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In-form Geylang International aim to trip up Home United in S.League

Jason Dasey speaks with Home United head coach Aidil Sharin ahead of their match against in-form Geylang.

Buoyant Geylang International are targeting a fourth straight S.League win when they face title-chasing Home United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday night.

The Eagles have been resurgent under Noor Ali, with just three defeats in 12 outings since the former Singapore international took the coaching reins from Hasrin Jailani in mid-June.

In fact, Geylang have won their last three matches without conceding a goal — edging Hougang United 1-0 before successive 2-0 victories over Balestier Khalsa and Warriors FC.

Noor Ali is pleasantly surprised with his side’s sparkling form of late, and paid tribute to his players.

“I didn’t think we’ll be able to win three games in a row because Warriors is not an easy team,” the 42-year-old said. “As the game went on, I was thinking a draw would be fine, but we scored two late goals to win, and that’s a big bonus for us.

“I’m happy that we have kept three clean sheets. [Goalkeeper] Syazwan (Buhari) will be happy after conceding so many goals [previously]. But it’s a team effort, not just the defence.

“Everyone worked together as a team. You can’t win games with only four defenders… you need everyone to defend as a team. Football’s different these days.

Jason Dasey and John Wilkinson mull over the implications should the S.League take a one-year break in 2018.

“I like what I see from the team right now, the players are feeling motivated and want to prove something. It’s good to see them fighting hard for their places in the squad.”

With six games left to play, Geylang are targeting an ambitious push for a top-three finish.

The Eagles are now level on points with fourth-place Warriors FC on 30 and trail third-placed Home by four points, having played two games more.

“For me, it’s still open,” Noor Ali said. “Definitely we can’t win the S.League but the top three is still possible. I have my own targets to do well this season because I’m a former Geylang player and I want to see them back at the top again.

Home United’s Faris Ramli laments Home United’s missed chances as they see the S.League title slip further out of reach.

“The hardest team to beat is Albirex, but we can match the other local teams. We’ve been training hard and I hope the boys can continue this level of performance.”

The Eagles will be out to avenge the 3-0 defeat which Home dished out in a televised game at Jalan Besar in late April. But they will have to contend without the services of midfield hard man Nor Azli Yusoff due to suspension.

Home lost a great chance to close the gap between them and Albirex in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday. Even so, they are still harbouring hopes of mounting a late challenge for the title.

Aidil Sharin’s side will be without the suspended South Korean midfielder Song Uiyoung, but key centre-back Abidil Qaiyyim is back after serving a one-match suspension.

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North Carolina loses starters Andre Smith, William Sweet, Thomas Jackson for season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina’s injury situation is getting worse.

The school says three starters — linebacker Andre Smith, offensive tackle William Sweet and receiver Thomas Jackson — are out for the season due to injuries. That’s according to Thursday’s injury report ahead of Saturday’s game against rival Duke.

The school didn’t specify the nature of the injuries, though Jackson left last weekend’s win against Old Dominion when he went down after a catch grabbing his right knee. Sweet also was hurt against Old Dominion, and Smith didn’t play after getting injured against Louisville in Week 2.

Starting defensive tackle Jalen Dalton is doubtful for the Duke game after suffering an apparent foot injury against ODU.

UNC’s injury report for Duke listed 19 players.

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Sports car owner-driver Bruce Leven dies at 79

SEATTLE — Bruce Leven, a self-made businessman whose sports car race teams won the Twelve Hours of Sebring three times in the 1980s, has died at 79.

Leven died Sept. 15 at his home in Seattle after a long bout with cancer, according to his son, Michael Leven.

As a driver, Bruce Leven surrounded himself with international stars who contributed to the success of his privately held Bayside Disposal Racing team, including victories at Sebring in 1981, 1987 and 1988. Those drivers included Peter Gregg, Hurley Haywood, Al Holbert, Scott Pruett, Hans Stuck and Bob Wollek, who competed in the IMSA GT series in Porsche 935s and 962s, and Dominic Dobson and Jeff Andretti in Lola open-wheel racers in the CART Indy Car series.

Leven’s best season in racing was 1987, when his team earned six wins, with drivers Jochen Mass and Bobby Rahal finishing third and fifth in the IMSA championship despite entering only half the races. Three-time Le Mans winner Klaus Ludwig also contributed with a solo win of his own.

Leven disbanded his racing team in the 1990s and turned his attention back to business, founding the Bayside Automotive Group in Seattle.

Leven is survived by four children and nine grandchildren. There are no memorial services scheduled.

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20 Years Ago Today, Roger Federer Debuted At World No. 803 | ATP World Tour

The hunt for an elusive Emirates ATP Rankings point — a goal shared by every aspiring professional tennis player — can be tough and costly. But once attained, the location and year of the achievement will be indelibly marked. Twenty years ago today, on Monday, 22 September 1997, page nine of the weekly rankings list contained this entry: 803T Federer, Roger.

The entry didn’t attract much attention back then, nor did that of another future World No. 1, ‘808 Hewitt, Lleyton’, just a few lines down. But Federer had taken his first step on the ladder following a four-week series of Swiss clay-court satellite tournaments in Bossonnens — culminating in eight victories and two semi-final runs (l. to Daniele Balducci and Agustin Garizzio, respectively) — to earn 12 points. Aged 16 years and 55 days, Federer could also look a little further up the rankings at No. 756, Juan Carlos Ferrero, another future leader of the sport.

“The ATP rankings is where it all starts for every player,” Federer said. “It’s about getting your foot on the ladder and seeing your name on the computer rankings for the first time. I’ll never forget that moment and the excitement I felt after that Satellite. It was the start of a long journey to the top for me. I think that’s the great thing about our sport; the rankings provide a really accurate barometer of where you stand compared to your peers. The computer doesn’t lie. It’s amazing to think that 20 years later I’m still in the game  and still with a chance to get to year-end No.1 in 2017. I never imagined having such longevity.”

Over the course of the past 20 years in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Federer has accrued a staggering 121,092 points in a glittering career that to-date includes 93 trophies and a 1119-249 match record. Now aged 36, and with two months left of the 2017 season, the Swiss superstar’s focus is attempting to make up ground on Rafael Nadal and add to his record 302 weeks at No. 1.

In September 1997, fellow Swiss Martina Hingis was at the peak of her considerable powers. Federer, 312 days younger, was already technically and tactically stronger than some of his compatriots, Yves Allegro, Michel Kratochvil, Christian Dillschneider and Severin Luthi, who, of a similar age, also competed on the satellite circuit. From the start of 1996, through his exploits at Bossonnens and to the end of 1997, Federer rose from No. 88 nationally into the Swiss Top 10.

YEAR-BY-YEAR RANKINGS RISE TO NO. 1

No. 396

Top 200 – 8 February 1999

No. 176 Top 100 – 20 September 1999 No. 95 Top 50 – 6 March 2000 No. 48

Top 20 – 26 February 2001

No. 20

No. 8 Top 5 – 27 January 2003 No. 5

No. 1

Danny Schnyder, brother of former WTA pro Patty, who Federer jokes “beat him as a junior as often as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic”, believes that his childhood friend’s route to becoming a top professional player opened up when Federer started to develop his on-court temperament.

