Ben Glicksman: More than a dark horse? Sizing up K-State's chances at Oklahoma

Kansas State's Collin Klein is completing 72.9 percent of his passes through three games in 2012, a vast improvement from his 57.3 percent mark last year.

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Years from now, when looking back at Kansas State's 2012 season, we might cite Sept. 8 as the day the Wildcats announced their intentions. That's when Kansas State hosted Miami in Manhattan, a Week 2 rematch of last year's 28-24 thriller. Kansas State was tabbed as a dark horse, Miami a rebuilding project.

Then came kickoff. Over the subsequent 60 minutes, Kansas State proceeded to have its way with the 'Canes. The final score was 52-13, but it didn't even feel that close. In a span of a few hours, the Wildcats turned heads from Stillwater to South Beach.

Kansas State may have arrived in Week 2, but it can really make a statement in Week 4 when it travels to Norman to take on No. 6 Oklahoma. Here's an inside look at the much-anticipated Big 12 matchup.

Why it matters

This is the first in a series of games that will determine the Big 12. It's a showdown between two of the nation's premier quarterbacks, the Wildcats' Collin Klein and the Sooners' Landry Jones. But most significantly, it's a telling glimpse at two of the league's unproven contenders. When the top-15 teams square off Saturday night, we'll get a sense for which squad could factor into the national picture late in the season.

Kansas State fans are tired of the dark horse label, and rightfully so. The Wildcats started 7-0 last year and returned the core of their 2011 roster. Klein and running back John Hubert were among the offensive standouts to come back, and each has thrived early in the season: Klein has 905 total yards and nine touchdowns through Week 3, while Hubert is averaging 6.9 yards per carry. K-State is outscoring opponents 138-43.

The Wildcats have also addressed several questions about their defense. In addition to stifling Miami -- they notched three turnovers and five sacks in the win -- they're allowing just 93 rushing yards per game, 19th in the FBS. Arthur Brown, a 6-foot-1, 231-pound senior linebacker, is playing like the top defensive player in the conference. Despite going down with an ankle injury in the first quarter last week against North Texas, he returned to rack up a career-high 13 tackles. He's been cleared to play this week against the Sooners.

On both sides of the ball, the talent is evident. But entering this week's game many doubters remain.

For starters, the Wildcats have been historically awful against Oklahoma. They've lost each of the past five meetings dating back to 2003, when a diminutive back named Darren Sproles shocked the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship. And Kansas State's 2011 pasting may have been the most painful of all. Watch the highlights of that 58-17 rout. You can almost feel Kansas State's undefeated dreams being trampled into the ground.

There's also the Wildcats' inexperience in the secondary. Though Nigel Malone and Ty Zimmerman are veterans, safety Jarard Milo and cornerback Allen Chapman had never started a game before this year. That could spell trouble against Heisman candidate Landry Jones, who threw for a school-record 505 yards in the teams' 2011 contest. After Kansas State cut the deficit to 17-14 early in the second quarter, Oklahoma rattled off 41 consecutive points. That'd be impressive against any team not named Savannah State.

But for all the history, here's something else to remember: These Sooners also have something to prove. Though they go in as favorites, they're far from a sure thing. Oklahoma struggled against UTEP -- it allowed 108 rushing yards in the third quarter alone -- before pulling away to clinch a 24-7 victory in Week 1. A follow-up demolition of FCS Florida A&M did little to showcase the Sooners' ultimate potential.

This is a statement game for Bill Snyder and Kansas State, but it's equally vital for Bob Stoops and Co. It's mid-September football at its finest: Two untested teams trying to live up to -- or in K-State's case, finally earn -- BCS-bowl billing.

Burning question

Has Collin Klein come into his own as a quarterback?

This question may raise some eyebrows given Klein's gaudy stats and status as a first-team All-Big 12 performer last year. But his maturation may be the key to this game -- not to mention the Wildcats' entire 2012 season.

Originally recruited as a quarterback, Klein was moved to wide receiver under then-coach Ron Prince. He always possessed the frame (6-5, 226 pounds) and athleticism of a blossoming star, but his throwing motion came under scrutiny; the Prince regime questioned whether he was better served at another position.

After moving back under center, Klein put most of those doubts to rest last year. Named the starter during the preseason, he recorded 1,918 passing yards and 1,141 rushing yards, accounting for 69.8 percent of Kansas State's total offense. But he still completed just 57.3 percent of his passes -- a sign that he had a ways to go in his development as a passer.

Given his playing style and his faith (he's outspoken about his Christianity), Klein also garnered comparisons to Tim Tebow. And it's not far off. During his junior campaign, Tebow amassed 3,419 total yards and 42 touchdowns. Last year, Klein collected 3,059 total yards and 40 scores.

But particularly this week, there's a caveat: Klein threw for a meager 58 yards last year against Oklahoma. For the Wildcats to stand a chance this time around, he'll need to fare significantly better. "I'm just gonna play the best that I can possibly play and take the opportunities when they come," said Klein. "Hopefully I won't miss any."

Like Kansas State, Klein is routinely overlooked. Despite upping his completion rate to 72.9 percent through three games, he's pegged as a dark horse Heisman candidate -- not of the caliber of Matt Barkley, Geno Smith or Landry Jones. He's an intriguing outsider. He's not yet elite.

Saturday is his chance to change that. Just like the Wildcats, Klein could prompt a major perception shift with a dominant outing against the Sooners.

Points of interest

• Starting speed: Don't let the final scores deceive you. Though Kansas State and Oklahoma appeared to cruise through their cupcake slates, both dealt with far greater issues than an initial look would indicate. The Wildcats were tied with Missouri State before rattling off 35 fourth-quarter points, and they led North Texas by just one point in the third quarter before pulling away. The Sooners were even with UTEP at intermission before outscoring the Miners 17-0 in the second half. Both Big 12 squads will need to start faster Saturday.

• Budding WRs: Outside of Oklahoma's Kenny Stills, no receivers in this matchup are established game-changers. But three may be poised to break out. Kansas State's Tramaine Thompson already has 211 yards and three touchdowns, while Justin Brown, a Penn State transfer, and freshman Trey Metoyer comprise big, downfield targets for the Sooners. All three should play pivotal roles from the opening kick.

• Oklahoma's Belldozer package: In last year's matchup with Kansas State, the Sooners unveiled the Belldozer package, a short-yardage set in which 6-6, 254-pound backup quarterback Blake Bell serves as the primary ballcarrier. If it looked familiar to the Wildcats, it should have: Stoops modeled the package after Klein. No longer a surprise, and given the unit's practice experience against Klein, expect K-State's defense to be ready for it in this year's contest. "It definitely gives us a little bit more insight to know what we need to prepare for," said Brown.

