturday afternoon, their third straight victory, pulling them to a three-way tie with the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat for seventh place in the Eastern Conference—with the Bulls holding the tiebreaker over both.
"He was phenomenal," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We got down 10 and we just kept fighting. Jimmy did everything again. He just found a way to get to the basket, had ten free throws and made them all."
And what's more frightening for the Bulls, this game over the Hawks is the last against a team with a winning record, meaning the season and their playoff chances are in their hands.
Or more specifically, Butler's hands, as long as his legs can hold up playing 42 grueling minutes.
The margins are thin, especially with Dwyane Wade out and the Bulls turning into a different team on the fly. Nikola Mirotic's March to remember made an April fool out of those who expected it to extend, as he hit two of eight from the field—but one was a big triple in the fourth.
Even Butler's last-second heroics was on a play that seemed broken, with Hawks swingman Kent Bazemore doing everything right on the possession: Not giving Butler any airspace, shadowing his right hand and keeping him for going downhill—until he got a little too aggressive on Butler's desperate long two-pointer, fouling him on the arm.
Butler, averaging 27.8 points, 9.3 assists and 6.5 rebounds on 55 percent shooting in his last six games, stepped forward again.
"I wouldn't call it pressure; I always look at it like nobody picked us to be in the playoffs, nobody picked us to win, anyway," Butler said. "I'm just out there playing basketball. I want to win; everybody knows that. I'm just doing what everybody asked me to do, so to speak."
If the free throws are any indication, if the Bulls' comeback from down 89-79 after leading by 10 in the third is another one, the Bulls could be discovering some much needed resolve with six games remaining.
Denzel Valentine hit two triples after the Bulls came out of the subsequent timeout trailing by 10, the last where he passed up kicking it to Butler on the wing on a fast break.
"It shows you what type of kid he is, the confidence he has in himself," Hoiberg said of Valentine, who scored 13 points.
Butler didn't mind the confidence and Hoiberg admired the moxie, as Valentine hit two of the Bulls' 12 triples—a team that's suddenly a 3-point threat after being woefully futile for most of the season.
Continuing a trend after his post-All Star slump, Butler seemingly had enough energy down the stretch to lift the Bulls. Getting to the lane for a layup and then hitting a clear-out triple to tie the game at 102 with two minutes left, it seemed like he was going to have to make every big play late.
"No disrespect to my teammates or anybody, but Fred said, ‘are you tired?' I said no," Butler said. "I want to play, I want to be the reason we win."
With a game against the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday afternoon on the road, the Bulls could be too emotionally spent to capitalize on playing a sub-.500 team. But only this moment was important, consequences be damned.
"I told him "I'm not worried about tomorrow; I'm worried about the right now.' So whatever they need for me to do I'm going out there and doing it," Butler said.
Rajon Rondo again played headliner early while Butler warmed himself into the game, scoring 25 with 11 rebounds on 11 of 18 shooting, with three 3-pointers and seven turnovers in 36 minutes.
The increased trust between the coaching staff and Butler to Rondo is evident, and Rondo has been driving this car as much as Butler through this recent stretch that has many encouraged about an actual playoff appearance.
Losing this game after beating Cleveland would mean nothing, and would symbolize yet another layer of inconsistency in a season full of it.
"We knew this was the biggest game of the season," Rondo said. "These guys have beaten us seven straight times, we wanted to take home court and give the fans something to cheer about."
But there was plenty of reason to believe the Hawks would repeat their performance against the Bulls from months ago, when they came back from a 10-point deficit in the last three minutes to send the Bulls into mini-turmoil.
The Hawks—specifically point guard Dennis Schroder—got into the lane at will, scoring 29 points with six assists and seven rebounds. Hardaway Jr. kept the Hawks in it with 20 points, including a stretch of nine straight in the third when the Bulls were threatening to pull away.
But the game went topsy-turvy on both ends, leading to a Bazemore foul on Butler when it looked like a terrible possession late would lead to yet another disappointing home loss.
Two free throws as twenty thousand chanted "M-V-P" for the man who scored 25 of his 33 points in the second half as he didn't get a moment's rest, the man who had to defend Tim Hardaway on the game's final play as a triple went off the back iron with 2.1 seconds left.
Butler literally willed the Bulls to a 106-104 win over the Atlanta Hawks Saturday afternoon, their third straight victory, pulling them to a three-way tie with the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat for seventh place in the Eastern Conference—with the Bulls holding the tiebreaker over both.
"He was phenomenal," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We got down 10 and we just kept fighting. Jimmy did everything again. He just found a way to get to the basket, had ten free throws and made them all."
And what's more frightening for the Bulls, this game over the Hawks is the last against a team with a winning record, meaning the season and their playoff chances are in their hands.
Or more specifically, Butler's hands, as long as his legs can hold up playing 42 grueling minutes.
The margins are thin, especially with Dwyane Wade out and the Bulls turning into a different team on the fly. Nikola Mirotic's March to remember made an April fool out of those who expected it to extend, as he hit two of eight from the field—but one was a big triple in the fourth.
Even Butler's last-second heroics was on a play that seemed broken, with Hawks swingman Kent Bazemore doing everything right on the possession: Not giving Butler any airspace, shadowing his right hand and keeping him for going downhill—until he got a little too aggressive on Butler's desperate long two-pointer, fouling him on the arm.
Butler, averaging 27.8 points, 9.3 assists and 6.5 rebounds on 55 percent shooting in his last six games, stepped forward again.
"I wouldn't call it pressure; I always look at it like nobody picked us to be in the playoffs, nobody picked us to win, anyway," Butler said. "I'm just out there playing basketball. I want to win; everybody knows that. I'm just doing what everybody asked me to do, so to speak."
If the free throws are any indication, if the Bulls' comeback from down 89-79 after leading by 10 in the third is another one, the Bulls could be discovering some much needed resolve with six games remaining.
Denzel Valentine hit two triples after the Bulls came out of the subsequent timeout trailing by 10, the last where he passed up kicking it to Butler on the wing on a fast break.
"It shows you what type of kid he is, the confidence he has in himself," Hoiberg said of Valentine, who scored 13 points.
Butler didn't mind the confidence and Hoiberg admired the moxie, as Valentine hit two of the Bulls' 12 triples—a team that's suddenly a 3-point threat after being woefully futile for most of the season.
Continuing a trend after his post-All Star slump, Butler seemingly had enough energy down the stretch to lift the Bulls. Getting to the lane for a layup and then hitting a clear-out triple to tie the game at 102 with two minutes left, it seemed like he was going to have to make every big play late.
"No disrespect to my teammates or anybody, but Fred said, ‘are you tired?' I said no," Butler said. "I want to play, I want to be the reason we win."
With a game against the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday afternoon on the road, the Bulls could be too emotionally spent to capitalize on playing a sub-.500 team. But only this moment was important, consequences be damned.
"I told him "I'm not worried about tomorrow; I'm worried about the right now.' So whatever they need for me to do I'm going out there and doing it," Butler said.
Rajon Rondo again played headliner early while Butler warmed himself into the game, scoring 25 with 11 rebounds on 11 of 18 shooting, with three 3-pointers and seven turnovers in 36 minutes.
The increased trust between the coaching staff and Butler to Rondo is evident, and Rondo has been driving this car as much as Butler through this recent stretch that has many encouraged about an actual playoff appearance.
Losing this game after beating Cleveland would mean nothing, and would symbolize yet another layer of inconsistency in a season full of it.
"We knew this was the biggest game of the season," Rondo said. "These guys have beaten us seven straight times, we wanted to take home court and give the fans something to cheer about."
But there was plenty of reason to believe the Hawks would repeat their performance against the Bulls from months ago, when they came back from a 10-point deficit in the last three minutes to send the Bulls into mini-turmoil.
The Hawks—specifically point guard Dennis Schroder—got into the lane at will, scoring 29 points with six assists and seven rebounds. Hardaway Jr. kept the Hawks in it with 20 points, including a stretch of nine straight in the third when the Bulls were threatening to pull away.
But the game went topsy-turvy on both ends, leading to a Bazemore foul on Butler when it looked like a terrible possession late would lead to yet another disappointing home loss.
Jerry Krause officially announced as part of Basketball Hall of Fame's 2017 class.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Cavaliers: LeBron James had never been swept by a division opponent, until this year's Bulls.
By Mark Strotman
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
LeBron James wins a lot. This should come as no surprise, as the three-time NBA champion and four-time MVP has put together a Hall of Fame career by age 32 and doesn't seem to be slowing down.
His dominance over the Eastern Conference also speaks for itself, as James has been to an NBA-record-tying six straight NBA Finals. Widdling his success down even further, James has commanded the Central Division in his 10 seasons with the Cavaliers, and the Southeast Division in his four seasons with the Heat.
Since the NBA created in 2004 the current divisions, James has won division titles in nine of those 13 seasons; James' Cavaliers won the Central five times and his Heat won the Southeast each of the four seasons he played there. James hasn't not won a division title since 2008, a span of nine years
His divisions have featured some pretty awful teams, such as the 2012 Bobcats that went 7-59 in a lockout-shortened season. His divisions also featured the likes of the Pistons' East dominance in the mid-2000s.
In the current division format, James has played 52 regular-season series against the Central and Southeast, respectively.
In 51 of those series James earned at least one victory in the four-game* season series.
Meet the 2016-17 Bulls.
With Thursday night's 99-93 victory over the Cavaliers, LeBron James was swept by a division opponent for the first time in his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
Dec. 2: Bulls 111, Cavaliers 105
Jan. 4: Bulls 106, Cavaliers 94
Feb. 25: Bulls 117, Cavaliers 99
Mar. 30: Bulls 99, Cavaliers 93
In 10 seasons with the Cavaliers and four with the Heat, James' teams hold a 135-70 division record. That includes games against the Central's Bulls, Bucks, Pistons and Pacers, and the Southeast's Hornets/Bobcats, Wizards, Magic and Hawks.
Of those 51 series (the Cavs still play the Pacers once more this season), here's how James has fared.
4-0: 12 times
3-1: 17 times
2-2: 11 times
1-3: 8 times
0-4: 1 time
3-0: 1 time (lockout-shortened season)
1-2: 1 time (lockout-shortened season)
And against each opponent:
Charlotte: 15-0
Orlando: 12-4
Atlanta: 12-4
Milwaukee: 26-10
Indiana: 24-11
Washington: 10-5
Chicago: 18-18
Detroit: 18-18
In what has been an incredibly odd year for the Bulls, full of unthinkable losses and improbable victories, the fact that they were the ones to sweep James for the first time is perhaps the most remarkable stat of all.
Go figure.
His dominance over the Eastern Conference also speaks for itself, as James has been to an NBA-record-tying six straight NBA Finals. Widdling his success down even further, James has commanded the Central Division in his 10 seasons with the Cavaliers, and the Southeast Division in his four seasons with the Heat.
Since the NBA created in 2004 the current divisions, James has won division titles in nine of those 13 seasons; James' Cavaliers won the Central five times and his Heat won the Southeast each of the four seasons he played there. James hasn't not won a division title since 2008, a span of nine years
His divisions have featured some pretty awful teams, such as the 2012 Bobcats that went 7-59 in a lockout-shortened season. His divisions also featured the likes of the Pistons' East dominance in the mid-2000s.
In the current division format, James has played 52 regular-season series against the Central and Southeast, respectively.
In 51 of those series James earned at least one victory in the four-game* season series.
Meet the 2016-17 Bulls.
With Thursday night's 99-93 victory over the Cavaliers, LeBron James was swept by a division opponent for the first time in his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
Dec. 2: Bulls 111, Cavaliers 105
Jan. 4: Bulls 106, Cavaliers 94
Feb. 25: Bulls 117, Cavaliers 99
Mar. 30: Bulls 99, Cavaliers 93
In 10 seasons with the Cavaliers and four with the Heat, James' teams hold a 135-70 division record. That includes games against the Central's Bulls, Bucks, Pistons and Pacers, and the Southeast's Hornets/Bobcats, Wizards, Magic and Hawks.
Of those 51 series (the Cavs still play the Pacers once more this season), here's how James has fared.
4-0: 12 times
3-1: 17 times
2-2: 11 times
1-3: 8 times
0-4: 1 time
3-0: 1 time (lockout-shortened season)
1-2: 1 time (lockout-shortened season)
And against each opponent:
Charlotte: 15-0
Orlando: 12-4
Atlanta: 12-4
Milwaukee: 26-10
Indiana: 24-11
Washington: 10-5
Chicago: 18-18
Detroit: 18-18
In what has been an incredibly odd year for the Bulls, full of unthinkable losses and improbable victories, the fact that they were the ones to sweep James for the first time is perhaps the most remarkable stat of all.
Go figure.
CUBS: Cubs begin title defense with walk-off loss in St. Louis.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The brave new world of Cubs baseball began at 7:38 p.m. on Sunday at Busch Stadium in front of a sellout crowd and a national TV audience. It had been 16,945 games since the Cubs opened a season as defending World Series champions, back when the 1909 team beat the St. Louis Cardinals at the West Side Grounds without “The World’s Greatest Leader” or “Bryzzo Souvenir Co.” or a $155 million pitcher.
