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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Tiger Woods has a voice that can be as a big as his golf game.What he lacks is enough visibility.AdvertisementWoods left little room for interpretation Tuesday when the 15-time major champion hammered away at Greg Norman’s new Saudi-funded LIV Golf series as not being in golf’s best interests. He said players who couldn’t resist the money — some received more than Woods has earned in his entire PGA Tour career — had “turned their back” on the very tour that made them famous.None is as famous as Woods. He is not just the engine that drives the train. For the modern game, he’s the entire railroad.Advertisement“What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practice? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt?” Woods said. “You’re just getting paid a lot of money up front, and playing a few events and playing 54 holes.”They were his strongest comments to date, one of the lengthiest and most passionate answers from Woods, who for so many years preferred that his clubs delivered the message.Tiger Woods speaks out against the new Saudi-funded golf series during his Tuesday press conference at St. Andrews. (Peter Morrison/AP)What the PGA Tour wouldn’t give to have Woods at full strength, playing a full schedule, in the midst of one of the most disruptive moments in golf.The British Open is only the third tournament Woods has played his year — four including the two-day charity pro-am in Ireland last week — and probably will be his last until he gets to the Bahamas at the end of the year for a holiday event he hosts.While Norman was laying the ground work last fall and figuring out how to spend all that money from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Woods was out of the public eye from February to the end of November recovering from his car crash outside Los Angeles.He spoke for the first time in the Bahamas and said his allegiance was to the PGA Tour and “that’s where my legacy is.”And then it was another four months before Woods played again at the Masters. And after that, six weeks until the PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where he distanced himself from Phil Mickelson — nothing new there — when it came to the LIV Golf.Woods now is back in the public two months later. His words are getting stronger.AdvertisementHis most pointed comments were for players who seemingly had their careers in front of them, who had yet to even make it to the PGA Tour and chose to take money they otherwise would have had to earn through performance.Woods spoke at his Hall of Fame induction in March of his parents taking out a second mortgage on their home to pay for his junior development. And when he turned pro and signed big endorsements deals with Nike and Titleist, the priority was to pay it off.That was his road.As he spoke Tuesday, the Official World Golf Ranking board had its annual meeting at St. Andrews. Still to be determined is whether LIV Golf gets world ranking points. Even if it goes through a one-year waiting period, most — if not all — of the players will be out of the top 50 by then. That makes it a long road back, especially if the majors — which seem to like LIV Golf as much as Woods — change their criteria.“That is a possibility, that some players will never, ever get a chance to play in a major championship, never get a chance to experience this right here, walk down the fairways at Augusta National,” Woods said. “That to me, I just don’t understand it.”LIV Golf still doesn’t have anyone from the top 15 in the world ranking, though it has some major champions with plenty of name recognition — Mickelson, a chief recruiter for Norman; Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.AdvertisementThere was a time not along ago when DeChambeau couldn’t spend enough time with Woods on the golf course (they played the same brand of golf ball). Whatever influence Woods has, DeChambeau sees him only a few times a year. That’s the extent of how much Woods can play on a right leg he described as being full of hardware from surgeries.One famous story over the years was how Mickelson would engage in banter with a room full of players, and Mickelson would end any debate by asking, “How many majors have you won?” But first, he would look over his should to make sure Woods was not in the room.Woods still owns the stage in golf. He always has. He just doesn’t get out as much.Norman isn’t at St. Andrews for the gathering of British Open champions. It’s not clear whether he ever planned to attend, having skipped the last two times it was held at the home of golf. The R&A figured he would be a distraction amid the celebration of the 150th edition and asked him not to come this year.Woods thought it was the right call.“Greg has done some things that I don’t think is in the best interest of our game,” he said.AdvertisementHe later referenced Norman trying to start a World Golf Tour in the early 1990s that was quashed. The most powerful dissenting voice back then came from Arnold Palmer. The King was 20 years beyond his last PGA Tour win but still a consistent presence in golf.That’s what the tour could use from Woods.

