CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Monday Sports News Update, 06/09/2014.

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 “Both desire and imagination are stored in the mind of the individual and when stretched, both have the potential to position a person for greatness.” ~ Eric Thomas, Renown speaker, educator, author, activist and minister

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Dustin Brown's double-OT goal gives Kings 2-0 Stanley Cup Final lead over Rangers.

Greg Wyshynski

Dustin Brown scored at 10:26 of double overtime as the Los Angeles Kings won Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final, 5-4, to take a 2-0 series lead over the New York Rangers. Brown circled around in front of the Rangers goal as Willie Mitchell fired the puck from the point. Brown managed to get his stick on the puck and deflect it past Henrik Lundqvist (40 saves). It was Brown’s fifth goal of the playoffs.

It was a chaotic game. Leads grew and shrank. Heroes one moment were liabilities on their next shift. Two of the best goalies in the world saw more rubber fly past them than if they were watching the Daytona 500.

 

The Rangers had two-goal leads on three different occasions: In the first period at 2-0, in the second at 3-1 and then again at 4-2. Each time, the Kings would rally, showing the combination of resiliency and self-inflicted miscues that forced LA to win three Game 7s on the road.
 

The Kings have rallied from deficits of two or more goals in three straight games and four of their last five playoff games. 

The Rangers broke through first after a turnover by Justin Williams in the defensive zone. The Kings forward attempted to move the puck up the boards but had it intercepted by Dominic Moore, who passed it back to defenseman Ryan McDonagh. His blast from the point sailed through a Derek Dorsett screen for the 1-0 lead at 10:28.

It was 2-0 after another Kings turnover. Defenseman Matt Greene flubbed the puck at the blue line of the offensive zone, sending speedy Mats Zuccarello off to the races. The Ranges briefly cycled in the zone before the puck found its way to McDonagh again. His blast hit Zuccarello in front before he tapped it past Quick at 18:46.

The Kings cut the lead early in the second period on a wild sequence that had Henrik Lundqvist abandoning his net. Brad Richards turned the puck over on a baffling pass that was gobbled up by Dwight King. He found Justin Williams for a quick chance that Lundqvist moved up to save. But Williams' leg got caught up with Lundqvist’s pad, dragging the goalie away from the net. That left defenseman Kevin Klein attempting to play goal against Jarret Stoll, whose shot slid under Klein’s stick to cut the lead to 2-1 at 1:46.
 

But the Rangers didn’t allow the Kings to get that second goal. Instead, after a bench minor for too many men on the ice, the Rangers power play struck.

McDonagh sent a long pass to Chris Kreider. The Rangers forward sent a quick pass to Derek Stepan in transition, who had a 2-on-1 down low with Marty St. Louis. His pass might have handcuffed a different winger, but not St. Louis, whose snipe beat a lunging Quick to make it 3-1. It was his 40th career power-play goal, at 11:24.

The Kings cut the lead again at 14:39 on the power play, with Mats Zuccarello in the box for tripping, as Willie Mitchell’s blast from the point sailed past a Dwight King screen and past Lundqvist.

But just 11 seconds later, the roles would reverse for Zuccarello and Mitchell.

 

Off the opening faceoff, the puck traveled behind the Kings’ net. Quick attempted to play it but it skipped off his blade. Mitchell then attempted to play it and couldn’t, as Mats Zuccarello pressured him and converted the turnover into a goal for Derick Brassard, his sixth of the playoffs.
 

Then it was time for the Kings to respond to kick off the third period, thanks to a collision between Dwight King and Lundqvist: 
 

McDonagh and King battled in the Rangers’ crease as the puck cycled around the zone. Matt Greene – abjectly terrible on nearly every other shift in Game 2 – fired the puck from the top of the zone. McDonagh shoved King onto Lundqvist as the puck deflected off of him into the net to cut the lead to 4-3 at 1:58. 
 

McDonagh wore the goat horns again minutes later when the Kings tied the game.
 

The Rangers defenseman turned the puck over deep in his own zone – attempting to skate it out, he skated into teammate Stepan wrestling with a Kings player instead – resulting in Marian Gaborik’s shot into a gaping net. His 13th goal of the playoffs knotted it at 4-4 at 7:36. 
 

The overtime was tightly played, featuring some close calls -- Chris Kreider's shot that rang off the left post if Quick's cage, Dwight King's one-timer ripped wide of the Rangers' net and Kreider missing on a breakaway.  
 

Quick finished the game with 34 saves. 

Kings-Rangers Preview, Mon, Jun 9 8:00 PM EDT.

By IRA PODELL (AP Sports Writer)

The New York Rangers know they will have the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd on their side in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

The whistle and the bounces? That is a whole other story.

When the Rangers analyze their two overtime losses to the Kings in Los Angeles, they likely will be happy about much of them - other than the result, of course.

New York hasn't trailed for one second in the nine regulation periods played in the championship round, yet the Rangers return home in an 0-2 hole.

They led by two early in their 3-2 single overtime loss in Game 1 and then had three two-goal edges in Game 2, only to fall 5-4 in double overtime Saturday night.

 

''We played two good games,'' forward Mats Zuccarello said Sunday after the Rangers returned to New York. ''We didn't get the bounces in OT. We've got to limit our mistakes. I think we're a confident group. I think we played the best hockey.

''We'll have our fans, the best fans in the world, but it's two good teams. I don't know how much it's going to mean. Hopefully the fans are going to be behind us, and we'll get a good boost.''

The starts were good, the middles provided success, too. The third periods and overtimes have been the difference, and that is what matters. New York was outshot 20-3 in the third period of Game 1 and outscored 2-0 in the final regulation frame of Game 2.

''We're not proud of the way we're starting games,'' Kings forward Justin Williams said. ''We find ourselves in the same situation, regurgitating the same mumbo-jumbo every time. We're in a results-oriented league. The results are we're up 2-0. I don't care how we got here.''

Game 3 is Monday night, and is as close to a must-win contest for the Rangers as can be at the Garden, where they are 6-4 in these playoffs.

''Our guys are going to be real focused,'' coach Alain Vigneault said. ''We need to hold serve. We're back in our building. We've played some good hockey. We might feel that we deserve a better outcome than what we have, but it doesn't matter.

''At the end of the day we've got to take care of business, and that's what we're going to do.''

The resilient Kings are doing to the Rangers what they did to the Sharks, Ducks and defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks before them.

If New York wants to avoid the head-shaking those clubs endured after being eliminated in seven games, the story line must change quickly Monday.

It will be one of the hottest tickets at the Garden in years, but the Rangers' first trip to the finals in two decades could be over in a hurry if their finishes don't soon match their beginnings.

''It's hockey. It's not always fair,'' forward Chris Kreider said.

The Rangers have jumped to 2-0 leads in the first period in each game, but Los Angeles never gives up or gives in. New York was 10-0 in these playoffs when entering the third with a lead. The Kings changed that Saturday when they turned a 4-2 deficit into a tie and then won 10:26 into double overtime.

''I think everyone was done with the game this morning. It's all about the next game,'' Zuccarello said. ''Most important thing is to look forward.''