Q&A

SI.com caught up with Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein before this weekend's trip to Norman.

SI: How much is last year's loss to Oklahoma on the team's mind this week?

CK: It's definitely something that we remember, but you got to get rid of the good and the bad in the past. We know that we didn't make some plays in some critical situations last year, and they did. We gotta learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen again.

SI: Is there a key to cracking the Sooners' defense?

CK: We're gonna need to do more than just one aspect to win. We can't turn the ball over. We can't really take any three-and-outs. We're gonna need to make some plays, throwing, catching. I know that sounds like everything, but you're gonna need to do more than one thing against a team like Oklahoma.

SI: How has wideout Tramaine Thompson developed as a junior?

CK: I always joke around -- and it's true -- but my favorite receiver is the open one. He's done a great job of getting himself open and really making some plays for us at some pretty critical times.

SI: After finishing with a 57.3 completion percentage in 2011, you're up to 72.9 percent through three games in 2012. What's sparked your improvement?

CK: I think it's a combination of a lot of work. We, meaning our receivers and myself, we threw a lot of balls over the summer. Working on little facets of the game, whether its footwork or watching film. Then it just comes down to making plays when it matters.

SI: Some in the media have likened you to Tim Tebow. What do you make of that comparison?

CK: I'm honored to be mentioned in the same sentence. I don't wanna speak for Tim, but the thing that's most important to both of us is our faith. I would say that's probably the biggest thing that we have in common. I really appreciate him and what he does.

The takeaway

Even with Klein leading the way, Kansas State doesn't have firepower Oklahoma does. When Jones, Stills and running back Damien Williams (259 rushing yards, five touchdowns so far) are clicking, the Sooners can become a nightmare to stop -- particularly for a defense that's yet to face a multifaceted attack.

"We understand that Landry Jones is a great quarterback," said Brown. "And he has a lot of great guys around him to complement him. We just have to do a better job at focusing on the things that we accomplish in order to make stops and be successful."

That's easier said than done. And it's even harder to do in Norman. The Sooners are 13-0 in home conference openers under Stoops, outscoring opponents by an average of 22.6 points. They're a remarkable 78-3 at Memorial Stadium since Stoops took over in 1999; that trend doesn't seem ready to change anytime soon.

But expect the Wildcats to make it close. And no matter what the outcome, look for Klein to add to his growing Heisman profile -- a résumé that could receive an outpouring of support if Kansas State finds a way to pull off an upset.

"We're gonna play hard for four quarters, and regardless of what happens, we'll go from there," said Klein. We're just trying to become the best that we can be. This is a great opportunity to continue that."

Prediction: Oklahoma 35, Kansas State 30

20 Sep, 2012

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Ben Reiter: Pettitte's return, adversity for A's, more Medlen magic

Andy Pettitte pitched five scoreless innings in his first start since suffering a fractured left fibula on June 27.

Jason Szenes/Getty Images

Rain on the East Coast led to a pair of doubleheaders on Wednesday, accelerating the day's playoff implications. The Dodgers split one of them, with the Nationals, delaying the first clinching celebration in Washington since 1933 and keeping L.A., despite its disappointing offense and a pitching staff that is without Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley and Ted Lilly, within two games of the National League's second wild-card spot. The second double billing will be discussed below. Then there were the Orioles, doing what only the Orioles can.

Herewith, Five Cuts from the day at the races ...

1. The comebacker

You can, in part, credit the Blue Jays' Triple-A-caliber lineup for Andy Pettitte's successful comeback-within-a-comeback -- from, naturally, a comebacker, which broke his leg 12 weeks ago. With Edwin Encarnacion nursing a sore toe in the dugout, Toronto started just one player, third baseman Brett Lawrie, who had a batting average better than .245 and an OPS better than .708. As it turned out, the Jays' most fearsome threat proved to be the 45-year-old Omar Vizquel, who went 2-for-4 to move past Babe Ruth into 41st place on the all-time hits list.

Even so, Pettitte's 75-pitch outing, in which he allowed four hits and two walks and struck out three in five scoreless innings, was important in ways less immediate than that it led to a 4-2 victory for the Yankees. Pettitte displayed little rustiness, as far as velocity or command. His fastball averaged around 88 miles-per-hour, and topped out at 90, which was virtually identical to his pattern in his first nine starts. Though he threw 46 of his 75 pitches for strikes, his control improved as the afternoon went on. He needed just seven pitches to get through his last inning, the fifth.

Best of all, of course, what that Pettitte made it through physically unscathed. There now seems little reason to believe that the 40-year-old won't again be what he used to be: the linchpin of a Yankees postseason rotation. The Yankees' chances of getting him to October improved even further in Wednesday's nightcap, thanks to one of their other long-toothers, the 38-year-old Ichiro Suzuki. He went 4-for-4 with four steals and an RBI, as the Yankees won again, 2-1.

2. Oblique mangled

A month ago, the Oakland A's appeared as if they might march into the playoffs with one of the best problems that any team can have: they had too many quality starting pitchers. Then, on Aug. 22, Bartolo Colon was suspended 50 games -- a ban that would extend 10 games into the postseason -- after a positive drug test. Then, on Sept. 5, Brandon McCarthy was struck in the head by a line drive, leading to the loss of his season and, nearly, of his life.

On Wednesday night, the A's rotation might have sustained its most significant blow, at least as related to its immediate fortunes. Brett Anderson returned from Tommy John surgery on Aug. 21, and he showed no symptoms of the hangover that can accompany that procedure, particularly as far as command. Through five starts -- in which he had gone 4-1 with 1.93 ERA -- he had walked just four batters. Last night against the Tigers, though, something clearly went awry in Anderson's third inning. After issuing an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera, Anderson threw four straight balls to Prince Fielder, then two more to Delmon Young. Three pitches after that 10-ball sequence, Anderson was done for the night -- and possibly much longer. The team announced that he had strained a right oblique muscle.

Oblique injuries, for pitchers especially, are simply crippling, and are rarely quickly overcome. On average, they cost pitchers more than a month on the disabled list, but they can linger longer than that. Toronto's Brandon Morrow suffered one in early June, and did not return until late August.

Unless Anderson's strain proves to be very minor, the A's lost a crucial cog: their rotation's leader, and the pitcher who likely would have started a wild-card game. Though Anderson is just 24, he is the rotation's only veteran. The four remaining starters -- A.J. Griffin, Tom Milone, Jarrod Parker, Dan Straily -- are all rookies. No team in baseball history has ever started more than two rookies in a single postseason. Of course, of the 11 clubs that used two of them, seven won the World Series: the 1997 Marlins, 1982 Cardinals, 1980 Phillies, 1955 Dodgers, 1944 Cardinals, 1927 Yankees, and 1912 Red Sox.