After three Stanley Cups and 17 NHL seasons, Duncan Keith has called it a career.The former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman officially retired Tuesday, finishing his career a year to the day he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers to accommodate his wish to be closer to family in Western Canada.Advertisement#Oilers defenceman Duncan Keith has announced his retirement.Thank you, Duncan, for the invaluable veteran leadership you brought to the team during the 2021-22 season & congratulations on an outstanding @NHL career!— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 12, 2022

Keith, 38, had 106 goals and 540 assists in 1,256 games. In 151 playoff games, he notched 19 goals and 72 assists.Keith had a goal and 20 assists in 64 games with the Oilers.AdvertisementKeith was a two-time Norris Trophy winner (2010, 2014) as the league’s best defenseman and the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the postseason MVP.Keith was named to the All-Star first team in 2010 and 2014 and the second team in 2017, and he played in the All-Star Game in 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2017.The 2002 second-round draft pick scored 105 goals for the Hawks, one of only four Hawks defensemen in the 100-goal club, and had 520 assists. His 1,192 games played is second-most in franchise history behind Stan Mikita (1,396).

LONDON — Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah says he was illegally brought to the U.K. as a young boy and forced to care for other children before he escaped a life of servitude through running.In a new documentary, Farah says his real name is Hussein Abdi Kahin and that he was taken from the East African nation of Djibouti. The film that tells the story of his being trafficked, was produced by the BBC and Red Bull Studios, and the BBC is scheduled to broadcast it Wednesday.AdvertisementThe athlete says he was 8 or 9 years old when a woman he didn’t know brought him to Britain using fake travel documents that included his picture alongside the name Mohammed Farah, the BBC reported.The woman took him to an apartment in west London where he was forced to care for her children, Farah said. He wasn’t allowed to go to school until he was 12.Advertisement“I wasn’t treated as part of the family…,” Farah says in the documentary. “If I wanted food in my mouth, my job was to look after those kids — shower them, cook for them, clean for them.”Farah, who represented Britain at three Olympic Games, won gold medals in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs at both the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.He previously said he had moved to Britain with his parents as a refugee from Somalia.But in the documentary, he says his parents never were in the U.K. His father was killed by stray gunfire during unrest in Somalia when Farah was 4 years old, according to the film. His mother and two brothers live on the family farm in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia that is not internationally recognized.Farah says his fortunes changed when he was finally allowed to attend school. A teacher who was interviewed for the documentary recalled a 12-year-old boy who appeared “unkempt and uncared for,” was “emotionally and culturally alienated” and spoke little English.But he began to blossom on the track and eventually told his story to a physical education instructor. The teacher contacted local officials, who arranged for a Somali family to take him in as a foster child.“I still missed my real family, but from that moment everything got better,” Farah said. “I felt like a lot of stuff was lifted off my shoulders, and I felt like me.”Farah said he had feared he would be deported if he spoke about his childhood experiences. He decided to tell his story to publicize and challenge people’s perceptions of human trafficking, he said.Advertisement“I had no idea there was so many people who are going through exactly the same thing that I did,” he said. “It just shows how lucky I was.”Farah was granted U.K. citizenship in 2000 and represented Britain at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017.An immigration lawyer told the program that there was little risk of the government revoking Farah’s citizenship because he was trafficked as a child. The U.K.’s Home Office did not immediately respond to comment from The Associated Press.Home Office guidance makes clear that the agency assumes a child is not complicit in gaining citizenship by deception, stating: “If the person was a child at the time the fraud, false representation or concealment of material fact was perpetrated, the caseworker should assume that they were not complicit in any deception by their parent or guardian.”If Farah thought the country would turn against him after his revelations, he would be mistaken. Politicians, sports figures and celebrities rushed to offer their support; London Mayor Sadiq Khan praising his courage in coming forward.“Everything Sir Mo has survived proves he’s not only one of our greatest Olympians but a truly great Briton,’’ Khan said on Twitter “@Mo Farah thank you for sharing your story & shining a spotlight on these awful crimes. We must build a future where these tragic events are never repeated.”

