Sometimes reinventing the wheel actually does work. After nearly 70 years of a traditional stroke-play, full-field PGA TOUR event in New Orleans, the Zurich Classic decided a year ago to revitalize the tournament with a fresh approach.

The Tour stop became a team event with a variation of the popular Ryder Cup format. Eighty players from the priority rankings are seeded into the field, and those players are allowed to choose another PGA TOUR member or sponsor exemption for the four days.

The first and third rounds are played as “four-ball” (better ball), and the second and fourth rounds are played as “Foursomes” (alternate shot). Unlike the Ryder Cup, this is a stroke-play event, as opposed to matches, and there is a 36-hole cut.

In its debut a year ago, the new format created fireworks over the closing holes with Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith playing “can you top this” against Kevin Kisner and Scott Brown, with Blixt/Smith emerging as the winner in sudden death.

This year’s edition is top-heavy with big names that include all four current major champions, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka, with a side order of John Daly and Rory Sabbatini. For Koepka it represents a return to competition from a long injury hiatus.

CBS Sports golf analyst Frank Nobilo, a 15-time winner as a professional, is no stranger to team play with three President Cup appearances on his resume, as well as the Dunhill Cup. He looks at the tournament’s team format and how that changes the game.

>>WATCH: Zurich Classic Live Stream

With all the major winners in the field this year, the new format appears to be a success. Do you think the reason is the scoring formats or the ability to team with a partner they choose?

I thought it was a very bold move a year ago, when they said they were going to have a team event, and there was a lot of speculation. But with the team format, you can have a lot of fun. It’s pick your partner and away you go. So it is a tremendous changeup, and you can’t dispute the fact you still get FedExCup points and the win. Look what it did for Cameron Smith last year. It checks a lot of boxes, and now it’s sneaky good.

It is easy to look at the foursome and four-ball and think Ryder Cup, but this isn’t a match-play event. It is stroke play. How is that different?

You have to have one eye open. In a match-play situation, you can get to a point on a hole where you get one more chance at it. So someone takes a chance at it with a slash with a driver or heroic second shot over water, and they don’t really worry about if it doesn’t come off. In four-ball/better ball you still have to keep a guy in the hole in the stroke-play format.

The event that is closest to this is the Dunhill Cup, which is actually medal/match play. You could still be three ahead with three to play, but you still have to play it out. So this adds that lovely wrinkle to it that it is never over.

>>MORE: Golf Expert Interviews

In alternate shot, is the most important thing partner matching?

Matching up game is a lot more important. I know we often look at personalities. You’d rather have a good partner than necessarily your best mate. You can choose a partner and have some fun. But there are some statistical groups who analyze things differently. You take Jon Rahm and Wesley Bryant. They are polar opposites statistically; length and tee to green as opposed to short-game magic. I am really curious as to how that game is going to play, because that is either a Hollywood team, or it is really terrible. Opposites can certainly attract in this format.

What about other groups that you like this week? 

I thought Rose and Stenson last year would be good, because Rose had played well here. In the past, [they] were just a natural fit. They played Ryder Cup together. They both used to live at Lake Nona. And they missed the cut. That was a team that naturally looked strong, but they didn’t deliver. Spieth and Ryan Palmer were top five last year. Obviously, Patrick Reed and Patrick Cantlay. Reed is in his first start since Augusta, and Cantlay is just continuing to improve and is sneaky good.

I am curious about a couple of other groups. Brooks Koepka. Is he really 100%? You’re also looking at potential. Is Ryan Ruffles, who is a year older now, getting closer? And, of course, Justin Thomas, who will turn 25 on Sunday, [is] playing with his good friend Bud Cauley.

I really like the makeup of the field, and you are going to have a good leaderboard the first day and on Sunday as well.

If Frank Nobilo was playing in this event in his prime, who would he have asked to be his partner?

Ernie Els probably. We played a lot of golf together when we were a little younger. He had a little more power than I did. Our games used to gel up together. I was probably better in the middle-iron department. We had the same sort of decrepit form of humor but competitors. And the one thing we didn’t do when we played together is we didn’t say “Sorry.” You just gave it your best shot, and that’s it, and then laugh about it afterwards. It was a little more old school, but that’s all you can do.

Dan Reardon has covered golf for radio station KMOX in St. Louis for 33 years. In that time, he has covered more than 100 events, including majors and other PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour tournaments. During his broadcast career, Reardon conducted one-on-one interviews with three dozen members of the World Golf of Fame. He has contributed to many publications over the years and co-authored the book Golf’s Greatest Eighteen from Random House. Reardon served as Director of Media relations for LPGA events in both St. Louis and Chicago for 10 years.

For most people outside of Oakland, California, there’s a good chance that Saturday night was the first time you heard of Athletics starting pitcher Sean Manaea.

Manaea put himself in the record books on Saturday by tossing the first no-hitter of the season, leading the Athletics to victory over the league-leading Boston Red Sox. It took the 26-year-old just 108 pitches to get through nine innings, surrendering two walks while striking out 10 batters.

Throwing a no-hitter in Major League Baseball is impressive enough, but when you look at Boston’s statistics this year, you realize just how amazing Manaea was on Saturday.

Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Heading into the game, the Red Sox had an MLB-best 17-2 record. Boston was averaging 6.47 runs per game with an 81.6 percent contact rate as a team, both of which were the best marks in baseball by a significant margin.

Manaea completely baffled the Red Sox. The left-hander induced 15 swinging strikes, allowed only three baserunners (one of which came on an error), and did not let any Boston player to get past second base.

While Saturday’s amazing performance may have put him on the country’s radar, Manaea has actually been pitching like a bonafide ace throughout the first month of the season.

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound lefty has made five starts on the season. He’s worked at least seven innings in four of those five starts, and allowed more than one run in only one outing (in which he allowed just two runs). He hasn’t walked more than two batters in any of his starts, and he’s given up more than four hits only once.

Manaea is 3-2 with a 1.23 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, six walks, and only 16 hits allowed in 36.2 innings this year. He leads all of baseball in innings pitched while also pacing the American League with 3.9 hits per nine innings. While those numbers are a little skewed because of the no-hitter, Manaea was still holding hitters to a .168/.210/.305 line through his first four starts of the season.

And although he may not have been a household name prior to Saturday, Manaea is hardly a nobody.

He was drafted by the Kansas City Royals 34th overall in 2013 out of Indiana State. During his time in the minors, he reached as high as 45th in the prospect rankings by Baseball Prospectus. The Royals eventually traded him in a deal for Ben Zobrist during their 2015 World Series title run. Clearly Manaea is someone that has been highly-regarded by scouts throughout each step of his career.

Even in his first two seasons in the majors, Manaea found some success. The southpaw earned a 3.86 ERA in 144.2 innings during his rookie season in 2016 before pitching to a 4.37 ERA in 158.2 innings last year.

But in 2018, Manaea simply looks like a new and much improved pitcher.

Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

His current 4.6 percent walk rate has him on pace to set a new single-season professional best. In fact, only once during all of last season did he endure a five-start span with a better walk rate. Manaea is throwing more of his overall pitches for strikes too, as his current 53 percent rate is a career-high.

One of the reasons for Manaea’s drastic improvements this year has been the effectiveness of his fastball. According to FanGraphs, the 26-year-old’s fastball has been worth 8.3 runs above average so far this season. To put that into perspective, his fastball was worth a combined minus-14.3 runs in 2016-2017.

It’s fair to assume that Manaea’s numbers will drop back down to earth a bit as the season goes on. As good as he has been, it will be extremely difficult for him to maintain his .135 batting average allowed on balls in play (second-best among ERA qualifiers) or his minus-2.28 ERA/FIP differential (fifth-biggest margin in that direction). And he isn’t going to keep his 1.23 ERA through October either…

But so far this season, the third-year pitcher has proven he has worked on his craft and has improved on his pitching skills. So although he may not turn into Clayton Kershaw overnight, there is plenty of reason to believe that Manaea can be a productive starting pitcher in the majors.

While he may have put his name on the map because of his no-hitter, Sean Manaea could be enjoying the start of a major breakout season.

Matt Citak is a contributor for CBS Local Sports and a proud Vanderbilt alum. Follow him on Twitter.

The independent commission, led by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, released a detailed 60-page report Wednesday, seven months after the group was formed by the NCAA in response to a federal corruption investigation that rocked college basketball. Ten people, including some assistant coaches, have been charged in a bribery and kickback scheme , and high-profile programs such as Arizona, Louisville and Kansas have been tied to possible NCAA violations.

“The members of this commission come from a wide variety of backgrounds but the one thing that they share in common is that they believe the college basketball enterprise is worth saving,” Rice told the AP. “We believe there’s a lot of work to do in that regard. That the state of the game is not very strong.

“We had to be bold in our recommendations.”

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the report ahead of Rice presenting its findings to top NCAA officials. It’s not yet clear how the governing body would pay for some of the proposals, and some of the panel’s key recommendations would require cooperation from the NBA, its players union and USA Basketball.

The commission offered harsh assessments of toothless NCAA enforcement, as well as the shady summer basketball circuit that includes AAU leagues and brings together agents, apparel companies and coaches looking to profit on teenage prodigies. It called the environment surrounding college basketball “a toxic mix of perverse incentives to cheat,” and said responsibility for the current mess goes all the way up to university presidents.

The group recommended the NCAA have more involvement with players before they get to college and less involvement with enforcement. It also acknowledged the NCAA will need help to make some changes and defended its amateurism model, saying paying players a salary isn’t the answer.

“The goal should not be to turn college basketball into another professional league,” the commission wrote in its report.

Rice was scheduled to present the commission’s report to the NCAA’s Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors on Wednesday morning. The two groups of university presidents planned to meet after Rice’s presentation to consider adopting the commission’s recommendations. If adopted, the hard work of turning the recommendations into NCAA legislation begins.

NCAA President Mark Emmert has said he wants reforms in place by August. The commission does, too. And it wants to review the NCAA’s plans for implementation before it goes before the boards for approval.

The 12-member commission made up of college administrators and former coaches and players was tasked with finding ways to reform five areas: NBA draft rules, including the league’s age limit that has led to so-called one-and-done players; the relationship between players and agents; non-scholastic basketball, such as AAU, meant to raise the profile of recruits; involvement of apparel companies with players, coaches and schools; and NCAA enforcement.

NCAA officials mostly stayed out of the process. Emmert and Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson were part of the commission, but not included in executive sessions, when proposals were being formed. The commission spent 70 percent of its time in executive session, Rice said, and kept its work secret until Wednesday’s reveal.

The overarching message to those in college athletics: Take responsibility for problems you have created.

ONE-AND-DONE

The commission emphasized the need for elite players to have more options when choosing between college and professional basketball, and to separate the two tracks.

The commission called for the NBA and its players association to change rules requiring players to be at least 19 years old and a year removed from graduating high school to be draft eligible. The rule was implemented in 2006, despite the success of straight-from-high-school stars such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett. The commission did, however, say if the NBA and NBPA refuse to change their rules in time for the next basketball season, it would reconvene and consider other options for the NCAA, such as making freshmen ineligible or locking a scholarship for three or four years if the recipient leaves a program after a single year.

“One-and-done has to go one way or another,” Rice told the AP, expressing hope the NBA would act.

The commission decided against attempting to mirror rules for baseball but said it could reconsider. Major League Baseball drafts players out of high school, but once an athlete goes to college he is not eligible to be drafted until after his third year. Baseball players can also return for their senior seasons after being drafted as long as they do not sign professional contracts.

The commission did take a piece of the baseball model and recommended basketball players be allowed to test the professional market in high school or after any college season, while still maintaining college eligibility. If undrafted, a college player would remain eligible as long as he requests an evaluation from the NBA and returns to the same school. Players could still leave college for professional careers after one year, but the rules would not compel them to do so.

ENFORCEMENT

The commission recommended harsher penalties for rule-breakers and that the NCAA outsource the investigation and adjudication of the most serious infractions cases. Level I violations would be punishable with up to a five-year postseason ban and the forfeiture of all postseason revenue for the time of the ban. That could be worth tens of millions to major conference schools. By comparison, recent Level I infractions cases involving Louisville and Syracuse basketball resulted in postseason bans of one year.

In those cases, then-Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who was later fired after being tied to the FBI investigation, received a five-game NCAA suspension for violations related to an assistant coach hiring strippers for recruits, and Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games for academic misconduct and extra benefits violations. The commission said suspensions should be longer, up to one full season.

