Chicago Sports & Travel Inc./AllsportsAmerica
"America's Finest Sports Fan Travel Club, May We Plan An Event Or Sports Travel For You?"
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
We offer: Select opportunities, For your convenience, At "Very Rare but Super Fair" pricing
Because it's all about you!!!
"Sports Quote of the Day"
"What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team." ~ Benjamin Franklin Fairless, Steel Company Executive
TRENDING: How is Mitch Trubisky maximizing his OTA work with the Bears? (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: 2017 NHL Draft: NHL Combine. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Jimmy Butler has reportedly “positive” meeting with Bulls’ management.(See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Jake Arrieta looks like his old self as Cubs win fifth straight. Jose Quintana rebounds, White Sox snap five-game losing streak. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: FedEx St. Jude Classic tee times, groupings, TV schedule. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Darrell Wallace Jr. to drive No. 43 at Pocono; first African-American in Cup since 2006. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: USMNT still adjusting to Arena’s system as WCQ resumes. See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! How is Mitch Trubisky maximizing his OTA work with the Bears?
By JJ Stankevitz
Trubisky is the only Bears draft pick yet to sign, but that’s not something the North Carolina product seemed to particularly care about in early June.
“That's not really for me to worry about,” Trubisky said. “I’m going to be out here at practice everyday. My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I'm not really sure how that stuff works. I'm here to play football, I'm not worried about contracts.”
The Bears completed their eighth of 10 OTAs on Tuesday, then have next week’s veteran minicamp as the last part of their offseason program before the team reports to training camp July 26. The laid-back nature of OTAs have allowed Trubisky an opportunity to see what’s necessary to succeed both on and off the field in the NFL.
Trubisky expected to increase his time commitment to football, but now has an idea of how much time is necessary to study “all day, all night” and take care of his body with training camp a month and a half away.
“It's all about how much time you want to put in,” Trubisky said. “So for me it's been a huge focus, block out everything else and just come here and do my job. It's been nice the only thing I have to worry about is football, so it's been a lot of fun.”
The Bears made it clear after drafting Trubisky that Mike Glennon would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017, and Glennon’s forceful affirmation of that last month likely helped foster a good working atmosphere. Trubisky said the Bears have a “great” quarterback room between Glennon, Connor Shaw, Mark Sanchez and position coach Dave Ragone, which is the kind of drama-free relationship John Fox would want.
Within that quarterback room, Trubisky isn’t having to spend valuable time working on all of the most basic parts of playing the position. He’s smoothly transitioned to taking snaps under center, and the offense he ran at North Carolina had him go through progressions — something that’s not always the case for up-tempo, shotgun-spread college offenses.
There’s plenty to work on, of course, but Trubisky sounds like someone who’s right where he should be at this stage of his development.
“I can throw the football and do all the stuff that comes natural,” Trubisky said. “It’s just mastering the offense and being in charge at the helm of the offense. That’s where I need to continue to grow. That takes time. So I just keep coming out here and working on it and try to lead every day.”
Why an older Willie Young remains a good Bears catch.
By Chris Boden
TRENDING: How is Mitch Trubisky maximizing his OTA work with the Bears? (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: 2017 NHL Draft: NHL Combine. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: Jake Arrieta looks like his old self as Cubs win fifth straight. Jose Quintana rebounds, White Sox snap five-game losing streak. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: FedEx St. Jude Classic tee times, groupings, TV schedule. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: Darrell Wallace Jr. to drive No. 43 at Pocono; first African-American in Cup since 2006. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: USMNT still adjusting to Arena’s system as WCQ resumes. See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! How is Mitch Trubisky maximizing his OTA work with the Bears?
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Mitch Trubisky has focused his attention during OTAs on learning Dowell Loggains’ offensive verbiage, improving his footwork and developing his pre-snap responsibilities. What he’s not focused on: Under-center snaps, progressions and contracts.
Trubisky is the only Bears draft pick yet to sign, but that’s not something the North Carolina product seemed to particularly care about in early June.
“That's not really for me to worry about,” Trubisky said. “I’m going to be out here at practice everyday. My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I'm not really sure how that stuff works. I'm here to play football, I'm not worried about contracts.”
The Bears completed their eighth of 10 OTAs on Tuesday, then have next week’s veteran minicamp as the last part of their offseason program before the team reports to training camp July 26. The laid-back nature of OTAs have allowed Trubisky an opportunity to see what’s necessary to succeed both on and off the field in the NFL.
Trubisky expected to increase his time commitment to football, but now has an idea of how much time is necessary to study “all day, all night” and take care of his body with training camp a month and a half away.
“It's all about how much time you want to put in,” Trubisky said. “So for me it's been a huge focus, block out everything else and just come here and do my job. It's been nice the only thing I have to worry about is football, so it's been a lot of fun.”
The Bears made it clear after drafting Trubisky that Mike Glennon would be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017, and Glennon’s forceful affirmation of that last month likely helped foster a good working atmosphere. Trubisky said the Bears have a “great” quarterback room between Glennon, Connor Shaw, Mark Sanchez and position coach Dave Ragone, which is the kind of drama-free relationship John Fox would want.
Within that quarterback room, Trubisky isn’t having to spend valuable time working on all of the most basic parts of playing the position. He’s smoothly transitioned to taking snaps under center, and the offense he ran at North Carolina had him go through progressions — something that’s not always the case for up-tempo, shotgun-spread college offenses.
There’s plenty to work on, of course, but Trubisky sounds like someone who’s right where he should be at this stage of his development.
“I can throw the football and do all the stuff that comes natural,” Trubisky said. “It’s just mastering the offense and being in charge at the helm of the offense. That’s where I need to continue to grow. That takes time. So I just keep coming out here and working on it and try to lead every day.”
Why an older Willie Young remains a good Bears catch.
By Chris Boden
(Photo/AP)
“Patience, man. Patience. A lot of patience in my career.”
If he really wanted to, Willie Young could wonder what it’d be like to still be in Detroit. The 2010 seventh round draft pick scratched and clawed his way onto a roster that had strength on the defensive line, and in his fourth season with the Lions, Young finally became a starter. But they didn’t want to bring him back, or pay him, as much as then-GM Phil Emery and the Bears did when the 2014 free agent market opened up. Since then, the Bears have finished last in the NFC North for three straight years. Meanwhile, his former team has made the playoffs two times and has been looking for a defensive end to plug into its 4-3, opposite Ziggy-Ansah, after a good deal of turnover from Young’s final season in Motown.
But maybe the question should be: Where would the Bears be without Young?
After totaling six sacks in his four seasons with the Lions, he exploded for 10 here in 2014, then was forced to switch to outside linebacker in the scheme change under Vic Fangio and John Fox. He was unhappy and uncertain, but he “bought in” despite putting on a front that he never wanted to be called a linebacker, and still finished with 6.5 sacks. That was second on the team to Lamarr Houston (eight), who, like Young, also converted from the line. Young tore an Achilles the second-to-last game in 2015, rehabbed his way back in time for the start of last season and led the way in sacks again with 7.5. Just 1.5 of those came over the final ten games, though, as Young managed a knee injury that was surgically repaired early this offseason.
“If you know anything about my career, and how I started out, you would know that patience is the key to my success,” Young said.
So there’s your back story. Now, as he aims to rejoin his teammates on the field during next week’s mandatory veteran minicamp, 24 sacks in three years shouldn’t necessarily lead a team that has an elite pass rusher. But as the Bears hope Leonard Floyd becomes that guy, it’s impressive for everything Young’s been through. It’s a decent amount of celebratory post-sack “reeling in,” and as the avid fisherman took Chicago media out on Lake Michigan last week, courtesy of Merchant Marine, the comparisons of his two passions were inevitable. From earning his shot in Detroit, to learning a new position, to rehabbing injuries and, finally, going through a rebuild that’s taken longer than many expected as the father of two turns 32 during the first month of this season.
“I’ve got some young boys, an 11- and five-year-old right now,” Young said as his simple-to-navigate boat sped away from DuSable Harbor and cruised north along the city skyline. “They are pros at being patient right now because that’s one of the things I call a skill. That’s what I told them. You’re not always gonna catch something.
“And also have a spot where it’s not so much about quantity, but quality,” he said as the narrative shifted to the art of getting through opposing offensive linemen to sack a quarterback. “They may not catch very many, but they’ll get a bite, (eventually) catch a nice one. So just to have that understanding about patience plays a major role when you’re comparing football to fishing. You don’t always catch 'em. You may not always get a sack, y’know. But one sack, every 30-40 plays, you’re doing pretty good in the NFL, y’know?”
Bears fans, though, haven’t had much quality or quantity when it comes to wins the three seasons Young’s been here. It’s nice to preach patience, but it’s wearing awfully thin. He understands. He’s lived through it. The faithful are waiting for the kind of payoff Young got last offseason, when he snagged his biggest prize, a 200-lb. swordfish off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida. Then Young got rewarded last August when his second General Manager here, Ryan Pace, recognized his effort and production with a two-year extension through 2018.
Right now, though, Young is just one piece of a defense that has potential to be very good. The Big If is if they can beat the injury bug. Young is like Houston, Floyd, Pernell McPhee, Eddie Goldman, Jaye Howard and Danny Trevathan. That’s just the front seven.
If this year is finally different, health-wise, it could be a significant step in that patience paying off, even with a secondary that looks like it will have at least three new starters in 2017.
Dion Sims explains why he 'loved' Bears' draft pick of Adam Shaheen.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The Bears double-dipped in free agency and the draft at three positions this year: Quarterback (Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky), safety (Quintin Demps and Eddie Jackson) and tight end (Dion Sims and Adam Shaheen). Drafting Trubisky necessitated a conversation between the front office and Glennon to affirm it's still his year.
“You’re not really excited, whether it was outside linebackers a year ago or wide receivers the year before,” coach John Fox said. “And you allow them that.”
