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"Sports Quote of the Day"
"By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you've achieved - and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles and losses - you actually can enhance everything about you. Self-acknowledgment and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments." ~ Jack Canfield, Author, Motivational Speaker, Seminar Leader, Corporate Trainer, and Entrepreneur.
TRENDING: The Bears-Buzz Is Loud, And It Should Be. (See the football section for Bears news and NFL updates).
TRENDING: Projecting Blackhawks' Opening Day lineup in 2017-18. (See the hockey section for Blackhawks updates and NHL news).
TRENDING: NBA Scheduling Could Help the Bulls Tank. (Taken from SBnation.com/Blog A Bull). (See the basketball section for Bulls news and NBA updates).
TRENDING: Cubs surge past Reds for 4th straight victory; White Sox offense can't come through for rookie Giolito. (See the baseball section for Cubs and White Sox updates).
TRENDING: The Northern Trust: Tee times, TV schedule, stats. (See the golf section for PGA news and tournament updates).
TRENDING: NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch sweeps his way to No. 1; Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch is what NASCAR needs. (See the NASCAR section for NASCAR news and racing updates).
TRENDING: Bastian Schweinsteiger on Fire's skid: 'We have to show character'; Best stats from Week 2 in the Premier League. (See the soccer section for Fire news and worldwide soccer updates).
Bears Down Chicago Bears!!!!! The Bears-Buzz Is Loud, And It Should Be. (This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member, and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.)
By Eli.m23
Bears quarterbacks at training camps, L-R, Trubisky (8), Sanchez (6) and Glennon (8). (Photo/Chicago Bears).
Finally, it seems as though the wheels are moving within the Chicago Bears organization towards a direction that we fans have longed for.
For so long I have looked at teams like the Packers (yes, the Packers) and the Patriots and wondered how they've managed to draft so much talent to the point where they have no need to be active during Free Agency. The look of envy constantly filled my eyes as I watched these teams sustain injuries by plugging in 2nd and 3rd stringers that made it seem as though there was no injury in the first place. THAT is what I've wanted for my beloved Bears. And, from the looks of it, that is exactly where Ryan Pace is taking us.
In the last two years, Ryan Pace has drafted five players who have all but locked in the starting jobs for their positions (Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Jonathon Bullard, Jordan Howard, & Eddie Goldman). That alone is reason for excitement, being that only one player from the Emery-era is left standing on the team (Kyle Long). Then Pace took a risk, a risk in which many Bears fans were critical of, and drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the #2 overall draft pick. Come to find out, that this kid may have a chance at leading this organization in his first year after having an impressive preseason. I don't think anyone needs an explanation as to why Bears fans are excited about that (if you do, go to youtube and type in "Jay Cutler Interceptions." Should have plenty of content to choose from...).
Everyone who knows football knows that perennial championship contenders are built through the draft. The fruit can't be fully visible until we actually start winning, which is understandable. But a little optimism won't hurt anybody.
SportsTalk Live Podcast: John Fox hasn't decided who will get first-team QB reps on Sunday.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
David Haugh (Chicago Tribune), Phil Rogers (MLB.com) and Anthony Herron (670 The Score) join Kap on the panel.
Javy Baez hustles and scores the winning run for the Cubs. Is his the most entertaining athlete in Chicago? Plus will Nicky Delmonico still be on the White Sox in a few years when they are ready to contend for the postseason?
Listen to the full episode here.
With return to Tennessee looming, football is fun again for Kendall Wright.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA Today Sports Images)
Sunday will mark Kendall Wright’s first trip back to Nashville since he not-so-amicably split with the Tennessee Titans after the 2016 season.
Wright has said he doesn’t want to talk about his time in Tennessee, where injuries and clashes with coaches led to a steady decline in targets and production after a standout 2013 season (139 targets, 94 receptions, 1,079 yards). But it’s easy to compare how he feels practicing with the Bears to how he felt toward the end of his days with the Titans.
“A fresh start is good,” Wright said. “Football is fun again.
“If you don’t have fun playing the game, what the use of you playing? And I didn’t really have too much fun the past few years. But when you’re out here playing and doing what you love to do, it’s fun. So you just gotta keep the game fun.”
Wright was a little more forceful earlier this year.
“What motivates me the most is I probably was the best receiver on the Titans roster last year and I was playing, like, 10 plays a game,” Wright said during OTAs in June.
But while this weekend’s game against the Titans could seem to be an opportunity for revenge, Wright is more approaching it for what it is — another preseason game to continue to improve with the rest of the first team offense.
Wright caught a touchdown from Glennon Saturday night in Arizona (he also was the target on Glennon’s interception, though that looked to be more on the quarterback than the receiver). And he seems to be clearly ahead of Victor Cruz to be the team’s No. 1 slot receiver — Cruz wasn’t targeted against Arizona, while Wright received three targets.
If the Glennon-led first-team offense is going to have success in the regular season, it needs improvements from every unit — quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line — based on what we’ve seen during the preseason. Perhaps a motivated, fun-having Wright, playing for the same offensive coordinator under which he had his best season, can be a part of that.
“The game of football is supposed to be fun,” Wright said. “Don’t take the fun out of it. You just gotta go out there and have fun and make plays. When you’re making plays, it’s even more fun.”
For Mitch Trubisky and the Bears' QBs, things remain status quo...for now.
“A fresh start is good,” Wright said. “Football is fun again.
“If you don’t have fun playing the game, what the use of you playing? And I didn’t really have too much fun the past few years. But when you’re out here playing and doing what you love to do, it’s fun. So you just gotta keep the game fun.”
Wright was a little more forceful earlier this year.
“What motivates me the most is I probably was the best receiver on the Titans roster last year and I was playing, like, 10 plays a game,” Wright said during OTAs in June.
But while this weekend’s game against the Titans could seem to be an opportunity for revenge, Wright is more approaching it for what it is — another preseason game to continue to improve with the rest of the first team offense.
Wright caught a touchdown from Glennon Saturday night in Arizona (he also was the target on Glennon’s interception, though that looked to be more on the quarterback than the receiver). And he seems to be clearly ahead of Victor Cruz to be the team’s No. 1 slot receiver — Cruz wasn’t targeted against Arizona, while Wright received three targets.
If the Glennon-led first-team offense is going to have success in the regular season, it needs improvements from every unit — quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line — based on what we’ve seen during the preseason. Perhaps a motivated, fun-having Wright, playing for the same offensive coordinator under which he had his best season, can be a part of that.
“The game of football is supposed to be fun,” Wright said. “Don’t take the fun out of it. You just gotta go out there and have fun and make plays. When you’re making plays, it’s even more fun.”
For Mitch Trubisky and the Bears' QBs, things remain status quo...for now.
By JJ Stankevitz
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Is there a way for Mitch Trubisky to take first-team snaps in Sunday’s all-important preseason game No. 3 without slighting Mike Glennon?
“I think probably not,” coach John Fox said. “… We’ll evaluate that and see where that goes.”
That’s not a definite answer, but Fox also didn’t totally dodge the question posed to him after Monday’s practice at Halas Hall. And it doesn't mean the Bears won't necessarily still give Trubisky some first-team work.
Fox, though, stressed earlier in his press conference that he and his coaching staff haven’t talked about what the plan will be for Glennon, Trubisky and Mark Sanchez Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
“We’re very, very early,” Fox said. “We’re not even into preparation for the Titans yet. We’ll meet on that. We’ll talk, and we’ll keep you guys posted.”
Trubisky, as expected and for the second consecutive game, was the third Bears’ quarterback to take the field Saturday night against Arizona, taking over for Sanchez after the veteran backup played one series. Whether or not Sanchez plays on Sunday is another question, but the 2,285 passes he’s attempted in his seven-year career (compared to 630 for Glennon and zero for Trubisky) mean the Bears feel comfortable cutting into his snaps to give more to Glennon and/or Trubisky.
Testing Trubisky — who’s largely played with and faced third and fourth stringers — with running a first-team offense against first-team defense could provide an important evaluation in his development. Fox, though, has said that getting Trubisky reps, no matter with what team, is the most important thing the team can do for his growth during training camp.
Trubisky was hit hard a few times against Arizona behind the Bears’ third-string offensive line and played mostly with undrafted rookie Joshua Rounds as his running back. While he made a couple of poor throws — Tanner Gentry’s offensive pass interference probably prevented an interception — he finished his night having completed six of eight passes for 60 yards with a touchdown.
“I thought again he showed good toughness,” Fox said. “I think he took a couple shots. They did a couple things different we hadn’t seen, as far as (our) protection. But I thought he showed good accuracy, probably mainly a couple decisions that he’d probably change. But I thought all in all he did well.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Projecting Blackhawks' Opening Day lineup in 2017-18.
That’s not a definite answer, but Fox also didn’t totally dodge the question posed to him after Monday’s practice at Halas Hall. And it doesn't mean the Bears won't necessarily still give Trubisky some first-team work.
Fox, though, stressed earlier in his press conference that he and his coaching staff haven’t talked about what the plan will be for Glennon, Trubisky and Mark Sanchez Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
“We’re very, very early,” Fox said. “We’re not even into preparation for the Titans yet. We’ll meet on that. We’ll talk, and we’ll keep you guys posted.”
Trubisky, as expected and for the second consecutive game, was the third Bears’ quarterback to take the field Saturday night against Arizona, taking over for Sanchez after the veteran backup played one series. Whether or not Sanchez plays on Sunday is another question, but the 2,285 passes he’s attempted in his seven-year career (compared to 630 for Glennon and zero for Trubisky) mean the Bears feel comfortable cutting into his snaps to give more to Glennon and/or Trubisky.
Testing Trubisky — who’s largely played with and faced third and fourth stringers — with running a first-team offense against first-team defense could provide an important evaluation in his development. Fox, though, has said that getting Trubisky reps, no matter with what team, is the most important thing the team can do for his growth during training camp.
Trubisky was hit hard a few times against Arizona behind the Bears’ third-string offensive line and played mostly with undrafted rookie Joshua Rounds as his running back. While he made a couple of poor throws — Tanner Gentry’s offensive pass interference probably prevented an interception — he finished his night having completed six of eight passes for 60 yards with a touchdown.
“I thought again he showed good toughness,” Fox said. “I think he took a couple shots. They did a couple things different we hadn’t seen, as far as (our) protection. But I thought he showed good accuracy, probably mainly a couple decisions that he’d probably change. But I thought all in all he did well.”
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Projecting Blackhawks' Opening Day lineup in 2017-18.
By Charlie Roumeliotis
(Photo/USA TODAY)
With Blackhawks single-game tickets having gone on sale Monday — and less than a month away from the first preseason game of the 2017-18 season — it's time to start breaking down what the team's lineup could look like on Opening Day.
Brian Campbell, Scott Darling, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marcus Kruger, Artemi Panarin and Trevor van Riemsdyk were among Chicago's key departures in an offseason makeover, along with Marian Hossa, who's sitting out the upcoming campaign with a medical condition.
There are plenty of important shoes to fill. So how will the reformed Blackhawks stack up?
Let's give it a crack.
(A quick note: All indications are that the Blackhawks will place Hossa on long-term injured reserve as soon as the regular season starts, so we didn't include him on the 23-man Opening Day roster even though he will be. Instead, we added an extra player we believe will serve as the 23rd man going forward.)
First line: Brandon Saad - Jonathan Toews - Richard Panik
Second line: Patrick Sharp - Artem Anisimov - Patrick Kane
Third line: Ryan Hartman - Nick Schmaltz - Tomas Jurco
Fourth line: Lance Bouma - Tanner Kero - Tommy Wingels
Extras: Jordin Tootoo
Thoughts:
— It's practically a lock that Joel Quenneville will open the season with Saad-Toews-Panik at the top, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll stay that way or finish like that. At the Blackhawks Convention in July, Quenneville toyed with the idea of even putting Sharp on the first unit alongside Saad and Toews after the 35-year-old veteran looked "unbelievable" in the gym during offseason workouts.
— Speaking of Sharp, we're slotting him in at that second-line left wing position to start based off Quenneville's high praise of the winger. And it makes sense, trying to rekindle some magic with Kane off the bat and provide stability on the top-six while spreading out the bottom-six.
— Schmaltz could certainly be a candidate to jump up to the second line with Anisimov and Kane (or perhaps even swap center positions with Anisimov, but we won't get cute early on). The lack of center depth, however, might force him into a third-line center role to start, which isn't the worst idea. He won only 30.9 percent of his face-offs last season, and the only way to get better is by taking more reps.
— Hartman and Jurco each spent more time on the left wing than right with the Blackhawks last year, but Jurco played more on the right side in Detroit so that's where we pegged him here. He's probably going to get a longer leash to nail down a full-time spot, and be put in a position to succeed in a third-line role.