The Kings are opportunistic, and they used a favorable non-call to spark their Game 2 comeback.

The Rangers balked loudly at Dwight King's goal that made it 4-3 at 1:58, claiming it shouldn't have counted because King prevented goalie Henrik Lundqvist from making a save. New York was penalized for goalie interference earlier when the puck wasn't in the area of Jonathan Quick's crease.

King was struck by Matt Greene's hard drive that found the net and fell onto Lundqvist. Los Angeles gained momentum, tied it on former Rangers forward Marian Gaborik's NHL-leading 13th goal of the playoffs, and claimed its 2-0 series edge on captain Dustin Brown's tally.

The Kings have won three straight in overtime without leading in any before the end, and trailing by two goals in each. Los Angeles has been outscored 4-1 in the first period by the Rangers, but the Kings have a 7-2 edge the rest of the way.

''I played some overtime, long overtime before, but obviously three in a row, that's pretty tough,'' Gaborik said Sunday. ''We have to correct a lot of things in our game. It's tough sport to begin with. To play this many periods the last three games, it's a lot of hockey.

''Everyone is going to find energy tomorrow, and we'll be ready to go.''

Despite the success, Los Angeles is leery about its slow starts and how long it can count on comebacks. Though the Kings have done it at home and on the road, they are aware they are pushing their luck as they try to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years.

The Kings lost three straight to Anaheim after taking a 2-0 lead, and then won Games 6 and 7 to advance to the Western Conference finals.

''Momentum is a huge part of playoff hockey,'' King said. ''Once a team has it, it's important to try to switch the tide in your favor as quick as possible. The longer we go in series, you feel confident.''

Vigneault declared after the opener that his club had to bring its 'A' game if it hoped to beat the Kings. The Rangers did, but couldn't sustain it.

New York has also bounced back in these playoffs. Although the Rangers lost a Game 1 for the first time and are now down 2-0, they did rally from a 3-1 series deficit in the second round to win three straight against favored Pittsburgh.

But 43 of 48 teams that led 2-0 in the best-of-seven finals have won the Cup.

''Our confidence is still there,'' forward Derick Brassard said. ''If we keep playing the same way, we have a great chance to win. It's a far way to be over. We came back from 1-3 against Pittsburgh.

''We proved to ourselves that we can come back against some really good teams. We showed to ourselves that we can play with those guys. In both games, they win in overtime. It could go either way.''

California Chrome owner part class, part ass after Belmont defeat.

By Pat Forde

Tonalist Wins Belmont Stakes, Denying California Chrome a Triple Crown

Steve Coburn's exit from Belmont Park was part class, part ass.

After watching his beloved horse, California Chrome, finish tied for fourth in the Belmont Stakes and extend horse racing's Triple Crown futility to 36 years and counting, Coburn made a spectacle of himself on the way out of the massive old track. He schmoozed with the public and he napalmed the winners in varying turns.

He shook every hand, posed for every picture – including one with LL Cool J – and thanked every fan who had something kind to say about California Chrome's glorious spring. At one point he stepped into a box on the railing of the clubhouse, took off his cowboy hat and shouted to the patrons below, "Hey, everybody! Thank you so much! Thank you for your support!"

That drew applause from a crowd that was otherwise deflated by the Belmont result. The populist Coburn is a fun guy.

But the pop-off Coburn is a guy whose act has worn thin after five weeks of shamelessly hamming it up in a spotlight he'd never known before. After thanking the fans, he went back to ripping the people behind winning horse Tonalist.

Coburn called Tonalist's connections "cowards" on NBC shortly after the race, and he continued the assault to anyone who asked him a question. The feel-good story of the spring ended with a finger-jabbing fusillade of profanity.

"They're a bunch of goddamn cheaters," Coburn told Yahoo Sports. "If your horse doesn't even have the points to run in the Kentucky Derby, he shouldn't be able to run in the Triple Crown. They're goddamn cheaters."

Asked how much this defeat hurt after watching Chrome win six straight races, Coburn said, "It hurt a lot because this isn't my horse, this is America's horse. … We've still got the best horse in the United States."

Between photos and hugs, Coburn kept up the assault to any reporter who came up to ask a question. At one point his wife Carolyn slapped him on the arm in an attempt to hush him up. He ignored her.

Finally, outside the clubhouse, Coburn and his party were herded toward a black Mercedes van that was waiting for them.

"Hey, Guido!" Coburn shouted to the driver. "We need to get going! We need to drink whiskey!"

And then he was gone, almost certainly never to be seen again on the Triple Crown scene.

This is a sport rife with one-hit wonder ownership groups, trainers and jockeys. California Chrome's group had its moment, and it was a great one – but the last impression left by Coburn will have the bluebloods of the sport clucking with disdain. They won't miss this loose-cannon common man.

Despite the petulance, his sore-loser rant is rooted in a truth that makes the Triple Crown fundamentally flawed: it is rigged against the best horse. While California Chrome was grinding through his third race in five weeks, Tonalist was running for just the second time since February.

The lightly-raced colt had only started four times prior to the Belmont, and had not won a race of any significance until taking the Peter Pan Stakes May 10 here at Belmont. That stamped him as a contender in this race.

That's why Tonalist could not have run in the Derby even if owner Robert Evans and trainer Christophe Clement wanted him to. Under the points system used to qualify for the Derby, Tonalist wasn't even close to making that field.

Yet he was able to come back here and play spoiler – and he had company. Second-place finisher Commissioner also has been out since the Peter Pan Stakes. Third-place Medal Count ran in the Derby but skipped the Preakness. Wicked Strong, which finished in a dead heat for fourth with California Chrome, also ran the Derby but skipped the Preakness.

"I'll never see – and I'm 61 years old – another Triple Crown winner in my lifetime because of the way they do this," Coburn told NBC.

I agree with him. The format needs to be changed.

Coburn continued: "It's not fair to these horses that have been in the game since Day One. If you don't make enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby you can't run in the other two races. It's all or nothing. It's all or nothing because this is not fair to these horses that have been running their guts out for these people and for all the people who believe in him. This is a coward's way out, in my opinion."

Evans and Clement are not cowards. They're opportunists, taking what the sport gives them.

"There's something to be said about running a fresh horse on familiar ground," Clement acknowledged. "… I'm sure I will manage to find a way to sleep tonight despite being a disappointment."

After the race and before Coburn's rant, the disappointment was palpable in the box seats occupied by California Chrome's people.

Trainer Art Sherman, 77 years old and competing in a spot he scarcely could dream of his entire career, was wordless for a while after the horses hit the wire. His hands were still at his side for more than a mile, as he watched California Chrome struggle for running room amid the forward pack of horses. When Chrome loomed alongside the leaders heading off the far turn and the grandstand roared, Sherman raised his hands to his chest in anticipation – but they never moved again as his horse failed to fire.

"He just wasn't good enough," Sherman said to nobody in particular, then shook his head. "He just wasn't good enough today."