Dion Sims, who signed a three-year, $18 million contract this spring, doesn’t sound like someone who needed that same talk when the Bears drafted Shaheen with the 45th pick.
“I loved it,” Sims said. “He’s a big guy, (6-foot-6, 277 pounds), it was exciting just to have him here and the things that he can do to help us.
“I feel like he brings a lot to the table and creates mismatches and trouble for opposing safeties and linebackers. It’s great news and it’s exciting for him to come and be under all the tight ends and learning.”
Of course, only one quarterback can be on the field at a time, while there are plenty of scenarios that’ll have both Sims and Shaheen on the field over the next few years. The Bears guaranteed $10 million to Sims in his three-year, $18 million contract, so the 26-year-old has job security regardless of how quickly Shaheen develops.
Sims is regarded as one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL, but he wasn’t always proficient in that area of his game. NFL.com’s draft profile of him back in 2013 included the line “Not a mauling blocker like his size would indicate,” which is similar to this in NFL.com’s draft write-up on Shaheen: “Needs work as run blocker but has desired frame of a Y-tight end.”
Sims said becoming a good blocking tight end mostly involves having the “will and want” to develop the right technique. Like Sims as a rookie, Shaheen already has the size and bulk necessary to become a quality blocker.
How quickly Shaheen makes an impact on the Bears offense depends on how he develops as a blocker, but more importantly, on how quickly he picks up the concepts of Dowell Loggains’ system. Sims sees a bright future for the Division II product if Shaheen can pick things up in both of those areas.
“I think he’s doing a great job so far,” Sims said. “His head is swimming right now for all the stuff he has to learn with the offense. I remember my rookie year it was the same way. I’m pretty sure he’ll play a lot faster — he’s playing pretty fast right now. But once he picks up the offense, he’s going to be special.”
“You’re not really excited, whether it was outside linebackers a year ago or wide receivers the year before,” coach John Fox said. “And you allow them that.”
Dion Sims, who signed a three-year, $18 million contract this spring, doesn’t sound like someone who needed that same talk when the Bears drafted Shaheen with the 45th pick.
“I loved it,” Sims said. “He’s a big guy, (6-foot-6, 277 pounds), it was exciting just to have him here and the things that he can do to help us.
“I feel like he brings a lot to the table and creates mismatches and trouble for opposing safeties and linebackers. It’s great news and it’s exciting for him to come and be under all the tight ends and learning.”
Of course, only one quarterback can be on the field at a time, while there are plenty of scenarios that’ll have both Sims and Shaheen on the field over the next few years. The Bears guaranteed $10 million to Sims in his three-year, $18 million contract, so the 26-year-old has job security regardless of how quickly Shaheen develops.
Sims is regarded as one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL, but he wasn’t always proficient in that area of his game. NFL.com’s draft profile of him back in 2013 included the line “Not a mauling blocker like his size would indicate,” which is similar to this in NFL.com’s draft write-up on Shaheen: “Needs work as run blocker but has desired frame of a Y-tight end.”
Sims said becoming a good blocking tight end mostly involves having the “will and want” to develop the right technique. Like Sims as a rookie, Shaheen already has the size and bulk necessary to become a quality blocker.
How quickly Shaheen makes an impact on the Bears offense depends on how he develops as a blocker, but more importantly, on how quickly he picks up the concepts of Dowell Loggains’ system. Sims sees a bright future for the Division II product if Shaheen can pick things up in both of those areas.
“I think he’s doing a great job so far,” Sims said. “His head is swimming right now for all the stuff he has to learn with the offense. I remember my rookie year it was the same way. I’m pretty sure he’ll play a lot faster — he’s playing pretty fast right now. But once he picks up the offense, he’s going to be special.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? 2017 NHL Draft: NHL Combine.
By Mark Abell
By Mark Abell
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55098587/usa-today-9108473.0.jpg)
(Photo/ Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)
"I've never done it before so it was a different experience." This was a quote from an NHL player in respect to one the Wingate cycle ergometer bike test at the NHL Combine. The player? He was Nolan Patrick, a consensus top 2 pick for the 2017 NHL Draft which will begin in 18 days on June 23rd at Chicago, Illinois. The NHL Combine is fun, in that, unlike the NFL combine where players spend months expertly tackling each obstacle they will face, the NHL players find themselves doing some of the obstacles for the first time. They often do no look like chiseled Greek statues but find themselves barely filling out the NHL labeled compression shirts. Part of this is due to the nature that hockey by and large is less on how fast you can run a 40 or how many reps you can bench and more on how well can you read the ice and navigate the opposition. Obviously basics are part of this and include speed, strength and endurance but it is more difficult to isolate and specify a specific exercise or characteristic which embodies the perfect NHL player. The combine does not tell us everything, but it does tell us some things, below is what I took away.
Nolan Patrick (6'2", 199lbs)
Standing long jump -€” 99'75"
Bench press repetitions (70% body weight) -€” 12
Pro agility test -€” Left: 4.76 seconds; Right: 4.75 seconds
Vertical jump -€” 19.49"
Pullups -€” 11
Takeaway -€” Nolan is fresh off a hernia that was "mostly" fixed surgically last July with one that was fixed therapeutically, it was a solid outing by Nolan who likely didn't want to over exert himself just yet. His bench repetitions were impressive as his strength will be an asset for whoever drafts him
Nico Hishier (6'1", 176lbs)
Standing long jump -€” 105'75"
Bench press repetitions (70% body weight) -€” 7
Pro agility test -€” Left: 4.75 seconds; Right 4.53 seconds
Vertical jump -€” 19.37"
Pullups -€” 13
Takeaway -€” Nico looked to be the winner of the combine having beat out Nolan in all categories except bench repetitions. Nico has a grit and competitive spirit which will come in handy for battling out pucks in the corners, this clearly came through in his results at the Combine.
Other notes:
- Joshua Norris came through with one of the best results from the Combine. He ranked 2nd in the Wingate, first in agility, first in both the vertical and long jumps. He is ranked a mid 30's draftee, he will likely need at least one more year to develop and is slated to play at University of Michigan next year but he could be a nice add for a team in the late 1st or early 2nd round.
- Pullups leader -€” Nico Hischier (see above)
- Bench Press winner -€” Dayton Rasmussen (G, Chicago) with 17 reps. Currently the 6th ranked North American goalie, Dayton had a 2.31 across 10games played for Denver last year, he's solid but the win here likely doesn't mean much.
- Wingate (Bike Test) winner -€” Shane Bowers (C, Waterloo). In a contentious decision in 2015, he choose to play with the Waterloo Blackhawks in lieu of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at QMJHL. He is deemed to still be a work in progress with a decent ceiling. Last year he had 51 points across 60 games with the Waterloo Blackhawks. He looks to be a mid 1st round pick who is a jack of all trades with solid hands and a good sense of balance. Clearly his ability to endure is a good trait as well.
- The oft discussed topic was Casey Mittelstadt who did one bench press and 0 pull ups. This is "one" flag for concern but not "the" flag for concern on the team that drafts him. It has been pointed out that Sam Bennett did not do any pullups and seems to be doing well in the NHL (although one could argue he could stand to be a little more physical in his play).
My favorite:
Morgan Geekie (3rd in standing long jump, 4th in vertical force plate jump, 6th in agility and balance left, 5th in agility and balance right) appears to have as solid leg strength as about anyone in the draft. He was undrafted last year as he finished with 90 points across 72 points for the Tri-City Americans in the WHL. He is able to plant himself well in front of the net and his on ice vision improved over the last year. He is a two way player and his gritty play pays great dividends this way.
Jimmy Butler has reportedly “positive” meeting with Bulls’ management.
By Kurt Helin
(Photo/nbcsports.com)
Is Jimmy Butler part of the Chicago Bulls future? Will they shop him around the draft?
Bulls fans would like to know. So would Butler, but he got to sit down and talk with John Paxson, Gar Forman, the brain trust in Chicago, and discuss the future. The meeting went well, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Back in Chicago after spending much of the last month working out in Los Angeles, Jimmy Butler had what one source described as a “positive” season-ending exit meeting with management Monday…
Management has been consistent with its message to Butler, the subject of trade rumors both last June and this February. Executive vice president John Paxson has said the franchise greatly values their three-time All-Star, isn’t looking to trade him but has to listen to any interest out of due diligence.
Butler has been consistent with his feelings as well — that he wants to not only remain with the Bulls but win with the Bulls and be a centerpiece of that effort.
The Bulls may listen, but a serious offer that grabs their attention is unlikely. The Boston Celtics — who Chicago had serious trade talks with involving Butler last draft — are not moving their No. 1 pick this season and seem to be patient with their Brooklyn pick for next year. The Lakers are not going to trade the No. 2 pick, and it’s unlikely the Sixers are getting out of the No. 3 slot. All of which is to say, a trade for a top pick in this draft is unlikely.
The Bulls most likely will run it back next season with the same core guys from last year, but they need to add some shooting.
Bulls Talk Podcast: Are KD and Curry better than MJ and Pippen?
By #BullsTalk
(Photo/USA TODAY)
On this edition of the Bulls Talk Podcast, Mark Schanowski, Kendall Gill and Kevin Anderson break down the Warriors' 2-0 lead over the Cavs in the NBA Finals.
Hear where you’ll be able to get chicken served by Kendall Tuesday night in Chicago thanks to a bet. Plus the trio debates if Kevin Durant and Steph Curry are the best duo the league has ever seen and if we are seeing the best small two forwards in history play in this series.
They’ll also discuss who would win in a series between this Warriors team and the 95-96 Bulls. Finally, Kendall talks about the Big Ten hoops landscape after Thad Matta’s departure from Ohio State.
Listen to the full episode at this link.
Las Vegas oddsmakers don't like Michael Jordan's Bulls over Steph Curry's Warriors.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com
After last night's Game 2 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors are now an NBA-record 14-0 in this year's postseason. So how would a group of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and the Warriors fare against the greatest NBA champion of all-time?