How do you top last year? Well, the Cubs are off to another head-spinning, get-me-rewrite start, with the added cinematic touches of rain falling in the eighth and ninth innings. Nothing here will compare to Game 7 drama, but the Cubs and Cardinals will play 18 more times this season, and that should be very entertaining.
Fireworks exploded as the Cubs trudged off the field after a 4-3 walk-off loss. With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Randal Grichuk lined a Mike Montgomery fastball off the base of the left-center field fence, setting off the celebration.
Not that St. Louis necessarily has an inferiority complex, because the Cardinals love their Opening Night pageantry and the Budweiser Clydesdales parading around the stadium. But a red mat around home plate did conspicuously salute the “11-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONS.”
A celebration of the 125th season of Cardinal baseball featured actual trophies and Hall of Famers like Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith and Tony La Russa in red blazers for a pregame ceremony. The 2017 Cardinals rode in pickup trucks around the warning track. A moment of silence for St. Louis legend Chuck Berry preceded his daughter singing the national anthem.
Nine innings doesn’t prove that the Cardinals have closed last year’s 17.5-game gap in the National League Central or reveal something about the 2017 Cubs or say much about the state of this rivalry. But this is all we have to go on.
“The page has been turned,” All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “This is a new journey, a new group.”
The Cubs saw zeroes all over the scoreboard until Willson Contreras hammered Seung-Hwan Oh’s slider 414 feet into the left-field seats for a game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and his bases-loaded flyball off Oh in the eighth inning didn’t soar deep enough to score a run.
Carlos Martinez, 25, looked like he could become the next great St. Louis pitcher, unleashing 100-mph heat as he threw 7.1 scoreless innings and put up 10 strikeouts against zero walks, a reminder that the Cubs will get everyone’s best shot this season.
“We were picked by everyone under the sun to win last year, too,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “So I know it’s not good for storylines, but this group of guys needs like no motivation. They need no maintenance or management. They’re such self-starters. They’re totally connected, really selfless, hungry to win. We’re lucky to have this group of guys. They run themselves and they want it bad.
“They put a ton of work in during the offseason. It was a great spring training. They’re going to do all the little things to get the most out of their ability as a team – emphasis on team – and we’re just lucky to be here while this is going on.
“We don’t need an us-against-them thing. We don’t need to feel slighted. They love to compete, so look forward to doing that 162 times, hopefully more.”
How do you top last year? Well, the Cubs are off to another head-spinning, get-me-rewrite start, with the added cinematic touches of rain falling in the eighth and ninth innings. Nothing here will compare to Game 7 drama, but the Cubs and Cardinals will play 18 more times this season, and that should be very entertaining.
Fireworks exploded as the Cubs trudged off the field after a 4-3 walk-off loss. With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Randal Grichuk lined a Mike Montgomery fastball off the base of the left-center field fence, setting off the celebration.
Not that St. Louis necessarily has an inferiority complex, because the Cardinals love their Opening Night pageantry and the Budweiser Clydesdales parading around the stadium. But a red mat around home plate did conspicuously salute the “11-TIME WORLD CHAMPIONS.”
A celebration of the 125th season of Cardinal baseball featured actual trophies and Hall of Famers like Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith and Tony La Russa in red blazers for a pregame ceremony. The 2017 Cardinals rode in pickup trucks around the warning track. A moment of silence for St. Louis legend Chuck Berry preceded his daughter singing the national anthem.
Nine innings doesn’t prove that the Cardinals have closed last year’s 17.5-game gap in the National League Central or reveal something about the 2017 Cubs or say much about the state of this rivalry. But this is all we have to go on.
“The page has been turned,” All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. “This is a new journey, a new group.”
The Cubs saw zeroes all over the scoreboard until Willson Contreras hammered Seung-Hwan Oh’s slider 414 feet into the left-field seats for a game-tying, three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and his bases-loaded flyball off Oh in the eighth inning didn’t soar deep enough to score a run.
Carlos Martinez, 25, looked like he could become the next great St. Louis pitcher, unleashing 100-mph heat as he threw 7.1 scoreless innings and put up 10 strikeouts against zero walks, a reminder that the Cubs will get everyone’s best shot this season.
“We were picked by everyone under the sun to win last year, too,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said. “So I know it’s not good for storylines, but this group of guys needs like no motivation. They need no maintenance or management. They’re such self-starters. They’re totally connected, really selfless, hungry to win. We’re lucky to have this group of guys. They run themselves and they want it bad.
“They put a ton of work in during the offseason. It was a great spring training. They’re going to do all the little things to get the most out of their ability as a team – emphasis on team – and we’re just lucky to be here while this is going on.
“We don’t need an us-against-them thing. We don’t need to feel slighted. They love to compete, so look forward to doing that 162 times, hopefully more.”
Why Cubs won't believe in the hangover effect after winning the World Series.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
A team that barely understood the symbolism of goats and black cats – and a front office known for busting curses – won't suddenly believe in the hangover effect from winning the franchise's first World Series title since 1908.
Of those 25 players who are supposed to be introduced on Sunday at Busch Stadium, 11 have been All-Stars before. The non-All-Stars include: last year's major-league ERA leader (Kyle Hendricks); a National League Championship Series co-MVP (Javier Baez); and a World Series legend (Kyle Schwarber).
"This is a way different animal, because we're so much younger," said old-school pitcher John Lackey, who already got some jewelry from the 2002 Anaheim Angels and 2013 Boston Red Sox. "Those were more veteran teams that I won with the last couple times, so I think the youth is really going to help us.
"They still have energy. They're still trying to prove themselves. They're still trying to go to arbitration. They've still got a lot in front of them."
If Bryce Harper becomes a $400 million player after the 2018 season – or Manny Machado lands the record contract as part of that winter's spectacular free-agent class – imagine what Kris Bryant might command on the open market three years later.
But until then, a franchise once synonymous with dysfunction should be remarkably stable. The Ricketts family has talked about owning the team as a generational asset. The top of baseball operations – Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod – is under contract through the 2021 season. Last year Joe Maddon – a three-time Manager of the Year – wrote out a World Series Game 7 lineup that featured seven players between the ages of 22 and 27, plus Hendricks (26) as the starting pitcher.
"Last year, it was this entire focus on doing something bigger than yourself, breaking this curse," Hoyer said. "All these guys signed for less money to come here to do it. This year, to me, it's got to be the same thing. We've got to put team above the individual. I think once the players feel entitled – or once the front-office people feel entitled – that's when the problems seep in.
"How do we nip that stuff in the bud and make sure that our entire focus is on repeating? I think if we focus on just coming together as a team – like we did last year – it'll be fine. We're very talented. We have great guys. But when those entitlements sneak in, you get in trouble, and all of a sudden it becomes about individuals here and individuals there.
"If it becomes about the individuals the following year – or if people feel like they're not getting their due for what they accomplished or whatever it might be – that's when the problems can seep in."
Lackey's competitive fire will have him throwing his arms up in frustration when the game's best defensive unit doesn't make a play. But he's also consistently seen these young players act as professionals and work with a sense of purpose, even as the endorsement deals pile up and the off-the-field distractions multiply.
"Yeah, super-impressed with that whole situation," Lackey said. "These guys prepare well. They work hard. Obviously, the talent and the performance on the field speaks for itself. But the behind-the-scenes stuff, the maturity level, is very impressive, for sure."
That homegrown core, clubhouse culture and big-market resources allowed the New York Yankees to build a dynasty in The Bronx, winning championships in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. No team has won back-to-back World Series titles since that Yankee three-peat.
"It's a hard thing to win one, let alone do it two in a row," said Jon Lester, a three-time World Series champion.
Lester pitched for the 2008 Boston team that lost an American League Championship Series Game 7 to Maddon's Tampa Bay Rays – and later got traded off the first-to-worst Red Sox at the 2014 deadline. That set the stage for a $155 million megadeal, the chance to make history in Chicago and another Opening Night start against the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Every year is just so different," Lester said. "I don't think you can really put a blueprint out there and say: ‘Hey, this is how you repeat.' I think we just have to prepare and go out and play like we did last year. Obviously, that's hard to do, because defensively we set records, offensively we were pretty amazing and then we had the best pitching staff in the league.
"I hope everybody has the same year that they did last year. That would be really, really awesome, but that's not baseball. There's going to be some ebbs and flows and we just got to stay healthy.
"That's probably the biggest (factor) of all: Everybody stay healthy again and we have a really good chance."
Jon Lester fully expects Cubs to keep winning big for years to come.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
"Well, I don't want to sound like an a--hole," Jon Lester said near the end of spring training, rolling with a question about sky-high expectations and where the bar will be set now that the Cubs are the defending World Series champs.
"But that bar's always been there for me. I came from Boston, where it was if you didn't make the playoffs, all hell breaks loose. So I love that. That's why I wanted to come here."
Lester riffed the same way last October after his final start in a regular season where the Cubs won 103 games and he finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting: "I don't want to sound like an a--hole or anything, but we haven't really done anything yet."
For years, people around the Cubs always talked about changing the culture. Lester actually did it, bringing that win-or-else intensity he felt with the Red Sox, being a dependable 200-inning workhorse at the front of the rotation and delivering a championship in Year 2 of that $155 million megadeal.
Now what? That's the wrong question for a guy signed through at least the 2020 season, or prime years for Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Albert Almora Jr. and what might ultimately become a dynasty on the North Side.
After an offseason that saw an unforgettable parade down Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, perhaps one of the largest gatherings in human history at Grant Park, a trip to the White House, and Cubs all over Disney World, "Saturday Night Live" and the talk shows, it's fitting that Lester's no-nonsense, get-over-it personality will come through on Opening Night against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
"I wanted to be a part of this," said Lester, who will start opposite Carlos Martinez and a rebooted St. Louis team that last year missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and could feel the balance of power shifting in this rivalry. "I wanted these young guys to experience this, because once you win, you don't want to go back the other way.
"Baseball's so funny and fickle about things where you have unexpected years and people get hurt. That's just part of the game. But that bar still needs to be there. And I think the accountability and the responsibility of having that bar is important. It makes you show up every day being ready to play."
Lester deflects credit for helping create that sense of professionalism, saying those blue-chip prospects had already been wired that way and expecting Theo Epstein's scouting-and-player-development machine to keep rolling out hitters like Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez.
"As you get older, it's fun to see these young guys come up and do well and not be surprised by the moment," Lester said. "I just remember my first big-league camp. You get up there and you face your first big-leaguer and it's like: ‘Oh my goodness, I'm facing this guy?'
"You see these guys and they don't care. It's like: ‘Who are you? I'm just trying to get hits.' It's really good to see that, because their transition now is easier when they get to the big leagues. It's still not that awe moment where I'm facing this guy.
"I remember facing the Yankees for the first time. You're just standing on the mound and it's Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, the list goes on.
"You're just like: ‘Oh my God, I used to watch this guy. This guy's awesome,' instead of worrying about trying to get him out, so it's really impressive to see how these guys handle it."
The Cubs signed Lester, now 33, with the idea that the lefty could age gracefully like Andy Pettitte, who pitched into his early 40s (and also admitted to using human growth hormone). Pettitte had been a big-game pitcher for the last team to defend a World Series title, the three-peat Yankees (1998, 1999, 2000).
The Cubs trusted Lester to start Game 1 in all three playoff rounds last October and will have him start the first game of the rest of their lives.
"It should be fun," Lester said. "Great ballpark, one of my favorite ballparks, going up against one of our rivals. What better way to start off than with the Cardinals?"
"But that bar's always been there for me. I came from Boston, where it was if you didn't make the playoffs, all hell breaks loose. So I love that. That's why I wanted to come here."
Lester riffed the same way last October after his final start in a regular season where the Cubs won 103 games and he finished second in the National League Cy Young Award voting: "I don't want to sound like an a--hole or anything, but we haven't really done anything yet."
For years, people around the Cubs always talked about changing the culture. Lester actually did it, bringing that win-or-else intensity he felt with the Red Sox, being a dependable 200-inning workhorse at the front of the rotation and delivering a championship in Year 2 of that $155 million megadeal.
Now what? That's the wrong question for a guy signed through at least the 2020 season, or prime years for Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras, Albert Almora Jr. and what might ultimately become a dynasty on the North Side.
After an offseason that saw an unforgettable parade down Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, perhaps one of the largest gatherings in human history at Grant Park, a trip to the White House, and Cubs all over Disney World, "Saturday Night Live" and the talk shows, it's fitting that Lester's no-nonsense, get-over-it personality will come through on Opening Night against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
"I wanted to be a part of this," said Lester, who will start opposite Carlos Martinez and a rebooted St. Louis team that last year missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and could feel the balance of power shifting in this rivalry. "I wanted these young guys to experience this, because once you win, you don't want to go back the other way.
"Baseball's so funny and fickle about things where you have unexpected years and people get hurt. That's just part of the game. But that bar still needs to be there. And I think the accountability and the responsibility of having that bar is important. It makes you show up every day being ready to play."
