Sports Radio 1400 WSJM @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Monday, February 01, 2016
NFL – Lions say they’re still giving Johnson time to decide future
The Detroit Lions are still giving Calvin Johnson time to ponder his future. The team issued a statement Sunday, saying it stands by its previous statement that supported Johnson, after ESPN reported that the superstar receiver told family, friends and Lions coach Jim Caldwell that he is retiring. ESPN did not name its sources. Johnson declined to say last season if he would restructure his contract, which calls for him to count $24 million against the salary cap in 2016. If the 30-year-old Johnson chooses to retire, he will walk away from the game despite having the physical ability to play more, just as Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders did. Sanders was 30 in 1998, his 10th and final season with the Lions.
NFL – Edsall hired by Lions as director of football research
Former Maryland coach Randy Edsall is joining the Detroit Lions as a director of football research. The Lions announced the hiring Sunday. Edsall was fired in October, in the middle of his fifth season with the Terrapins. He went 22-34 after taking over in 2011. Before that, Edsall was the coach at Connecticut from 1999-2010. Edsall coached in the NFL from 1994-97 as an assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL – 2016 NFL Pro Bowl – Honolulu
Last Night
Team Irvan 49, Team Rice 27
Irvan 49, Rice 27 – Irvin beats Rice in Pro Bowl
Russell Wilson threw for 164 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions as Team Irvin rolled to a 49-27 victory over Team Rice in the Pro Bowl. Once Wilson left, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston each threw for over 100 yards and two scores. Allen Robinson and Delanie Walker each hauled in touchdown receptions of more than 50 yards in the third quarter to put Irvin’s team well in control. Wilson was named the Offensive MVP, while his Seattle teammate Michael Bennett was the defensive MVP and had the games’ only sack.
NHL – 2016 NHL All Star Game – Nashville
Yesterday
Semifinals
Atlantic Division 4, Metropolitan Division 3
Pacific Division 9, Central Division 6
Final
Pacific Division 1, Atlantic Division 0
Pacific 1, Atlantic 0 – Great Scott! Minor leaguer is MVP of NHL All-Star game
John Scott was named the MVP of the NHL All-Star game after his two goals helped the Pacific Division win the four-team tournament. Scott scored both of his goals in a 9-6 victory over the Central Division in the semifinals before Corey Perry providing the lone tally in a 1-0 win over the Atlantic Division in the 20-minute final. Scott was selected as captain of the Pacific Division in a fan vote despite scoring just five goals in 285 NHL games. Scott was traded from Arizona to Montreal following the vote and now is in the AHL. He will return to the minors about $90,000 richer after leading Team Pacific to the $1 million grand prize, Scott also took home a 2016 Honda SUV. The first semifinal was won 4-3 by Team Atlantic over Team Metropolitan. The Metropolitans led 3-2 until Aaron Ekblad and P.K. Subban scored 2 ½ minutes apart in the second period. Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin had 3 assists
NHL – Bettman gets a new deal
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has signed a new contract that runs through 2022. Bettman says the signing took place many months ago. He’s been the league’s leader since 1993 when it had 24 teams. Now, it has 30 franchises and there may be one or two more in a couple of years. The NHL has had three lockouts under Bettman. The current collective bargaining agreement with the NHL Players’ Association expires the same year Bettman’s latest contract ends.
NCAA Basketball – Men’s
Last Night
(12) Michigan State 96, Rutgers 62
(25) Notre Dame 85, Wake Forest 62
#12 Michigan State 96, Rutgers 62 – Spartans roll over Rutgers
Bryn Forbes scored all 18 of his points in the first half and No. 12 Michigan State tied a school record with 17 3-pointers in a 96-62 victory over Rutgers on Sunday night. The Spartans (19-4, 6-4 Big Ten) have won three in a row since a three-game losing streak that dropped them well off the pace in the conference title race. They had little trouble with Rutgers (6-16, 0-9) thanks to their torrid outside shooting. Michigan State led 44-33 at halftime after shooting 9 of 16 from 3-point range. The Spartans finished 17 of 32 from beyond the arc, one game after going 16 of 26 from long distance in a blowout win over Northwestern. Mike Williams scored 18 points for the Scarlet Knights.
(25) Notre Dame 85, Wake Forest 62 – Jackson, Auguste lead No. 25 Notre Dame over Wake 85-62
Zach Auguste had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Demetrius Jackson added 14 points in his return to the starting lineup as No. 25 Notre Dame defeated Wake Forest 85-62 on Sunday. V.J. Beachem added 15 points for the Fighting Irish (15-6, 6-3 Atlantic Coast Conference). Jackson, who missed a game with a pulled hamstring in a win over Boston College last week, added eight assists and seven rebounds. Notre Dame’s leading scorer missed Thursday’s loss to Syracuse. Devin Thomas had 19 points and eight rebounds for Wake Forest (10-11, 1-8), which never led. The Demon Deacons have lost six in a row.