3. Can't stop Medlen

If you were not yet a believer in the 5-foot-10, 190-pound phenomenon that is Kris Medlen, you were after Wednesday night. In eight stellar innings against the Marlins, the 26-year-old Braves righty allowed no runs on four hits and a walk. It was just the latest in a mind-bending string of lines that stretches back to the last day of July, when he made his first start of the season after beginning the year in the bullpen, where he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. Here are Medlen's statistics in his 10 starts since then, which now must be considered a body of work too deep to be aberrant: 8-0, 0.76 ERA (that's six earned runs allowed in 70.2 innings), 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a WHIP of 0.82.

Medlen's dominance as a starter goes back farther than the last day of July, and to even before his surgery. The Braves have won 21 of his starts in a row, making him, according to STATS Inc., the surest thing since Whitey Ford, whose Yankees won 22 consecutive starts of his between 1950 and 1953. ("Whitey Ford? Pfft. Let's go. Come on. Don't even say it," Medlen told reporters after the game, continuing his winning streak).

So Medlen, then, is just the pitcher to start a game that you truly must win -- the type of game in which the Braves now seem more certain than ever to participate, and in fact host, on Oct. 5. They have only an outside shot at catching the Nationals, whose NL East lead is now five games, and they maintained a 6½ game lead on the Cardinals, their likely wild-card game opponent. (The Cards now have a two game lead on the Dodgers for the second spot, and seven of their 13 remaining games come against the hapless Astros and Cubs). Even though Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday that he was still consider using veteran Tim Hudson, that Medlen will be making his first ever start against St. Louis in that game seems close to a fait accompli.

4. (Dai)stay of Execution

Among the Red Sox's many problems this season has been their consistently poor efforts against the other members of the AL East. Against most of them, anyway. The Sox have a losing record versus the Blue Jays, Orioles and Yankees, with a combined mark of 16-29 (which translates to a .356 winning percentage, which only the Astros would covet).

Boston has hammered the fifth team in the division, the Rays. Entering Wednesday night, the Sox were 9-5 against the Rays, had outscored them 72-46, and had won the first two games of a four-game set in St. Petersburg. Perhaps they aren't entirely hell bent on avenging the events of last Sept. 28, though, as they did Tampa Bay a favor: they sent Daisuke Matuszaka to the mound.

Matsuzaka, has rarely encountered success against the Rays, even back when he was good (he was 2-7 against them in his career, with an ERA of 5.83), and that trend continued on Wednesday night. In three innings of work, he allowed five earned runs, on nine hits and a walk, to a team that had in September averaged just four runs per game. Tampa Bay, in a balanced effort that saw the awakening of the bats of slumping veterans Luke Scott (2-for-3, 1 RBI) and Carlos Pena (1-for-2, 1 HR, 3 RBIs), continued its onslaught after Matsuzaka departed, and won 13-3.

The effort worsened Matsuzaka's record to 1-7, and his ERA to 7.68, and it put the skids on a four-game losing streak that threatened to snuff out whatever flickers of life remain in the Rays' season. Even so, with just 13 games remaining, they are 5½ games behind in the race for the second wild-card spot -- with the Tigers and Angels in front of them. They'll need another September miracle (or, this season anyway, an early October miracle) to again reach the playoffs. At least they're scheduled to face Matsuzaka once more, next Tuesday.

5. Tonight, in Orioles magic

Joe Saunders matching Felix Hernandez pitch for pitch? Check.

Escaping a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the 11th, and then getting a two-run homer from Adam Jones in the 11th? Check.

Winning the game 4-2, ultimately, by thwarting an inexplicable two-out stolen base attempt, to improve their record in extra innings to an astounding 15-2? Check.

At some point, there won't be enough season left for the law of averages to catch up with this logic-defying club -- which now features baseball's top pitching prospect, Dylan Bundy, who was called up earlier Wednesday. At some point, we'll stop trying to explain it, and simply start to enjoy it.

20 Sep, 2012

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Michael McCann: Mayweather's latest run-in with the law could send him back to jail

If Floyd Mayweather violated his probation, he could be forced to complete the remainder of his original six-month sentence.

Al Bello/Getty Images

Has Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who was released from jail in August, violated the terms of his probation? If so, could the WBC welterweight champion be sent back to jail?

Last week, Las Vegas police investigated an alleged verbal altercation between Mayweather and an unidentified woman in a home owned by one of Mayweather's companies. According to records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mayweather apparently argued with the woman, took personal possessions from her, and then later had an associate return the items he took. Although she was not identified as the woman in question, Melissa Brim, the mother of one of Mayweather's daughter, reportedly lives at this address. In 2002, Mayweather pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges stemming from an altercation with Brim.

Mayweather has had a long year dealing with the court system. In December 2011, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence and harassment charges. Mayweather had been facing up to 34 years in prison on felony charges relating to an incident in which he allegedly grabbed and threw his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, and then threatened to kill her as their children watched. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months of jail, with three of the months suspended. Mayweather was ordered to serve the remaining three months, but he would serve just two before an early release for good behavior.

Mayweather's release from jail was not without strings. His release is "supervised" and "probationary" for one year, with Mayweather having to prove that he can function as a law-abiding citizen. Probation imposes numerous life restrictions, including regular meetings with a probation officer, drug tests and avoiding committing crimes.

In fairness to Mayweather, police did not uncover evidence of physical violence and he has not been charged with a crime. But that may not matter. The typical test for violating probation would not require Mayweather to be convicted of a crime or even get arrested. Instead, merely spending time with known criminals or traveling to locations deemed off-limits by the terms of probation can be enough. Considering Mayweather's history with Brim, there's reason to believe his probation compels him to avoid conflict with her. Mayweather's alleged dispossession of the woman's personal belongings might also be grounds for violating probation.

If Mayweather's probation officer believes he violated the terms of the probation, Mayweather would be arrested and likely incarcerated while he awaits a hearing before a judge. If a judge determines that Mayweather violated the terms of his probation, Mayweather could be required to complete the remainder of his original six-month sentence. Although such a sentence may not interfere with the scheduling of any fights next year, it would clearly impact Mayweather's conditioning.

While the potential for Mayweather to be sent back to jail is real, he has received favorable legal treatment in Las Vegas courts. Recall that in January, Judge Saragosa allowed Mayweather to delay his reporting to jail so that he could fight Miguel Cotto in a major prize fight that would generate millions of dollars for Las Vegas businesses. While it is not unprecedented for a convicted defendant to receive a work-related delay in reporting to jail, the justification offered by Mayweather's attorney for the delay -- that the fight would generate more than $100 million to the Las Vegas economy -- was unusual and obviously not available to most who await sentencing.