In the adjacent box, co-owner Perry Martin – the quiet and reserved half of Dumb Ass Partners – never once unfolded his hands as he watched the race. When his horse surged in the Kentucky Derby, he had clapped and yelled "Goodbye, everybody! Goodbye!" Saturday, he said nothing.

In the dejected aftermath, Martin wiped his forehead with a napkin, then wiped his eyes. Then he exhaled. Nobody said a word.

Asked what it felt like to not see the devastating kick that had carried his colt to six straight wins, Martin said, "I'm still waiting for it to happen."

Back in Sherman's box, it took the trainer several minutes to even think about who won the race. He asked his wife Faye for her program and scrutinized it for a moment before tapping his finger on the No. 11 horse, Tonalist.

Two boxes down, Steve Coburn was starting to roar on that sore subject. He had a point, but he fired at the wrong target.

Blame the Triple Crown itself. That's what beat California Chrome, more than Tonalist.

  

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS
Year	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Owner
1919	Sir Barton	John Loftus	H.G. Bedwell	J.K.L. Ross
1930	Gallant Fox	Earl Sande	James Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud
1935	Omaha	William Saunders	James Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud
1937	War Admiral	Charley Kurtsinger	George Conway	Samuel D. Riddle
1941	Whirlaway	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm
1943	Count Fleet	John Longden	Don Cameron	Mrs. J.D. Hertz
1946	Assault	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	King Ranch
1948	Citation	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm
1973	Secretariat	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable
1977	Seattle Slew	John Cruguet	William Turner Jr.	Karen L. Taylor
1978	Affirmed	Steve Cauthen	Lazaro S. Barrera	Harbor View Farm

Horse Racing Follow-Up: Changing the dates, not the rules, is the way to fix horse racing's Triple Crown.

By Pat Forde

Steve Coburn set a new standard for sore losers Saturday, but his timing was impeccable.

Plenty of people hated the fact that the co-owner of California Chrome shot off his mouth like a Roman candle just minutes after his colt lost at the Belmont Stakes. But what better time to get the attention of the nation focused on how to fix a broken Triple Crown? It was a topic on CNN, NBC and plenty of other national platforms Sunday.

Considering the breadth of discussion in the aftermath of yet another Belmont buzzkill, I'd say Coburn did a great job reaching his audience.

Buried beneath the shock value of calling the connections of winning horse Tonalist "cowards" and "cheaters" is the substance of a strong argument. Coburn's horse was asked to perform what has become the unnatural – and, in my opinion, the impossible. We won't see another Triple Crown winner until the format is changed.

Coburn would like to change the rules. I would like to change the dates.

I don't agree with Coburn's assertion that horses should not be allowed to skip legs of the Triple Crown. It's not realistic to limit the pool for the three races to the 20 who enter the Kentucky Derby – the attrition would leave us with an even punier Preakness and a threadbare Belmont. In an ideal world, the top horses in the nation would compete in all three races – but that doesn't fit with the modern reality of horse racing.

Which is why changing the calendar is the best solution.

The hidebound traditionalists who have helped diminish racing to fringe-sport status will fight it to the death. But we may actually be approaching a tipping point in the push to space out the dates of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont.

Currently, they are five weeks apart – the Derby on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness two weeks later and the Belmont three weeks after that. Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas is pushing to move the Preakness to the first Saturday in June, and hoping the Belmont will follow suit and move to the first Saturday in July – or, my preference, to the Fourth of July.

It would give the best horse a fighting chance on a more level playing field, but I'm not sure it would make the task of winning all three races easier. Right now, the Preakness is pretty close to a walkover because so many horses skip it to wait for the Belmont, which has become a trap favoring the well-rested and New York-based horses. Filling all three races with high-level competitors would hardly lessen the task.

An industry insider told me Sunday that the New York Racing Association has shown very little enthusiasm for moving its race to accommodate the Preakness' proposed move. The interesting scenario would be if Chuckas' group acted unilaterally, moving its race without regard for what the NYRA did or did not do with the Belmont. It would almost certainly help the Preakness become a better race while also drawing away some of the star power of the Belmont, but it would kill the Triple Crown to have the second and third legs a week apart.

This is yet another pitfall of a sport that lacks unified national leadership. There is no commissioner of horse racing, no governing body. Every racetrack ownership group is in it for themselves.

If anyone can affect change, it might have to be NBC using its clout.

Regardless, there is no doubt that the Triple Crown as it currently exists is obsolete. As I've stated (many times), horses simply aren't bred and trained to run three times in five weeks anymore. At most, they tend to run once a month – and often with at least one lengthy break from racing per year. California Chrome trainer Art Sherman, a septuagenarian old schooler, said his ideal timing between races is seven weeks.

The analogy I've made is that it's like asking a baseball pitcher to throw three complete games in a week. They may have done that in the early 20th century, but they sure don't now. And the same can be said for thoroughbreds, which once ran far more often than they do today.

Yet the Triple Crown remains the same unrealistic grind. It's as if human beings shrank to a maximum height of 5 feet 6 but kept basketball goals at 10 feet, then everyone complained about the lack of dunking.

The hidebound are already preemptively grumbling about how changing the dates would cheapen winning the Triple Crown. It wouldn't cheapen the Triple Crown; it would simply return it to the realm of the possible. At present it is unattainable, and I'm glad Steve Coburn opened his big mouth to criticize it.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! You can add Vegas oddsmakers to list of Bears haters.

CSN Staff

It's pretty safe to say there's a lot of optimism surrounding the Bears this summer. Yes, even with the recent dust-up at OTAs.

CG Technology, an oddsmaking firm in Nevada, isn't buying in. They recently released the playoff odds for 21 NFL teams and the Bears aren't getting much love.

CG suggests the Bears' odds of making the playoffs is 28.6 percent, the same as the Detroit Lions and worse than the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans, two of the worst teams in the league last season.

In the same vein, CG has the Packers' odds at making the playoffs at 63 percent.

The Bears have had back-to-back solid seasons, but fell short of making the postseason. They had a 10-6 record in 2012 but were on the outside looking in come January and they lost to the Packers in Week 17 last year.

The Patriots (-440), Broncos (-400) and Seahawks (-250) are the favorites to make the playoffs in CG's eyes while the Bears' postseason odds are at +250.

Bears playoff miss could dial up heat on Emery. 

By John Mullin

During a visit with Mike Florio over at ProFootballTalk’s “PFT Live!” on Friday morning, Mike raised a specter that may not come to pass. But then again… .

 

Mike mused that if Lovie Smith turns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into something dangerous this year, and the Bears somehow are edged out of the playoffs, particularly by the Bucs, then the heat under Bears GM Phil Emery may start causing some beads of perspiration around Halas Hall.

 

It’s unlikely that some Smith success in Tampa will reflect badly on Emery. Besides, Smith landed Josh McCown as his quarterback and that alone portends improvement.

 

Smith had missed the playoffs five of his final six seasons, and any rawness or second-guessing of Emery will be moderated by time anyway; more than a full season and most of two offseasons have passed since Smith’s exit.

 

But while few GM’s have accomplished the degree of makeover on both sides of the ball (plus coaching staff) that Emery has over the past two seasons, Mike raises a legitimate point. Smith might have been fired even if the 10-6 Bears had made the 2012 playoffs if only because Smith still had not been able to settle the offense.