Lester deflects credit for helping create that sense of professionalism, saying those blue-chip prospects had already been wired that way and expecting Theo Epstein's scouting-and-player-development machine to keep rolling out hitters like Ian Happ and Eloy Jimenez.
"As you get older, it's fun to see these young guys come up and do well and not be surprised by the moment," Lester said. "I just remember my first big-league camp. You get up there and you face your first big-leaguer and it's like: ‘Oh my goodness, I'm facing this guy?'
"You see these guys and they don't care. It's like: ‘Who are you? I'm just trying to get hits.' It's really good to see that, because their transition now is easier when they get to the big leagues. It's still not that awe moment where I'm facing this guy.
"I remember facing the Yankees for the first time. You're just standing on the mound and it's Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, the list goes on.
"You're just like: ‘Oh my God, I used to watch this guy. This guy's awesome,' instead of worrying about trying to get him out, so it's really impressive to see how these guys handle it."
The Cubs signed Lester, now 33, with the idea that the lefty could age gracefully like Andy Pettitte, who pitched into his early 40s (and also admitted to using human growth hormone). Pettitte had been a big-game pitcher for the last team to defend a World Series title, the three-peat Yankees (1998, 1999, 2000).
The Cubs trusted Lester to start Game 1 in all three playoff rounds last October and will have him start the first game of the rest of their lives.
"It should be fun," Lester said. "Great ballpark, one of my favorite ballparks, going up against one of our rivals. What better way to start off than with the Cardinals?"
WHITE SOX: White Sox finalize 25-man roster.
By Dan Hayes
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
CATCHER
No. 38 Omar Narvaez
Bats: L | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 215
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.089
The second-year catcher not only became a comfortable target for pitchers last season, he also proved to have a steady eye at the plate with 14 walks vs. 14 strikeouts.
No. 18 Geovany Soto
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 225
Age: 34 | Service Time: 9.096
The steady veteran is an improvement over the ’16 duo when it comes to framing. Injuries have limited him to 56 games per year the last five season, including 26 in 2016.
INFIELDERS
No. 79 Jose Abreu
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 255
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.00
Rebounded over final 52 games after dealing with myriad distractions. Hit .340/.401/.557 in final 227 plate appearances to reach 100 RBIs in third straight year.
No. 18 Tyler Saladino
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 200
Age: 27 | Service Time: 1.087
An impressive glove no matter where plays, showed steady progress at the plate in his second year. Hit .294/.323/.406 in 191 plate appearances after becoming a starter.
No. 7 Tim Anderson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 185
Age: 23 | Service Time: 0.115
Proved to be a formidable player despite his relative inexperience. Has room to improve. Team recently extended him potentially for eight years and $50.5 million.
No. 21 Todd Frazier
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 220
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.071
Potential trade candidate offered a significant upgrade at the hot corner. Provided leadership and steady defense as well as career best in homers (40) and RBIs (98).
No. 24 Matt Davidson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 230
Age: 26 | Service Time: 0.145
Finally found the groove the club had long hoped for last season before he broke his foot. Should get a chance to prove his value during the club’s rebuild.
No. 5 Yolmer Sanchez
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 185
Age: 24 | Service Time: 1.134
Middle infielder should get a fair amount of playing time with Brett Lawrie gone. Had a nice spring, hitting .305/.354/.542 with three home runs.
OUTFIELDERS
No. 26 Avisail Garcia
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 240
Age: 25 | Service Time: 3.167
Hope is he can find a medium between how he hits with runners in scoring position (.355/.421/.538) and without runners on (.217/.268/.354).
No. 64 Jacob May
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.00
Speedy, switch-hitting outfielder comes from strong baseball bloodline. Outstanding overall spring helped him win job over recently traded Peter Bourjos.
No. 53 Melky Cabrera
Bats: S | Throws: L
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 210
Age: 32 | Service Time: 10.148
Bounced back from dismal start to 2015 season with consistent all-around offense. Free agent to be could be dealt before deadline if he performs once again.
No. 25 Cody Asche
Bats: L | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 205
Age: 26 | Service Time: 3.045
Seeking a fresh start, left-handed stick showed versatility in the field and some power. Could work his way into good playing time if he stays consistent.
No. 28 Leury Garcia
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-8 | Wt: 170
Age: 26 | Service Time: 2.025
Rick Renteria loves the versatility and speed he provides them. Can play all over the infield and should see time in center field alongside May.
STARTING PITCHER
No. 62 Jose Quintana
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 220
Age: 28 | Service Time: 4.133
A first-time All-Star last season, the southpaw is one of the most consistent pitchers. Team-friendly contract also makes him one of the most tradable.
No. 33 James Shields
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 215
Age: 35 | Service Time: 10.125
One of the game’s most dependable starters, he’s looking to bounce back from a dismal season. Posted a 6.77 ERA in 22 starts after he was acquired from San Diego.
No. 45 Derek Holland
Bats: S | Throws: L
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 215
Age: 30 | Service Time: 7.120
The lefty is hopeful he, Don Cooper and training staff can keep him healthy and on the same path as when he produced 7.6 WAR from 2011-13.
No. 58 Miguel Gonzalez
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 170
Age: 32 | Service Time: 5.084
A late spring addition in 2016, he flourished after adding the cut-fastball to his repertoire. Free-agent-to-be posted a 3.03 ERA over his last 11 starts (65 1/3 innings).
*No. 55 Carlos Rodon
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 235
Age: 24 | Service Time: 1.168
Plan that has been slowed by injury called for him pitching 200 innings and making 32 starts. Team has identified the former 1st-rounder as a building block.
No. 68 Dylan Covey
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 195
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.000
Rule 5 draft pick is most successful when he’s attacking down in the zone. Must stay on big league roster or be offered back to his original club.
RELIEF PITCHER
No. 65 Nate Jones
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.000
Hard-throwing right-hander is potential trade bait. Not only has he been dominant since returning from Tommy John, but also is on a great contract.
No. 30 David Robertson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 195
Age: 31 | Service Time: 8.070
The subject of myriad offseason rumors, could provide an attractive option to a team in need at an affordable rate after last postseason’s bullpen craze.
No. 57 Zach Putnam
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 220
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.135
Limited to 25 games last season before he needed surgery to remove elbow chips, the righty has averaged 9.6 strikeouts per nine in his career.
No. 52 Jake Petricka
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220
Age: 28 | Service Time: 3.044
A valuable arm the previous two seasons, Petricka was limited to eight innings by a hip injury. Has throw well this spring and appears to be healthy again.
No. 43 Dan Jennings
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 210
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.171
Put together his most complete season as he continued to make strides against left-handed hitters. Finished with a 2.08 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.
No. 34 Anthony Swarzak
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 215
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.024
Former starting pitcher is throwing harder than ever. Struck out 16 batters in 12 2/3 innings this spring. Offers length out of the bullpen.
No. 66 Michael Ynoa
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-7 | Wt: 210
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.113
Tall righty displayed some serious stuff in his rookie campaign. But he needs to cut down on the walks if he wants to have success in sophomore season.
* Denotes disabled list
Bats: L | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 215
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.089
The second-year catcher not only became a comfortable target for pitchers last season, he also proved to have a steady eye at the plate with 14 walks vs. 14 strikeouts.
No. 18 Geovany Soto
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 225
Age: 34 | Service Time: 9.096
The steady veteran is an improvement over the ’16 duo when it comes to framing. Injuries have limited him to 56 games per year the last five season, including 26 in 2016.
INFIELDERS
No. 79 Jose Abreu
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 255
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.00
Rebounded over final 52 games after dealing with myriad distractions. Hit .340/.401/.557 in final 227 plate appearances to reach 100 RBIs in third straight year.
No. 18 Tyler Saladino
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 200
Age: 27 | Service Time: 1.087
An impressive glove no matter where plays, showed steady progress at the plate in his second year. Hit .294/.323/.406 in 191 plate appearances after becoming a starter.
No. 7 Tim Anderson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 185
Age: 23 | Service Time: 0.115
Proved to be a formidable player despite his relative inexperience. Has room to improve. Team recently extended him potentially for eight years and $50.5 million.
No. 21 Todd Frazier
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 220
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.071
Potential trade candidate offered a significant upgrade at the hot corner. Provided leadership and steady defense as well as career best in homers (40) and RBIs (98).
No. 24 Matt Davidson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 230
Age: 26 | Service Time: 0.145
Finally found the groove the club had long hoped for last season before he broke his foot. Should get a chance to prove his value during the club’s rebuild.
No. 5 Yolmer Sanchez
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 185
Age: 24 | Service Time: 1.134
Middle infielder should get a fair amount of playing time with Brett Lawrie gone. Had a nice spring, hitting .305/.354/.542 with three home runs.
OUTFIELDERS
No. 26 Avisail Garcia
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 240
Age: 25 | Service Time: 3.167
Hope is he can find a medium between how he hits with runners in scoring position (.355/.421/.538) and without runners on (.217/.268/.354).
No. 64 Jacob May
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.00
Speedy, switch-hitting outfielder comes from strong baseball bloodline. Outstanding overall spring helped him win job over recently traded Peter Bourjos.
No. 53 Melky Cabrera
Bats: S | Throws: L
Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 210
Age: 32 | Service Time: 10.148
Bounced back from dismal start to 2015 season with consistent all-around offense. Free agent to be could be dealt before deadline if he performs once again.
No. 25 Cody Asche
Bats: L | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 205
Age: 26 | Service Time: 3.045
Seeking a fresh start, left-handed stick showed versatility in the field and some power. Could work his way into good playing time if he stays consistent.
No. 28 Leury Garcia
Bats: S | Throws: R
Ht: 5-8 | Wt: 170
Age: 26 | Service Time: 2.025
Rick Renteria loves the versatility and speed he provides them. Can play all over the infield and should see time in center field alongside May.
STARTING PITCHER
No. 62 Jose Quintana
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 220
Age: 28 | Service Time: 4.133
A first-time All-Star last season, the southpaw is one of the most consistent pitchers. Team-friendly contract also makes him one of the most tradable.
No. 33 James Shields
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 215
Age: 35 | Service Time: 10.125
One of the game’s most dependable starters, he’s looking to bounce back from a dismal season. Posted a 6.77 ERA in 22 starts after he was acquired from San Diego.
No. 45 Derek Holland
Bats: S | Throws: L
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 215
Age: 30 | Service Time: 7.120
The lefty is hopeful he, Don Cooper and training staff can keep him healthy and on the same path as when he produced 7.6 WAR from 2011-13.
No. 58 Miguel Gonzalez
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 170
Age: 32 | Service Time: 5.084
A late spring addition in 2016, he flourished after adding the cut-fastball to his repertoire. Free-agent-to-be posted a 3.03 ERA over his last 11 starts (65 1/3 innings).
*No. 55 Carlos Rodon
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 235
Age: 24 | Service Time: 1.168
Plan that has been slowed by injury called for him pitching 200 innings and making 32 starts. Team has identified the former 1st-rounder as a building block.
No. 68 Dylan Covey
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 195
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.000
Rule 5 draft pick is most successful when he’s attacking down in the zone. Must stay on big league roster or be offered back to his original club.
RELIEF PITCHER
No. 65 Nate Jones
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.000
Hard-throwing right-hander is potential trade bait. Not only has he been dominant since returning from Tommy John, but also is on a great contract.
No. 30 David Robertson
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 195
Age: 31 | Service Time: 8.070
The subject of myriad offseason rumors, could provide an attractive option to a team in need at an affordable rate after last postseason’s bullpen craze.
No. 57 Zach Putnam
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 220
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.135
Limited to 25 games last season before he needed surgery to remove elbow chips, the righty has averaged 9.6 strikeouts per nine in his career.
No. 52 Jake Petricka
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 220
Age: 28 | Service Time: 3.044
A valuable arm the previous two seasons, Petricka was limited to eight innings by a hip injury. Has throw well this spring and appears to be healthy again.
No. 43 Dan Jennings
Bats: L | Throws: L
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 210
Age: 29 | Service Time: 3.171
Put together his most complete season as he continued to make strides against left-handed hitters. Finished with a 2.08 ERA in 60 2/3 innings.
No. 34 Anthony Swarzak
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 215
Age: 31 | Service Time: 5.024
Former starting pitcher is throwing harder than ever. Struck out 16 batters in 12 2/3 innings this spring. Offers length out of the bullpen.
No. 66 Michael Ynoa
Bats: R | Throws: R
Ht: 6-7 | Wt: 210
Age: 25 | Service Time: 0.113
Tall righty displayed some serious stuff in his rookie campaign. But he needs to cut down on the walks if he wants to have success in sophomore season.