Mayweather's legal headaches are not limited to the possibility of further time behind bars. Earlier this week U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks ruled he has to pay Manny Pacquiao $114,000 as part of Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit. In his lawsuit, Pacquiao claims that Mayweather defamed him when suggesting that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs. Mayweather has been uncooperative as a defendant by not appearing for his court-ordered deposition.

It remains to be seen what will be the next chapter in the seemingly never-ending Mayweather legal saga.

Michael McCann is director of the Sports Law Institute at Vermont Law School, a visiting professor at University of New Hampshire School of Law, and the distinguished visiting Hall of Fame Professor of Law at Mississippi College School of Law. He also serves as NBA TV's On-Air Legal Analyst. Follow him on Twitter.

20 Sep, 2012

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Jonathan Wilson: Oscar shines, but Chelsea's defense breaks in draw with Juventus

Brazilian Oscar scored two goals in his first start for Chelsea.

Lefteris Pitarakis/AP

LONDON -- Sooner or later people are going to start believing in Oscar's genius. Last year, in extra time in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Bogota, he floated a chip from wide on the right over Portugal goalkeeper Mika to complete his hat trick and give Brazil a 3-2 victory. It was, everybody agreed, a sensational goal -- if he meant it. He insisted he did, but there was doubt: could anybody really, in the heat of the game, have had the vision, the audacity and the control to execute such a shot?

It was a similar story at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Juventus. His first goal was fortuitous, a deflected drive from just outside the box when Arturo Vidal was off the field receiving treatment for an injury; his second was jaw-dropping. As the ball was played to him by Ashley Cole, he had two men on him. Others might have looked for a free-kick or sought to hold the ball up; he backheeled the ball one side of Andrea Pirlo, ran round the other and, on the turn, whipped a dipping, curling shot into the top corner. Did he mean it? It was so unexpected, such an unusual movement, that the immediate assumption was that he had not -- but nobody, surely, could have reacted that quickly to a miskick.

Even if that first touch had been inadvertent, the finish was breathtaking, but so smooth was his movement, so in control did he seem, that the conclusion had to be that he had meant it. That there was widespread incredulity was testimony to the improbable brilliance of the goal. Oscar is just one of those players capable of finding something unique even in a sport that is 150 years old. For him, the improbable is always possible.

What made his performance all the more remarkable was that this was his first start; the assumption had been that Juan Mata would be given the central role which, against Juventus, is not merely about creativity but also about preventing Pirlo, operating at the back of midfield, from dictating the rhythm of the game. He did that superbly, less through any great defensive ability of his own than by making Pirlo defend. "He did a perfect job tactically," Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo said.

This is the new Chelsea, the attacking, vibrant team that has emerged this season from the muscular organization that characterized it last. It's more aesthetically pleasing and it scores goals -- but the problem is that it concedes them as well. Di Matteo has spoken already this season about the need to find "balance" between the attacking flair and defensive resolve, but whenever it has come up against a team that has attacked it, it has looked vulnerable.

The obvious downside of the new formation is that Hazard, on the left of the trident, constantly drifting inside, is rarely in a position to track his fullback. Against a side that plays three at the back, that problem is exaggerated given that the wing back starts higher up the pitch. Stephan Lichtsteiner, the Juve right back, thus had the run of the Juve right flank. There were occasions when he picked up the ball in space and, even more troublingly for Chelsea, times when Chelsea left back Ashley Cole's movement to close him down created a space between himself and John Terry, the left-sided center back. It was that space Claudio Marchisio ran through when he was denied by Petr Cech after 21 minutes and that space Mirko Vucinic ran into as he seized on Vidal's through-ball only to shoot wide. It was down the right as well that Vidal created the chance from which Mauricio Isla clipped the bar late on.

A glance at the heat maps shows the problem clearly: while Hazard's movement was concentrated on the left, it covered the entire width of the pitch; Ramires, by contrast, was so restricted to the right-hand side that he didn't register on the left half of the pitch at all. To an extent it's a trade-off: is what Hazard offers in his free role as an attacking force worth more than the potential defensive flaw that causes? But equally Hazard could be better supported: it's up to the left-sided of the two holding midfielders, that is Frank Lampard, to provide cover; that he couldn't is perhaps a reflection of his relative inexperience in the position.

Juventus' midfield three took up a similar shape to Real Madrid's against Manchester City, with Pirlo allowed to create behind two more aggressive players, Marchisio and Vidal. Although Oscar largely subdued Pirlo, with Mirko Vucinic dropping back and the two wing backs finding space (although Kwadwo Asamoah, dogged by Ramires, had far less space on the left than Lichtsteiner had on the right), Juventus at times swamped the back of Chelsea's midfield and when it did get a flow of passes together, it regularly found a spare man.

That was what led to Vidal's goal seven minutes before halftime, but the Juve equalizer was down to individual errors. First Mikel John Obi lost possession, failing to make any effort to win the ball back, then, as Marchisio slid the ball through, John Terry made a misguided effort to play offside, leaving Fabio Quagliarella to slip the ball through Petr Cech's legs. "We should have dealt with it better," Di Matteo said. "There was no pressure on the ball."

Although Di Matteo spoke of being "disappointed and deflated" at letting a two-goal lead slip, the truth is this could have been far worse. Juventus was much the more threatening side, particularly after halftime and, but for the brilliance of Oscar, Chelsea could easily have lost. Di Matteo may be aware of the problem of balance, of finding ways to cover for Hazard, but he seems no nearer to solving it.

20 Sep, 2012

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Loretta Hunt: Brian Stann resists war hero storyline ahead of UFC 152 showdown

Brian Stann (above), who fights Michael Bisping at UFC 152 on Saturday, doesn't personally trade on his past as a war hero.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

UFC 152

Current UFC Champions

Rare Photos of Jon Jones

Brian Stann doesn't like to talk about that those six nights in Iraq in May 2005 that earned him a Silver Star, the military's third highest award for "gallantry in action."

He doesn't enjoy bringing up the feelings of guilt that surround the night his 42-man Marine Corps battalion was ambushed with rocket-propelled grenades on a pitch-black road, as they attempted to retrieve a downed vehicle they'd abandoned the day before.

These feelings return without coaxing during the 31-year-old Stann's quiet moments, when he questions every minute decision he made as infantry leader that night to execute the mission, then protect and extricate his men in the five days that followed. He still hears the cries from the neighboring infantry tank that was blindsided by a pick-up truck full of explosives, driven by a wide-eyed young boy. He still smells the burning flesh.