“He always had a lot of potential, but what he needed to do was convert his anger, his mental attitude — that he sometimes expressed or even felt as a junior — into a strength,” Schnyder told ATPWorldTour.com. “That’s what made the difference. Talent was never an issue, but a concern was only ever how he controlled his temperament. In controlling that, he improved fast. He converted his mental game into such a weapon, to become such a psychologically stable player and able to dominate players in the head.”

Between first working with Carter (from 1993), and then when Peter Lundgren joined the Swiss Tennis Federation in 1997, Federer’s biggest decision — with the backing of his parents — had been to move to train at the Swiss National Tennis Centre in Ecublens in September 1995. While the home-sick Federer never liked to train or practise, favouring matches, by the time he relocated to Biel two years later, when his father, Robert, was mulling over an executive position in Australia, the 16 year old finished nine years of schooling with his sights firmly set on a professional tennis career.

The family never moved to Australia. Federer soared to junior World No. 1 within a year and he also grew in maturity, helped by the fact that he shared a two-bedroom apartment in Biel with 18-year-old Allegro, where the pair watched television and played computer games (sometimes until 2 a.m.), between training with Michael Lammer and Marco Chiudinelli. His ascent up the Emirates ATP Rankings from tied-No. 803 on 22 September 1997 and into the Top 50 — at No. 48 on 6 March 2000 — was fast.

Federer played only seven ATP Challenger Tour events — 23 matches in total (16-7 record) — from his first at Geneva in August 1998 to his last, which reaped his lone title, at Brest, France (d. Max Mirnyi), in October 1999, shortly after breaking into the Top 100 for the first time. By contrast, his main rivals in the professional ranks, Nadal (34-10, 2 titles), Novak Djokovic (28-8, 3) and Andy Murray (22-12, 2) played slightly more matches on the ATP Challenger Tour.

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How Much Will Injuries Limit An Aggressive Giants Defense?

The New York Giants will present a number of challenges defensively for the Eagles on Sunday afternoon when they visit Lincoln Financial Field from both a schematic standpoint and with their personnel. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is very creative with his fronts and pressures, and aggressive cornerback play allows the Giants to turn the heat up whenever they want.

The Giants’ front is very good but first I want to explain the various blitz packages the Eagles could see on Sunday. The Giants didn’t blitz the Eagles frequently last year, but they brought the pressure in a big way against quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in Week 1.

Shot 1 – #Giants not afraid to send pressure. Landon Collins sacked Wentz on this exact blitz last yr. He’s a big part of their pressure pkg http://pic.twitter.com/VDP5ozXjhK

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

It’s third-and-6 and the Giants put linebacker B.J. Goodson (No. 93) in the A gap to the right of the center. This forces the running back, Ezekiel Elliott, to step up in protection right in front of Prescott, keeping him from helping with any pressure coming off the edge. Landon Collins is the safety lined up to the far left of the screen. He appears to be in press coverage against the tight end. With no defenders directly behind him, it looks like he will be in coverage. He’s not accounted for in the protection before the snap of the ball.

With Elliott stepping up to block the linebacker Goodson, the rest of the Cowboys’ offensive line executes a slide protection to the left. The center blocks the nose tackle, the left guard blocks the linebacker in front of him, and the left tackle blocks the defensive end, Olivier Vernon, lined up outside. No one accounts for Collins who gets a free run at the quarterback here in what ends up as a crazy completion for a first down.

The Giants ran this same exact blitz at quarterback Carson Wentz in their first matchup last year, and Collins got home for a sack. Something tells me that Wentz and the Eagles will be ready for this as well as other blitzes from the Giants on Sunday.

Collins is a do-everything player for this defense as a blitzer, a run defender, and a coverage player. He’s also a big part of their pressure packages. The Eagles will have to be cognizant of him when he’s near the line of scrimmage before the snap, but it’s not just the safeties you have to worry about in this scheme.

Shot 2 – Spags will send corners off the boundary as well in certain situations. Apple’s explosiveness makes him dangerous as a blitzer http://pic.twitter.com/KWsFAM8mG0

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

Spagnuolo has shown the willingness to send corners off the boundary (the short side of the field) as well. Eli Apple, a first-round pick a year ago, is a great candidate for this because of his size and speed. An explosive athlete who can eat up ground and get his hand up to knock away passes on his way to the quarterback is always a good item to have in the toolbox. More importantly, Wentz and the Eagles have to be prepared for pressures from all angles on Sunday.

Don’t forget that Spagnuolo comes from the Jim Johnson coaching tree, after spending so many years as an assistant here in Philadelphia. Spagnuolo loves to sprinkle in some zone pressures to keep quarterbacks on their toes like the legendary coordinator did for so many years with the Eagles.

The advantage of most zone pressures is that you may be sending two or three second-level defenders (linebackers or defensive backs), but with linemen dropping out it still only equates to a four- or five-man rush. This means that you can rush the quarterback effectively and try to create a big play up front while not sacrificing a lot on the back end in terms of coverage. One of the most popular ways to do that is with the Fire X blitz.

Shot 3 – The ‘Fire X’ is one of many zone blitzes in Spagnuolo’s repertoire. DAL picks this blitz up well, resulting in a big 3rd down play http://pic.twitter.com/nxyxHobPql

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

The Giants ran the Fire X blitz against the Cowboys in Week 1. Dallas picked it up effectively and hit them for a big play. This is what happened on most of the blitzes they ran that night. Still, it’s something to watch out for in this game. The Giants send both inside linebackers here while dropping both of their defensive ends into coverage. The hope is that you get a linebacker at full speed matched up one-on-one against a running back. That doesn’t happen here, for a couple of reasons, and Prescott is able to sit comfortably and complete a pass downfield for a big first down.

One of the last things I’ll show you from this pressure scheme is how the Giants put extra pass rushers out on the field in their nickel subpackages. A few years ago, they set NFL media ablaze with their NASCAR package with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Mathias Kiwanuka. Now, the Giants like to use Pierre-Paul, Vernon, Romeo Okwara, and Devon Kennard (who plays a bit of the Kiwanuka role as a strongside linebacker).

Shot 4 – #Giants like to line up with 4 DEs in their nickel and run stunts/twists up front to get a DE vs a RB in the backfield http://pic.twitter.com/SnThPcth06

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

In this front, the Giants like to put JPP and Vernon on the same side to try and stress offensive lines. The other thing they will do is run games and twists to try and get one of their pass rushers into the backfield quickly. On the two plays above, Dallas does exactly what the Eagles will need to do on Sunday – get the ball out quickly and on target to create yards after the catch and a potential first down.

The Giants weren’t as aggressive with their pressure schemes on Monday night against the Detroit Lions. They were also without star cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Were they not as aggressive because the Pro Bowl cover man was out of the lineup? Potentially. He has not yet practiced this week. The fact of the matter is that this is a better defense when he’s in the lineup. Apple has every physical trait one could ask for at the cornerback spot, and once he gets a better knack for finding the football downfield he’ll be in really good shape. He’s extremely gifted.

Shot 5 – Having gifted corners like Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple help the #Giants be more aggressive. Dialed back blitz w/o Jenkins on MNF http://pic.twitter.com/ppS8yuZjwL

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

If both Apple and Jenkins are on the field on Sunday, I’d expect to see more pressure from Spagnuolo’s unit. If Jenkins is out, I’d still expect some blitzing, but probably less than what the Giants did in Week 1 and more along the lines of what they showed the Eagles a year ago.