— To round out the four-line rotation, Kero is surely going to play the role of Kruger by handling the bulk of defensive zone draws with newly-signed versatile forwards Bouma and Wingels serving as his wingmen. Tootoo comes in as the extra.
— It will be tempting to throw highly-touted prospect Alex DeBrincat into the fire right away, but there's no need to rush it and we don't believe the Blackhawks will, either. He's still only 19 years old, and it'd be asking way too much of the 5-foot-7, 170-pound OHL player of the year to log important minutes straight out of juniors.
— That leaves Laurent Dauphin, Alexandre Fortin, John Hayden, Vinnie Hinostroza and David Kampf off the roster for now as well, and it's not a bad thing. There just isn't enough room for everybody, and their developments are better served playing every day in the AHL rather than being fringe players in the NHL and taking turns sitting in the press box.
No. 1 defensive pairing: Duncan Keith - Connor Murphy
No. 2 defensive pairing: Michal Kempny - Brent Seabrook
No. 3 defensive pairing: Gustav Forsling - Jan Rutta
Extras: Jordan Oesterle, Michal Rozsival
Thoughts:
— First off, there is no replacing Hjalmarsson. He was a lynch-pin on the Blackhawks' blue line for a decade. It will take a collective effort to help alleviate that loss. While Murphy's defensive game needs improvement, he has to be the favorite to play alongside Keith strictly based on balancing out the rotation. It also helps that he's a right-handed shot, complementing the left-handed two-time Norris Trophy winner.
— Kempny and Seabrook had really strong possession numbers together last season, and should formulate the second unit. Kempny struggled to anchor down an every-day spot in his rookie campaign because of his defensive inconsistencies, but Quenneville is likely to give him an extended leash just like he did with the youngsters last year, simply because he has to.
— Forsling showed real promise in training camp a year ago, and it was enough to break last year's Opening Day roster. He stayed on for the first half before being assigned to Rockford, but it was necessary for his development in order to secure a full-time spot this year.
— Oesterle and Rutta — and perhaps even prospect Ville Pokka — are expected to vie for the sixth spot, with Rozsival serving as the seventh defenseman for insurance. We have the 27-year-old Czech defenseman getting the first crack at it, but it could be an ongoing competition for much of the year.
Starting goaltender: Corey Crawford
Backup goaltender: Anton Forsberg
Thoughts:
— For the first time in a while, the Blackhawks are heading into the season with some uncertainty surrounding their backup goaltending situation. Crawford is the clear-cut starter, but for two-plus years the Blackhawks felt like they've always had two No. 1s with Darling.
— Forsberg legitimately might be the X-factor for the Blackhawks' season. Darling appeared in 32 games last season, and 29 the year before, essentially starting one-third of the team's games over the last two years. And he thrived in that role. Forsberg has high potential, but can he take that next step and be a consistent goaltender the Blackhawks need him to be? That's the question that nobody can answer until we actually see it.
— If the Forsberg experiment doesn't work out, or they prefer to enhance his development with every-day starts in Rockford, the Blackhawks signed Jean-Francois Berube who could see some playing time. But it's Forsberg's job to lose.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... NBA Scheduling Could Help the Bulls Tank. (Taken from SBnation.com/Blog A Bull).
There are plenty of important shoes to fill. So how will the reformed Blackhawks stack up?
Let's give it a crack.
(A quick note: All indications are that the Blackhawks will place Hossa on long-term injured reserve as soon as the regular season starts, so we didn't include him on the 23-man Opening Day roster even though he will be. Instead, we added an extra player we believe will serve as the 23rd man going forward.)
First line: Brandon Saad - Jonathan Toews - Richard Panik
Second line: Patrick Sharp - Artem Anisimov - Patrick Kane
Third line: Ryan Hartman - Nick Schmaltz - Tomas Jurco
Fourth line: Lance Bouma - Tanner Kero - Tommy Wingels
Extras: Jordin Tootoo
Thoughts:
— It's practically a lock that Joel Quenneville will open the season with Saad-Toews-Panik at the top, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll stay that way or finish like that. At the Blackhawks Convention in July, Quenneville toyed with the idea of even putting Sharp on the first unit alongside Saad and Toews after the 35-year-old veteran looked "unbelievable" in the gym during offseason workouts.
— Speaking of Sharp, we're slotting him in at that second-line left wing position to start based off Quenneville's high praise of the winger. And it makes sense, trying to rekindle some magic with Kane off the bat and provide stability on the top-six while spreading out the bottom-six.
— Schmaltz could certainly be a candidate to jump up to the second line with Anisimov and Kane (or perhaps even swap center positions with Anisimov, but we won't get cute early on). The lack of center depth, however, might force him into a third-line center role to start, which isn't the worst idea. He won only 30.9 percent of his face-offs last season, and the only way to get better is by taking more reps.
— Hartman and Jurco each spent more time on the left wing than right with the Blackhawks last year, but Jurco played more on the right side in Detroit so that's where we pegged him here. He's probably going to get a longer leash to nail down a full-time spot, and be put in a position to succeed in a third-line role.
— To round out the four-line rotation, Kero is surely going to play the role of Kruger by handling the bulk of defensive zone draws with newly-signed versatile forwards Bouma and Wingels serving as his wingmen. Tootoo comes in as the extra.
— It will be tempting to throw highly-touted prospect Alex DeBrincat into the fire right away, but there's no need to rush it and we don't believe the Blackhawks will, either. He's still only 19 years old, and it'd be asking way too much of the 5-foot-7, 170-pound OHL player of the year to log important minutes straight out of juniors.
— That leaves Laurent Dauphin, Alexandre Fortin, John Hayden, Vinnie Hinostroza and David Kampf off the roster for now as well, and it's not a bad thing. There just isn't enough room for everybody, and their developments are better served playing every day in the AHL rather than being fringe players in the NHL and taking turns sitting in the press box.
No. 1 defensive pairing: Duncan Keith - Connor Murphy
No. 2 defensive pairing: Michal Kempny - Brent Seabrook
No. 3 defensive pairing: Gustav Forsling - Jan Rutta
Extras: Jordan Oesterle, Michal Rozsival
Thoughts:
— First off, there is no replacing Hjalmarsson. He was a lynch-pin on the Blackhawks' blue line for a decade. It will take a collective effort to help alleviate that loss. While Murphy's defensive game needs improvement, he has to be the favorite to play alongside Keith strictly based on balancing out the rotation. It also helps that he's a right-handed shot, complementing the left-handed two-time Norris Trophy winner.
— Kempny and Seabrook had really strong possession numbers together last season, and should formulate the second unit. Kempny struggled to anchor down an every-day spot in his rookie campaign because of his defensive inconsistencies, but Quenneville is likely to give him an extended leash just like he did with the youngsters last year, simply because he has to.
— Forsling showed real promise in training camp a year ago, and it was enough to break last year's Opening Day roster. He stayed on for the first half before being assigned to Rockford, but it was necessary for his development in order to secure a full-time spot this year.
— Oesterle and Rutta — and perhaps even prospect Ville Pokka — are expected to vie for the sixth spot, with Rozsival serving as the seventh defenseman for insurance. We have the 27-year-old Czech defenseman getting the first crack at it, but it could be an ongoing competition for much of the year.
Starting goaltender: Corey Crawford
Backup goaltender: Anton Forsberg
Thoughts:
— For the first time in a while, the Blackhawks are heading into the season with some uncertainty surrounding their backup goaltending situation. Crawford is the clear-cut starter, but for two-plus years the Blackhawks felt like they've always had two No. 1s with Darling.
— Forsberg legitimately might be the X-factor for the Blackhawks' season. Darling appeared in 32 games last season, and 29 the year before, essentially starting one-third of the team's games over the last two years. And he thrived in that role. Forsberg has high potential, but can he take that next step and be a consistent goaltender the Blackhawks need him to be? That's the question that nobody can answer until we actually see it.
— If the Forsberg experiment doesn't work out, or they prefer to enhance his development with every-day starts in Rockford, the Blackhawks signed Jean-Francois Berube who could see some playing time. But it's Forsberg's job to lose.
Just Another Chicago Bulls Session..... NBA Scheduling Could Help the Bulls Tank. (Taken from SBnation.com/Blog A Bull).
By paulsteeno
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56288491/usa_today_9940665.0.jpg)
(Photo/Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)
The biggest takeaway from the NBA’s schedule release last week was its initiative to give players more rest.
Those tasked with constructing the NBA schedule did that by moving the beginning of the season up to mid-October, eliminating the daunting four games in five nights setup, and reducing the number of back-to-back games each team must play.
Even with all these positive changes, the Chicago Bulls still are on the relative short end when it comes to the rest compared to their opponent. Per Washington Post writer Tim Bontemps.
The added rest days will also further level the playing field for all 30 NBA teams. How so? By trying to make sure as many games as possible come with both teams having the same amount of rest using what the league calls a “Free/Tired/Even” metric. If the two teams playing in a game have the same amount of rest, they are even. If one team played the night before and the other didn’t, the team that didn’t play is “free” and gains a point, and the team that did is “tired” and loses one.
As recent as the 2014-15 season, the disparity between the most and least rested teams over the course of a season was plus-nine and minus-nine, meaning one team could theoretically have 18 extra days of rest by season’s end. This year, Milwaukee is the most rested team at plus-four, while Atlanta and Chicago are the least at minus-five.
If this was any other season, the lack of rest would probably irritate Bulls fans. If Tom Thibodeau was still the coach, Bulls fans may need to petition the league office for the sake of player health.
But, the Bulls are rebuilding this season, and if tired legs help them lose an extra few games that would ironically be of benefit. Of course, similarly unrested Atlanta is one of the other bad teams the Bulls will be ‘competing’ with.
CUBS: Cubs surge past Reds for 4th straight victory.
The Cubs have certainly had to scrape and fight for their wins the last couple of days. Trailing twice to the Reds, a four-run seventh inning and five-run eighth helped Chicago emerge with a 13-9 victory -- its fourth in a row.
"The guys picked me up tonight," said John Lackey after the Cubs won their eighth consecutive game in which he has started despite him being charged with six runs in five innings. "Any way you win games is good."
The first-place Cubs entered the series opener with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central standings. Milwaukee is playing a late game at San Francisco.
After Michael Lorenzen's one-out walk in the seventh to Anthony Rizzo, lefty Wandy Peralta gave up four straight two-out hits. Following a bad-luck ricocheted infield hit off of the pitcher, a broken-bat single by Javier Baez scored two runs and tied the game. Ben Zobrist's pinch-hit two-run double was rocketed to right-center field for an 8-6 lead.
"There were some very good at-bats. Then things just unraveled from there," Reds manager Bryan Price said.
Reds reliever Blake Wood had another disastrous outing, where his first six batters of the eighth inning reached safely -- the first three via walks. That led to five more runs scoring to break the game wide open as nine men batted in the inning. Wood has given up 11 earned runs over his last two appearances with five walks.
On the heels of the Cubs making it a 3-3 game in the top of the fifth, Eugenio Suarez put the Reds back in front in the bottom half against starter Lackey. On a 2-2 pitch, Suarez lifted a three-run homer to left-center field. In the ninth against Felix Pena, he added a two-run homer for a career-high five RBIs.
Lackey went five innings, allowing six earned runs, nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts in a no-decision.
With two out in the third vs. Lackey, Scooter Gennett staked the Reds to a 3-0 lead with his 22nd homer of the season -- a solo shot to right field. However, starter Homer Bailey was unable to stick around after the third because of an irritation in the back of his shoulder. Kevin Shackelford took over in the fourth and struggled to get through the fifth as the Cubs sent eight men to the plate.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Baez battles back: Facing Peralta in the seventh, Baez was down quickly in an 0-2 count before working the at-bat for three-straight balls. After Baez fouled off a changeup, Peralta threw a 98-mph fastball and broke his bat. The ball rolled softly through the right side of the infield for a two-run single that briefly made it 6-6.
Duvall's arm ends rally: After Shackelford's four-pitch walk to Alex Avila loaded the bases with two out in the fifth, Jason Heyward hit the tying RBI single to left field. After Rizzo scored, Ian Happ also tried to come home with the potential go-ahead run. Duvall made a perfect throw to Tucker Barnhart at the plate and Happ was tagged for the third out. Duvall leads all Major League outfielders with 12 assists. Reds outfielders also lead the Majors with 32 assists.
QUOTABLE
"It's been tough. It's hard to watch because he puts his heart and soul in what he does. He's totally invested. To watch him struggle like this has been really challenging, just from a personal standpoint and from a team standpoint. ... This run here has been kind of ugly." -- Price, on Wood's recent stretch of performances
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Between Lackey's two walks and singles by Bailey, Shackelford and Lorenzen, the pitchers combined to reach in all five of their plate appearances. The last time three Reds pitchers had at least one hit in a game was May 19, 1999, at Colorado when Denny Neagle, Steve Parris and Ron Villone all collected hits.