"People look at it and say it must be a great, heroic story, but the bottom line is there were a lot of men who were permanently wounded during that time," said Stann. "It's not a fun story for me, so I try to avoid it. I just don't want to do it anymore."

In MMA, UFC middleweight Stann (12-4), who meets Michael Bisping (22-4) at UFC 152 Saturday in Toronto, has been marketed as a war hero, and rightfully so. All 42 soldiers were rescued and lived to talk about the operation that's still used as a Marine Corps recruiting tool today. But Brian Stann is much more than a war hero.

He's a husband and a father to two young daughters, ages 2 and 4. He's a businessman whose day job has helped hundreds of war veterans transition to productive civilian lives. And he's a mixed martial arts fighter amidst changes and a little uncertainty.

He's a son who's never known his real father, and the product of a single mother who worked long shifts away from home as a hospice nurse to provide for him and his older sister until she remarried when Stann was in middle school.

He's a man who began mastering his "fight or flight" reflex as early as third grade, getting into many fights on the streets of the less affluent areas of northeastern Pennsylvania.

He's a person who decided at an early age that he'd much rather lead than follow, and he was going to do everything it took to get into a position to do just that.

Stann got on that track when his mother enrolled him at the Scranton Preparatory School, a private Jesuit high school with attendance fees that put a lot of demands on his family financially.

At Scranton Prep, Stann was the star quarterback, a role he took on so earnestly that it sometimes alienated him from his own friends.

"I took everything seriously -- my sports, my academics. I took it so seriously that I took the fun out of it," said Stann, who maintained a 3.5 GPA. "Over time, I think that would turn a lot of people off."

However, fleeting popularity was a small price to pay. Stann had a timetable to keep.

"I wanted to go to a good school," he said.

By his senior year, Stann was being tracked and scouted by a slew of universities that included Lehigh, Yale, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the military academies. But he injured his throwing arm in the first game of the season, and with that crucial cog out of place, the team underperformed that year.

"For me, a lot of the accolades I thought I'd be competing for -- being All-State and everything else -- fell back," Stann said. "I didn't reach what I'd wanted to. That disappointment, it definitely helped shape who I am."

The Naval Academy became the most attractive option. Stann played linebacker for the Midshipmen all four years, even as he rose to the officer ranks upon graduation in 2003.

"I love leadership," said Stann. "Going from the Naval Academy into the Marine Corps, you learn. You go through tons of simulations and different exercises to learn what's expected of effective leadership."

MMA had started just as a hobby. Martial arts training was mandatory for all Marines, and Stann said he still had an unquenched thirst for competition. When he'd paired together enough skills, he entered local amateur bouts before his first deployment.

"After my first tour in Iraq, the first thing I wanted to do was get my first pro fight," recalls Stann. "It was something I would do on weekends and every night after work."

Following his second tour in Iraq, Stann rattled off six consecutive first-round TKO wins while stationed as a captain at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, accumulating his leave time to put toward training camps. His third pro fight would prove the most life-changing, when he won the WEC light heavyweight title just as UFC owners Zuffa LLC, which had an eye on expansion, purchased the promotion.

Stann left active duty in 2008, just as Zuffa's WEC experiment was coming to an end and the company folded Stann's weight division back into the UFC. He accepted a job offer in Atlanta extended by MedAssets CEO John Bardis, a longtime benefactor of the nation's amateur wrestling program.

"[With] the money I was making at the time coming out of the WEC, and my performance (Stann had back-to-back losses) -- I didn't know if I was a guy who'd last in the UFC and I had kids to provide for, so I couldn't take any chances," said Stann.

In 2009, Bardis re-assigned Stann as CEO of Hire Heroes USA, a not-for-profit organization that has placed 630 veterans in long-term career job positions nationwide since it started in 2007. Of those 630, 500 veterans have been placed in the last two years under Stann's leadership.

With full-time pay and benefits, Stann thought he could afford the inconvenience of working around his day job while balancing a fight career. As CEO, Stann gradually pieced together a support staff that's allowed him to take a big step back six weeks out from a bout to train properly.

In return, Stann said his MMA career has brought added attention to Hire Heroes, which the organization has leveraged for more donations and marketing opportunities to bring more veterans its way.

Last December, Stann left the tutelage of Albuquerque coaching gurus Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn to stay closer to home after his brother-in-law died. Stann had trained with Jackson and Winkeljohn during fight camps for three-and-a-half years and their culled knowledge won't be easy to recreate. Still, Stann has started the rebuilding process at the Warrior Legion Academy in Alpharetta, Ga.

"For me to leave my wife and kids for weeks at a time just wasn't practical," said Stann. "I need to be here. This is my home and I need to be here for support. That's obviously far more important than fighting."

The opportunity to commentate fights fell into Stann's lap in February, when Fox used him as a late-replacement cageside analyst for a Fuel TV broadcast in Omaha, Neb. Fans immediately warmed to Stann's straightforward assessments and the Fox executives were impressed. By April, Fox announced Stann as the third commentator for the quarterly UFC on Fox network broadcasts.

Stann said he partly owes his confident speaking-style to his last commanding position in the Marine Corps. Every Friday at Camp Lejeune, Stann addressed the 900 soldiers who reported to him for their "Liberty speech" about smart decision-making before they were released for the weekend. Stann also speaks at Marine Corps balls and other social events regularly.

In the Octagon, Stann has had an up-and-down year. He rebounded from a humbling loss to Chael Sonnen in October 2011 by knocking out Italian boxer Alessio Sakara in April. But he had to pull out of his biggest fight to date as the UFC on Fox 4 headliner last August over the same shoulder joint-separation injury that had stunted his senior-year run in high school.

Stann opted to forgo surgery for a partially-torn rotator cuff and said he's rehabbed the shoulder back to its full range of motion in time to face British striker Bisping. But it's Bisping's wrestling that Stann, whose strengths lie on his feet and in his fists, might have to look out for. To prepare, Stann brought two-time All-America wrestler Raymond Jordan (University of Missouri) into his Atlanta camp.

Even Bisping, a part-time heel who gets a motivational boost from trashtalking his opponents, hasn't been able to muster the nerve to speak ill of the "The All-American." So, this fight will roll out this week on the momentum of its relevance as a middleweight contender's bout -- possibly the most immediate one to decide champion Anderson Silva's next title challenger.

This week, Stann won't tout his war-hero status, though it is what he's come to be identified as. '"War hero" is a term he honors, but he hopes to eventually leave its current connotation in his past on a pitch-black road in northwestern Iraq.

