Sports Quote of the Day:
"Success in this game depends less on strength of body than strength of mind and character." ~ Arnold Palmer, Legendary PGA Golfer
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Blackhawks reach agreement with three players. They're loading up with young players to enhance their base and to continue building and securing the future.
By The Sports Xchange
LeBlanc, 24, made his NHL debut with Chicago in 2012-13, playing in two regular-season games after being signed by the club on April 12.
He was the 2013 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner while at St. Cloud State.
Peckham, 25, split the 2012-13 season between the Edmonton Oilers and AHL's Oklahoma City Barons. He played four games for Edmonton this past season and did not score.
Kostka, 27, split the 2012-13 season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. He had eight assists and 27 penalty minutes in 35 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs.
NHL stars to return to Olympics in Sochi in 2014.
By
Lefty wins Open for 1st time with brilliant finish.
By
Phil Mickelson of the United States holds up the Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, Scotland, Sunday July 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Phil Mickelson is mystified no more by links golf. He has his name etched in a silver claret jug to prove it.
Phil Mickelson is mystified no more by links golf. He has his name etched in a silver claret jug to prove it.
Mickelson delivered his best closing round ever in a major Sunday - at the British Open, of all places - when he ran off four birdies over the last six holes for a 5-under 66 at Muirfield to win the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
''This is such an accomplishment for me because I just never knew if I'd be able to develop the game to play links golf effectively,'' Mickelson said. ''To play the best round arguably of my career, to putt better than I've ever putted, to shoot the round of my life ... it feels amazing to win the claret jug.''
At the end of a rough-and-tumble week along with Firth of Forth, Mickelson was the only player under par. He wound up with a three-shot win over Henrik Stenson, one of four players atop the leaderboard during a final round that was up for grabs until Mickelson seized control in the final hour.
Lee Westwood, who started Sunday with a two-shot lead, fell behind for the first time all day with a bogey on the 13th and never recovered. He closed with a 75. Masters champion Adam Scott took the lead with a 4-foot birdie on the 11th, and closed as sloppily as he did last year. He made four bogeys starting at the 13th, and a final bogey on the 18th gave him a 72. At least he has a green jacket from the Masters to console him this year.
Tiger Woods, in his best position to win a major since the crisis in his personal life, stumbled badly on his way to a 74 and was never a serious challenger.
Westwood said he didn't play all that badly. Instead, he paid tribute to what will be remembered as one of the great closing rounds in major championship history.
''When you birdie four of the last six of a round any day, that's good going,'' Westwood said. ''With a decent breeze blowing and some tough flags out there, it's obviously a pretty good experience. When you do it in a major championship, it's an even better experience.''
But this major championship? Phil Mickelson?
He had only contended twice in two decades at golf's oldest championship. One week after he won the Scottish Open in a playoff on the links-styled course of Castle Stuart, Mickelson was simply magical on the back nine of a brown, brittle Muirfield course that hasn't played this tough since 1966.
Tied for the lead, Mickelson smashed a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 17th to about 25 feet for a two-putt birdie, and finished in style with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to match the lowest score of this championship.
Mickelson figured a par on the 18th would be tough for anyone to catch him. When the ball dropped in the center of the cup, he raised both arms in the air to celebrate his fifth career major, tying him with the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson.
''Best round I've ever seen him play,'' said his caddie, Jim ''Bones'' Mackay.
Mickelson shared a long hug with his caddie and whispered in his ear, ''I did it.''
His final surge was right about the time Westwood and Scott began to fold.
Scott, trying to join an exclusive list of players who have won a green jacket and a claret jug in the same year, made a remarkable recovery from the dunes right of the par-3 13th hole, only to miss the 7-foot par putt. He took three putts for bogeys on the next two holes - from long range on the 14th, and from 20 feet on the 15th - and found a bunker on the next.
Westwood started to lose his grip on the jug with bogeys on the seventh and eighth, and failing to birdie the downwind, par-5 ninth. Presented with birdie chances early on the back nine, his putting stroke began to look tentative. He hit into the dunes on the right side of the 13th to make bogey and never caught up.
Westwood and Scott tied for third with Ian Poulter, who played a four-hole stretch in 5-under around the turn and closed with a 67. At 1-over 285, he canceled a flight home in case of a playoff. Moments later, with Mickelson pulling away, the outcome was clear.
Making this even sweeter for Mickelson is that just one month ago he lost out on yet another chance to win the U.S. Open, the missing link of a career Grand Slam.
Mickelson twice made bogey with wedge in his hand on the back nine at Merion and had his record sixth runner-up finish.
Mickelson joins an elite list of winners at Muirfield, which is considered the fairest of the links on the British Open rotation. All but two of the Open champions at Muirfield are in the World Hall of Fame. Mickelson is the only winner who already has been inducted.