Following being hit on the left hand by a Drew Storen pitch in the top of the ninth, Kris Bryant left the game. In the bottom of the ninth, Rizzo shifted across the diamond to play third base. He became the first left-handed throwing third baseman to play in the Majors since Mario Valdez did it for the White Sox on July 2, 1997, and the first for the Cubs since George Decker in 1895 and Jimmy Ryan in 1886.
"He'll probably put himself down as a third baseman in his Twitter bio," Bryant said. The only available position player for the Cubs at that point was catcher Rene Rivera.
BRYANT SAYS HE'S OK
X-rays taken on Bryant's hand after the game revealed only a contusion, but he will likely get a day off on Wednesday. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he had planned to give Bryant a day off soon anyway.
"I'm OK, I think," Bryant said. "I think it could have been a lot worse. That part of the hand is pretty fragile."
UNDER REVIEW
In a potential inning-ending double play, Jon Jay grounded to Gennett, who threw to shortstop Zack Cozart covering second base to get Lackey. Cozart's foot came off the bag and he dropped the ball in the transfer. Lackey was called out by umpire Adam Hamari, but the Cubs challenged and the call was overturned because Cozart's foot was not touching second base, and he was charged with an error.
WHAT'S NEXT
Cubs: Left-hander Mike Montgomery (3-6, 3.64 ERA) will make his ninth start as the series against the Reds continues on Wednesday at 6:10 p.m. CT at Great American Ball Park. Montgomery, who has pitched in 27 games in relief and is filling in for the injured Jon Lester, made his last start on July 19 at Atlanta, giving up one run over six innings.
Reds: Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski will step in for the injured Scott Feldman and start Wednesday's middle game against the Cubs at 7:10 p.m. ET. Wojciechowski started vs. the Cubs on Aug. 14 at Wrigley Field, and he was tagged for seven earned runs and 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings in a 15-5 loss.
SportsTalk Live Podcast: Which Cub will make biggest impact down the stretch?
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Ben Finfer (ESPN 1000), Chris Hine (Chicago Tribune) and Jordan Bernfield join David Kaplan on the panel. Jon Lester, Addison Russell and Willson Contreras all work out with the Cubs before their game. Which player’s return with have the biggest impact down the stretch?
Plus, the guys discuss how many snaps Mitch Trubisky should take with the first team, debate who won the big Cavs/Celtics deal and Scott Paddock drops by with the latest NASCAR news.
Listen to the SportsTalk Live Podcast here.
Mike Montgomery will gladly aid Cubs as spot starter, but could this be a mini audition for 2018 rotation?
By Vinnie Duber
Jon Lester isn’t expected to be on the disabled list for long, which of course is great news for the Cubs.
Listen to the SportsTalk Live Podcast here.
Mike Montgomery will gladly aid Cubs as spot starter, but could this be a mini audition for 2018 rotation?
By Vinnie Duber
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Jon Lester isn’t expected to be on the disabled list for long, which of course is great news for the Cubs.
But while he’s there, it’s once again time for Mike Montgomery to audition for a spot in the team’s 2018 starting rotation.
The Cubs are facing the possibility of losing two members of that starting staff this offseason, when both Jake Arrieta and John Lackey will be free agents. Montgomery seems like a logical replacement, but he’ll need to be better than he’s been as a starter this season. He’s put up a 5.13 ERA in eight starts.
He’ll get another opportunity to show his stuff over the next week or so, as he makes one or two spot starts with Lester on the shelf resting up his left lat tightness and general shoulder fatigue.
“I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, especially our ace. But it’s a challenge. I’m looking forward to going out there and helping the team win,” Montgomery said over the weekend. “I’m going to go out there and prepare and be ready to help this team get to the playoffs.”
Montgomery doesn’t have to worry about instilling confidence in his bosses. Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein both lauded Montgomery’s efforts since he was acquired about a year ago, in the middle of the 2016 team’s march to that curse-smashing World Series win. It was Montgomery who earned the save in Game 7.
And again this season Montgomery has given plenty of reason for those guys to have confidence in him. He’s turned in a strong 2.57 ERA in 27 relief appearances, one of the more reliable arms out of what is becoming an increasingly shaky bullpen. This past Thursday, he relieved the early-to-depart Lester, pitching 4.1 shutout innings and allowing just three hits and a walk against the Cincinnati Reds.
Throw in the versatility of being able to effectively switch between starting and relieving, and that’s a recipe for sticking on a big league roster.
“He’s good about bouncing back and forth,” Maddon said. “He’s been invaluable to us the last couple years. He’s still learning his craft. Every time I talk to him it’s kind of like the little lightbulb constantly goes off for him regarding his stuff and how to utilize it. That’s what I’ve been talking about with him the last couple years. This guy’s got all kinds of tools in the toolbox but he doesn’t really know how to utilize them all, and I think he’s finally understanding the cutter, the curve, the changeup to go with the fastball. He’s one of those guys that he should never get wild with his fastball because his pitches are so good and he can throw them for a strike.”
Montgomery’s reliability has been enough that Epstein said there’s no plan for the Cubs to add another starting pitcher before this month’s waiver trade deadline. Of course, the fact that Lester’s injury isn’t as bad as initially feared and the July acquisition of Jose Quintana factors into that, as well.
“We’ve expended a lot of prospect capital trying to make this team better. We think it’s just a start or two (that Lester will miss), and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in,” Epstein said. “He’s thrown the ball really well, like what we saw from him (Thursday). So we’re going to fill that vacancy internally with Mike and go from there.”
While every start made by any pitcher this season seems important — the Cubs entered Monday’s day off with just a two-game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings, with a playoff spot hardly guaranteed — Montgomery’s efforts could have just as great an effect on next season. If Arrieta and Lackey both end up departing via free agency, the Cubs will need some replacements. Montgomery figures to be among the first options, especially if this midseason audition goes well.
Of course, Montgomery is happy to do whatever he needs to help his team. He’s not complaining about a bullpen role or one that has him shuttling between the relief corps and the rotation. But he admitted that starting is his goal, meaning the importance of this moment likely hasn't been lost on him.
“Yeah, absolutely, I wanted to start. But also I wanted to be a guy who could fill another role and hopes that makes our team better,” he said. “If me starting makes us better in their mind, then that’s what I want ideally. But I’ve realized I can’t always control that, I can go out there and pitch well. If I pitch well, they’re probably going to give me more opportunities, which is probably going to lead to starting.
“I think it’s because I spent five years in Triple-A from the time I was 21 and I had a bigger ego. And then you realize that you just want to be in the big leagues and that Triple-A kind of stinks. I think it’s just how I’ve gotten to this point. And coming here last year from a team that was trying to get in the playoffs to a team that was clearly going to win the division, you realize that your role isn’t to come here and start making demands, it’s to come here and just do your job.”
Right now, the Cubs need Montgomery to fill the void while Lester rests up. And if he can make his starts look a little more like his bullpen outings, he’ll do just that. And if that’s what happens, maybe they’ll call on him next season to do a whole lot more.
That Anthony Rizzo is so hot right now: Cubs' first baseman named NL Player of the Week.
The Cubs are facing the possibility of losing two members of that starting staff this offseason, when both Jake Arrieta and John Lackey will be free agents. Montgomery seems like a logical replacement, but he’ll need to be better than he’s been as a starter this season. He’s put up a 5.13 ERA in eight starts.
He’ll get another opportunity to show his stuff over the next week or so, as he makes one or two spot starts with Lester on the shelf resting up his left lat tightness and general shoulder fatigue.
“I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, especially our ace. But it’s a challenge. I’m looking forward to going out there and helping the team win,” Montgomery said over the weekend. “I’m going to go out there and prepare and be ready to help this team get to the playoffs.”
Montgomery doesn’t have to worry about instilling confidence in his bosses. Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein both lauded Montgomery’s efforts since he was acquired about a year ago, in the middle of the 2016 team’s march to that curse-smashing World Series win. It was Montgomery who earned the save in Game 7.
And again this season Montgomery has given plenty of reason for those guys to have confidence in him. He’s turned in a strong 2.57 ERA in 27 relief appearances, one of the more reliable arms out of what is becoming an increasingly shaky bullpen. This past Thursday, he relieved the early-to-depart Lester, pitching 4.1 shutout innings and allowing just three hits and a walk against the Cincinnati Reds.
Throw in the versatility of being able to effectively switch between starting and relieving, and that’s a recipe for sticking on a big league roster.
“He’s good about bouncing back and forth,” Maddon said. “He’s been invaluable to us the last couple years. He’s still learning his craft. Every time I talk to him it’s kind of like the little lightbulb constantly goes off for him regarding his stuff and how to utilize it. That’s what I’ve been talking about with him the last couple years. This guy’s got all kinds of tools in the toolbox but he doesn’t really know how to utilize them all, and I think he’s finally understanding the cutter, the curve, the changeup to go with the fastball. He’s one of those guys that he should never get wild with his fastball because his pitches are so good and he can throw them for a strike.”
Montgomery’s reliability has been enough that Epstein said there’s no plan for the Cubs to add another starting pitcher before this month’s waiver trade deadline. Of course, the fact that Lester’s injury isn’t as bad as initially feared and the July acquisition of Jose Quintana factors into that, as well.
“We’ve expended a lot of prospect capital trying to make this team better. We think it’s just a start or two (that Lester will miss), and Mike Montgomery is more than capable of filling in,” Epstein said. “He’s thrown the ball really well, like what we saw from him (Thursday). So we’re going to fill that vacancy internally with Mike and go from there.”
While every start made by any pitcher this season seems important — the Cubs entered Monday’s day off with just a two-game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings, with a playoff spot hardly guaranteed — Montgomery’s efforts could have just as great an effect on next season. If Arrieta and Lackey both end up departing via free agency, the Cubs will need some replacements. Montgomery figures to be among the first options, especially if this midseason audition goes well.
Of course, Montgomery is happy to do whatever he needs to help his team. He’s not complaining about a bullpen role or one that has him shuttling between the relief corps and the rotation. But he admitted that starting is his goal, meaning the importance of this moment likely hasn't been lost on him.
“Yeah, absolutely, I wanted to start. But also I wanted to be a guy who could fill another role and hopes that makes our team better,” he said. “If me starting makes us better in their mind, then that’s what I want ideally. But I’ve realized I can’t always control that, I can go out there and pitch well. If I pitch well, they’re probably going to give me more opportunities, which is probably going to lead to starting.
“I think it’s because I spent five years in Triple-A from the time I was 21 and I had a bigger ego. And then you realize that you just want to be in the big leagues and that Triple-A kind of stinks. I think it’s just how I’ve gotten to this point. And coming here last year from a team that was trying to get in the playoffs to a team that was clearly going to win the division, you realize that your role isn’t to come here and start making demands, it’s to come here and just do your job.”
Right now, the Cubs need Montgomery to fill the void while Lester rests up. And if he can make his starts look a little more like his bullpen outings, he’ll do just that. And if that’s what happens, maybe they’ll call on him next season to do a whole lot more.
That Anthony Rizzo is so hot right now: Cubs' first baseman named NL Player of the Week.
By CSN Staff
(Photo/USA TODAY)
That Anthony Rizzo is so hot right now.
And Major League Baseball noticed.
Rizzo was announced as the National League Player of the Week on Monday after a terrific performance last week.
The Cubs' first baseman collected 12 hits, drove in 13 runs and slashed a ridiculous .429/.484/.750.
The Cubs had a pretty good week as a team, too, winning five of their seven games against the visiting Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays.
They take their three-game winning streak to Ohio to start a three-game set with the Reds on Tuesday.
WHITE SOX: Offense can't come through for rookie Giolito.
Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas and Eddie Rosario homered to back a strong effort from right-hander Kyle Gibson and carry the Twins to a 4-1 win over the White Sox on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. It helped the Twins remain in the second AL Wild Card spot ahead of the Angels.
"I was able to throw a few over the plate for the strike but I was trying to throw that good two-strike [curveball] I was spiking it a lot," Giolito said. "I'm just going to work on that for the next one.
"I was essentially pitching with only fastball a lot of the time just trying to move it to both sides of the plate, pitch up when need be and for the most part we were able to do that. Just can't leave it over the middle."
Giolito -- the White Sox No. 6 prospect and No. 59 prospect on MLB Pipeline.com -- was hurt by home runs, serving up a solo shot to Polanco in the fourth, a solo blast to Vargas in the fifth and a two-run homer to Rosario in the sixth. It was the third straight game with a homer for Polanco.
The offense helped Gibson, who allowed one run on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out a season-high eight batters and reached the seven-inning mark for the first time since July 22.
