Archives for February 2016

CSN’s 28 regular season game schedule – featuring announcers Dan Kelly and Fire legend Frank Klopas – begins with the HOME/SEASON OPENER on Sunday, March 6 vs. New York City FC at 12:30 PM CT;

“Chicago Fire All-Access” behind-the-scenes special to debut Wed, March 2 at 9:00 PM CT

Network to also carry five Spanish-language simulcasts on CSN+ in 2016; plus – Live Pre-Game Shows all season long and comprehensive coverage on ‘SportsNet Central’ highlight 2016 Schedule

CSNChicago.com to feature 24/7 reporting from Fire “Insider” Dan Santaromita; website to also feature bi-monthly Fire players interviews in the AT&T U-verse Lounge, Daily Player/Coaches Interviews, Game Highlights, and much more!

Chicago, IL (February 29, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet, the regional television home of the Chicago Fire, is once again ready to deliver another action-packed Major League Soccer (MLS) season with 28 live regular season Fire games (14 home, 14 away), along with five Spanish-language simulcasts, in-depth pre-game shows, the return of Fire All-Access, extensive nightly coverage on SportsNet Central and the most thorough 24/7 digital “Men in Red” coverage to date on CSNChicago.com!

The 2016 Chicago Fire regular season on Comcast SportsNet gets underway with the HOME/SEASON OPENER against New York City FC on Sunday, March 6 beginning at 12:30 PM CT with Fire Pregame Live.  The opening kick-off will take place at 1:00 PM featuring veteran Fire play-by-play announcer Dan Kelly and first-year Fire game analyst, Chicago Fire/U.S. National Team legend Frank Klopas.  In addition, veteran soccer journalist Paul Tenorio will be a part of every Fire telecast on CSN handling sideline reporting duties.  A special edition of Fire Postgame Live immediately follows the home/season opener featuring live post-game press conferences, live locker room player interviews, full highlights and complete post-game analysis.

In addition to 28 regular season games (14 on the main CSN channel location and 14 airing on CSN+), five telecasts will be Spanish-language simulcasts that will air on CSN+.  The announcing tandem for the Spanish-language telecasts will feature Telemundo Chicago sports anchor Rodrigo Arana handling play-by-play and MLSSoccer.com columnist Raquel Ortiz providing game analysis.  IMPORTANT NOTE: For the 14 games airing on CSN+, along with the five Spanish-language telecasts, fans are urged to visit CSNChicago.com’s channel finder section (csnchicago.com/channel-finder) for a complete listing of CSN+ and CSN+HD channel locations in their area.

Prior to the start of the MLS regular season, fans can look forward to the season debut of Fire All-Access on Wednesday, March 2 at 9:00 PM on CSN.  The season’s first edition of this unique behind-the-scenes series, co-produced by CSNChicago.com and the Fire, will include features on new Fire GM Nelson Rodriguez and new Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic at last month’s 2016 MLS SuperDraft that was held in Baltimore, MD, along with a feature on the opening of this year’s training camp sessions as both Fire veteran and newcomers come together for the first time, along with additional season preview segments.  NOTES: Comcast SportsNet will re-air this edition of Fire All-Access on Sunday, March 6 at 12 NOON prior to the network’s live coverage of the home/season opener. Comcast SportsNet’s complete 2016 regular season Fire schedule appears at the end of this release.

Throughout the season, Fire fans are also to tune into SportsNet Central presented by Comcast Business at 6:30 PM, GMC SportsNet Central 10:00 & 10:30 PM and the midnight edition of SportsNet Central presented by CLR for the very latest team/player news, interviews, specials features, and much more.