According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, pretty well.
ESPN spoke with Las Vegas oddsmakers, with four saying they would favor this year's Warriors teams over the 72-win 1995-96 Bulls.
The Warriors would be favored in a hypothetical game by as many as 8 points, or as few as 3, according to two of the oddsmakers.
Matthew Holt, the COO at CG Analytics, pointed out that the rules have changed considerably since the Bulls' dynasty.
"The biggest factor is what rules is game being played under," he told ESPN. "Being able to hand check would make the Bulls favorite and their roster was built for that. In the no-hand check era the Warriors' current roster is much better suited and would have some serious speed and shooter advantages at several key positions."Don't expect the debate to lessen anytime soon, especially with it looking like the Warriors could be at the start of their own dynasty.
CUBS: Jake Arrieta looks like his old self as Cubs win fifth straight.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/USA TODAY)
It’s hard to not view Jake Arrieta in the extreme when he has transformed himself from a Triple-A pitcher thinking about quitting baseball into a Cy Young Award winner and a World Series hero.
This is someone who trolls fans on Twitter, poses naked for ESPN the Magazine and says whatever he wants to reporters. He is the centerpiece to one of the greatest trades in franchise history and a major part of one of the biggest stories ever in professional sports.
From the frustrating lows with the Baltimore Orioles to the dizzying highs as a Cub, the arc of this story doesn’t lend itself to measured responses or detached analysis.
After being must-see TV for the no-hitter possibilities, Arrieta Watch has morphed into referendums on what he will get paid as a free agent this winter. Sometimes, it feels like it’s either Max Scherzer money or one wrong mechanical tweak or velocity downtick away from falling over the cliff.
When in reality this game is way too hard to be understood as a daily stock chart. Just like the Cubs as a whole, Arrieta is too confident, polished and accomplished to be fluctuating that wildly.
Don’t look now, but the Cubs are on a five-game winning streak after Tuesday night’s 10-2 victory over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field, where Arrieta settled into the kind of groove needed to keep this momentum rolling.
“We haven’t necessarily changed our mindset or our outlook (just) based on our performance, negative or positive,” Arrieta said. “That’s probably the most important thing we can do — just stay even-keel — whether we’re going well or not.
“Put the night prior behind you and show up for the next game as prepared as possible and try and win that ballgame. That’s what we do so well when we’re winning games consistently.”
That feeling starts with a lights-out rotation. After giving up back-to-back walks, handing the Marlins a 1-0 lead and throwing 34 pitches in the first inning, Arrieta retired 16 hitters in a row and walked off the mound to a standing ovation in the seventh inning from the crowd of 34,082.
Coming home from an 0-for-6 West Coast trip, the Cubs (30-27) have swept the St. Louis Cardinals and surged into a first-place tie with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Any time we go through a period like (that), it kind of increases the sense of urgency a little bit,” Arrieta said. “Not necessarily pressing or trying to do more than we’re capable of, but just maybe trying to get locked in a little more, as far as our mental approach.
“It's just focusing exclusively on that and allowing our ability to show through without putting added pressure on ourselves. It’s really starting to pay off. This is a ball club that’s capable of winning 10, 12 games at a time in a row.”
Just like super-agent Scott Boras, manager Joe Maddon downplayed any issues with Arrieta’s velocity or the idea of a new reality for a pitcher who has been so good at freezing hitters, creating soft contact and minimizing damage.
“We’re not talking about a whole lot of difference,” Maddon said. “I still see a lot of 92-93s and 94s compared to like 93, 94, 95 maybe, so it’s still a significant velocity. It’s not like he’s just flipping it up there. I’ll take what they call the effective velocity by throwing it where he wants to throw it.
“If he’s able to command that thing where he wants to, those numbers absolutely play. Nobody even talks enough about it, but he’s got a great curveball and the cutter/slider was a big thing a couple years ago (and) I think the changeup’s developing yet, too.
“He’s got four above-average pitches. He just needs to command his fastball at any velocity and he will be very successful.”
It’s a good sign when Arrieta gets 10 groundball outs against the Marlins and continues to pile up the strikeouts (76) against the walks (20) this season. If this offense and defense plays up to its capabilities, it’s easy to picture Arrieta (6-4) winning around 15 games, as long as he maintains the durability that will be attractive on the open market.
Maddon pulled Arrieta after 100 pitches, when J.T. Realmuto tripled leading off the seventh inning. The Marlins managed just two hits and two runs against Arrieta, whose ERA has dropped almost a full run down to 4.46 since the middle of May.
There will be more peaks and more valleys in Arrieta’s walk year, which is off to a so-so start that will ultimately be defined by how the Cubs finish.
“I don’t think that has anything to do with Jake right now,” Maddon said. “I don’t think it’s mental. I don’t think it’s any of that stuff. I just think he’s slowly getting back to where he had been. I’m seeing an uptick.
“More than anything, I just think the fact that he’s trying to locate his fastball so much, that might be where you’re seeing a little bit of a drop, just by him trying to throw the ball where he wants to as opposed to just letting it rip.
“But he will, because he’s physically fine. He’s well. You watch his workouts — they’re still incredibly insane. As soon as that fastball starts going where he wants to, it’s really going to take off again.”
Jason Heyward making All-Star push in bounce-back season: 'Everything he's hitting is like on the barrel'.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Within nine months, Jason Heyward could go from the $184 million outfielder benched in the playoffs to a National League starter in the All-Star Game.
Coming in third in the latest round of voting — just ahead of teammate Ben Zobrist — can’t just be Cubs fans thanking Heyward for his mythical speech during that rain delay in a World Series Game 7.
“Everything he’s hitting is like on the barrel,” manager Joe Maddon said after Heyward went 3-for-5 with two RBI doubles during Tuesday night’s 10-2 win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. “It’s really fun to watch.”
Heyward is universally respected for the way he handled the worst offensive season of his career and quickly moved to Arizona after the World Series celebration to break down and remodel his swing.
Heyward’s .737 OPS is exactly the league average, but his true value is tied up in his Gold Glove defense, creativity on the bases and overall professional approach. He hasn’t made an All-Star team since his rookie year in 2010.
Within nine months, Jason Heyward could go from the $184 million outfielder benched in the playoffs to a National League starter in the All-Star Game.
Coming in third in the latest round of voting — just ahead of teammate Ben Zobrist — can’t just be Cubs fans thanking Heyward for his mythical speech during that rain delay in a World Series Game 7.
“Everything he’s hitting is like on the barrel,” manager Joe Maddon said after Heyward went 3-for-5 with two RBI doubles during Tuesday night’s 10-2 win over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field. “It’s really fun to watch.”
Heyward is universally respected for the way he handled the worst offensive season of his career and quickly moved to Arizona after the World Series celebration to break down and remodel his swing.
Heyward’s .737 OPS is exactly the league average, but his true value is tied up in his Gold Glove defense, creativity on the bases and overall professional approach. He hasn’t made an All-Star team since his rookie year in 2010.
Why Theo Epstein believes Cubs offense will click on all cylinders.
By Patrick Mooney
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
What if the “hitting young” theme Cubs manager Joe Maddon keeps talking about lasts all season? What if team president Theo Epstein doesn’t see that anticipated growth until late in the year or this even drags into 2018?
“I hope not,” Maddon said with a laugh.
“You’d really have to roll snake eyes,” Epstein said skeptically.
This is a 95- or 100-win team on paper that has already been at the .500 mark at 10 different points this season and hasn’t yet pulled away in the weakest division in Major League Baseball. Between going 0-for-6 on a West Coast trip and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals, the overreactions swing from “World Series hangover” to “The Cubs are back.”
There doesn’t need to be any sweeping conclusions after Tuesday night’s 10-2 blowout where the Cubs beat an underwhelming starter (Jeff Locke) and a flawed Miami Marlins team to extend their winning streak to five games at Wrigley Field.
As Epstein said without sarcasm — more of a reminder that the solutions will come from within rather than a trade-deadline deal or the shock treatment of demoting guys to the minors: “These players won the World Series.”
The Cubs (30-27) always look better when Anthony Rizzo drills a three-run homer into the right-field bleachers, but this diversified approach also saw them score six runs on six hits in the seventh inning and finish at 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position Tuesday.
Still, more than one-third of the way through the 162-game marathon, the Cubs have already been shut out five times, beginning the day ranked 10th in the National League in OPS (.730) while hitting .216 with runners in scoring position (or next to last in the majors).
Some of this is cyclical and a reflection of how Big Data can stifle offense. There are elements of bad luck and bad weather when you still need a winter coat in Wrigleyville in early June. But roughly 54 percent of the team’s 2,000-plus plate appearances this season have gone to seven players between the ages of 22 and 25: Ian Happ, Addison Russell, Albert Almora Jr., Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant.
Could this learning curve stretch through most — or all — of 2017?
“I mean, it can,” Epstein said. “Usually not collectively. Teams are 25 individuals. You’d really have to roll snake eyes, regardless of age, for players to underperform their projections or their talent level that uniformly over the course of a whole season.
“Could it happen? Yes, it could happen. We don’t think it’s going to happen. We also have a lot of good players. We have a lot of different lineups that we can put out there. We have a lot of different players that we can lean on to carry us.
“We don’t need everyone to get hot. We don’t need everyone to hit their projection. We don’t need everyone to have a nice, steady progression building off of where they were last year. We just need a few guys to get going to make our offense really viable.”
Russell (.636) and Schwarber (.635) are among the bottom 10 percent of all qualified big-league hitters in terms of OPS. Baez has walked three times since the beginning of May. Happ now has almost as many career games in The Show as he does on the Triple-A level (26) and will have to keep making adjustments. Contreras is in the middle of his first full season in the majors. Maddon is trying to make sure that Almora doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
“We need time,” Epstein said. “Over time, our guys are going to continue to progress. And when that gap (between talent and performance) exists, it’s a better position to be in than not having the talent, because then you’re fighting and scratching and clawing to get more talent because you’re not good enough.