"I'm really happy for him," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Gibson. "I can't imagine some of the things swirling in his head before this start. But he found a way to go out there and not only [had] an outing where he got us a win, but he got us through an inning with the bases loaded and nobody out. He has to feel good about that."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Gibson's magic acts: The White Sox loaded the bases in both the second and third innings, but couldn't score, with Gibson using critical strikeouts to his advantage. Chicago had the bases full with one out in the second, but Gibson struck out Adam Engel and got Leury Garcia to ground to second. It was an even more dire situation in the third with the bases loaded and nobody out, but he struck Avisail Garcia, Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson to escape the jam. More >
"It was a tough spot obviously," Gibson said. "You just have to execute pitches and go one out at a time. Obviously, I'd like to get a ground ball for two outs for more wriggle room. Who would've thought I would strike out the side to get out of it? Probably nobody."
"We had two innings in which we had a great opportunity to try to open up that ballgame and maybe the outcome would have been a little different and looked a little different for [Giolito]," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
Vargas smacks go-ahead blast: Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday when Miguel Sano went on the 10-day disabled list, and promptly made his mark with his ninth homer of the year and his first since July 16. It gave the Twins their first lead of the game.
"He threw me two offspeeds in a row so I was expecting fastball," Vargas said of his homer, which came on a 0-2 four-seamer. "They were throwing me a lot of inside fastballs so I was expecting it."
"All three homers were fastballs," Giolito said. "I think all three I was trying to go in and I missed right over the middle and guys are going to hit a long way if you miss your spot. That's going to happen."
QUOTABLE
"He did a pretty good job. We just made two mistakes that changed the whole game. But he had really good stuff. I think he's going to be one of our best pitchers. His fastball is kind of sneaky and he has a great changeup. He uses it whenever he wants to and he has a really, really good curveball." -- White Sox catcher Omar Narvaez, on Giolito
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Giolito became the first White Sox pitcher to not walk a batter and go six or more innings in his team debut since Orlando Hernandez on April 8, 2005 against the Twins. More >
WHAT'S NEXT
Twins: Right-hander Ervin Santana (13-7, 3.33 ERA) is set to start for the Twins in the fourth game of the five-game series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Santana is coming off a win over the D-backs, allowing three runs over six innings. The Twins haven't lost a game he's started in August.
White Sox: James Shields (2-4, 5.72 ERA) will start for the White Sox on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT against Minnesota. Shields allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings against Texas in his last start after working consecutive quality starts in his previous two outings.
Young White Sox pitchers offering 'a glimpse of what's to come'.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Carlos Rodon is on a roll, Carson Fulmer made his first big league start and Lucas Giolito’s White Sox premiere is on deck. With Reynaldo Lopez already in the majors and Michael Kopech now at Triple-A Charlotte, the first wave of the White Sox pitching future is on hand.
Rodon turned in another good outing to help the White Sox to a split of Monday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. The third-year starter overcame a slow start and delivered 6 1/3 strong innings in a 7-6 victory in Game 1 at Guaranteed Rate Field. While Fulmer was knocked out after only 1 1/3 innings in the nightcap, White Sox manager Rick Renteria is enthusiastic to see that several of his young pitchers have reached their final stage of development.
“It's a glimpse of what's to come,” Renteria said. “I think they should be excited. We're excited to finally get to have them here with us and start to see them a little bit more and we can start to gauge where we're at, where they are in their development. We look forward kind of starting to scratch the surface of what's coming in the future.”
The White Sox need look no further than Rodon’s own path to identify how a young pitcher’s development can zig and zag. The third pick of the 2014 amateur draft raced through the minor leagues, struggled with command once he arrived in the majors, found some solid footing late in the 2015 season, battled again early in 2016 before he righted the ship over the final two months. And that’s before Rodon spent three months on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder and had command issues when he returned nearly two months ago.
But now, Rodon is on yet another of those rolls in which he appears to be a front-of-the-rotation starter. His re-emergence has yet again presented the White Sox with hope that Rodon can front the new wave of starting pitchers. After Monday’s effort, Rodon has five straight quality starts with a 2.25 ERA and 36 strikeouts over his last 36 innings.
Even so, Rodon knows he has more work ahead to get where he wants.
“There’s still stuff to work on,” Rodon said. “There’s stuff I need to get better at and more strikes, more command and trying to get back to that no walk thing.”
The White Sox understood they needed to be patient with Rodon and are even more aware of how they’ll need to be now that Giolito, Lopez and Fulmer have reached their final stages of development.
Fulmer, who was up for the day as the team’s 26th man, is headed back to Charlotte. As much as he struggled in his first chance, Fulmer — who allowed two three-run homers — is almost certain to get another down the road. Even if it never pans out as a starter, Fulmer almost certainly would be given a chance to succeed in relief.
“I guess perhaps we have a longer-term view of a given player, more rope so to speak, to prove who they are, show who they are over an extended period at the big-league level,” general manager Rick Hahn said earlier this month.
The same goes for Lopez, who appears to be improving after he was placed on the DL with a strained back, and Giolito, who has shown a vast improvement after a slow start at Triple-A Charlotte. The team announced he and reliever Brad Goldberg were headed back to Triple-A following the game. The option of Goldberg makes room for Giolito, who will be added to the 25-man on Tuesday.
“I’m still confident in my ability to go out there and throw strikes and help us win,” Fulmer said. “I’m always going to continue to learn. That’s never going to stop for me as a baseball player and I have to go through these experiences to get better as a baseball player and as a pitcher. Take the positive out of this outing and learn from what happened to tonight.”
The White Sox went into their rebuild with the long-term approach in mind, knowing how critical it was to develop. For Giolito, it was regaining the confidence that had him rated as the top pitching prospect in baseball headed into last winter.
Whether it’s simplifying his thought process, trusting his routine between starts or finding confidence in his curveball, Giolito knows he’s in a better place as he makes his first White Sox start since they acquired him last December. After posting a 5.40 ERA in his first 16 starts at Charlotte, Giolito has rebounded with a 2.78 ERA in the last eight turns he has made.
“Started out pretty rough,” Giolito said last week. “Certain times where it’s like, ‘What do I have to do? What do I need to work on?’ And then finally putting together a really, really solid routine — certain drills, certain things I’m doing every day to better myself and trusting it.
“The results are starting to come with that and I feel like I’m much better off than I was in the beginning of the year and the confidence is much better.”
Having worked with them in a spring training and later spent a month in the minors on his rehab assignment, Rodon has anticipated the arrivals of Lopez, Giolito and Fulmer. He’s excited to see what everyone can do and how they handle their on-the-job training.
“It’s fun for these guys to be back up here and part of this team again,” Rodon said. “It was good to be down there and watch them. It’s time to watch them grow up and play in the big leagues.”
How Nicky Delmonico's ability to bunt for a hit has played a role in his hot start.
By Dan Hayes
(Photo/csnchicago.com)
Put the shift on against Nicky Delmonico and he’s going to drop down a bunt to beat you.
The White Sox rookie has tried his solution for shift-happy defenses already three times this season and it’s worked in each instance.
And while its undoubtedly the long ball -- he’s hit five home runs -- that has caught everyone’s attention during the White Sox rookie’s unbelievable start, don’t overlook the little things, especially Delmonico’s ability to bunt for a hit and the impact it’s had on opposing defenses.
Whenever opponents try to employ a shift, and they’ve done it more often this season, Delmonico has shown no fear in trying to beat them with a bunt down the third-base line.
He bunted for a single in Sunday’s win when he reached base three times to bring his on-base percentage to .451 through 71 plate appearances. There’s no question that forcing defenses to play him straight up is partly responsible for Delmonico reaching base safely in 15 of 17 games to start his major league career.
“It opens up a hole,” Delmonico said. “There’s been a lot of times in Charlotte where you hit a hard ground ball through the four hole and think it’s a hit, but then there’s a guy deep in right field. You want those (to be hits). Any time you can take advantage of bunting and show you can bunt they’ll move out of the shift.”
Take a look at Delmonico’s spray chart and it’ll tell you he’s pull-happy. He’s pulled 47.9 percent of all balls put in play since reaching the majors, according to Fangraphs.com. Were he to be qualified for a batting title, Delmonico would currently be 15th in pull percentage in baseball, easily within range of leader Salvador Perez’s 54.6 percent.
Either way, Delmonico’s spray chart is the type that often leads defenses to load up three gloves on the right side of the infield no matter the count (teams tend to shift to a hitter’s pull side most often with two strikes).
But Delmonico has made them think twice --- at least early in the count.
“Any time I see them all over that’s when it’s the best time to lay one down,” Delmonico said. “You’ve just got to get it past the pitcher and fair.”
You also have to catch the attention of advance scouts. Based on the way he’s been defended so far, hitting coach Todd Steverson thinks opponents have taken notice of Delmonico’s skills.
“It’s got to be in their notes,” Steverson said. “It’s got to be in their data: “This guy will bunt.” Even just the words “he will bunt” keeps somebody close for a minute before they move to another spot. If you have none, then they don’t have to do nothing.
“They want to play him in the full shift. That’s what they did to him from the get-go. He dropped two bunts down on them and said ‘Ok.’ ”
Delmonico said he’s seen an increased number of shifts since reached Triple-A two years ago.
“But it was all different kinds of shifts,” Delmonico said. “Very rarely I would see them all over until two strikes.”
Delmonico works on bunting the same as anyone else. There’s the round he takes each day at the start of batting practice each day. And every few weeks or so, Charlotte brought out the pitching machine.
But what may make him standout are his confidence and conviction. While Delmonico realizes he may be taking the potential for extra bases out of his hands for one at-bat, he’s knows he’s still giving himself a chance to jumpstart a rally and he’s creating a world of opportunities for the rest of his trips to the plate.
“I feel like they’re pretty good,” Delmonico said. “I’ve worked a lot on it the last two years because I know eventually they will shift and to get that hole open you’ve got to prove to them that you will bunt.
“Overall it helps you out and two, it gives you a chance to get on base and get going. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
Golf: I got a club for that..... The Northern Trust: Tee times, TV schedule, stats.
By Golf Channel Digital
The PGA Tour's regular season is over, which means it's time to start the FedExCup Playoffs. This week's playoff opener is The Northern Trust, where the top 125 in the FedExCup standings will begin their pursuit of the season-ending $10 million bonus.
Golf course: Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, N.Y. Originally designed by Joe Finger, it opened in 1971. Joel Weiman and Craig Currier redesigned it in 2014. This week it will play to 7,346 yards, par 70.
Purse: $8.75 million
TV schedule (all times Eastern): Thursday, 2-6 p.m. on Golf Channel; Friday, 2-6 p.m. on Golf Channel; Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m. on Golf Channel, 3-6 p.m. on CBS; Sunday, noon-1:30 p.m. on Golf Channel, 2-6 p.m. on CBS.
Live streaming: Thursday, 2-6 p.m. on golfchannel.com; Friday, 2-6 on golfchannel.com; Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m. on golfchannel.com; Sunday, noon-1:30 p.m. on golfchannel.com.
Notable tee times: Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth at 8:26 a.m. Thursday, 1:06 p.m. Friday; Henrik Stenson, Billy Horschel, Webb Simpson at 1:06 p.m. Thursday, 8:26 a.m. Friday; Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm at 1:06 p.m. Thursday, 8:26 a.m. Friday.
Defending champion: Patrick Reed defeated Emiliano Grillo and Sean O'Hair by one stroke at Bethpage Black.
Notables in the field: This being the first of four FedExCup playoff events, it's easier to point out who ISN'T in the field. Sergio Garcia (world No. 22) is the highest-ranked player skipping this event. Also planning to no-show are No. 64 Brandt Snedeker (injury), No. 66 Adam Scott (wife expecting child), No. 85 Scott Piercy (injury) and No. 115 Dominic Bozzelli (injury).
Key stats
• The top 100 players in FedExCup points after The Northern Trust advance to the Dell Technologies Championship
• Five players ranked between 101 and 125 moved into the top 100 in this event last year
• Four different players have at least three wins this season on the PGA Tour
• Hideki Matsuyama has 11 top-5 finishes in his last 22 worldwide starts, including six wins
• The regular-season points leader has won the FedExCup three times (Tiger Woods twice, Jordan Spieth once)
• Spieth won the FedExCup in 2015 despite missing the cut in this event
• No player has won the FedExCup in consecutive years
• Only two defending FedExCup champions have even played in the Tour Championship the following season
• In each of Henrik Stenson's last two wins (Wyndham, The Open), he has set a tournament scoring record
Note: Stats and information provided by the Golf Channel editorial research unit.
Matsuyama, Thomas, Spieth grouped at Northern Trust.