From a digital/online perspective, Comcast SportsNet’s website, CSNChicago.com, delivers comprehensive 24/7 Blackhawks coverage all season long, including the following highlights:

• Fire “Insider” Dan Santaromita joins CSNChicago.com for his first season on the beat.  Follow him on Twitter @TheDanSanto and CSNChicago.com for the latest team/player news and inside access 24/7, which will include daily content featuring match previews, game stories, player interviews, in-depth/long-form features, along with national MLS and U.S. Soccer coverage throughout the year.
• CSNChicago.com’s FIRE section – csnchicago.com/fire –featuring numerous videos with players and soccer operations staff, along with comprehensive game previews/recaps and the up-to-the-minute team/player is sponsored by Al Piemonte Ford.
• Digital video content this season will include bi-monthly Fire player interviews in CSN’s state-of-the-art “AT&T U-verse Lounge,” along with a massive video-on-demand library that will be distributed on CSNChicago.com  and Chicago-Fire.com.

 

COMCAST SPORTSNET CHICAGO
2016 Chicago Fire Schedule

1. Sun, Mar 6       1:00 pm        vs. New York City FC                     (2016 HOME/SEASON OPENER!)
2. Sat, Mar 19      4:00 pm        vs. Columbus Crew SC                  CSN+
3. Sat, Apr 2         4:00 pm        vs. Philadelphia                              (Spanish on CSN+)
4. Sat, Apr 16       4:00 pm        vs. Montreal                                  CSN+
5. Sat, Apr 30       4:00 pm        vs. D.C. United                              (Spanish on CSN+)
6. Wed, May 11    9:00 pm        @ Vancouver Whitecaps FC           CSN+
7. Sat, May 14      6:30 pm        @ New England
8. Wed, May 18    6:30 pm        @ New York                                  CSN+
9. Sat, May 21      4:00 pm        vs. Houston                                   CSN+ (in progress – CSN 4:30p)
10. Sat, May 28      7:30 pm        vs. Portland                                   (Spanish on CSN+)
11. Sat, June 18     8:00 pm        @ Colorado                                   CSN+ (in progress – CSN 9:30p)
12. Wed, June 22   6:00 pm        @ Philadelphia                               CSN+
13. Sat, July 9        6:30 pm        @ Toronto FC
14. Wed, July 13     7:30 pm        vs. Sporting Kansas City                (Spanish on CSN+)
15. Sat, July 16      8:00 pm        @ FC Dallas                                  CSN+
16. Sat, July 23      6:30 pm        @ New England                             CSN+
17. Sun, July 31      6:00 pm        vs. New York                                 (Spanish on CSN+)
18. Sat, Aug 6        9:00 pm        @ Real Salt Lake
19. Sat, Aug 20      6:30 pm        @ Montreal                                   CSN+
20. Wed, Aug 24     7:30 pm        vs. Los Angeles                             CSN+
21. Sat, Aug 27      6:00 pm        @ D.C. United                               CSN+
22. Sat, Sept 3       7:30 pm        vs. Philadelphia                              CSN+
23. Sat, Sept 10     7:30 pm        vs Toronto FC                               CSN+
24. Wed, Sept 28    9:30 pm        @ Seattle Sounders FC
25. Sat, Oct 1         6:30 pm        @ Columbus Crew SC
26. Thu, Oct 13      7:30 pm        vs. Columbus Crew SC
27. Sun, Oct 16      4:00 pm        vs. New England
28. Sun, Oct 23      3:00 pm        @ Toronto FC

 

NOTE: Majority of Chicago Fire telecasts on CSN/CSN+ will be preceded by a half-hour edition of Fire Pregame Live

28 games – 14 CSN & 14 CSN+
14 Home, 14 Road

Schedule subject to change
All times are Central Time

###

Coverage of Paris-Nice Begins This Monday, Mar. 7, at 2 a.m. ET/Sunday, Mar. 6 at 11 p.m. PT on NBCSN

Universal HD Presents coverage of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships Beginning This Wednesday, Mar. 2, at 9 p.m. ET

Live Cycling Coverage Available on NBC Sports Live Extra Throughout 2016 Season –10 Events Leading up to Tour de France

STAMFORD, Conn. – February 29, 2016 – NBC Sports Group presents daily coverage of Paris-Nice, beginning with Stage 1 this Monday, Mar. 7, at 2 a.m. ET/Sunday, Mar. 6 at 11 p.m. PT on NBCSN to kick off its robust 2016 cycling coverage. NBC Sports Group will present coverage of 11 different cycling events leading into the 103^rd Tour de France in July. In addition to coverage on NBC, NBCSN and Universal HD, live coverage will be available on NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.