* Denotes disabled list
Five questions facing the White Sox in 2017.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Firmly entrenched in their new youthful direction, the White Sox will begin the 2017 season Monday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. This is the first year of a major rebuilding process undertaken by Rick Hahn and the front office, with the hope of setting a strong foundation for the future. So what questions are facing the White Sox with two days until Opening Day? Here are five pressing ones:
1. Will Jose Quintana finish the year with the White Sox?
If the White Sox had their druthers — to borrow a Hahn phrase — they would’ve already moved the 28-year-old Quintana for a package of prospects similar to the hauls they received for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton in December. But that deal didn’t materialize over the winter, so Quintana will be the White Sox Opening Day starter on Monday. His team-friendly contract (five years, $26.5 million with team options in 2019 and 2020) and remarkable consistency over the last five years (3.41 ERA, 951 IP) have made him one of the most coveted players potentially available. The answer to this question will largely depend on if a team like the Houston Astros or New York Yankees is willing to part with multiple top prospects to land Quintana, given his contract means the White Sox don't have to be in any rush to trade him.
2. When does the first wave of prospects hit?
Triple-A Charlotte will have a loaded roster to begin the minor league season, with four MLB.com top 100 prospects on its roster: Second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 2) and right-handers Lucas Giolito (No. 11), Reynaldo Lopez (No. 46) and Carson Fulmer (No. 71). Flamethrowing reliever Zack Burdi (ranked as the White Sox No. 7 prospect by MLB.com) will begin the season with the Knights, too. All five players could hit or pitch their way into the major leagues this spring or summer, but the organization will be patient in waiting to make sure each is ready to stick when they are brought up.
3. How do Carlos Rodon and Tim Anderson grow?
While we wait for that first wave to hit, the White Sox could have franchise cornerstones already in place at 35th and Shields in the 24-year-old Rodon and 23-year-old Anderson. Rodon, who will begin the season on the disabled list with left biceps bursitis, was strong after returning from a midseason injury in 2016 (3.45 ERA, 77 strikeouts, 22 walks, eight home runs allowed in 73 innings). And Anderson’s encouraging debut season (.283/.306/.432, 2.8 WAR) was rewarded in March with a six-year, $25 million contract extension that keeps him under team control through 2024. How both players perform this summer will go a long way toward solidifying the team's long-term plans.
4. How do other prospects develop in the minors?
Right-hander Michael Kopech (ranked by MLB.com as the No. 3 prospect in the organization) will begin the season with Double-A Birmingham, while catcher Zack Collins (No. 6) will start with Single-A Winston-Salem. Other prospects worth following who won’t begin the year in Charlotte: Right-handers Spencer Adams (No. 11), Dane Dunning (No. 100 and Alec Hansen (No. 9) and outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (No. 8). Don’t expect any of these players to make the majors this year — Kopech has the best chance — given the White Sox don’t have a need or desire to accelerate the development of any of their prospects.
5. Who else gets traded before the deadline?
Third baseman Todd Frazier, left fielder Melky Cabrera, right-hander Miguel Gonzalez and left-hander Derek Holland all will be free agents after the season and are likely candidates to be moved before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. Closer David Robertson still has two years left on his contract and was the subject of a few offseason trade rumors, too. And there could be other players dealt away this summer who are under contract beyond 2018, if the right return comes along. Hahn said during the offseason that it would be difficult to both rebuild the right way and contend for a playoff spot, so with that being the expectation, the White Sox will almost certainly be open for business as the May/June/July trade market develops.
1. Will Jose Quintana finish the year with the White Sox?
If the White Sox had their druthers — to borrow a Hahn phrase — they would’ve already moved the 28-year-old Quintana for a package of prospects similar to the hauls they received for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton in December. But that deal didn’t materialize over the winter, so Quintana will be the White Sox Opening Day starter on Monday. His team-friendly contract (five years, $26.5 million with team options in 2019 and 2020) and remarkable consistency over the last five years (3.41 ERA, 951 IP) have made him one of the most coveted players potentially available. The answer to this question will largely depend on if a team like the Houston Astros or New York Yankees is willing to part with multiple top prospects to land Quintana, given his contract means the White Sox don't have to be in any rush to trade him.
2. When does the first wave of prospects hit?
Triple-A Charlotte will have a loaded roster to begin the minor league season, with four MLB.com top 100 prospects on its roster: Second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 2) and right-handers Lucas Giolito (No. 11), Reynaldo Lopez (No. 46) and Carson Fulmer (No. 71). Flamethrowing reliever Zack Burdi (ranked as the White Sox No. 7 prospect by MLB.com) will begin the season with the Knights, too. All five players could hit or pitch their way into the major leagues this spring or summer, but the organization will be patient in waiting to make sure each is ready to stick when they are brought up.
3. How do Carlos Rodon and Tim Anderson grow?
While we wait for that first wave to hit, the White Sox could have franchise cornerstones already in place at 35th and Shields in the 24-year-old Rodon and 23-year-old Anderson. Rodon, who will begin the season on the disabled list with left biceps bursitis, was strong after returning from a midseason injury in 2016 (3.45 ERA, 77 strikeouts, 22 walks, eight home runs allowed in 73 innings). And Anderson’s encouraging debut season (.283/.306/.432, 2.8 WAR) was rewarded in March with a six-year, $25 million contract extension that keeps him under team control through 2024. How both players perform this summer will go a long way toward solidifying the team's long-term plans.
4. How do other prospects develop in the minors?
Right-hander Michael Kopech (ranked by MLB.com as the No. 3 prospect in the organization) will begin the season with Double-A Birmingham, while catcher Zack Collins (No. 6) will start with Single-A Winston-Salem. Other prospects worth following who won’t begin the year in Charlotte: Right-handers Spencer Adams (No. 11), Dane Dunning (No. 100 and Alec Hansen (No. 9) and outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (No. 8). Don’t expect any of these players to make the majors this year — Kopech has the best chance — given the White Sox don’t have a need or desire to accelerate the development of any of their prospects.
5. Who else gets traded before the deadline?
Third baseman Todd Frazier, left fielder Melky Cabrera, right-hander Miguel Gonzalez and left-hander Derek Holland all will be free agents after the season and are likely candidates to be moved before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline. Closer David Robertson still has two years left on his contract and was the subject of a few offseason trade rumors, too. And there could be other players dealt away this summer who are under contract beyond 2018, if the right return comes along. Hahn said during the offseason that it would be difficult to both rebuild the right way and contend for a playoff spot, so with that being the expectation, the White Sox will almost certainly be open for business as the May/June/July trade market develops.
Golf: I got a club for that..... Henley rallies for SHO win, Masters invite.
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
Russell Henley no longer gets to take a week off, and he couldn't be happier.
He's going to the Masters.
Henley overcame a four-shot deficit Sunday in the Shell Houston Open by closing with a 7-under 65 for a three-shot victory, one of the most important final rounds of his career. Only later did he realize it might have been his best.
He made 10 birdies. He never went more than two holes without a birdie.
''I made 10 birdies today?'' he asked. ''Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah, then I guess it's definitely the best.''
Henley ran off five of them in the opening eight holes to briefly catch up to Sung Kang, only to make a double bogey from the bunker on the par-3 ninth at the Golf Club of Houston. Only the 27-year-old from Georgia was just getting warmed up.
The decisive stretch came on the par-5 13th, where Henley and Kang were tied for the lead. Henley pitched to 3 feet for birdie, while Kang missed from 15 feet. On the par-3 14th, Henley rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the fast greens, cut to try to mimic what players will face at Augusta National. Kang did well to save par from 6 feet. And then Henley raced out to a three-shot advantage with another up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 15th.
He finished with a bogey for 20-under 268, three shots ahead of Kang.
Rickie Fowler was never in the picture. He made a double bogey with a wild drive on the second hole, and then hit driver off the deck into the water on the par-5 fourth hole to drop another shot. Fowler trailed by as many as seven shots until making a flurry of birdies late in the round when it was out of reach.
Fowler closed with a 70 and tied for third, along with Luke List (68).
''Just an alignment problem that just caused me to make a couple bad swings, cost me a few shots,'' Fowler said. ''Nice that I got it turned around and started to make some good swings and made some birdies and fought back, got a good finish out of it. Obviously, yeah, I would have like to have gotten off to a better start.''
Jon Rahm, the 22-year-old rookie from Spain, closed with a 67 and tied for 10th, his fourth consecutive top 10 as he heads to Augusta National for his Masters debut.
Henley won for the third time in his PGA Tour career, and his first since a playoff victory over Rory McIlroy in the 2014 Honda Classic. He was in danger of missing the Masters for the second straight year until winning the Houston Open, the only way into Augusta National at this point.
''I wasn't expecting to go back to Augusta,'' he said. ''I was planning on not going, but I was going to try my best to win. So, the fact I get to go back is pretty cool and I'm excited. It hasn't really sunk in yet.''
Henley became the third player in the last four years to win the Houston Open and earn a trip to the Masters.
Kang, going for his first PGA Tour victory, had a six-shot lead after 36 holes, the largest in tournament history. He appeared to get a slight reprieve Saturday when Fowler fell back with a four-putt double bogey on the 18th hole of the third round.
The threat turned out to be Henley, one of the best putters in golf when he gets it going.
Kang did his best to hang on, but he never made another birdie after No. 8. His hopes were all but gone when he missed a 5-foot birdie attempt on No. 16.
''This week is going to be very memorable for me,'' Kang said. ''I played really solid the first few rounds and then it shifted for two rounds. I'll keep grinding it out and working out and hopefully, I can get a chance next time.''
The starting times were moved up Sunday because of the threat of rain, and the final round featured dark, gray skies and a drizzle, followed by steamy sunshine as the leaders entered the final stretch.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was at the tournament on Sunday and advocated for moving the Houston Open inside the city limits rather than unincorporated Harris County near Humble where the tournament has been played since 2003.
Neither the sponsor nor the location for next year's Houston Open has been determined. Turner advocated heavily for moving the tournament to Memorial Park, which last hosted the Houston Open in 1963.
He's going to the Masters.
Henley overcame a four-shot deficit Sunday in the Shell Houston Open by closing with a 7-under 65 for a three-shot victory, one of the most important final rounds of his career. Only later did he realize it might have been his best.
He made 10 birdies. He never went more than two holes without a birdie.
''I made 10 birdies today?'' he asked. ''Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah, then I guess it's definitely the best.''
Henley ran off five of them in the opening eight holes to briefly catch up to Sung Kang, only to make a double bogey from the bunker on the par-3 ninth at the Golf Club of Houston. Only the 27-year-old from Georgia was just getting warmed up.
The decisive stretch came on the par-5 13th, where Henley and Kang were tied for the lead. Henley pitched to 3 feet for birdie, while Kang missed from 15 feet. On the par-3 14th, Henley rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the fast greens, cut to try to mimic what players will face at Augusta National. Kang did well to save par from 6 feet. And then Henley raced out to a three-shot advantage with another up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 15th.
He finished with a bogey for 20-under 268, three shots ahead of Kang.
Rickie Fowler was never in the picture. He made a double bogey with a wild drive on the second hole, and then hit driver off the deck into the water on the par-5 fourth hole to drop another shot. Fowler trailed by as many as seven shots until making a flurry of birdies late in the round when it was out of reach.
Fowler closed with a 70 and tied for third, along with Luke List (68).
''Just an alignment problem that just caused me to make a couple bad swings, cost me a few shots,'' Fowler said. ''Nice that I got it turned around and started to make some good swings and made some birdies and fought back, got a good finish out of it. Obviously, yeah, I would have like to have gotten off to a better start.''
Jon Rahm, the 22-year-old rookie from Spain, closed with a 67 and tied for 10th, his fourth consecutive top 10 as he heads to Augusta National for his Masters debut.
Henley won for the third time in his PGA Tour career, and his first since a playoff victory over Rory McIlroy in the 2014 Honda Classic. He was in danger of missing the Masters for the second straight year until winning the Houston Open, the only way into Augusta National at this point.
''I wasn't expecting to go back to Augusta,'' he said. ''I was planning on not going, but I was going to try my best to win. So, the fact I get to go back is pretty cool and I'm excited. It hasn't really sunk in yet.''
Henley became the third player in the last four years to win the Houston Open and earn a trip to the Masters.
Kang, going for his first PGA Tour victory, had a six-shot lead after 36 holes, the largest in tournament history. He appeared to get a slight reprieve Saturday when Fowler fell back with a four-putt double bogey on the 18th hole of the third round.
The threat turned out to be Henley, one of the best putters in golf when he gets it going.
Kang did his best to hang on, but he never made another birdie after No. 8. His hopes were all but gone when he missed a 5-foot birdie attempt on No. 16.
''This week is going to be very memorable for me,'' Kang said. ''I played really solid the first few rounds and then it shifted for two rounds. I'll keep grinding it out and working out and hopefully, I can get a chance next time.''
The starting times were moved up Sunday because of the threat of rain, and the final round featured dark, gray skies and a drizzle, followed by steamy sunshine as the leaders entered the final stretch.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was at the tournament on Sunday and advocated for moving the Houston Open inside the city limits rather than unincorporated Harris County near Humble where the tournament has been played since 2003.
Neither the sponsor nor the location for next year's Houston Open has been determined. Turner advocated heavily for moving the tournament to Memorial Park, which last hosted the Houston Open in 1963.
Thompson overcomes penalty, can't overcome Ryu.