The All-Star break can’t come soon enough for the Chicago Cubs bullpen.A strength for most of the season, Cubs relievers have been taxed by a rotation marred by injuries and stretches of short outings. Entering Monday, the Cubs’ 368⅓ relief innings ranked second in the majors, one-third of an inning behind the Tampa Bay Rays. No other team had thrown more than 355 innings out of the bullpen.AdvertisementWhile Cubs relievers’ 26.1% strikeout rate ranks fifth, their .246 average against is fifth-worst and their 1.32 home runs per nine innings is second-worst. The Cubs bullpen owns a 15.1% home run per fly ball rate. Those high rates of balls in play can be the difference when a team is involved in as many close games as the Cubs have been this season.Cubs starters haven’t consistently helped their counterparts in the bullpen. Without deeper starts and with a staff restricted to 13 pitchers, the Cubs’ 20% quality start rate — 29th in the majors and 15% below the league average — and 4.6 innings per start, tied for last, put continual pressure on the relievers and allow less margin for error.AdvertisementThe Cubs have held a lead in 31 of their 52 losses, including three of four games while getting swept last week at Dodger Stadium.[ [Don’t miss] How will the Cubs handle Keegan Thompson and Justin Steele as both pitchers near career-high workloads? ]“We hadn’t been where we wanted to a couple of times from a starter’s length standpoint, but the bullpen has picked up the slack really nicely,” manager David Ross said Sunday. “A couple of hiccups here and there, but overall the body of work has been really, really nice.“We’ve asked a lot of those guys and (they) understand where everybody’s at. Some days guys are hanging in and are dealing with little issues, but they continue to take the ball. Really pleased with how they’ve gone about their work and the way they’ve competed.”A day off Monday and the four-day All-Star break next week will provide the bullpen much-needed rest. Right-hander Scott Effross’ 39 appearances are third in the majors, while right-hander Rowan Wick’s 36 outings and 36⅔ innings put him in the top 17 in both categories in the National League.Cubs reliever Scott Effross pitches against the Pirates on May 18, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)Veteran right-hander David Robertson had been one of the Cubs’ most consistent pitchers before blowing two saves in the last week. Robertson, 37, has thrown more innings in the first half than in the previous three years combined because of Tommy John surgery and his recovery.“I’m tired of (stinking) out there, so I’m ready to turn it around and get some outs and not give up any more runs,” Robertson told the Tribune in Los Angeles. “We keep playing these tight one-run games with no room for error, and I just keep making mistake after mistake and can’t get the ball in the strike zone. And then when I do it’s a little too late.”Robertson doesn’t believe his issues are related to mechanics. He attributes his recent inconsistency to his mindset.“When I’ve been in the game, if I make a mistake it’s going to be game tied, so then I ended up walking guys and not making enough competitive pitches earlier in counts,” Robertson explained. “I’ve just got to make some better pitches at better times and be more efficient out there. I’m ready for the break to come, and then we can regroup and start over again.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Ian Happ’s 1st All-Star selection completes the Cubs outfielder’s career turnaround: ‘Baseball’s a wild ride’ ]Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Ross often has relied on the veteran trio of Robertson, Mychal Givens and Chris Martin in late-inning situations. Givens has been on a roll the last three weeks. He hasn’t allowed a run in his last nine games (11 innings) with 12 strikeouts and four walks.Martin also was in a groove between June 17 and July 6, making nine scoreless appearances while recording eight strikeouts with no walks. In two appearances against the Dodgers, he wasn’t as efficient, giving up two runs on four hits, including a home run, though he did not walk a batter.Martin hasn’t issued a walk since May 26. He credits better command and getting ahead in the count for putting him in better positions to be aggressive.Cubs reliever Chris Martin delivers to the Rays on April 19, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Martin, part of the Atlanta Braves bullpen during their World Series title run last year, knows what it takes to succeed in the big leagues in his seventh season. He told the Tribune on Saturday that his right shoulder has been “barking” a little bit.With the workload the Cubs bullpen has taken on, a worn-down relief corps has been challenged lately. Getting right-hander Marcus Stroman and left-hander Drew Smyly back over the weekend should help stabilize the rotation and get more innings out of the starters.“It can get tough when you get in a situation where you’ve been throwing a lot,” Martin said. “You start getting tired and start wearing down a little bit, and I’m kind of going through that right now.Advertisement“I need to mentally lock in and stay focused on pitching instead of worrying about how my body feels and things like that when I’m out there. Just trying to get to that All-Star break right now.”

