Tag: Phoenix

Notre Dame’s updated national bowl projections following Oregon loss

Where do you have Notre Dame ending up this postseason?

The path seemed impossible a few short weeks ago but thanks to Oregon getting dismantled at Utah, the Big Ten only having one team survive the season with one loss, and Alabama not exactly stacking up the style points against Arkansas, Notre Dame still has a shot at the College Football Playoff (CFP).

The new CFP rankings come out Tuesday night and we expect Notre Dame to check in sixth.  Obviously there is a lot ahead that needs to go the way of the Irish down the stretch, but the CFP remains a possibility for them.

Now are any national writers willing to project that outcome yet?

Here are the updated national Notre Dame bowl projections:

Cornerback Recruit Benjamin Morrison Receives Offer From Notre Dame

With Nick McCloud’s career for Notre Dame having wrapped up, the search for the Irish’s next great cornerback is on.

With Nick McCloud’s career for Notre Dame having wrapped up, the search for the Irish’s next great cornerback is on. Thanks to Mike Mickens, the program now has an opportunity to grab someone with potential to make an impact. He’s Benjamin Morrison, and he’s been making waves at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix. At 6-foot-0 and 172 pounds, he’ll surely have to put on a little weight before going to the next level, but he’s got a year in which to do it, and he’ll be happy with this offer in the meantime:

Notre Dame, which should be hosting crowds the size of the one in the above picture by the time Morrison would arrive, is the 17th school to make him an offer. He’s also shown interest from programs like Iowa State, UCLA, Florida State, Boston College, Michigan, Michigan State, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Nebraska, Oregon State and Washington. Those are a bunch of programs with varying degrees of history, and we hope that he’s got his eye on South Bend.

Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke Shares His Favorite Things

Orange chicken wasn’t the answer we expected from record-breaking Michigan State quarterback and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Brian Lewerke. Here, he shares more of his favorite things, including the best stadium he played at in college, other than Spartan Stadium.

Orange chicken wasn’t the answer we expected from record-breaking Michigan State quarterback and 2020 NFL Draft prospect Brian Lewerke. Here, he shares more of his favorite things, including the best stadium he played at in college, other than Spartan Stadium.

WATCH: MLB confirms considering self-contained season, but ‘has not settled on that option’

Arizona could become home base for all 30 MLB teams this summer.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported late Monday night that Arizona could become home base for all 30 MLB teams this summer, using the Diamondbacks’ Chase Field and spring training facilities throughout the Phoenix metro area to play a sequestered season of sorts.

Passan’s report indicates that players, coaching staff and essential personnel for all 30 teams would stay isolated in local hotels, leaving only to go to and from baseball games.

Major League Baseball confirmed on Tuesday that the league is looking into playing its 2020 season in a single location, but says it has not settled on any decisions just yet.

Here’s the complete statement from the league:

“MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so. While we have discussed the idea of staging games at one location as one potential option, we have not settled on that option or developed a detailed plan. While we continue to interact regularly with governmental and public health officials, we have not sought or received approval of any plan from federal, state and local officials, or the Players Association. The health and safety of our employees, players, fans and the public at large are paramount, and we are not ready at this time to endorse any particular format for staging games in light of the rapidly changing public health situation caused by the coronavirus.”

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MLB confirms considering self-contained season in one location, but ‘has not settled on that option’

Late Monday night, we learned that Major League Baseball is looking at Phoenix, Arizona, and its spring training ballparks as a possible site for jump-starting the season as soon as May.

And on Tuesday, MLB confirmed that it has discussed the idea but has not settled on that option just yet.

Late Monday night, we learned that Major League Baseball is looking at Phoenix, Arizona, and its spring training ballparks as a possible site for jump-starting the season as soon as May.

And on Tuesday, MLB confirmed that it has discussed the idea but has not settled on that option just yet.

David Benavidez wants KO of Roamer Alexis Angulo in homecoming

David Benavidez returns to his hometown of Phoenix on April 18 against Roamer Alexis Angulo for the first defense of his 168-pound title.

David Benavidez left Phoenix without a belt. He’s going home with one.

Benavidez returns to his hometown on April 18 against Roamer Alexis Angulo at Arizona Federal Theater for the first defense of a super middleweight title he regained nearly four months ago, Showtime formally announced Monday

“I haven’t fought in Phoenix in five years,’’ Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) said. “It’s exciting to be back. I expect Angulo to come in ready. I know he just pulled an upset in his last fight and he’s not taking any shortcuts, but neither am I.

“Angulo has never been stopped, so I want to be the first person to stop him. I feel like I’m more motivated with a hungry fighter like him in front of me, and you will see it in my performance.”

Benavidez, 23, last fought in Phoenix in May 2015, when he was a teenager and mostly known for being former junior welterweight champion Jose Benavidez Jr.’s little brother. He was a pudgy kid, but his hands and personality possessed evident power and potential.

He loved to fight then.

He loves to fight now.

Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) and a hometown crowd are expected to spark further development in Benavidez’s emerging stardom.