It was the 43rd win of his PGA Tour career. The guy who once couldn't win the big one now has five majors in the last nine years. This one returns him to No. 2 in the world ranking for the first time in nearly three years.
He attributed his round to not getting the right pace on the greens, which he said were progressively slower.
''This is such an accomplishment for me because I just never knew if I'd be able to develop the game to play links golf effectively,'' Mickelson said. ''To play the best round arguably of my career, to putt better than I've ever putted, to shoot the round of my life ... it feels amazing to win the claret jug.''
At the end of a rough-and-tumble week along with Firth of Forth, Mickelson was the only player under par. He wound up with a three-shot win over Henrik Stenson, one of four players atop the leaderboard during a final round that was up for grabs until Mickelson seized control in the final hour.
Lee Westwood, who started Sunday with a two-shot lead, fell behind for the first time all day with a bogey on the 13th and never recovered. He closed with a 75. Masters champion Adam Scott took the lead with a 4-foot birdie on the 11th, and closed as sloppily as he did last year. He made four bogeys starting at the 13th, and a final bogey on the 18th gave him a 72. At least he has a green jacket from the Masters to console him this year.
Tiger Woods, in his best position to win a major since the crisis in his personal life, stumbled badly on his way to a 74 and was never a serious challenger.
Westwood said he didn't play all that badly. Instead, he paid tribute to what will be remembered as one of the great closing rounds in major championship history.
''When you birdie four of the last six of a round any day, that's good going,'' Westwood said. ''With a decent breeze blowing and some tough flags out there, it's obviously a pretty good experience. When you do it in a major championship, it's an even better experience.''
But this major championship? Phil Mickelson?
He had only contended twice in two decades at golf's oldest championship. One week after he won the Scottish Open in a playoff on the links-styled course of Castle Stuart, Mickelson was simply magical on the back nine of a brown, brittle Muirfield course that hasn't played this tough since 1966.
Tied for the lead, Mickelson smashed a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 17th to about 25 feet for a two-putt birdie, and finished in style with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to match the lowest score of this championship.
Mickelson figured a par on the 18th would be tough for anyone to catch him. When the ball dropped in the center of the cup, he raised both arms in the air to celebrate his fifth career major, tying him with the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson.
''Best round I've ever seen him play,'' said his caddie, Jim ''Bones'' Mackay.
Mickelson shared a long hug with his caddie and whispered in his ear, ''I did it.''
His final surge was right about the time Westwood and Scott began to fold.
Scott, trying to join an exclusive list of players who have won a green jacket and a claret jug in the same year, made a remarkable recovery from the dunes right of the par-3 13th hole, only to miss the 7-foot par putt. He took three putts for bogeys on the next two holes - from long range on the 14th, and from 20 feet on the 15th - and found a bunker on the next.
Westwood started to lose his grip on the jug with bogeys on the seventh and eighth, and failing to birdie the downwind, par-5 ninth. Presented with birdie chances early on the back nine, his putting stroke began to look tentative. He hit into the dunes on the right side of the 13th to make bogey and never caught up.
Westwood and Scott tied for third with Ian Poulter, who played a four-hole stretch in 5-under around the turn and closed with a 67. At 1-over 285, he canceled a flight home in case of a playoff. Moments later, with Mickelson pulling away, the outcome was clear.
Making this even sweeter for Mickelson is that just one month ago he lost out on yet another chance to win the U.S. Open, the missing link of a career Grand Slam.
Mickelson twice made bogey with wedge in his hand on the back nine at Merion and had his record sixth runner-up finish.
Mickelson joins an elite list of winners at Muirfield, which is considered the fairest of the links on the British Open rotation. All but two of the Open champions at Muirfield are in the World Hall of Fame. Mickelson is the only winner who already has been inducted.
It was the 43rd win of his PGA Tour career. The guy who once couldn't win the big one now has five majors in the last nine years. This one returns him to No. 2 in the world ranking for the first time in nearly three years.
Woods, meanwhile, now has gone 17 majors without winning, and that pursuit of Jack Nicklaus and his benchmark of 18 majors - Woods is stuck on 14 - doesn't look any closer. He three-putted twice in four holes and looked like just another contender on this Sunday.
He attributed his round to not getting the right pace on the greens, which he said were progressively slower.
''I felt like I was really playing well today, actually the whole week, '' said Woods, who has not broken 70 in the final round of his last seven majors. ''I really hit so many good shots and really had control of my ball this week. As I said, it was just trying to get the speed, and I just didn't get it.''
Ditka: Urlacher needs to get over it.
Posted by Darin Gantt
(Getty Images)
But the older of the two Bears legends told the younger he should probably move past the emotions of his abrupt departure from the team.