“But we are plenty talented. It’s on us to figure it out, sooner rather than later.”
WHITE SOX: Jose Quintana rebounds, White Sox snap five-game losing streak.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
He wasn’t perfect, but Jose Quintana looked calm and collected on Tuesday night.
And a confident Quintana is exactly what White Sox Land needed right now.
Quintana was highly effective against the Tampa Bay Rays as he bounced back from the worst back-to-back outings of his career. The left-hander’s performance as well as a strong effort from the bullpen and solo home runs from Avisail Garcia and Todd Frazier led the White Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in front of 14,590 at Tropicana Field. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the White Sox.
“(Quintana) turned it up a notch,” manager Rick Renteria said. “He didn’t want to come out. He wanted to stay in there. But he gave us a great outing.”
One of the most consistent pitchers in baseball the past four seasons, Quintana’s previous two outings raised serious questions after he got hit hard in consecutive turns. He allowed 15 earned runs in a combined seven innings against Arizona and Boston, which raised his earned-run average from 3.92 to 5.60.
But more than the damage against Quintana, it was how it happened that had everyone puzzled. Known for his pinpoint command and ability to keep the ball out of the middle of the plate, Quintana made location mistakes right and left and opposing hitters took advantage.
Anything left over the middle was hit hard as Quintana gave up 18 hits in the two games.
He was upset enough with himself after he took the loss in last Tuesday’s showdown with Chris Sale to say he was “embarrassed” by the performance. He also said he needed to review footage of what he was doing, something he rarely does.
All week, teammates said they thought Quintana would bounce back, that he was merely passing through a difficult period.
“He’s always pitching good,” said Yolmer Sanchez, who led off the game with a controversial home run off Chris Archer. “A lot of people go through a tough time, but he’s going to be good. He always pitches like he pitched. We know what he can do.
“He always had good numbers, but I know he can be better than that. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
As evidenced by his 114 pitches in 5 1/3 innings, Quintana didn’t have it easy. But he also didn’t allow much in the way of hard contact as he spotted his fastballs low and on the edges. Of the 13 balls put into play against Quintana, only four had better than a 25 percent chance of being a hit (three were), according to BaseballSavant.com.
Only one of those four was hit in the air, which is in sharp contrast to the four combined homers Quintana allowed over his previous two starts.
Quintana allowed a run on two hits in the first inning but settled in from there. He began to spot his fastball, which induced a number of grounders or weak pop outs. But Quintana also ran a high pitch count, reaching 80 after four innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth with a strikeout of Logan Morrison, one of four called third-strikes he earned. He also got another big out in the sixth when he struck out Rickie Weeks with two in scoring position before giving way to the bullpen. Chris Beck escaped a bases-loaded jam with a double play ball.
The effort marked a much-needed step in the right direction for Quintana, who allowed a run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked four, one intentionally.
“Command,” Quintana said. “Hit my spots better. Threw a lot of fastballs today. Confident in all my pitches. I needed this outing (to be) better than the last ones and to get a ‘W’ for my team. That’s most important here. But different – fastballs were good. And hit the corners better.
“I had a couple of walks to leadoff innings. But I pitched good in situations. I think that was the best point for this game.”
The bullpen followed Quintana with 3 2/3 strong innings. Beck rebounded from a 3-0 count against Jesus Sucre to induce the inning-ending double play. Dan Jennings, Anthony Swarzak, Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson combined to record the final nine outs.
The White Sox offense did a good job adding on after Garcia put them ahead for good in the seventh with a 434-foot drive to left off Chris Archer. Garcia ripped a 1-0 slider from Archer, his moonshot exiting the bat at 112 mph.
The White Sox weren’t done yet as Jose Abreu gave them a 3-1 lead with a two-out RBI single in the eighth off Tommy Hunter. Frazier’s 430-foot solo shot banged off the back wall in center and opened up a 4-2 lead.
Sanchez opened the game with a 368-foot drive to center off Archer that clearly hit something, causing the ball to bounce in the opposite direction. Though Sanchez stood on third, umpires originally ruled the ball a home run and replay officials said the call stood.
“I didn’t see if the ball hit something,” Sanchez said. “I don’t know, but it was good for me.”
White Sox are staying patient with injured relievers.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
The cautious approach continues for injured White Sox pitchers Nate Jones and Zach Putnam.
Neither reliever traveled on the team’s current three-city road trip and both haven’t thrown since the White Sox left town, manager Rick Renteria said Tuesday. Jones threw a bullpen session prior to the White Sox departure last Thursday and has since only received treatment, Renteria said. Though he hasn’t thrown since, Renteria said he wouldn’t describe Jones as having had a setback. Jones has been on the 10-day disabled list since May 4 with right elbow neuritis.
“They’re healing and moving forward with the treatments they have,” Renteria said. “Not a setback. I think (Jones) was being treated, as far as we’re concerned, with a lot of our patience, being very careful. We want to make sure these guys come back ready to go. We’re just being more precautionary than anything else.”
Jones had thrown at least four bullpens in the lead up to his latest round of treatment. On the DL since April 25, Putnam also had appeared in the bullpen several times recently. The two haven’t made as much recent progress as right-hander Jake Petricka, who has appeared in a pair of rehab games. Petricka, who went on the DL on April 6 with a late muscle strain, has pitched three innings so far at Triple-A Charlotte.
The White Sox have said all along they intend to be cautious with Jones, who has had Tommy John surgery, and Putnam, who had bone chips removed from his right elbow last year.
“They’re still recovering and just getting treatments,” Renteria said. “They weren’t picking up the ball when we first left. They’re still being treated.”
Infielder Tyler Saladino also stayed at home while the White Sox headed on the road. Saladino said last week he was restricted to physical therapy for his sore back while the team travels.
2017 Fedex St. Jude Classic Overview, Favorites & Odds.
By Peter Brennan
There is only one weekend left before the US Open, which means that the PGA’s best players have only one more tournament left to sharpen their game prior to the next major. That tournament will be the FedEx St. Jude Classic, which will be played at the TPC Southwind course in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s not going to be a galaxy of golf stars on display this coming weekend, but still a decent field, with 8 players currently in the top 30 taking part. There are some real nice prices to be had on these players, and it’s a solid opportunity to build up your bankroll before the wagering opens for the US Open next weekend. Let’s take a look at some of the players that will be on the course competing for the $1.152 million top prize.
Rickie Fowler
The America appears to be hitting his form at just the right time, and will be looking to build on his second place finish at the Memorial last weekend. Fowler already has a win under his belt this season, the Honda Classic, and he will almost certainly be the betting odds favorite for this tournament. If he can play as well as he did over the 4 days last weekend, there is no reason why he can’t be atop the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.
Adam ScottWe have all been sitting around waiting for Adam Scott to hit the type of form that we are used to, and this might well be the weekend where he delivers his first PGA Tour win of the season. He has saved his best performances of the year for the bigger tournaments, with two of his top 10 finishes coming at the Masters and the Players Championship. I think he will be among the leaders on the final day in Memphis.
Brooks Koepka
Koepka only has a single win in his PGA Tour career, but with this field, there is no reason why he can’t capture his second. It has been a solid enough year for the American, with a pair of second place finishes under his belt. Currently ranked #17 in the FedEx Cup standings, a solid performance here could see him climb over a few of the players who are sitting this tournament out.
Phil Mickelson
At 46 years of age, Mickelson may now be past his prime, but he is still certainly good enough to compete with the caliber of players on display this coming weekend. Mickelson has no less than 3 top 10 finishes his season, and while he may be a longshot to win in Memphis, there is a good chance that he could land himself another top 10 spot.
Francesco Molinari
The Italian has never won a PGA Tour event, but he has been in good form this season, land in the top 10 on 4 separate occasions. His best performance of the season came at the Players Championship, where he finished 6th against much better golfers than he will be facing this weekend. I think Molinari could be a solid dark horse pick.
PGA Tour 2017: FedEx St. Jude Classic tee times, groupings, TV schedule.
By Dennis Manoloff
Phil Mickelson, shown at Memorial Tournament last week, is in the field at FedEx St. Jude Classic 2017 this week.(Photo/Darron Cummings/AP)
FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC
Site: Memphis, Tenn.
Course: TPC Southwind. Yardage: 7,244. Par: 70.
Purse: $6.4 million (First prize: $1,152,000).
Television: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. (CBS Sports).
Defending champion: Daniel Berger.
Last week: Jason Dufner won the Memorial Tournament.
FedExCup leader: Dustin Johnson.
Notes: Phil Mickelson will be playing for the third straight week. He is not planning to be at the U.S. Open next week so he can attend his daughter's high school graduation. ... Former world No. 1 David Duval is in field. He works mainly for Golf Channel and has played only one event this year, missing the cut at Pebble Beach. ... Former U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein received a sponsor's exemption. His tie for 25th at Memorial gave him enough FedEx Cup points to at least be eligible for the Web.com Tour Finals to try to get a PGA Tour card. He also is in the U.S. Open next week. ... Steve Stricker withdrew after qualifying for the U.S. Open to avoid playing seven consecutive weeks. ... Padraig Harrington was forced to withdraw when he was struck in the elbow at a clinic by an amateur player's club and required six stitches. This was to have been his third tournament since returning from neck surgery. ... The top 60 in the world ranking after this week will get into the U.S. Open. For those at FedEx St. Jude Classic, Soren Kjeldsen would need a two-way tie for second to have a chance. Eight others, including Ian Poulter, would need to win.
Next week: U.S. Open.