Associated Press
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Lexi Thompson almost pulled off one of the most dramatic victories in the history of golf on Sunday, overcoming a four-shot penalty, but So Yeon Ryu was too much for her to overcome in a playoff in the ANA Inspiration, the year's first LPGA major.
Ryu made a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win at Mission Hills Country Club.
Most of the drama, however, came long before the playoff.
Thompson was leading the tournament and had just completed the 12th hole when she was informed by a rules official that a TV viewer had emailed officials and asked them to look at the video of Thompson marking her ball on the 17th hole on Saturday. Officials determined that she replaced it in a slightly different position relative to her coin than it had originally been in.
"Is this a joke?" Thompson asked.
Ryu made a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win at Mission Hills Country Club.
Most of the drama, however, came long before the playoff.
Thompson was leading the tournament and had just completed the 12th hole when she was informed by a rules official that a TV viewer had emailed officials and asked them to look at the video of Thompson marking her ball on the 17th hole on Saturday. Officials determined that she replaced it in a slightly different position relative to her coin than it had originally been in.
"Is this a joke?" Thompson asked.
Thompson was assessed two two-stroke penalties - one for the improper marking and another for signing an incorrect scorecard.
That changed her score, as she went to the 13th tee, from 16 under to 12 under, and gave Suzann Pettersen and Minjee Lee a two-stroke lead.
Thompson fought back - and fought back tears - to birdie the 13th and 15th holes, and at one point was in a five-way tie for the lead with Pettersen, Lee, Ryu and Inbee Park. The crowd gave her thunderous ovations and chanted "Lex-i, Lex-i."
Ryu birdied the par-5 18th hole after hitting a delicate chip shot from behind the green, giving herself a one-shot lead. Thompson and Pettersen came to the 18th needing birdie to tie.
Thompson hit a clutch approach to about 12 feet, and came up just short on her eagle putt, tapping in for a tying birdie. Pettersen had a 5-foot attempt for birdie, but missed.
The sudden-death playoff took place on the 18th. Ryu hit the fairway off the tee, and though her 5-wood approach faded dangerously close to Poppie's Pond, it stayed dry. Thompson's drive found deep rough to the right of the fairway, and she laid up before hitting a wedge to 15 feet. Ryu chipped 4 feet past, the ball going over the right edge of the cup. Thompson's birdie bid came up short, and Ryu ended the drama by making her birdie putt.
"It's great to have the fan base that I do," an emotional Thompson said afterward. "They got me through the whole round. It's unfortunate what happened. I did not mean that at all. I didn't realize I did that (improperly replaced her ball). I fought strong through the finish and it was great to see the fans behind me."
"I just cannot believe the situation," Ryu said. "I didn't even check the leaderboard. I thought Lexi played really, really well. I didn't expect what happened to Lexi. It's a very unfortunate situation. I didn't expect it. I thought I'm well behind, so all I wanted to do was play my game."
Palmer’s legacy to live on with Champions.
By Ben Everill
That changed her score, as she went to the 13th tee, from 16 under to 12 under, and gave Suzann Pettersen and Minjee Lee a two-stroke lead.
Thompson fought back - and fought back tears - to birdie the 13th and 15th holes, and at one point was in a five-way tie for the lead with Pettersen, Lee, Ryu and Inbee Park. The crowd gave her thunderous ovations and chanted "Lex-i, Lex-i."
Ryu birdied the par-5 18th hole after hitting a delicate chip shot from behind the green, giving herself a one-shot lead. Thompson and Pettersen came to the 18th needing birdie to tie.
Thompson hit a clutch approach to about 12 feet, and came up just short on her eagle putt, tapping in for a tying birdie. Pettersen had a 5-foot attempt for birdie, but missed.
The sudden-death playoff took place on the 18th. Ryu hit the fairway off the tee, and though her 5-wood approach faded dangerously close to Poppie's Pond, it stayed dry. Thompson's drive found deep rough to the right of the fairway, and she laid up before hitting a wedge to 15 feet. Ryu chipped 4 feet past, the ball going over the right edge of the cup. Thompson's birdie bid came up short, and Ryu ended the drama by making her birdie putt.
"It's great to have the fan base that I do," an emotional Thompson said afterward. "They got me through the whole round. It's unfortunate what happened. I did not mean that at all. I didn't realize I did that (improperly replaced her ball). I fought strong through the finish and it was great to see the fans behind me."
"I just cannot believe the situation," Ryu said. "I didn't even check the leaderboard. I thought Lexi played really, really well. I didn't expect what happened to Lexi. It's a very unfortunate situation. I didn't expect it. I thought I'm well behind, so all I wanted to do was play my game."
Palmer’s legacy to live on with Champions.
By Ben Everill
For the first time since 1958 the Masters Champions Dinner on Tuesday night will be missing Arnold Palmer – but those in attendance are determined to ensure his legacy lives on.
Palmer claimed the first of his four Masters titles that year and as such began appearing at the exclusive champions only dinner from 1959 – spending over half a century regaling those in attendance with his wonderful stories and infectious personality.
The swash-buckling 62-time PGA TOUR winner sat with the likes of Sam Snead, Bryon Nelson and Ben Hogan when he was a youngster and continued to break bread with them and other legends of the game like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros as his playing days wound down.
He then welcomed in the modern greats like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth – Mr. Palmer saw it all.
But his passing late last year means this Tuesday night in the Augusta National clubhouse will be missing one of its greatest voices.
As a tribute to Mr. Palmer – those champions who remain – expect to eat, drink and be merry in his honor.
Two-time champion Ben Crenshaw, who acts as an emcee of sorts, revealed they will indeed spend time celebrating their fallen friend.
The group will also honor the 20-year anniversary of Woods’ 1997 triumph.
“The dinner is about stories,” Crenshaw said.
“It is all fascinating and it weaves a fabric of a very exclusive club that is hard to get in to.”
And Palmer was one of the great story tellers. As such they feel it only fitting the tradition continues.
“I have a feeling it will be the greatest dinner we’ve ever had,” three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo said.
“We are going to have an amazing Tuesday night. I think it will be very emotional. I think everyone might get up and tell an Arnie story and that could provide a bit of everything from emotion, to laughter, to having a dig at Arnold.”
Australian Adam Scott, the 2013 champion, is certainly grateful he experienced a few dinners with Palmer.
He expects to talk about his experiences as a young 20-year-old on TOUR when Palmer struck him so profoundly because he “was always so fun-loving.”
“He liked to have a good time even in the older years of his life and hung out with me as a young kid at the [Franklin Templeton Shootout] on the range and hit balls with me,” Scott continued.
“He was inquisitive about the clubs I was hitting and how I played – I wasn’t well known but he had time for everybody. He was the ultimate people person.
“To be able to share being a Masters champion with him, it’s a tremendous honor. I’m sure someone will kick things off with a few words and then hopefully the stories will start flowing which will be all in celebration and good spirits. He will be missed by everyone and I will certainly raise a glass in his honor.”
Two-time winner Bubba Watson openly admits he is constantly trying to better himself off the golf course – using Palmer’s example as his guide.
“I don’t even care about the golf,” he said of Palmer’s incredible records.
“He was always filled with joy. And filled others with joy. That’s his legacy.”
It is expected Nicklaus and Player, as they have done for many years, will have the group chuckling with plenty of Arnie stories. It is not uncommon for stories of Hogan and Snead to still get trotted out – it is in fact encouraged. Every champion has a responsibility to add to – and continue – the stories of the past.
Crenshaw gets a little emotional when he recalls the dinner a year ago. Palmer was struggling a little with his health but was the life of the party all the same.
Perhaps sensing his time as part of the group was getting closer to an end, Palmer spoke at length.
“It was so heartfelt,” Crenshaw said.
“He basically said what this place meant to him. And he was so sincere and thankful. He wanted to thank each and every champion.
“It’s hard to believe he’s not here, having meant so much to this place. He touched us all.”
While the legend may no longer be with us, his legendary stories will long be told.
Dustin Johnson installed as Masters favorite.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
With the Shell Houston Open in the books, the Masters takes the spotlight. And according to Las Vegas oddsmakers, Dustin Johnson is the man to beat.
Johnson enters the season’s first major on a three-tournament winning streak, with two of those victories coming in WGC events. While he opened at 12/1 in August at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Johnson is now a 5/1 favorite, ahead of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
Russell Henley, who won in Houston to earn the tournament’s final invite, was installed with 100/1 odds. Here’s a look at some of the betting favorites heading into Masters week:
5/1: Dustin Johnson
7/1: Jordan Spieth
8/1: Rory McIlroy
15/1: Jason Day
20/1: Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm
30/1: Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Henrik Stenson
40/1: Paul Casey
50/1: Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Louis Oosthuizen, Tyrrell Hatton
60/1: Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka, Charl Schwartzel, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Daniel Berger, Marc Leishman, Thomas Pieters
80/1: Zach Johnson, Adam Hadwin, Jimmy Walker, Lee Westwood, Bill Haas
100/1: Branden Grace, J.B. Holmes, Kevin Kisner, Russell Henley, Gary Woodland, Tommy Fleetwood
125/1: Danny Willett, Shane Lowry, Martin Kaymer, Emiliano Grillo, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Jason Dufner, Alex Noren, Charley Hoffman, Ryan Moore
150/1: Pat Perez, Ross Fisher, Soren Kjeldsen, Jim Furyk, Angel Cabrera, Russell Knox, Kevin Na, Francesco Molinari
NASCAR: Brad Keselowski emerges on top after classic duel with Kyle Busch in STP 500.
By Jerry Bonkowski
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
After dueling throughout the final 160 laps, Keselowski pulled away for his second win of the season to capture the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
It was Keselowski’s first career NASCAR Cup win at Martinsville and his fifth straight top-five finish in 2017. It was also Team Penske’s first win at the 0.526-mile paper clip-shaped track since 2004.
“This is awesome,” Keselowski told FS1. “Martinsville is just one of those champion’s tracks, where guys that run well everywhere, run good here. It’s really an honor to win here and to get to compete here, the history of this track, 70 years old and a lot of legends have won here. Man, it feels great to join them.”
Keselowski becomes the first multi-race winner of 2017, having won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the season’s second race. He led 116 laps, leading the final 43 after grabbing the lead for good on Lap 458. Busch led a race-high 274 laps.
Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott were the respective winners of Stage 1 and Stage 2, but it was all Keselowski vs. Busch in the final segment of the 500-lap event.
“It’s just a frustrating season so far,” Busch told FS1. “We gave it everything we got. We do all we can with what we’re given, and we try to execute.”
Elliott finished third, followed by Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, A.J. Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
There was a big crash on Lap 288 that involved several cars. Austin Dillon and Erik Jones got together, collecting Daniel Suarez, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Kurt Busch was able to get going after that incident on the restart but wrecked again shortly thereafter heading into Turn 3 on Lap 296 and saw his day come to an end, as well.
On Lap 418, several cars wrecked, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola.
It appeared Hamlin started the crash but getting loose and drifting into Patrick’s car. Earnhardt suffered damage to his radiator that ultimately ended his day early, too.
On Lap 433, Martin Truex Jr., who won Stage 1, spun in Turn 3 while running seventh. He suffered minor damage and ultimately finished 16th.
WHO ELSE HAD A GOOD DAY: Chase Elliott almost doubled up. He won Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series race and finished third in Sunday’s Cup race. … Austin Dillon finished a season-best fifth. … Clint Bowyer had his second consecutive top-10 finish. … Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was involved in several fender-banging incidents with fellow drivers but managed to bounce back to finish 10th.
WHO HAD A BAD DAY: Jamie McMurray (38th) and Kurt Busch (37th) both suffered tire issues that led to race-ending wrecks. Busch’s bad luck continues: He’s finished 24th or worse in the last four races, including Sunday, marking his first DNF of the season. … Also having a bad showing was Dale Earnhardt Jr. (finished 34th), who suffered radiator damage that ended his day on Lap 418.
NOTABLE: Howard Miller Co., which makes the grandfather clocks that are awarded to the winners at Martinsville, are built in Keselowski’s home state of Michigan. … Keselowski’s finishes in his last five races: 1st (Atlanta), 5th (Las Vegas, Phoenix), 2nd (Fontana) and 1st (Martinsville).
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We’re not just not quite getting the finishes we need. We just need to figure out how to finish what we are or where we’re running. So far, we’ve been finishing worse.” – Kyle Busch, who has not won since last summer’s Brickyard 400, to FS1.
WHAT’S NEXT: Sunday, April 9, O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, 1:30 p.m. ET, Texas Motor Speedway. This will be the first race there after a complete repave and redesign of part of the track.
Kyle Larson retains Cup points lead after STP 500 at Martinsville.
By Daniel McFadin
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson remains the NASCAR Cup Series points leader after finishing 17th in the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Larson has had the points leads for three straight races.
Chase Elliott trails Larson by four points after his third-place finish.
Filling out the top five is Martin Truex Jr (-32), Brad Keselowski (-34) and Joey Logano (-61).
Click here for the full points standings.
Chase Elliott scores Truck victory at Martinsville.