Urlacher said this week he didn’t wish ill on the Bears, but didn’t want them to win a Super Bowl without him, either. That’s understandable, after General Manager Phil Emery gave him the contractual cold shoulder this offseason.
“My advice would be to put it behind you,” Ditka said, via the Chicago Sun-Times.
“Brian has been such a great player for the Bears and an ambassador for the team.
Not many guys get to play 13 years for the same team. Usually, when you change GMs and a new regime comes in, they’re going to make tough decisions. Mr. Emery decided that Brian wouldn’t be part of the plan.
“There’s nothing you can do about it. You know, the game of football was very good to Brian, but it owes him nothing now. You just have to move on.”
Of course, Ditka had his own hard feelings with the organization upon leaving, with the retiring of his jersey number 89 signaling a thaw to the freeze which began when Mike McCaskey fired him after the 1992 season. That took decades, so perhaps Urlacher deserves a few months to let his feelings be hurt.
NFL creating Legends Program for ex-players.
Posted by Darin Gantt
At a time when more and more former players are joining concussion lawsuits against the league, the league is trying to do more to bring former players into the family and help steer them toward programs designed to help them.
According to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com, the NFL is launching an initiative called the NFL Legends Program to help connect alumni.
Troy Vincent, the league’s senior vice president of player engagement, said the goal of was to help alumni connect with each other and their old teams, and point players toward certain resources.
“We have to take care of each other like we did on the field,” Vincent said.
They’ve enlisted 19 players to help with the effort — including Hall of Famers Rod Woodson and John Randle along with others including Chad Pennington, Warrick Dunn and Aeneas Williams — who will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell next week during an orientation program.
“Nobody wants the game to leave them,” Vincent said. “We all understand our bodies have an expiration date. Many of us want to still be associated with the game but there are very few opportunities and places where that can exist.”
The other former players participating as directors and coordinators in the program are Hardy Nickerson, Mark Bruener, Ron Rice, Leonard Wheeler, Raghib Ismail, Jay Novacek, Will Shields, LaVar Arrington, Keith Elias, Patrick Kerney, Ed Reynolds, Donovin Darius, Mike Rucker and Mark Brunell.
The program will help connect players with both medical and financial resources available to them, and keep a link between players who often feel like they’ve lost connections when they left the game.
By The Sports Xchange
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will play his regular minutes with the starters in preseason games this fall, coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPNChicago.com.
Thibodeau will watch Rose's knee to see how it responds coming back from ACL surgery that kept him out of the 2012-13 season, but he plans to use the former NBA Most Valuable Player in regular intervals and possibly increase his time on the floor.
"He'll play like he normally would in the preseason. Usually, we start off with eight-minute segments for the starters, first and third period, and we'll build from there," Thibodeau told ESPN while in Las Vegas to watch summer league action.
"We'll see what he can handle. I think there's going to be some rust initially, but I fully expect him to get back to (being) the player we all know that he is."
Rose said recently that the knee is to 100 percent and he will be ready for the season.
"We'll see once we get to training camp, and we're going to have an opportunity to get some work done in the fall, but we have to keep in mind he's been out an extended amount of time," Thibodeau said. "So the preseason -- and we look at training camp as the entire month, not just a week -- we'll move him along accordingly."
While Rose was sidelined and during his yearlong rehab, he worked extensively on his shooting.
"We'll see what he can handle. I think there's going to be some rust initially, but I fully expect him to get back to the player we all know that he is," Thibodeau said in the interview.
Thibodeau will watch Rose's knee to see how it responds coming back from ACL surgery that kept him out of the 2012-13 season, but he plans to use the former NBA Most Valuable Player in regular intervals and possibly increase his time on the floor.
"He'll play like he normally would in the preseason. Usually, we start off with eight-minute segments for the starters, first and third period, and we'll build from there," Thibodeau told ESPN while in Las Vegas to watch summer league action.
"We'll see what he can handle. I think there's going to be some rust initially, but I fully expect him to get back to (being) the player we all know that he is."
Rose said recently that the knee is to 100 percent and he will be ready for the season.
"We'll see once we get to training camp, and we're going to have an opportunity to get some work done in the fall, but we have to keep in mind he's been out an extended amount of time," Thibodeau said. "So the preseason -- and we look at training camp as the entire month, not just a week -- we'll move him along accordingly."
While Rose was sidelined and during his yearlong rehab, he worked extensively on his shooting.
"We'll see what he can handle. I think there's going to be some rust initially, but I fully expect him to get back to the player we all know that he is," Thibodeau said in the interview.
10 reasons I love NFL training camp.
By Matt Verderame
With the NFL season about to start, I'm laying out why it's a beautiful time of year.
On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie class hit the field to begin the first training camp of the 2013 National Football League calendar.