By Will Gray
(Photo/Golf Channel Digital)
The PGA Tour's postseason kicks off this week, as 120 players tee it up at Glen Oaks Club for The Northern Trust. Here's a look at a few of the marquee, early-round groupings to keep an eye on as Rory McIlroy looks to defend his title and Hideki Matsuyama attempts to capitalize on his top seed (all times ET):
7:53 a.m. Thursday, 12:33 p.m. Friday: Rory McIlroy, Sung Kang, Keegan Bradley
McIlroy's participation this week was a question mark, but now the Ulsterman appears ready to defend the title he won in dramatic fashion last year at East Lake. Kang had three top-10 finishes this season including a runner-up in Houston, while Bradley remains in search of his first win on Tour since the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
8:26 a.m. Thursday, 1:06 p.m. Friday: Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth
The top three players in the points race combined this season to win 10 events, including two WGCs and two majors. Matsuyama chased his win in Akron with a T-5 finish at the PGA, where Thomas lifted the Wanamaker for the first time. Rounding out the high-profile trio will be Spieth, who will make his first start since an unsuccessful bid to complete the career Grand Slam.
12:33 p.m. Thursday, 7:53 a.m. Friday: Patrick Reed, Ollie Schniederjans, Cameron Smith
Reed won this event last year when it was played at Bethpage Black, and he enters off a runner-up finish at Quail Hollow. He'll be joined for the first two rounds by Schniederjans, who nearly caught Henrik Stenson last week at the Wyndham Championship, and Smith, who teamed with Jonas Blixt to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.
1:06 p.m. Thursday, 8:26 a.m. Friday: Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm
This group consists of Nos. 4-6 on the regular-season points list, and it's highlighted by the world No. 1 who is still looking for his first win since a back injury sidelined him at the Masters. Fowler remains on a tear with top-10 finishes in five of his last six worldwide starts, while Rahm has cooled since his romp at the Irish Open last month.
FedExCup points list entering first playoff event.
By Golf Channel Digital
The FedExCup Playoffs begin this week at The Northern Trust at Glen Oaks Club in Old Westbury, N.Y. The event, previously known as The Barclays, is the first of four playoff tournaments, in which field size will decrease from 125, to 100, to 70, to 30. For some basic playoff knowledge and history, click here to check out our FedExCup 101.
| RANK THIS WEEK | RANK LAST WEEK | PLAYER NAME | POINTS | PTS BEHIND LEAD |
| 1 | 1 | Hideki Matsuyama | 2,869 | |
| 2 | 2 | Justin Thomas | 2,689 | 180 |
| 3 | 3 | Jordan Spieth | 2,671 | 198 |
| 4 | 4 | Dustin Johnson | 2,466 | 403 |
| 5 | 5 | Rickie Fowler | 1,832 | 1,037 |
| 6 | 6 | Jon Rahm | 1,754 | 1,115 |
| 7 | 7 | Brooks Koepka | 1,736 | 1,133 |
| 8 | 8 | Daniel Berger | 1,623 | 1,246 |
| 9 | 9 | Kevin Kisner | 1,612 | 1,257 |
| 10 | 10 | Brian Harman | 1,557 | 1,312 |
| 11 | 11 | Charley Hoffman | 1,498 | 1,371 |
| 12 | 12 | Pat Perez | 1,461 | 1,408 |
| 13 | 13 | Adam Hadwin | 1,347 | 1,522 |
| 14 | 14 | Marc Leishman | 1,324 | 1,545 |
| 15 | 15 | Matt Kuchar | 1,260 | 1,609 |
| 16 | 16 | Brendan Steele | 1,226 | 1,643 |
| 17 | 17 | Kyle Stanley | 1,204 | 1,665 |
| 18 | 18 | Paul Casey | 1,135 | 1,734 |
| 19 | 19 | Russell Henley | 1,129 | 1,740 |
| 20 | 22 | Jason Dufner | 1,126 | 1,743 |
| 21 | 20 | Charles Howell III | 1,102 | 1,767 |
| 22 | 21 | Sergio Garcia | 1,085 | 1,784 |
| 23 | 75 | Henrik Stenson | 1,079 | 1,790 |
| 24 | 23 | Billy Horschel | 1,068 | 1,801 |
| 25 | 37 | Webb Simpson | 1,058 | 1,811 |
| 26 | 24 | Gary Woodland | 1,052 | 1,817 |
| 27 | 25 | Wesley Bryan | 1,046 | 1,823 |
| 28 | 26 | Tony Finau | 1,024 | 1,845 |
| 29 | 27 | Jhonattan Vegas | 1,023 | 1,846 |
| 30 | 28 | Kevin Chappell | 1,015 | 1,854 |
| 31 | 29 | Francesco Molinari | 1,010 | 1,859 |
| 32 | 30 | Justin Rose | 996 | 1,873 |
| 33 | 31 | Xander Schauffele | 988 | 1,881 |
| 34 | 32 | Mackenzie Hughes | 974 | 1,895 |
| 35 | 33 | Louis Oosthuizen | 956 | 1,913 |
| 36 | 34 | Bill Haas | 946 | 1,923 |
| 37 | 35 | Hudson Swafford | 921 | 1,948 |
| 38 | 36 | Patrick Reed | 896 | 1,973 |
| 39 | 74 | Ollie Schniederjans | 882 | 1,987 |
| 40 | 45 | Cameron Smith | 847 | 2,022 |
| 41 | 38 | Si Woo Kim | 839 | 2,030 |
| 42 | 39 | Zach Johnson | 839 | 2,030 |
| 43 | 40 | Bryson DeChambeau | 836 | 2,033 |
| 44 | 41 | Rory McIlroy | 803 | 2,066 |
| 45 | 42 | Sung Kang | 798 | 2,071 |
| 46 | 44 | Keegan Bradley | 794 | 2,075 |
| 47 | 43 | Jamie Lovemark | 787 | 2,082 |
| 48 | 46 | Ian Poulter | 760 | 2,109 |
| 49 | 47 | Jason Day | 756 | 2,113 |
| 50 | 48 | Luke List | 741 | 2,128 |
| 51 | 49 | Phil Mickelson | 734 | 2,135 |
| 52 | 50 | Charl Schwartzel | 727 | 2,142 |
| 53 | 51 | James Hahn | 711 | 2,158 |
| 54 | 52 | Sean O'Hair | 707 | 2,162 |
| 55 | 54 | Lucas Glover | 706 | 2,163 |
| 56 | 53 | Danny Lee | 697 | 2,172 |
| 57 | 55 | Martin Laird | 676 | 2,193 |
| 58 | 56 | Kelly Kraft | 672 | 2,197 |
| 59 | 67 | Ryan Moore | 671 | 2,198 |
| 60 | 61 | Russell Knox | 669 | 2,200 |
| 61 | 63 | Anirban Lahiri | 667 | 2,202 |
| 62 | 58 | Bud Cauley | 666 | 2,203 |
| 63 | 59 | Chez Reavie | 666 | 2,203 |
| 64 | 57 | Brandt Snedeker | 663 | 2,206 |
| 65 | 60 | Scott Brown | 646 | 2,223 |
| 66 | 62 | Adam Scott | 642 | 2,227 |
| 67 | 64 | Graham DeLaet | 640 | 2,229 |
| 68 | 65 | Patrick Rodgers | 639 | 2,230 |
| 69 | 66 | Grayson Murray | 638 | 2,231 |
| 70 | 68 | Rod Pampling | 630 | 2,239 |
| 71 | 69 | Chris Stroud | 627 | 2,242 |
| 72 | 70 | Kevin Tway | 619 | 2,250 |
| 73 | 72 | Chad Campbell | 616 | 2,253 |
| 74 | 71 | Rafa Cabrera Bello | 615 | 2,254 |
| 75 | 93 | Kevin Na | 584 | 2,285 |
| 76 | 73 | Stewart Cink | 583 | 2,286 |
| 77 | 76 | Jonas Blixt | 578 | 2,291 |
| 78 | 77 | Patrick Cantlay | 578 | 2,291 |
| 79 | 78 | Robert Streb | 577 | 2,292 |
| 80 | 80 | Morgan Hoffmann | 565 | 2,304 |
| 81 | 79 | Jim Herman | 553 | 2,316 |
| 82 | 81 | J.B. Holmes | 543 | 2,326 |
| 83 | 82 | Kevin Streelman | 541 | 2,328 |
| 84 | 84 | Nick Taylor | 532 | 2,337 |
| 85 | 83 | Scott Piercy | 532 | 2,337 |
| 86 | 85 | C.T. Pan | 527 | 2,342 |
| 87 | 91 | Patton Kizzire | 519 | 2,350 |
| 88 | 86 | Emiliano Grillo | 518 | 2,351 |
| 89 | 87 | Cody Gribble | 514 | 2,355 |
| 90 | 88 | Branden Grace | 510 | 2,359 |
| 91 | 96 | J.J. Spaun | 510 | 2,359 |
| 92 | 89 | Whee Kim | 505 | 2,364 |
| 93 | 90 | William McGirt | 499 | 2,370 |
| 94 | 99 | Jason Kokrak | 490 | 2,379 |
| 95 | 92 | Michael Kim | 483 | 2,386 |
| 96 | 94 | Byeong Hun An | 468 | 2,401 |
| 97 | 95 | Chris Kirk | 467 | 2,402 |
| 98 | 108 | Camilo Villegas | 464 | 2,405 |
| 99 | 97 | Robert Garrigus | 448 | 2,421 |
| 100 | 98 | Seung-Yul Noh | 446 | 2,423 |
| 101 | 100 | Jimmy Walker | 439 | 2,430 |
| 102 | 101 | Scott Stallings | 438 | 2,431 |
| 103 | 102 | David Lingmerth | 437 | 2,432 |
| 104 | 104 | D.A. Points | 435 | 2,434 |
| 105 | 103 | Ryan Blaum | 434 | 2,435 |
| 106 | 107 | Brian Gay | 426 | 2,443 |
| 107 | 105 | Luke Donald | 424 | 2,445 |
| 108 | 122 | Richy Werenski | 423 | 2,446 |
| 109 | 106 | Brandon Hagy | 419 | 2,450 |
| 110 | 109 | Steve Stricker | 410 | 2,459 |
| 111 | 110 | Derek Fathauer | 408 | 2,461 |
| 112 | 115 | Tyrone Van Aswegen | 407 | 2,462 |
| 113 | 111 | Bubba Watson | 397 | 2,472 |
| 114 | 113 | Harris English | 397 | 2,472 |
| 115 | 112 | Dominic Bozzelli | 394 | 2,475 |
| 116 | 125 | Geoff Ogilvy | 390 | 2,479 |
| 117 | 114 | Nick Watney | 386 | 2,483 |
| 118 | 139 | Martin Flores | 383 | 2,486 |
| 119 | 117 | John Huh | 382 | 2,487 |
| 120 | 118 | Blayne Barber | 381 | 2,488 |
| 121 | 116 | Ben Martin | 378 | 2,491 |
| 122 | 148 | Rory Sabbatini | 375 | 2,494 |
| 123 | 138 | Harold Varner III | 375 | 2,494 |
| 124 | 119 | Vaughn Taylor | 369 | 2,500 |
| 125 | 134 | J.J. Henry | 365 | 2,504 |
NASCAR: NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch sweeps his way to No. 1.
By Nick Bromberg
(Photo/www.nascar.com)
1. Kyle Busch (LW: 3): What do you give the guy who has won everything at Bristol? The top spot in Power Rankings. Because let’s be real, Kyle Busch can easily afford whatever gift we would give him if we were in the business of giving gifts to NASCAR drivers.
Busch’s wins in the Camping World Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Cup Series over the weekend gave him 20 total wins at Bristol across the three series. Busch has won 180 career races across those series, meaning Bristol has accounted for a ninth of his overall win total. That’s pretty insane, don’t you think?
What makes Busch’s Bristol success even more impressive is that he’s been good at the track in any of its configurations. He’s won at the “old” Bristol, won on the progressive banking installed in 2007, won after the top groove was ground down to make the track more like “old” Bristol and has won with the track featuring the sticky stuff in the corners to make the lower groove more appealing.
The 2015 champion is perhaps the most adaptable driver in NASCAR. And one of its best too. He said he was pushing as hard as he could to hold off Erik Jones after he passed Jones with 55 laps to go.
“Tonight I’ve never driven so hard in my life the last 60 laps,” Busch said after Saturday night’s win. “Literally I got out of the car and felt like I didn’t want to. It was really, really hard to maintain that pace up top and to feel everything you’re feeling and to trust yourself that I’m feeling the car loose getting into the corner sliding the rear tires, but I’m tight in the center. Got to go up on the rear track bar, keep the thing free rolling. Any little moment, any little slip, you can be right in the fence, especially running that high that fast, knowing that Erik Jones was catching me. I couldn’t just sit there and pace myself.”
2. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 1): Truex’s race was ruined when he had to come back down pit road because of a tire problem as the race was restarting. Truex lost two laps and ended up getting one of them back before he finished 21st.