"I think the preconceived notion of me is that because I was in the military, I'm all for war and conflict," said Stann. "Some of my fondest memories were rebuilding schools, opening stores on the streets of Iraq, and injecting more money into the economy to help families. Some of my fondest memories were fighting for people I've never met."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/loretta_hunt/09/19/brian-stann/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Ben Lyttleton: Messi saves Barcelona, while reigning champ Chelsea off to stuttering start

Oscar (left) scored twice for Chelsea, but Juventus salvaged a draw.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Another astonishing night of Champions League action rounded off Matchday One in dramatic style. Lionel Messi lit up the night as only the world's best player can, while elsewhere there were jitters for holders Chelsea, penalty drama at Old Trafford, shocks in France and Portugal and more new stars bursting onto the scene.

Messi gets Barcelona out of jail: Competition favorite Barcelona is currently missing captain Carles Puyol with a knee injury and lost his regular partner, Gerard Pique, inside 15 minutes of its 3-2 win over Spartak Moscow. Javier Mascherano, a converted holding midfielder, was already starting alongside Pique, and Alex Song, another midfielder by trade, came off the bench to join him at center back.

Given that Barcelona's nominal fullbacks were Dani Alves and Adriano, there's a fair case to say that at one stage it had no defenders on the pitch. That certainly seemed the case when Romulo waltzed through on goal to put Spartak up 2-1. With Spartak coach Unai Emery, formerly of Almeria and Valencia, 10 minutes away from a first win over Barcelona in 13 efforts, Messi burst into life.

His two goals sealed the dramatic 3-2 win and already make him the huge favorite to finish as the top scorer in the competition for an unprecedented fifth successive season. His total of 53 Champions League goals is now only three behind Ruud van Nistelrooy's 56, and he is fast closing in on Raul's all-time record of 71. Messi has taken 69 games to Raul's 142. Even more astonishingly, Messi has scored 11 goals this season in his first seven Barcelona games, more than he managed at the same stage of last season, when his total was 73 goals in 60 appearances. He can't beat that tally, can he?

As for the center-back experiment, it is unlikely to be a trend imitated by other clubs: rather, it points to a worrying lack of defensive depth in the Barcelona squad. Song's positional switch did not come as a surprise to everyone: his former coach at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, told friends last week that he expected Song to end up playing center back at his new club. Maybe Wenger will be surprised just how quickly it's happened.

Nervous defense from reigning champions: We are often reminded that, in the 20-year history of the Champions League, no club has ever retained the trophy. Before its 2-2 draw with Juventus, Chelsea rightly milked its famous victory over Bayern Munich last May ­-- the Champions League trophy was paraded around the stadium and the five players who started the final were announced as "European champion." But once the game began, it was clear that this may be the same club, but it's a very different team.

Whereas last season Chelsea based its European campaign on defensive solidity and a counter-attacking goal threat, against Juventus it showed off a new game plan, with new signings Oscar and Eden Hazard playing behind Fernando Torres. In truth, it didn't really work: Juventus wasted two good chances before Oscar scored two goals in as many minutes, the first a deflected effort, the second a touch (cue the debate whether the ball came off the defender) and glorious curling shot that drew comparisons with Gianfranco Zola (specifically this 1997 FA Cup semifinal goal against Wimbledon) and went some way to explaining the buzz around the £25 million 21-year-old.

"Oscar is a good creative player, and I think this is the right game to start him [for the first time] tonight, as Champions League is not as quick as Premier League," said coach Roberto di Matteo, whose luck in this competition seems to have carried over into this season.

Arturo Vidal pulled a goal back before halftime, and in the second half, it was almost like watching Chelsea of last season; it defended deeper, tried to hurt Juventus on the counter (when Hazard had claims for a penalty waved away) and allowed its opponent plenty of possession and space in the final third. Some heroic defending, notably David Luiz's block on Claudio Marchisio, kept the Italians at bay, at least until Jon Obi Mikel needlessly gave the ball away and substitute Fabio Quagliarella beat the offside trap to level the score. It almost got worse for Chelsea, but Mauricio Isla's shot scraped the crossbar. This was a stuttering start to Chelsea's title defense, but not a particularly concerning one: after all, that's how it won the trophy last year.

Shock of the night: BATE Borisov 3, Lille 1. Lille was the last team to qualify for the group stage, needing extra time to get past FC Copenhagen on the final day of prequalifying. It was seen as just reward for a club that has never over-stretched itself and this summer moved into a new 50,000-capacity stadium perfectly suited to grand European nights. Except that now Lille may well be the first team eliminated from the competition after a calamitous first 45 minutes against BATE Borisov. "We were not good enough in any area of the pitch," was coach Rudi Gardia's verdict at halftime, when Lille was already down 3-0. It pulled one goal back, but a 3-1 home reverse to the group's fourth seed is not a good start. Romanian side CFR Cluj also deserves mention for an impressive 2-0 win at Sporting Braga.

Fletcher return overshadows penalty drama: Over 10 months after his last appearance, and following a spell on the sidelines that many felt would never culminate in a return to professional football, Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher's second-half substitute appearance was the feel-good story of the week. His comeback in a 1-0 win over Galatasaray, for his first appearance since Nov. 22, after which he was diagnosed with chronic bowel condition ulcerative colitis, might help United overcome challenges such as Galatasaray provided with more ease in the future. Despite an early Michael Carrick goal, United was hanging on for much of the game, as the Turkish champions hit the woodwork three times; United also needed David de Gea, recalled to the side, at his best to make two important late saves.

It was also a tale of two penalties, one of which was given, the other not. The first incident came in the second minute, when Galatasaray forward Burak Yilmaz looked to have been caught by Nemanja Vidic, but the referee waved play on. The second was after 52 minutes after Rafael da Siva was fouled, and a spot kick was awarded. Even though in its last two games, United had missed from the spot --­ first Robin van Persie (against Southampton) and then Javier Hernandez (against Wigan) ­-- it was a surprise to see Nani step up to take it. Fernando Muslera, something of a penalty specialist, saved his unconvincing effort, and the questions started: why did Van Persie not take it, and had Sir Alex Ferguson nominated Nani as the penalty taker? More pertinently, who will take United¹s next penalty? Wayne Rooney's return cannot come quick enough, it would seem.

That said, United is not the only team with penalty problems. For the first time in the history of the Champions League, all three German teams in action this week also missed from the spot. Mats Hummels was the villain for Dortmund, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for Schalke and, for runner-up Bayern Munich in tonight's 2-1 over Valencia, Mario Mandzukic messed up. Just like United, the German trio all won.