NCAA Basketball – Women’s
Yesterday
(18) Michigan State 77, Wisconsin 54
Michigan 92, Minnesota 76
#18 MSU 77, Wisconsin 54 – Powers leads No. 18 Michigan St. women over Wisconsin 77-54
Aerial Powers scored a season-high 30 points with nine rebounds and the No. 18 Michigan State women’s basketball team rolled past Wisconsin 77-54 on Sunday. Powers was 9 of 18 from the field and made 10 of 11 free throws, finishing five points shy of her career high.
Michigan 92, Minnesota 76 – Thome, Flaherty Power Michigan Past Minnesota
Hallie Thome scored a career high 31 points on 14 of 20 shooting to help Michigan defeat Minnesota 92-76 at Crisler Center. Michigan improves to 12-9 and 4-6 in the Big Ten also got 24 points from Katelynn Flaherty. Michigan travels to Michigan State on Wednesday.
Sunday
(3) Notre Dame at Duke, 6:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Los Angeles Clippers 120, Chicago Bulls 93
Clippers 120, Bulls 93 – Clippers blow out Bulls 120-93 for 4th straight victory
Jamal Crawford scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, leading a dominant bench effort for the second straight game, and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Chicago Bulls 120-93 on Sunday for their fourth consecutive victory. J.J. Redick added 21 points and DeAndre Jordan had 17 points and 20 rebounds for the Clippers, who improved to 15-3 without Blake Griffin. Their four-game streak has coincided with Griffin being out at least a month after breaking his right hand while punching the team’s assistant equipment manager. Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Derrick Rose added 20 and Pau Gasol had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls. They’ve lost four of six and dropped to 10-11 on the road.
Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.
Tennis – Djokovic wins again
Novak Djokovic has maintained his perfect streak in six Australian Open finals with a 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 victory that sent Andy Murray to a fifth defeat in tournament’s title match. Djokovic equaled Roy Emerson’s long-standing record of six Australian Open titles and increased his career haul to 11 Grand Slam titles, including four of the last five. Murray became only the second man to lose five finals at one major. Ivan Lendl lost five and won three U.S. Open finals in the 1980s. The 28-year-old Murray had his share of distractions. His wife is back in Britain expecting their first child in February and Murray’s father-in-law was rushed to hospital by ambulance during the tournament.
Golf – Snedeker has lead, waits out weather
The PGA’s Farmers Insurance Open has spilled into Monday. The final round was suspended for the third and final time because of unplayable conditions. Brandt Snedeker emerged as the clubhouse leader when play was halted for good on Sunday, carding a 3-under 69 through a raging wind and occasional rain at Torrey Pines. Jimmy Walker was 7-under with eight holes remaining, one shot ahead of Snedeker and K.J. Choi.
Golf – Spieth finishes 2nd in Singapore
Jordan Spieth finished runner-up at the rain-delayed Singapore Open, losing to South Korea’s Song Young-han by one stroke. Spieth sank a five-foot birdie putt on the last hole, where he had marked his ball overnight. The world’s No. 1 golfer completed a final round of 5-under 66 to finish at 11-under 273. Song drained a tricky 12-foot par putt on the 16th then made par at the last two holes to win the event at minus-12.
Golf – Kim wins
South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim reeled off eight birdies on the way to a 7-under 66 to win the season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. It’s the third win on the LPGA Tour for the 20-year old. Kim’s 18-under gave her a two-shot win over Stacey Lewis, Anna Nordqvist and Sei Young Kim.
Olympics – IOC president visits Los Angeles as city bids for 2024 Games<
The president of the International Olympic Committee is in Los Angeles to visit proposed venues for the 2024 Olympic Games. Thomas Bach’s visit on Monday comes five months after LA was selected as the U.S. candidate for the international sporting event. The committee steering the city’s bid says Bach and other IOC officials will visit the University of Southern California and UCLA campuses and the Getty Center. They’re also scheduled to meet local boosters, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, Magic Johnson and American Olympic medalists. On Sunday, Bach and his delegation watched a basketball game at Staples Center, another proposed venue for the 2024 Games. Los Angeles is up against Rome, Paris, Budapest, Hungary, and Hamburg, Germany, to host the 2024 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will make the selection in 2017.
AHL – American Hockey League – 2016 AHL Skills Competition – Syracuse, NY
Yesterday
Western Conference 19, Eastern Conference 14
AHL – American Hockey League – 2016 AHL Game – 3 on 3 Round Robin – Syracuse, NY
Tonight
Pacific vs. North – 7:18 p.m.
Central vs. Atlantic – 7:36 p.m.
Central vs. North – 8:12 p.m.
Pacific vs. Atlantic – 8:30 p.m.
Central vs. Pacific – 9:06 p.m.
Atlantic vs. North – 9:24 p.m.
ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Last Night
Fort Wayne Komets 6, Kalamazoo Wings 2
MHSAA – High School Sports
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Niles at Mattawan, 7:15 p.m.
Portage Northern at Kal. Central, 7:15 p.m.
New Buffalo at Brandywine, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Mattawan at Niles, 7:15 p.m.
Kal. Central at Portage Northern, 7:15 p.m.