Instead of show cause orders, which are meant to limit a coach’s ability to work in college sports after breaking NCAA rules, the report called for lifetime bans. The commission also said coaches and administrators should be contractually obligated comply with NCAA investigations.

AGENTS

The commission proposed the NCAA create a program for certifying agents, and make them accessible to players from high school through their college careers.

AAU AND SUMMER LEAGUES

The NCAA, with support from the NBA and USA Basketball, should run its own recruiting events for prospects during the summer, the commission said, and take a more serious approach to certifying events it does not control.

The NCAA should require greater transparency of the finances of what it called non-scholastic basketball events and ban its coaches from attending those that do not comply with more stringent vetting, the report said. Such a ban could wipe out AAU events that have flourished in showcasing future talent.

APPAREL COMPANIES

The commission also called for greater financial transparency from shoe and apparel companies such as Nike, Under Armour and Adidas. These companies have extensive financial relationships with colleges and coaches worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and Adidas had two former executives charged by federal prosecutors in New York in the corruption case.

The commission also called out university presidents, saying administrators can’t be allowed to turn a blind eye to infractions.

To that end, the commission said university presidents should be required to “certify annually that they have conducted due diligence and that their athletic programs comply with NCAA rules.”

The commission recommended the NCAA Board of Governors, currently comprised of 16 university presidents and chancellors, include five public members with full voting privileges who are not currently employed as university leaders.

Finally, the commission admonished those within college sports who use the NCAA as a scapegoat for the problems in basketball, saying universities and individuals are accountable for keeping the game clean.

“When those institutions and those responsible for leading them short-circuit rules, ethics and norms in order to achieve on-court success, they alone are responsible,” the commission wrote. “Too often, these individuals hide behind the NCAA when they are the ones most responsible for the degraded state of intercollegiate athletics, in general, and college basketball in particular.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Now, this All-Star cast might welcome back two-time MVP Stephen Curry soon from a knee injury as the Warriors charge ahead toward the goal of a repeat championship.

Durant scored 25 points, Green led a smothering Golden State defense, and the Warriors held off the late-charging San Antonio Spurs 99-91 on Tuesday night to win Game 5 and advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Thompson had another stellar shooting performance with 24 points, and Green contributed all over with 17 points, a career-playoff high 19 rebounds and seven assists. Golden State looked dominant until the fourth quarter even without Curry — and he could be back soon from a left knee injury.

“Draymond can literally do everything. So these last two games, he’s been rebounding like a beast,” Thompson said. “And his ability to take the ball from the rim and push the break is what sparks the offense so much.”

LaMarcus Aldridge converted a three-point play with 1:31 left that pulled the Spurs within 93-89, and then a pair of free throws at 57.2 to make it a two-point game. Green responded with a long jumper at the top of the key then made two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining.

The Warriors will face New Orleans in the West semifinals with Game 1 Saturday at Oracle Arena, having smoothly eliminated the Spurs aside from a brief Game 4 blip Sunday at San Antonio. New Orleans, coached by former Golden State top assistant Alvin Gentry, swept Portland in the first round.

Durant didn’t have his usual steady shooting night, going 8 for 19 and missing his initial six 3-point tries. That hardly mattered. After a rebound late in the first half, the reigning Finals MVP drove coast-to-coast for a huge two-handed slam that helped Golden State grab momentum.

Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and Patty Mills added 18 points with four 3-pointers for cold-shooting San Antonio. Manu Ginobili had 10 points and seven assists in what might have been the 16th-year pro’s final game at age 40.

The Spurs fought for and without coach Gregg Popovich, away from the team following the death of his wife, Erin, last week following a long illness.

“I think it speaks highly of the character and spirit of this team, of never giving up, of competing until the very end,” Pau Gasol said. “And it was a game and a situation where we easily could have just thrown the towel at different points. But we didn’t. So that’s something that we can be proud of.”

Thompson swished a turnaround fadeaway as the halftime buzzer sounded and scurried for the tunnel hands raised high in triumph as Curry celebrated alongside his Splash Brother. Thompson hit 11 of 22 shots, his fourth time shooting at least 50 percent in the series.

Thompson became the third Warriors player ever to make 600 field goals in the postseason, and Golden State won its 12th straight playoff game at Oracle Arena.

Coach Steve Kerr challenged the Warriors to make “simpler passes” — or “keep hitting singles” as he put it in baseball terms — to avoid silly miscues after a sloppy showing in Sunday’s 103-90 loss that forced the series back to the Bay Area.

After Golden State committed 16 turnovers and managed only 19 assists in the defeat, the Warriors were far better taking care of the ball with just 10 turnovers while dishing out 25 assists.

They used a 13-3 burst in the second quarter to take a 35-26 lead.

Green followed up an 18-rebound outing Sunday with another brilliant night on the boards.

“One thing we spoke about coming into this series was trying to control the glass,” Green said.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Jed Lowrie hit a tiebreaking double before Texas slugger Adrian Beltre left with a hamstring injury, and the A’s beat the Rangers 3-2 on Tuesday night, tagging Cole Hamels with his fourth loss before the end of April for the first time in the left-hander’s career.

Beltre strained his left hamstring coming out of the batter’s box in the eighth inning and limped to first base on what would have been a double but was instead a single for his 3,075th career hit.

The 39-year-old third baseman in his 21st season didn’t sound optimistic after the game but wanted to wait for an MRI on Wednesday before saying much else.

If Beltre ends up on the disabled list, the Rangers won’t have any of their opening day infielders in those spots for the finale of what is already a fifth straight series loss at home, the most to start a season since the franchise moved to Texas in 1972.

“We already have our key players hurt on the middle infield,” Beltre said. “We didn’t need another one. It’s no secret we’ve been struggling offensively. We’re trying to find a way to get through it.”

Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus is out at least another month after breaking his right elbow when he was hit by a pitch April 12. Second baseman Rougned Odor has been out since April 10 with a left hamstring strain.

When Andrus got hurt, Joey Gallo was shuffled to left field from first base, where rookie Ronald Guzman is starting now. Delino DeShields has returned to center field after a broken hand sidelined him for three weeks and weakened the Texas outfield significantly.

“It’s gut-wrenching, to say the least,” said manager Jeff Banister, whose Rangers (8-17) have matched their second-worst 25-game start and are 3-12 at home. “However, I’ll continue to say this: There is no timeout. We’ll continue to play.”

Lowrie’s seventh-inning liner over the glove of a diving DeShields came against reliever Matt Bush after two doubles off Hamels in an inning that included a pair of Oakland baserunners getting thrown out at third base.

Andrew Triggs (2-0) allowed one run in six innings with six strikeouts, and former closer Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save in Oakland’s eighth win in nine games since a 5-10 start.

“There’s no coincidence that we’ve been winning games when we’ve been getting starting pitching six innings or more,” manager Bob Melvin said.

Hamels (1-4) gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings and hit three batters, matching the 2008 World Series MVP’s career high set on April 20, 2016, in a 2-1 win against Houston. Rangers reliever Jake Diekman also hit a batter.

Mark Canha broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with his third homer, a solo shot that went in and out of leaping right fielder Nomar Mazara’s glove just above the fence. Matt Olson hit an RBI double in the eighth.

Beltre’s liner to the gap when he was injured was a single that scored Shin-Soo Choo from first. Beltre had two hits and both Texas RBIs, the other coming on a sacrifice fly.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

FRISCO, Texas (CBS11 SPORTS) – Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is an elder statesman.

That was certainly true as he hosted NFL Draft prospects at The Star in Frisco.

Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, who could be the #1 overall pick… Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who promises to be a top 5 pick… Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph, should could go in the first round and Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin, the inspirational story of the draft flanked the 15-year veteran.

Jason Witten and NFL prospects (Keith Russell – CBS11 Sports)

Along with JC Penney, the five guys welcomed kids from the Family Place Shelter, an organization that helps those who have been affected by domestic violence.

Every child got to pick out a full outfit from Michael Strahan’s Collection clothing line.

The players helped them tackle so tough choices.

All them agreeing that it’s these moments when you have the opportunity to have a positive impact on the younger generation that means more than anything game.

By Dan Reardon

In 1990, Mike Donald was one hole shy of completing the tournament of his life, the U.S. Open at Medinah Country Club. Donald needed only a par at the 18^th of the Monday playoff to defeat Hale Irwin and find his place in golf history. He bogeyed and lost on the next hole in sudden death. Donald drifted on and off the PGA Tour over the next 15 years, never posting a win.

In 1999, France’s Jean van de Velde stood on the tee of the final hole at Carnoustie with a three-shot lead in the Open Championship. He tripled the hole and lost in a playoff to Paul Lawrie. The Frenchmen did win once more in his golf career in 2005 but largely disappeared as a serious threat to win on the European Tour.

In 2016, Andrew Landry shot 66 in the opening round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont as an Open rookie, ranked 624^th in the world. He played well enough over the next two days to be paired in the final group of the day with Dustin Johnson. Johnson gutted his way to his first major win, and Landry soared to a final-day 78. Instead of being the first U.S. Open rookie to win in 102 years, he finished tied for 15^th.

He finished the year 178^th in the FedExCup standings and back on the developmental Web.Com Tour the following season. On Sunday at the Valero Texas Open, Landry served notice that he intended to stay clear of the ranks of Donald, van de Velde and other players crushed by the disappointment of a failed major opportunity. Landry shot 4-under 68, -17, to win by two shots for his first PGA Tour title.

>>MORE: Pro Golf Coverage

Andrew Landry (Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“I think that every single player out here is good. Every single player is great. Whenever you get in a situation and you fell and you continue to fall, you’re learning every single time you do something,” he said afterward. “Oakmont definitely helped me. It helped to control my pace and how my swing is, even how I walk and that can lead into my golf swing. It’s accepting that I do have nerves and embrace them.”

Back on Tour after finishing fourth on Web.Com in 2017, Landry has been showing signs that an Oakmont hangover was not in his 2018 profile. He posted three top 10s in his first seven starts of the 2018 season, including a four-hole playoff loss to Jon Rahm at the CareerBuilder Challenge in February. He credited his performance in that loss to the success he enjoyed in San Antonio.

“Losing in that playoff when I was continuing to hit good shot after good shot and just not making any putts, which is usually a strength of my game, it helps because you get yourself in that situation and you continue to learn.”

Hall of Fame Texan Ben Hogan once said about his success, he learned the game in the dirt. For the 30-year-old Landry, the dirt was an hour drive from San Antonio in Port Neches-Groves on a nine-hole golf course called the Pea Patch, a course he lovingly described as a “goat ranch.” A long list of Texans have won a tournament that traces its genealogy to 1922, the most recent being Jimmy Walker in 2015. Landry adds his names to people like Hogan and Byron Nelson as Texas Open winners.

Perhaps it’s the feel of home. Perhaps it’s learning to manage the kind of Texas winds that buffeted the tournament early in the week. For Landry, there was the special comfort of being surrounded by family and friends for his breakthrough moment.

His mother, Patricia, wore a shirt Sunday bearing the logo of that U.S. Open in Oakmont two years prior. His wife, Elizabeth, with their newborn, stood greenside as her husband needed to navigate nearly 50 feet in two putts to secure the win. His father, Dwain, who Landry told on Sunday morning at Oakmont that he was going to win that day, was there when that prediction proved true two years later. And his brother, Adam, who was a constant competitor with him back on that nine-hole course, now in housing development, was there for the dream to become reality.

He told PGA Tour afterward the same thing Andrew talked about in his winning press conference.“I’ve watched all the trials and tribulations, what he’s gone through, the highs and the lows. There was no Plan B for him. There was only this. Stuff like that will cripple people. It’ll make you want to quit, failing back and forth — but he continuously figured out a way to find his way to the top.”

Dan Reardon has covered golf for radio station KMOX in St. Louis for 33 years. In that time, he has covered more than 100 events, including majors and other PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour tournaments. During his broadcast career, Reardon conducted one-on-one interviews with three dozen members of the World Golf of Fame. He has contributed to many publications over the years and co-authored the book Golf’s Greatest Eighteen from Random House. Reardon served as Director of Media relations for LPGA events in both St. Louis and Chicago for 10 years.