Remember the name: Henrik Mkhitaryan. OK, so Shakhtar Donetsk's 2-0 win over Nordsjaelland won't make many headlines --­ even though the result puts the team, a dangerous sleeper in Group E, top of the pile ahead of matches against Chelsea and Juventus --­ but this was more about the coronation of a new kid on the (Eastern) bloc. Henrik Mkhitaryan is a 23-year-old Armenian striker whose goals for his national team this year helped it reach a record FIFA ranking of 41. In his second full season in Donetsk, Mkhitaryan now has 14 goals in his first 10 games. With that kind of record, he's going to start earning comparisons with a certain Argentine at Barcelona if he's not careful.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/ben_lyttleton/09/19/champions-league-chelsea-juventus/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Will Carroll: Stretch drive will test futures of young pitchers

Chris Sale has battled through arm trouble to post a 17-6 record while pitching a career-high 175 innings this season.

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

I won't step too far into Tom Verducci's territory, but while everyone's wringing their hands about Stephen Strasburg, a number of other pitchers are extending themselves beyond previous workload peaks and are headed toward the playoffs, which could extend them even further.

Recall Jaret Wright, who, even more than Mark Prior, is the example of how the playoffs can shred an arm. The momentum to push a pitcher is great, since "flags fly forever" and some saying "he can rest in the offseason." That's fine for someone with a mature arm, but not for younger pitchers. Not so much.

In compiling a list of pitchers who fall under Verducci Effect candidates, I used the Verducci guidelines -- 30 innings or more over the previous max, including minor league innings, and age-35 or younger -- to simplify things. The list actually goes 27 deep, in large part because so many teams are still "in it." I'm less concerned about relievers like Addison Reed, Robbie Ross or Jake McGee. Statistical flukes like Yu Darvish are their own case. That leaves us with several that need special attention:

* A's starters: The A's have four guys who meet the conditions, plus Brett Anderson, who is just back from Tommy John rehab. Jarrod Parker, A.J. Griffin, Tommy Milone, and Tyson Ross are all on this list. The first two could be in a playoff rotation.

* Rays starters: The Rays may have an amazing record of pitcher health, but having Alex Cobb and Matt Moore extended into the playoffs could really test them.

* Cardinals starters: The Cards pushed Lance Lynn to the pen to hold his innings down, but he and Joe Kelly are well into the danger zone.

* Chris Sale: Sale has already had arm problems this season, has questionable mechanics and now a workload issue.

How these pitchers are handled could have huge implications, especially since two of these franchises are known for small payrolls. The reliance on young pitching can go sideways quickly, as the A's showed in 2011, but there's upside as well. Whether that upside potential can be managed to minimize the downside risk could end up deciding not just this playoff race, but the next couple seasons as well.

Powered by the new Brother Ali album, on to the injuries:

Max Scherzer, Tigers ("shoulder fatigue," TBD)

The Tigers are fighting for a playoff spot, and losing Scherzer, who's been as good or better than any pitcher in the game over the second half, could be devastating. Scherzer lasted only two innings and had nothing in his latest start. His velocity dipped from 94 in the first inning, going down about 1 mph per batter. There was a jump up in the second inning, but it quickly fell and Scherzer was pulled. The velocity jump is worrisome, as that's usually a sign a pitcher realizes he's off, so he reaches back for a bit more. If this is nothing more than fatigue, the Tigers are lucky, but this feels like more. Monitor this closely over the next few days, but fantasy teams, like the Tigers, will be hard-pressed to replace Scherzer if he's out even a short time. A quick MRI showed no structural damage, which is good news, but still gives no guidance as to when or if Scherzer will be back, or how he'll pitch when he does.

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (inflamed hip, TBD)

The Dodgers reported that Kershaw has an impingement in his hip and not a torn labrum. As with the shoulder, impingement can mean a lot of things, few of them good. The diagnosis doesn't tell us whether Kershaw will eventually need surgery on his hip. We don't know yet whether waiting is significant for recovery time. We don't know yet if Kershaw can pitch this year without causing more damage. We don't know yet if Kershaw can pitch without altering his mechanics, risking that priceless arm. There's no way to tell what a proximate cause might be, leaving it to the medical and coaching staffs to make an educated guess. That's risky. This would be a perfect time to get a biomechanical work-up on him, to see if his arm is getting more stress during his delivery. The next few days will tell the tale, but the race for the Wild Card is close enough that this injury alone might tip the balance.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/will_carroll/09/19/fantasy-baseball-injuries/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Tim Tuttle: Ed Carpenter's tenacity over the season pays off with victory at Fontana

Ed Carpenter jumps for joy after his victory at Fontana, making him the only one-car team to win an IndyCar race in 2012.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Ed Carpenter began the Izod IndyCar season with two strikes against him: he was the owner and driver of a first-year team and a single-car team. Every team in racing in either situation faces significant challenges, and Carpenter dealt with both. Ahead was the proverbial building season, where competitiveness would be measured carefully in increments.

In terms of expectations the season had gone well for Carpenter going into the season finale at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., last Saturday night. Carpenter has a background in USAC's short track national series, so from the beginning of his IndyCar career, which began in 2003, ovals have been his strong suit. This year he racked up his best finishes on oval tracks: eighth place at Milwaukee and Iowa, and 12th at Texas. Carpenter was also strong at the Indy 500, running third with less than 20 laps to go before his front wing broke and spun him.

In 2005 IndyCar began adding road and street courses, where Carpenter had struggled big time through the years. But in 2012 he started to show signs of progress -- more speed, fewer spins and crashes, and had a 12th-place finish at Belle Isle in Detroit and 14th at Long Beach to show for it.

At Fontana Carpenter made an astonishing breakthrough. He won with a last-lap pass of Dario Franchitti. It was David beating Goliath.

"I think to be where we are right now as a first-year team is pretty remarkable," Carpenter said. "I think it's something that's extremely hard to do to win in this series anywhere. To do it as a new team is pretty special."

It wasn't the first time this happened (Carpenter passed Franchitti in 2011 with five laps to go at Kentucky for his first IndyCar victory), but this was different. He'd finished second at Kentucky the two previous years by fractions of seconds. The single-formula equipment package, a Dallara-Honda, had remained the same, and he'd done it with veteran teams -- Sarah Fisher Racing in 2011, Panther Racing in 2010 and Vision Racing in 2009 -- that had plenty of data on the car on that track.

This season IndyCar introduced a new formula that required a completely different engineering approach to bring out a car's speed, and multi-car teams had a huge advantage over single-car teams in gathering information. Franchitti's Chip Ganassi ran four cars; Penske, Andretti and KV ran three; Dale Coyne ran two; Dragon ran a partial schedule with two; and Panther and Dreyer & Reinbold formed a technical alliance to get to two on the track. There were five one-car teams and out of all of them, Carpenter was the only to win.