As a football fan, this is a glorious moment. Nothing is better than the crack of pads on a warm summer day, watching rookies and veterans clashing in competition. Of course, we have a little ways to go before players start putting on the pads, but now the countdown begins to the first preseason game on August 4.
So why is training camp so exciting? Let's dive in:
1. Hope
No matter how good or crappy your team is likely to be, all 32 teams have hope headed into training camp. Whether the pundits believe in your group or not, everybody begins with a 0-0 mark. It's the time of year when fans only see the best in their players, when the flaws are a thing of the past.
2. New Coaches, new teams
It's fun to see first-time coaches getting a chance to realize their dreams. This year, we have Rob Chudzinski, Bruce Arians (technically), Doug Marrone, Mike McCoy, Chip Kelly, Marc Trestman and Gus Bradley. Without question, some of these men will fall flat on their face. However, perhaps one or two becomes legends.
3. First look at the rooks
It's always enjoyable to see your team's top selection. No matter how little the action, fans get to go nuts and overreact. Only in training camp do you have people saying "Check out the way our receiver does that cone drill baby!" Personally, I'm jacked to watch the rookies and the subsequent massive responses.
4. Insane tweets from writers
Nothing is more hilarious than accomplished writers having to tweet 100 times per day about a practice that usually doesn't involve pads. Things like "team blasting AC/DC at the field, stretching #hellsbells" warm my soul. Many things in life are uncertain, but funny tweets coming from training camp isn't one of them.
5. Position battles
Some of the position battles are expected, such as the case in Philadelphia with Michael Vick and Nick Foles. Then there are the unexpected, when an undrafted rookie decides to make a huge impact and stun the masses. Other times, we have the young pup pushing the old, respected vet out. These are awesome to watch.
6. Preseason games
Once a few weeks of training camp pass, we get our first taste of exhibition games in August. Whether it's watching the battle for a final roster spot or simply enjoying seeing our team back in action, it's always nice to see some games. The final score doesn't matter, but plenty within the game does.
7. Irrational excitement
Every year, every team has one or two players who emerge out of nowhere to become contributors in the preseason. Then fans take it way too far and believe these guys are future stars and Hall of Fame material. It's always a good time to develop a man-crush on the third-string tackle who becomes an insurance salesman.
8. Pro football players staying in dorms
Many teams stay home these days, but some still go off to a college. These teams make me a happy person. There are few things funnier than a bunch of millionaires being crammed into a dingy dorm room. As a college kid, living in a dorm is something you aren't pumped about. As a football player? Tough times.
9. Fights
I'm not a boxing or MMA guy, but I love a good training camp fight. Any time you can get a couple of 300-pound, angry lineman to start punching facemasks, it makes for some good TV clips. That said, you don't want anybody going Michael Westbrook or Bill Romanowski, that's never a good look. Those dudes are crazy.
10. Football
It's back man. Finally, the best sport in America is on the field and gearing up for another campaign. In the NBA, people know who the likely champion is before the yea starts. In baseball, half the teams have no chance out of the gate. Football? You never know what is going to happen. Teams go from worst to first and vice versa all the time.
Bring on training camp, I've got my twitter feed up, my popcorn ready, and my emotions ready to overreact.
On Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie class hit the field to begin the first training camp of the 2013 National Football League calendar.
As a football fan, this is a glorious moment. Nothing is better than the crack of pads on a warm summer day, watching rookies and veterans clashing in competition. Of course, we have a little ways to go before players start putting on the pads, but now the countdown begins to the first preseason game on August 4.
So why is training camp so exciting? Let's dive in:
1. Hope
No matter how good or crappy your team is likely to be, all 32 teams have hope headed into training camp. Whether the pundits believe in your group or not, everybody begins with a 0-0 mark. It's the time of year when fans only see the best in their players, when the flaws are a thing of the past.
2. New Coaches, new teams
It's fun to see first-time coaches getting a chance to realize their dreams. This year, we have Rob Chudzinski, Bruce Arians (technically), Doug Marrone, Mike McCoy, Chip Kelly, Marc Trestman and Gus Bradley. Without question, some of these men will fall flat on their face. However, perhaps one or two becomes legends.
3. First look at the rooks
It's always enjoyable to see your team's top selection. No matter how little the action, fans get to go nuts and overreact. Only in training camp do you have people saying "Check out the way our receiver does that cone drill baby!" Personally, I'm jacked to watch the rookies and the subsequent massive responses.
4. Insane tweets from writers
Nothing is more hilarious than accomplished writers having to tweet 100 times per day about a practice that usually doesn't involve pads. Things like "team blasting AC/DC at the field, stretching #hellsbells" warm my soul. Many things in life are uncertain, but funny tweets coming from training camp isn't one of them.