Online: www.pgatour.com
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
With the U.S. Open only one week away, the field for Erin Hills is starting to take shape. See who's in and who's out as the USGA conducts 10 36-hole sectional qualifiers across the country to determine the final playing spots in the season's second major:
Germantown CC/Ridgeway CC in Memphis, Tenn. (108 players for nine spots)
Who's in: Steve Stricker (-10), Andres Romero (-9), Troy Merritt (-9), Harris English (-9), Chez Reavie (-9), Garrett Osborn (-9), Trey Mullinax (-8), Xander Schauffele (-7), Jonathan Randolph (-7)
Who's out: Whee Kim (-7), Scott Brown (-7), Peter Malnati (-6), Matt Jones (-5), Brian Gay (-5), Willy Wilcox (-5), Retief Goosen (-5), Stuart Appleby (-4), Cody Gribble (-4), Braden Thornberry (a) (-2)
Recap: Stricker is arguably the biggest storyline out of sectionals, earning medalist honors after the USGA denied his request for a special exemption with the U.S. Open heading to his home state. At age 50, he'll be a big draw at Erin Hills just months before he captains the U.S. squad at the Presidents Cup. Schauffele and Randolph advanced over Kim in a 3-for-2 playoff that bled into Tuesday.
Brookside CC/The Lakes CC in Columbus, Ohio (122 players for 14 spots)
Who's in: J.T. Poston (-12), Jason Kokrak (-11), Bud Cauley (-11), Martin Laird (-10), Keegan Bradley (-10), Stewart Cink (-10), Jamie Lovemark (-10), Bryson DeChambeau (-9), C.T. Pan (-9), David Lingmerth (-9), Ted Potter, Jr. (-9), Peter Uihlein (-8), Scottie Scheffler (-8), Talor Gooch (-8)
Who's out: Michael Putnam (-8), Ollie Schniederjans (-7), Vijay Singh (-6), Luke Donald (-5), Nick Watney (-3), Patrick Cantlay (-3), Kelly Kraft (-2), Davis Love III (E)
Recap: The Columbus sectional annually features the strongest field, and this year was no exception as former major champs Bradley and Cink were among the qualifiers. DeChambeau made it through this sectional for the second straight year, while Cauley continues his recent strong play and Uihlein, Scheffler and Gooch earned the final spots in a Tuesday playoff. Those missing out iBig Canyon CC/Newport Beach CC in Newport Beach, Calif. (103 players for six spots)ncluded Donald and Singh, two former No. 1s, as well as Cantlay and Kraft, who met in the 2011 U.S. Amateur final at Erin HIlls.
Canoe Brook CC in Summit, N.J. (80 players for five spots)
Who's in: Daniel Chopra (-11), Christopher Crawford (a) (-8), Andy Pope (-8), Scott Harvey (a) (-8), Matthew Campbell (-7)
Who's out: Roberto Diaz (-7), Cameron Wilson (-6), Andrew Svoboda (-3), Richy Werenski (-1), Jim Herman (+1)
Recap: Chopra headlines the quintet of qualifiers nearly a decade after his last PGA Tour win. Harvey, a former U.S. Mid-Amateur champ, will be making his first U.S. Open appearance while Crawford qualified at Canoe Brook for the second straight year.
Hawks Ridge GC in Ball Ground, Ga. (36 players for two spots)
Who's in: Stephan Jaeger (-7), Alex Smalley (a) (-7)
Who's out: Dru Love (a) (-6), Jimmy Stanger (a) (-5), Todd White (a) (+2), Rhein Gibson (70-WD)
Recap: Jaeger shot a 58 last year en route to victory on the Web.com Tour, and also won on that circuit last month in South Carolina. He'll return to the U.S. Open for the first time since he qualified for Chambers Bay two years ago. A chip-in eagle on the final hole left Love, son of Davis Love III, one shot short of a playoff.
Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla. (49 players for three spots)
Who's in: Jack Maguire (-5), Tyson Alexander (-1), Joaquin Niemann (a) (-1)
Who's out: Eugene Hong (a) (-1), Tim Wilkinson (+1), Robert Allenby (+2), Sam Horsfield (75-WD)
Recap: Maguire left FSU to turn pro in late 2015 and currently plays on the Web.com Tour. He took home medalist honors by four shots and will be joined at Erin Hills by Alexander, son of former U.S. Amateur champ Buddy Alexander who birdied the first hole of a 3-for-2 playoff. Niemann, the top-ranked amateur in the world, birdied his 36th hole to join the playoff, then grabbed the last spot over Hong on the third extra hole.
Springfield CC in Springfield, Ohio (77 players for four spots)
Who's in: Corey Conners (-12), Brian Stuard (-9), Brice Garnett (-8), Ryan Brehm (-7)
Who's out: Zac Blair (-5), Tony Finau (-3), Dylan Meyer (a) (-2), Nick Hardy (a) (-2)
Recap: Conners was a runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Amateur, and he got off to a blistering start with an opening-round 61. Stuard qualified out of Springfield for the third time in the last five years, while Brehm closed strong with a back-nine 30 to close out a second-round 63 and nab the final spot over a number of PGA Tour pros and several current and former players from the University of Illinois.
Woodmont CC in Rockville, Md. (50 players for three spots)
Who's in: Samuel Ryder (-11), Kyle Thompson (-7), Ben Kohles (-6)
Who's out: Steve Wheatcroft (-3), Nicholas Thompson (E), Billy Hurley III (E), Jason Gore (+1)
Recap: Ryder is playing this year on the Web.com Tour, and he built a healthy cushion with a 62 in the opening round. He'll be joined at Erin HIlls by Thompson, who won the season-opening Web.com event in the Bahamas, and Kohles, another Web veteran who closed with a 68 to finish two shots clear of fourth place.
Lakewood CC in Dallas, Texas (58 players for three spots)
Who's in: Roman Robledo (-13), Nick Flanagan (-11), Walker Lee (a) (-10)
Who's out: Ryan Palmer (-7), Edward Loar (-7), John Merrick (-5), Woody Austin (-2), Hunter Mahan (-2)
Recap: Robledo is playing this year on the Adams Pro Tour, and he took medalist honors after rounds of 63-66. Joining him at Erin Hills will be Lee, a recent high school graduate, and Flanagan, a former U.S. Amateur champ who last year qualified for fellow Aussie Aron Price at Oakmont. This time around, he'll be the one hitting the shots.
Tacoma CC in Lakewood, Wash. (70 players for four spots)
Who's in: Derek Barron (-7), Jordan Niebrugge (-2), Max Greyserman (-2), Daniel Miernicki (-1)
Who's out: Robby Shelton (+3), Aaron Wise (+4), Lee McCoy (+7), Tadd Fujikawa (+13)
Recap: Scoring conditions weren't easy outside Seattle, where Niebrugge snagged a spot with a closing 67 nearly two years after he challenged at The Open as an amateur. Barron opened with a 66 and was the only player to break 70 in both rounds. Miernicki nabbed the final qualifying spot in a 4-for-1 playoff over Hugo Leon, Jeff Rein and Matt Marshall.
Big Canyon CC/Newport Beach CC in Newport Beach, Calif. (103 players for six spots)
Who's in: John Oda (a) (-11), Mason Andersen (a) (-9), Stewart Hagestad (a) (-8), Kevin Dougherty (-7), Sahith Theegala (a) (-7), Cameron Champ (-6)
Who's out: Beau Hossler (-5), Charlie Beljan (-3), Duffy Waldorf (-1), Max Homa (E), Paul Goydos (+1)
Recap: Hagestad is the big story here, as he heads to Erin Hills two months after earning low amateur honors at the Masters. It continues a banner year for the reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champ who seems like a lock to make the Walker Cup team in September. Theegala earned a spot in the Genesis Open earlier this year, while Hossler missed out despite an opening-round 64 at Newport Beach.
NASCAR: Darrell Wallace Jr. to drive No. 43 at Pocono; first African-American in Cup since 2006.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/www.zimbio.com)
Darrell Wallace Jr. will become the third African-American since 1976 to compete in a NASCAR Cup race, driving the No. 43 Ford for Aric Almirola this weekend at Pocono Raceway, Richard Petty Motorsports announced Monday.
“Driving the famed 43 car is an unbelievable opportunity for any race car driver,” Wallace in a release from the team. “With all that Richard Petty has contributed to the sport, I’m honored to start my first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event with this team. I’m incredibly grateful that Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports and Smithfield have the confidence in me to help fill the seat until Aric (Almirola) fully recovers, which is the most important piece of this.
“Moving up to the Monster Energy Series is a tremendous challenge, but I am ready to represent this organization, help the 43 team get the best results possible and prove that I belong at this level.”
Wallace will be the first African-American to start a Cup race in more than a decade. Bill Lester, the last African-American to drive in Cup, competed in two series races in 2006. His last start came June 18, 2006 at Michigan. He finished 32nd.
Other African-Americans who competed in at least one race in NASCAR’s premier series include NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott (1961-1973) , Willy T. Ribbs (1986), Charlie Scott (1956), Elias Bowie (1955), Randy Bethea (1975) and George Wiltshire (1971, ’75).
Wendell Scott won one race in 495 starts. Ribbs drove in three races in 1986. His last Cup start was June 15, 1986, at Michigan. He finished 39th. Charlie Scott ran one race. Bowie ran one race. Betheat compete in one race. Wiltshire drove in one race in 1971 and ’75.
Almirola has been out since suffering a T5 compression fracture in a crash May 13. He is expected to be out two to three months. Regan Smith drove for Almirola in the Monster Energy Open, the Coca-Cola 600 and last weekend at Dover International Speedway.
Wallace’s opportunity comes as the 23-year-old’s future seemed in question in the Xfinity Series. His Roush Fenway Racing team had sponsorship set only through this weekend’s race at Pocono. Roush Fenway Racing announced it would suspend the No. 6 Xfinity team after this weekend.
Wallace was visibly upset with failing to win Saturday’s Xfinity race at Dover. After winning a stage, Wallace lost track position on a restart and finished eighth. Wallace leaned against his car after the race on pit road with his head down. Car owner Jack Roush sought to console Wallace. Eventually, Wallace tossed a sports drink bottle as he walked away from the car.