If Jenkins does miss this game, the Giants can still create pressure with just their front four. They’ve invested a lot of resources, both in the draft and in free agency, toward beefing up their front line, and it’s paying dividends. The first player to focus on is one of the jewels of their free agency haul in 2016, defensive end Olivier Vernon.

Shot 6 – #Giants have no issues getting home with a 4-man rush. Olivier Vernon varies his rush, wins in a lot of ways; dynamic off the edge http://pic.twitter.com/BPhFuSU1He

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

Vernon was a really talented pass rusher coming out of Miami and continued to progress in the NFL with the Dolphins. He’s now a disruptive force off the edge for Spagnuolo with his first-step quickness, ability to go speed-to-power, and the skill that he’s developed with his hands. He can be moved around the formation as a joker, and can win inside and outside.

Shot 7 – Olivier Vernon showing off his versatility. 262 pounds and running step for step with the TE and getting a PBU downfield. #Giants http://pic.twitter.com/E5wusQHKzp

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

They’ll even use Vernon in coverage downfield at times in certain packages. Do I expect him to be matched up on Ertz down after down? Absolutely not, but I thought this play showed the kind of athlete Vernon is off the edge.

And then, of course, there’s Pierre-Paul, who is still such a force off the offense’s right side. His combination of length and athleticism make him a tough matchup for any offensive lineman.

Shot 8 – JPP is still a really tough assignment. Non-stop motor and rare combination of length and athleticism. Must be accounted for. http://pic.twitter.com/8i5AJFPTMt

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

Pierre-Paul is really tough to block when he’s lined up outside as a 9-technique because when he hits blockers with a head of steam it’s tough to anchor against him. When he goes to speed-to-power, he’s as tough as almost anyone in the NFL to stop. With Vernon and Pierre-Paul on either side on every down, Lane Johnson and Jason Peters will have to bring their A game on Sunday afternoon.

It’s not just in the passing game, though. The Giants have a pair of run-stuffing tackles inside who are really disruptive.

Shot 9 – Damon Harrison is a force inside. Stout vs the run, powerful vs the pass. Skilled lineman. He’s extremely disruptive #Giants http://pic.twitter.com/C99j6HvMM6

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

Damon Harrison was really good for the Giants last year after signing with the team in free agency. He’s a rock against the run, taking on double teams with ease and knocking back blockers at the point of attack. He’s not an explosive rusher up the field but he’s good with his hands and can collapse the pocket with his natural power. He’s a load inside for anyone he lines up against.

Shot 10 – Dalvin Tomlinson is the same player he was @ #Bama. Able to control blocks from snap to finish. Went hard at Zack Martin in Week 1 http://pic.twitter.com/InMlFgtveB

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

I’ve been extremely impressed with rookie second-round pick Dalvin Tomlinson, who looks like the same exact player he was for the University of Alabama. Strong and stout against the run, Tomlinson isn’t a skilled pass rusher but he’s able to control blocks with a comfort and ease that isn’t common for young players. He uses his hands well and his performance against All-Pro guard Zack Martin back in Week 1 was really eye-opening. With both Harrison and Tomlinson in the trenches, the Giants will be tough to run against inside for any team on the schedule.

The other player that has impressed me this year is linebacker B.J. Goodson, a second-year linebacker who was sorely missed on Monday night against Detroit.

Shot 11 – #Giants are a better defense when LB BJ Goodson is on the field. Rangy, instinctive and physical. Second-year man looked good Wk1 http://pic.twitter.com/NJFGfmo1Os

— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) September 21, 2017

Goodson is athletic and physical. The Giants’ lack of real depth at that spot was definitely felt on Monday night. They’re definitely a better defense with him on the field. He’s a rangy player with instincts and a competitive nature that makes him a perfect fit for today’s NFL. However, he has not yet practiced this week.

Fran Duffy is the producer of “Eagles Game Plan” which can be seen on Saturdays during the season. Be sure to also check out the “Eagle Eye In The Sky” podcast on the Philadelphia Eagles podcast channel on iTunes. Prior to joining the Eagles in 2011, Duffy was the head video coordinator for the Temple University Football team under former head coach Al Golden. In that role, he spent thousands of hours shooting, logging and assisting with the breakdown of the All-22 film from the team’s games, practices and opponents.

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Yushin Okami – Thunder Seven | UFC ®

This Friday, Yushin Okami returns to the Octagon for the first time since 2013 to battle Ovince Saint Preux in the UFC Fight Night main event at Saitama Super Arena. It’s a tall order for Okami, coming in on short notice to move up a weight class and face OSP, but when the call came to step in for the injured Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, he didn’t hesitate.

“I always wanted to make a comeback to the UFC so I am just very happy,” Okami said.

Winner of four in a row, the former middleweight title challenger has gone 5-2 since his last UFC appearance against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in September 2013, and he even made a return to welterweight in 2015. In fact, after this bout at 205 pounds, Okami plans on making a run at 170-pound gold in the UFC.

“When I took this offer, I did notify the UFC matchmakers that I would like to fight at 170 from the second fight on this contract,” he said.

RELATED: Fight Night Japan Fantasy Cheat Sheet | KO of the Week: Yushin Okami| Japan Weigh-in Face-offs

>As a big welterweight, the 36-year-old Okami will be a handful for his future foes, but the next order of business is Saint Preux, and the Kanagawa native can’t wait to reintroduce himself to UFC fans.

“They will see my experience,” he said when asked what should be expected of him in Saitama. “And also my mental approach towards the fight.”

Here are seven of Okami’s most memorable MMA moments:

Anderson Silva WDQ1 – Rumble on The Rock 8 – 1/20/06 13-2 as a pro, with his only losses coming against respected vets Amar Suloev and Falaniko Vitale, Okami made his second US appearance against a pre-prime Anderson Silva in Hawaii. Silva had made some noise on the international scene with five PRIDE appearances, but his 3-2 record in the organization didn’t exactly show off “The Spider” who went on to become one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. On this night in Honolulu, the Brazilian did look to be on top of his game, as he dominated the standup and tossed aside any Okami takedown attempts. Eventually, Okami got Silva to the mat, but just when it looked like the bout was going to get interesting in terms of “Thunder” getting back in the fight, Silva finished the bout with an up kick. Unfortunately for him, it was an illegal move, and he was disqualified by referee (and future UFC fighter) Troy Mandaloniz. On paper, it was a Silva loss, but Okami didn’t see it as such. “The records say I won but I really lost the match,” he said. “But I believe because of this fight I’ve grown stronger.���

Alan Belcher W3 – UFC 62 – 8/26/06 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2jQmjey Three months after the win over Silva, Okami returned to Hawaii and lost a majority decision to Jake Shields. It would be his last defeat for over a year, and after two TKO wins in Japan, he made his low-key UFC debut against fellow debutant Alan Belcher, a late replacement for former middleweight title challenger David Terrell. The bout was punctuated by what can be best described as a bizarre front flip by Belcher while Okami rode his back in the third round, but other than that bright moment, it was all Okami, who pounded out a workmanlike three round unanimous decision and announced his arrival to the UFC.