Before the pit stop, Truex had a top five car, though he wasn’t in the same stratosphere as his rookie teammate. He only drops a spot in Power Rankings because he still has a 100+ point lead over Busch in the points standings and can clinch the regular season title at Darlington.
3. Kyle Larson (LW: 2): Before qualifying on Friday, Larson said he wasn’t a very good qualifier at Bristol and joked that he’d qualify 25th. He ended up starting Saturday night’s race in second and led 70 laps, the most of anyone not named Kyle Busch or Erik Jones.
He didn’t finish third, however. He finished ninth because of a pit stop problem on his final stop of the race.
4. Denny Hamlin (LW: 4): This is the guy who finished third. Hamlin kept slowing on pit road to get the preferred outside line on restarts. It didn’t work out for him, though it did raise the possibility that NASCAR will “look” at giving drivers the option of choosing lanes on restarts at tracks where one groove has a decided advantage.
The easiest way to prevent gamesmanship on pit road among drivers playing for a preferred groove is to go back to single-file restarts. That’s not happening. So could a choose cone be next?
5. Matt Kenseth (LW: 6): Kenseth finished fourth. It’s a good result for him as he stays afloat in the playoffs as one of the three drivers provisionally in the field without a win.
But perhaps better for Kenseth was the fact that Erik Jones didn’t win. A Jones win would have dropped the number of available playoff spots via points to two. While Jamie McMurray would be outside the playoffs if Jones would have won, Kenseth is just three points ahead of McMurray.
6. Kevin Harvick (LW: 5): Harvick is fourth in the points standings thanks to an ability to avoid poor finishes in 2017. He moved through the field Saturday night, finishing eighth after starting 29th.
But he hasn’t had the outright speed he’s shown previously. That’s to be expected; transitioning manufacturers isn’t always a smooth transition. But it’s still stark. He’s on pace for 818 laps led this season. He led nearly 1,400 a year ago.
7. Erik Jones (LW: 10): Jones’ car was fantastic on the bottom lane throughout the entire race. But as Busch caught him over the last part of the race, Jones moved up to try to hold him off. It didn’t work.
Despite falling short of his first career win, Jones said Saturday night was the most fun he’s had in a race car. And his explanation for why is pretty damn good.
“It’s just the most‑‑ these cars are so hard to drive on mile‑and‑a‑half’s and two‑mile tracks that it’s hard to race,” Jones said. “It’s hard to race side‑by‑side, it’s hard to race front‑to‑back, it’s really hard to run side‑by‑side. You don’t really see the action like you see here with people, you know, right nose‑to‑tail, throwing slide jobs, everything like that.
“Yeah, I mean, it takes you back to, you know, late model racing really more than anything. You’re just on the gas. You’re not saving tires. You’re just hammer down and getting everything you can, which is a lot of fun. It’s hard on you as a driver, it wears you out, but you definitely have a lot of fun. If I had to rank it, this is probably the most fun I’ve had in a Cup race, for sure.”
8. Jamie McMurray (LW: 9): McMurray finished 12th. Through 24 races he has two top-five finishes and 12 top 10s in 2017. He’s also finished in the top 20 in 20 of 24 races. That’s why he’s ninth in the points standings and could be a surprise driver in the third round of the playoffs.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW: 6): Bright side: Keselowski is getting his bad luck out of the way before the playoffs begin and will be a force to be reckoned with over the final 10 races of the season.
Dark side: Keselowski’s summer struggles are a sign of things to come and he’ll be a surprise early elimination from the playoffs.
Keselowski’s race was ruined a handful of laps into the event with a cut tire. He finished 29th, seven laps down. He had nine top-10 finishes (and two wins) in the first 12 races of the season. In the next 12 he’s had five top-10 finishes and has finished outside the top 25 four times.
10. Chase Elliott (LW: 8): Elliott rebounded nicely from his lap 397 crash and finished 18th. He’s getting precipitously close to being on the playoff bubble, however. If he can finish in the top 15 at both Darlington and Richmond he should be OK.
11. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 11): Johnson won the spring race at Bristol and finished 11th on Saturday night. There are just two more races until Johnson leads half the laps at Chicago to no one’s surprise.
12. Kurt Busch (LW: NR): Busch finished fifth on Saturday night and had a few interesting tweets on Tuesday. He seems to be enjoying his off week.
Lucky Dog: Trevor Bayne hit the wall because of a flat tire and still ended up finishing seventh.
The DNF: Austin Dillon finished 39th after a crash with Jeffrey Earnhardt.
Dropped out: Kasey Kahne
Long: Love him or hate him, Kyle Busch is what NASCAR needs.
By Dustin Long
(Photo: Randy Sartin, USA TODAY Sports)
For as much as Kyle Busch’s sweep of the Truck, Xfinity and Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway turned some fans off, it was what NASCAR needed.
Even better, Busch understood.
After he won Saturday night’s Cup race, Busch goaded booing fans by putting his fingers to his ears, prompting more catcalls.
He walked to the back of his car and raised three fingers — for his three wins last week — as the boos (and cheers) grew louder.
And he smiled, a winner’s grin but also one of somebody who proved the doubters wrong. Again.
Part superstar, part showman.
The good guy to his fans, Busch also can be cast as the villain to the rest of the fanbase. He’s accepted that role, embraced it and learned how to egg on the haters in the stands and the trolls on social media.
Sports is about us against them. While fans have their favorite drivers and teams, there remains the need to root against someone or some team. Without that distinction, sports would be as anticlimactic as a youth game — pick the sport: baseball, football, basketball, etc. — where no score is kept. That’s called recess.
Without Kyle Busch, who would make sane people insane and cause alcohol-fueled fans to do things they tell their children never to do? The new drivers haven’t been around long enough to anger the fan base. Maybe Kurt Busch could fill the role because anyone with the name Busch is more inclined to be booed. There are other drivers who have their detractors but not as much as Kyle Busch based on the visceral reaction he gets at many tracks.
“The best of the best that have won here have been booed … for a long, long time,’’ Busch said after his second Cup win of the season. “So I’m fine with that.’’
Busch follows a history of drivers that fans loathed (and some loved). Before Busch, it was Tony Stewart. He inherited the mantle after Dale Earnhardt, who took it from Darrell Waltrip and so on.
Earnhardt made the image of a villain into a cottage industry. For every boo and middle finger he received, he just smirked and kept on winning, infuriating his haters and thrilling his fans.
When Earnhardt was introduced before races, many fans didn’t sit. They stood to cheer or show how much they despised the seven-time champion.
Rarely was the anger as intense as the 1999 Bristol night race when Earnhardt spun Terry Labonte out of the lead on the final lap. Earnhardt said he “meant to rattle his cage.’’ Didn’t matter. Boos cascaded down the packed stands. Several minutes later, the track replayed the radio broadcast of the final laps on the P.A. system and when it came to the moment Earnhardt turned Labonte, a heavy chorus of boos reverberated throughout the stands from fans not yet ready to leave.
At 32 years old, Busch can grow more into such a role for years to come. And win more than his one championship.
Having not yet reached his prime, Busch is likely to keep winning — Saturday was his 40th Cup victory to tie Mark Martin for 17th on the all-time wins list. At his current rate, Busch will climb into the top 10 wins list before he retires. Busch can further irritate fans by also winning Truck and Xfinity races.
Us against them.
Yes, Busch will make fans cheer and boo for years to come.
“I’m sure they’re still booing, whining and crying all the way home tonight,’’ Busch said well after his win Saturday night. “They’re driving home mad, so people be careful.
“But, you know, my people get to go home safe and secure and slow and steady and patient because they get to celebrate.’’
Bump & Run: Taking stock of the NASCAR season.
By NBC Sports
(Photo/Getty Images)
What has surprised you the most about this season?
Jeff Burton: My biggest surprise is that there really hasn’t been a flaw in the new stage racing format. I believed that something would happen that revealed a flaw that no one had anticipated but we have yet to see it.
Nate Ryan: Martin Truex Jr.’s emergence as the championship favorite. It was expected he would run well and be a playoff contender and winner, but Furniture Row Racing regularly outrunning Joe Gibbs Racing as the best-in-class Toyota team has been a surprise – as has Truex’s runaway lead in the playoff points standings. He and crew chief Cole Pearn have become the crew chief-driver combination that is setting the pace in every way possible, whether it’s lap speeds, setup decisions or strategy calls.
Dustin Long: That there have been 14 different Cup winners (13 eligible for the playoffs) at this point in the season, which is already the most number of winners in an entire Cup season since 2013.
What driver has impressed you the most this season?
Jeff Burton: Martin Truex Jr. Speed and consistency is hard to achieve. He has been the guy that seems to be in the battle every single week.
Nate Ryan: William Byron. His promotion to the Cup Series is well deserved, because he has proven the past two years to be an absolute prodigy with his acclimation to Xfinity and trucks. It makes one wonder if he already would have been a Cup winner if he had started his racing career in earnest before becoming a teenager.
Dustin Long: I’m amazed what William Byron has done for his relative lack of experience compared to drivers who started before they hit first grade. His ability to handle pressure situations has been noteworthy. While the challenges will increase next year, I’m already interested to see how he will do in Cup.
What storyline most intrigues you for the coming weeks?
Jeff Burton: I’m intrigued about the playoffs. There will be a big time driver and team that doesn’t advance into the playoffs. Watching who can take control and who can’t step up will be very interesting to witness.
Nate Ryan: The impact of playoff points on the championship race and how it affects who advances in each round. The suspicion here is that there will be much second-guessing and re-examination of decisions made during the regular season that had unanticipated repercussions months later.
Dustin Long: I’m intrigued to see if Kyle Busch and his team can finally eliminate the mistakes that have plagued them throughout the season and prevented Busch from possibly an epic season. With two wins in the last four races, he’s on the verge of a breakout that will lead to a dominating title run. Will it happen?
SOCCER: Bastian Schweinsteiger on Fire's skid: 'We have to show character'.
By Dan Santaromita
(Photo/USA TODAY)
Despite losing three in a row, five of six and coming off the first home loss of the season, the mood isn’t one of panic around the Chicago Fire.
The general tone coming out of interviews after practice on Tuesday was that the team simply needs to stay on course and the results will turn around naturally.
“In a way we have to forget about the games which we lost, but on the other way we have to learn (from) it, to play some certain moments in a game better,” midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said. “I think we had, even in these games, we had some good parts in the game. But at the end we lost and that’s not a good feeling.
“Now it’s the moment where we have to show character and this team has character.”
The Fire’s 11-match unbeaten run from May to early July propelled the team to the top of the MLS standings, but things have turned drastically in the other direction since. The current losing streak has seen the Fire fall to third in the Eastern Conference while Toronto and New York City FC have racked up points and earned some separation as the top two teams in the league.
Midfielder Dax McCarty said the Fire are somewhere in between their hot streak and the current slump.
“Just like we weren’t the best team in the league when we were 11 games unbeaten, we’re not the worst team right now,” McCarty said. “We’re in a rough spell. I think it was always realistic to think we were going to have a spell like this in the middle of the season. You get injuries, you get call ups to the national team. You get a break, break up your rhythm, and, guess what, I think we’ve opened a lot of people’s eyes this year and I think we’ve garnered a little bit more respect around the league and so teams are starting to play us a little bit differently. Teams are starting to be a little clever about how they play us and what they do against us and now it’s on us to adjust.”
The sentiment that every team in MLS goes through a slump at some point is mostly true. Toronto opened the season winning just one of its first six, with four ties during that stretch. NYCFC had a run of one win in five matches in the middle of the season. Seattle currently leads the Western Conference after starting 2-5-4.
The Fire are now one of 10 teams in MLS to go on a three-game losing streak at some point this year, but the context of the three losses should make it more palatable for Fire fans. The three games were in an eight-day period when the Fire endured injuries to two starting defenders (Matt Polster and Joao Meira), when one (Brandon Vincent) was already out. Two of the losses were on the road to playoff contenders and the third was at home to the league leaders.
Realistically, the Fire won’t be able to catch Toronto, which is nine points ahead, and catching NYCFC, five points above the Fire, won’t be easy with nine games remaining. On the upside, three of the next four games are at Toyota Park and five of the final nine are against teams out of the playoffs currently.
The schedule offers the Fire an opportunity to go on another run, or at least to right the ship after enduring a tough stretch.
“We certainly need to move on, but we also need to learn from the games that we’ve played, the mistakes that we’ve made because, you know, this is crunch time,” McCarty said. “The season is getting down to the wire here now and I don’t think anything is guaranteed. We’re certainly not guaranteed to be in the playoffs and these are crucial games for us coming up.”
Coach Veljko Paunovic believes the wins will come as long as the team remains confident.