Ryan Mayer

Three weeks into the MLB season, and we’ve already got our first no-hitter. And it came against an unlikely source. The Oakland Athletics are off to a solid start to the season, sitting at 12-11 and just 3.5 games back of the Astros in the American League West division standings. However, heading into this past weekend’s series against the Boston Red Sox, you would have been forgiven if you believed that Boston would dominate the A’s. The Red Sox had burst out of the gates to a 16-2 record prior to the series, and there wasn’t much that could seemingly slow down their bats.

Then, in stepped A’s lefty Sean Manaea. The 26-year-old had a solid debut season in 2016 before falling off a bit during last year’s campaign. To begin this season, Manaea was dominant, giving up just 5 earned runs through 27.2 innings pitched, while striking out 20 batters and giving up just four walks. In his Saturday start against Boston, he did even better, striking out 10 with just two walks and not allowing a hit through nine innings. It was his first career no-hitter and the first for the A’s since Dallas Braden threw a perfect game on Mother’s Day of 2010.

There was some controversy in the game, as Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi appeared to record a hit in the sixth inning, but he was ruled to have run out of the base path after instant replay. Manaea now owns a 1.23 ERA, which ranks fifth in the league so far this season.

The leader in that category is San Francisco Giants righty Johnny Cueto, who is experiencing a bounce-back season. Through four starts, Cueto has allowed just one earned run in 26 innings of work, while striking out 23 batters. In his Sunday start against the Angels, Cueto allowed just two hits and struck out seven, earning his second win of the season. He looks well on his way to returning back to his career form after struggling through last season, when he posted his highest ERA since his first year in the majors.

For these and some of the other biggest stories from the past week of baseball, click on the video above.

The PGA Tour and Colonial Country Club announced Monday that financial services provider Charles Schwab & Co. will take over as title sponsor starting in 2019. The four-year agreement goes through 2022.

Local companies are backing this year’s event after upscale grocer Dean and Deluca withdrew as title sponsor after only two tournaments of a six-year deal. The companies include American Airlines, AT&T, XTO Energy and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway.

Charles Schwab is already a major sponsor on the PGA Tour. On the PGA Tour Champions, for players over 50, the Charles Schwab Cup is awarded to the season’s top player.

“We are honored to support one of the country’s premier and longest-running PGA Tour events that is a showcase for the game’s best players and is a Tour leader in charitable giving,” said Jonathan Craig, senior executive vice president for the Charles Schwab Corp. “Schwab has a long history of investing in the communities in which we live and serve our clients and with our growing presence in, and commitment to the state of Texas, we could not be more delighted to support the tradition of this tournament.”

Next month’s tournament at Colonial, which has hosted since 1946, will be played as the Fort Worth Invitational. The event runs May 24-27.

The new sponsorship was announced on the same day that 2017 winner Kevin Kisner’s name was unveiled on the Wall of Champions near the first tee at Colonial.

The new tournament name and logo will be announced at a later date, along with the dates for the 2019 Colonial.

“Considering Charles Schwab’s longstanding marketing relationship with the PGA TOUR and its impact as a sponsor on PGA TOUR Champions, we know it will be an equally fruitful relationship here at Colonial Country Club,” said Andy Pazder, chief tournament and competitions officer for the PGA Tour.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

That didn’t quite happen with Chris Paul, who essentially forced a trade after his sixth season in the Big Easy amid concerns about uncertain ownership.

The 25-year-old Davis is now in his sixth season in New Orleans. And the five-time All-Star is not only playing historically good basketball, but seems to see no need for moving vans in order to go ring hunting.

Davis, after all, was a young fan when Reggie Miller was in the twilight of an 18-year career with Indiana that transformed the Pacers into playoff regulars — and while Tim Duncan was embarking on a long career in San Antonio highlighted by five NBA titles.

“There’s always, you know, ‘You can’t win in a small market or you can’t get noticed in a small market,’ but then you look at those guys and they’ve won and been well recognized in their respective teams,” Davis said, referring to Miller and Duncan. “I love the city of New Orleans. I love playing for the city. The city’s showed me a lot of love, so I couldn’t ask for a better place to be.”

New Orleans is noticing. So, apparently, is the rest of the world.

Sharp-shooting forward Nikola Mirotic, a Montenegro native acquired by the Pelicans in a mid-season trade, said Davis already has enhanced New Orleans’ international profile because of the NBA’s global appeal.

“I know in my country, for example — or Spain, or Serbia — they all talk about him. They all want to see him playing because of the show he puts on,” Mirotic said. “He’s still young. There’s a lot of room for him to improve. I’m sure he’s going to be someone that everybody is going to remember in the future.”

Saints quarterback Drew Brees remains New Orleans’ most popular athlete. But Davis’ rising global star power is on full display.

The Pelicans’ home arena, the Smoothie King Center, was packed to the rafters and deafeningly loud during games 3 and 4 of sixth-seeded New Orleans’ somewhat surprising first-round sweep of the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers. The series victory not only was New Orleans’ first since 2008, but only the second since the NBA returned 16 seasons ago to the city where the Pete Maravich-led Jazz originally played from 1974-79, before moving to Utah.

Davis averaged 33 points, 12 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game during the first round of the playoffs, earning him constant “M-V-P” chants from fans — who hope this is just the start.

“We would want this to be something that changes the mindset of not just what we do here, but also of other people looking to come here,” said Pelicans forward Solomon Hill, who joined Davis as a free agent in 2016. “From player personnel to the front office, whatever it may be, we’re trying to let everybody know that New Orleans is a place where we’re trying to win — and he’s the key piece you need.”

Sitting on the bench in street clothes and a walking boot watching Davis these days is fellow All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, who is due to become a free agent this offseason. The Pelicans have said they’ll try to re-sign Cousins, who technically is now part of his first playoff team in eight NBA seasons, but who still has yet to play in the postseason because of his Achilles tear in January.

Davis said he hopes the way the Pelicans played, and the way fans cheered, in the first round gives Cousins “a little itch to come back.”

New Orleans hardly looked like a playoff lock in the highly competitive Western Conference after Cousins was injured. But Davis averaged an NBA-high 30.2 points during the last 34 regular season games, with the Pelicans going 21-13.

Unlike when Paul was in New Orleans, the Pelicans are now on sound financial footing, with the same local ownership as the NFL’s Saints. They have a modern, spacious, permanent practice facility on the same campus as Saints headquarters and a team-friendly arena lease that runs through 2024.

Davis is under contract for three more seasons.

“I know that his goal is to be the foundation of a team that wins consistently here,” coach Alvin Gentry said. “With the talent-level that he is and the way he can make other guys better just by being on the court with them, I see no reason why that can’t happen.”

Guard Jrue Holiday, who had 33 points in Game 2 and 41 in Game 4, is under contract for four more seasons. Veteran guard Rajon Rondo, who won a title in Boston with a “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, said he came to New Orleans on a one-year deal to play with the “Big Three” of Davis, Cousins and Holiday. During the playoffs, Rondo has emerged as the club’s third star, piling up 53 assists in four games.

Davis wants Rondo back next year as well, and very well may get his wish.

“We just can’t make this a one-every-three-years or one-every-two-years” playoff run, Davis said. “It needs to be a consistent thing where before every season they’re talking about: These are the top five teams that we know are going to be in there — and we need to be one of them.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Frogs (19-17, 6-8) are fifth in the Big 12 and No. 86 in the RPI after losing three straight at Baylor over the weekend. They’ll likely have to win the Big 12 Tournament to make an NCAA regional for the 14th time in 15 years.

“No question about that,” coach Jim Schlossnagle said Monday. “If we went on some crazy run, we might be able to do it. It’s certainly headed toward a conference tournament situation.”

For the second straight year, TCU will finish the season without offensive star Luken Baker. The junior first baseman broke a bone in his left leg while running the bases against Abilene Christian last Tuesday. Last year, he injured his left arm in a collision at first base and missed the last 21 games.

The Frogs also have been without No. 1 starting pitcher Jared Janczak for all but one inning since March 30, and he likely won’t return until the first week of May as he recovers from a nerve inflammation.

TCU’s margin for error already was thin. Three players in their recruiting class got drafted and didn’t come to school, and the Frogs entered 2018 having to replace six everyday players.

“Being a private school that doesn’t have extra financial aid, we’re like a small-market team in the big leagues,” Schlossnagle said. “The guys that we’re invested in, they have to stay healthy, they have to have good seasons, and when they do, we can compete with anybody. When we have misfortune or we make a mistake in recruiting or get hit in the draft, then the depth of our team gets exposed.”

Schlossnagle was counting on pitching to carry the Frogs. But in addition to Janczak’s problems, Saturday starter Sean Wymer had back issues in February and March. Janczak, Wymer and the other weekend starter, Nick Lodolo, have a combined 4.36 ERA — “not up to the level we like to pitch at,” Schlossnagle said.

“Hopefully we figure something out and make a late run,” the coach added, “but without Baker offensively, we have to play super, super clean fundamental baseball — especially against good teams — to win.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The 3-year-old horse, who earned a spot in arguably the most famous horse race in the world by leading the European points series, contracted a fever last weekend and is being treated with antibiotics, his ownership group, Phoenix Thoroughbreds, said in a tweet.

“We very much regret that Gronkowski will miss the Kentucky Derby after spiking a fever over the weekend and being treated with antibiotics,” the tweet said. “He can’t make the long journey to Louisville but is doing well.”

Bred in Kentucky, the horse was named after New England Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski. When the football player found that out, he bought a stake in the colt last week and was due to meet his namesake at Churchill Downs in the buildup to the race, which takes place May 5.

This was the first year that a horse from Europe was due to take part in the Kentucky Derby, although Gronkowski the horse was not one of the favorites. Last week, Gronkowski was an 80-1 longshot in Las Vegas for the 144th running of the race, well behind favorite Justify.

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Semien homered on the first pitch of the ninth, and the surging A’s added five more runs after that in a 9-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Oakland has a winning record for the first time since it won the season opener.

“It’s really early, but you know we started off slow, so that means we must be doing OK right now,” Semien said.

Oakland (12-11) has won seven of eight, including Sunday’s series clincher against Boston when Khris Davis hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning of a 4-1 home win.

“It was good to see,” manager Bob Melvin said of the latest last at-bat victory. “And more pass-the-baton type of inning than one blow like KD on Sunday. … Yeah, we’re capable of doing that.”

Semien’s third homer of the season, off Kevin Jepsen (0-3), snapped a 3-all tie. The rest of the runs were scored with two outs, and after Jed Lowrie beat out an infield single on which he was initially called out before a replay review.

“That’s as fast as I’ve seen him. When he can smell a hit, he gets down the line pretty good,” Melvin said. “He even did a little umpiring over there at first, too, to let me know to challenge it.”

Lowrie came home on Matt Chapman’s triple before a pitching change. Jake Smolinski added a two-run triple later in the inning.

“The fastball missed a couple of times and a couple of big hits,” Jepsen said. “With Semien, I know he’s looking for a heater trying to do what he did. And I know if I put a fastball down and away, I’m safe. It leaked back out over the plate, and he didn’t miss it.”

Ryan Buchter (1-0), the fourth of five Oakland pitchers, retired the only two batters he faced — the last out of the eighth and the first out in the ninth.

Matt Chapman of the Oakland Athletics applies the tag on an attempted steal by Delino DeShields of the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 23, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Rangers, who are 3-11 at home this season, tied the game in the fourth when Jurickson Profar drew a two-out walk from Trevor Cahill and Robinson Chirinos followed with his third homer of the season.

Davis had a two-run double in the third to put Oakland up 2-0, giving him 21 RBIs this season. Chad Pinder’s RBI single an inning later made it 3-1.

Rookie second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the Rangers’ No. 9 hitter, doubled in the third for their first hit and scored on a wild pitch.

NO DECISIONS

Both starting pitchers allowed three runs over five innings. Rangers lefty Matt Moore, pulled after giving up a leadoff single in the sixth, struck out two and walked two. Cahill, who threw seven scoreless innings in his only other start this season for the A’s, had six strikeouts, two walks and the wild pitch that allowed a run.

LATE RUN

Texas scored in the bottom of the ninth when Adrian Beltre and Joey Gallo had back-to-back doubles. For Beltre, it was career hit No. 3,073, his 1,121st for extra bases.

