1.?Unintended consequencesAmong the big topics in golf this year is the schedule and the difficulty of cramming so many big tournaments into a short period in order to accommodate the Olympic tournament next week in Brazil.Starting with the U.S. Open, there were three major championships and a World Golf Championship event in a seven-week period. For those heading to the Olympic golf tournament -- at least the highest-ranked players -- it is five big events in a nine-week stretch on three continents.Throw in those who went to the Canadian Open and its four different countries. Then just two weeks later, the FedExCup playoffs begin, with four tournaments during five weeks followed by the Ryder Cup.But for several top players, all of a sudden the schedule is not so daunting. Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are all skipping the Olympics. Suddenly they have a three-week break prior to the playoffs beginning, as do those who didnt qualify and arent in need of PGA Tour starts to improve their position.It was never the intention of the PGA Tour schedule-makers to have it work out this way. In fact, the schedule has been the source of much consternation as it relates to the Olympics.Now, however, there are no excuses, at least not for those skipping Rio. The FedEx run is still daunting, but not nearly so bad now, certainly not to the level that typically sees players dragging and everyone discussing how to improve the system.2.?Second-guessingThe PGA of America understandably took a few hits over the weekend, first for failing to recognize that a bad weather forecast was going to impact the third round of the PGA Championship and then for taking the unusual step of playing preferred lies for the final round.On the one hand, the PGA said it felt players should go off the first tee and in twosomes whenever possible -- hence little thought was given to going off in threesomes Saturday to try and beat the weather.?But then the PGA did what is believed to have never been done in a major -- lift, clean and place.All that said, the PGA took shots when it was the only organization to really sacrifice for the Olympics. Long before golf was awarded a spot in the Olympics, the PGA of America had picked Baltusrol, as it wanted to celebrate the organizations 100th anniversary near where it all began in New York.The PGA moved up two weeks into an unenviable spot just two weeks after The Open. It was awkward, not ideal for players or fans, and then it resulted in an unlucky weather week. No other golf organization gave up so much to make the Olympics happen. The Masters and U.S. Open didnt have to do much, really.But what if the PGA Tour had moved the Bridgestone to the week prior to the U.S. Open? What if The Open had moved up just one week -- it would have been the same week as Wimbledon -- giving two weeks between it and the PGA?What if the PGA Tour had not scheduled a tournament, the John Deere, the same week as the Olympic tournament? None of it would have been easy. But it might have made things a lot smoother for those involved.3.?Phil getting awayPhil Mickelson has maintained that he wanted to play in the Olympics -- and he would have been in Rio if the deadline for qualifying had been pushed back to after The Open. You know, one of the biggest tournaments in golf.Lefty wont be in Rio, but he will take advantage of the break and said he plans to play in all four FedExCup playoff events -- he didnt qualify for the Tour Championship in each of the past two years.I have not had had three weeks in the summer for over two decades, and Ill take these three weeks off and be fresh and ready heading into the FedExCup, Mickelson said.Ill take probably the first week off and then really start to get ready. Thats a good stretch of golf those four playoff events and the Ryder Cup. Im looking forward to those five events. This is the first time where Im excited to play all four FedExCup events. Usually I only play three. Ill be fresh and excited to go out in the Ryder Cup, too.At No. 6 in the FedExCup standings, Mickelson is a virtual lock to make it to Atlanta regardless of how he fares in the first three playoff events.4.?Wheres The Beef?Andrew Beef Johnston has proven to be quite a character, and seems to enjoy the attention that is coming his way. The Englishman who won on the European Tour this year and had a top-10 at The Open was a big hit with fans in New Jersey and seemed to enjoy every selfie he took.But he figures not to be back in the U.S. for the rest of this year. Johnston, in fact, turned down sponsor exemptions to the John Deere Classic and Wyndham Championship, electing instead to head home and prepare for the Race to Dubai on the European Tour.5.?Beemer from the galleryIt was a fun, surprising week at the PGA Championship for 2002 champion Rich Beem. He had not played in an official tournament anywhere since a year prior, when he missed the cut at the PGA played at Whistling Straits. He had spent a good part of this year rehabbing a shoulder problem while working full time for Sky Sports in the U.K. And then he chipped in on the final hole and celebrated -- he tied for 71st.6.?Showing respectDuring the third round of the PGA Championship, Padraig Harringtons ball came to rest a yard past a plaque that sits in the fairway at Baltusrols 18th hole. It commemorates the 1-iron shot Jack Nicklaus hit from that spot in the 1967 U.S. Open played at Baltusrol, setting up a birdie that set the tournament scoring record at that time.Harrington said he had 235 