 

Emery himself made failure to get in position to make championship runs — i.e., make the playoffs — a factor in Smith’s dismissal.

 

Another playoff miss would begin turning that prism on Emery, since it would make the Bears the only NFC North team to miss the playoffs in each of the past four seasons (three under Emery).

 

Missing the 2014 postseason seems incomprehensible, at least to this observer. But this time a year ago, that was also the assessment, coming off a top-five defensive ranking and coming into a new offensive regime for Jay Cutler.

 

And Mike and I considered one other point: If the Bears don’t win the NFC North, can they push into the playoffs as a wild card?

 

The problem there is that the last four Bears playoff appearances (2010, 2006, 2005, 2001) came only via winning the division. Detroit and Minnesota have hired new coaches, and the Bears are head-to-head against the two 2013 wild cards: New Orleans and San Francisco.

Chicago a finalist to host 2015 NFL Draft.

CSN Staff

Goodbye Radio City Music Hall.

According to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 2015 NFL Draft will not be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, which has been venue for the league's annual draft since 2006.

Letters were sent on Thursday from the NFL to Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, requesting more information about their plans to host the draft, a source told Rapoport. 

With Radio City being booked in April and May next year, the draft would take place at Madison Square Garden if the league decides to keep the draft in New York.

The NFL has circled two potential time frames for the 2015 NFL Draft, which include April 22-25 and April 29-May 2, indicating that the draft will now be a four-day event.

NFL officials will likely visit each potential venue and make a decision by the end of the summer.

Just another Chicago Bulls Session… James carries Heat past Spurs to tie NBA Finals.

By BRIAN MAHONEY (AP Basketball Writer)

No cramps, no problems for LeBron James.

And with their superstar making it to the finish this time, the Miami Heat won Game 2, just as they always do when they drop an opener.

James had 35 points and 10 rebounds in a powerful bounce back from cramps that knocked him out of the key part of Game 1, as the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a 98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.

Chris Bosh made the go-ahead 3-pointer on a pass from James with 1:18 remaining for the Heat, who have won 13 straight following a loss in the postseason. Just like last year, they rebounded from a loss to the Spurs to open the series.

Bosh had 18 points for the Heat. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Miami.

James played 36 minutes, making 14 of 22 shots. He was only 1 for 4 with three turnovers in a shaky first quarter, then made 11 of his next 13.

After two days of enduring criticism for not finishing and getting suggestions on how to avoid cramps, James changed the subject.

''Got to play hard,'' James said. ''I believe the man above will protect me. I just try to put myself and my teammates in position to succeed.''

He also had a key strip of Tony Parker down the stretch, playing a dominant game on both ends as if he had something to prove.

Whenever the haters come out, James always quickly can silence them.

He had 11 points in the second quarter, helping Miami erase an 11-point deficit early in the period. The game was played within a margin of a few points from there, and the Spurs missed a chance to seize control in the fourth quarter when Tony Parker and Tim Duncan combined to miss four straight free throws when they had a two-point lead.

James then made a 3-pointer and two free throws, setting Miami up to pull it out.

Parker scored 21 points and Duncan had 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Spurs, who had won eight straight at home by 15 more points.

The game was played in comfortable conditions inside the AT&T Center, where an air conditioning failure in Game 1 sent temperatures soaring to about 90 degrees in the second half. The problem, caused by a broken circuit breaker, was fixed by Friday afternoon, and it was much cooler inside the arena.

James had the toughest time with the heat Thursday, needing treatment midway through the fourth quarter before eventually having to leave for good. He had plenty of time to recover, with the two days off between Games 1 and 2.

He personally erased a 62-56 San Antonio lead by scoring eight points in less than a minute, and his 14 points in the third quarter had Miami down only 78-77 heading to the fourth.

After their sensational finish to Game 1, the Spurs picked up right where they left off, making 10 of their first 15 shots. They led 26-17 after Duncan's follow shot with 1:49 left, but missed a chance to expand their lead by committing three straight turnovers, and coach Gregg Popovich looked irate when the quarter ended with San Antonio ahead 26-19.

The Spurs opened an 11-point lead early in the second before James got going. He had three straight Miami baskets, and a follow shot later in the period gave the Heat their first lead at 34-33.

Notes: The Spurs fell to 12-4 at home in the NBA Finals. ... Parker has 1,026 assists in the postseason, moving past Michael Jordan (1,022) for eighth place on the career postseason list. He also passed Jordan's Hall of Fame teammate, Scottie Pippen, for 13th on the career scoring list with 3,655 points.

Nadal tops Djokovic: 9th French Open, 14th major.

By HOWARD FENDRICH (AP Tennis Writer)

Trying to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open is, without a doubt, the toughest task in tennis. Indeed, must be among the greatest challenges in all of sports.

The pressure he applies, from set to set, game to game, point to point, shot to shot. That bullwhip of a high-bouncing, topspin lefty forehand. Those quick-reflex returns that help him break an opponent's serve - and his will.

Doing what he does so well on the red clay of Roland Garros, a surface and site he dominates so completely, the No. 1-seeded Nadal wore down No. 2 Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4 in a muggy final Sunday to win his ninth French Open championship and fifth in a row, both records.

''For me,'' Nadal said, ''playing here in Roland Garros is just unforgettable, forever.''

It is also his 14th Grand Slam title overall, tying the 28-year-old Spaniard with Pete Sampras for the second most by a man, behind only Roger Federer's 17.
 

That includes Nadal's two trophies apiece at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, along with one from the Australian Open, proving he can beat the best on grass and hard courts, too. But it's on the clay of Paris where Nadal reigns supreme: He has won 66 of 67 career French Open matches.

Since the only loss, against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009, Nadal has won 35 consecutive matches at Roland Garros.

No other man has won more than seven titles at any of tennis' four majors.

''It's not impossible, but it's very, very difficult to stay with Rafa in this court, throughout the whole match, on the highest level of performance,'' said Djokovic, who was broken in the final game of each set, including with an anticlimactic double-fault on match point.

Nadal ensured that he, not Djokovic, will be ranked No. 1 on Monday. In the process, Nadal once again prevented six-time major champion Djokovic from completing a career Grand Slam.

''He deserves to win this tournament,'' Nadal said. ''I am sure he will do it in the future.''

Djokovic had won their four most recent matches, including on clay in the best-of-three-set final at Rome last month. Beating Nadal in best-of-five is a whole other matter.

Nadal also topped Djokovic in the 2012 final, and the 2013 semifinals. In all, Nadal leads Djokovic 6-0 at the French Open, 9-3 at major tournaments, and 23-19 in total. No other pair of men has played each other as often.

The defeat in Rome was one of three this season on clay for Nadal, raising questions about whether he'd be unbeatable at Roland Garros this time. There also was the matter of his troublesome back, which flared up during a loss to Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open final and slowed his serve at times during the French Open.

For 3 1/2 hours Sunday, when the sky was crystal clear and the temperature touched 80 degrees (27 Celsius), Djokovic gave everything he had, even spitting up on court.