“Maybe other people can lose confidence in us, but we cannot lose it,” Paunovic said. “I think we did so much so far and we have good reasons to believe in ourselves. We have a great team, experienced team, we have a lot of youth, we have good results, 41 points. We are still at the top of the standings with other teams obviously and we have to fight for the first place. Obviously our main goal remains playoffs so in the last nine games we have to do our best to first assure that we secure the playoffs and then obviously we will look at other goals.”
EFL Cup Weds preview: East Lancashire Derby highlights slate.
By Nicholas Mendola
(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Eighteen teams booked spots Tuesday in the League Cup’s third round, with Watford the lone Premier League side to take a fall.
Six more try their luck on Wednesday, the last day of tournament play before the big boys join up.
A sleepy big affair is the East Lancashire Derby between Burnley and now League One side Blackburn Rovers, a rivalry which has been staged in three leagues or competitions since the turn of the century. This makes it four, joining the Premier League (2009-10), FA Cup (2004-05) and Championship (six times since 2012-13).
Burnley has three wins and three draws since its last loss to Blackburn, which came via David Dunn penalty at Turf Moor in a Premier League match on March 28, 2010.
Make no mistake, Clarets goalkeeper Tom Heaton thinks it’ll be a fantastic affair (from burnleyfootballclub.com):
“And for the players. Make no mistake, we were all delighted when the draw came in,” said Heaton. “It’s a fantastic match we are all looking forward to. It’s a fantastic night as players, fans and for the club.
“We’ll be going there geared up to win the game and give it everything we’ve got. The new lads coming in will certainly get an eye opener for the atmosphere and how good it is. They’re brilliant games to play in, I’ve enjoyed every minute of them.”If you’re surprised by the rivalry, you have company in Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray. From Rovers.co.uk:
“I have to say living in the north east of England, Suffolk and Scotland most of my life I never would have grasped that Blackburn and Burnley and the geography of how close they were to be honest,” he said.
“It is not something that has hit me in the face before of a huge rivalry and yet I can feel it from the people around the building who have lived here all their lives how important this game is to them. … We’ll give it our very best shot and leave no stone unturned in trying to get a result.”
Elsewhere…
Southampton, fresh off adding $19 million Dutch center back Wesley Hoedt, will host Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. Mary’s, one of four 2:45 p.m. ET kickoffs.
Also kicking off at that time is Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest at St. James Park, with USMNT fullback Eric Lichaj likely to feature for the visitors, as well as Rotherham United’s visit to Huddersfield Town and Cheltenham Town’s trip to West Ham United.
A quarter-hour later, the final two second round matches kickoff when Burnley hosts Blackburn Rovers and Rochdale heads to Stoke City.
Champions League: Napoli, Sevilla move on.
By Nicholas Mendola
(AP Photo/Claude Paris)
Celtic’s 8-4 aggregate win over Astana earlier Tuesday was just the tip of the iceberg.
Eight more goals came calling in a quartet of UEFA Champions League playoff round second legs on Tuesday, as Sevilla, Napoli, Maribor, and Olympiacos joined the Bhoys in the group stage.
Sevilla 2-2 (4-3 agg.) Basaksehir
When Sevilla brought two away goals back to Spain, this leg threatened absolute boredom. That couldn’t have been more off base, as the Turkish visitors took a 1-0 through Eljero Elia to put the match back in the balance and didn’t quit once the Istanbul side made it 4-2. But Edin Visca’s 83rd minute goal was all they’d muster, and Sevilla avoided a massive upset to reach the UCL group stage.
Nice 0-2 (0-4 agg.) Napoli
There will be no Mario Balotelli reunion with Anfield in the UEFA Champions League, as Napoli got an early second half goal from Jose Callejon to bury any hopes of the Ligue 1 side coming back from a 2-0 first leg hole. Lorenzo Insigne scored in the 89th minute to make the final moments even less dramatic. He hit the ball really well.
Maribor 1-0 (2-2 agg.) Hapoel Be’er Sheva
It’s cliche to say there were “scenes” in any given big game, but the Ljudski vrt spent the final 15 minutes building to a crescendo. If there was a lid on the place, it would’ve blown at the final whistle as the Slovenian side knocked its Israeli visitors into the Europa League.
Rijeka 0-1 (1-3 agg.) Olympiacos
Not much drama here, as ex-Chelsea winger Marko Marin scored in the 25th minute to put Croatia’s Rijeka in a pretty deep hole.
Still to come Wednesday
All matches at 2:45 p.m. ET
Copenhagen vs. Qarabag (Qarabag leads 1-0)
CSKA Moscow vs. Young Boys (CSKA leads 1-0)
Slavia Prague vs. Apoel Nicosia (Apoel leads 2-0)
Liverpool vs. Hoffenheim (Liverpool leads 2-1)
Steaua Bucharest vs. Sporting CP (First leg 0-0)
Best stats from Week 2 in the Premier League.
By Joe Prince-Wright
(Photo/Getty Images)
Looking back at Week 2 of the Premier League, there were plenty of intriguing stats.
Milestones were reached and possession records were broken among many other notable moments.
Below, via Opta, you will find some stats to impress your mates at the bar ahead of the third round of games in the PL.
- Wayne Rooney scored his 200th Premier League goal in this match – the only player with more in the competition is Alan Shearer (260).
- Arsenal posted their highest ever possession figure in a Premier League game (77.3%), since 2003-04 (the first season Opta have this data from). Stoke City posted their lowest ever possession figure in a Premier League game (22.7%).
- Indeed, only five teams have won a Premier League game with a lower share of possession than Stoke against Arsenal, since 2003-04.
- Geoff Cameron became just the sixth American to play in 150 or more Premier League games.
- Manchester United have scored 4+ goals in their opening two league games of a season for the first time in 110 years (1907/08).
- There were just 3 minutes and 41 seconds between Manchester United’s final three goals of the game against Swansea.
- Watford boss Marco Silva enjoyed his first-ever away win in the Premier League in his 10th game on the road in the competition (W1 D2 L7).
- West Brom have won their first two games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1978/79.
- Liverpool have kept five clean sheets in their last six Premier League games, as many as in the previous 21.
- Manolo Gabbiadini’s goal ended a run of nine hours and 15 minutes without a Premier League goal at St. Mary’s for Southampton.
- Javier Hernandez scored his first Premier League goals since April 2014 vs Newcastle (1232 days ago) – all 39 of his goals in the English top-flight have come inside the box.
- Tottenham have lost seven of their last nine matches at Wembley (W1 D1) and lost each of their last four games against Chelsea there.
- Harry Kane has now had 34 shots and played 12 games in the month of August without scoring in the Premier League.
- Excluding the debut season of the Premier League in 1992/93, Huddersfield are the first team to win their opening two games in the competition.
- 23 of Huddersfield’s last 27 wins in league competition have been achieved by a one-goal margin.
NCAAFB: Candid Coaches: Will a woman be an on-field college football assistant before 2027?
By Chip Patterson
Jen Welter coached the inside linebackers during the 2015 Cardinal preseason. (Photo/nydailynews.com)
Coaches overwhelmingly believe that a woman could be an assistant coach in the next decade.
Following in the footsteps of our college basketball brethren here at CBS Sports, college football writers Dennis Dodd, Chip Patterson and Barrett Sallee spoke with one-fifth of the 130 active coaches leading FBS teams entering the 2017 season. They asked for honest opinions on everything from NCAA rules to social issues to their peers in the profession. We will be sharing their candid thoughts over a two-week period leading into the season.
Women are slowly making progress in the sport of football as head coaches at the high school level, full-time assistants in the NFL and referees. But with college football having a limited number of on-field assistants allowed per team (nine) compared to the professional ranks, it has been more difficult for females to make inroads at this level. (Still, there will be 1,170 FBS assistant coaches on the field this season and not one is a woman.) It is for these reasons that we asked the coaches surveyed, under the condition of anonymity, if they expected progress would be made in this area over the next decade.
Will a woman be hired as an on-field assistant coach by an FBS team before 2027?
So as the precedent continues to evolve across men's sports elsewhere, a female on-field assistant in college football looks more likely every year. If you're having trouble imagining that world, then consider the impact that women already have on the sport.
While the coaching staffs at the FBS level are all-male, it's not the case for the support staff. As the modern college football program continues to grow, the positions beyond the on-field coaches have become invaluable. Often, someone on the support staff -- male or female -- could play as important a role in a player's on-campus life as his offensive or defensive coordinator.
If coaching college football is all about having a positive impact on a young player's life and setting him up to succeed on and off the field, then women are already playing the role of coach at schools across the country. All that's left now is for the right woman to demonstrate football expertise, pursue a career as an on-field assistant and convince a coach that she is the right fit for an open position on an FBS staff.
There's also the matter of the recruiting angle. Would a female assistant make a better recruiter of college football players? Not necessarily, but there is no doubt that a different relationship could be forged with a prospect and his family. The Jim Harbaugh model of coaching seeks to exploit every possible advantage within the current rules. Unless there's a rule against having a female assistant -- and what sense would that make? -- odds are that some similarly inventive coach will be more encouraged to break down the barrier if there's a potential it could lead to additional exposure for the school's brand and boost their ability to lure the best prospects in the country.
All this adds up to a matter of not if, but when, and if current trends continue and the majority of our coaches interviewed are correct, the odds are good we will see a female as an on-field assistant at the FBS level some time in the next decade.
How many games does each hot seat coach need to win to keep his job?
By Nick Bromberg
• Jim Mora, UCLA: It’s not too often that you get to coach a quarterback who you think could be the No. 1 NFL draft pick after his freshman season. Now that Josh Rosen is a junior, Mora’s team has to rebound from a 4-8 season in 2016 and find a way to run the football with new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch.
Will a woman be hired as an on-field assistant coach by an FBS team before 2027?
| Answer |
Responses
|
|---|---|
| Yes | 79 percent |
| No | 21 percent |
Explain yourselves
- "As long as they know what they're talking about, guys don't care. They just want to get better. Dennis Francione never played. [Neither did] Charlie Weis or Lou Holtz. Obviously, it's a game you can learn if you commit to it."
- "No. You're limited with how many on-field assistants you have in college. In the NFL, you're not limited. So you can just create a spot and hire whoever you want. You don't have that ability in college right now."
- "The hardest thing about it is women don't play the sport. Then again, you have some great coaches who literally didn't play college sports."
- "Absolutely. Gender shouldn't have anything to do with it. … You don't have to play to understand that part. There's a lot of NFL coordinators and coaches who never played a snap. I definitely think we'll see it in 10 years, maybe five."
- "Yes. In my opinion, I think that it's not about your gender, it's about your education and what you know about it. You see young women now becoming high school football players. At some point in time, that will transfer over to the coaching side of it."
- "I bet you, at some point, the fear of litigation comes into it."
- "Twenty years? I'd say, 'Yes.' Ten? I don't know."
- "The precedent at a high level has been set by [Spurs coach Greg] Popovich. It opened a lot of eyes around sports. It probably opened a lot of women's eyes that anything is possible."
Breaking it down
It's not surprising that our coaches interviewed are optimistic about women becoming on-field assistants considering the question looked out 10 years down the line. It's 2017 and there are already a handful of examples doors opening to that possibility.
In 2016, Lakatriona Brunson became the first female high school head football coach in Florida, reportedly becoming the fifth woman to get hired as a high school football coach in the previous three years at the time of her debut (via the Miami Herald) on the sideline for Miami Jackson High. Former Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan hired the first female on an NFL coaching staff last season, naming Katherine Smith an assistant quality control coach on special teams.
We're already three years removed from Becky Hammon's hire as the first full-time assistant coach in the NBA, and when given the opportunity to be a head coach of the San Antonio Spurs' Summer League team, she led the group to a title and earned a spot on the NBA All-Star Team staff the following February.
While the coaching staffs at the FBS level are all-male, it's not the case for the support staff. As the modern college football program continues to grow, the positions beyond the on-field coaches have become invaluable. Often, someone on the support staff -- male or female -- could play as important a role in a player's on-campus life as his offensive or defensive coordinator.
If coaching college football is all about having a positive impact on a young player's life and setting him up to succeed on and off the field, then women are already playing the role of coach at schools across the country. All that's left now is for the right woman to demonstrate football expertise, pursue a career as an on-field assistant and convince a coach that she is the right fit for an open position on an FBS staff.
There's also the matter of the recruiting angle. Would a female assistant make a better recruiter of college football players? Not necessarily, but there is no doubt that a different relationship could be forged with a prospect and his family. The Jim Harbaugh model of coaching seeks to exploit every possible advantage within the current rules. Unless there's a rule against having a female assistant -- and what sense would that make? -- odds are that some similarly inventive coach will be more encouraged to break down the barrier if there's a potential it could lead to additional exposure for the school's brand and boost their ability to lure the best prospects in the country.
All this adds up to a matter of not if, but when, and if current trends continue and the majority of our coaches interviewed are correct, the odds are good we will see a female as an on-field assistant at the FBS level some time in the next decade.