Live cycling coverage begins this Wednesday, Mar. 2, at 2 p.m. ET with the UCI Track Cycling World Championships on NBC Sports Live Extra, continuing later that evening at 9 p.m. ET on Universal HD. Anthony McCrossan will call the action for the event. NBC Sports Live Extra will present live coverage of 10 events leading up to the Tour de France on July 2.

Competing in Paris-Nice 2016 are two-time Paris-Nice winners Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) of Spain, and Richie Porte (BMC Racing Team) of Australia, who also is the defending champion, and American Andrew Talansky (Cannondale), who finished second overall in 2013. Steve Schlanger will handle play-by-play for the event alongside analyst Bob Roll.

Below is the schedule for NBC Sports Group’s cycling coverage through Sunday, Mar. 13:

Date	Time	Race	Network
Wed., Mar. 2	2 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	NBC Sports Live Extra
Wed., Mar. 2	9 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	Universal HD
Thurs., Mar. 3	1:30 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	NBC Sports Live Extra
Thurs., Mar. 3	9 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	Universal HD
Fri., Mar. 4	1:30 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	NBC Sports Live Extra
Fri., Mar. 4	9 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	Universal HD
Sat., Mar. 5	1:30 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	NBC Sports Live Extra
Sat., Mar. 5	6:30 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	Universal HD
Sun., Mar. 6	7:20 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Prologue	NBC Sports Live Extra
Sun., Mar. 6	8:30 a.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	NBC Sports Live Extra
Sun., Mar. 6	4 p.m.	UCI Track Cycling World Championships	Universal HD
Sun., Mar. 6	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Prologue	NBCSN
Mon., Mar. 7	9:10 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 1	NBC Sports Live Extra
Mon., Mar. 7	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 1	NBCSN
Tues., Mar. 8	9:50 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 2	NBC Sports Live Extra
Tues., Mar. 8	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 2	NBCSN
Wed., Mar. 9	9:50 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 3	NBC Sports Live Extra
Wed., Mar. 9	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 3	NBCSN
Thurs., Mar. 10	9:10 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 4	NBC Sports Live Extra
Thurs., Mar. 10	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 4	NBCSN
Fri., Mar. 11	9:10 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 5	NBC Sports Live Extra
Fri., Mar. 11	2 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 5	NBCSN
Sat., Mar. 12	9:20 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 6	NBC Sports Live Extra
Sat., Mar. 12	7 p.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 6	NBCSN
Sun., Mar. 13	8:30 a.m.	Paris-Nice: Stage 7	NBCSN

 

In addition, leading into the 103rd Tour de France in July, NBC Sports Group will present coverage of the following events:

Dates	Event	Networks
Sun., Mar. 27	Criterium International	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Mon., April 11	Paris-Roubaix	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sat., April 23	Fleche-Wallone	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sun., April 24	Liege-Bastogne-Liege	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sun., May 5 – Thurs., May 26	Amgen Tour of California	NBC, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sun., May 29	UCI BMX World Championships	Universal HD
Sun., June 5 – Sat., June 12	Criterium Du Dauphine	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sat. June 11 – Fri., June 24	Tour de Suisse	Universal HD, NBC Sports Live Extra
Tues., June 28	Tour of Yorkshire	NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sat., July 2 – Mon., July 25	Tour de France	NBC, NBCSN, NBC Sports Live Extra

NBC Sports Live Extra will stream coverage via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to for their subscription service, and making high quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The NBC Sports Live Extra app is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra.

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–

 

Wednesday Night Rivalry – Blackhawks-Red Wings – 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Alex Ovechkin and League-Leading Washington Capitals Host Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN

Sunday Night Hockey – Blues-Wild – 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN

STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 29, 2016 – NBCSN presents a matchup of former division foes on this week’s Wednesday Night Rivalry showdown at 8 p.m. ET, when rookie phenom Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings host Patrick Kane and the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks.