''I played at the maximum of my power, my strength, and my capability,'' Djokovic said, ''but Rafa was the best player.''

Using his backhand to great effect against Nadal's forehand early, Djokovic grabbed the first set, and got to 5-all in the second.

''I felt,'' Nadal said, ''the match was more in his hands at the beginning.''

Knowing that overcoming a two-set hole might be too much even for him, Nadal raised his level, taking 20 of 26 points to claim that set and a 3-0 lead in the third.

''Without that second set, I don't know if I have this trophy with me now,'' Nadal would say later.

When a down-the-line forehand winner ended the second set, Nadal leaped and shook both fists, his first sign of real emotion.

''The momentum went (to) his side,'' Djokovic said. ''I started playing quite bad and didn't move as well. Struggled a little bit physically throughout that third set.''

That was apparent. His cheeks were flushed. He put his hand on his heaving chest. He wobbled and nearly fell over while sitting on his changeover bench.

Still, after trailing 4-2 in the fourth, Djokovic made one last stand. As skilled a retriever as his formidable foe - Djokovic won 10 of the first 15 points that lasted at least 10 strokes - he came up with a desperation defensive lob that landed right near the baseline, drawing a netted overhead from Nadal to earn a break point. Soon, it was 4-all.

But Nadal steadied himself to hold to 5-4, then broke one last time. Soon enough, he was clutching the French Open trophy, his trophy.

Sharapova edges Halep for 2nd French Open title.

By HOWARD FENDRICH (AP Tennis Writer)

Nothing came easily for Maria Sharapova in the French Open final.

Serves hit by her surgically repaired shoulder often missed the mark, resulting in 12 double-faults. Shots that would be winners against most opponents were retrieved by Simona Halep and sent right back. Leads that usually hold up vanished in a blink. On a muggy afternoon, with the temperature in the high 70s (20s Celsius), points were lung-searing struggles.

 

Sharapova was up to the task. In an entertaining and undulating championship match - the first women's final at Roland Garros in 13 years to go three sets - Sharapova showed that she's as tough as they come, particularly on the red clay that used to flummox her. She edged Halep 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 Saturday to win a second French Open title in three years.
 

''This is the toughest Grand Slam final I've ever played,'' Sharapova said.
 

It is her fifth major trophy in all. Remarkably, Sharapova owns twice as many from Paris as the one each she won at Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006, and the Australian Open in 2008.
 

''If somebody had told me ... at some stage in my career, that I'd have more Roland Garros titles than any other Grand Slam, I'd probably go get drunk,'' Sharapova said with a chuckle. ''Or tell them to get drunk. One or the other.''
 

The 3-hour, 2-minute tangle featured too many momentum swings to count, filled with lengthy baseline exchanges, and terrific defense and shotmaking by both women.
 

Not bad for someone who once famously described herself as feeling like a ''cow on ice'' when it came to playing on clay, a slow, demanding surface that requires excellent footwork. Now Sharapova knows how to move on clay, and can stretch points when needed. Since the start of 2012, Sharapova is 54-4 with seven titles on clay. She's also won 20 consecutive clay three-setters, including four in a row this week.
 

''It says that she's very fit. It says that she's very determined,'' said Sven Groenefeld, Sharapova's coach. ''And it says that she never gives up.''
 

Sharapova broke into a huge smile while hoisting the trophy overhead, then shaking it with both hands and scanning a stadium that, improbably, has become hers. This was her third final in a row in Paris: She won the 2012 title to complete a career Grand Slam, then lost last year to Serena Williams, who bowed out in the second round this time.
 

Sharapova is 20-1 the last three years at Roland Garros - which is nothing compared to Rafael Nadal's 65-1 career French Open mark heading into Sunday's final Sunday against Novak Djokovic, but certainly quite impressive.
 

''You're not just born being a natural clay-court player. OK, maybe if you're Nadal. But certainly not me,'' Sharapova said. ''I didn't grow up on it; didn't play on it. I just took it upon myself to make myself better on it.''
 

Plus, Sharapova had an operation on her right shoulder, the one she uses to swing her racket, in October 2008. That joint troubled the Russian again in 2013, when she played one match from July to December.
 

She now travels with a physiotherapist, Jerome Bianchi, and told him during the post-match ceremony, ''Thank you for keeping me healthy.''
 

This was the ninth Grand Slam final for the No. 7-seeded Sharapova, and the first for Halep, a 22-year-old Romanian seeded fourth. Supported by a dozen folks in her guest box wearing red T-shirts saying ''Allez Simona,'' and fans that chanted her first name, Halep acquitted herself well, showing off the scrambling baseline style that carried her to six straight-set wins until Saturday.
 

''I will not forget this match,'' said Halep, who wiped away tears afterward.
 

Each time it appeared Sharapova was ready to pull away, she was forced to do extra work.
 

At 4-3 in the second set, Sharapova held two break points, but Halep saved both with gutsy groundstrokes. In the tiebreaker, Sharapova got within two points of victory at 5-3, but Halep took the next four to claim the set.
 

That's when Sharapova left for the locker room, taking an 8-minute break during which she changed out of her sweat-soaked outfit - and let Halep stew for a bit. Sharapova went ahead 4-2, but Halep broke back to 4-all.
 

It turned out that was her last stand, though. Sharapova wouldn't lose another point, gritting her teeth and shaking her fists after breaking at love for 5-4 with a backhand winner, then holding at love by forcing a backhand error from Halep on match point.
 

When it ended, Sharapova dropped to her knees, caking her shins with clay, and folded her body forward, burying her face in her hands.
 

''I had good tactics today. I opened the angles. Also, I was hitting the ball strong,'' Halep said.
 

But Sharapova, Halep continued, ''was moving really well.''

Cow on ice?
 

More like Queen of Clay.

 Ben Crane wins St. Jude Classic for 5th PGA title.

By TERESA M. WALKER (AP Sports Writer)

Ben Crane estimates he slept less than three hours in a night spent praying and thanking God that his game finally has come back around.

Then he played 30 holes Sunday in winning the St. Jude Classic for his first PGA Tour title since 2011, setting off a celebration that included hugging his caddie and high-fiving a reporter. Crane also choked back some tears as he looked at text messages filling his phone.

''Oh my gosh, it just keeps going,'' Crane said, looking at his phone. ''How many can a phone hold? This is so much fun''

Crane closed with a 3-over 73 for a one-stroke victory, going wire to wire for his fifth career victory. Rain delays forced him into the marathon session Sunday at TPC Southwind, finishing 12 holes in the morning in a third-round 69 to take a three-shot lead into the final round.

He two-putted for bogey on the final hole to finish at 10-under 270, days after failing to qualify for the U.S. Open. That marked a low point for the 38-year-old player who spent the past six months reworking his swing to protect his back wondering if his career was over. He spent time with a coach picturing the right way to hit shots.

Everything clicked Thursday with an opening 63.

''I did not expect the hole to open up like that and just start making putts from everywhere,'' Crane said. ''Just hit a lot of quality shots and obviously built a nice lead to start out with.''