“Heartbreak day,’’ Wallace said a few moments later. “We have one more race left and this one was the one we were going to win, for sure. It just didn’t happen. We can’t get any luck. I got a little sideways on that one restart and it cost us a little bit. It would have been nice to get the $100,000 and bought us our Michigan race that we don’t have.”
Wallace has 83 career Xfinity starts. He has zero wins, six top-five finishes and 34 top 10s.
In the Camping World Truck Series, Wallace had five wins, 14 top fives and 26 top 10s in 44 starts.
“I think he’s very determined and I think that determination has turned into results over the last coupe of months,” 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick said of Wallace’s move to Cup. “If you look at where they are performance-wise from the start of the year … he’s definitely earned an opportunity to go out there and try to make something out of it.’’
By Nick Bromberg
Martin Truex Jr. (Photo/www.getmoresports.com)
1. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 1): He may only be up nine points in the standings over Kyle Larson, but with his two wins and eight stage victories, Truex Jr. is setting a blistering pace towards being the top seed in the playoffs. That pace is contingent on maintaining the top spot in the standings, but unless Truex and Larson have a terrible stretch of races in the near future they should be the top two seeds. Third-place Kevin Harvick is 116 points behind Truex.
Coincidentally, Truex finished third on Sunday at Dover.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 6): Now that Johnson has tied Cale Yarborough with 83 career Cup Series wins, he’s going to tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip with his next win. Whenever the next victory happens Johnson will be tied for fourth all-time in the Cup Series.
As he’s tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with seven championships, it’s fair to wonder if Johnson will get to No. 2 on the Cup Series win list behind Petty. David Pearson has 105 victories; 22 more than Johnson has right now. If Johnson drives for three more years he may not get there. But if he drives for five more, there’s a shot.
But Johnson has a ways to go to catch Kyle Busch. With 84 NASCAR victories, Johnson is 89 wins behind Busch.
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 5): Larson led over 240 laps but spun his tires on the final restart. That hiccup allowed Johnson to skip away and be ahead at the overtime line when Ty Dillon spun and collected a bunch of cars behind the leaders.
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 5): Larson led over 240 laps but spun his tires on the final restart. That hiccup allowed Johnson to skip away and be ahead at the overtime line when Ty Dillon spun and collected a bunch of cars behind the leaders.
Larson’s become the main Chevrolet competitor to Hendrick Motorsports this season, largely because of his team’s relationship with Hendrick. With Stewart-Haas Racing driving Fords, Ganassi became Hendrick’s top satellite team and it’s showing, even if Ganassi has been coy about the extent of the relationship with Hendrick.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3): Harvick finished ninth on Sunday. Stewart-Haas is still figuring out the keys to go from very good to great with Ford. When you take away Kurt Busch’s win in the Daytona 500 SHR has just six top fives over four drivers in 12 races. That’s a .125 batting average. Not good.
Harvick has four of those top fives. He’s been really good at Pocono and it won’t be surprising if he gets a fifth top five next week.
5. Kyle Busch (LW: 2): Busch’s race went sideways on the first pit stop as the air gun malfunctioned as the left-rear tire was being changed. That malfunction meant the new tire and wheel weren’t fastened to the car when the jack was dropped by the jackman and Busch drove off.
Busch’s crew chief Adam Stevens could face a four-race penalty for the team’s mistake based off the rule as written in the NASCAR rule book. But the rule that suspends crew chiefs for wheels coming off is designed to prevent teams from only fastening two or three lug nuts to a wheel to have a faster pit stop and allegedly not to further penalize teams who make a pit road mistake.
6. Jamie McMurray (LW: 7): McMurray’s having the best season of his career. Yes, really. McMurray hasn’t won a race through the first 13 this season but he’s got eight top-10 finishes and is fifth in the points standings.
McMurray won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in 2010 (in addition to the fall race at Charlotte) but he finished 13th in the standings that season. He’s never finished inside the top 10 of the standings. This could be the year.
7. Brad Keselowski (LW: 4): If this was the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately series then Keselowski would be one of the most disappointing drivers in the Cup Series. He was slow during the All-Star Race (and had the goofy penalty) and crashed in both the Coca-Cola 600 and in Sunday’s race in Dover.
But those crashes have simply been wrong place, wrong time events. And Keselowski has been at the front of the field in both of them. When Kurt Busch got loose beneath him Sunday, Keselowski moved up the track to give Busch room. But Busch bounced off of him still and sent Keselowski into the wall.
8. Austin Dillon (LW: 12): Dillon finished 12th at Dover … and is still outside the top 20 in points. Dillon would begin the playoffs 46 points behind Truex at this rate. And that’s a setup for success. But if 12th is the new normal for Dillon and crew chief Justin Alexander, then he’ll get into the top 20 with no problem.
9. Denny Hamlin (LW: 10): Hamlin’s eighth-place finish is just the third time he’s strung together consecutive top-10 finishes in 2016. But he’s slowly climbing in the points standings. After he was 16th through six races, Hamlin is now ninth in the standings through 13.
10. Chase Elliott (LW: NR): Elliott’s fifth-place finish was his first top five since the sixth race of the season at Martinsville. Yet it didn’t stop his slide in the points standings. Elliott still dropped a spot to eighth in the standings after being as high as second after Martinsville.
11. Matt Kenseth (LW: NR): The defending champion of the Dover spring race wasn’t much of a threat to win over the second half of the race and finished 13th.
12. Clint Bowyer or Joey Logano or Ricky Stenhouse Jr. You pick: They all had problems on Sunday. Logano and Stenhouse hit the wall because of right-front tire issues while Bowyer had a problem with an oil line that sent his car to the garage.
Lucky Dog: Ty Dillon was on his way to a top five before the crash.
The DNF: After hitting Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch crashed again.
Dropped Out: No one.
Kevin Harvick on OT rule: ‘I’m not a fan of changing things in the middle of the year’.
By Dustin Long
Kevin Harvick on OT rule: ‘I’m not a fan of changing things in the middle of the year’.
By Dustin Long
(Photo/Getty Images)
Kevin Harvick, whose incident at Talladega in 2015 preceded NASCAR adopting the overtime line, says the sanctioning body should keep the overtime line as it is the rest of the year.
“It’s been a constant evolution of processes throughout the years, whether this is a moment that changes it, I’m not a fan of changing things in the middle of the year,’’ Harvick said. “I think everything is open for discussion. I think this rule was created with the superspeedway races and the wrecks and everything that was happening there.’’
The rule has gained attention since last weekend’s race at Dover finished under caution. Jimmie Johnson won because he crossed the overtime line before the final caution came out.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said on Periscope that NASCAR should change the overtime rule.
“I kind of helped come up with that idea, so this is going to be kind of strange, but I think they should get rid of the overtime line at all the racetracks except for Daytona and Talladega,” Earnhardt said.
“I think we should race it out everywhere. And no overtime line, just keep on doing green-white-checkereds until you get it right everywhere. And then at Daytona and Talladega, you probably can do something different.”
Earnhardt’s flip is a lesson for the sport, Harvick suggested.
“I think that really speaks volumes about just as competitors where everybody sits as far as one time you want this and one time you want that,’’ Harvick said. “I think that’s a good reason to keep the competitors out of making rules and things like that.
“It’s hard to be wishy-washy and create something that is consistently good. It definitely shows you how circumstances can change the opinions of really all of us.’’
The issue of trying to finish races under green has been prevalent in the sport for about 20 years.
NASCAR instituted a green-white-checkered rule a few months after fans tossed beer cans at Jeff Gordon when NASCAR ruled he was leading — instead of Earnhardt — when the final caution came out at Talladega in April 2004.
NASCAR increased it to three green-white-checkered attempts before the 2010 Daytona 500.
In October 2015 at Talladega, Johnson spun as the field headed for its lone attempt at a green-white-checkered finish. NASCAR ruled that because the field had not taken the green and passed the start/finish line, it did not count as the one attempt.
When the green came out, Harvick, who had an ailing car, and Trevor Bayne made contact that triggered an 11-car crash and the race ended under caution. Harvick managed to make it around and advanced to the third round.
NASCAR followed that by creating the overtime line in 2016. The rule states that if the leader crosses the line before the caution comes out after the final restart, the race will end under caution. If the caution waves before the leader crosses the line, another attempt will be made.
“We make changes because we’re told it’s what the fans want for all the way we can monitor those things,’’ Johnson said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “You sit around and all of a sudden everybody starts questioning that again.
“The overtime line was designed to help create a safe environment and give us a point to race to. The way it’s all written and designed, the fans got the best opportunity, I think, that could have come.’’
SOCCER: Fire's Nemanja Nikolic named MLS Player of the Month.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
With six goals and an assist in May, Fire forward Nemanja Nikolic was named the MLS Player of the Month.
Nikolic has 11 goals on the season and leads the league in that category. The 29-year-old joined the Fire in the offseason and has quickly become one of the team's key players.
To open May, Nikolic scored in the 2-2 draw at LA. He followed up with a pair of two-goal efforts against Seattle and Colorado. Nikolic also added an assist against Seattle.
Nikolic failed to scored in the 1-0 win at D.C. United, but did get on the scoresheet in the 2-1 win against FC Dallas to close out the month.
The Fire also enjoyed success along with Nikolic, going 4-0-1 in May to surge up the standings in the Eastern Conference.
The previous two winners of the Player of the Month award this season have been Atlanta forward Josef Martinez and Orlando goalkeeper Joe Bendik.
Notes from the rewatch: Why couldn't the Fire break down Orlando?
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
The Fire played with a man advantage for more than an hour and were up two men for nearly a half hour. So why couldn't the Fire get the goal needed to get the victory?
Orlando's resolute defending and organization was obviously essential to that, but what could the Fire have done differently?
Here are some notes on the Fire playing against a deep defensive line and how the team looked for the 25 minutes of even strength play.