Angulo, a Colombian living in Miami, has world-class credentials. In his first world-title bid, he lost a decision to Gilberto Ramirez on June 30, 2018 in Oklahoma City. He has won three straight since then.

“Benavidez is a talented world champion who is clearly one of the best super middleweights in the world,’’ said Angulo, who will turn 36 on March 25. “This is going to be a great fight for the fans because of the style I bring to the ring.

“My Mexican style of fighting will be too much for Benavidez, and I will have my hand raised on April 18.”

Showtime also announced that former two-division champion Rances Barthelemy (27-1-1, 14 KOs), of Cuba, will face Dominican Alberto Puello (17-0, 9 KOs), an interim junior welterweight titleholder.

Lightweight prospect Michel Rivera (18-0, 12 KOs), also of The Dominican Republic, will fight Mexican Marcos Villasana Jr. (25-6, 14 KOs) in a title eliminator in the co-main event.

 

Follow Norm Frauenheim on Twitter @FrauenheimNorm

NASCAR Betting: FanShield 500 odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway, with NASCAR betting odds, picks and best bets

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to Phoenix Raceway Sunday afternoon for the FanShield 500 at 3:30 p.m. ET in Avondale, Ariz. Below, we analyze the FanShield500 betting odds and lines, with NASCAR picks and tips.

Who is going to win the 2020 FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway?

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 10:20 a.m. ET.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch (+325) has been at or near the top of the heap at Phoenix (previously ISM Raceway) for a while now. He has rattled off nine consecutive finishes in the Top 10, with eight of those runs resulting in a finish of fourth or better, with three runner-ups and a pair of checkered flags. Since the fall 2015 race he has an Average-Finish Position (AFP) of 2.9, which makes him the overwhelming betting favorite

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott (+1000) is on the pole for Sunday’s race. He has been a quick study at the track, posting an AFP of 13.8 in eight career starts with two top-5 showings, four top-10 finishes and 156 laps led, although he does have a DNF in that span. His teammate Jimmie Johnson (+5000) is looking to snap a lengthy winless drought, and Phoenix could be just the place for him. He has four career wins at the track, second-most among all active drivers. In 33 career starts, he has a 10.3 AFP with 15 of his runs resulting in a finish of fifth or better while leading 994 laps.

New to sports betting? A successful $10 wager on Busch to win would return a profit of $32.50.

Looking to place a bet on this race or other motorsports? Get some action in the NASCAR race through BetMGM. Sign up and bet at BetMGM now!

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (+550) is always a threat at this track as well. He has collected nine checkered flags at this flat track in his 34 career starts, with exactly half of his starts resulting in a finish of fifth or better. He also leads all active drivers with 1,595 laps led. And, most importantly, he has never had a DNF in his 34 starts at Phoenix, so you know he’ll be there in the end.

JGR’s Denny Hamlin (+800) is one of five active drivers with at least two wins at the track, four if you exclude the injured Ryan Newman. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota has registered 13 top-5 showings in his 29 career starts with an impressive 11.0 AFP and 821 laps led.

Also of note, JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. (+600) will start from the back of the field due to an engine change before pre-technical inspection Saturday.

2020 FanShield 500 longshot bets

Of the racers without a career win at Phoenix, Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson (+2500) has slightly longer odds than the four above. He is the best non-winner by the career numbers. In 12 career starts he has a tremendous 12.7 AFP with four top-5 finishes, six top-10 showings and 69 laps led. He was a runner-up in the spring ’17 race, and he has five finishes of sixth or better in his past seven starts.

If you want an even deeper sleeper, SHR’s Aric Almirola (+6000) could be a nice selection. He has never won at the track, but in 18 career starts he has a solid 15.3 AFP with 14 of his finishes coming in the Top 20, and two runs inside the Top 5. The ‘Cuban Missile’ had back-to-back fourth-place runs in the fall of ’18 and spring of ’19 race, too.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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David Benavidez has his opponent for April 18, Roamer Alexis Angulo: report

David Benavidez is scheduled to face Roamer Alexis Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) on April 18 at Arizona Federal Theater in Phoenix on Showtime.

It looks as if David Benavidez is going home for the first defense of a super middleweight title he regained.

Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) is scheduled to face Roamer Alexis Angulo (26-1, 22 KOs) on April 18 at Arizona Federal Theater in downtown Phoenix on Showtime, The Athletic is reporting.

Angulo replaces Caleb Truax as the challenger for the 168-pound belt held by Benavidez, who came back from a six-month suspension for a positive cocaine test on September 29 with a unanimous decision over Anthony Dirrell on a card featuring welterweight Errol Spence Jr.’s victory over Shawn Porter.

Angulo, of Colombia, is the third opponent to move into the mandatory challenger’s spot for the belt. Initially, Avni Yildirim, of Turkey, was in line to fight the 23-year-old Benavidez. But he withdrew because of a shoulder injury.

Benavidez, the younger brother of former junior welterweight champion Jose Benavidez Jr., grew up in Phoenix. He fought three fights in his hometown in 2015 after making his professional debut in Mexico.