Troy Merritt was second after a 71. Webb Simpson (65), Matt Every (70) and Carl Pettersson (69) were 8 under, and Ian Poulter had a 64 to tie for sixth at 7 under.

Merritt credited the best finish of his career to an improved short game.

''Ben played great,'' Merritt said. ''Hats off to him. Well deserved. He's been struggling for a little while. Very happy for Ben.''

Phil Mickelson, among those tuning up for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, left winless in his 20th event since the British Open. He tied for 11th at 6 under after a 72.

Consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 put Mickelson at 8 under. But he bogeyed the next two, including the par-3 14th where he hit a 7-iron into the water in front of the green. He still finished much better than his tie for 49th at Memorial last week after an early visit from FBI agents and lingering questions about an insider-trading investigation.

''The way I drove the ball last two rounds I had an opportunity to shoot really low,'' Mickelson said. ''My iron play was poor, and my putting was pathetic. I'll have to make some changes and to get ready for next week. But the game is not far off because I'm driving the ball very well and putting it in play.''

Wind, thunderstorms, lightning and fog have delayed play each of the first three days. With more storms forecast, players started the final round almost immediately after concluding the third. They finished without single delay Sunday as the sun even came out as this tournament finished its 57th year without being shortened because of weather.

Crane had three bogeys in the final round, one more than he had through 54 holes. He became the first winner on tour without a birdie in his final round since Justin Leonard did it at Southwind in 2005.

He cruised along before two-putting for bogey on No. 6, dropping his lead to two strokes over Brian Harman and Merritt. Crane bogeyed No. 9 after hitting his tee shot into the rough. He couldn't clear the rough with his next shot, and his third bounced to the rough behind the green.

Crane said he only glanced at the leaderboard a couple times.

''I just knew I was leading, and I knew Phil Mickelson was out there so,'' Crane said. ''And Phil's a good friend, and he kind of gave me that, 'I'm coming after you.'''

Merritt was the closest, within a stroke for six holes before putting his tee shot on the par-4 15th into the rough. He couldn't roll the ball in from 15 feet to save par.

Crane strung together eight straight pars before going to the par-4 No. 18 with a two-stroke lead needing to avoid the water down the left side of the fairway. He did, though he did find the greenside bunker. Crane two-putted from 12 feet for the win. He earned $1,044,000.

Divots: Crane is the eighth player in this event's history to win after having at least a share of the lead after every round. Lee Westwood was the last in 2010. ... Crane also won the 2010 CIMB Classic before it became an official tour event.

Earnhardt pulls away late for 2nd win of season.

By DAN GELSTON (AP Sports Writer)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having a blast again, with a shared bond with his crew, comfort in his own skin as NASCAR's most popular driver, even finding fun 140 characters at a time on Twitter. Winning races sure has a way of easing burdens on Junior.

Earnhardt turned Brad Keselowski's trash into Victory Lane treasure, pulling away down the stretch Sunday at Pocono Raceway for his second win of the season and a secured spot in the Chase field.
 

He paired his first career win at Pocono with his Daytona 500 championship for his first multi-win season since 2004.
 

''I feel like I'm such a lucky guy to have this second opportunity again to be competitive,'' Earnhardt said.
 

But for as strong as he ran in the No. 88 Chevrolet, Keselowski gift-wrapped this win when he yielded the lead with five laps left in a desperate attempt to clear debris from his grille and cool his overheated engine.
 

Keselowski's gamble backfired - he couldn't get the draft needed from the lapped traffic to clear his car and make one final pass for the win on Earnhardt. Keselowski's No. 2 Ford still had the oomph in the engine needed to finish the race, and he had his second-straight runner-up finish.
 

''It was definitely a mistake because the engine made it,'' Keselowski said, rubbing his face. ''It probably shouldn't have.''
 

Junior shook off the rising red gauges in the No. 88 that could have had his car meet a similar fate as Keselowski.
 

''They were still within good reason to stand on it and give it hell,'' he said.
 

Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and rookie Kyle Larson completed the top five.

Earnhardt gave Hendrick Motorsports three straight wins, following back-to-back victories by Jimmie Johnson. Johnson overcame a pit road accident to finish sixth.

Owner Rick Hendrick texted Earnhardt before the race to let him know he would not attend and would see him next week at Michigan. Earnhardt told him, ''I'll drink one for you after it's over.''

Earnhardt stuck to his end of the deal, spraying all types of beverages in a jubilant Victory Lane. Johnson was the first driver over to congratulate him.

I don't have much to do tomorrow,'' Earnhardt said, grinning. ''Tonight's going to be a long one.''

Earnhardt, long NASCAR's most popular driver, gave the Pocono crowd plenty of reason to go wild. He was mobbed by almost 100 fans outside the Pocono media center, screaming his name and clamoring for a picture with the winner.

He waved and ducked into a waiting car, whisked away for another party.

Maybe the fans should try tweeting at him to earn his attention.

A reluctant participant on Twitter for years, Earnhardt warmed fast to the social media site after winning Daytona. He said he underestimated the amount of fun he'd have interacting with fans. He loved the ''go get 'ems'' that dot his feed, though it's the ''haters'' that he really feeds off.

''The real short ones, like, 'You suck,' those are the best ones,'' he said, smiling. ''I just favorite them and block them. It's so much fun.''

Earnhardt's second win means he is guaranteed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field. He won for the 29th time in 519 career Sprint Cup starts.

''When we won at Daytona, man, it made the rest of the year a lot more relaxing, a lot easier,'' he said. ''It makes it fun because you can just go to the track and just race, not worry about points.''

Junior's breakthrough was more meaningful because has come in crew chief Steve Letarte's final season. Letarte, who had a Pocono win with Jeff Gordon, has become one of Earnhardt's best friends. That tightness off the track just may have sparked the wins on the track.

''Maybe that's why him and I are such good friends, because I might be the only one in the world that doesn't wonder what it's like to be Dale Junior,'' Letarte said. ''He's a normal guy, he's a great guy, he's a great talent. I don't have any idea what it's like to be him.''

Earnhardt led three Hendrick drivers in the top 10; Gordon finished eighth.

Johnson's bid for a third straight victory was derailed when he connected on pit road with Marcos Ambrose. Coming off wins in the Coca-Cola 600 and at Dover, Johnson was fifth when he pitted under yellow. Johnson hit Ambrose and spun 180-degrees, which forced him to back into his stall for more repairs. He needed two tires, had right-front damage and dropped to 29th on the restart.

Busch posted his first top 10 since his win at Martinsville nine races ago. He salvaged a rough day for his team that saw fellow Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick drop from contention with various issues. Stewart held the lead and was in great position late to win until he was busted for speeding on pit road and was dropped to 31st. Harvick was running second when had tire trouble.

Stewart finished 13th, Harvick 14th, and SHR's Danica Patrick was 37th after she smacked the wall with 22 laps left.

All those mishaps - and one loose wrapper - all made it a race to remember for Earnhardt.

''A year or two ago, we weren't running to seize the opportunity,'' Earnhardt said, ''and now we are.''

