By Triton Athletics

DANVILLE, Ill. – The phrase “offense wins games, defense wins championships” is often said in sports, especially in basketball. The Triton College men’s basketball team showed why during their National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II quarterfinal win over Parkland College (Champaign, Ill.) Thursday night.
The Trojans played half-court, man-to-man defense at a championship level, holding the Cobras to 18-of-54 shooting (33 percent) from the field and never trailed in their 66-48 victory at Danville Area Community College, earning a trip to the Final Four.

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Posted on March 18, 2016

By Roger Wallenstein

The conversation this week may have gone this way.
“Rick, I really need to talk to you,” began the beleaguered Adam LaRoche. “These back spasms have been killing me, and I’ve had a lot of time in the past ten days to do some thinking. Rick, I think I’m going to call it quits.”
“Oh my god, Adam, this is a shocker,” gasped Sox GM Hahn. “What’s going on?”

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Posted on March 17, 2016

By Triton Athletics

DANVILLE, Ill. – There has been a target on the backs of the Triton College men’s basketball team since becoming the top ranked National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II team in mid-January. The Trojans have taken the best shot from all of their opponents and Tuesday night’s NJCAA National Basketball Tournament opening round game vs. MCC-Penn Valley (Kansas City, Mo.) was no different.
A strong second half propelled Triton to a 79-70 win over the Scouts at Danville Area Community College (DACC) in Danville, Ill.
With the win, Triton (32-2) increased their school record win-streak to 28 straight games. The Trojans will next play Parkland College from Champaign, Ill., in the quarterfinal round Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the DACC. Triton defeated Parkland 71-66 when the two teams met in River Grove back in December.

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Posted on March 17, 2016

RPs are everyone’s least favorite position to draft, and as with most years this position once again looks like a bit of a crapshoot. Also, one very big name has fallen off the top of the heap due to suspension. Choose your strategy: Either go with the names you know and take them early, or wait until late and gamble on unproven arms that nevertheless will see many save chances with good squads.

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Posted on March 16, 2016

By John Affleck/The Conversation

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts Tuesday. From then until the final on April 4, CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting will bring you every game, focusing on the buzzer beaters, the Cinderella stories, the athletes overcoming the odds.
It’ll all end, as it always does, with confetti guns and net-cutting, and a video montage of highlights played over “One Shining Moment.”
What you won’t see much about is who benefits financially by participating in a tournament that generates hundreds of millions of dollars for the NCAA. Yes, the players earn scholarships, as will athletes in nonrevenue sports, whose schooling is also funded through tournament profits.
But one thing that gets very little attention is the fact that the men who put the basketball players through drills every day stand to go home with substantial bonuses on top of their already handsome salaries.

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Posted on March 15, 2016

By Jim Coffman

They might just be doing it the best possible way. The Bears might be rebuilding on the fly in the manner that gives them the best chance to bounce back the fastest.
They are doing it without ever losing on purpose, i.e. pulling a Cubs-style tank job. And they are making it clearer and clearer that they allowed themselves one year and one year only (as opposed to say, three) of sub-standard football (during which time they still fought for every victory they could get). Next year it will be playoffs or bust.
Let’s run down the latest developments, shall we? With pleasure.

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Posted on March 14, 2016

By Jenny Flinn/The Conversation

UFC fighters Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey are becoming household names and Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is rapidly making the move from minority to mainstream sport.
Although MMA only emerged in the 1990s, its growth has been, quite simply, phenomenal; it is currently one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
According to a recent report, MMA is second only to adventure racing when it comes to growing participation, recording a 19.5% increase since 2013.

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Posted on March 12, 2016

By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes

Pace, Fox make their moves. Plus: Fighting Lovie; Jimmy Butler And Derrick Rose Finally On Same Page!: Shout To The New Blackhawks Guys!; Dear Cubs: Enough With The Brotherhood. Geez; White Sox: Borrrrring; Bryce Harper Wants to Bring Pimping To MLB. So Do We; Triton Top Seed In Little Big Dance; and The Everton Minute.

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Posted on March 11, 2016

Our Chicago Cubs enter 2016 with the sort of problem no fantasy baseball team ever has: They have four catchers, and at least three of them – Miguel Montero, Kyle Schwarber, and prospect Willson Contreras – seem worthy of playing time (though Contreras is likely to spend the season in the minors as the Cubs let David Ross have a farewell tour).
Most fantasy teams won’t keep more than two catchers on their rosters, and plenty of team owners are fine just having one, then playing waiver wire roulette if they end up needing a replacement for a stretch during the season.
If you do like to keep an extra catcher on your bench, there are plenty of choices this year, though keep in mind there is only one truly safe bet for high-level fantasy production at this position (and his name ain’t Schwarber).

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Posted on March 10, 2016

By The World Surf League

COOLANGATTA, Queensland/AUS – The world’s best surfers are converging on Australia’s Gold Coast for the opening stop of the 2016 WSL Championship Tour, to be held from March 10-21.
Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Carissa Moore (HAW), reigning WSL champions, will lead the men’s and women’s fields respectively.
The trailer:

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Posted on March 9, 2016