Two of the NHL’s most iconic players of the past decade face off tomorrow night on NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET, when Alex Ovechkin and the league-leading Washington Capitals host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

NBCSN’s Sunday Night Hockey features a rematch of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as David Backes and the St. Louis Blues visit Zach Parise and the Minnesota Wild this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in a pivotal Central Division matchup.

Three-time Emmy Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame member and analyst Eddie Olczyk, and Emmy Award-winning ‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst Pierre McGuire will call Blackhawks-Red Wings from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich.

Kenny Albert (play-by-play) and McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will have the call of tomorrow night’s Pens-Caps matchup from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., while Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play) and McGuire (‘Inside-the-Glass’) will call NBCSN’s Blues-Wild Sunday Night Hockey contest from Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Liam McHugh will anchor this week’s NHL Live studio coverage, alongside analysts and former players Mike Milbury and Keith Jones. NHL insider Bob McKenzie will join NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry coverage to provide the latest in-depth news from around the league.

NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets and connected TVs – will stream this week’s NHL coverage on NBCSN.

 
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY – BLACKHAWKS-RED WINGS – 8 P.M ET ON NBCSN

The Blackhawks and Red Wings enter this week’s encounter on Wednesday Night Rivalry following big victories on NBC broadcasts last weekend. The Red Wings earned a 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche in NBC’s primetime presentation of the Stadium Series matchup at Coors Field on Saturday night, as Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal with one minute remaining in regulation. Detroit (31-20-11, 73 pts) is currently fourth in the Atlantic Division and currently holds the first Wild Card spot, but trails first-place Florida (78 pts) by just five points. The Red Wings have recorded at least one point in nine of their last 11 games (6-2-3).

Chicago (39-20-5, 83 pts) currently holds a slight lead in the Central Division and Western Conference, one point ahead of Dallas (82 pts) and two ahead of St. Louis (81 pts). The Blackhawks are coming off a 3-2 win against Washington on NBC’s NHL Game of the Week on Sunday, as Patrick Kane scored his 36^th goal of the year, adding to his league-leading 85 points. The Blackhawks made a number of acquisitions leading into today’s NHL trade deadline as they gear up for another Stanley Cup run, including former Blackhawk Andrew Ladd from Winnipeg, forwards Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann from Montreal, and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff from Los Angeles.

PENGUINS-CAPITALS – TOMORROW AT 7:30 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

Tomorrow night’s matchup between the Penguins and Capitals was originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 24, on NBC’s NHL Game of the Week, but was postponed due to severe winter weather in Washington, D.C. The Penguins (31-21-8, 70 pts) are currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of Philadelphia and New Jersey (67 pts) for the second Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-1 win against the Jets in Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, as Carl Hagelin scored a pair of goals in the win.

Washington (45-12-4, 94 pts) continues to maintain a comfortable cushion atop the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, currently 16 points ahead of Florida and the N.Y. Rangers (78 pts) in a distant second place in the division. Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL with 40 goals this season, and goaltender Braden Holtby’s 39 wins are six more than Corey Crawford (33) for most in the league.

SUNDAY NIGHT HOCKEY – BLUES-WILD – 8 P.M. ET ON NBCSN

This week’s Sunday Night Hockey contest on NBCSN features a matchup with playoff implications in the Central Division. St. Louis (36-20-9, 81 pts) is in third place in the division, just two points behind the division-leading Blackhawks. The Blues are coming off a 5-2 win in Carolina on Sunday, as David Backes scored and goaltender Jake Allen made 32 saves for his first win in four games since returning from injury on Feb. 22.

Minnesota (28-25-10, 66 pts) is currently sixth in the Central Division, but sits just two points behind Colorado (68 pts) for the second Wild Card position. The Wild enter the week following a 3-1 win against Florida to snap a three-game losing streak. This marks the final of five games between the clubs, with each team winning a pair of games in the season series.