By Dustin Long
(Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
Chase Elliott held off GMS Racing teammate Johnny Sauter late to win Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
Sauter finished second and was followed by Christopher Bell, rookie Noah Gragson and Ty Dillon.
Bell led with 17 laps left but made contact with Austin Cindric, who was trying to stay on the lead lap. The contact allowed Elliott and Sauter to get by.
Asked what he might want to tell Cindric, Bell said: “It’s 20 laps to go in the race, you’re going a lap down. If it’s not your day, it’s not your day. I don’t expect him to just wave me by. I do expect him to continue to run the line he was running, and the chicane down the front straightaway was not the line he had been running.”
On the restart with 12 laps to go, Elliott blocked Sauter and stayed ahead the rest of the way to earn his second career Truck series win – his other Truck win came in 2013 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“He’s doing what he’s got to do to win the race,” Sauter said of Elliott’s block late. “I’d do the same thing.”
STAGE 1 WINNER: Chase Elliott
STAGE 2 WINNER: Johnny Sauter
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: After finishing 26th and 14th in the first two races of the season, Noah Gragson finished a career-high fourth. … Brett Moffitt started 15th and finished sixth, scoring his first top 10 of the season. … Ross Chastain recovered from a punctured tire early and a spin to finish seventh.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: John Hunter Nemechek‘s truck lost power and caused a caution on Lap 119. He later returned several laps down and finished 28th. … Austin Cindric finished 21st and the contact with Christopher Bell, who was leading at the time, will be what some will recall most about Cindric’s race after Bell failed to win.
NOTABLE: Chase Elliott is the sixth different winner in the last six Truck races at Martinsville.
Previous winners: Darrell Wallace Jr., Joey Logano, Matt Crafton, Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Johnny (Sauter) and I raced really hard here in the fall, and I think that was a little different ballgame than what you had today. I think you can get a little more aggressive in today’s race and not have as quite as big an outcome if something were to go wrong” – race winner Chase Elliott.
NEXT: The series is off until racing May 12 at Kansas Speedway.
Sauter finished second and was followed by Christopher Bell, rookie Noah Gragson and Ty Dillon.
Bell led with 17 laps left but made contact with Austin Cindric, who was trying to stay on the lead lap. The contact allowed Elliott and Sauter to get by.
Asked what he might want to tell Cindric, Bell said: “It’s 20 laps to go in the race, you’re going a lap down. If it’s not your day, it’s not your day. I don’t expect him to just wave me by. I do expect him to continue to run the line he was running, and the chicane down the front straightaway was not the line he had been running.”
On the restart with 12 laps to go, Elliott blocked Sauter and stayed ahead the rest of the way to earn his second career Truck series win – his other Truck win came in 2013 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“He’s doing what he’s got to do to win the race,” Sauter said of Elliott’s block late. “I’d do the same thing.”
STAGE 1 WINNER: Chase Elliott
STAGE 2 WINNER: Johnny Sauter
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: After finishing 26th and 14th in the first two races of the season, Noah Gragson finished a career-high fourth. … Brett Moffitt started 15th and finished sixth, scoring his first top 10 of the season. … Ross Chastain recovered from a punctured tire early and a spin to finish seventh.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: John Hunter Nemechek‘s truck lost power and caused a caution on Lap 119. He later returned several laps down and finished 28th. … Austin Cindric finished 21st and the contact with Christopher Bell, who was leading at the time, will be what some will recall most about Cindric’s race after Bell failed to win.
NOTABLE: Chase Elliott is the sixth different winner in the last six Truck races at Martinsville.
Previous winners: Darrell Wallace Jr., Joey Logano, Matt Crafton, Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Johnny (Sauter) and I raced really hard here in the fall, and I think that was a little different ballgame than what you had today. I think you can get a little more aggressive in today’s race and not have as quite as big an outcome if something were to go wrong” – race winner Chase Elliott.
NEXT: The series is off until racing May 12 at Kansas Speedway.
Johnny Sauter takes Truck points lead with runner-up finish at Martinsville
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
Johnny Sauter took the points lead from Christopher Bell after finishing second in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
Sauter, who won Stage 2, collected 54 points. That gives him 140 after three races in the season. Bell fell to second with 136 points after his third-place finish. Matt Crafton is third with 117 points.
Click here for Truck points report
SOCCER: Bastian Schweinsteiger scores in debut, Fire draw Montreal.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Chicago Fire fans said hello to Bastian Schweinsteiger when he arrived in Chicago on Tuesday. Schweinsteiger said his hello with a goal in his debut on Saturday.
Unfortunately for the Fire, the goal was not enough for a win. Montreal took the lead with two goals in the second half before Luis Solignac tied things up with a volley in added time for a 2-2 draw.
Schweinsteiger showed off the passing skill, vision and composure on the ball that allowed him to start for a World Cup-winning Germany and a Champions League-winning Bayern Munich in his career. He also showed off his aerial ability on the goal.
He hasn't been known for goal-scoring in his career. Despite that, Schweinsteiger rose up and headed in a David Accam cross following a short corner in the 17th minute.
Schweinsteiger picked up the ball out of the net, kissed it and ran to the corner where Sector Latino was. The entire team rushed over to him and the Toyota Park crowd gave him a standing ovation.
"It was a great feeling," Schweinsteiger said. "It was a perfect cross."
The Fire had 62 percent of the possession in the first half and Schweinsteiger was creating attacks with some slick passes. However, things took a turn in the other direction in the second half.
Montreal tied the match on a Matteo Mancosu header in the 61st minute. Mancosu got free in the box and headed in a cross from Chris Duvall.
Things got worse 10 minutes later when Fire midfielder Juninho picked up his second yellow card and was sent off, leaving the Fire (1-1-2, 5 points) shorthanded while trying to pick up the winning goal.
The match finished 10v10 when Schweinsteiger hit a through ball to send substitute Luis Solignac on a breakaway. Solignac then was brought down from behind by Victor Cabrera in the 81st minute.
Soon after Schweinsteiger had a chance to put the Fire back in front, but his volley following a corner kick went just wide. Schweinsteiger made some key passes down the stretch, but the Fire were not able to capitalize.
"With 10 players we tried to get chances and it was a very good reaction," Schweinsteiger said. "I think we deserved the draw in the end. We have to live with it, the one point, but it was a very good reaction."
Montreal (0-1-3, 3 points) took the lead when Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla scored in the 90th minute with a shot that snuck in the near post past goalkeeper Jorge Bava.
"You get an equalizer in the 93rd minute and you want to be happy and you want to feel like it's a positive result, but it's not a good result in the least bit," McCarty said. "It's a terrible result actually. It's going to be tough watching video next week. Defensively it was just shambolic the way we conceded those two goals. If you want to win games in this league, it's going to be impossible if we concede soft goals like that. I don't remember them having very many good chances. I don't remember Bava having to make these ridiculous saves, the ones that he made in Columbus. If you're going to concede goals like that at home, you're in for a long season."
Coach Veljko Paunovic had a more positive tone, seeing improvement from last year.
"Last year we would have lost this game, but in the end now we show the survival instinct," Paunovic said. "That's what we are looking for, to win games at the end or points like today.
"For me I'm happy with the character. I'm also happy that I saw a locker room that is not happy with a point. That's something that I actually want to see."
The Fire are at home next Saturday as well with a game against Columbus.
Arsenal 2-2 Manchester City: Gunners come back twice.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
At times the defense was cringe-worthy. At times possession was painful. There were more than few bad giveaways. Both teams had moments of brilliance, but both teams also had moments of disaster.
All told, it ended even as Arsenal twice fought back to level the score as the points were shared at the Emirates with a 2-2 draw. Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero each gave Manchester City a one-goal lead, but both times they were pegged back as Theo Walcott and Shkodran Mustafi got goals for the Gunners.
The opening strike by City came less than five minutes into the match and it was embarrassingly easy for the visitors. After a Danny Welbeck attempt went wide, City countered immediately. A ball through the middle of the field gashed the Arsenal midfield and defense all at once, and Leroy Sane rounded David Ospina and passed the ball into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
City continued to pepper the home side. David Silva hit the post in the 10th minute, and his second effort on the rebound was saved by Ospina from a tight angle. It appeared the visitors would truly dominate at least the first half, but that didn’t exactly occur. City began to sputter, failing to connect forward after their hot start. Arsenal looked to build large spells of possession, and they worked hard to equalize five minutes before the break.
On an Arsenal short corner, the eventual cross wasn’t cleared far enough, and Shkodran Mustafi headed it back to Theo Walcott who skipped by a defender and poked home to level things at 1-1.
But it wouldn’t last long. City responded immediately, with Kevin De Bruyne hitting the post, and then they took a chance and went right back in front. David Silva fed Sergio Aguero on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box, and he finished from a very tight angle past David Ospina and two sliding defenders.
Arsene Wenger was forced into a halftime change as Laurent Koscielny came off due to an Achillies problem, replaced by Gabriel. City came close to going two-up straight out of the break as Aguero headed wide, and Arsenal made them pay for missing. Again off a corner, Mustafi rose high above the trees and delivered a massive header to again draw the Gunners level.
Fernandinho forced a big save from David Ospina minutes later, rifling a bouncing ball low towards the bottom-left corner that Ospina parried away. Ospina was down to receive treatment for a hip injury but would continue. He was needed again in the 65th minute on an Aguero header which he kept high to catch.
Both teams cautiously looked for the win, and Alex Iwobi ripped a howitzer on the 88th minute that fizzled just over. Manchester City screamed for a penalty in stoppage time for a handball on Nacho Monreal, but there was little in the shout.
With the sides level at the final whistle, Arsenal stays in sixth place, two points back of Manchester United and still seven back of Manchester City in fourth. The visitors will be disappointed not to get all three points, as they stay in fourth, failing to take the chance to jump Liverpool.
Swansea City 0-0 Middlesbrough: Draw helps neither relegation candidate.
By Kyle Bonn
(Photo/Getty Images)
In these desperate times, a single point does neither side much good at the moment, and both Middlesbrough and Swansea City will feel disappointed to have finished goalless at the Liberty Stadium.
The home side was more consistently incisive as Gylfi Sigurdsson was dangerous on a number of occasions, but they failed to put significant distance between themselves and the relegation zone. Middlesbrough had a moment to win the game in the final seconds, but Rudy Gestede missed an open header, and they still has a significant gap to close for safety.
Both teams early on looked to pump crosses into the box for their strikers. Swansea had the better possession in the opening 10 minutes, with Martin Olsson and Jordan Ayew having attempts on net, the latter of which tested goalkeeper Victor Valdes for an awkward save.
Middlesbrough had a spell of great play minutes later, as they ripped off a host of shots, many of which forced brave blocks from the Swansea defenders. After good work from Adama Traore, one shot struck the forearm of defender Alfie Mawson, but his block was legal with his arm in a natural position.
New Boro manager Steve Agnew was forced into a change when Gaston Ramirez went down with an ankle problem in the 38th minute and could not continue, as the visitors brought on Rudy Gestede as an attacking presence. The game devolved as it crept towards halftime, with hardly a chance on net for either team after the opening few minutes, and it reached the break without a goal.
Out of halftime, Swansea was the better team going forward. Martin Olsson thrashed a ball across the face of goal in the 56th minute but nobody was there to meet it. Sigurdsson forced a big save from Victor Valdez in the 64th minute with a brilliant bit of technical ability to work a wonderful curling effort on net.
Middlesbrough was forced into a second change when Fabio appeared to lose consciousness after an attempt to head the ball under pressure. The Boro medical staff was shown clearly restraining Fabio from coming back on the field against the player’s wishes, instead requiring a substitution.
Sigurdsson went close again with five minutes remaining on a free-kick from just outside the box as the Swans continued to push men forward. Boro clung on for dear life, and were lucky on numerous occasions not to be reduced to 10 men as referee Bobby Madley let a high number of dangerous challenges go unpunished. The worst of which came with three minutes left after Gestede, already on a yellow, went in studs up on Tom Carroll, but he stayed on the field after a long chat with the referee, he was let off the hook likely because Carroll was able to avoid the otherwise ugly challenge.
Swansea came so close as Luciano Narsingh seemed in on goal with a minute in regulation, but he was forced wide by Valdez who came off his line and couldn’t get a shot off. Middlesbrough had one last chance to nick a win against the run of play as a brilliant ball from Negredo that met the head of Gestede, but he put it agonizingly wide.
The point for the Swans moves them one above the rest of the relegation zone, with Hull City having moved level on Saturday with a win. For Middlesbrough, they still have four points between themselves and Hull, mired in the midst of a relegation scrap.
Serie A roundup: Juve slip up vs. Napoli, open the door for Roma.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
A roundup of the weekend’s action in Italy’s top flight…
Napoli 1-1 Juventus
The Serie A title race is… well, it’s a little bit closer to being back on after Juventus dropped points for just the second time in 11 league games (they’ve done so all of six times in 30 games).
Everything looked to be going according to plan for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, as Sami Khedira put the visitors 1-0 up in in the 7th minute, but Juve so clearly took their foot off the gas in the minutes that followed, and Napoli beyond deserving of their equalizer.