SHORT HOPS

The A’s missed their chance to match the Oakland record of six straight games with a first-inning run. That has been done four times, but only once in the last 42 years (Sept. 20-26, 2001). Oakland had the bases loaded in the seventh after reliever Matt Bush walked Davis, the first batter he faced, before inducing an inning-ending grounder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Doug Fister (right hip strain) felt good a day after throwing a bullpen and is set to come off the disabled list to start the series finale Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Rangers lefty Cole Hamels (1-3), trying to avoid four losses by the end of April for the first time in his career, has lost four consecutive home starts — including both this season. Right-hander Andrew Triggs, with a 1.02 ERA in four career appearances against Texas, starts for the A’s in the middle game of the three-game series.

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FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Frisco Police are investigating reports filed Sunday by a woman alleging she was assaulted by her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving.

Police said the woman filed two separate reports – one at 5:00 p.m. and another at 10:30 p.m.

The crimes allegedly happened at a home in the 2700 block of Nightwind Court.

Police are investigating complaints that Irving assaulted, restrained and choked his girlfriend.

The allegations became public after a woman identifying herself as his longtime girlfriend Angela Sanchez, started tweeting from Irving’s Twitter account.

She tweeted, “David Irving is going to jail.  Say good-bye to his football career.”

In a series of tweets, Sanchez accused him of “domestic violence” and failed drug tests.”

“Who moves the mother of their child to Texas with no family just to beat her up and put her on the streets, no clothes, no shoes,” she wrote. 

Frisco Police said they are aware of the tweets but said their investigation was prompted by the reports to police, not tweets.

On Monday afternoon, Sanchez retracted her original claim saying, “I was just very emotional and upset. I would like to be clear, although our relationship is not prefect (sic), we love one another and David did not put his hands on me at any time.”

It’s at least the second time Sanchez has accused Irving of assault.  A 2013 police report shows she told officers in Ames, Iowa, Irving “held her down, cut her hair and punched her legs.

Officers at the time noted “bruises on her legs” and “more than half her hair cut.”

A week later, police wrote Sanchez became uncooperative and the case was eventually dropped. 

In this latest investigation, Irving has not been arrested.

The Dallas Cowboys had no comment. The NFL said it’s looking into it.

Irving’s attorney Daniel Moskowitz told CBS11 Irving has not been contacted by police.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving (95) sits alone on the bench following the a 35-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017. (Jim Cowsert/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS via Getty Images)

COPPELL, Texas (CBS11 SPORTS) – Connor Williams is considered one of the top offensive line prospects in this year’s draft.

For the past three months, the Coppell High School alum and former University of Texas lineman has been tested both mentally and physically to prove he’s NFL worthy.

“It’s a job interview, and it’s a day by day process.” Williams told CBS 11 Sports. “It’s traveling. It’s working out. It’s doing everything you can just to get to the draft.”

Texas offensive lineman Connor Williams answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine on March 1, 2018 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

And that includes how Williams will look when he arrives to AT&T Stadium for the first round of the draft on Thursday.

In addition to strengthening his football skills, Williams has been flexing his sense of style to prove he’s ready for the red carpet at the draft.

“This is the fun part.” Williams confessed while being fitted in his draft day attire at Lombardo’s Custom Apparel in far North Dallas.

“He has to get best dressed” Jay Lombardo, proprietor of Lombardo’s Custom Apparel demanded at the fitting.

“It’s such a unique jacket, that shows a lot of bling. But everything is toned down a bit. You combine the two, it’s the perfect elegant look. He will look like a million bucks on the red carpet.”

Which seem appropriate since Williams is on the verge of signing a multi-million dollar contract after he get’s drafted this week.

FORT WORTH, Texas (CBS11 SPORTS) – It’s NFL Draft Week in North Texas, and time to reveal the contents of the 2018 Big Green NFL Draft Scouting Notebook.

The Cowboys have definite needs at wide receiver, tight end, linebacker and safety, and that’s the four positions we addressed in the first four rounds of Dallas Dream Draft 1.0:

1st—#19—D. J. MOORE—WR—Maryland
With the release of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have an obvious need to add a dynamic playmaker who can play the X wide receiver spot, and this 6-foot, 210 pounder has all the tools. He has “easy” 4.42 speed with explosion, as evidenced by his 39 ½ inch vertical and 11-foot broad jump at the combine. Maryland strength coach Rick Court, who was at Mississippi State with Dak Prescott, ranks Moore “right up there at the top of the list of the best guys” he’s coached. Court calls Moore “unbelievably coachable.”

Maryland wide receiver D.J. Moore in action during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

2nd—#59—MARK ANDREWS—TE—Oklahoma
The heir apparent to Jason Witten, this 6-5, 256 pounder would replace fellow Sooner James Hanna, who retired this week. Andrews caught 22 TD passes in 3 seasons, QB Baker Mayfield’s best friend in the passing game. Andrews plays like a cerebral, savvy veteran who understands route concepts, plus showed good athleticism, running a 4.58 forty at the combine.

3rd—#81—SHAQUEM GRIFFIN—LB—Central Florida
Cowboys have a big need at LB with the departure of Anthony Hitchens in free agency. I like Alabama’s Rashaan Evans as a 1st round possibility, but since we went the WR route in this mock draft, we’ll take our WLB here. Griffin is the best story in this draft, earning American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors and making the most of his late invite to the scouting combine. A 6-foot, 227 pounder, he flashed 4.38 speed and put up 225 pounds 20 times without a left hand.

4th—#116—KYZIR WHITE—S—West Virginia
6-2, 218 pounder shows playmaking instincts in the passing game and is an explosive defender…physical…packs a punch.

4th—#137—POONA FORD—DT—Texas
The biggest combine snub, built like a fire hydrant, this 6-foot, 306 pounder gets leverage on bigger offensive linemen, team captain, Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, plays with explosion and ferocity.

Poona Ford #95 of the Texas Longhorns during the Academy Sports & Outdoors Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

5th—#171—AKRUM WADLEY—RB—Iowa
Cowboys need a 3rd down changeup satellite back who can also run between the tackles, and this guy has some high stepping flash and quickness to his running style… tough, confident 5-10, 194 pounder who rushed for over 1000 yards each of the last two seasons for the Hawkeyes.

6th—#192—MATT PRYOR—OL—TCU
Massive 6-7, 328 pounder who started 32 games, including 8 starts at RG and 6 starts at RT his senior year.

6th—#193—DIMITRI FLOWERS—FB—Oklahoma
Versatile 6-2, 248 pounder who has a similar skill set to newly acquired veteran FB Jamize Olawale… high football IQ, son of former Buffalo Bills 1st round pick DE Erik Flowers…caught 26 passes his senior season and 13 career TD grabs.

6th—#208—JA’VON ROLLAND-JONES—DE—Arkansas State
Mesquite High School grad recorded 42 career sacks and 63 tackles for loss.

Arkansas State defensive lineman Ja’von Rolland-Jones (DL44) runs in the 40 yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 4, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

7th—#236—SHAUN DION HAMILTON—LB—Alabama
Described as the brains behind the Alabama defense, Hamilton is projected to fall to the late rounds after suffering season ending right knee injuries the last two seasons.

By Jason Keidel

Even the most ardent football fans must be suffering from some form of mock draft fatigue.

With the real NFL Draft coming this week, we’ve seen every projection, permutation and computation. Every pundit on the planet has thrown down on this QB-fertile occasion, which will start on Thursday in Dallas, at AT&T Stadium.

It’s fitting that something so massive and festive should be hosted at Jerry’s World, where football and fantasy are fused for eight Sundays every autumn.

Now the first official salvo of America’s game now truly belongs to America, with rotating locations across our map. Last year’s festivities, held in Philadelphia, was a resounding success. And a precursor to Philadelphia’s first Super Bowl title. While Dallas has won five Super Bowls, it’s been awhile since they’ve contended for a Lombardi Trophy, and hope some of that draft luck rubs off on the Cowboys.

But long before the Eagles or Cowboys pick a player, the main nerve of this year’s draft resides in the first six or seven picks, where, presumably, at least four quarterbacks will be grabbed by the more forlorn franchises of football, desperate for a QB.

No matter the mock draft you find most reliable, no one doubts the Cleveland Browns, the NFL’s most forlorn franchise, which posted an 0-16 record in 2017, and armed with the first and fourth picks in the draft, will bag a signal-caller with one of them.

>>WATCH: CBS Sports HQ Live NFL Draft Coverage

Saquon Barkley (Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

But this draft doesn’t really start until the New York Giants make their selection at No. 2, and the rest of the draft pivots off that pick. New Giants GM Dave Gettleman is playing with a serious poker face, unwilling to tip his draft hand in any direction, though many draft gurus have Big Blue going with Penn State RB Saquon Barkley. Even if it’s become increasingly trendy for teams to pluck running backs in later rounds, many have Barkley rated as the top pure talent in the draft.

It says here the Giants are in perfect position to make a more prudent move — pick a quarterback, groom him at the altar of Eli Manning, and make a smooth transition once the two-time Super Bowl MVP retires. As gifted as Barkley may be, he will never be the face of the franchise — unless the G-Men trade Odell Beckham Jr. — nor its best player. Even with their obvious need and opportunity to pick a quarterback, word is the only way the Giants are assured to draft a QB is if the Browns take Josh Allen out of Wyoming, which would drop USC’s Sam Darnold onto the Giants’ lap.

Allen is one of those draft darlings we see every spring. Despite a dubious record at Wyoming, where he completed just 56 percent of his passes against questionable competition, Allen is big, strong, and can throw a football through two zip codes. Of course, every potential NFL player looks resplendent in a t-shirt and shorts. Ever since Mike Mamula wowed NFL scouts with a bionic combine, there’s been a sense that college stars can hypnotize otherwise sagacious personnel men with pre-draft splendor. The Boston College linebacker short-circuited stop-watches and stretched tape measures during the NFL combine, leaped up to a top-ten pick, was nabbed by the Eagles, and never lived up to his pre-draft projections.

But that’s part of the fun, beauty, and artistry of the NFL Draft. Equal parts science and projection, no one can tell for sure which college player will grow into his NFL body.  Despite all the film and tape measures and stop watches and interviews, drafting college players is no more certain than it was 10 or 20 years ago. With a few exceptions, like John Elway and Andrew Luck, there’s no such thing as a sure thing. Even the greatest regular-season QB of all-time, Peyton Manning, was not the presumed top pick of the 1998 draft. You may recall there were many pundits pining for Ryan Leaf, who unraveled into one of the biggest busts in NFL history. The man many call the GOAT, Tom Brady, was stolen in the sixth round, the 199th pick, and the sixth QB taken in 1999.

Josh Rosen may be the most pro-ready QB coming out of college. But no matter who the Giants have as their top QB — rumors are that Darnold is their top-rated passer — they need to take him. No one should know the importance of the QB more than the Giants, who haven’t had to worry about theirs since 2004. Of the NFL’s best running backs, only Ezekiel Elliott was taken in the top-five. Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson, Alvin Kamara, and Kareem Hunt were taken after the first round, and many feel this draft is typically littered with gifted runners.

If the Giants go against the current and take Barkley, then a conga line of NFL clubs will be quite grateful, especially the Giants’ co-tenants at MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets. (Few expect Darnold to last until the third pick, where the Jets could pick him.) It will also inexorably hurt their future. As soon as Eli retires, the Giants can’t hand the ball to Barkley as the franchise QB.

Maybe the Giants are just posturing, and really plan to pluck a QB or trade their pick for a slew of other picks, move down a few spots, then grab Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson, the last two Heisman Trophy winners. Either way, the 2018 NFL Draft doesn’t start until the New York “Football” Giants make that move.

Jason writes a weekly column for CBS Local Sports. He is a native New Yorker, sans the elitist sensibilities, and believes there’s a world west of the Hudson River. A Yankees devotee and Steelers groupie, he has been scouring the forest of fertile NYC sports sections since the 1970s. He has written over 500 columns for WFAN/CBS NY, and also worked as a freelance writer for Sports Illustrated and Newsday subsidiary amNew York. He made his bones as a boxing writer, occasionally covering fights in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, but mostly inside Madison Square Garden. Follow him on Twitter @JasonKeidel.

The Brewers said that Nelson died Monday after a long illness.

Nelson joined the Brewers as a roving minor league instructor in 2001 before joining the big league team as first base coach two years later. He became an analyst with FOX Sports Wisconsin in 2006 and took a front-office role with the Brewers organization.

Nelson also had coaching stints with the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians and the Montreal Expos.

He played in the majors from 1968-77 as an infielder, and was with the Washington Senators when the franchise moved to become the Texas Rangers. Nelson made the 1973 AL All-Star team after batting .286 with 43 stolen bases with Texas.