Following is this week’s NHL coverage on NBCSN:

Date	Coverage	Network	Time (ET)
Tues., March 1	NHL Live	NBCSN	6:30 p.m.
	Washington at Pittsburgh	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
	NHL Overtime*	NBCSN	10 p.m.
	NHL Rivals	NBCSN	11 p.m.
Wed., March 2	NHL Live	NBCSN	7 p.m.
	Wednesday Night Rivalry – Chicago at Detroit	NBCSN	8 p.m.
	NHL Overtime*	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
Sun., March 6	NHL Live	NBCSN	7:30 p.m.
	Sunday Night Hockey – St. Louis at Minnesota	NBCSN	8 p.m.
	NHL Overtime*	NBCSN	10:30 p.m.
	NHL Sunday Shootout – The Week In Review	NBCSN	11:30 p.m.

*immediately following game coverage

2015-16 REGULAR SEASON COVERAGE ON NBC & NBCSN

NBC Sports Group will deliver coverage of 105 NHL regular-season games during the 2015-16 season, featuring 12 games on NBC and 93 games on NBCSN. All games will be streamed live via NBC Sports Live Extra. This year’s coverage includes 24 Wednesday Night Rivalry games, six Wednesday Nightcaps, 12 Sunday Night Hockey contests, and NHL All-Star coverage.

Click here for more information on NBC Sports Group’s comprehensive NHL coverage this season.

NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS

NBC Sports Regional Networks, which serve top NHL markets such as Boston (Bruins), Philadelphia (Flyers), Washington D.C. (Capitals), Chicago (Blackhawks) and the Bay Area (Sharks), will air more than 300 live NHL games and surround the 2015-16 NHL season with in-depth news, analysis and original programming on the teams that matter most.
NHL SUNDAY SHOOTOUT

NBCSN’s NHL Sunday Shootout recaps the biggest NHL moments every week, following each of NBCSN’s Sunday Night Hockey matchups. The program, hosted by Dave Briggs, will feature insight and analysis from NBC Sports Group’s team of NHL commentators, including Jeremy Roenick, Brian Boucher, and Anson Carter.

NHL Sunday Shootout will serve as a weekly roundup for NHL fans on most Sunday nights leading into the postseason. In addition to insight and analysis recapping the week around the league, NHL Sunday Shootout will preview the upcoming week and feature recurring segments, including the NHL Live Roundtable, highlights from the Game of the Week, the NHL Best of 7 and Inside The Numbers.

-NBC SPORTS GROUP-

NBC Notable Quotes
The Honda Classic
Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, Final Round
PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion Course)
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

On Adam Scott, 2016 Honda Classic Champion at 9-under par (even-par 70 on Sunday)
Johnny Miller – “His game, he has been working hard on his putting and from tee to green. It is paying off. He is getting ready to have a big year this year.”

Miller – “We talk about the Big 4 young guys and he is probably saying, ‘Hey, what about me?’”

Miller – “You can see the relief.”

David Feherty – “I’ve just confirmed a rumor. There is a rumor that Adam had sent his long putter back to the R&A with a short note. Confirmed.”

Gary Koch – “If Adam Scott continues to putt anywhere near the way we saw him this week, I think he is in for a really big year.”

Miller – “You got to hand it to him, it is hard to go from this kind of style [anchored putter] to a regular style.”

Adam Scott speaking with NBC’s Steve Sands following his victory
Adam Scott – “I hit a lot of good putts, not as many went in as yesterday. But this is a tough track. It is hard to get it close all the time. I played exceptional yesterday so I had to reel in my expectations today, the pressure of Sunday. I got off to a good start, made one on the first and that definitely relaxed me. I hit a lot of good putts. Some didn’t go in, fortunately it was enough in the end.”

Scott – “My game is coming to a really good spot, the back end of last year and now starting out this year. We’ve been working hard to get it there because it was slipping a little bit. It was a bit loose last year. The consistency wasn’t there. I’ve made some nice progress in all areas, especially on the greens and it paid off this week.”