The game before the red cards
From an outside perspective, the downside to Orlando receiving two red cards in the match was that it took away the chance to evaluate the Fire against a good team. The Fire have played good teams this year, but the team's current unbeaten run implies the Fire have improved.
Orlando is in the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference and has a strong home record. If the Fire were able to get a result against Orlando when it had 11 men, that would have been a significant milestone.
Instead, there was only 25 minutes of solid evaluation. The Fire did have a majority of the possession in the first 25 minutes and did create a pair of good chances. David Accam got free after a defender fell and had a hard shot saved in the 14th minute. In the 20th minute, Accam and Nikolic combined in the box, but Nikolic could only get a soft shot on target.
Orlando was letting the Fire have possession, but was also pressing high up the field and did create a few dangerous turnovers. Over 90 minutes it would have been interesting to see the dynamic play out of the Fire controlling the ball, but Orlando pressing to create chances off turnovers in the Fire's half.
After the first red card
After Rafael Ramos was sent off, Orlando obviously stopped the high-press. The Lions still had moments of extended possession, but there weren't many.
For the most part, Orlando was looking to launch long balls to Cyle Larin and Carlos Rivas. Larin got a shot off of one of them, but that was Orlando's only shot the rest of the match.
After the second red card
Once Antonio Nocerino was sent off, it was all-out defense for Orlando. A tired Rivas got subbed off for Kaka just before the red card and Larin was subbed off a few minutes after it.
The long ball threat was gone and the Fire now had to break down eight defenders staying tight to the box. This wasn't a good matchup for what the Fire like to do in the attack.
While David Accam likes to dribble at defenders in 1v1 situations, his speed was mostly negated by the tight space. Nikolic's desire to stretch a defense's offside line and his movement and runs in the box also don't apply against a team sitting that deep.
The Fire's lack of aerial threats was also a problem. David Arshakyan replaced Accam in the 76th minute to provide that size in the box.
On top of that, the Fire were without Juninho, whose ability to take shots from distance could have come in handy when the Fire needed someone to try something other than a cross into the box.
Arturo Alvarez subbed on as someone who can shoot from distance and create his own shot. He had a few shots, but none were on target.
Matt Polster's sliding shot that went off the bottom of the crossbar in added time was the only shot taken from inside the box that came from a decent angle and wasn't blocked.
After the second red, the Fire totaled 19 balls sent into the box, either a cross, a corner or a low centering ball. That was what Orlando gave the Fire and it showed why. None of those low percentage chances led to goals or even shots on target.
Bastian Schweinsteiger's role without Dax McCarty
With McCarty away with the national team, Schweinsteiger filled in as the point man to build possession for the Fire. Typically, McCarty drops between the two centerbacks and will make the first or one of the first passes as the Fire build out of the back.
Schweinsteiger took that role on Sunday. He dropped deeper, but wasn't pressed defensively because of the red cards. This meant some of his passes were further from goal.
Perhaps having Schweinsteiger try to make the assisting pass instead of setting up players to make assisting passes would have helped break down Orlando. Either way, look for Schweinsteiger to take a similar role Saturday against Atlanta with McCarty still gone.
USMNT still adjusting to Arena’s system as WCQ resumes.
Associated Press
(Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images)
U.S. coach Bruce Arena looked at the rosy side of a surprise draw with Venezuela in an exhibition game over the weekend.
“Good exercise for us,” he said Monday.
The Americans are still getting used to Arena’s system, along with playing at a higher altitude. But there’s not much time left, with a World Cup qualifier on Thursday in Commerce City against Trinidad and Tobago.
Neither team has margin for error, with the U.S. currently in fourth place in the six-team standings with four points and Trinidad and Tobago last with three points. The top three teams qualify, with the fourth-place squad going to a playoff against Asia’s No. 5 nation.
“They have to understand the things we’re trying to do, and I don’t think we’re already there,” said Arena, whose team settled for a 1-1 draw with Venezuela on Saturday in Sandy, Utah. “The examples of Saturday’s game is good, to show some of the issues we have and correct them and be ready for Thursday.”
The team elected to switch things up Monday, going with an afternoon practice instead of being put through its paces in a morning session. Anything to that?
“We just wanted to have a meeting in the morning,” Arena said. “Meeting, practice, have lunch and off the rest of the day. Wasn’t rocket science.”
Figuring out what system the Americans may utilize could be, though. At times against Venezuela, the squad employed a 4-4-2 formation. At other times, it was a different alignment.
“It’s better for us if the opposition doesn’t know how we’re going to play, how we’re going to start the game,” midfielder Fabian Johnson said. “It’s positive for us that we have two systems that we can also switch during the game.”
Now, they just need everyone healthy. Central defender John Brooks left Saturday’s game with a bruised quadriceps muscle. Arena doesn’t know if he will be available Thursday, let alone three days later when the team plays in Mexico. But there’s also this: Forward Jozy Altidore is getting up to speed after reporting late to training camp because of his brother’s wedding.
Arena has gradually increased the tempo at practice to get his team acclimatized to the higher elevation. It’s 5,200 feet in Commerce City and a lung-searing 7,820 feet at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The elevation for the exhibition game was around 4,450 feet.
“Of course, it’s hard to breathe, to run,” said Johnson, who recently extended his contract with Borussia Moenchengladbach. “The first couple of days, you can tell in warmups and stuff. You’re breathing hard. But you get used to it.”
Arena certainly liked the play of 18-year-old Christian Pulisic on Saturday as the midfielder scored the tying goal for the Americans in the 61st minute. Asked how he’s come along over the last six months, Arena responded: “Six months older.”
“He’s stronger physically, mentally,” Arena said. “The young ones make more improvement. I don’t think (DaMarcus) Beasley and (Clint) Dempsey are going to get much better in six months.”
Johnson met with Arena several times in Germany to discuss what’s expected of him. Johnson likes his responsibilities in the midfield, a position that’s relatively unsettled. Sebastian Lletget started against Honduras in March, scoring the opening goal, but injured his left foot in the 6-0 home win and will be sidelined four to six months.
“We have to create more chances, use the space a little bit better,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re going to try to do on Thursday.”
Int’l roundup: Belgium win ahead of WQC; Russia gear up for Confed Cup.
By Andy Edwards
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
With the summer set of World Cup qualifying fixtures taking place this week, a roundup of a handful of international friendlies as some of the heavy hitters make final preparations…
Belgium 2-1 Czech Republic
At the halfway point of qualification, Belgium are sitting pretty (currently atop Group H, two points clear of second-place Greece) with an eminently winnable fixture, away to fourth-place Estonia, up next. On Monday, Roberto Martinez’s side took on the Czech Republic in Brussels.
Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi opened the scoring in the 25th minute — a lead which would be short-lived, as Michal Krmencik brought the visitors back to level terms just four minutes later — and Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini scored what turned out to be the winner seven minutes into the second half, with — you guessed it — his head.
Hungary 0-3 Russia
The 2017 Confederations Cup kicks off in less than two weeks — Saturday, June 17, to be exact — which means the Russians are just 12 days from their first competitive fixture since their final group game at EURO 2016, on June 20. As hosts of next summer’s World Cup, the last 12 months have been full of nothing but meaningless friendly after meaningless friendly.
Sunday’s victory in Budapest is the penultimate friendly on the schedule ahead of the Confederations Cup. Chile will visit Moscow on Friday, eight days before Stanislav Cherchesov’s side takes on New Zealand in the tournament opener in Saint Petersburg. Fedor Smolov, Marton Eppel (own goal) and Dmitriy Poloz were the goal scorers.
Elsewhere in international friendlies
Macedonia 0-0 Turkey
Egypt vs. Lybia — canceled
NCAAFB: Big Ten conference title odds: Penn State has value over Ohio State, Michigan.
By Chip Patterson
There are less than 100 days left to go before the 2017 college football season starts, and that means you have less than 100 days to figure out which teams you want to bet on before the season.
You're so lucky to have friends like us at CBS Sports.
BetOnline has released conference title odds for the Power Five conferences, and we want to make sure you're prepared with all the knowledge you need to make the smart play.
Today we'll look at the odds for the 14 teams in the Big Ten.
Ohio State +100
Michigan +300
Penn State +500
Wisconsin +500
Nebraska +2000
Iowa +2500
Northwestern +2500
Michigan State +2500
Minnesota +3300
Indiana +5000
Illinois +15000
Maryland +15000
Purdue +15000
Rutgers +25000
Best bet: I've got the Buckeyes as my pick to win the conference for now, given the talent level on the roster and the steady hand of senior quarterback J.T. Barrett. But there's no reason to take them at +100, especially when you consider that 2016 showed us Ohio State can make the College Football Playoff without even playing in their own conference championship game. For that reason, I love getting Penn State at +500.
In addition to being the defending conference champions, the Nittany Lions have arguably the best offensive player in the conference in running back Saquon Barkley and a potential breakout star at wide receiver with Juwan Johnson. The 6-foot-4, 221-pound former U.S. Army All-American played in just three games last season, but turned plenty of heads this spring. With Chris Godwin's 982 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns gone, there's plenty of touches up for grabs and I like the combination of Johnson and DaeSean Hamilton to keep defenses from zeroing in on Barkley.
The key here will be quarterback Trace McSorley. Last impressions are lasting and the last time we saw the redshirt junior he was breaking the Penn State record for 300-yard passing games in a season (5) on the way to becoming just the fourth Penn State quarterback to lead the Nittany Lions to 10+ wins in his first year as the starting quarterback. A step forward for McSorley in 2017 makes Penn State a national title dark horse, while a step back could mean a failure to repeat as conference champs.
Most interesting long shot: Given the level of competition at the top of the Big Ten East, there's not going to be a single long shot on that side of the standings that even seems somewhat likely, much less interesting.
However, there's a lot of reason to be intrigued with Minnesota and the potential bump that comes with P.J. Fleck's boat-rowing arrival. But the coach himself told Sports Illustrated that cultural overhauls usually take "about two years" and it's important to note the current roster has now had three head coaches in three years. The Gophers might make some noise in 2017, but winning the Big Ten seems like a little much to expect or bet, even at +3300.