Nelson also played with the Indians and Kansas City Royals during his career.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

By Sam McPherson

In January, Andrew Landry just missed winning his first PGA Tour event when he lost on the fourth hole of sudden death to Spain’s Jon Rahm at the CareerBuilder Challenge in Palm Springs, California. On Sunday in San Antonio at the Valero Texas Open, however, Landry made sure there would be no playoff, as he shot a closing-round 68 to finish 17-under par and clinch that elusive first Tour victory.

Landry was the only golfer in the tournament to card all four rounds in the 60s on the TPC San Antonio Oaks Course, and as a result, he finished two shots ahead of runners-up Trey Mullinax and Sean O’Hair. Jimmy Walker finished three shots off the lead. Landry was tied for the lead after the third round with Zach Johnson, who struggled on Sunday and finished four strokes back in fifth place. All five top finishers are American golfers, the first time that has happened since the Genesis Open in February.

O’Hair shot the low round on Sunday, posting a 66 to move up three spots on the leaderboard; Walker shot a 67 in the fourth round to move up one spot. But Landry’s steady hand won the day and the event. He started off right away on the first three holes, too, making birdie on each to break his tie with Johnson and own the top spot for the entire round. He added a birdie on the sixth hole and then cruised home on the back nine, shooting even par.

With the victory, Landry took home the $1.116 million winner’s prize, and he is projected to move up 33 places to ninth place overall in the FedExCup standings. His overall score was the lowest at this event since 2008, when Johnson won the first of two straight Texas Opens with a 19-under effort. Johnson was looking to become just the third man in PGA Tour history to win this event three times, but he made four bogeys on Sunday which erased a four-birdie effort on the scorecard.

First-round leader Grayson Murray finished 72-73 over the weekend after starting strong with a 67-69 effort. His Saturday and Sunday struggles left him in a tie for 16th place at 7-under, while Ryan Moore also saw a promising start turn into a grind over the weekend. His 68-67 on Thursday and Friday seemed to position him well, but Moore closed with 70-72 over the weekend to finish in seventh place with an 11-under total.

>>More: This Week In Golf

Next On The Tee: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

The PGA Tour stays in the South this week, heading east to TPC of Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This event, held in Avondale, is unique, as it features a team format. Eighty teams of two golfers compete in a stroke-play format, with alternate-shot play on Thursday and Saturday, combined with best-ball play on Friday and Sunday. The top 35 teams make the cut, including ties. The defending champions are Sweden’s Jonas Blixt and Australia’s Cameron Smith. They combined for 27-under par in last year’s event before winning the title in a playoff against Americans Scott Brown and Kevin Kisner.

Those two twosomes will be back in 2018, and the field promises to make this an exciting change-of-pace event in the spring stretch of the PGA Tour season. Landry will go for a second-straight victory, as the Zurich Classic does grant FedExCup points as well as tour exemptions. It just does not count toward world rankings, and no Masters invitation is awarded to the top finishers. The Texas Open champ is partnered with Talor Gooch, while Johnson is also playing this week with teammate Jonathan Byrd.

Fan favorites Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson are paired together, while O’Hair and Walker look to continue their success another week on Tour, this time together on the same squad. Europeans Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson are playing together in what is sure to be a formidable pair, and Jordan Spieth is playing with Ryan Palmer. Masters champion Patrick Reed returns to action with his partner, Patrick Cantlay, as well.

Pete Dye designed the TPC of Louisiana track, with some input from 1995 PGA Championship winner Steve Elkington. Opening in 2004, the course features an exciting and interesting combination of closing holes, as the 355-yard, par-4 16th hole leads into the 215-yard, par-3 17th and the 585-yard, par-5 final hole. To win this event, golfers need to be consistently good with all their clubs down the stretch.

The TPC of Louisiana Course plays 7,425 yards long and is a par 72.

Favorites: Kuchar/Watson, O’Hair/Walker, Rose/Stenson

Teams to Watch: Blixt/Smith, Reed/Cantlay, Spieth/Palmer

Sam McPherson is a freelance writer covering baseball, football, basketball, golf and fantasy sports for CBS Local. He also is an Ironman triathlete and certified triathlon coach. Follow him on Twitter @sxmcp, because he’s quite prolific despite also being a college English professor and a certified copy editor.

ARIZONA (CBS Local) – A former NFL kicker has apologized after sparking controversy by posing with a handgun in his daughter’s prom picture.

Jay Feely, who played for six NFL teams in his 14-year career, posted the picture on Twitter in which the pro athlete stood between his daughter and her prom date while holding the pistol. The father added “#BadBoys,” reportedly in reference to a scene in the movie “Bad Boys 2” where Martin Lawrence and Will Smith harass a teen who is dating the daughter of one of the characters.

Although both teens seemed to be amused with Feely’s actions, the April 21 photo set off a fierce debate on social media as to whether the father was promoting gun violence. The tweet was deemed by many to be “out of touch,” as the poorly-timed photo was taken just two months after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida which left 17 people dead.

“The prom picture I posted was obviously intended to be a joke,” Feely tweeted just 14 hours later on April 22. “I take gun safety seriously (the gun was not loaded and had no clip in).”

The CBS football analyst says that his daughter and the boy in the picture have been dating for over a year and knew he was making a joke on the couple’s prom night. Feely added he did not mean to be “insensitive” to the issue of gun safety. The photo has received over 135,000 likes and has not been taken down by the former kicker.

It’s NFL Draft week, which means the questions over who will be taken by which team will be answered shortly. As the draft party rolls into AT&T Stadium in Arlington this year, CBS Sports will be among those providing live coverage and analysis of every pick throughout all three days of the draft. The newly launched CBS Sports HQ, a 24/7 streaming sports site will be the home for all NFL Draft coverage for CBS, beginning with a preview show on Thursday night, April 26th at 7 p.m. Eastern time. After that hour-long preview show, draft analysts will provide coverage of every pick of the first round once it kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern.

To tune in to CBS Sports HQ’s coverage of the draft beginning on Thursday night, head over to the link here; or, you can watch on the CBS Sports App for your phone or connected TV (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, etc.). With HQ’s coverage, you’ll also get the latest scores, news and highlights from the NBA and NHL Playoffs, MLB and more.

After all, Sharapova is a former world No. 1 and five-time major winner who had been ranked seventh in the world when she was suspended in March 2016 for testing positive for the recently banned heart drug meldonium. But, now 12 months later, Sharapova is ranked No. 42, having struggled with injuries following her comeback.

“I didn’t put any expectations on myself coming back after the suspension,” Sharapova said.

“Missing that period of time at this age, and after going through different things in my life, whether it’s injury or surgery, just being away from the sport, even though you are resting your body and even though I was resting things that were hurting before, you can never replicate what you do in a match environment,” said Sharapova, who turned 31 earlier this month.

“I am still working through that, and I am still getting that back,” Sharapova added, “and that takes a while.”

Having started her comeback with a semifinals spot at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany a year ago, the two-time French Open winner was denied a wild card by Roland Garros tournament organizers the next month.

A left thigh injury, sustained in the second round of a clay-court event in Rome, then forced her out of Wimbledon qualifying, while a left arm injury meant she had to withdraw from hard-court events in August in Stanford, Toronto and Cincinnati.

But Sharapova celebrated her comeback to major tennis with a win over the second-seeded Simona Halep in the opening round of the U.S. Open, where she reached the fourth round. Her season peaked in October, when she won her 36th career title in Tianjin, China.

However, still hampered by a forearm injury, 2018 has been a frustrating year for Sharapova, who has won just five matches in four events, including back-to-back defeats in the opening rounds in Doha in February and in Indian Wells, California in March.

“One of the great things which I do love about [sports], which at the same time is incredibly difficult to take, is that a lot of sport is very results-oriented,” Sharapova said. “You can feel like you are moving forward although you lose a match, and the fact you are losing a match is making you feel like you are regressing.”

Still, Sharapova’s famously steely determination in the face of adversity has not waned.

“In terms of where my mind is, my motivation and the desire that I have for what I continue now when I am on center court, when I am away from the court and I have moments where my body feels like it’s not where it should be, where I am not healthy, or where it is just a day where I feel like being somewhere else, I still get through it, and I find a way to get through it and to me, that’s the best sign,” Sharapova said.

After losing to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in Indian Wells, Sharapova announced that she had parted ways with her long-time coach, Sven Groeneveld, after four years.

With the clay season now under way in Europe, could Sharapova kickstart her year this week in Stuttgart on what has become her most successful surface in recent years? A three-time winner on the indoor clay of Stuttgart, which is sponsored by her long-time endorser, Porsche, Sharapova will play seventh-ranked Caroline Garcia of France in the opening round.

She will do so with former coach Thomas Hogstedt by her side. The Swede had guided Sharapova to complete the career grand slam of all four majors with victory at the 2012 French Open. It was also her first major victory since a shoulder injury nearly ended her career in 2008.

Although Sharapova has become a successful businesswoman since winning Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 17, earning close to $300 million according to Forbes in on- and off-court earnings from endorsements, exhibitions, royalties and businesses including her own candy and chocolate brand, nothing will ever come close to competing for the biggest prizes in tennis.

“Being in that moment of winning and that last point of a match, especially in a grand slam final, is extraordinary,” Sharapova said. “And I’ve experienced it five times in my life and I’ve been playing this sport since I was four years old. It’s very, very different.”

Although she turned pro at the age of 14, Sharapova isn’t thinking about retirement just yet. “I haven’t set a time table for myself, but I’ve always said that I would do it on my own terms,” she said. “And when I say ‘on my own terms,’ so many questions are goal oriented. You start a season and it’s like what’s your goal?”

“When you’ve experienced grand slam victories, it’s absolutely natural to have that goal in your mind,” Sharapova said. “It would be silly for me to say my goal for this year is to win a lower-tier tournament because I strive to be on the big stage and to win on the big stage. I’ve experienced it, and I know what it’s like and I want that feeling again. I continue to work for that.”

“There’s been a lot of talk of the Olympics and Japan, and some people are saying I’m going to go to the Olympics and some people say no,” said Sharapova, who missed the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing because of a shoulder injury and didn’t compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics because of the suspension.

“And it’s funny when people speak about you, when you actually don’t know when that time will be,” Sharapova said. “I’d love to play in another Olympics, but I don’t know if that will happen and at this point in 2018, I don’t really want to know. I want to keep going and I want to keep working and see where that takes me.”

(© Copyright 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Why is Xander Bogaerts making an L with his fingers and dancing on second base? Who’s the Ninja on Phil Hughes’ Twitter feed? What’s with Derek Fisher and llamas?

Just like gamers everywhere, major leaguers have fallen hard for the Fortnite craze. And while it’s not how John McGraw would teach teamwork, Port-a-Forts and Slurp Juice may be the biggest thing bonding some big leaguers.

“We play all day, every day,” Springer said.

Fortnite Battle Royale is perhaps the world’s most popular video game, and baseball players are among its most voracious players. The game pits up to 100 competitors in a last-man-standing scenario, letting them mine materials from an ever-shrinking map while hunting down enemies with a variety of weapons. Working in teams is often critical, which is how the World Series champion Astros ended up with a 12-man crew which plays almost nightly at the team hotel on the road.

Springer and Houston’s other outfielders have even been celebrating victories by performing dances from the game — the trio forms a circle, throws their hands in the air and quickly moves their feet, a move Fortnite apparently adapted from an episode of Seinfeld.

Bogaerts was doing something similar on opening day, celebrating a double by doing the “Take The L ” dance — a popular Fortnite taunt.

The Red Sox have a Fortnite squad that covers an array of ages. The 32-year-old Price was a little late to the game — he heard teammates talking about it near the end of spring training and privately tested it out before trying to break into the team’s Playstation rotation. He practiced a bit with J.D. Martinez, a former Tigers teammate who signed with Boston as a free agent this winter, then got into melees with reliever Carson Smith.

“We play together at the field, at the hotel on the road or at home whenever we get home from the field,” Price said. “It’s something that’s kind of taken over.”

Craig Kimbrel, Chris Sale, Matt Barnes and Eduardo Rodriguez have helped them round out a regular Fortnite crew. Sale even bought himself an Xbox just to play the game.

“Everybody’s kind of in on it,” Barnes said. “It gives us something to do outside the field. It’s fun and we’re still hanging out.”