Mike Swick W3 – UFC 69 – 4/7/07 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2xVt8Ca With a 5-0 UFC record, The Ultimate Fighter’s Mike Swick was rapidly closing in on a middleweight title shot, and in front of his Texas fans at UFC 69, most expected him to move to 6-0. But Okami was poised and ready to perform, and he did just that, as he dominated Swick on the mat and grounded and pounded his way to a clear cut three round decision win. It was the fourth consecutive time (following Belcher, Kalib Starnes, and Rory Singer) that the Kanagawa native issued an opponent his first Octagon defeat.

Rich Franklin L3 – UFC 72 – 6/16/07 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2jP3Or8 After Martin Kampmann was forced out of his UFC 72 main event against Rich Franklin, the next logical choice to face the former 185-pound champ for a shot at Anderson Silva’s crown was Okami, who brought a four-fight UFC winning streak into the bout. Unfortunately for Okami, his patient style cost him, as Franklin shot out to a 2-0 lead on the judges’ cards. In the third though, Okami showed that he was ready for the best in the weight class, as he closed strong behind a ground attack that included a kimura that almost ended the bout. “It was pretty close; he had me a little nervous but I was able to pull out of it,” said Franklin, who earned the three round unanimous decision win and sent Okami back to the drawing board.

Evan Tanner KO2 – UFC 82 – 3/1/08 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2xVy6Pl Four months after the loss to Franklin, Okami returned with a three round win over Jason MacDonald, yet despite a stellar 5-1 record in the Octagon, fight fans were looking for more thunder from “Thunder,” whose only UFC stoppage came against Starnes at UFC 64. Okami’s response? An emphatic second round knockout of comebacking former 185-pound champion Evan Tanner at UFC 82. It was Okami’s most impressive UFC performance to date, as he dropped and bloodied Tanner in the first round and then finished him with a knee to the head in the second frame.

Lucio Linhares TKO2 – UFC Fight Night – 3/31/10 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2jQmkz8 Following the Tanner fight, Okami split his next two, beating Dean Lister and losing to Chael Sonnen. After the Sonnen fight, Okami knew that to break into title contention, he not only had to put together a win streak, but he had to do so in impressive style. In March of 2010, he got his first opportunity and he made an example of Brazil’s Lucio Linhares, punishing him with some of his best standup work to date en route to a second round stoppage. The victory sent a statement to the rest of the division that just when you thought all you had to worry about was Okami’s ground game, now he could knock you out standing too.

Nate Marquardt W3 – UFC 122 – 11/13/10 (Watch on UFC FIGHT PASS) http://ift.tt/2xVy7CT Okami carried the momentum of the Linhares fight into an August 2010 bout against Mark Munoz, which he won via split decision. But the biggest fight was in front of him, a UFC 122 main event against Nate Marquardt. The winner would challenge Silva for his world title, and with all the pressure on his shoulders, Okami bit down on his mouthpiece and put in the work necessary to decision Marquardt and become only the fifth Japanese fighter to that point (after Yuki Kondo, Caol Uno, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, and Kenichi Yamamoto) to challenge for a UFC crown. He would lose that rematch to Silva at UFC 134, but he went on to win three more bouts in the Octagon before his release in 2013. Friday night, Okami returns.

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Andre Ward’s top wins

Andre Ward’s announcement on Thursday that he was retiring at age 33 took the boxing world by surprise.

“I want to be clear — I am leaving because my body can no longer put up with the rigors of the sport and therefore my desire to fight is no longer there,” Andre Ward said in a statement.

Andre Ward, the unified light heavyweight titleholder and the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, retired on Thursday, opening the door for a new king in ESPN’s P4P rankings. Who took the top spot?

1 Related

But Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) walks away undefeated and with a huge resume that almost surely will make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I vote, and I know I will check his name when he is eligible in five years.

As an amateur, he won an Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games, and during his 2004 to 2017 professional career, Ward cleaned out the super middleweight division (unifying two titles and winning the Super Six World Boxing Classic), won three light heavyweight belts and on the day he retired was the widely regarded No. 1 fighter in the world pound-for-pound. His last loss? He was a 12-year-old amateur.

So which fights were the most significant in Ward’s great career? Here’s my view of his top five:

1. Sergey Kovalev II (June 17, 2017 at Las Vegas): When Ward barely outpointed Kovalev to win three light heavyweight belts in their first fight in November 2016, most thought Ward got a gift decision. But when they met in the rematch seven months later, he asserted his dominance against Kovalev to leave no doubt. It was a highly competitive fight until the eighth round, when Ward landed a ferocious right hand on the chin and Kovalev turned jelly-legged. Ward went right after him, backed him into the ropes and fired away until Kovalev wilted and the referee stopped the fight. Kovalev complained bitterly later about low blows, but Ward essentially made Kovalev quit.

2. Carl Froch (Dec. 17, 2011 at Atlantic City, N.J.): In a dazzling display, Ward easily out-boxed the rugged Froch — himself a probable Hall of Famer — to unify super middleweight world titles in the final of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward won a unanimous decision, 118-110 on one scorecard with the two other judges stunningly scoring the one-sided fight 115-113. Whatever the scores, however, Ward was in total command as he cleaned Froch’s clock with left hooks. Making his victory even more impressive was that Ward came into the fight with an injured left hand that he ended up fracturing in two places during the fight.

3. Chad Dawson (Sept. 8, 2012 at Oakland, Calif.): In his first fight after winning the Super Six tournament, Ward destroyed Dawson in extremely impressive fashion. Dawson was the reigning light heavyweight world champion and agreed to move down from 175 pounds to challenge Ward for his 168-pound title. It was a blowout. Ward did as he pleased. He dropped Dawson in the third, fourth and 10th rounds en route to a 10th-round knockout victory.

4. Mikkel Kessler (Nov. 21, 2009 at Oakland, Calif.): Ward was not given much of a chance to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and his chances looked even worse when he was paired with super middleweight world titleholder Kessler, the favorite to win it all, in the first round of the tournament. But Ward absolutely dominated and announced his arrival as a force to be reckoned with. He won his first world title by 11th-round technical decision when Kessler could not continue because of cuts from an accidental head butt, but Ward dominated throughout to take the fight 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93.

5. Sergey Kovalev I (Nov. 19, 2016 at Las Vegas): Ward and Kovalev had been on a collision course since Ward moved up to light heavyweight in 2015, and when they met, it was not only for Kovalev’s three world title belts but also for potential pound-for-pound supremacy. The fighters disliked each other almost as much as the promoters in a heated promotion, and the fight turned out to be a very good one. Kovalev dropped Ward in the second round, but he got off the deck and fought his way back into the fight. Although most believed Kovalev deserved to win a close decision, it was Ward who prevailed 114-113 on all three scorecards to claim a world title in his second weight division and set up the rematch.

The post Andre Ward’s top wins appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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Shurmur on Thielen’s Big-Play Ability; Edwards on Gedeon’s Strong Play

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen finds himself among the league leaders entering Week 3 as he is second in the NFL with 201 receiving yards.

The former undrafted free agent has also had a knack for making the big play as Thielen ranks first among all receivers with five catches of at least 20 yards.

Vikings Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur met with the Twin Cities media Thursday and described what makes Thielen so effective on longer passes, even likening the wide receiver to a different sport.

“I think he’s good in all areas. The one thing about Adam, he’s a little bit like an outfielder,” Shurmur said. “I think he can judge the ball well, and some receivers don’t have that skill, so when the ball is in the air down the field and you’ve seen at times where he doesn’t have separation, which sometimes you don’t, no matter how good a receiver you are.