The newest Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have much time to get the lay of the land before hitting the ice for the opening of development camp Monday at Fifth Third Arena.“You get drafted, you get a call and then they say they’re going to send you your flights the next day,” center Dominic James said. “I don’t know, it’s really awesome, all of it, though. Kind of looked at my jersey, then looked around and had a smile on my face the whole time.”AdvertisementAdded winger Gavin Hayes: “Right when we got drafted, we had to come to Chicago. It was like 6:30 a.m., so been on the go.”As much as it has been a whirlwind for the Hawks’ 11 draft picks and other prospects invited to the weeklong camp, the players aren’t the only ones who had their heads whipped around by the process. It started with general manager Kyle Davidson briskly trading his way into three first-round draft picks Thursday after starting the day with none.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Meet the newest Blackhawks: A rundown of their 11 picks in the 2022 NHL draft ]“It was obviously some really bold moves and some hard decisions,” Hawks CEO Danny Wirtz said.That included trading fan favorite Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for the No. 7 pick, used to select defenseman Kevin Korchinski. Forward Frank Nazar, the No. 13 pick, came via the deal that sent Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens, and a swap of picks and cap space with the Toronto Maple Leafs brought a third first-rounder, defenseman Sam Rinzel, at No. 25.DeBrincat said his immediate reaction was shock.“I guess you don’t really think (the trade rumors are) true until it becomes true,” DeBrincat said. “Kind of knew (the rumors) were around for a while and thought there was a possibility to get moved. It doesn’t really hit you until it gets done.“You think about all the good times I had in Chicago and how great they were for me. Definitely sad leaving but a new adventure for me here” in Ottawa.Asked if the wheeling and dealing surprised him — particularly involving DeBrincat — Wirtz said, “Not in the planning process.”“The good thing about Kyle is (he’s) very good and objective about laying out potential scenarios of where things could go, so there’s a lot of scenario work,” Wirtz said. “So by the time you actually get to where you’re now at a decision point, it’s not a big shock other than when it does become real when the trade call goes in to the NHL and it’s, ‘OK, we actually did it.’ But the rationale and all that work and the analysis of it is longer-term.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: The Blackhawks may look unrecognizable next season without Alex DeBrincat — but will it be worth it? ]Still, it’s bittersweet parting with players such as DeBrincat and Dach.Advertisement“Luckily Kyle can really separate that, but it’s hard to see a player go, especially one that’s beloved,” Wirtz said. “I balance that with this tremendous excitement for especially the three players that were drafted in the first round Thursday, seeing them and getting to know them a little bit. And then now seeing them here at development camp, that gets you excited too.“So it helps balance it out because it’s a sting, but like anything you find some balance and a lot to get excited about.”Here are four things we learned on the first day of camp.The selection of Rinzel at No. 25 raised some eyebrows. Some pundits had pegged the Hawks as a suitor for the defenseman — but in the second round, particularly because much of his playing experience came in high school. The Hawks said they believed the Minnesota Wild and others were eyeing him.Rinzel had a take on why he rose up draft boards.Advertisement“I was a late bloomer a little bit, kind of growing into my strengths and growing height-wise,” the 6-foot-4 Rinzel said. “But I was able to get out there and I think people were noticing me a little bit.”Hawks management wanted to add some size, and five of the players in camp this week are at least 6-6.Louis Crevier, a 6-8 defenseman drafted in 2020, finally met his match in center Riku Tohila, a seventh-round pick.While they’re on the extreme end, the Hawks did gain size with first-rounders Korchinski (6-2) and Rinzel (6-4).Korchinski said steady growth helped his skating “tremendously.”“I just got taller and stronger and just able to balance out my stride, get kind of bigger strides, more explosive,” he said. “I guess you could say I didn’t really have a big growth spurt, more just rapid, gradually growing. I was 5-9 in bantam and just grew an inch or two every year.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Uncertain futures of Patrick Kane and Willson Contreras are just the way of the world in the age of the rebuild ]As part of the trade package the Hawks received for DeBrincat, Korchinski naturally will be judged by fans on whether drafting him was worth giving away an All-Star.Korchinski would like to win over Chicago, but he put the DeBrincat connection in perspective.“Puts a little bit more pressure (on me), but I’m just worried about myself and improving every day and winning every day,” he said. “I know what kind of hockey player I am, I’m confident in my abilities, so for me it’s just winning each day and getting to the level I want to be at.”Nazar, acquired in the Dach deal, said having two other Hawks drafted in the first round creates an automatic support system.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“It helps a bit knowing they’re going through the same process that I am and know they’re going through the same troubles,” he said. “It’s cool, we’ve talked about it a little bit.” Draft pick Frank Nazar says people nicknamed him “Frank Sinatra” because “I do it my way,” but he’s open to suggestions from Blackhawks fans. pic.twitter.com/IobJMogVmP— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) July 11, 2022

Some of the Hawks picks punctuated their draft day by talking up their game and making comparisons to established players.AdvertisementSavoie, a winger picked in the third round, said he sees a bit of Brad Marchand in himself.“Marchand’s a guy who likes to go under people’s skin. That’s what I do and I like it,” he said.But Savoie knows there’s a fine line between confident and cocky, especially for players starting their careers.“Confident, you can still be humble,” he said. “It’s more of you’re confident, you know you’re good, you’re here, obviously there’s some good players around you and you know that there’s better players than you too. To be confident (is necessary) just to have a little flow.“I think cocky is thinking you’re better than everyone and you’re thinking you’re better than yourself.”