5. Position battles
Some of the position battles are expected, such as the case in Philadelphia with Michael Vick and Nick Foles. Then there are the unexpected, when an undrafted rookie decides to make a huge impact and stun the masses. Other times, we have the young pup pushing the old, respected vet out. These are awesome to watch.
6. Preseason games
Once a few weeks of training camp pass, we get our first taste of exhibition games in August. Whether it's watching the battle for a final roster spot or simply enjoying seeing our team back in action, it's always nice to see some games. The final score doesn't matter, but plenty within the game does.
7. Irrational excitement
Every year, every team has one or two players who emerge out of nowhere to become contributors in the preseason. Then fans take it way too far and believe these guys are future stars and Hall of Fame material. It's always a good time to develop a man-crush on the third-string tackle who becomes an insurance salesman.
8. Pro football players staying in dorms
Many teams stay home these days, but some still go off to a college. These teams make me a happy person. There are few things funnier than a bunch of millionaires being crammed into a dingy dorm room. As a college kid, living in a dorm is something you aren't pumped about. As a football player? Tough times.
9. Fights
I'm not a boxing or MMA guy, but I love a good training camp fight. Any time you can get a couple of 300-pound, angry lineman to start punching facemasks, it makes for some good TV clips. That said, you don't want anybody going Michael Westbrook or Bill Romanowski, that's never a good look. Those dudes are crazy.
10. Football
It's back man. Finally, the best sport in America is on the field and gearing up for another campaign. In the NBA, people know who the likely champion is before the yea starts. In baseball, half the teams have no chance out of the gate. Football? You never know what is going to happen. Teams go from worst to first and vice versa all the time.
Bring on training camp, I've got my twitter feed up, my popcorn ready, and my emotions ready to overreact.
New faces gather for Team USA camp.
By
Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski arrived in Las Vegas with a group of 28 players ready to participate in a four-day camp that will mark the beginning of preparations for next summer's World Cup in Madrid.
LeBron James isn't on the list.
Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant aren't here, either. Not one player from last year's gold medal-winning team in London.
And that is exactly how they planned it.
This camp, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, is geared toward bringing some fresh faces into the mix. As Colangelo, the managing director of USA Basketball, likes to put it, it's all about keeping the pipeline filled.
''There should be turnover each competition because then the young players can see that happening,'' Colangelo said Sunday night. ''They can say, 'If I progress as a player and if I'm part of this program and culture, I'll have a chance to compete.'''
Players like Indiana's Paul George, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, Portland's Damian Lillard and Washington's John Wall will be among those taking part in the camp. New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, who played sparingly for Team USA last summer, is the only player with Olympic experience on the roster.
But the United States isn't competing in any tournaments this summer. The gold medal James and Co. won last year made them automatic qualifiers for the World Cup next summer. So Colangelo and Krzyzewski have plenty of time to shape the roster.
Even though none of the leaders from London are in Vegas this week, Colangelo still believes there is a good chance some will be with the team in Spain. Back in 2010, Team USA took a completely different roster to the world championships in Spain than the one that restored the Americans' place atop the basketball world at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Durant emerged from that group of 12 new players to lead the team to the title, but Colangelo thinks next year's squad will be more of a blend between old faces and new. He said he's received encouraging signs that Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Love all want to play next summer.
''The key, as far as I'm concerned, going forward for '14 is if Kevin Durant is willing to play,'' Colangelo said. ''We've heard some indications that he wants to. We know that Westbrook would love to. We've heard the same about Kevin Love. Harden is another. If we have three or four of those commitments, that's a third or quarter of our roster.''
Colangelo certainly won't rush those stars to make a commitment, just like he didn't push Krzyzewski, who surprised some by announcing his decision to come back for another four years as coach. On Sunday, both seemed energized by the new faces on the roster, and on the coaching staff.
This week will as much be about getting acquainted with new assistant coaches Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams as it will be about working with all the new players in town.
Krzyzewski had crossed paths with Williams, a friend of former Blue Devil Grant Hill, on occasion and has admired Thibodeau from afar for years. But this week will be the first time all three will work closely together, which is why Krzyzewski wanted his staff to run the camp. In the past, another set of coaches has occasionally been brought in to conduct the practices while the Team USA staff observed.
''I felt it was necessary for us to see the players and get to know one another and work with each other,'' Krzyzewski said. ''And it's worked out, even in the 24 hours since we've been together. ... I'm excited. These guys are good guys. I mean really good guys. They have new perspectives. So it will be good.'' Colangelo remembers the freshness of that world championships run in 2010, and expects to feel a similar new energy from players in camp this week. Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill had to pull out because of a scheduling conflict and Chicago forward Taj Gibson and San Antonio swingman Kawhi Leonard won't participate because of injuries. But the team still has 28 players to look at, a testament to the standing of the program.