That it didn’t arrive until the hour mark, via Marek Hamsik, was the harshest part of all. Napoli enjoyed 61 percent of possession on the day, out-shot the five-time defending champions by a margin of 17-4 (4-1 on target), and were genuinely unlucky to take just a point.
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Juventus | 30 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 60 | 20 | 40 | 15-0-0 | 9-2-4 | 74 |
| Roma | 30 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 66 | 26 | 40 | 14-0-1 | 8-2-5 | 68 |
| Napoli | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 69 | 33 | 36 | 10-4-2 | 9-3-2 | 64 |
| Lazio | 30 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 52 | 31 | 21 | 10-2-3 | 8-4-3 | 60 |
| Atalanta | 30 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 51 | 33 | 18 | 10-1-3 | 8-3-5 | 58 |
| Inter Milan | 29 | 17 | 4 | 8 | 55 | 31 | 24 | 10-2-2 | 7-2-6 | 55 |
| AC Milan | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 43 | 33 | 10 | 10-2-3 | 6-4-5 | 54 |
| Fiorentina | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 47 | 37 | 10 | 8-7-0 | 6-2-7 | 51 |
Roma 2-0 Empoli
24 hours earlier, Roma had done their part to keep the pressure on Juve. Edin Dzeko banged in a brace (his 22nd and 23rd goals of the league season), as Roma continued their quiet charge (just three points dropped from their last eight games) toward another top-two finish.
Something of a statistical oddity: despite the six points that separate them in first and second, Juve and Roma have an identical +40 goal differential after 30 games played, and yet, Juve’s sixth straight Scudetto remains nothing short of a foregone conclusion.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Saturday
Sassuolo 1-2 Lazio
Sunday
Genoa 0-5 Atalanta
Pescara 1-1 AC Milan
Torino 2-2 Udinese
Fiorentina 1-0 Bologna
Palermo 1-3 Cagliari
Chievo 1-2 Crotone
La Liga roundup: Real Madrid, Barcelona hold serve, still 2 points apart.
By Andy Edwards
(AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)
A roundup of the weekend’s action in Spain’s top flight…
Real Madrid 3-0 Alaves
The math is extraordinarily simple — more so than the reality, granted — for Real Madrid: win each and every one of their remaining 11 games, and they’ll be La Liga champions once again. With a two-point lead on Barcelona, and a game in hand, coming into the weekend, Zinedine Zidane’s is squarely in the driver’s seat.
On Sunday, Los Blancos made life a tad more difficult for themselves than they would have liked, but in the end came away with all three points against 10th-place Alaves. Karim Benzema made it 1-0 just after the half-hour mark, which is where it would stay for 54 slightly nerve-wracking minutes.
Isco would eventually make it 2-0 in the 85th minute, and Nacho provided security beyond reasonable necessity two minutes after that, sending Madrid five points clear of Barca for a few hours’ time.
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Real Madrid | 28 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 74 | 28 | 46 | 12-3-0 | 9-2-2 | 68 |
| Barcelona | 29 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 85 | 26 | 59 | 10-3-1 | 10-3-2 | 66 |
| Atlético Madrid | 29 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 54 | 23 | 31 | 10-2-2 | 7-5-3 | 58 |
| Sevilla | 29 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 52 | 34 | 18 | 10-3-1 | 7-4-4 | 58 |
| Real Sociedad | 29 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 43 | 40 | 3 | 7-4-4 | 8-0-6 | 49 |
| Villarreal | 29 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 41 | 23 | 18 | 8-3-4 | 5-6-3 | 48 |
| Athletic | 29 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 37 | 33 | 4 | 10-3-2 | 4-2-8 | 47 |
Granada 1-4 Barcelona
“No Lionel Messi” (suspension) was a bit of a problem for Barca on Sunday, but only for a short time. Luis Suarez put Barca ahead a minute before halftime, but the lead was short-lived as Jeremie Boga finished a lightning-quick counter-attack for Granada to being the home side back to 1-1 in the 50th minute.
Nearly 15 minutes went by, and the title looked a million miles away, until Paco Alcacer slotted home a counter-attack chance of his own in the 64th minute. An own goal and a tap-in by Neymar would complete the scoring, and keep the Blaugrana within striking distance ahead of a decisive period for their title rivals — the Madrid derby is next Saturday, followed by El Clasico two weeks after that.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Saturday
Malaga 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Real Sociedad 1-1 Leganes
Villarreal 2-3 Eibar
Osasuna 1-2 Athletic Bilbao
Sunday
Sevilla 0-0 Sporting Gijon
Valencia 3-0 Deportivo La Coruña
PL Saturday roundup: Tighter at top, bottom.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Things got a little tighter at the top of the table on Saturday, and extremely tight in the race for 17th place.
Hull City joined Swansea City on 27 points, while Spurs closed the gap on defeated Chelsea to 7 points.
All that and more in the roundup:
Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Hull City joined Swansea City on 27 points, while Spurs closed the gap on defeated Chelsea to 7 points.
All that and more in the roundup:
Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace — RECAP
Cesc Fabregas scored after just four minutes, and life looked good for the Blues for a few minutes. That’s until Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha nabbed a pair of quick goals, and Palace led 2-1 at the break.
Palace were fortunate to hold back Chelsea’s ensuing barrage, and also to see Andros Townsend‘s handball in the box uncalled, but the Eagles may’ve saved their Premier League status with the win.
Liverpool 3-1 Everton — RECAP
Everton’s defensive depth was always going to be tested by the Reds, and the Toffees simply couldn’t pass that exam as Merseyside went red. Philippe Coutinho scored a wonderful goal to highlight the Reds’ offensive output, which included goals from Sadio Mane and Divock Origi. Mane was injured in the game to cast a bit of shadow on the win.
Southampton 0-0 Bournemouth — RECAP
The hosts were ascendant for most of this one, but had trouble finding the back of the net. Bournemouth’s bid to win at St. Mary’s for the first time ever looked to be in good shape after the introduction of Jack Wilshere helped yield a penalty, but Harry Arter‘s plant foot gave way and the attempt sailed over the frame.
Manchester United 0-0 West Bromwich Albion — RECAP
There’s little doubt the Red Devils were the better team, even without Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Juan Mata. Yet Ben Foster thrived between the sticks against his old club, and West Brom held United without a goal to hurt the Red Devils’ Top Four hopes.
Burnley 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur — RECAP
The Clarets held firm against Spurs’ pressure for some time, but Eric Dier took advantage of a mishit Jeff Hendrick clearance for his first goal since 2015. Then Son Heung-min finished a Dele Alli cross to bring Spurs to within seven points of Chelsea.
Hull City 2-1 West Ham United — RECAP
Andrea Ranocchia nabbed a late winner for Hull, adding offense to his stellar defensive record since arriving on loan from Inter Milan. West Ham took a lead on Andy Carroll‘s 50th Premier League goal, but Andrew Robertson scored to set the stage for Ranocchia.
Watford 1-0 Sunderland — RECAP
Miguel Britos scored his first goal since joining from Napoli in 2015, boosting Watford while keeping the Black Cats rooted to the bottom of the table.
Leicester City 2-0 Stoke City — RECAP
Wilfried Ndidi scored an absolutely righteous goal, and Jamie Vardy added second half insurance as manager Craig Shakespeare became the first British manager to win his first four PL matches in charge of a side.
NCAABKB: South Carolina beats Mississippi State to capture first women’s basketball national title.
By Scott Phillips
(Photo/AP)
South Carolina captured its first national championship in women’s basketball by knocking off SEC rival Mississippi State, 67-55, on Sunday night.
The Gamecocks (33-4) beat the Bulldogs for the third time this season as they were led by junior forward A’ja Wilson with 23 points. The win also marks the first national championship for South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. Besides coaching the Gamecocks to the Final Four two seasons ago, Staley also played in three Final Fours when she went to Virginia but she was never able to win a championship until Sunday.
Mississippi State (34-5) was riding high after Friday night’s shocking overtime win over previously-unbeaten UConn but tournament standout Morgan William was held to only eight points. The Bulldogs were paced by junior guard Victoria Vivians with 12 points while senior guard Dominique Dillingham added 11 points.
South Carolina once again played without starting senior center Alaina Coates after she injured her ankle during the SEC Tournament but others picked up the slack for the Gamecocks on Sunday. Junior guard Allisha Gray finished with 18 points for South Carolina while junior guard Kaela Davis chipped in 10 points.
With only three seniors on the roster, the Gamecocks will be in strong position to make another deep tournament run next season as they’ve advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in four consecutive seasons. While UConn and head coach Geno Auriemma will once again be a major factor next season, Staley has built South Carolina into one of the strongest programs in women’s college basketball as this title is a major step for the Gamecocks.
Reminder: Nothing is forever. Wait. What? UConn's 111-game winning streak comes to an end.
Associated Press
UConn’s record 111-game winning streak came to a startling end when Mississippi State pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in women’s basketball history, shocking the Huskies 66-64 on Morgan William’s overtime buzzer beater in the national semifinals Friday night.
William hit a 15-footer to cap it, moments after a replay review awarded UConn two free throws for a flagrant 1 foul call that tied the game with 26.6 seconds left.
The Bulldogs (34-4) will play South Carolina for the national championship Sunday night in a matchup of two SEC teams.
Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last season and the Huskies won by 60 points — the biggest win in regional semifinals history. All season long the Bulldogs had that humiliating loss on their minds.
Now they’ve erased that defeat, beating UConn (36-1) — which had won the last four national championships — on the grandest stage in one of the sport’s greatest games.
Title game to feature a Battle Of The Bigs we don’t often see in college basketball anymore.
By Rob Dauster
(Photo/Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Pace and space. Stretch fours. Small-ball fives.
That’s who Roy Williams has been his entire career, and it’s somewhat ironic. Williams is affectionately known as ‘Ole Roy’, a hillbilly from western North Carolina that somehow lucked his way into coaching the flagship program in his home state and his alma mater. The ‘aw, shucks’ schtick is one that he’s not afraid to play up, and, in turn, it’s helped play into this perception of Williams as a guy that does nothing but roll the ball out and let his talent takeover.
There may be something to that — this is a topic that I’m going to dive into later on today — but it’s worth noting that there are few coaches in college hoops that have bought into the mantra of extra possessions quite like Williams has, particularly when it comes to the offensive glass. Only once, in the 14 seasons that Williams has been the head coach of the Tar Heels, have they finished outside the top 30 in offensive rebounding percentage, and that just so happened to be the year that they went 25-11, entering the tournament as a No. 8 seed and exiting in the second round to Williams’ former school, Kansas.
That also happened to be the one year since he took over Carolina that Williams was forced to play a way that he didn’t want to play. With the mass exodus that came after UNC’s terrific 2012, a year where a broken bone in Kendall Marshall’s wrist was likely the only thing standing between those Tar Heels squaring off with Anthony Davis’ Kentucky Wildcats for a national title, Williams had one big man on his roster that could handle the rigors of the college game, and that was James Michael McAdoo. P.J. Hairston played the four that year.
(Photo/Chris Steppig -- Pool/Getty Images)
Gonzaga is one of the few teams in the country that won’t have to worry about the size of North Carolina’s front line because, frankly, they have more of it.
“I’m bigger than 99.9 percent of basketball players,” 7-foot-1, 300-pound Przemek Karnowski said earlier this week, failing to note that basketball players are bigger than 99.9 percent of people. Karnowski is joined on Gonzaga’s front-line by Johnathan Williams III, a 6-foot-10 power forward and former top 50 recruit that started his career at Missouri, and spent much of Saturday’s win over South Carolina playing alongside Zach Collins, a 7-foot McDonald’s All-American whose 14 points, 13 boards and six blocks in the game may have cemented his status as Mark Few’s first one-and-done player.
Those are the two guys that the Gonzaga offense runs through.
They’re also the guys that are going to be tasked with keeping North Carolina’s bigs from getting to the offensive glass.
That won’t be an easy ask, not when the Tar Heels are now just one win away from redemption, from masking the pain of last year’s heart-breaking loss in the national title with a ring of their own.
But it will be a battle that isn’t all that common amongst college basketball’s elite these days.
How Gonzaga's only loss helped spearhead its run to the title game.
By Jeff Eisenberg
(Photo/Getty Images)
Soon after Gonzaga secured its place in the national title game on Saturday night, assistant coach Tommy Lloyd stumbled across the man that handed the Zags their only loss this season.
Lloyd’s reaction wasn’t what you might expect: He shook BYU coach Dave Rose’s hand and thanked him.
Had BYU not toppled Gonzaga in its final regular season game, Lloyd believes the Zags’ already difficult task Monday night against North Carolina would be significantly tougher. They would have the extra burden of trying to become the first undefeated champion in 41 years in addition to merely taking aim at the program’s first national title.
“Then you’re going to be in the conversation for the greatest team in the history of modern college basketball, which I don’t know if we belong in or not,” Lloyd said. “It’s good that we have that monkey off our back so we can focus on trying to win tomorrow.”