“He has a way of being able to judge the ball and aggressively attack it with his hands,” Shurmur added. “He’s got a strong physique. That usually allows him to finish the plays with a catch.”

Thielen is tied for fifth among all wide receivers with 14 receptions. He had 69 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns in 2016.

Shurmur on protecting the ball

The Vikings are minus-1 in the turnover differential through two games, losing a fumble late in the fourth quarter this past Sunday against Pittsburgh as Thielen tried to convert a first down on a fourth-and-7.

Shurmur was asked Thursday about how Vikings rookie running back Dalvin Cook has worked on securing the ball, but he said every Vikings skill player works daily on securing possession for the offense.

“We work on ball security with all the players every day,” Shurmur said. “It’s like shaving … if you don’t do it, eventually you don’t look good.

“I think it’s something we work on, and every player that touches the ball needs to finish the down with it,” Shurmur added.

Priefer on Forbath’s extra point mindset

Vikings kicker Kai Forbath has been perfect on field goal tries since arriving in Minnesota last November, making all 19 kicks in nine regular-season games.

Forbath has been inconsistent with extra points, however, as he has made 13 of 18 tries. He has missed one extra point in each of the first two games this season.

Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer said Thursday that he is working with Forbath to help get him in the frame of mind that every extra point try is just another field goal attempt.

“Considering he does a pretty good job on field goals, we just tell him it’s a 33-yard field goal,” Priefer said. “We’re trying that and trying to get it in his head a little bit. It’s crazy, it really is.

“First miss against New Orleans he pushed it (right) and this one (against Pittsburgh) he yanked it (left),” Priefer said. “Those are unacceptable, he knows that. Our football team needs every single point we can get, so hopefully he’ll get himself straightened out this week, and we’ll go from there.”

Giving McKinnon the green light

Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon is in his first full season as the team’s kickoff returner, and he leads the league with six returns for 160 yards.

McKinnon’s 26.7-yard average ranks fifth in the league, but Priefer said he and McKinnon are still working on when the returner should and shouldn’t take it out from deep in the end zone.

Priefer said McKinnon returned deep kicks Sunday against the Steelers because the Vikings were trailing and were looking for a jolt.

“I’ll be honest, as you know, we’re aggressive, and we needed a spark. Our football team, we felt, needed a spark,” Priefer said. “Normally we had him about five-deep early in the game, and we backed him up to seven.

“He didn’t realize he was back at nine, he just drifted back a couple yards and took it out. That one was probably, the decision probably should have been made to keep it and take a knee,” Priefer said. “The other one, he went to his right a little bit and caught it right at about seven [yards deep]. It was a line-drive kick, too. We just didn’t block it very well, to be honest with you.”

Priefer noted that the Vikings have always been aggressive in kickoff returns and won’t look to change their approach anytime soon.

“[Vikings] Head Coach [Mike Zimmer] has allowed us to be aggressive,” Priefer said. “I don’t want us to make those mistakes or get to a point where Coach looks at me and says, ‘Hey, just take a knee when we’re in the end zone,’ because I think we’ve been too good of a kickoff return unit since I’ve been here.

“We’ve had good returners, we’ve had good blocking,” Priefer added. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to execute better, even if he catches it seven or eight yards deep.”

Edwards on defending the deep ball against Jackson

Tampa Bay wide receiver DeSean Jackson is known for his blazing speed and big-play ability.

Of Jackson’s 46 career receiving touchdowns, 28 of them have been of plays of 35-plus yards. The former Cal standout’s longest score is a 91-yard touchdown catch in 2010 while with Philadelphia.

Vikings Defensive Coordinator George Edwards said Minnesota’s defense will have a tall task of stopping Jackson’s burst Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“His speed is probably as good as anybody in the league, but he does a good job of running routes,” Edwards said. “He does a good job of stemming at the top of the routes, so we’ll have to be disciplined in what we’re trying to get accomplished when we’re seeing him and guarding him this weekend.”

A look at a rookie linebacker

Edwards was also asked by the media to evaluate the play of Vikings rookie linebacker Ben Gedeon through two games.

Gedeon, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan, recorded five total tackles (according to coaches’ tally) against New Orleans and Pittsburgh.

Gedeon has mainly been in with the Vikings base defense and has also chipped in on special teams.

“He’s been doing good,” Edwards said of Gedeon. “The one thing about him is that he’s been consistent in whatever we’ve asked him to do.

“He’s been productive, showed good instincts and awareness when he’s in the football game,” Edwards added. “We’re pleased where he’s at right now.”

The post Shurmur on Thielen’s Big-Play Ability; Edwards on Gedeon’s Strong Play appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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Minnesota Timberwolves sign guard Aaron Brooks

The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed veteran guard Aaron Brooks, finalizing their training camp roster at 17 players.

Terms of the deal were not announced.

Brooks, 32, spent the 2016-17 season with the Indiana Pacers, averaging 5.0 points, 1.9 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 65 appearances.

He’ll join Jeff Teague, Tyus Jones and undrafted rookie Melo Trimble as point guards on the Wolves’ roster entering camp.

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Everton aim to reclaim ‘People’s Club’ status after summer of investment

ESPN spent a day behind the scenes at Everton to find out why they are the “people’s club.” The FC crew assess Everton’s early struggles and comments from Jose Mourinho and Ronald Koeman about their top-4 chances.

LIVERPOOL, England — Graeme Sharp tells a story about the night Everton stood on the shoulders of giants, when Goodison Park witnessed what many believe to be its greatest occasion as Bayern Munich were dismantled in a 3-1 victory in the 1985 European Cup Winners’ Cup semifinal second-leg.

Sharp scored Everton’s equaliser that night, making the score 1-1 three minutes into the second-half, and the outcome of the game — Everton went on to win their only European trophy by defeating Rapid Vienna 3-1 in the final — encapsulates what the club is all about.

“That was the most memorable night of my career,” Sharp tells ESPN FC. “Bayern Munich at Goodison and the Gwladys Street End sucked the goals in that night. Howard Kendall, the manager, told us that would happen and atmosphere was just incredible.”

David Moyes described Everton as the “People’s Club” when he took charge as manager in March 2002. A club with a glorious history — Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal remain the only teams to have won more than Everton’s nine league titles — they were still defined by the Gwladys Street End, which backs onto a residential street of terraced houses, some painted in Everton royal blue, that sees fans walk 20 yards from their front door to the turnstiles.

Everton are big, but until now, they have not been able to translate their past into the future.

In an era of newly-built super-stadia or ground reconstruction, Goodison has remained untouched since the Park End was built in the mid-1990s.

Football in England has moved on, but Everton have remained Everton — The People’s Club, proud of its local roots, traditions and authenticity. However, under the management of Ronald Koeman, backed by the finances of part-owner Farhad Moshiri, they are ready to make up for lost time by stepping back into the future.

A new stadium is set to be built at Bramley-Moore Dock in the city, £140 million has been spent on new players this summer and Prodigal Son Wayne Rooney is back, having returned to the club he left at 18 for Manchester United.

Everton are now making strides to challenge the elite, but they remain Everton — the club where long-serving kit man Jimmy Martin once drove the team bus and where Sharp meets and greets supporters in his role as ambassador.