Barnes spoke while watching Rodriguez play Fortnite in the Fenway Park clubhouse before a game. He and Sale provided commentary on Rodriguez’s battle — at one point, Barnes cut off the interview to warn “watch it Eddie.”

Turns out, hypercompetitive men in their 20s and 30s make the perfect audience for the 100-person showdowns. And at least in Boston, it’s been great at bringing players together off the field.

“It is,” Martinez said. “In a weird way, we all play video games, but we play with each other.”

Even the sport’s aging veterans are getting in on the act. That includes 34-year-old Dustin Pedroia, an elder statesman among the Red Sox.

“I personally haven’t played with Dustin, but I understand he’s in the mix,” said Smith, supposedly the best player in Boston’s clubhouse. “He’s starting to figure it out.”

Hughes, a starting pitcher with the Minnesota Twins, legitimized his Fortnite credentials in January by beating Ninja, one of the top Fortnite players in the world, and posting video of it to Twitter. Meanwhile in Houston, Jake Marisnick is the unquestioned king of the Tilted Towers, though Alex Bregman isn’t far behind.

Fisher, on the other hand, might be the most entertaining.

“Fish is loud,” Springer said. “Especially if he finds a llama. Don’t let Fish find a llama.”

“Don’t let me find a llama,” Fisher confirmed.

The craze has gone far beyond baseball. Fortnite was a hot topic around the Final Four, and Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews says he rarely leaves his apartment on days off because he’s so consumed. Indiana Pacers player Lance Stephenson wore custom Fortnite shoes during a game this month, and NBA stars Ben Simmons and Karl-Anthony Towns have even connected with fans by live streaming their Battle Royales.

Live streams of Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds — a similar game, often referred to as PUBG — have become a fascinating insight for fans into the lives of their favorite athletes. Tens of thousands of people have tuned into Simmons’ sessions on Twitch, but it’s not just superstars drawing eyeballs. Brewers minor leaguer Brett Phillips has had thousands of people view his Twitch feed, which has included cameos from friend and former teammate Lance McCullers Jr. of the Astros. Phillips’ Triple-A teammate Tim Dillard has even gotten over 30,000 views on a Fortnite parody videostarring former big leaguer Quintin Berry filmed around the Colorado Springs clubhouse.

The next time one of those Sky Sox crack a big league roster, they might find life isn’t so different between the minors and the majors.

“It’s just a bunch of dudes playing video games,” Springer said.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Karolyi told “Dateline NBC” in an episode that aired Sunday she “feels extremely bad” for the victims of Larry Nassar but downplayed the idea the atmosphere she created at the national team training center allowed Nassar’s behavior to run unchecked.

Karolyi led the national team for 15 years before retiring after the 2016 Rio Olympics. She told Savannah Guthrie she did not turn a blind eye to Nassar’s behavior and that the doctor conned her and husband Bela in much the same way he conned the parents and coaches of the athletes who Nassar abused.

Nassar spent nearly three decades at USA Gymnastics before being fired in 2015 after complaints about his behavior. He continued to work at Michigan State University through the fall of 2016 before being hit with federal charges. Nassar is now serving up to 175 years in prison for molesting women and girls and possessing child pornography.

Several gymnasts and coaches previously interviewed by The Associated Press said the Karolyis institutionalized a win-at-all-costs culture that forced girls to train while injured. The toxic environment allowed Nassar to flourish in part because the athletes were afraid to challenge authority, according to witness statements in Nassar’s criminal case and one of the lawsuits.

Karolyi, who led the U.S. to dozens of medals at the Olympics and world championships during her highly successful tenure, has been named as a co-defendant in at least two civil lawsuits that also name USA Gymnastics and Nassar.

She said she created a “very serious atmosphere” at the Karolyi Ranch that served as the national team headquarters and where some victims, including two-time Olympic medalist McKayla Maroney, say they were abused. Karolyi said her job was to prepare the athletes to compete at the highest level of the sport but denied being verbally abusive to athletes. Asked if she was emotionally abusive, Karolyi responded “it depends on the person” and later said “maybe that’s how it came across” before adding she didn’t know of another way to coach.

Jamie Dantzscher, a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team and one of the first women to come forward, told The Associated Press she wasn’t surprised the Karolyis sidestepped responsibility and pointed out the Karolyis allowed Nassar to treat the athletes alone in their rooms without another adult present.

“Regardless if they’re denying that they didn’t see it with their own eyes, they still allowed him in our rooms alone,” Dantzscher said. “They knew he was going into the rooms. He never reported the emotional and mental abuse, that’s how he was able to flourish in that element.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The prized prospect went 0 for 4 and stranded six runners during his highly anticipated debut for the New York Yankees, who nonetheless cruised to a 5-1 victory Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I feel good. Super excited,” Torres said afterward.

The 21-year-old infielder played second base and batted eighth in a Yankees lineup that didn’t include a player 30 or older for the first time since Sept. 29, 1989, according to STATS.

Rated among the top five or six prospects in baseball, Torres became the youngest position player to appear in a game for the Yankees since 20-year-old Melky Cabrera in 2005. Atlanta second baseman Ozzie Albies, also 21, is the only major leaguer younger than Torres to play in a game this season.

“We just feel like he’s ready,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “We think he has a chance to be a special player.”

The crowd at Yankee Stadium buzzed when Torres came to the plate for the first time with two runners in scoring position in the second inning. He received a warm ovation, then struck out swinging at an 82 mph curveball from left-hander Jaime Garcia for the second out.

With two on in the fourth, Torres grounded into an inning-ending double play. He also fouled out and flied out.

“Steps in the right direction I thought each time. Just didn’t impact the ball yet,” Boone said.

On defense, Torres started an inning-ending double play in the sixth.

Torres was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he was hitting .347 with a home run, three doubles, one triple and 11 RBIs. He got the news Saturday from RailRiders manager Bobby Mitchell, with his teammates around to take part in the celebration.

“A little bit surprised. Excited, and super happy,” Torres said. “I think every player has their dreams.”

Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees runs off the field to the dugout after the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 22, 2018 in New York City. (credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Torres can play all over the infield, but for now Boone said the club plans to play him on a regular basis at second base, which has been a problem spot this season. New York hopes Torres can provide a boost for a team that’s been shoddy on defense and inconsistent overall.

Boone said Torres doesn’t have a specific tool that will “wow” anyone, such as prodigious power or blazing speed. But he possesses an excellent sense of how to play the game.

“He’s a really complete player,” Boone said. “He does everything really well on a baseball field.”

One of four players acquired from the Chicago Cubs in July 2016 for Aroldis Chapman, now the Yankees’ closer again, Torres arrived in New York on Saturday evening and said his wife would be on hand for his debut.

Torres took optional batting practice on the field with teammates in the morning. When the Bleacher Creatures chanted his name during Roll Call at the beginning of the game, the rookie was ready and acknowledged them.

He said he had a difficult time nodding off Saturday night and got only three or four hours of sleep. He was given a locker between sluggers Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge, and wore No. 25 in pinstripes — same as former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira.

“I think it’s awesome that @TorresGleyber is wearing #25 for the @Yankees. I hope he becomes a star and millions buy his jerseys. Then when I see them in the stadium and on the streets I can tell people, “Look, another Tex jersey,” Teixeira tweeted.

Yankees newcomer Giancarlo Stanton, last year’s big league home run champion and NL MVP, said he likes Torres’ swing.

“There’s a lot going on, but it’s very precise. He’s got some cool action in there — and there’s some pop at the end,” Stanton said. “He’s going to be good, man. He is good already.”

New York also signed right-hander David Hale to a major league contract and selected him from Triple-A. Infielder-outfielder Jace Peterson was designated for assignment, and infielder Tyler Wade was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Wade was batting .086 (3 for 35) with four RBIs.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

And now it’s off to the European heartland of MotoGP after another dominant victory at the Grand Prix of the Americas and a leap toward the top of the season championship.

Marquez stormed to his sixth consecutive victory at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, once again making easy work of a track where the four-time MotoGP champion has seldom even been tested.

The only thing unusual about this race was Marquez’s starting spot. A penalty for interfering with Movistar Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales in qualifying had bumped Marquez and his Repsol Honda from pole position to fourth.

It made no difference.

A bolt off his starting line saw Marquez muscle past Vinales and into second behind Suzuki’s Andrea Iannone of Italy by the first turn. Iannone held the lead through the slingshot downhill left turn but couldn’t fight off Marquez to keep it.

By the time their bikes were ripping down the long straight halfway through the first lap, Marquez was on the hunt and he made an easy pass for the lead. From there, it was just a matter of avoiding mistakes on an easy Sunday drive.

Marc Marquez of Spain and Repsol Honda Team heads down a straight during the MotoGP race during the MotoGP Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix of The Americas on April 22, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (credit: Getty Images)

There was no chance of reeling him back to the pack. Marquez pulled away lap by lap until his lead reached 7 seconds, and then he coasted in for the win.

Vinales and Iannone knew their day would be a fight for second, not first. Vinales finished second and Iannone was third.

“Marc and this track are another story,” Iannone said. “I hope to fight with him another time.”

Marquez has been unbeatable at the Circuit of the Americas. He’s won every race since it first hosted MotoGP in 2013. Sunday’s victory moved Marquez to second in the season championship, a single point behind Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso of Italy.

And by quickly grabbing the lead Sunday, Marquez stayed clear from the kind of wild racing three weeks ago in Argentina that earned him two penalties for bumping other riders and causing a crash.

His antics in South America drew warnings from MotoGP officials that dangerous racing would draw heavy sanctions for any rider. Marquez was the first to feel the consequences with his penalty in Texas for impeding Vinales in qualifying.

Marquez had seemed cavalier about the penalty that bumped him from pole position and showed why on Sunday: No other rider was in his class once the race started.

“After what happened in Argentina, I changed my strategy and tried to lead from the start,” Marquez said. “Once I saw the gap, I was able to manage the race.”

As he crossed the finish line, Marquez stood on his bike, thumped his chest with both hands and took a bow toward his garage. He also grabbed an American flag for a victory lap to honor Nicky Hayden, the American 2006 MotoGP champion who died in 2017 when he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle in Italy.

“I enjoyed a lot to make that lap in his memory,” Marquez said.

Vinales’ first podium of the season puts him just four points behind Marquez in the championship standings heading to the next race in Spain. Vinales won three of the first five races of 2017 but hasn’t taken the checkered flag since winning in France nearly a year ago.

“We are coming,” Vinales said. “I’m actually really happy. Today I think was the maximum we could do. I can’t wait to get to Spain.”

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Fans buying clothes at an Ezekiel Elliott pop-up store in Dallas. (CBS11)

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A pop-up store featuring Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott showed up in Dallas on Sunday.

The store popped up at Mockingbird Station and featured the fan favorite’s new brand logo.

Ezekiel Elliott shirt with logo. (CBS11)

A line of fans could be seen waiting to approach the store and even get a picture with Zeke.

Fans waiting in line at the Ezekiel Elliott pop-up store. (CBS11)

The event was supposed to end at 5 p.m. but it stayed open a little longer as the running back tweeted he would stay to meet the fans who waited to see him.

Ezekiel Elliott met with fans at a pop-up store in Dallas. (CBS11)

The 30-year-old Texan parred the final seven holes for a 4-under 68 and a two-stroke victory over Trey Mullinax and Sean O’Hair. Landry finished at 17-under 271 at TPC San Antonio.

Landry took a two-stroke lead to the par-5 18th after Mullinax chunked a flop shot and bogeyed the short par-4 17th. Landry hit a 55-foot putt over a ridge to 3 feet for par on 17 and made an 8-footer on 18 after running a 50-foot downhill birdie try past.

Mullinax closed with a 69 a day after breaking the AT&T Oaks Course record with a 62. O’Hair shot 66.

Tied for the third-round lead with Zach Johnson, Landry birdied the first three holes and added two more on Nos. 6 and 10. He bogeyed the par-4 11th before the closing par run.

Landry won in his 32nd PGA Tour start. He earned his tour card last year on the Web.com Tour, and lost a playoff to Jon Rahm in January in the CareerBuilder Challenge.

Landry played at Arkansas after starring at Port Neches-Groves High School east of Houston. He now lives in the Austin area.

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Mazara pulled a shot into the right-center seats beyond the Rangers bullpen in the fourth, a drive that would have been 441 feet unimpeded. Adrian Beltre walked. Gallo’s opposite-field popup that carried into the Seattle bullpen for his seventh homer and a 4-0 lead over Erasmo Ramirez (0-1), who was making his season debut.