LeBron James isn't on the list.
Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant aren't here, either. Not one player from last year's gold medal-winning team in London.
And that is exactly how they planned it.
This camp, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, is geared toward bringing some fresh faces into the mix. As Colangelo, the managing director of USA Basketball, likes to put it, it's all about keeping the pipeline filled.
''There should be turnover each competition because then the young players can see that happening,'' Colangelo said Sunday night. ''They can say, 'If I progress as a player and if I'm part of this program and culture, I'll have a chance to compete.'''
Players like Indiana's Paul George, Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, Portland's Damian Lillard and Washington's John Wall will be among those taking part in the camp. New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, who played sparingly for Team USA last summer, is the only player with Olympic experience on the roster.
But the United States isn't competing in any tournaments this summer. The gold medal James and Co. won last year made them automatic qualifiers for the World Cup next summer. So Colangelo and Krzyzewski have plenty of time to shape the roster.
Even though none of the leaders from London are in Vegas this week, Colangelo still believes there is a good chance some will be with the team in Spain. Back in 2010, Team USA took a completely different roster to the world championships in Spain than the one that restored the Americans' place atop the basketball world at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Durant emerged from that group of 12 new players to lead the team to the title, but Colangelo thinks next year's squad will be more of a blend between old faces and new. He said he's received encouraging signs that Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Love all want to play next summer.
''The key, as far as I'm concerned, going forward for '14 is if Kevin Durant is willing to play,'' Colangelo said. ''We've heard some indications that he wants to. We know that Westbrook would love to. We've heard the same about Kevin Love. Harden is another. If we have three or four of those commitments, that's a third or quarter of our roster.''
Colangelo certainly won't rush those stars to make a commitment, just like he didn't push Krzyzewski, who surprised some by announcing his decision to come back for another four years as coach. On Sunday, both seemed energized by the new faces on the roster, and on the coaching staff.
This week will as much be about getting acquainted with new assistant coaches Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams as it will be about working with all the new players in town.
Krzyzewski had crossed paths with Williams, a friend of former Blue Devil Grant Hill, on occasion and has admired Thibodeau from afar for years. But this week will be the first time all three will work closely together, which is why Krzyzewski wanted his staff to run the camp. In the past, another set of coaches has occasionally been brought in to conduct the practices while the Team USA staff observed.
''I felt it was necessary for us to see the players and get to know one another and work with each other,'' Krzyzewski said. ''And it's worked out, even in the 24 hours since we've been together. ... I'm excited. These guys are good guys. I mean really good guys. They have new perspectives. So it will be good.'' Colangelo remembers the freshness of that world championships run in 2010, and expects to feel a similar new energy from players in camp this week. Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill had to pull out because of a scheduling conflict and Chicago forward Taj Gibson and San Antonio swingman Kawhi Leonard won't participate because of injuries. But the team still has 28 players to look at, a testament to the standing of the program.
It wasn't long ago that the Americans were coming off a humbling loss in the 2004 Athens Games, with many players reluctant to sign up for duty. Colangelo was brought in to change all that, and he has.
''People want to be with USA Basketball,'' Krzyzewski said. ''They should. But for a while there, they didn't. It enjoys now, primarily because of Jerry's leadership, a really high status, which we need to maintain. You're not just given that status. You have to earn it.''
Joey Logano wins Nationwide stop at Chicagoland.
By
When ''The Captain'' asked, Joey Logano answered.
Did he ever.
Logano held off Sam Hornish Jr. to win the NASCAR Nationwide race at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, leading a sweep of top two spots for Roger Penske after the owner asked him to drive the No. 22 car on a rare weekend off for the Sprint Cup series.
''Really big for us to get a 1-2 finish for Penske. That's awesome,'' Logano said. ''To come out here, our goal is to win this thing. That's why I came out here on my off week, it was to come out here and win.''
Penske, nicknamed ''The Captain,'' approached Logano this month during the NASCAR stop at Daytona and asked if he would drive in the first of two Nationwide races at Chicagoland this season. Penske wanted a boost in the race for the owners' championship, and Logano sure delivered on the request.
''How do you say no to R. P.?'' Logano said, grinning. ''I'm glad I did it.''
Logano, the lone Sprint Cup regular in the race, earned his second Nationwide win of the year and No. 20 for his career. He also won at Dover in June. Hornish held on for second and moved into the top spot in the series standings, seven points better than Regan Smith.
Austin Dillon led two times for a total of 24 laps and finished third to earn a $100,000 bonus. Dillon is third on the points list, but is still looking for his first victory of the year.
''We just keep inching on this first win,'' he said. ''We're getting closer and closer. These top-threes, we'll take them all day, we just want to get that win here pretty soon.''