Or where Bob Lennon, the head groundsman, recalls challenging a teenage Rooney to hit the crossbar from the halfway line, and seeing the youngster doing it at the first time of asking to win a £5 bet.

When ESPN FC was given access behind the scenes at Goodison Park last week, Everton highlighted their “People’s Club” roots by staging a community event in which first-team players worked alongside supporters from all walks of life.

Michael Keane worked with a class of 12 school children in a multi-sport session aimed at encouraging participation and fitness; Leighton Baines met 12 armed forces veterans about health and wellbeing; Everton captain Phil Jagielka helped 12 young people learn and develop new skills aimed at improving their prospects of finding work.

“It’s pretty easy for us,” Jagielka told ESPN FC. “It’s four or five of us coming down here, but the easiest thing to tell how it works is the reaction, not only from them to us, but us to them.

“We are not coming here under any pressure. I’ve been sat in a classroom with 12-14 teenagers, having a laugh and just trying to help them with employment. They just ask me a couple of questions. They value your opinion and it’s nice. The group dynamic every time I have been here is fantastic.” Everton are not just old school, though. The club’s Finch Farm training base is one of the most modern in the Premier League, with Koeman’s fitness coach, Jan Kluitenberg, devising individual programmes for each player and the video analysis team working in tandem with the Dutchman.

Rooney, whose return to Everton from United, was as much a symbolic signing as one for team strengthening due to his emergence as a prodigious 16-year-old under Moyes, has already impressed Kluitenberg with his fitness and readiness to embrace the challenge of helping to re-establish Everton as a top club.

Wayne Rooney is back at Everton after over a decade away.

The former England captain embodies Everton’s determination to become winners again, but after Sunday’s defeat at Old Trafford marked the 1,000th consecutive game that the matchday squad had included a graduate from the club’s Academy, his return also helps highlight the desire to nurture local talent and provide a pathway for Liverpudlian youngsters to make it all the way to the first-team at Goodison.

Balancing that aspiration with the determination to become a serious contender for silverware — Everton have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 1995 — is the challenge facing Koeman and the club’s hierarchy, though.

The £140m summer spending spree, including £45m club-record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson, has yet to bear fruit on the pitch following a tough start to the season that has seen Everton draw on the road to Manchester City and lose to United and Chelsea, as well as host Spurs in a 3-0 defeat.

With only one win this season (on the opening day), those top four ambitions have taken a jolt, but Jagielka insists that the summer strengthening is proof of the club raising its sights to greater things.

“The manager maybe wanted one or two more [signings], but it didn’t quite happen,” Jagielka said. “The club is making a statement of how ambitious it wants to be, though, on all four fronts. We want to finish as high up the table as we can and potentially win a cup. We can’t choose to be picky about what kind of tournaments or trophies we want to try to win.”

Back when Bayern Munich were beaten at Goodison Park, Everton picked up trophies on a regular basis and were as big as any club in England.

Reclaiming that status and remaining the “People’s Club” is now the objective for Everton.

Mark Ogden is a senior football writer for ESPN FC. Follow him @MarkOgden_

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Crasnick: Are we there yet? Dodgers still waiting to clinch NL West – Los Angeles – Dodgers Report

PHILADELPHIA — When the Los Angeles Dodgers were basking in a state of 91-36 nirvana in August and generating lots of buzz as baseball’s resident superteam, manager Dave Roberts’ to-do list was relatively simple. He just wanted to keep his roster healthy, line up his starting rotation for the playoffs, and maintain the elusive “edge” that great teams risk losing when they’re sitting on gargantuan leads down the stretch.

Six wins, 20 losses and a whole lot of introspection later, the Dodgers can’t even muster the momentum for a decent clinching celebration.

The Dodgers arrived at Citizens Bank Park on Monday with a magic number of four to clinch their fifth straight National League West title. Since they were taking on a woebegone Phillies team and the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks were playing the rebuilding San Diego Padres, it wasn’t much to ask for the Dodgers to leave Philly with some closure — and a few champagne-induced hangovers.

Kenley Jansen earned his 39th save in a 5-4 win Thursday as the Dodgers avoided a series sweep by the Phillies. Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports

Yet here they are, headed back to the West Coast on the verge of sealing the deal. The gratification of winning the division is tempered by the disappointment that it’s taking so darn long.

The Dodgers scratched out a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia on Thursday to pull within a half-game of the NL West crown. They can make it official with a victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Dodger Stadium — on franchise icon Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday, no less.

“It’s my mantra right now for all of us,” Roberts said. “It would be only fitting that we clinch the fifth in a row on Tommy’s birthday. That’ll be at the forefront of our minds.

“We expected it (would happen here) and it didn’t happen. But I really thought the energy the last few days has been good. The results, not so good. We’ve just got to carry it over when we get home.”

All things considered, the Philly portion of Los Angeles’ trip could have been worse. Shortstop Corey Seager, who had already fouled a ball off his right calf against the Washington Nationals, fouled a ball off his right ankle in Wednesday night’s game. And third baseman Justin Turner took a Mark Leiter Jr. fastball off the right thumb in his first plate appearance Thursday and had to leave the game in the second inning. The X-rays on Seager and Turner were negative, so they’re both in day-to-day mode.

“Anytime you get hit in the hand, it’s a little scary,” Turner said. “I think I would have been fine throwing. I just don’t know how it would have been if I had taken another at-bat. If I had gotten jammed or something like that, it might have made things even worse. Dave and I agreed to be cautious about it.”

Amid the potential health issues, two lingering statistical maladies continue to make life difficult for Los Angeles:

* The Dodgers averaged 5.1 runs per game and logged a .794 team OPS in their first 127 games. During the recent 6-20 funk, they’ve averaged 3.0 runs per game and recorded a .648 OPS.

* The bullpen has also been a drag on the team’s ambitions of late. Through the team’s first 105 games, Dodgers relievers sported an aggregate 2.83 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. In the 48 games since, the ERA has swelled to 4.79 and the WHIP has increased to 1.31.

Pedro Baez and Ross Stripling have been ineffective, and Roberts would like another reliable righty in front of Brandon Morrow and Kenley Jansen, so the Dodgers will look to the rotation for a reinforcement. After Kenta Maeda threw 61 pitches and three innings in the series finale, Roberts said Maeda will be transitioning to a relief role in preparation for October. Maeda threw five innings of one-run relief in a brief foray to the pen in June.

“Going forward, we see Kenta as a weapon in the bullpen,” Roberts said. “He’s done it and he really thrived in that role. He’s shown that he can acclimate to changing his routine. Throughout his career, he’s been very tough on right-handed hitters.

“In the postseason, when you’re counting outs and looking at potential lineups and matchups, there are ways to deploy him that give him the best chance to have success.”

Maeda’s transition is one of many developments Roberts and his staff will monitor over the final 10 days of the season. The Dodgers also need to determine where Andre Ethier might fit on the postseason roster and if Curtis Granderson and Yasmani Grandal can turn it around after extended slumps.

But first, there’s a clinching party to be held at Dodger Stadium. Better late than never.

“Once we get that out of the way, it definitely could be a big monkey off our back,” Turner said. “You don’t want to relax and let up.

“But at the same time, things haven’t been going too good for us lately. Maybe that little bit of relief is what we all need around here.”