CLEVELAND — Executive Vice President Ken Williams reportedly addressed Chicago White Sox players and staff Friday at Guaranteed Rate Field.News of the meeting, reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, became public Monday just as the Sox were beginning their final trip before the All-Star break with the first of four games against the Cleveland Guardians.AdvertisementIt was a bumpy start for the Sox as the Guardians scored five in the first off Lance Lynn. The Sox got within a run before losing 8-4 in front of 13,655 at Progressive Field.“When you give up five runs with two outs, that hurts,” Lynn said. “But I have to be better early on. I have to be better all the way around. There’s no other way to put it.Advertisement“Make better pitches. Get myself in better counts. And when I do get in those counts, put people away and not give up hits.”[ [Don’t miss] Dylan Cease, left off the All-Star team, is focused on improving. ‘There’s still room to get better,’ the White Sox starter says. ]The Sox had a chance to move past the Guardians and into second place in the American League Central. Instead they dropped to 41-44, 5½ games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins and 1½ behind the Guardians.According to Nightengale, Williams discussed the “underachieving performance this season, reminding them of their talent, but that it was time to focus and pull together.” Nightengale added in the tweet, “No one was absolved, from staff to players, for the team’s woes.”Chicago #WhiteSox president Ken Williams addressed the players and staff on Friday about their underachieving performance this season, reminding them of their talent, but that it was time to focus and pull together. No one was absolved, from staff to players, for the team’s woes.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 11, 2022

Monday’s wobbly first wasn’t the product of one particular issue. The Guardians didn’t hit the ball all that hard in the inning, but they kept finding ways to come through.Franmil Reyes drove in a run with a single. Two runs scored on a broken-bat single to center by Nolan Jones. Myles Straw’s two-run single made it 5-0.Lynn threw 39 pitches in the first.“I don’t think he got beat up in that first inning,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “He got the ground ball and they found holes. It would be different if they were centering it, but they didn’t. Buzzard luck in the first inning.”It looked like it would be a long night for the Sox.AdvertisementBut Yoán Moncada got the team back in the game with a three-run homer in the third. AJ Pollock’s RBI single an inning later made it 5-4.“We know that we have to fight back every time,” Moncada said through an interpreter. “Fight through the whole game and that was what we did (Monday). It doesn’t matter if we are up or down on the scoreboard, we have to do our best in every inning.”That’s as close as they would get.[ [Don’t miss] Column: White Sox need more than a couple of wins to prove they’re a serious threat in the AL Central ]Lynn allowed a single to Reyes and hit Andrés Giménez in the fifth. He exited after giving up a two-run double to Jones on his 100th pitch.“I watched him in the fourth,” La Russa said. “First and third (with one out), got the heart of the lineup out. We checked him and he said, ‘I’m ready to go.’”Jones scored on a single by Straw that deflected off reliever Matt Foster, extending the Guardians lead to 8-4.Advertisement“You are looking at two games (Tuesday),” Lynn said, referring to the split doubleheader. “To be honest with you, I have to get through six (innings) and I let the team down.”White Sox starter Lance Lynn delivers in the first inning against the Guardians on Monday, July 11, 2022, in Cleveland. (David Dermer/AP)Lynn allowed eight runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks in four-plus innings.“I’ve got to get off to a better start,” he said. “The last couple of games for sure, when you are throwing 30 pitches in the first, you are getting yourself in a high pitch count early. And then later in the game you are going to be higher than you like.“Figure out how to get through the first inning in 15 (pitches) or less and go from there.”And the Sox have to figure out ways to improve against the teams ahead of them in the division. They are 1-5 against the Guardians and 1-5 against the Twins, against whom they begin a four-game series Thursday at Target Field.“It definitely is important because we are playing against our division rival,” Moncada said of the stretch before the All-Star break. “We need and we want to win every game. And that’s our goal. That’s what we are trying to do this week. (Monday) is in the past. We have to move forward and try to get as many wins as we can.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Tim Anderson is ‘very thankful’ to be the 1st White Sox shortstop to start the All-Star Game since 1970 ]Before the game, La Russa addressed a report from Nightengale, who wrote Sunday, “There have been a lot of whispers of unrest, cliques and the lack of player leadership inside the clubhouse tearing apart this talented team.”“We talk about family, responsibility, accountability, improving, being honest about what we’re doing right or wrong,” La Russa said. “Very tight club. That’s why it’s more irritating, but more irritating if our fans buy into it at all.“There again, it’s in our power to go from a losing team to a winning team. And you win more arguments when you’re winning.”