Conversations with a half dozen other Gonzaga players and coaches suggest Lloyd’s comments are representative of how the rest of the Zags feel about the BYU loss.
Yes, surrendering a 12-point second-half lead against a hated league rival was crushing at the time. Yes, it cost Gonzaga the chance to become just the sixth team since 1976 to complete the regular season undefeated. But while the Zags squandered the chance to make history that night, the lessons learned in that upset loss have been crucial to their ensuing postseason run.
“It definitely helped us,” Gonzaga guard Jordan Mathews said. “There’s a process we have to winning, and we kind of deviated from it in that game. We’d been so used to crushing teams. In that game, we were up 18-2 early and we got away from what we did to get that lead. That made us realize if we don’t stick with the process, we’ll be in trouble.”
Having beaten every WCC opponent they faced by 10 or more points prior to the BYU game, Gonzaga was unaccustomed to the game pressure it faced after the Cougars rallied to take the lead with nine minutes to play. The Zags responded with quick shots, careless turnovers and defensive blunders, all very out of character for a savvy and experienced team.
The day after that loss, Gonzaga players met in their locker room to discuss what went wrong. Mathews, Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski each spoke during that meeting, urging their teammates to get back to playing unselfishly and aggressively once the postseason arrived.
“I feel like there were a lot of individuals trying to go at each other during that game,” Gonzaga reserve big man Ryan Edwards said. “We didn’t really play as a team very well. We weren’t really ourselves. I left that meeting feeling pretty satisfied. I felt like we were on the same page again.”
Gonzaga didn’t regain its previous form until a convincing WCC title game victory over Saint Mary’s 10 days later, but the Zags used that performance as a springboard into the NCAA tournament. They beat South Dakota State and Northwestern in the opening rounds, staged a late rally to survive West Virginia in the Sweet 16 and clobbered Xavier to advance to the program’s first-ever Final Four.
The poise, toughness and unselfishness lacking against BYU were unmistakable on Saturday against South Carolina. When the Gamecocks erased a 14-point second-half deficit with 16 straight points, Gonzaga responded by seizing back momentum with a quick 7-0 surge of its own.
Now the Zags are 40 minutes from their first national title, 40 minutes from a feat once unfathomable for a small-conference program that never made the NCAA tournament until 1995. One better half against BYU is all that’s separating them from taking an undefeated record into Monday’s title game, but they have no regrets about letting that game slip away.
“I thought it was good for us from the moment the buzzer went off,” guard Silas Melson said. “For one, we experienced the taste of losing. We don’t want to feel that, but it helps. I also don’t think the Sports Gods respect undefeated teams. Wichita State went undefeated. Lost. Kentucky went undefeated. Lost. The Patriots went undefeated. Lost. Everybody is going to take an L eventually. I think ours came at the perfect time.”
Why North Carolina’s size matters vs. Gonzaga, even if frontcourt is neutralized.
By Henry Bushnell
(Photo/Getty Images)
And then there were two … Two teams that celebrated Saturday night in Phoenix. Two teams that will play for the grand prize Monday. Two No. 1 seeds. Two teams that expected to be here, but had to work tremendously hard to arrive.
There were two teams that reigned supreme in Saturday’s national semifinals, and two teams that did so in the paint against smaller opposition. North Carolina did so on the offensive glass, converting 17 of its own misses into 19 second-chance points and one celebratory hurl of the ball up toward the University of Phoenix stadium roof. Gonzaga did so more mechanically, working the ball inside to Przemek Karnowski and Zach Collins and exploiting South Carolina’s subsequent adaptations, or lack thereof.
Size was the story of the Final Four, and will again hog the narrative heading into Monday’s national championship game (9:20 p.m. ET, CBS).
But when two behemoths meet; when two four-man frontcourt rotations meet; when eight big men 6-foot-8 or taller and 1,935 pounds of human battle in the same confined area, four at a time, superior height and superior girth become simply height and girth. Kennedy Meeks and Karnowski, the two senior stars? They cancel each other out. Tony Bradley and Collins, the two talented freshmen off the bench? They could neutralize each other.
North Carolina has bombarded the offensive glass against other massive frontcourts this season — it rebounded 39 percent of its misses against Louisville and 46 percent against Florida State — but it hasn’t seen a team with the combination of length, strength and depth possessed by Gonzaga. The Zags aren’t an outstanding defensive rebounding team statistically, but in three games against St. Mary’s, the best offensive rebounding team in the West Coast Conference, the Zags reeled in over 75 percent of the Gaels’ misses. They struggled against Florida and Arizona in November and December, but less than half of the offensive rebounds they conceded in those games were to big men.
Karnowski, Collins and Johnathan Williams won’t cave under pressure from Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and company. The Tar Heels’ assaults on the backboards won’t necessarily prove fruitful. Size won’t automatically win the day, because at the four and the five, the Tar Heels actually have less of it than their opponents.
But size does still matter. And it might be the thing that gives North Carolina a slight advantage Monday night.
That’s because, in addition to the eight aforementioned players 6-foot-8 or taller, there’s a ninth. His name is Justin Jackson. He’ll be arguably the best talent on the floor. And he’ll have a 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-3 player guarding him.
Gonzaga has seen plenty of skilled wing players this season, but it hasn’t seen many, if any, as tall as Jackson. The only somewhat viable comparisons are Florida’s Devin Robinson, who scored 18 points against the Zags, and Northwester's Vic Law, who also had 18.
Jackson presents a unique challenge to a Gonzaga team that always plays three guards, but doesn’t have one taller than 6-foot-4. Mark Few could assign Jackson to Jordan Mathews, Silas Melson, Josh Perkins or even Nigel Williams-Goss. Any of the four would be giving up at least four inches.
That deficit could matter on the offensive glass, as could the athleticism of 6-foot-6 do-it-all guard Theo Pinson, but it’s more so a problem for Gonzaga’s first-shot defense. That first-shot defense has been the best in college basketball all season, but Jackson is the type of player who could deflate it with several darts from beyond the arc. He’s shooting 42 percent from deep in the tournament, and hit three 3s during a second-half flurry on Saturday that helped Carolina temporarily pull away from Oregon.
Jackson moves like a two-guard at the height of a four, which makes him an extremely difficult cover. He shoots over smaller defenders on the perimeter, but also has ridiculous range on a floater that he’ll unleash off the dribble from anywhere within 18 feet of the rim. Provided there’s no lower-body contact, those shots might as well be uncontested if Jackson is being guarded by anybody 6-foot-5 or shorter.
Here’s a good look at Jackson’s offensive skill set, which was on full display in his 22-point performance against Oregon:
Even when Jackson drew 6-foot-7 forward Dillon Brooks, he was able to score over him. When he found a smaller guard, like 6-foot-3 Casey Benson, in front of him, Jackson shot over that guard like he wasn’t even there:
Gonzaga has had all kinds of success limiting star players over the past five games. It restricted Xavier’s Trevon Blueitt to 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting in the Elite Eight and held South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell to 15 — more than 10 points below his tournament average — on 4-of-12 shooting Saturday.
Jackson, however, poses a new threat. Whoever is tasked with dealing with him will likely try to get into his legs and nudge him out of his rhythm on the perimeter. That’s easier said than done, though.
North Carolina is a top-10 offensive team because of its offensive rebounding, not solely because of Jackson or because of its shooting, but Jackson and his shooting could hold the key to the Tar Heels’ path around the nation’s best defense.
In short, North Carolina will likely have to do at least one of two things to match Gonzaga’s scoring. It has to either rebound its own misses like it usually does, even against Gonzaga’s great front line, or use its length in another way: To shoot over that stifling Gonzaga defense. If it does neither, it will need an exceptional defensive performance of its own. If it does both, the Zags will have a difficult time keeping pace.
NCAAFB: Primetime Sunday matchups add intrigue to college football's 2017 opening weekend.
By Sam Cooper
Virginia Tech and West Virginia haven’t played since Oct. 1, 2005. Virginia Tech won 34-17. (Photo/Getty)
The opening weekend of the 2017 college football season just got even more intriguing.
Though there are a handful of games on Saturday, Aug. 26, the season really gets going the following Saturday with games like Alabama vs. Florida State (in Atlanta), Michigan vs. Florida (in Arlington, Texas), LSU vs. BYU (in Houston) and more on Sept. 2. Now, before the 2017 NFL season kicks off the following week, college football will showcase two fun games on the night of Sunday, Sept. 3.
We already knew about one. Earlier this week, it was announced that the Texas A&M vs. UCLA matchup would be moved to Sunday at either 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m. ET. The two teams opened the 2016 season as well. It was a thriller, with the Aggies securing a 31-24 overtime win. Now, the revival of a Big East rivalry — Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia — will also kick off that Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, the home of the NFL’s Washington Redskins. The game will be televised on ABC.
“Thousands of our alums call Northern Virginia and the Capitol Region their home, so the chance to play in an NFL stadium in front of so many Hokies should be a great experience for our players and our fans,” Tech head coach Justin Fuente said. “We’re also excited to showcase our program on national TV for a primetime audience, as we renew our rivalry with a talented and well-coached West Virginia team.”
The Hokies and Mountaineers, both coming off 10-win seasons in 2016, haven’t played since 2005, the year after Tech left the Big East for the ACC. The teams have played 51 times, dating back to 1912. WVU holds the series edge, 28-22-1.
Opening weekend doesn’t end Sunday. Another game — Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee — will be played on Monday night as the second part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff (following Alabama-FSU) at the brand new Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Other fun games that weekend include (played Saturday unless otherwise noted): Ohio State at Indiana (Thursday), Colorado State vs. Colorado (in Denver), Wyoming at Iowa, Louisville vs. Purdue (in Indianapolis), Western Michigan at USC, California at North Carolina, Maryland at Texas, South Carolina vs. NC State (in Charlotte), Temple at Notre Dame and Tulsa at Oklahoma State.
By Tim Reynolds
(Photo/paulickreport.com)
Getting to what will be his first Kentucky Derby is on Antonio Sano's mind almost constantly these days.
To say he took an unusual route would be an understatement.
Kidnapped on two separate occasions eight years ago in his native Venezuela - once for just a few hours, the other for 36 harrowing days, both times being freed after paying ransoms that he prefers not to disclose - the trainer and his family came to the United States to start their lives over in what they hoped to be a safer environment.
Fast forward eight years, and the 54-year-old Sano has a horse named Gunnevera, the favorite for Saturday's Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and one that seems to already be among the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby.
''I had a little problem,'' Sano said. ''Now I have a big opportunity.''
A ''little problem.'' That's what he calls being held twice against his will, inevitably wondering if he would ever see his family again. Now he's a few weeks away from stepping onto the grounds of Churchill Downs for the first time, assuming Gunnevera - a winner in four of his last six starts, with three of those victories coming in graded stakes races - gets out of this weekend with no problems.
Long before Gunnevera ever saw the track, Sano knew there was something special.
''I bought the horse in September 2015,'' Sano said. ''I worked the horse three or four times and I said, 'This is my horse.' He's good.''
Gunnevera already has enough points to assure himself of a spot in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. Still, Sano hopes he's done enough to set Gunnevera up for a win in the Florida Derby - the race that Nyquist used to prep for his win at Churchill Downs a year ago.
''It's very important, this moment,'' Sano said.
These are very troubled times for Venezuela, and that isn't new.
The U.S. Department of State has long warned Americans from going to Venezuela, saying ''violent crime - including murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking - is endemic throughout the country.'' Just this week, Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled it can take over the powers of congress in a move that some said was a step toward installing a dictatorship in the South American nation.
Despite it all, Sano is proud of where he's from - and what he's come from.
''Venezuela is my history. America is my now,'' Sano said. ''At this moment, I'm working for my kids. My kids are what it's all about for me. I'm working for their better.''
It's no coincidence that Gunnevera's ownership group includes two Venezuelans. Sano, of course, is Venezuelan. So it only makes sense that the jockey be Venezuelan as well - and that jockey is Javier Castellano, the winner of the last four Eclipse Awards as the top rider in the game.
Castellano called Sano to ask for the job. It doesn't always work that way at Derby time.
''Maybe it's meant to be,'' said Castellano, who has ridden in 10 Kentucky Derbys. ''Who knows?''
Sano doesn't speak often about what he went through, and when he does he keeps certain details private. He said he's still very leery of his family's safety, and takes extra measures to help ensure their security in the U.S.
But Castellano knows the tale well, and raves about the person Sano is.
''It's amazing,'' Castellano said. ''One thing you have to realize is to appreciate life.
You help that kind of guy. He's always helpful, very humble guy, always appreciates the opportunities people give to him. Hey, he's lucky to be here. So you just enjoy the ride.''
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, April 03, 2017.
1977 - Montreal Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to win 60 games in a season. They beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 to end the season with a record of 60-8-12.
1985 - The Major League Baseball Players' Association agreed to a proposal of the team owners to expand the 1985 League Championship Series from the best-of-five games to best-of-seven.
2002 - Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards) announced that he was done for the season due to a knee injury.
2006 - U.S. President Bush threw out the first pitch at the Cincinnati Reds opening home game.
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