How many games does each hot seat coach need to win to keep his job?
By Nick Bromberg
Will the annual rivalry game between Arizona and Arizona State be a make or break game for Todd Graham (L) and Rich Rodriguez? (Photo/Getty)
As Pete notes, Mora’s buyout at UCLA is pretty hefty. But it’s safe to say that another 4-8 season isn’t going to go well for Mora’s job security. Perhaps the inverse is in order? UCLA’s schedule is one of the toughest in the country. In addition to opening the season vs. Texas A&M, the Bruins draw Stanford, Washington, and Oregon from the Pac-12 North and only the latter team travels to Los Angeles.
Must-win game: Oct. 21 vs. Oregon
2017 target record: 8-4
• Brian Kelly, Notre Dame: There are only so many 4-8 jokes someone can make. We’re guilty of doing it, so we can’t take the moral high ground here. But four our moral sanity, we h(eight) to think of another offseason of jokes about a repeat four-win season for the Irish.
We’re sure Kelly won’t be able to stand them either. At the very least, his fundraising efforts will be hampered. Notre Dame returns 15 starters and, like UCLA, has a very tough schedule. The must-win game we’re picking below is a game the Irish should win at home if Notre Dame’s top 25 existence is legitimate.
Must-win game: Oct. 28 vs. NC State
2017 target record: 8-4
• Mark Dantonio, Michigan State: Ater 36 wins in three seasons, one 3-9 season shouldn’t mean a coach is on the hot seat. So the expectations for Michigan State shouldn’t be extremely high in 2017 with four starters returning on each side of the ball and a number of high-profile recruits no longer with the team.
If Dantonio gets the team to .500 in an absolutely loaded Big Ten East, that should be good enough. Michigan State should be better than Indiana, Maryland, and Rutgers anyway.
Must win game: Nov. 18 vs. Maryland
2017 target record: 6-6
• Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech: The average score of a Texas Tech game was 43.7-43.5 in 2016. The good news for Texas Tech is the Red Raiders were the higher number. But is there much good news when you give up over 60 points three different times … including once to Iowa State?
Ryan Gosling’s long-lost twin brother needs to get his team to play some defense. And not be the team that is in the same zip code as Kansas in the Big 12 standings. Don’t laugh, the Jayhawks should be better in 2017 and Tech travels to Lawrence. Kingsbury should not be the second coach of a Texas school to lose in Lawrence in the last two seasons.
Must win game: Oct. 7, Kansas
2017 target record: 7-5
• Rich Rodriguez, Arizona: Where have you gone, Arizona relevancy? After going 8-5, 8-5 and 10-4 in his first three seasons with the Wildcats, Rodriguez’s teams have gone 7-6 and 3-9 in the past two seasons.
QB Donavan Tate — a former first-round MLB draft pick and a 2009 high school graduate — is an intriguing Chris Weinke-like option at quarterback. But expecting him to turn around Arizona himself is not realistic. As Pete noted, the Nov. 25 game vs. Arizona State may be pivotal.
Must win game: Nov. 25 vs. Arizona State
2017 target record: 6-6
• Todd Graham, Arizona State: While Florida Atlantic’s Lane Kiffin has gotten a lot of attention for hiring former Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the most important former Baylor staffer in 2017 may be ex-defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. Graham hired the longtime defensive coordinator to steer his defense, which gave up 40 points a game and allowed 4.9 yards a play in 2016. In 2015, Arizona State’s defense gave up 3.6 yards a play.
Graham also put former Alabama assistant Billy Napier in charge of the offense. The coach-player marriage of Napier and former Alabama quarterback Blake Barnett better pay immediate dividends.
Must win game: Nov. 25 vs. Arizona
2017 target record: 7-5
• Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M: This is the first coach on the list whose athletic director has laid down a number to achieve in 2017. It was curious why Texas A&M athletic director Scott Woodward said in May that a fourth-straight season of 8-5 wasn’t good enough for Sumlin. But it’s also curious why Texas A&M fans have such outsized expectations for their program on a consistent basis.
Anyway, we know that an 8-4 regular season with a bowl win or a 9-3 regular season with a bowl loss is needed. But how is A&M going to get there? You’ll remember from the top of the post that UCLA is on A&M’s schedule and the Aggies travel to Florida as part of its SEC East rotation in 2017.
Must win game: Sept. 23 vs. Arkansas
2017 target record: 8-4, or 9-3 depending on the bowl game
• Butch Jones, Tennessee: This is where we find out how well Jones’ recruiting will pay off. Gone are QB Josh Dobbs, RBs Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd and WR Josh Malone. Oh, and DE Derek Barnett, a first-round pick.
With Florida and Georgia expected to be better in 2017 and Tennessee needing to replace some key contributors, can Jones afford a down year even if it’s filled with numerous moral championships? A 7-6 campaign and a fourth or worse finish in an SEC East that could be better in 2017 will make the natives restless.
Must win game: Oct. 14 vs. South Carolina
2017 target record: 8-4
NCAABKB: NCAA D-! men's attendance dips for third straight season.
By Bob Hille
(Photo/Getty Images)
Kentucky remains a college basketball state of mind.
The University of Kentucky and in-state rival Louisville finished No. 1 and 3, respectively, in home attendance, according to figures released Tuesday by the NCAA.
Division I basketball saw a slight decline in attendance for the third consecutive season, but the 347 D-I teams drew more than 24.4 million fans — down some 380,000 — to 5,258 games.
Syracuse, at No. 2 on the list, joined UK and Louisville as the only three D-I schools to average more than 20,000 fans for each of their home games. The Wildcats averaged 23,461, head of the Orange (21,181) and Cardinals (20,846).
National champion North Carolina (18,067) was fourth while No. 5 on the list offered a bit of a surprise: Creighton, which drew nearly 300,000 fans to its games in Omaha, averaging 17,412 per game.
Also of note: For the 41st consecutive season, the Big Ten led all conferences, averaging 12,235 fans per home game. The ACC (11,257) was next, followed by the SEC (11,080).
Maryland saw the biggest year-over-year increase in attendance, averaging 5,169 more fans per game in 2016-17 (16,628) than it did in 2015-16.
The top 20 in attendance, based on per-game average:
Rank. School, Total Attendance (Average)
1. Kentucky 398,850 (23,461)
2. Syracuse 444,809 (21,181)
3. Louisville 354,390 (20,846)
4. North Carolina 289,075 (18,067)
5. Creighton 296,013 (17,412)
6. Wisconsin 293,870 (17,286)
7. Maryland 299,306 (16,628)
8. Kansas 262,320 (16.395)
9. Indiana 294,549 (16.363)
10. NC State 286,322 (15.906)
11. Nebraska 246,832 (15,427)
12. Arkansas 274,446 (15,247)
13. Michigan State 236,752 (14,797)
14. BYU 260,569 (14,476)
15. Arizona 230,560 (14,410)
16. Iowa State 214,130 (14,275)
17. Virginia 227,922 (14,245)
18. Purdue 234,930 (13,819)
19. Marquette 233,169 (13,715)
20. Tennessee 218,190 (13,636)
For the NCAA's complete report on all 347 Division I basketball schools, click here.
Syracuse, at No. 2 on the list, joined UK and Louisville as the only three D-I schools to average more than 20,000 fans for each of their home games. The Wildcats averaged 23,461, head of the Orange (21,181) and Cardinals (20,846).
Also of note: For the 41st consecutive season, the Big Ten led all conferences, averaging 12,235 fans per home game. The ACC (11,257) was next, followed by the SEC (11,080).
Maryland saw the biggest year-over-year increase in attendance, averaging 5,169 more fans per game in 2016-17 (16,628) than it did in 2015-16.
The top 20 in attendance, based on per-game average:
Rank. School, Total Attendance (Average)
1. Kentucky 398,850 (23,461)
2. Syracuse 444,809 (21,181)
3. Louisville 354,390 (20,846)
4. North Carolina 289,075 (18,067)
5. Creighton 296,013 (17,412)
6. Wisconsin 293,870 (17,286)
7. Maryland 299,306 (16,628)
8. Kansas 262,320 (16.395)
9. Indiana 294,549 (16.363)
10. NC State 286,322 (15.906)
11. Nebraska 246,832 (15,427)
12. Arkansas 274,446 (15,247)
13. Michigan State 236,752 (14,797)
14. BYU 260,569 (14,476)
15. Arizona 230,560 (14,410)
16. Iowa State 214,130 (14,275)
17. Virginia 227,922 (14,245)
18. Purdue 234,930 (13,819)
19. Marquette 233,169 (13,715)
20. Tennessee 218,190 (13,636)
For the NCAA's complete report on all 347 Division I basketball schools, click here.
Norway ski star banned from Olympics over lip cream.
By Nick Zaccardi
(Photo/Getty Images)
Norwegian cross-country skiing champion Therese Johaug is set to miss the PyeongChang Olympics over lip cream.
Johaug, a triple Olympic medalist and seven-time world champion, tested positive last September for a steroid found in a cream given to her by a team doctor to treat sunburned lips.
Johaug claimed the doctor told her it was OK to use, but she failed to check clear warning labels and was suspended all last season up to this November.
On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport extended her current doping ban into April, through the Olympics in February.
The court ruling came after an appeal by the International Ski Federation, which felt the original 13-month ban handed down by Norwegian sports officials was too lenient.
“I am heartbroken,” a tearful Johaug said at a news conference within an hour of the announcement, according to The Associated Press. “I had a dream to get to the Olympics. I think it is unfair, I feel I was unfairly treated.”
Norway’s Olympic Committee had previously banned the 29-year-old from October 2016 to November 2017, saying she was not at significant fault.
“I am not guilty. I asked the [team] doctor, and he said it was not on the doping list,” Johaug said at an Oct. 19 news conference, wiping tears away with her hands (video here), according to the AP. “And he said no.”
In March, the International Ski Federation appealed for a longer ban of 16 to 20 months, which would rule her out of the Winter Games. The federation argued that Johaug deserved more fault in part because the medication was “unknown to her and was purchased in a foreign country.”
A Court of Arbitration for Sport panel decided to give Johaug an 18-month ban for her negligence in missing a clear warning label listing the banned substance.
“Johaug failed to conduct a basic check of the packaging, which not only listed a prohibited substance as an ingredient but also included clear doping cautionary warning,” the court said in a press release.
Though Johaug had an “otherwise clean anti-doping record,” the panel chose to follow the letter of the World Anti-Doping Code, which calls for a 12-to-24-month suspension in this type of case.
Johaug was the world’s top cross-country skier in 2015-16, winning the World Cup overall title.
In her absence, two other Norwegians starred last season — Heidi Weng and 10-time Olympic medalist Marit Bjoergen, who was coming back from childbirth.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, August 23, 2017.
Johaug claimed the doctor told her it was OK to use, but she failed to check clear warning labels and was suspended all last season up to this November.
On Tuesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport extended her current doping ban into April, through the Olympics in February.
The court ruling came after an appeal by the International Ski Federation, which felt the original 13-month ban handed down by Norwegian sports officials was too lenient.
“I am heartbroken,” a tearful Johaug said at a news conference within an hour of the announcement, according to The Associated Press. “I had a dream to get to the Olympics. I think it is unfair, I feel I was unfairly treated.”
Norway’s Olympic Committee had previously banned the 29-year-old from October 2016 to November 2017, saying she was not at significant fault.
“I am not guilty. I asked the [team] doctor, and he said it was not on the doping list,” Johaug said at an Oct. 19 news conference, wiping tears away with her hands (video here), according to the AP. “And he said no.”
In March, the International Ski Federation appealed for a longer ban of 16 to 20 months, which would rule her out of the Winter Games. The federation argued that Johaug deserved more fault in part because the medication was “unknown to her and was purchased in a foreign country.”
A Court of Arbitration for Sport panel decided to give Johaug an 18-month ban for her negligence in missing a clear warning label listing the banned substance.
“Johaug failed to conduct a basic check of the packaging, which not only listed a prohibited substance as an ingredient but also included clear doping cautionary warning,” the court said in a press release.
Though Johaug had an “otherwise clean anti-doping record,” the panel chose to follow the letter of the World Anti-Doping Code, which calls for a 12-to-24-month suspension in this type of case.
Johaug was the world’s top cross-country skier in 2015-16, winning the World Cup overall title.
In her absence, two other Norwegians starred last season — Heidi Weng and 10-time Olympic medalist Marit Bjoergen, who was coming back from childbirth.
On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, August 23, 2017.
Memoriesofhistory.com
1970 - U.S. swimmer Gary Hall broke three world records at the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) outdoor swimming meet, held in Los Angeles, CA.
1982 - Gaylord Perry (Seattle Mariners) was tossed out of a game for throwing an illegal spitball.
1989 - Pete Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball after being accused of gambling on baseball.
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