The Benavidez-featured card will be the first boxing event at the downtown Phoenix theater in several years. Acelino Freitas beat Daniel Attah in a junior lightweight title defense there in June 2002 when it was named Dodge Theater. Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito stopped Hercules Kyvelos there on HBO in January 2004. Late Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward promoted a series of cards there in 2005.

Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury pitch fight on ESPN; Fury opens as favorite

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury sell their fight on ESPN college football stage.

It didn’t take long for Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury to find the biggest stage available to hype their heavyweight rematch, which was formally announced late Friday.

Separated by 1,845 miles, Wilder was in Atlanta and Fury in Glendale, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb, to talk about a rematch that hasn’t exactly been a rumor for the last year

Each was part of ESPN’s pre-game show for college football’s championship doubleheader Saturday, first Oklahoma-Louisiana State in Atlanta and then Ohio State-Clemson in Glendale.

“I’m looking forward to setting the record straight,’’ Fury said a few hours before the scheduled kickoff.

The record, of course, is the Wilder-Fury draw more than a year ago – on Dec. 1, 2018 – at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. It was as controversial as it was dramatic, two elements that Fury promoter Bob Arum thinks can generate 2 million pay-per-view buys for the sequel at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

He got up – rose – from the canvas after a crushing, right-left combination from Wilder put him on his back in the 12th-round. The crowd roared in appreciation of Fury, especially after years of substance abuse and over-indulgence. Fury’s weight was reported to be at nearly 400 pounds months before the first fight.

“I rose from the canvas like a Phoenix from the ashes,’’ Fury said while seated in a stadium just a few miles from the desert city named after the mythic bird.

Fans loved him for his astonishing resilience. Yet, those same fans hated the scoring, a split draw for a bout in which Fury appeared to dominate most of the rounds with a superior skill set.

That skill set appears to be a factor in the opening odds for the rematch. Fury has been installed as slight favorite by William Hill, a London-based bookmaker. The U.K. heavyweight is a 13-8 favorite, meaning there’s a 60.91 percent possibility of him beating Wilder, according to the bookmaker.

Wilder, of course, has his own ideas, or at least he has a right hand. When it lands, it’s over. It’s a formula that has played out in virtually every Wilder fight other than Fury.

“After February 22nd there will be no more unanswered questions.’’ Wilder said in Tweet. “I will finish what I started, and this time @Tyson_Fury will not be getting up off that canvas so quickly. I’ve proven myself time and time again and I will do it again in February. #WilderFury2’’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eddie Hearn: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would have to fight for less money

Eddie Hearn is willing to give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance on an undercard, but he will have to fight for a lot less money.

Eddie Hearn is willing to give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance on an undercard, but the Matchroom promoter says he will have to fight for a lot less money.

Undercard appearances and smaller purses are just part of a long, difficult challenge facing Chavez Jr., if he in fact tries to come back from a controversial TKO loss last Friday to Danny Jacobs.

The fight ended with a Phoenix crowd tossing debris in anger over Chavez’s decision not to continue after the fifth round.

“It’s gotten to a stage where the only thing he can do is come back on an undercard somewhere,’’ Hearn said on “The Last Round” podcast. “I would probably put him on, but he can’t get the money he’s been getting, and he has to come back at a lower level and try and get a good win.’’

After undergoing surgery for a broken nose and getting 10 stitches for a cut above an eye, Chavez Jr, said he intends to fight again. He even asked Jacobs for a rematch

Promoter Eddie Hearn would give Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. another chance but he’d have to fight on an undercard for less money. Melina Pizano / Matchroom Boxing USA

But Hearn said he needs a string of bouts to repair a reputation as fractured as that nose. It’ll be awhile before he’ll be back in a main event for big money. According to contracts filed with the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, Chavez Jr. was guaranteed $2 million for the Jacobs fight. An additional $1 million form Mexican media and advertisers was believed to be in his final paycheck.

However, he paid Jacobs $1 million when he knew he couldn’t make 168 pounds. That was the price to renegotiate the deal, making it a 173-pound fight instead of a super middleweight bout. Chavez, who was 172.7 at the weigh-in and looked to be at least 190 at opening bell, wound up with maybe $2 million.

Hearn said he would pay him $100,000 for a comeback bout on a Matchroom-promoted undercard. He also said Chavez Jr. should fight at light heavyweight (175-pound limit).

Hearn said he still likes Chavez Jr.’s potential. He also likes his drawing power, which is linked to his iconic father, Julio Cesar Chavez. The fight was uncertain four days before opening bell. That’s when a Nevada judge granted Chavez Jr. an injunction lifting his suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. He was under suspension for allegedly refusing a drug test in early October. The day before the judge’s ruling, about 5,000 tickets had been sold. At opening bell, an estimated crowd of 12,000 was at Talking Stick Arena in downtown Phoenix.

“The numbers are great,’’ Hearn said.

But the question remains: Will Chavez Jr. accept smaller purses on any undercard?

“Do you want to fight for $100,000 in a 10-rounder at 7 (p.m.)?’’ Hearn said. “He may think he’s above that. ‘I’m Chavez Jr.’

“If he truly loves the sport, he might do it. If not, he won’t bother.’’