The post Crasnick: Are we there yet? Dodgers still waiting to clinch NL West – Los Angeles – Dodgers Report appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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North Carolina loses starters Andre Smith, William Sweet, Thomas Jackson for season

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina’s injury situation is getting worse.

The school says three starters — linebacker Andre Smith, offensive tackle William Sweet and receiver Thomas Jackson — are out for the season due to injuries. That’s according to Thursday’s injury report ahead of Saturday’s game against rival Duke.

The school didn’t specify the nature of the injuries, though Jackson left last weekend’s win against Old Dominion when he went down after a catch grabbing his right knee. Sweet also was hurt against Old Dominion, and Smith didn’t play after getting injured against Louisville in Week 2.

Starting defensive tackle Jalen Dalton is doubtful for the Duke game after suffering an apparent foot injury against ODU.

UNC’s injury report for Duke listed 19 players.

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Davison banking on Bathurst happy memories

After a tough year and with his own future up in the air, Supercars star Will Davison is banking on some happy memories to turn his team’s fortunes around at Bathurst next month.

Tekno Autosports celebrated a remarkable Bathurst 1000 win 12 months ago but since that time things haven’t gone to plan for the Queensland-based team.

Davison is yet to achieve a podium finish in 2017 and finds himself languishing 13th on the championship ladder.

Team owner and co-driver Jonathon Webb’s role in a horror smash that destroyed rookie Todd Hazelwood’s Holden during Saturday’s qualifying races ruined the pair’s Sandown 500 weekend, leaving them starting at the back of the grid before an eventual mid-pack finish.

Davison says while times have been tough since last year’s Bathurst glory, he’s hoping the sight of the famous Mount Panorama circuit will be enough to bring morale back up within the garage.

“That’s all we can do is go there with our heads held high as the reigning winners,” the two-time Bathurst winner told AAP.

“Go there determined and focused to forget what has happened in the rest of the year, know that we’re better than the pieces of paper say and just hope we can get it all together.

“It’s a real, cool, special place.”

Davison said while Webb’s Saturday mishap at Sandown had been disappointing, the pair were determined to avoid similar hiccups in their Bathurst defence.

“I know he’ll be going to Bathurst pretty focused, he’s obviously pretty disappointed with last Saturday,” the out-of-contract Davison said.

“I know he’ll be going there pretty determined to be at his best.

“Let’s hope we all lift and rise to the occasion when it counts.”

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Elliott Doesn’t Run From Criticism; Says “No Excuse For Lack of Effort”

FRISCO, Texas – Ezekiel Elliott didn’t run the ball well in the Cowboys’ 42-17 loss to the Denver Broncos. But he also didn’t run from criticism when he addressed the media on Thursday.

That criticism included more than just his performance. Elliott’s effort was put into question on specific plays, including an interception by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris after which Elliott put his hands on his hips rather than attempting to make the tackle.

“I was very frustrated,” Elliott said, “But that’s no excuse for the lack of effort that I showed on tape.”

 Jason Garrett said after the loss that he took note of the Elliott’s effort and even suggested that it might be singled out in perhaps a team wide conversation. Thursday, Garrett already considered the topic a thing of the past.

“Zeke is a professional,” Garrett said. “He isn’t perfect. When things happen we address them and move on.”

It was clear on Thursday that the subject had been addressed and that, whether or not he had admitted it beforehand, Elliott was confronted with the issue in the film room where it could not be denied.

“I just can’t do that being one of the leaders on the team and being a guy that people count on,” Elliott said. “I can’t put that type of stuff on film.”

It was also the worst game of Elliott’s young career from a production standpoint. He ran the ball nine times for just eight yards. Fortunately for Elliott, his track record for shouldering a large workload has allowed his teammates to keep faith in him.

“I know who he is,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “I know the type of football player he is and I know the type of guy he is. I never would have questioned his competitiveness or his lack of effort or whatever you want to say. I’ll never question it. I know he’s going to be there for me, for his teammates, and for this organization.”

Elliott agreed that “who he is” is different than what fans saw from him in Denver.

It [was] definitely not me,” Elliott said. “It’s definitely not the type of player I am. It’s definitely not who I am for this team. I just can’t do that. I was frustrated. I wasn’t myself.”

The good news for Cowboys fans is that if Elliott’s performance really was a momentarily lapse in effort due to frustration then the course for correction is pretty simple. The Cowboys keys to success rely pretty heavily on Elliott’s ability to dominate early and frustrate defenses, not the other way around.

Elliott said that Denver’s defense didn’t show them anything they hadn’t seen before. It just happened to be the first time it worked so successfully for a defense.

“I don’t think there’s any blueprint on how to stop us,” Elliott said. “I think it all depends on how we go out there and execute.” Read

The post Elliott Doesn’t Run From Criticism; Says “No Excuse For Lack of Effort” appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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Vikings, Medtronic Team Up to Revamp High School Weight Room

MINNEAPOLIS – NFL players are accustomed to being in the limelight, but a handful of Vikings recently shared a platform and listened to the stories of student athletes.

Kentrell Brothers, C.J. Ham, Anthony Harris, Stephen Weatherly, Eric Wilson and R.J. Shelton helped a number of Minneapolis North High School students celebrate their revamped weight room earlier this week. After the players helped Vikings Youth Football Director E.J. Henderson lead the group of young athletes through some drills, they circled up and took turns sharing educational experiences, backgrounds and future goals.

Ham said he appreciated the opportunity to connect more personally with students from his home state.

“Most of the time at these events, it’s a big event with a lot of kids, so you don’t really get a chance to get that 1-on-1 time with them,” Ham said. “So just being able to see where they came from, what their interests are, it really helps you remember when you were the same age as they are and had the same aspirations.”

Each of the 10 student athletes was chosen due to his or her inclusion on the A or B Honor Roll.

Weatherly, an alum of Vanderbilt University, said it was encouraging to hear the high school juniors and seniors show an equal amount of passion for their respective sport and for their academics and career goals.

He and Ham each emphasized the impact that a complete weight room can have on a young person’s athletic success.

“My high school now has a pretty good facility, but back when I was there, I’m pretty sure our weight room was just in a little square box,” laughed Ham, who attended Duluth’s Denfeld High School. “In saying that, it makes it kind of hard to bring in your team to work out and do the offseason training. So having a facility like this makes the biggest of differences.”

Weatherly echoed Ham’s prep experience.

“My first weight room in high school was above the gym, and I think we had five platforms, all mis-matched weights that were donated from different people in the community and stuff like that,” Weatherly said. “But at the end of the day, we worked hard and we valued it. And that was our little safe haven … I definitely think better facilities and better equipment that you can use to help specialize your workouts has a positive impact on football players and all athletes.”

The upgraded workout space at North was thanks to the partnership of the Minnesota Vikings and Medtronic, who each contributed $10,000. Some of the weight room’s equipment has been in place for more than a year, but the donation was made official through Tuesday’s ceremony that included members of both organizations along with school officials and Minneapolis dignitaries.

Luann Pendy, Senior VP of Global Quality at Medtronic, emphasized a shared focus on health and wellness.

“As a global leader in providing medical technology, services and solutions to millions of people, our mission is to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life,” Pendy said. “And we feel that everyone needs to be involved in active physical fitness. Having this equipment for these students is so important for them to excel in their sports as well as in their academics.”