Nebraska has to replace its starting quarterback, leading rusher and leading receiver, but I'm all in on the Cornhuskers as a long-shot pick to win at +2000. Bob Diaco's hire as defensive coordinator could bring results that will get the Blackshirts chatter going again, and after watching Mike Riley lead the team to a 9-win season through seemingly never-ending injury issues, I became a believer.
NCAABKB: Thad Matta's Ohio State exit means there's a major job opening, but timing could hurt Buckeyes.
By Pat Forde
Thad Matta had his worst season as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2016-17, finishing 17-15. (Photo/Getty)
You wonder whether Smith’s tangible affection and respect for Matta led him to make a March decision he’d regret come June, and to miss out on what might have been the best man for the job. Most of us would rather have a boss who is too loyal over one who isn’t loyal enough – but we’ll see how much the timing of this affects Ohio State’s ability to make another home-run hire.
That’s what Matta has been since the school grabbed him from Xavier in 2004: He took the Buckeyes to two Final Fours, five Big Ten titles and won 73 percent of his games. He did great work.
But in recent years Matta was worn down physically and mentally, to the point that he appeared far older than his 49 years.
It’s almost 10 years to the day since Matta had a back surgery that went wrong, resulting in chronic pain and decreased mobility in his right foot. Watching him labor to stand, to walk, to do much of anything on the sidelines is to see a man who has endured a lot to do his job.
He also had to be worn down by the losing and underachieving that marked the latter stages of his Ohio State tenure. Matta’s win total declined for the last six years, from 34 in 2011 to 31, 29, 25, 24, 21 and finally 17 last season. A streak of seven straight NCAA tournament appearances was stopped in 2016, and last year’s team was the worst he’s ever coached.
When the normally controlled Matta went after freshman JaQuan Lyle during the 2016 Big Ten tournament with a startling ferocity, it looked like a man who was snapping. Hands on Lyle’s shoulders, face fiery red and just inches from Lyle’s, this was edging beyond intense coaching toward absolute rage.
Perhaps we should have known then. Lyle was the star of a highly rated, six-man recruiting class in 2015 that has become an utter bust: None of them are still Buckeyes just two years later. There were no Mike Conleys, Greg Odens or Aaron Crafts in that class, and it cost Matta dearly.
The complete loss of a recruiting class in two years is part of what ails modern college basketball – the sheer impermanence of it. When he wasn’t tearing up or quoting the Grateful Dead at his news conference, Matta talked about how different the game is now than when he started.
He sounded like an old coach. He looked like an old coach. And yet he’s at an age when so many coaches are hitting their prime. Nobody ever said life is fair.
Someone asked Matta if he thought he’d still be the coach of the Buckeyes if he were fully healthy.
“Yeah,” Matta said. “Probably.”
Instead, he will move into an uncertain future and Ohio State will move into an uncertain search.
Fortunately for Smith, he’s still selling an A-list job: Ohio State has a huge athletic budget, a massive fan base and plenty of quality recruits in the area. So even if it’s not Miller Time in Columbus, there will not be a lack of other high-caliber candidates.
You couldn’t blame Smith if he at least put in a call to Billy Donovan to check his satisfaction level in the NBA. If that goes nowhere, Smith could conveniently drive south on I-71 to Cincinnati to talk to Xavier’s Chris Mack or west on I-70 to Indianapolis for a chat with Butler’s Chris Holtmann. After four straight NCAA bids at Providence, Ed Cooley could be an attractive candidate.
Holtmann has gotten extraordinary commitment out of Butler, which gave him a third straight contract extension this spring – he’s under contract until 2025. Mack and Cooley both signed contract extensions in spring 2016.
Then there is Gregg Marshall, just sitting out there in the plains of Kansas winning games year after year. But the timing isn’t great there, either: Marshall should start 2017-18 with a top-10 team at Wichita State, and he has as much job security in his current position as any non-power-conference coach in America.
Other options could present themselves as Gene Smith embarks on his search. But he’s working under a time crunch of his own making, and he might already have missed out on the ideal candidate. That’s a heck of a potential price to pay for loyalty to a coach.
Belmont Doings: Gormley makes it 13.
By Jay Privman
Photo/belmontexperiences.com)
The Belmont Stakes won’t have the Kentucky Derby winner, nor the Preakness winner, but it won’t have a shortage of entries, with a bulky field 13 set to contest the last and longest leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday here at Belmont Park.
Gormley, the Santa Anita Derby winner who was ninth in the Kentucky Derby, was officially put in the race Monday, according to Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, the wife of trainer John Shirreffs and the racing manager for owners Jerry and Ann Moss.
“He deserves the opportunity,” she said early Monday evening.
If all 13 run, this year’s field size would be equal to the 13 who contested the Belmont a year ago. Barring a rash of unexpected defections or scratches, this will mark the eighth time in the last nine runnings that the Belmont field has 10 starters or more, the lone exception being 2015, when just seven horses tried, and failed, to stop American Pharoah from sweeping the Triple Crown.
John Shirreffs and Moss consulted Monday with B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm regarding whether to run Gormley, and all were on the same page. Spendthrift holds the breeding rights to Gormley and it is where Gormley will go to stud at the conclusion of his racing career. Gormley is by Malibu Moon, who stands at Spendthrift and, at age 20, is still quite active but obviously is closer to the end of his breeding career than the beginning. Gormley is his best current runner, and Malibu Moon’s son Orb has been well received at stud.
Gormley is scheduled to fly to New York on Wednesday, which is when all the horses in the race must be on the grounds. The likely favorite for the Belmont, Classic Empire, was scheduled to travel Tuesday. Classic Empire, last year’s champion 2-year-old male, was second in the Preakness after finishing fourth in the Derby. He and Lookin At Lee are the only two horses who will compete in all three Triple Crown races this year.
Always Dreaming, the Kentucky Derby winner who was eighth in the Preakness, and Preakness winner Cloud Computing are both bypassing the Belmont. The last time different horses won the Derby and Preakness and neither ran in the Belmont was 2010.
The Belmont field, including jockeys, is expected to be Classic Empire (Julien Leparoux the rider), Epicharis (Christophe Lemaire), Gormley (Victor Espinoza), Hollywood Handsome (Florent Geroux), Irish War Cry (Rajiv Maragh), J Boys Echo (Robby Albarado), Lookin At Lee (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Meantime (Mike Smith), Multiplier (Joel Rosario), Patch (John Velazquez), Senior Investment (Channing Hill), Tapwrit (Jose Ortiz), and Twisted Tom (Javier Castellano).
The draw for the 1 1/2-mile Belmont is scheduled for midday Wednesday at Rockefeller Center in New York City, during which the Met Mile and Manhattan, part of the outstanding Belmont undercard, also will be drawn. The remainder of the Saturday card was scheduled to be drawn on Tuesday.
It was a fairly uneventful morning on Monday at Belmont Park. Among the highlights were Epicharis, the Japanese invader, visiting the starting gate for a schooling session after galloping on the training track, and Senior Investment, third in the Preakness, jogging 1 1/2 miles and then galloping 1 1/2 miles on the main track in advance of an expected final workout on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Kentucky Derby runner-up Lookin At Lee worked a half-mile in 48.42 seconds over the Belmont main track, his only work between the Preakness, where he finished fourth, and the Belmont.
Working by himself under exercise rider Jesus Vinegas, Lookin At Lee got his last quarter in 23.90 seconds over a fast main track on a gorgeous morning on Long Island.
“That’s a very good breeze for him,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, who was in Texas for his eldest son Keith’s high school graduation. “With him having just the one breeze, we feel good about him.”
Toby Sheets, Asmussen’s longtime New York assistant, oversaw the move. Lookin At Lee arrived in New York the day after the Preakness, and Sheets said, “He loves it here.”
– additional reporting by David Grening
| HORSE | TRAINER | JOCKEY | LAST RACE/FINISH |
| Classic Empire | Mark Casse | Julien Leparoux | Preakness, 2nd |
| Epicharis | Kiyoshi Hagiwara | Christophe Lemaire | UAE Derby, 2nd |
| Gormley | John Shirreffs | Victor Espinoza | Ky. Derby, 9th |
| Hollywood Handsome | Dallas Stewart | Florent Geroux | CD alw, 1st |
| Irish War Cry | Graham Motion | Rajiv Maragh | Ky. Derby, 10th |
| J Boys Echo | Dale Romans | Robby Albarado | Ky. Derby, 15th |
| Lookin At Lee | Steve Asmussen | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Preakness, 4th |
| Meantime | Brian Lynch | Mike Smith | Peter Pan, 2nd |
| Multiplier | Brendan Walsh | Joel Rosario | Preakness, 6th |
| Patch | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | Ky. Derby, 14th |
| Senior Investment | Kenny McPeek | Channing Hill | Preakness, 3rd |
| Tapwrit | Todd Pletcher | Jose Ortiz | Ky. Derby, 6th |
| Twisted Tom | Chad Brown | Javier Castellano | Tesio, 1st |
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, June 07, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1980 - Jeff Norman set a world record when he ran the 50k in 2.28.06.
1982 - Steve Garvey became the fifth player in major league baseball history to play in 1,000 consecutive games.
1983 - Steve Carlton temporarily passed Nolan Ryan in career strikeouts when he registered his 3,522nd.
1989 - The Toronto Skydome hosted the first game to be played indoors and outdoors in the same day. The roof was closed when the weather became threatening.
1997 - The Detroit Red Wings won their first NHL championship in 42 years. They swept the series with the Philadelphia Flyers.
1998 - The Baltimore Orioles retired Eddie Murray's #33.
2009 - Roger Federer became the sixth man in history to win a career Grand Slam when he won the French Open. He also tied Pete Sampras' record of 14 major singles titles.
**************************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you.
No comments:
Post a Comment