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Gary Moeller, who succeeded Bo Schembechler as Michigan’s football coach and later led the Detroit Lions as interim coach, died Monday. He was 81.The University of Michigan announced his death, and no cause was provided.AdvertisementMoeller was promoted from offensive coordinator to lead the Wolverines program in 1990 and was 44-13-3 over five seasons.“Gary Moeller was a great family man, great friend, great coach, and a man of integrity and high character,” Lloyd Carr, who succeeded Moeller as Michigan’s coach, said in a statement. “I admired him, I respected him and I loved him.”AdvertisementA two-time Big Ten coach of the year, Moeller won a conference championship in each of his first three years and had four bowl victories, including the 1993 Rose Bowl over Washington. He resigned in May 1995, less than a week after he was arrested on charges stemming from a drunken outburst at a restaurant in suburban Detroit.Moeller bounced back in his personal and professional life, becoming tight ends coach for the Cincinnati Bengals that same year. He went on to lead the Lions linebackers and was their interim coach in 2000 after Bobby Ross quit midway through the season.Moeller was 4-3 as Lions interim coach and was perhaps a missed kick away from keeping his job. He was fired after Paul Edinger made a 54-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to lift the Chicago Bears to victory in the regular-season finale, knocking the Lions out of playoff contention.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“He also suffered bad breaks and poor timing in his career,” former Michigan player and broadcaster Jim Brandstatter said. “But you never heard Gary Moeller complain or make excuses. He was a class act. He was a good man.”The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Moeller to be their defensive coordinator in 2001, and he later coached the Bears linebackers for two seasons.Moeller, who was from Lima, Ohio, played linebacker and was a captain for Woody Hayes at Ohio State. He was an assistant for Schembechler at Miami (Ohio) and joined him on his first staff at Michigan in 1969.Moeller struggled in his first head coaching job, going 6-24-3 from 1977-79 at Illinois. He returned to work for Schembechler and later made a successful transition to coaching offense and became an innovative coordinator.With a relatively wide-open approach and willingness to throw the ball as head coach, he helped wide receiver Desmond Howard win the Heisman Trophy in 1991 during a stretch in which the Wolverines set a Big Ten record by winning 19 straight conference games.Advertisement“He was one of the giants in modern football history at Michigan,” Brandstatter said.He is survived by his wife, Ann, their daughters, Susan, Amy and Molly, and their son, Andy, who was a linebacker and captain for the Wolverines and an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns.

LOS ANGELES — Concession workers at Dodger Stadium have voted to authorize a strike days ahead of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game festivities in Los Angeles.Workers employed by concessionaire Compass Group and its subsidiary — Chicago-based Levy Restaurants — voted 99% to authorize a strike, which could begin at any time, according to Unite Here Local 11. The union is seeking what it calls “a fair new contract.”AdvertisementLevy employs nearly 1,500 food servers, bartenders, suite attendants, cooks and dishwashers at the stadium, which will host the All-Star Game for the first time since 1980. Events begin Saturday and culminate in the game on July 19.“They are the backbone of our tourism and sports industry, yet many struggle to stay housed and to make ends meet,” said Susan Minato, co-president of the union. “No worker should have to continue to live like this.”AdvertisementThe union represents more than 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona.The Major League Baseball Players Association said Monday it stands with the stadium workers.“They deserve to be treated fairly and will continue to have the 1,200 members of the MLBPA behind them,” a statement said.