On Sergio Garcia, runner-up at 8-under par (1-over par 71 on Sunday)
Miller – “He just didn’t have it. The pressure got him, let’s face it. That’s what it was.”

Miller – “Just not hitting the same shots he hit Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

Miller – “He really had to work hard for that 71…This is his 15^th runner-up finish in his career against just eight wins and no majors. He has had a lot of chance to win majors. He just hasn’t been really good at finishing off tournaments. Even though he is a great player, that one intangible, of learning how to win when you’ve got a shot at it.”

Sergio Garcia talking to NBC’s Steve Sands following his round
Sergio Garcia – “It was tough. Really difficult golf course. He deserved it. I’m proud with the way I hung in there. Obviously I don’t feel like my swing is near anywhere where I want it to be, but I scored nicely. Putting well and chipped quite well. He played great. He played better than me at the end of the day. So it is as simple as that.”

Garcia – “Obviously there are a lot of positives. I fought hard. I felt like I stayed quite calm. It’s tough, it’s never easy. But I gave it my all. Unfortunately a couple of bad shots on a couple of difficult holes and I wasn’t good enough.”

On Scott and Garcia’s bogeys on 16
Miller – “The Bear Trap is wearing them out.”

Koch – “These holes will get your attention.”

On Blayne Barber, T3 at 5-under par (even par 70 on Sunday)
Miller – “He seems to be sort of a smart player even though his scoring average is 72+. He is having a good week this week.”

On Justin Thomas, T3 at 5-under par (1-under par 69 on Sunday)
Miller – “Four rounds in the 60s on this course is very good.”

On Graeme McDowell, fifth place at 4-under par (1-under par 69 on Sunday)
Miller – “About six months ago he decided he needed to work harder on his game and it is paying off. He is reaping the fruits of hard labor, so to speak.”

On Rickie Fowler, T6 at 3-under par (1-over par 71 on Sunday)
Miller – “For some reason his iron game has fallen apart the last two rounds.”

Miller – “He just started hitting some really poor iron shots. I’m sure he is going to go get a lesson or go get on the phone and ask for a lesson.”

On the Champion Course at PGA National
Peter Jacobsen – “The Bear Trap just continues to impress and scare the players as they play. The Honda Classic plays like a major. The course is hard but it is a fair test. It keeps you off balance all day. There really is no letup.”

Jack Nicklaus with NBC’s Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller in the Broadcast Booth

On the Bear Trap
Nicklaus – “That it why those things become famous, I suppose. All of a sudden you’ve got guys playing along and then all of a sudden, boom, there it goes, in the water. It’s too bad. We didn’t design it to do that. Just little short holes that just turn up playing difficult.”

On the Ryder Cup dinner earlier in the week and what he said to the players
Nicklaus – “They were there the other night and I told them, ‘Guys, you’ve got four majors ahead of you. And I said, ‘Just think about how you are going to prepare for the four majors. You want to go ahead of time, you want to get the golf course in your mind, you want to get the problems out of the way. You want to be all ready before you play. Think about that when you go to the Ryder Cup. Treat it the same way as you would because you have a lot of golf in front of you before you get there, and you’ve got a lot of golf in front of you before you make the team.’”

Nicklaus – “We had a nice evening. The guys asked me a lot of questions. We had a little bit of fun, we played jokes on each other a little bit, with how we played and what we did. The whole idea was to have a little bonding between the guys. Make sure they understood that we want to support them and encourage them. We haven’t won the Ryder Cup enough lately. I just feel like it comes in cycles. Right now, the Europeans are quite good. We have a lot of very good players over there, and we just have to play a little bit better. I don’t think there is any real magic in it. To bond together and to be a little bit closer together is a very good thing.”

On Rickie Fowler
Nicklaus – “We had him over and he was playing at 7:35 the next morning, and he was virtually the last one to leave. I said, ‘Rickie, you’ve got to get home.’ He said, ‘Well, I’m doing fine, I’ll be alright.’ Of course, he only shot 66 the next day, so he did ok.”