Minneapolis North is making tremendous strides under its current leadership.

Former Vikings wide receiver Leo Lewis is entering his fourth year as the Polars Athletic Director and called the overhauled fitness center “just the tip of the iceberg” in improvements he envisions for the school.

“We love the space,” Lewis said. “Our sports teams can train here in the winter when we can’t get outside, and certainly it can be a pre-training resource for us, as well.

“We certainly need it,” Lewis said. “I think not only for our sports and our student athletes, but for our curriculum – our physical education, our dance troop, our cheerleaders.”

Also present for the weight room presentation was Trent Tucker, a former No. 6 overall draft pick in the NBA and Golden Gophers standout. Tucker returned to the Twin Cities community in the season of retirement and is now serving as the Director of Athletics for Minneapolis Public Schools.

“About four years ago, this school was struggling to bring kids into the building,” Tucker said, adding that enrollment has now surpassed 400 students.

Tucker said the weight room will allow Minneapolis North athletes to compete at a higher level but also will promote fitness and wellness throughout the community. He expressed gratitude to Medtronic and the Vikings for their generosity and highlighted the significance of the six NFLers being on-site, as well.

“These guys are willing to give back, and that’s a great thing for our kids to see,” Tucker said. “They worked hard to get to where they are, but they haven’t forgotten where they came from. To have the Vikings players out here today was tremendous.”

Weatherly, in his second season with Minnesota, has been motivated to get involved with local youth after he witnessed the difference athletes can make first-hand. The defensive end grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and at a young age had the opportunity to participate in similar events with members of the Falcons.

“Those guys used their off days to come and positively impact the community that I was in, even though they weren’t from Atlanta. I only saw it right that I did the same thing,” Weatherly said. “The first time [after arriving in Minnesota] that I was asked to sign an autograph, I saw how that lit up a kid’s face, and that just took 20 seconds out of my day.

“So I’ll definitely go and say something or just be involved and hopefully put a smile on someone else’s face,” he added.

The post Vikings, Medtronic Team Up to Revamp High School Weight Room appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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[footballleague0]

Inside the signature sneaker race for Giannis Antetokounmpos

3:18 PM ET

Nick DePaulaESPN

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is spending the week walking through brand pitches from companies looking to position him as the future of basketball — a sharp rise for a 22-year-old player who only entered the league in 2013 as an unknown prospect from Greece.

As he and his family walked through a modern rented loft in downtown Milwaukee for Adidas’ presentation, the 6-foot-11 forward became fixated on the figures along the walls of the entryway — Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Jesse Owens. Each has been aligned with the brand through the course of history, and as Adidas framed it, Antetokounmpo could be next in the lineage of global game-changers who impacted not only their sport, but also left a legacy of social impact.

Once the group took an elevator up to the main meeting room, an overview of sneaker design and innovation became the expected talking point. Ultimately, brands are looking for Antetokounmpo to lead his own signature line of sneakers, with design input and hands-on feedback along the way. In conversations this week with Adidas, Nike and Li-Ning, each is offering a signature shoe that would likely launch during the 2018-19 NBA season. For this upcoming year, he’d lead a series of player exclusive editions in Bucks hues of each brand’s current featured models, like the Adidas Crazy Explosive 2017, Nike Kobe A.D. or Li-Ning Yu Shuai 11.

Adidas made sure to mention several times that just this week it overtook Jordan brand as the No. 2 sneaker in the United States. The pitch projected how Adidas and Antetokounmpo could make even more progress both in the U.S. and globally, as the brand aims to continue its momentum in footwear by also rising in the basketball category.

To kick things off this week, Bucks teammate (and Adidas endorser) Thon Maker walked Antetokounmpo out to the parking lot of the team’s practice facility after a Tuesday morning workout. Awaiting him was a truck full of size 16 Adidas sneakers, including everything from pairs of the coveted Yeezy Boost series to Adidas Originals staples like the Stan Smith and running models like the UltraBoost.

Teammate Thon Maker helped deliver a truck full of Adidas kicks to Antetokounmpo this week. Courtesy: giannis_an34/Instagram

With his current Nike endorsement deal set to expire on September 30, Antetokounmpo is assessing his options. Rather than take brand pitches at their headquarters, as some players do, he insisted on hosting the meetings in Milwaukee, in order to not disrupt his no-frills workout schedule leading up to his fifth season — a season in which he has MVP aspirations.

Adidas presented Tuesday. Nike, which ultimately holds a “right to match” clause on any endorsement deal offer that Antetokounmpo is presented, held its meeting in a more low-key conference room at a downtown hotel. Its pitch was centered around the fact that Antetokounmpo would become just the 22nd player to ever receive his own signature sneaker with the brand — rare air for the long-time leader in basketball market share, product design and marketing prowess.

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While the incumbent Nike and potentially poaching Adidas are the two mainstays in the conversation, Chinese brand Li-Ning remains a dark horse to take seriously. The company’s last major signing was then-Heat superstar Dwyane Wade in the fall of 2012, but it’s looking to refresh and re-energize its roster of athletes. The offer the company is expected to make would certainly rank highest among the three pursuing brands at more than eight figures annually. The contract could also possibly feature an equity or stock component.

Neither Adidas nor Nike is expected to offer a similar package. Antetokounmpo, who has toured in Asia before and takes a global view on his potential marketing, isn’t scared of the challenge and is fully invested should he decide to go with Li-Ning, according to a source.

As the week winds down, each brand is expected to present an initial five-year contract offer and engage in negotiations with Antetokounmpo’s representatives at Octagon Sports. Should Antetokounmpo opt to sign an offer sheet with either Adidas or Li-Ning, Nike can fully use its match clause and take up to 20 business days to decide whether or not to let Antetokounmpo walk.

That timeline may carry the negotiations into the preseason, with Antetokounmpo’s rising profile and projected star power ultimately helping to lead a brand forward in the basketball space and beyond well into the prime of his career.

Nick DePaula is the creative director for Nice Kicks and former editor-in-chief of Sole Collector Magazine.

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[footballleague0]

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller baffled by low hit from Cowboys receiver Noah Brown

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Von Miller says he’s baffled by Cowboys wide receiver Noah Brown’s low hit on him Sunday.

The Broncos linebacker pushed through Brown’s block on the game’s second snap and Brown got up and dived at Miller’s knees as Denver’s star chased down Ezekiel Elliott on a hand-off from Dak Prescott.

Miller shook off the hit to have a monster game in Denver’s 42-17 win, but he has dealt with soreness in his left knee this week.

“My stance is as a player I’ve always tried to take care of my players on my football team and opponents as well, whether it’s the quarterbacks, receivers, the running backs. So, when it’s the other way around, it’s just baffling,” Miller said Thursday after returning to practice full-time following a limited practice Wednesday.

“But you can’t really spend too much time on it,” Miller added. “Everybody’s situation in the National Football League is different. Everybody doesn’t have the same outlook that I have and some of my comrades in the National Football League (have). Everybody doesn’t see it that way. Everybody doesn’t play the game like I play the game. You’ve got to respect that.”

Earlier in the week, Broncos coach Vance Joseph declined to criticize the Cowboys wide receiver for his low hit, saying, “I saw it. It wasn’t called. I’m OK with it.”

Miller shook off the low hit and finished the afternoon with two sacks, five quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

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