US heads to Brazil with boosted confidence.

By RONALD BLUM

The U.S. headed to Brazil with boosted faith Sunday after going undefeated in its sendoff series for the first time.

Playing only its third match in nine months against a World Cup team, the U.S. defense appeared firmer in a 2-1 win over Nigeria following the decision to start both Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman in midfield. And Jozy Altidore broke a six-month scoreless streak for club and country with a pair of goals, including a flashy effort when he cut inside Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo and slotted in a right-footed shot from 12 yards.

"This game gives us confidence, but the whole send-off series should give us confidence," defender Matt Besler said Saturday night. "It's been a grind but at the end of the day, we accomplished everything we set out to do, and that's to get three wins. That's really all that matters."

The Americans were scheduled to travel from Jacksonville, Florida, to Miami on Sunday, then board a commercial flight for the roughly nine-hour trip to Sao Paulo, South America's largest city with a population of about 11.3 million. They will base at a downtown hotel and train at Sao Paulo FC, where they tested the facilities in January.

Logistically, it will be similar to their downtown stays at Seoul in 2002 and Hamburg, Germany, in 2006. But after having the shortest travel at the 2010 World Cup, where they traveled by bus from their base in Irene, South Africa, to games in Rustenburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria, the Americans have the most distance to cover in the first round — a 9,000-mile odyssey to games in the northeastern cities of Natal and Recife around a trip to the Amazon rain forest capital of Manaus.

Their opener is June 16 against Ghana, a team similar in style to African champion Nigeria.

"That's the reason why we played this game, to kind of hopefully see maybe some of the things that Ghana will do," Altidore said. "Obviously, it won't be the same. But we hope we take the things that we did well today to the Ghana game and try to use that to our advantage."

Going by FIFA rankings, the Americans' Group G was the most difficult to come out of December's draw. But in the June rankings issued last week, it became the second-toughest with Germany (No. 2), Portugal (No. 4), the U.S. (No. 13) and Ghana (No. 37) adding to 56. Group D was slightly lower at 53, with Uruguay (No. 7), Italy (No. 8), England (No. 10) and Costa Rica (No. 28).

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann knows defense is a key for an American team that constantly went behind during the 2010 tournament, when the Americans advanced to the knockout stage despite leading for all of 3 minutes, 15 seconds in the first round — after Landon Donovan's injury time goal against Algeria.

Based on Saturday, Jones and Beckerman could start together against Ghana.

"We know Kyle, that is his specialty to protect his teammates, to cover his teammates, to run endless miles for his team," Klinsmann said. "Jermaine in that kind of half position has more freedom to also go more forward so he kind of switch back and forth with Michael Bradley there. He knows there's somebody behind me, so if I lose the ball in my run, he's going to clean up for me. I think it worked out really well."

Most of Klinsmann's starting lineup appears set, with Tim Howard set to become the first American starting goalkeeper at consecutive World Cups since Tony Meola in 1990 and '94.

Besler and Geoff Cameron form the first U.S. central defensive pairing with no World Cup experience since 1990. Fabian Johnson has won the right back job, and DaMarcus Beasley appears to have edged out Timmy Chandler at left back and moved in position to become the first American male to play at four World Cups.

The biggest question appears to be who will join Jones, Beckerman and Michael Bradley in the midfield, with Alejandro Bedoya seeming ahead Graham Zusi and Brad Davis. Captain Clint Dempsey and Altidore start up front.

No American forward has scored at the World Cup since Brian McBride in 2002, so much focus has been placed on Altidore and his confidence.

"He's our horse. We've made no bones about that. It's no secret," Howard said. "We have to ride him. He has to put us on his back and score some goals for us. He's shown he can score goals in bunches for us. Jozy is just fantastic. He just shows how he can turn it on."

Big 5 autonomy a game-changer in college sports.

By RALPH D. RUSSO (AP College Football Writer)

The word is autonomy and its introduction into big-time college sports is a game-changer, even if it doesn't immediately change the games.

The NCAA is in the midst of a radical restructuring that will likely result in the five wealthiest football conferences, comprising 65 schools, being allowed to make rules without the support of the other 286 schools that play Division I sports.

The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference want the freedom to spend the billions they make from television deals and other revenue streams more freely on athletes, including increasing the value of a scholarship to include costs beyond tuition and room and board.

The other 63 schools that will play in college football's top tier next season hope to be able to provide many of the same new benefits, even though they don't have same vast resources to pay for them.

Autonomy for those powerful conferences could widen an already large gap between them and the less powerful conferences when it comes to acquiring talent and revenue. It may not immediately transform the competition, however.

''If autonomy is successful there is no question that it is a de facto Division IV, but it stays within Division I,'' Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby told The Associated Press last month. ''It keeps us participating in championships. It keeps us all playing by the same set of rules.''

Mostly what the Big Five is hoping to accomplish with autonomy is to save college sports as we know it and they want it. At a time when the NCAA's model for amateurism is under attack in courts both legal and of public opinion, the leaders of those conferences believe autonomy can bring the reforms necessary to alleviate some of the pressure.

''I think the American culture has adopted the collegiate model as a fundamental part,'' Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive said. ''People want that model to continue. But we all want change.''

Not everyone wants the kind of change Slive is pushing.

Boise State President Bob Kustra put out a scathing criticism of the move toward autonomy for the Big Five.

''The NCAA cannot fall prey to phony arguments about student welfare when the real goal of some of these so-called reformers is to create a plutocracy,'' Kustra wrote, ''that serves no useful purpose in American higher education.''

Boise State, which plays in the Mountain West, carried the banner for college football underdogs for years, winning 91 percent of its games from 2006-12.

Kustra's concern, and he's not alone, is if schools in the Big Five can spend more on athletes, the other schools won't have a chance to lure the blue-chippers.

That assumes they do now. They don't in football.

Only one of the top-100 recruits in 2014, according to Rivals.com's rankings, signed with a school outside the Big Five. In 2013, it was zero.

David Ridpath, associate professor of sports management at Ohio University, said Boise State's success was an anomaly, and restructuring is simply an acknowledgment of the reality of big-time college football.

''The Boise State athletic department does not look like Alabama's,'' Ridpath said. ''Boise State is never going to be Ohio State.''

Boise State's $37 million athletic budget is dwarfed by most schools in the Big Five. Alabama's is $109 million. Ohio State's is about $130 million.

Boise State opens next season against Alabama's SEC rival, Mississippi. The Broncos also have future games scheduled against Florida State and Washington, among other Big Five schools. For the relatively near future, there will be plenty of football games played between the Big Five conferences and the so-called Group of Five. Those schools in the power conferences still need to fill out a 12-game schedule and aren't in a rush to give up playing home games against teams they will likely beat - and schools that don't demand a game on its field in return.

Geography alone should keep the Pac-12 scheduling Mountain West teams, the SEC dipping into the Sun Belt and the Big Ten matching up against the MAC.

''My world in the West, we recruit against the Pac-12 for decades,'' Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson said. ''Have we beaten them in recruiting a lot of those kids? Probably not. But we still play them. We win some games.

