Washington
“Throughout our history, sports has had this power to bring us together even when the country is divided,” Obama said at a White House ceremony for his hometown team. “Sports has changed attitudes and culture in ways that seem subtle but that ultimately made us think differently about ourselves.”
“It is a game and celebration,” he said, and noted that “there’s a direct line between Jackie Robinson and me standing here.” Robinson, a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke Major League Baseball’s color line to become its first black player.
Obama has a home in Chicago, but is a longtime White Sox fan. He rooted for the Cubs after the Sox failed to reach the playoffs.
His wife, first lady Michelle Obama, however, is a lifelong Cubs fan. She greeted Cubs players before the ceremony, which Obama noted was her first appearance at some of the roughly 50 events he has hosted for championship college and professional sports teams.
The Cubs gave Obama two baseball jerseys — home and away — with the number 44, among other gifts. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo also wears the number, and Obama referred to Rizzo as “my fellow 44.” Obama is the nation’s 44th president.
Obama said it will be hard for him to wear the jersey, but told the Cubs: “Do know that among Sox fans, I am the Cubs’ No. 1 fan.”
Hours after the Cubs won the series in November, Obama asked the team on Twitter if it wanted to visit the White House before his term ends Friday.
Phillies Sign OF Saunders
Philadelphia
The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday because the Phillies had not announced the agreement.
Saunders’ deal was first reported by MLB.com. MLB Network reported Saunders has an option for 2018 worth $11 million with escalators that can make it reach $14 million, and the deal includes a $1 million buyout.
A 2016 AL All-Star with Toronto, Saunders hit a career-best 24 homers and batted .253 with 57 RBIs last season.
The left-handed hitting Saunders gives the Phillies a much-needed power threat at a spot they sorely lacked it. Peter Bourjos led Philadelphia’s corner outfielders with only five homers last year.
Alabama Hires Byrne as AD
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The university announced on Monday that Byrne, currently the Wildcats’ vice president for athletics, will take over March 1. Bill Battle announced his retirement as Alabama’s athletic director on Sunday night.
The 45-year-old Byrne was Mississippi State’s athletic director from 2008-10 before leaving for Arizona. He hired Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez and the Bulldogs’ Dan Mullen.
Byrne joins an athletic program that has won 10 national championships in five sports since 2008, including four titles in football.
Byrne is the son of Bill Byrne, who retired as Texas A&M’s athletic director in 2012. The 75-year-old Battle will become special assistant to the president.
Bottas Takes Rosberg’s F1 Seat
London
Bottas will fill the seat left by world champion Nico Rosberg’s retirement.
With Bottas moving on, F1 team Williams said on Monday in a statement that Felipe Massa will come out of retirement to race for a fourth consecutive season.
Rosberg retired only five days after beating Hamilton to his first world title in November.
“Valtteri has been part of the Williams family since 2010 and in that time has proved a huge talent, securing nine podium finishes,” Williams deputy team principal Claire Williams said. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank him on behalf of the whole team, and wish him a successful season as he joins Mercedes.”
Bottas finished eighth in the drivers’ standings with 85 points last season.
Massa heads back to Williams only a few months after retiring from Formula One. The Brazilian has agreed to a one-year deal and will race alongside F1 debutant Lance Stroll.
“I am very happy to have an opportunity to return to Williams. I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve,” Massa said. “Valtteri has a great opportunity, given the turn of events over the winter, and I wish him all the best at Mercedes.”
Chinese League Curtails Profligate Roster Spending
Beijing
On a statement on its official website on Monday, the China Football Association outlined its plans to change the rules for the new season, which is less than two months away.
Under the existing rules, all 16 teams in the Chinese Super League are allowed to sign a maximum of five foreign players. All five can be named in the 18-man match-day roster, but only four can take the field at any one time, and one of those players has to be from an Asian nation.
Under the new regulations, teams can still sign five foreign players, now from anywhere in the world as the “Asian quota” is abolished, but only three can be included in match-day rosters.
Player agent Kim Dong-jun, who is based in Seoul and represents some Chinese players, said the new rules will turn the spotlight back on the locals.
“The teams that have the best Chinese players will be successful and the value of Chinese players is going to rise,” Kim told Associated Press.
The value of Chinese players is already rising. On Friday, newly-promoted Chinese Super League team Tianjin Quanjian broke the domestic transfer record by paying around $10.6 million for goalkeeper Zhang Lu to Liaoning.
The elimination of the rule where teams have to have a foreigner from another Asian country will likely have the biggest impact in South Korea, according to Kim.
“K-League teams have lots of experience in selling players to China for lots of money,” said Kim. “They have been doing this for three or four years, including smaller K-League teams that have smaller budgets. These changes will reduce the number of Koreans who go to China and could have a big financial impact on Korean clubs.”
There are also some Australians likely to be effected. Adelaide United had agreed to sell James Holland to Liaoning. The move has been placed on hold and there is also uncertainty over the transfer of Robbie Kruse to the same club.
Also in 2017, each team will have to include one Under-23 player in the starting 11 and another in the match-day squad. On social media, Shanghai SIPG assistant coach Mads Davidsen expressed his surprise at the timing of the announcement but said that local players would benefit from the rule. “The U23-rule is very positive, plus one on the bench giving them all a chance. 5 (overseas players) are allowed in the squad, so no one has to leave.”
The planned introduction of new rules has not had an immediate impact yet, with several teams spending up big in the transfer window, which opened on Jan. 1. Shanghai SIPG signed Brazilian midfielder Oscar from English Premier League leaders Chelsea for a reported figure of around $60 million to link up with fellow international Hulk. Shanghai Shenhua has recruited Carlos Tevez and has reportedly made the Argentine the highest-paid soccer player in the world.
Not everyone is happy with the huge amounts of money on offer though and earlier this month, the country’s General Administration of Sport issued a warning to clubs that were spending large sums on foreign talent.
A spokesman said that the government, which under president Xi Jinping has been encouraging the growth of the sport in a bid to become a global soccer powerhouse by 2050, would “regulate and restrain high-priced signings and make reasonable restrictions on players’ high incomes.”
European teams are also wary with Chelsea manager Antonio Costa expressing his concern.
“The Chinese market is a danger for all,” he said last month. “Not only for Chelsea, but all the teams in the world.
“But I think we must concentrate on our work, not think that in China there is a lot of money and they can arrive to take the players there.”