On the ‘86 Masters and the 16^th hole
Nicklaus – “I hit my shot, and it was the cockiest remark I’ve ever made. I hit the shot, looked at it, and I knew it in the air and I knew it was just perfect. Jackie said, ‘Be right, be right.’ And I said, ‘It is.’ What a horrible remark to make if the wind had gotten it or anything else, how bad I would have felt. But it turned out alright.”

On the Champion Course at PGA National
Nicklaus – “You’ve just got to have a little patience to play this golf course. It’s a golf course that you want to make par, par, par, par and give yourself a chance for a birdie and take advantage when you can. Obviously you don’t want to make any mistakes. Mistakes are usually more than a bogey on this golf course.”

On the 30-year anniversary of his victory at the 1986 Masters and the stories he hears
Nicklaus – “It’s amazing. It happens to me 10 times a week. I meet somebody and they say, ‘Oh the ‘86 Masters, I was in the grocery store and I ended up being in the grocery store for an hour watching.’”

Nicklaus – “It is amazing. I was going about doing what I needed to do. I didn’t think I was going to be doing too much and I hadn’t been preparing that well for that week. But I got in contention that last day, and I got a little bit more in contention when I birdied 9, 10 and 11. All of a sudden I said, ‘Hmm, maybe, maybe.’ So it just happened and it was great to have Jackie there, and great to have my mother and my sister there who hadn’t been there since ‘59. Why they picked ‘86 I don’t know, but they did.”

On the Bear Trap and Adam Scott’s third round quadruple bogey 7 at 15
Nicklaus – “What a great round, 66 with a quad. Unbelievable. When that happens to Adam, Sergio made par on the hole so he picks up four shots. This has been what’s happened with the Bear Trap, it has come down to the end. You know that you can absolutely blow yourself out of the golf tournament or get back in the tournament, that the tournament is never over until you get through that little segment of holes.”

 -NBC Sports Group-

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 28, 2016 – Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala sat down with Golf Channel’s Gary Williams to discuss their passion for the game of golf, similarities between golf and basketball, players they look up to on the PGA TOUR and golf courses on their bucket list. The interview, which took place on Friday at Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Orlando, will air in two parts on Monday and Tuesday. Morning Drive airs live on Golf Channel at 7 am ET.

On Friday, Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson joined Morning Drive in-studio for an interview with Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella, where the two discussed Thompson’s game and playing golf with his teammates. Thompson also hit shots in Golf Channel’s simulator, with Phil Blackmar and Charlie Rymer providing tips.

Video: Thompson Talks Golf and Basketball with Morning Drive’s Matt Ginella

Video: Thompson Hitting Golf Shots in Golf Channel’s Simulator

Below are excerpts from the Morning Drive two-part interview with Curry and Iguodala:

Curry on conversations on the golf course

Curry: “We always joke that we talk more about golf than we do about basketball and x’s and o’s. That is how much we both love it. We are both watching Golf Channel and the different tournaments all year long. It is a nice commonplace for us both.”

On the competitive nature between Curry and Iguodala on the golf course

Curry – “He doesn’t really blast it out there, but when we get back around the team the next day after a round, either Draymond or Klay or somebody will come up to me and say, ‘Did Andre beat you yesterday?’”

Curry on world no. 1 Jordan Spieth

Curry: “I love Jordan Spieth’s competitiveness on the course and his whole demeanor. I try to have that attitude when I’m out on the basketball court.”

Courses on Curry and Iguodala’s bucket list

Curry: “Never played Pine Valley. I’ve heard some great things about that. So we are going to have to strike another deal with Coach Kerr.”

Williams: “He’s your broker?”

Curry: “He’s our broker. Win another championship and he will find a way to get us out to Pine Valley.”

Iguodala: “Pinehurst No. 2 is up there as well. So we are going to make our rounds.”

Iguodala’s goal in golf in five years:

Iguodala – “If I can be a four of five [handicap] in five years, life is set.”

Curry – “He can be, you will see his mechanics, for a guy that has been playing for a few years, the move the makes on his ball so far, he is on his way. He obviously has a day job that is getting in the way of his golf swing.”