CLEVELAND — Dylan Cease ranks among the best in the American League in several pitching categories.He led the league in strikeouts per nine innings (13.01) entering Monday and was second in strikeouts (133) and fourth in ERA (2.45).AdvertisementDespite the impressive numbers, Cease’s name did not appear Sunday afternoon when Major League Baseball announced the pitchers and reserves for this year’s All-Star Game.“It’s disappointing, but I can’t control it so I’m just going to focus on what I can control,” Cease said before Monday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.AdvertisementCease will be back on the mound Tuesday in Game 2 of a split doubleheader against the Guardians. Davis Martin is slated to pitch Game 1.Cease has built on his 2021 season, when he showed growth while going 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA and 226 strikeouts.[ [Don’t miss] Column: White Sox need more than a couple of wins to prove they’re a serious threat in the AL Central ]He’s 7-4 in 17 starts, and his 2.3 WAR is seventh among AL pitchers, according to Baseball Reference.“He’s got the type of stuff that could be special,” Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal said last week at Guaranteed Rate Field. “He’s made huge strides from the first year I got here to now.”The All-Star pitchers and reserves were selected via a combination of the player ballot — a vote by players, managers and coaches — and by MLB, according to the All-Star Game release distributed Sunday.Cease has received support throughout baseball after his name wasn’t on the list. Former teammate Carlos Rodón told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly that Cease “put together a first half better than a lot of guys on that list.” Carlos Rodón said an All-Star snub hurts more for guys who haven’t received the honor in the past. He seemed more bothered that his former White Sox teammate, Dylan Cease, was left off. “He put together a first half better than a lot of guys on that list.”— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) July 10, 2022

Cease said Rodón’s comment “means a lot.”“Carlos and I are good friends, so it was cool he had my back like that,” Cease said.AdvertisementA chance remains that Cease could be added as a replacement if spots become available, which often happens in the lead-up to the All-Star Game. The game is scheduled for July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.“A lot of things happen within the last week, so I wouldn’t give up,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said.Cease is concentrating on continuing to elevate his game.“In my mind I think there’s still room to get better as always,” he said. “If I continue to focus on what I think needs to be fixed and I just continue to take care of the basics and fundamentals, it should take care of itself.”[ [Don’t miss] Tim Anderson is ‘very thankful’ to be the 1st White Sox shortstop to start the All-Star Game since 1970 ]Still, he’s glad to see some of the work he has put in paying off.“It’s definitely more fun when you have good results, and this is definitely the most competent I’ve ever been as a pitcher, the best numbers I’ve put up, all of that,” Cease said. “It’s a little disappointing that as a team we aren’t where we want to be. That would be the most fun, good numbers and team’s doing well. But I’m pretty proud of myself and happy with a lot of the adjustments that have been made.”AdvertisementThe Sox began their final trip before the All-Star break with the first of four games in three days against the Guardians. That’s followed by four in Minnesota against the first-place Twins.Chicago #WhiteSox president Ken Williams addressed the players and staff on Friday about their underachieving performance this season, reminding them of their talent, but that it was time to focus and pull together. No one was absolved, from staff to players, for the team’s woes.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 11, 2022

They entered Monday with a 41-43 record, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote Sunday, “There have been a lot of whispers of unrest, cliques and the lack of player leadership inside the clubhouse tearing apart this talented team.”La Russa said of the report: “You always wonder who the sources are, where the information came from. Not really worth much unless you know that. I think I’m closer to it than whoever the sources are. Our coaches are closer to it. But you know, when you have expectations, talked about it and they’re disappointing, there ain’t no free lunch.“I like the veterans. And I like the way our young guys respond to their responsibilities and their willingness to step forward. It’s a terrific mix. That’s why stuff like that always is something. Put it this way: Either whoever the sources are are right or the coaches and I are wrong. So you take your pick. You watch us, you can agree wherever — it’s the beauty of this situation. Everybody has their own opinion, just like strategy. Either they’re right or we are wrong.”Cease likes the team’s chemistry.“It honestly makes coming into the clubhouse and to the park a lot more enjoyable,” he said. “I consider this a pretty close-knit group, so, yeah, it’s definitely not an issue on this team.”

When Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine entered his first summer as an unrestricted free agent, he kept his cards close to the vest.The two-time All-Star guard said he couldn’t commit to remaining in Chicago and planned to take as many calls as possible to weigh the market as he pursued a maximum contract.AdvertisementBut in the end, LaVine said he didn’t take a single meeting with another NBA team. Within the first 24 hours of the free-agency window, LaVine had committed to a lucrative future — $215 million over five years — while chasing a title with the Bulls.“My heart was in Chicago,” LaVine said during a Monday news conference.AdvertisementLaVine said he approached free agency with an “open mind” and researched other teams before sitting down for a dinner with Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas, general manager Marc Eversley and coach Billy Donovan. After building the roster around him the last two years, LaVine said the front office didn’t hesitate to grant all of his requests.He described the dinner as celebratory — and, he added, an opportunity to get the front office to pick up the tab for some expensive wine.[ [Don’t miss] Marko Simonović hopes to earn a Bulls rotation spot after bulking up in the offseason: ‘I’m ready to work’ ]“Once they came to me with everything I wanted, there was no other reason for me to go outside and look at any other team,” LaVine said. “I think that would have been pretty disrespectful on my end. They gave me everything I asked for.”While other Eastern Conference teams made blockbuster trades for new centerpiece players this offseason, the Bulls stuck to their plan to maintain the same core unit from last season. They have added only five new faces to the roster: veterans Andre Drummond and Goran Dragić and rookies Dalen Terry, Justin Lewis and Javon Freeman-Liberty.Despite a quiet free-agency period, LaVine voiced excitement about the Bulls additions. He described Terry as an “exciting, competitive” player and said he exchanged texts with Dragić and Drummond, who hopes to train with LaVine in California later this summer.LaVine said the Bulls believe they can improve on the 2021-22 season with the same starting group.Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) and forward DeMar DeRozan (11) head to the locker room after a playoff loss to the Bucks at the United Center on April 24, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)“People are going to move each and every year, and there’s still a lot of movement that can happen during the offseason,” LaVine said. “It’s just teams trying to get better and better, and I think we’re trying to do the same thing as well. “You know, we added some additions, but … we wanted to run it back. I think that’s what (Karnišovas) and Marc wanted to go after and really see what this team was like whole and healthy. So I’m fine with it. I understood how good we were in the first half of the year, but we’ve got put two halves together.”AdvertisementDespite making the playoffs for the first time and earning his second All-Star distinction, LaVine’s 2021-22 season ended on a bitter note as he struggled through a left knee injury, missing games and flying to California for a midseason injection.LaVine said he’s feeling “way better” after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in May, describing the procedure as “run of the mill.” He’s back in the weight room and on the court less than two months after surgery and expects to be full speed for training camp.“I’ve been doing all the good stuff and all the boring stuff,” LaVine said. “You have to start slow like always, but I feel really good.”[ [Don’t miss] John Bryant embraces coaching the Bulls summer league team after his father’s death: ‘He’d be so proud of me’ ]Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Despite the significance of securing a maximum contract, the biggest news of LaVine’s offseason had nothing to do with basketball. He announced earlier this week that he and his wife, Hunter, are expecting their first child.LaVine flashed an uncharacteristically large smile as he talked about becoming a new parent, citing his relationship with his father as an inspiration as he prepares for his family to expand.“That’s bigger than basketball, bigger than everything,” LaVine said. “I’m nervous, anxious, excited. … I know how to play basketball — but this is something I haven’t done yet.”AdvertisementWhile LaVine is feeling the pressure of his impending new role off the court, he expects to feel the same next season on the court — even with a max contract.When the Bulls return to Chicago for training camp in two months, LaVine said he’ll be excited to get back to business.“There’s no extra added pressure,” he said. “It’s just who I am. (There are) goals and things I want to reach within how much better can we get as a team, but there’s no added pressure. “I think this is just a compliment of a lot of hard work and showing what type of player I am.”