''I'm not fearful that we're going to be squeezed out there.''

What could change is that opportunities for schools such as Boise State and Northern Illinois of the MAC to pull off David-slays-Goliath-type upsets will start to dwindle.

The College Football Playoff selection committee has been mandated to emphasize strength of schedule. In response, the Big Five schools are increasing the number of games they play against each other, both in and out of conference.

The College Football Playoff structure guarantees a spot in one of the marquee bowl games for at least one team from the Group of Five. And there is nothing that says a team from one of those leagues couldn't play in a national semifinal - but the odds are stacked against it.

Despite threats to make a more dramatic breakaway from the rest of the NCAA if autonomy does not pass, the Big Five commissioners have said they want Division I athletics to remain a big tent, where even the schools that don't play football can compete for championships in other sports. Cinderella stories have helped turn the men's basketball tournament into one of the biggest events in American sports. This week in the college baseball tournament, Kennesaw State and College of Charleston advanced to the super regionals.

South Carolina President Harris Pastides, who is on the steering committee that put together the autonomy proposal and on the board of directors who will vote on it in January, doesn't want to see a breakaway happen.

''If you move completely into a different tent, with a different lock and key and different furnishings, I think that's going to be the beginning of something that may be too difficult to ever get back,'' he said.

Williams denies McCants' UNC academic allegations.

By AARON BEARD (AP Basketball Writer)

North Carolina coach Roy Williams and players from the 2005 national championship team deny they were involved with academic wrongdoing alleged by former teammate Rashad McCants.

In an interview with ESPN's ''Outside the Lines,'' McCants - the team's second-leading scorer - said tutors wrote papers for him. He also said he believes Williams knew ''100 percent'' about players taking no-show classes popular with athletes in a department later linked to fraud in a long-running scandal.

''We had to run sprints for missing classes if we got caught, so you know, they were very aware of what was going on,'' McCants said, comparing it to movies in which athletes would ''just show up and play.''

In a statement Friday, Williams said he ''strongly'' disagreed with McCants' comments.

''In no way did I know about or do anything close to what he says and I think the players whom I have coached over the years will agree with me,'' Williams said. ''I have spent 63 years on this earth trying to do things the right way and the picture he portrays is not fair to the University or me.''

After flunking two classes in fall 2004, McCants said he met with Williams, who told him he could swap a failing grade from one class with a passing one from another to stay eligible.

McCants said Williams told him to ''buckle down on your academics'' and things would work out. The next semester, McCants said, he had As in four courses from the formerly named Department of African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM) and made the Dean's List despite not attending classes.

He then entered the NBA draft as a junior. His sister, Rashanda, later played basketball for UNC and graduated in 2009.

In all, 18 of McCants' 28 college courses were in his AFAM major, with McCants earning As or Bs in 16 of those classes, according to ESPN.

McCants also said tutors provided him with test answers in some AFAM classes, and that teammates sometimes car-pooled to pick up already-written papers from tutors.

''For some of the premier players, we didn't write our papers,'' McCants said.

In a joint statement Friday, sixteen players from the 2005 team - including NBA players Raymond Felton and Marvin Williams, and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Sean May - defended their Hall of Fame coach.

''With conviction, each one of us is proud to say that we attended class and did our own academic work,'' the players said.

''In light of the comments made by Rashad on ESPN Outside the Lines, we want to state that our personal academic experiences are not consistent with Rashad's claims,'' they said. ''We know that Coach Williams did not have any knowledge of any academic impropriety, and further that Coach Williams would not have tried to manipulate a player's schedule. Rashad will always be our teammate and we wish him well on all of his future endeavors.''

McCants' allegations are the latest levied against UNC in an academic fraud scandal that began as an offshoot of an NCAA investigation into the football program in 2010. The findings included the lecture classes featuring significant athlete enrollments that did not meet and were instead treated as independent study courses requiring a research paper at semester's end, as well as unauthorized grade changes and possibly forged signatures on grade rolls.

Former UNC learning specialist Mary Willingham, who has questioned the literacy of Tar Heel athletes, has said ''paper classes'' helped keep athletes eligible despite many reading at below-grade levels. A university review reported in July 2012 that academic advisers referred athletes to those classes for enrollment, a charge McCants echoed.

A 2012 investigation led by former Gov. Jim Martin found fraud in the AFAM department dating to at least the late 1990s. While Martin found no evidence of athletic department involvement, another probe led by former U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein is underway.

Previous investigations have directed blame at retired chairman Julius Nyang'oro, now facing a criminal charge in the case, and former administrator Deborah Crowder.

Neither cooperated with previous investigations, but Wainstein interviewed Crowder in March and Nyang'oro attorney Bill Thomas said in an email Friday night that his client is now cooperating, too. Thomas said Nyang'oro has met with Wainstein, though he did not say when.

In a statement Friday, Wainstein said McCants' comments are ''directly relevant to our investigation.''

''We have interviewed or attempted to interview a number of current and former UNC student-athletes and we have received valuable insights and information from those who have agreed to speak with us,'' said Wainstein, a partner in the Washington, D.C., law office of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. ''We would welcome the opportunity to speak to Mr. McCants or anybody else who can shed light on the issues we are investigating.''

In an email Friday, NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn did not comment specifically about the UNC case. She pointed out that the Division I Leadership Council in April clarified that schools are responsible for monitoring academic misconduct and reporting it to the NCAA.

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Monday, June 9, 2014

 MemoriesofHistory.com

1914 - Honus Wagner became the second player in major league history to record 3,000 hits.

1965 - Michel Jazy ran the mile in 3 minutes, 53.6 seconds. He broke the record set by Peter Snell in 1964.

1966 - Minnesota set a major league record when they hit six home runs in one inning.

1978 - Larry Holmes won a 15-round split decision over Ken Norton.

1984 - The Pittsburgh Penguins used their fist pick overall to select Mario Lemieux in the NHL Entry Draft.

1985 - The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA title by defeating the Boston Celtics. Kareem Abdul Jabbar scored 29 points.

1990 - Monica Seles became the youngest winner in French Open history when she beat Steffi Graf.

1993 - The Montreal Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup.

1994 - Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes (TLC) set fire to her boyfriend's house. Her boyfriend was Andre Rison of the Atlanta Falcons.

1996 - Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox) hit his 200th career home run.

1996 - Ryan Hancock became the first California Angel pitcher to get a hit in 24 years. Nolan Ryan was the previous pitcher to get a hit for the Angels in 1972.

2001 - Ray Bourque (Colorado Avalanche) won his first Stanley Cup. He retired from the NHL just 17 days later after a 22 year career.

2001 - Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) became the first National Hockey League (NHL) player to win three Conn Smythe Trophies. The award is given to the playoff's Most Valuable Player.

2001 - John Vanbiesbrouck (New Jersey Devils) announced his retirement from the NHL after 19 seasons.

2003 - The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup after defeating the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 4 games to 3. Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils) became the first goaltender to produce 7 playoff shutouts in a single-season.

2008 - Ken Griffey Jr. (Cincinnati Reds) hit his 600th career home run. Only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa had more runs at the time.

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