Comparisons to McIlroy, Spieth and Fowler and how Curry and Iguodala represent themselves on and off the basketball court

Curry: “The biggest thing is just be yourself. Those guys [McIlroy, Spieth and Fowler] have done a great job with however or whatever their character is and how their temperament is on the course – on and off – how they handle fans and how they handle the media. Just be yourself and be comfortable in your own skin. There is pressure, there are expectations. You start to feel that as you gain more success, but at the end of the day that will carry more weight for you if you continue to be yourself and not change, not let the moment change you, have the right people around you as you go through your career.”

-NBC Sports Group-

NBC Notable Quotes
The Honda Classic
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, Third Round
PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion Course)
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 

Third round co-leader Adam Scott (9-under par, third round 66) speaking with NBC’s Steve Sands about his quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 15^th
Adam Scott – “I was trying to get a ball dry, for a start. I eventually did on my fifth. I hit a good putt that missed and unfortunately that was a 7, but that’s what this course is all about isn’t it. It is going to reward really great shots and severely punish ones that are just off, especially as you come around the Bear Trap. It got me today so hopefully that is out of the way and I can do a little better tomorrow.”

Third round co-leader Sergio Garcia (9-under par, third round 67) speaking with NBC’s Roger Maltbie about the Bear Trap
Sergio Garcia – “They were playing tough today. 15 was pretty much straight in, maybe a touch to the left. 16 was a lot into the wind and 17 was left to right. I think the main thing is you try to commit to the shot you want to hit. Depends on how aggressive or non-aggressive you want to be and just try to commit to that. That is what I tried to do on all three shots.”

On Scott making a quadruple-bogey 7 on No. 15
Johnny Miller – “Two huge errors for a veteran player. Just crazy errors.”

Miller – “It’s hard to watch. We were enjoying his perfection all day until here.”

Roger Maltbie – “It is just that kind of a hole. He had such a special day going and then you make a mistake or two.”

Peter Jacobsen – “This is just one of those holes that we see in golf. The one that pops in to my mind is the 17^th at TPC Sawgrass at The Players Championship. It’s just terrifying.”

On Scott’s birdie on 17 to move him to 9-under par
Gary Koch – “That will get your confidence back.”

Miller – “Got to be the best shot he hit all day, even after what he has gone through in the last 40 minutes.”

Koch – “What a comeback. His first career birdie in the Bear Trap in nine rounds, and what a time for it to come.”

On Sergio Garcia, tied for the lead at 9-under after a third-round 67
Dan Hicks – “So back and forth they went. Up and down they went. Tale of two nines and in the end Garcia lands at 9-under.”

Miller – “On the season he is 211^th in strokes gained putting, but not this week. He has found something this week.”

Miller – “Beautiful shots that he hits with his irons. Just pure.”

On the third-round final pairing of Rickie Fowler (T4 at 4-under, third round 74) and Jimmy Walker (T32 at +2, third round 79)
Hicks – “No mojo in that final group today.”

David Feherty – “I’m not sure what effect I’m having on these two. I wouldn’t trust either of them to play the radio.”

Hicks – “This is shocking what has happened here with the final group.”

On Fowler
Miller – “As great as his attitude has been most of the round, it has finally wore him out. He’s worn out. Nothing went right.”

On The Honda Classic
Hicks – “This has to be the PGA TOUR’s comeback tournament of the last 10 years. It is amazing how we’ve seen this tournament grow in such a short span.”

Miller – “When it came here to the Champion Course, the players started falling in love with it. It is an amazing course, par 70 and very difficult to get to double digits. Only a few guys have done it. It is almost like playing a major championship.”

Miller – “A lot of drama for a Saturday. We have a great leaderboard. All players that everyone knows about. We’ve watched them struggle and do good things too.”

On the 14^th hole
Miller – “This should definitely be added to the Bear Trap to represent the four paws of the Bear because this is the hardest hole on the golf course.”

-NBC Sports Group-