Elliott Sadler had the lead on a restart with 24 laps remaining. But the defending race winner faded as Hornish moved in front on the track where he won consecutive IndyCar races in 2002 and 2003.
Hornish looked in position to secure the victory when Logano roared into the lead and went on to the win.
''I'm glad it wasn't three or four more laps longer, because he was catching us,'' Logano said. ''And it was getting to the point that I was going to have to move around to find some speed again. But just about the right amount of laps.''
Sadler finished fourth, and was followed by Brian Vickers, Parker Kligerman and Trevor Bayne. Illinois native Justin Allgaier, Brad Sweet and Matt Crafton rounded out the top 10.
The series to Chicagoland returns in September on the same weekend that the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship begins at the track.
Sadler and Smith did not see very much of each other one week after their collision at New Hampshire led to a midweek phone call to clear the air. Sadler confronted Smith right after the race, promising he would not win the series title, and then said he would race the No. 7 Chevrolet differently in the future.
There were no such problems at Chicagoland, with Sadler racing near the front and Smith struggling with the feel of his car all day long. Smith, who entered the race with a five-point lead over Hornish in the series standings, slid into the infield on Lap 129 and finished 13th.
Hornish won his second career pole earlier in the day, and then led the first 49 laps. But he was flagged for speeding into pit road and sent to the back of the field for a restart on lap 54. He quickly climbed back into contention, but was unable to get to Logano at the end.
The penalty was the result of a mixed message on the radio that ended with Hornish's team abruptly calling him into the pits.
''I knew exactly when I went across the line I was going to be speeding and there were no ifs, ands or buts about it,'' Hornish said. ''They're like, 'Oh, I think we're good.' I'm like, 'We're not good. We're going to go to the back.'
''We had 150 laps to get it done, we knew we had a good race car. The biggest thing was just maintaining the composure getting back up in the field.''
Sadler was still upset with Smith when the series arrived in Chicagoland this week. The dispute started when Smith spun Sadler around on the final restart in last Saturday's race at Loudon, costing him a shot at a solid top-10 finish and a potential $100,000 bonus.
Smith took responsibility for the accident, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the co-owner of Smith's car, also reached out to his longtime friend Sadler. But it did little to assuage Sadler's anger.
Perhaps fueled a bit by the incident, Sadler led three times for a race-high 81 laps on the 1.5-mile, D-shaped track right outside of Chicago. But he just couldn't stay with Logano and Hornish at the end.
''By the time that his car started falling off, it was too late for me to do enough,'' Hornish said. ''Ran him down, only finished a couple car lengths behind him, but really good day for the Penske organization.''
By
The passes were sharp, the defense sound and the goals plentiful.
The United States couldn't have played much better, and the timing could not have been more perfect.
Clarence Goodson and Joe Corona scored during an eight-minute span of the first half, and the U.S. cruised past El Salvador 5-1 Sunday to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Eddie Johnson, Landon Donovan and Mix Diskerud added second-half goals for the Americans, who will play Honduras in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday night.
Honduras beat Costa Rica 1-0 on Sunday night as part of a doubleheader before a sellout crowd at the home stadium of the Baltimore Ravens.
Assists aren't an official statistic in the Gold Cup, but Donovan set up three scores in a dazzling performance.
''I think Landon proved again today how valuable he is and now he can make a difference,'' coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. ''This game was important for coaches to see who is a difference maker. Overall, we see our team clicking more and playing better and better.''
To say the least.
The U.S. has won nine straight full internationals - a record for the country's national team. The Americans have also prevailed in seven of their last eight Gold Cup matches, the exception being a 4-2 loss to Mexico in 2011 final.
''We are trying to catch up with the big teams in the world,'' Klinsmann said. ''It's all about speed. I'm not talking about physical speed. I'm talking about mental speed, passing speed with every player going both ways. That's what we're working to. This is a process and I think that process is coming along.''
Rodolfo Zelaya scored for El Salvador, 1-19-7 overall against the U.S.
''Collectively, they're a very good team,'' El Salvador coach Agustin Castillo said through a translator. ''They almost play by memory. They can find the spaces. It almost seems like every time they pass the ball into a space it's going to nobody, then somebody appears and actually meets the ball. Good work, good movement.''
And good enough to claim a fifth Gold Cup.
''They're going through a very good time,'' Castillo said. ''They're the best team I've seen in this tournament. They are a candidate to win it all.''
Goodson put the U.S. ahead in the 21st minute by converting a crossing pass from Donovan, who gained possession near the end line within 15 feet of the net. It was Goodson's fifth career goal, the second in the Gold Cup.
Minutes later, U.S. goalkeeper Nick Rimando kicked aside a straight-on shot by Lester Blanco Pineda and batted away the subsequent rebound at the right corner of the net.