Martin Perez (2-2) gave up seven hits, walked a batter and hit another one in six innings before leaving with a 5-2 lead. The Texas lefty, who has given up 36 hits and eight walks in 18 1/3 innings this season, lowered his ERA from 13.14 to 9.82.

Keone Kela worked a scoreless ninth for his third save. He allowed consecutive hits starting the inning, but the game ended when shortstop Jurickson Profar made a tough catch of a popup in shallow left field.

Mitch Haniger homered in all three games of the series. His two-run shot in the seventh off Matt Bush got the Mariners to 5-4 before they loaded the bases against the second reliever in the inning. Jake Diekman had a throwing error and a walk, then struck out David Freitas and pinch-hitter Mike Zunino to end the threat.

That came an inning after Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields, activated from the disabled list for his first game since March 30, had a homer-robbing catch of a Frietas drive. DeShields had surgery three weeks ago to remove a broken hamate bone from his left hand.

Ramirez, who didn’t appear in a spring training game and started the season on the disabled list because of a strained right lat, allowed five runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings.

To make room on the 25-man roster for Ramirez, the Mariners optioned Guillermo Heredia, one of their five outfielders, to Triple-A Tacoma. Ichiro Suzuki, the 44-year-old outfielder who stayed, had two infield singles and walked twice.

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Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four 3-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the fire-away Rockets from behind the arc and cruise down the stretch behind a 50 percent shooting performance.

Derrick Rose added 17 points off the bench for the Wolves, who will try to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Monday night.

James Harden led the way with 29 points, but Chris Paul fouled out with 17 points and the Rockets went just 15 for 41 from 3-point range.

The Rockets made four 3-pointers on their last seven possessions of the first half to turn an 11-point deficit to just one in less than 3½ minutes up until the break. Butler twisted his left ankle during that stretch, causing some brief anxiety in the arena. He didn’t require, or accept, any medical attention and returned from the intermission without any hint that he was hurt.

Taj Gibson hounded Harden and forced an airballed 3-pointer, prompting the apex of the noise throughout the night with the Wolves ahead 77-70. Towns powered his way past Ryan Anderson for a layup and a three-point play with 1:57 left in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 10 points, and he flexed his biceps to the crowd after the whistle as he walked like King Kong to the corner of the court in celebration.

The Wolves closed that period on a 26-14 run and produced spurts of 15-3 and 11-2 in the fourth quarter to let loose as their plan to push a faster pace played out perfectly against a Rockets team that lost some energy in the venue shift north.

Harden, who had 44 points in Game 1 but lost his rainbow jumper in Game 2 and finished only 2 for 18 from the floor for 12 points, wasn’t a whole lot sharper in Game 3. He went 9 for 21, including 3 for 8 from 3-point range.

Instead, a Wolves team that finished last in the NBA in 3-pointers made during the regular season, posted the second-highest total of 2017-18 while launching their way to a 15-for-27 performance.

For the first time since May 29, 2004, the fifth game of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA playoffs descended on downtown Minneapolis. The shine of this long-awaited return to relevance by the 29-year-old franchise was dulled a bit by the team’s fade down the stretch to finish eighth in the conference and draw the most daunting matchup available against a Rockets team that won all four regular season games by an average of 16 points and took the first two games of this series in Houston.

The occasion was still special, though, with the memory of late coach and executive Flip Saunders not far from the minds of the Target Center regulars. The game sold out, naturally, and the crowd matched the moment to make the arena louder than it had been all season.

After totaling only 13 points over the first two games and being challenged to be more aggressive by everyone from TNT analyst Charles Barkley to Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau, Towns was constantly double-teamed by the switch-heavy Rockets and didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter. The 7-footer got his energy going soon after that, though, with an emphatic dunk on Chris Capela after peeling away from the post-up to snag a high pass from Teague.

Rose, one of three former Chicago Bulls stalwarts under Thibodeau with Butler and Gibson who were brought in to bring the edge and experience the cornerstones Towns and Wiggins are lacking, made his presence obvious the entire time he was in the game.

He hit a step-back jumper to give the Wolves a 46-36 lead that was their largest of the series to that point, and he had 10 points in nine minutes before halftime.

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(CBS Sports)- Last summer was an aberration in the NBA coaching world, as zero — ZERO! — teams made a change. It turned out that this did not reflect the profession getting less volatile, as three coaches — Earl Watson in Phoenix, David Fizdale in Memphis and Jason Kidd in Milwaukee — were fired midseason. Three more — Jeff Hornacek in New York, Steve Clifford in Charlotte and Frank Vogel in Orlando — have been dismissed since the end of the regular season, and it is possible there are more shakeups to come.

As several teams conduct their coaching searches, here is an ideal candidate to fill each opening:

Knicks: David Fizdale

Fizdale and Villanova coach Jay Wright are my two favorite candidates for this position, but since there is no indication that Wright and the Knicks will actually have a conversation, let’s go with what appears to be the more realistic choice. New York’s top executives have said they are looking for someone who (among other things) knows the modern game, can inspire players to play hard on defense and will be able to deal with the media spotlight that comes with being in a massive market. Fizdale fits the bill in these areas, and while he isn’t the splashiest possible hire, he is definitely not an unknown, either.

Given the Knicks’ recent track record of cycling through coaches and the fact that Fizdale will likely have more than one option to choose from, they might need to offer him a long-term, big-money deal. This isn’t necessarily a negative — whoever gets this job will be Kristaps Porzingis‘ fourth coach in four years, and the organization needs to make a strong commitment to somebody. New York’s lack of stability is a problem not just in terms of player development, but in terms of its reputation around the league. If Fizdale and the front office are aligned in terms of how the Knicks should play and when they should be competitive again, this could be a perfect fit.

Mike Budenholzer (Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Suns: Mike Budenholzer

It is clear that Phoenix wants a coach with experience. Budenholzer, who reportedly met with the front office and ownership on Monday and Tuesday, has no shortage of that, having spent 19 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before getting his first head-coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks in 2013. His track record since then is impeccable, and it is not just because he wrung 60 wins out of a team that had no traditional franchise player (but four All-Stars) in 2013. Budenholzer’s best attribute is that he knows exactly how he wants to play, and he can develop players so they fit into his system. For a team that is devoid of an identity, hiring him would make a lot of sense.

Budenholzer gives his players freedom on offense, preferring to run offense that empowers them to make reads rather than scripting plays. He is a perfectionist when it comes to spacing and he does not want the ball to stick in anyone’s hands for too long. As we’ve seen this year in Atlanta, all of that fun stuff does not translate to wins without talent. It matters, though, in terms of showing a young player like Devin Booker that the Suns have a real road map. One major question: Would general manager Ryan McDonough allow Budenholzer to have a say in personnel decisions? Budenholzer’s system is not for everybody.

Hawks: Jarron Collins

If Budenholzer goes to Phoenix (or elsewhere), there will be a hole to fill in Atlanta, where general manager Travis Schlenk is quietly executing a rebuild centered around Taurean Prince, John Collins and whoever the Hawks select in this June’s draft. (They have three picks in the first round, including the one they earned by going 24-58 this season, the worst mark in the East.) Teams in this stage usually don’t go after big-name candidates, so I’m throwing Collins’ name out there as a representative of all the up-and-coming assistant coaches hoping to get their first shot at running their own team.

Collins has a history with Schlenk, having spent the last four years working under Steve Kerr for the Golden State Warriors. (Schlenk was the Warriors’ assistant general manager before the Hawks hired him a year ago.) His playing experience is an asset, but the same could be said for some other assistant coaches who have spent even longer on the sideline, including Hawks assistant coach Darvin Ham.

Hornets: Jerry Stackhouse

It is hard to read the Hornets, who have reportedly been given permission to interview 58-year-old Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina. Stackhouse and Messina’s resumes couldn’t be more different, but they both have connections to new general manager Mitch Kupchak — Stackhouse through the University of North Carolina and Messina through his season as an assistant coach under Mike Brown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

I’d love to see Messina run his own team, but I’m just not sure that Charlotte is the right fit. Is Kupchak going to overhaul the team this summer? Is his goal to make the playoffs next season or in three-to-four years? The Hornets are firmly aboard the treadmill of mediocrity, and they need to get on a path that leads somewhere sustainable. In this situation, it is easy to sell the hiring of a young coach with potential, such as Stackhouse. If he is hired, he will win the press conference by talking about defense, toughness and player development. What comes after that? It depends almost entirely on what Kupchak does with the roster.

Jeff Bzdelik (Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Bucks: Jeff Bzdelik

The league has completely changed since Bzdelik was last a head coach (in 2004 with the Denver Nuggets), but he has very clearly evolved with the times. The mastermind behind the Houston Rockets‘ switch-heavy defense, it is easy to imagine him reshaping the Bucks into an absolute force on that end of the floor. Milwaukee should be looking for someone who is in tune with the modern NBA and can help them both win now and lay a foundation for the future. This Houston season suggests he deserves another shot.

(I was tempted to go with Jeff Van Gundy here. He has been selective about interviewing for coaching jobs over the past few years, but he did pursue the Pelicans‘ and Wolves’ openings because of the opportunity to coach young superstars. It follows, then, that Giannis Antetokounmpo would presumably appeal to him. I’m just not sure I can choose Van Gundy over Bzdelik, given that it’s impossible to know how the former would adapt to the pace-and-space era. This is really a toss-up.)

Magic: Nick Nurse

Nurse isn’t a flashy name, but that shouldn’t matter much to Orlando. Team president Jeff Weltman worked with him in Toronto and knows just how important he has been to that organization. As is the case with Bzdelik, the 2017-18 season has basically served as an advertisement for Nurse’s coaching acumen, though it’s all about offense, not defense. The Raptors have radically changed their style this year by implementing a system that Nurse first pitched in the summer of 2013, and the results have been spectacular.

Also worth noting: While you might have never even heard of Nurse, people in the league respect his vast and varied experience. He spent 12 years coaching in Europe and had an extremely successful run in what was then known as the D-League before the Raptors hired him. This would not be his first head-coaching job, just his first in the NBA.

Grizzlies: To be determined

I am genuinely at a loss here. Are the Grizzlies on the verge of blowing everything up, or are they going to give it another go with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol? We don’t know where their lottery pick will land, we don’t know what they think about interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff and we don’t know if they are ever going to be willing to pay top dollar for a head coach. Their future seems extremely up in the air, and even their recent past is confusing — I am still trying to figure out how they bungled the Tyreke Evans situation so badly at the trade deadline.

There have been no reports of an actual coaching search in Memphis yet. The same is true of Milwaukee, but that team’s season isn’t over yet. Without having a clue about the direction the team is about to take, I can’t in good conscience offer any suggestions.

The 7-foot, 280-pound Azubuike missed most of his freshman season with a wrist injury, but was often dominant in helping the Jayhawks to the Final Four this past year. He averaged 13 points and seven rebounds while shooting 77 percent from the field, the second-best mark in NCAA history.

Azubuike, who was born in Nigeria, plans to attend the NBA draft combine in May in Chicago, then speak with teams to gauge his draft potential. He must decide by May 30 whether to stay in the draft or return to Kansas.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self said Friday he encouraged Azubuike to “test the waters.”

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Matthews announced his decision on Friday.

He can start working out for NBA teams on Tuesday in the hopes of being picked to participate in the draft combine next month in Chicago. Matthews has until May 30 to stay in the draft or withdraw his name from consideration.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard helped the Wolverines advance to the NCAA finals and had a career-high 31 points in a Sweet 16 win over Texas A&M. He started all 41 games and averaged 13 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his first season playing at Michigan after transferring from Kentucky.

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Together, they have the fiercest rivalry on two wheels, with crashes, kicks and harsh words in a simmering feud that can erupt at any race.

Given their most recent dustup, three weeks ago in Argentina when the Italian Rossi called the Spaniard Marquez a “dirty” rider, the series’ return to the track at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Texas could spark some new fireworks.

Other riders are starting to tire of the bickering. Australia’s Jack Miller even suggested it is dangerous for others on the track.

“We are all here racing and risking our lives,” Miller said. “I think it is quite silly and immature.”

Rossi, 39, and Marquez, 24, have won 11 MotoGP championships between them. Rossi’s last world title was in 2009 and Marquez has dominated the recent era with four championships since 2013. Their nastiest battle came in 2015 when Rossi appeared to kick Marquez in the Malaysian Grand Prix and sent him tumbling into a crash that knocked Marquez out of the race.