yards to the flag from his position and used a 2-hybrid, which is like a 3-iron. Putting it like this, we (he and caddie Ronan Flood) discussed it after I hit my shot, Harrington said. How impressive hitting a 1-iron up the hill would have been in those days. It was seriously impressive. I was happy we have hybrids these days.7.?Olympic prepThere are six players in this weeks Travelers Championship field who are headed to the Olympic golf tournament next week, including three Americans: Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar. The other U.S. player is Rickie Fowler.All four happen to be on the bubble for the U.S. Ryder Cup team, in spots 9 through 12. The top 8 through the Barclays will automatically make the team. The others in the Travelers field who are headed to Rio are Germanys Alex Cejka, Denmarks Soren Kjeldsen and Irelands Padraig Harrington.8.?The aggregate major championIf you added up the scorers from all 16 majors championship rounds this year, Jason Day performed the best -- by 12 shots. Day, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, finished a total of 9 under par for those 16 rounds, followed by Jordan Spieth at +3. Emiliano Grillo was next at +10.The only major champion this year to make the cut in all four majors was Masters champ Danny Willett, who finished +16. The others to make the cut in all four were Kevin Na, Lee Westwood, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Martin Kaymer, Bill Haas, Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, Harris English, Justin Thomas and Kevin Kisner.9.?Four majors, four new champions Nike NBA Jerseys For Sale . A statement from the worlds top-ranked player says all checks "were satisfactory and showed positive evolution" regarding the injury, which contributed to his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in the final in Melbourne. Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. http://www.wholesalenbajerseysfromchina.com/ . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Wholesale Nike NBA Jerseys . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Basketball Jerseys China . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. It will be, no matter the outcome, a historic World Series, because whichever team wins, there will be black-and-white footage shown before the champagne has dried.The Chicago Cubs, as we all know, havent won the World Series since 1908, a season in which they hit 19 home runs all season. That team has a seemingly mythical characters, such as Three Finger Brown, Orval Overall and Tinker to Evers to Chance.And then there are the Cleveland Indians, who havent won the World Series since 1948, the second-longest current championship drought in baseball. That team had Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Gene Bearden in the rotation, and -- ?this seems impossible today -- those Indians had Lou Boudreau as a player/manager, a role he had for 10 years, winning the American League MVP as a shortstop in 1948.Its 1908 versus 1948. Its about ending a drought. Its about two teams with great stories to tell. This will be fabulous.Here are five questions.How good is the Indians bullpen?It is terrific and, more importantly, it is different than any other bullpen. Tribe relievers posted a 1.64 ERA in eight postseason games. In Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, the Indians became the only team in history to win a postseason game in which no pitcher went as many as two innings. In the clinching Game 5, the Indians became the only team in postseason history to throw a shutout in a game in which the starter didnt pitch five innings.The incredible Andrew Miller starred again in Game 5, as he did through the whole postseason, posting this line: 11? innings pitched, 5 hits, 0 runs, 21 strikeouts, 2 walks. No pitcher -- starter or reliever -- struck out more batters in his first nine innings of any postseason than Millers 20 this year. He was the first reliever ever to strike out five batters in back-to-back appearances in the postseason. In the ALCS against Toronto, Miller struck out 56 percent of the batters he faced; no one in postseason history has had a strikeout rate like that. But what makes him so great -- and the Indians so dangerous -- is the way he is used. In Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Red Sox, he was summoned in the fifth inning and pitched in three different innings. In the crucial Game 3 of the ALCS against the Blue Jays, instead of handing the ball to closer Cody Allen, Miller pitched the final 1? innings for the save. In the clinching Game 5 of the ALCS, he pitched 2? scoreless innings and brought the game to Allen, who also has been brilliant in this postseason.The record for most innings by a reliever in one postseason is 18? by Frankie Rodriguez with the 2002 Angels and Tug McGraw with the 1973 Mets. Miller is going to break that record -- and a few others -- in the World Series.How set up is the Cubs rotation? It is in good shape. By winning the final three games of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, the Cubs not only get some rest before the World Series, but they have their starters aligned relatively well. Most important, Jon Lester will start Game 1. He has a 0.86 ERA in this postseason, including a marvelous performance in the crucial Game 5 of the NLCS in Los Angeles, going seven innings and allowing just one run. He now has a 2.50 career ERA in 17 postseason starts.Since 1969, the only pitchers (10 or more starts) with a lower