In the 29th minute, Corona gained possession at the top of the penalty area and used his right foot to line a shot into the left corner of the net for a 2-0 lead.
That drained much of the enthusiasm from the strong contingent of blue-and-white clad El Salvador fans.
The U.S. continued to dominate, and it took several strong saves by Dagoberto Portillo to keep El Salvador within striking distance.
Momentum shifted in the 39th minute, when El Salvador's Rodolfo Zelaya was fouled by DaMarcus Beasley and converted the penalty kick to make it 2-1.
It was perhaps the lone flaw in an otherwise lopsided match.
''The difference today was scoring early goals,'' Donovan said. ''Even though they got a questionable goal back, we still kept going and our effort was really good.
Obviously, to score five goals is a bonus.''
Johnson added an insurance goal with a header off a pass from Donovan in the 60th minute. The score came 14 seconds after Johnson entered as a substitute.
Donovan converted a breakaway in the 78th minute. He is only player in history to score in six Gold Cup tournaments.
Six minutes later, as a sudden rain shower began to pick up intensity, Diskerud found the back of the net.
Five goals, five scorers. That's balance.
''It seems like we've been playing with each other for a while,'' Jose Torres said. ''We move the ball well, we know each other well - where we're going to move. I think we're looking good right now.''
Reuters; By Julien Pretot
Chris Froome won the 100th edition of the Tour de France on Sunday to become the second British champion in successive years.
Froome was untroubled on the 21st and final stage of the three-week race, a 133.5-km ride from Versailles to Paris and an evening sprint finish on the Champs Elysees won by Germany's Marcel Kittel.
Froome was untroubled on the 21st and final stage of the three-week race, a 133.5-km ride from Versailles to Paris and an evening sprint finish on the Champs Elysees won by Germany's Marcel Kittel.
The Kenyan-born rider led Colombia's Nairo Quintana by four minutes and 20 seconds in the overall standings, with Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez third, a further 44 seconds back.
The 28-year-old Briton follows on from compatriot and team mate Bradley Wiggins, who sat out of this year's race for health reasons.
He built his success on awe-inspiring attacks in the mountain climbs as well as his time-trialing ability. It quickly became clear that his rivals would have to fight for the other podium positions.
Froome sipped champagne with Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford and sports director Nicolas Portal as the peloton left the Chateau de Versailles in the late afternoon at a leisurely pace.
Quintana claimed both the polka-dot best climber's jersey and the white jersey for the best young rider.
Rodriguez became the second rider to finish on the podium on all the grand Tours (France, Spain, Italy) without actually winning one.
Alberto Contador, the 2007 and 2009 champion, finished fourth after cracking on Saturday's penultimate stage.
France's Christophe Riblon, who won the spectacular l'Alpe d'Huez mountain stage, was named the most aggressive rider in the race.
Peter Sagan of Slovakia retained the green jersey for the points classification.
Kittel came out on top in a three-way sprint finish to the line, edging ahead of compatriot Andre Greipel and Britain's Mark Cavendish who was looking for his fifth straight final-stage win.
Kittel came out on top in a three-way sprint finish to the line, edging ahead of compatriot Andre Greipel and Britain's Mark Cavendish who was looking for his fifth straight final-stage win.
Lieuwe Westra became the first rider to abandon the Tour on the Champs Elysees since 1977.
Reuters
Results from the MLB games on Sunday (home team in CAPS)
Tampa Bay 4 TORONTO 3
Pittsburgh 3 CINCINNATI 2
NY METS 5 Philadelphia 0
LA Dodgers 9 WASHINGTON 2
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 Atlanta 1
Detroit 4 KANSAS CITY 1
MILWAUKEE 1 Miami 0 (13 innings)
Cleveland 7 MINNESOTA 1
Seattle 12 HOUSTON 5
ST. LOUIS 3 San Diego 2
Oakland 6 LA ANGELS 0
Arizona 3 SAN FRANCISCO 1
COLORADO 4 Chicago Cubs 3
Baltimore 4 TEXAS 2
BOSTON 8 NY Yankees 7 (11 innings)
Tampa Bay 4 TORONTO 3
Pittsburgh 3 CINCINNATI 2
NY METS 5 Philadelphia 0
LA Dodgers 9 WASHINGTON 2
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 Atlanta 1
Detroit 4 KANSAS CITY 1
MILWAUKEE 1 Miami 0 (13 innings)
Cleveland 7 MINNESOTA 1
Seattle 12 HOUSTON 5
ST. LOUIS 3 San Diego 2
Oakland 6 LA ANGELS 0
Arizona 3 SAN FRANCISCO 1
COLORADO 4 Chicago Cubs 3
Baltimore 4 TEXAS 2
BOSTON 8 NY Yankees 7 (11 innings)
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