The kick also cost Rossi a shot at his 10th championship as he was forced to start the final race that season from the back of the grid as a penalty; he ultimately lost the title to Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate, Jorge Lorenzo.

The kick that season was the lowlight in an already tense sprint to the finish that saw Marquez even complain that an Italian television comedy crew was harassing his family late in the season.

The feud had been somewhat dormant until Marquez’s wild race in Argentina. It began with him frantically trying to restart after his motorcycle stalled on the starting grid. After disrupting the grid and ignoring orders to go to the back, Marquez was forced to ride through pit lane after the race started. He’d been heavily favored and his desperate bid to get back to the front was chaotic as Marquez first bumped Aleix Espargo and then knocked Rossi into the grass and out of the race.

Marquez, who was penalized for both incidents, blamed the touch with Rossi on wet conditions on the track and finished 18th. Rossi called Marquez a menace who is “destroying the sport” with his aggressive driving.

“It was a strange race,” said Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, who won the race and took the lead in the season standings. “Not only from my point of view, but what was going on behind.”

Neither rider seemed interested in fanning the flames ahead of Sunday’s race, at least not in their English language interviews Thursday. Rossi said he is not yet ready to meet with Marquez to hash things out. He also didn’t back off is post-race comments criticizing Marquez.

“I think exactly what I said after the race in Argentina,” Rossi said. “It’s better to look forward.”

When asked about Rossi, Marquez also decided to keep it generic.

“I’m a rider. I like to learn from everything. From that Sunday, everyone can learn and we’ll try to improve for the future,” Marquez said.

Marquez could tamp things down quickly if he shows the same dominant form he’s had over the last several years at the Circuit of the Americas. The track built for Formula One cars has been a sweet spot for Marquez as his powerful Repsol Honda has scarcely been challenged through its s-curves and long straight. Marquez has won the Texas race the last five years with a pace that has often left Rossi well back in the distance.

Rossi’s Yamaha may still make it a fight. He finished third in 2015 and second last year, a result that temporarily put him on top of the season standings. Marquez and Rossi were 1-2 in Friday’s first practice session.

Everyone will be watching for new clashes this weekend. France’s Johann Zarco said the feud threatens to overtake MotoGP when there is good racing throughout the grid.

“We are touching two gods, we have (Rossi) that is the first god and now Marc is becoming this other god because he is doing incredible things,” Zarco said. “It is between riders that we must almost speak together and find a solution together.”

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Ryan Mayer

Baseball cards have long been a hobby in the United States, with many people beginning their collections as kids. In many cases, the hobby doesn’t last beyond childhood. However, there are still plenty of folks out there who continue their collecting well into their adult years, searching for those rare cards that are valued above all others. On Thursday night, one of those rare cards came onto the market and was sold for nearly 3 million dollars.

According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card in mint condition was sold at auction for $2.88 million. The owner of the card was none other than former NFL offensive lineman Evan Mathis. According to Rovell, the sale is the second-highest price ever paid for a card, behind the $3.12 million paid for a 1909 T206 Honus Wagner card back in 2016. The T206 is considered one of, if not the rarest card in existence, so seeing a card sell for close to that same amount is eye-opening.

In Rovell’s piece, he notes that the Mantle card has continuously risen in value, now to the point where it sold for ten times what the value of it was back in 2007.

“In 1988, this card in its best condition could be had for $3,300. Ten years later, the record was $121,000. By 2007, the top sale for the card — which was a comparable PSA 9 — was $240,000.”

For Mathis, he told the Associated Press back in March that he didn’t think he’d regret selling the card because he’d “have a nice house to show for it instead of the card”.

(CBS Sports)- Orioles infielder Manny Machado endured a bit of a disappointing 2017 season, but thus far in 2018 he’s producing in line with expectations. Through 19 games, Machado in this, his age-25 campaign owns a slash line of .338/.414/.623 (189 OPS+) with five home runs and seven doubles. Those are excellent numbers, to say the least.

Machado of course is bound for a big payday next winter. He’s very young as pending free agents go, he’s a difference-maker at the plate, and this season he’s resumed his role as a primary shortstop, which will only expand his pool of potential suitors. At the same time, Machado’s Orioles are terrible. For evidence of this stirring claim, this scribe would point you to the current AL East standings …

Yes, Baltimore is already 11 1/2 games out of first place. In related matters, they’re percentage points behind even the similarly miserable Rays, and they’re on pace for 119 losses. No, the O’s aren’t going to lose 119 games this season, but they’re far more likely to finish last than they are to contend for a playoff spot. Throw in the fact that the Orioles engaged in Machado trade talks this past offseason, and it seems highly likely that Machado will be moved prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

As long as the Orioles had fever dreams of contention in 2018, they also had the rationale they needed to keep Machado. Even though we’re still in April, they’ve reduced themselves from “not likely to contend” to “legitimate designs on the top overall draft pick.” There’s no chance that Machado will sign an extension in Baltimore, which presents the club with a choice: Let Machado walk next winter in exchange for compensatory draft picks and finish far out of contention in 2018 … or trade Machado for a more bankable package of prospects before July 31 and finish far out of contention in 2018. Add it all up — Machado’s impressive start, the Orioles’ awfulness, and the recent willingness of the team to engage in trade talks — and it becomes clear that Machado will be dealt during the season.

Machado’s under contract for $16 million this season, and as mentioned he’s almost certainly a rental. That said, he’s a true needle-mover. Potential fits? Much depends on Machado’s willingness to go back to third base, which would broaden the trade market. Machado, to state the obvious, is under no obligation to make it easier for the Orioles to trade him, and he justifiably may prefer to establish himself as a full-time shortstop headed into free agency.

Assuming he’s a shortstop, then perhaps the Mets would be interested. Machado would upgrade the position significantly, and Amed Rosario would get a bit more time to develop his bat without being blocked long-term. The Diamondbacks may see the need for an improvement over Nick Ahmed at short. The Twins? The Rockies (Trevor Story has an 87 OPS+ since his breakout 2016 campaign)? If Machado’s willing to go back to third base, and then maybe teams like the Braves and Cardinals get into the mix.

However things play out, events have conspired to make it highly likely that Machado will be traded during the season, provided rational thought prevails in Baltimore. In turn, that means Machado may be the biggest name dealt leading up to the non-waiver deadline — assuming, of course, he isn’t shipped off well in advance of that date.

CLEVELAND +1

I need to ride LeBron James. The Cavs will continue to get better as the playoffs get deeper. Game 3 is a must-win for the Cavs and that is all we need to do to get an ATS cover. I have the Cavaliers as 4-point favorites in this spot.

SportsLine Expert: Kenny White (9-7-1 in last 17 NBA O/U picks)

Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards
Friday, April 20, 2018, 8:00 pm ET

WASHINGTON -2

The Wizards were embarrassed in Game 2 due to a number of coaching mistakes from Scott Brooks, which included keeping John Wall and Bradley Beal on the bench with two fouls each. Both players should be fresh for Game 3, especially since Wall sat out half the season with an injury. Lay the small number.

SportsLine Expert: Galin Dragiev (80-59-3 in last 142 NBA picks)

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Friday, April 20, 2018, 9:30 pm ET

BOSTON +6.5

Brad Stevens is winning the coaching battle, and Boston — though fortunate to cover in Game 1 — is in control. Yes, Boston will face a desperate home team Friday night, but I like taking the points with a Celtics side that’s 16-6 ATS in its last 22 overall and has covered six straight first-round playoff games.

SportsLine Expert: Larry Hartstein (18-10 in last 18 NBA O/U picks)

>>MORE: See all NBA picks

Jakub Voracek and Dominik Simon (L-R) (Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images)

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Friday, April 20, 2018, 7:00 pm ET

PITTSBURGH -1.5

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Pittsburgh will end this series in victory and move on to play either Washington or Columbus in the next round. Will it be tonight? All indicators point to that conclusion, but the price is prohibitive and so I look to more attractive investments. The Flyers have been outscored 17-1 in their three losses, and a pan shot of the Philadelphia bench, with its utterly bewildered faces with a minute left in the last game, spoke volumes about Philly’s completely dominated status. So Pittsburgh will win but with Winnipeg and Nashville both joining Pittsburgh as more than 2-1 betting favorites tonight, we have to get creative when wagering. Being outscored 17-1 leads me to jump on Pittsburgh (-1.5) at +120 on the puck line rather than -250 on the moneyline. The Pens will win, go home and rest while the Caps and Jackets beat each other up. The Pens are loving life right now; let us see how far no defense and questionable goaltending take them as they move on.

SportsLine Expert: David Kelly (201-132-6 in last 339 NHL picks)

Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators
Friday, April 20, 2018, 7:30 pm ET

NASHVILLE -1.5

As predicted, Colorado has won a game in this series at a great price. But now the Avs are faced with dealing with an amped-up Preds offense, a dump-and-neutral-zone attack mode AND a third-string starting goalie, who will begin his playoff year in the Smashville Madhouse on Broadway. Hmmmm … books have the Preds listed at -300, which I understand, but is it smart to wager $300+ to win $100? Are the Preds that good? The answers to those questions are “No” and “Maybe,” which means no win-side wagering allowed on Nashville. I’m taking to value play and predicting Nashville starts fast, plays trap and chase and then pulls away in the third to win by more than two.

SportsLine Expert: David Kelly (201-132-6 in last 339 NHL picks)

>>MORE: See all NHL picks

The former world No. 1 finished six shots adrift of eventual champion Patrick Reed at Augusta earlier this month after starting the final round just three shots behind the American.

But McIlroy, bidding to become just the sixth player to complete a career grand slam of golf’s four major championships, is certain he will one day come out on top. “It’ll happen,” McIlroy told CNN’s Shane O’Donoghue. “I truly believe it’ll happen.”

“I play that golf course well enough, I’ve five top 10s [finishes] in a row. I’ve given myself the chance, it didn’t quite work out, but the more I keep putting myself in those positions, sooner or later it is going to happen for me,” McIlroy said.

A four-time major winner, McIlroy’s best finish at The Masters was fourth back in 2015. The closest he’s come to a win at Augusta, however, was in 2011 when he held a four-shot lead heading into the final round before a now-infamous collapse saw him finished tied for 15th place.

This year, McIlroy once again failed to produce his best golf on a Masters Sunday, meaning that the 28-year-old was unable to mount a serious challenge to Reed. “I wasn’t disappointed that I didn’t win,” McIlroy explained. “I was just disappointed that, again, I didn’t put any pressure on the leader.”

“If I had have just put a little bit of pressure on, it might have been a different outcome,” McIlroy added.

Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the 10th green during the final round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8, 2018 in Augusta, Georgia. (credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

“It’s been nearly a couple of weeks now,” McIlroy said. “I’ve reflected on it and I view it as a very positive week. It’s something to build on for the rest of the season.”

“It didn’t happen for me there but I feel with how my game is, and if I play the way I have been playing, it could happen for me another time this year,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy now has his sights set on victory in one of the year’s three remaining majors, beginning with June’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock. “Look, it was a great week,” said McIlroy, reflecting on his most recent Masters experience. “It was another shot at trying to win another major.”

“It didn’t quite happen for me but my game is in good enough shape,” McIlroy said. “I believe I can go to the next three majors with a lot of confidence in my game knowing that hopefully I’ll have another three chances to get another major this year.”

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Long shots to even make the playoffs seven months ago, they are a favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup in June. Behind the stellar play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, the Golden Knights completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Kings to move into the second round against San Jose.

That puts the Golden Knights in some rare company as they became the first expansion team in NHL history to sweep a series in their inaugural season . The Pittsburgh Penguins recorded a sweep in their first playoffs appearance in 1970, which was their third season in the NHL. Not to be overlooked are the St. Louis Blues, who made three straight Stanley Cup finals beginning in 1967-68 after the league expanded and threw all the new teams into the same division. The Florida Panthers also had early success, going to the 1996 Finals three years after entering the league.

“We’re just trying to be as good as we can be,” Vegas general manager George McPhee said. “No one knows what exactly is going to happen. We think we’re a pretty good club, but we’ll keep trying to do what we’re doing and see where it takes us.”

After a few days off, the crew gets back to work with the Sharks looming.

Asked if the down time was good for his squad, McPhee responded: “This is not like the bye week where they have five days off and they’re not skating or they’re not training. We’re not going to Mexico.”

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