ERA are Madison Bumgarner and Curt Schilling.Jake Arrieta likely will start Game 2, but he labored in September (4.40 ERA) and in two starts in this postseason (4.91 ERA). But Arrieta in Game 2 will allow the Cubs to push Kyle Hendricks back to Game 3 at home, where he posted a 1.32 ERA this season. Hendricks, who led the NL in ERA in 2016, was sensational in the clinching Game 6 at Wrigley, allowing two hits and no runs in 7? innings.What is the status of the Indians rotation? Somehow, the Indians made it this far without any contribution in the postseason from Carlos Carrasco (broken pinky) or Danny Salazar (tightness in his forearm), making them the first team since the 1970 Reds to go to the World Series with zero playoff appearances from two pitchers who started at least 25 games with an ERA under 4.00 during the regular season. But now, theres a chance Salazar will be ready for the World Series. He hasnt pitched since Sept. 9, so there will be rust, but he still will be a boost to the rotation. His stuff, when right, is spectacular. Closer Allen said Salazar is the most gifted pitcher Ive ever been around.Trevor Bauer, who sliced his riight pinky in a drone accident on Oct.dddddddddddd 14 and bled all over the mound in his start in Game 3 of the ALCS, said he will be able to pitch as often as possible in the World Series. Well see about that. Its possible well see Ryan Merritt, whose 4? scoreless innings in Game 5 -- the second start and fifth appearance of his major league career -- were stunning. There are uncertainties in the Cleveland rotation, but its certain that Corey Kluber will start Game 1, and surely he will be ready to try going on short rest again in this series. In 18? innings in this postseason, Kluber has a 0.98 ERA. His breaking ball is from hell. Josh Tomlin likely will start Game 2. After that, its up in the air, but it has been for the whole postseason -- and here are the Indians, in the World Series.What are we to make of the Cubs offense? No worries now. Still, like every other team in the major leagues in this all-or-nothing era of baseball, the Cubs lineup can be pitched to, if a really good pitcher locates well. In the NLCS against the Dodgers, the Cubs averaged 7.75 runs and had 21 extra-base hits in the four victories, including pounding Clayton Kershaw in the clinching Game 6, a 5-0 shutout.But the Cubs were shut out (with only one extra base hit) in their two losses, the first time they had been shut out in back-to-back games since May 2014. It took a bunt single by cleanup hitter Ben Zobrist leading off the fourth inning of Game 4 to get the Cubs going, and it took a couple of cheap hits in Game 5 to keep it going.But now, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell are out of their funks, NLCS co-MVP Javier Baez (13 hits in this postseason) has arrived and?Willson Contreras?is swinging so well that the Cubs look like the team that scored the second-most runs in the NL this year. Ten different Cubs, including all three catchers (the first time ever to have three catchers hit home runs in one postseason), have hit home runs in this postseason. And only hours before Game 6 of the NLCS, Cubs president Theo Epstein said there is at least a chance that Kyle Schwarber, who tore ligaments in left knee in the third game of the season and hasnt played since, might be ready to play in the World Series. If so, it would be as a designated hitter or a bat off the bench. It is intriguing.What about the managers? The Indians Terry Tito Francona has been masterful in this postseason. He has known exactly when to take his starter out, what reliever to bring in and when to take that reliever out. He did a great job this season of getting run production, despite not having his best outfielder, Michael Brantley, for most of the season and having to mix and match at several positions. Should Francona win the World Series, it would be his third ring, and it would mean a spot in the Hall of Fame -- because he would have ended an 86-year drought in Boston and a 67-year drought in Cleveland.But Francona might be on his way to the Hall anyway, with his three pennants, 1,381 wins and a .533 winning percentage, plus an 8-0 record in the World Series. Franconas secret is his communication skills -- his touch and feel with people, especially his players. Every player has a button, and Francona always knows where it is and when to push it. In spring training every year, he calls his players into his office, one by one, to talk. In the case of Bauer, who has had some communication issues, he called him in all the time, just to talk. Apparently, it worked. Francona will jump on a player privately if he gets out of line, but he also is one of the best at making players comfortable and relaxed so they can play their best.The Cubs Joe Maddon is an expert at that, as well. He once pulled a bunch of his Rays players out of the batting cage and took them in the clubhouse to watch a magician work, another case of Maddon valuing time away from the game as good, not bad. His calm hand and great communication skills are two reasons the Cubs have been able to handle the pressures that comes with extraordinarily high expectations from the first day of spring training.And no one is going to outfox Maddon in the running of a game. He and Francona have managed against each other 133 times in their careers; Maddon has a 69-64 advantage, including 5-3 in the postseason. Now theyll get four, five, six or seven more shots at it.The pick: Cubs in seven. ' ' '