"I had been working with the old car since 2003 and everyone we hired brought a lot of experience with the old car into the team," Carpenter said. "Going into the season with a new car as a single-car team, there's a lot of catching up to do and the multiple car teams had an advantage. In [2011] the last year of the old car, it was easier for the small teams to do something, like Dan Wheldon winning at Indy for Bryan Herta. The old car was over developed and there was nothing new to learn. [With the new car,] We were on our own."

Carpenter's decision to add ownership to his responsibilities was sponsor-driven. He drove full time in the series for six seasons -- one with Cheever Racing and the next five for Vision, until the team folded prior to the 2010 season. Carpenter put together a four-race season with sponsorship from Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka, owned by Indiana golfer Fuzzy Zoeller, in 2010 with Panther.

When Fisher decided to retire in 2011, she hired Carpenter and he drove in 11 races with sponsorship from Dollar General.

"Fuzzy's couldn't be on the car with Sarah because of Dollar General," Carpenter said. "We knew Dollar General was leaving at the end of the season, so we started talking with Fuzzy's about sponsoring Sarah's car and they came to me with the idea of starting my own team. I hadn't thought about it at this point in my career, but opportunities like that don't come up very often and it may not come back again. It seemed like the right thing to do."

At this point Carpenter had a sponsor and not much else. But he found a ready-made solution to starting a team by hiring Derrick Walker -- who won IndyCar races with Gil de Ferran and Robby Gordon, and was Penske's team manager in the 1980s -- as general manager and leasing his first-rate race shop, transporter and equipment needed to run an IndyCar team. He didn't have an IndyCar program for 2012, but had a deal with Falken Tires to run a Porsche in American Le Mans GT.

"We wouldn't be here without Derrick," Carpenter said. "His thumbprint is all over this team. Tim Broyles is the team manager, and he's called the strategy all year long even when Derrick's here. We've built the team to kind of operate the same whether Derrick's here or whether he's not.

"More than anything, he likes to refer to himself as the rudder of the team. [...] I would call him an architect of helping us shape us here in year one."

Carpenter would like to expand to two cars next year. Ideally, it would be a strong road racer to help him and the car improve.

"It's something that we're continually working on, but it's got to be the right situation and do it in the right way and we're not there yet," Carpenter said.

With Ryan Hunter-Reay winning the championship at Fontana, it became an all-American celebration. Hunter-Reay and Carpenter were the sole Americans to win in the series this year.

"I'm really happy for Ryan," Carpenter said. "We were teammates for a few races back in 2009 and have been good friends since then. My daughter was in his wedding. He deserves it. He's had a great year."

Fontana made it a great year for Carpenter, too.

"I still would have been happy with the year and team," Carpenter said. "We had a lot of things go well. I think the win really caps it off. It will make for a nice off-season. It's something to be proud of."

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/tim_tuttle/09/19/Ed-Carpenter-Fontana/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Jon Wertheim: Breaking down U.S. Open TV ratings, more mail

Serena Williams drew in over 17 million viewers to the U.S. Open women's final.

Erick W. Rasco/SI

Another case of burying the lede: 16 million watched Andy Murray vs. Novak Djokovic but 17.7 million watched Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka in the U.S. Open finals. Does this bolster the notion that women should continue to earn as much as the men, or do we chalk this up to the Monday vs. Sunday broadcast?
-- Chris, Broomfield, Colo.

• This bolsters the notion that ratings can be misleading. We work on the assumption that the job of the publicist is to present the rosiest picture imaginable, cherry picking some data points and ignoring others. But these numbers had me scratching my head. Let's be clear: 17.7 million viewers didn't watch the match, per se. They tuned in at some point. Given that you had a match that followed popular NFL football, preceded the popular show 60 Minutes, AND exceeded its time window, I'm not sure how meaningful that figure is. Likewise, the men's match spanned five hours and bled into Monday prime time. How many viewers were looking for 2 Broke Girls or whatever and happened to tune in?

More sobering -- if more honest -- framing: The women's final averaged a 3.9 rating, and the men's averaged a 2.3 rating, the second lowest ever. I don't discount the Serena effect and don't want to diminish her effect on the ratings. But as Chris notes, you can't really compare a Sunday sporting event with a sporting event that begins on Monday afternoon -- and isn't even carried by all the network's affiliates. (Bottom line: These Monday finals are toxic.)

Murray dropped off his resume on my desk. He had an asterisk on two of his titles: Next to Olympic gold 2012, it stated Rafa Nadal skipped the Games and that Roger Federer was exhausted due to a four-and-a-half hour semifinal the day before. Next to his U.S. Open 2012 victory, it stated that once again Nadal did not participate and that Djokovic had the disadvantage of a day's rest before the final as opposed to two days off for Murray. Is Murray being too harsh on himself or will Nadal's return expose him as a one slam winner?
-- Tina Wilson, Los Angeles, Calif.

• Funny, the resume he dropped with me, made no such mention. And I when I looked it up on Google -- the inevitable next step after receiving a resume -- I saw that he beat the seven players placed before him. Which is all we ask.

I don't disagree that players have had tougher draws. But A) I don't go for this asterisk business much. B) In his fifth final -- a month from having beaten Federer on Centre Court -- Murray beats the defending champ in five sets. That ought to douse any discussion that this was somehow less than legit.

Jon, here are some numbers furthering the conversation on Serena's greatness: Major Finals Winning Percentage: Navratilova (56%), Evert (53%), Graf (71%), Serena (79%). Major Tournaments won vs. Total Tournaments won Percentage: Navratilova (11%), Evert (11%), Graf (21%), Serena (33%). I understand that Navratilova, Evert, and Graf played many more tournaments during their careers but these numbers look pretty darn good!
-- A.K. Saleem, Edmond, Okla.

• Thanks. We could quibble with some of this. (If Evert and Navratilova were contemporaries, wouldn't we expect their numbers to be lower? And Serena played much fewer events on average each year, so wouldn't we expect her winning percentage to be higher?) But the more data, the better....

Why do you omit David Nalbandian in the short list of candidates for best active males never to have won a major? You listed Tsonga, Berdych, Ferrer and Soderling (in that order) for that double-edged honor, but why look over Nalbandian?
-- Joanna, Seoul, Korea

• I think it's semantics. For the dubious honor of best active players never to have won a major, isn't there an assumption that it's still possible? In the case of Nalbandian, his best days are -- by, like, a decade -- behind him. This is the same reason I put Tsonga (one major final) above Soderling (two major finals). Judges?

Best player never to reach a major final? I'd take Davydenko over Ferrer. Same number of Slam semis (4), one more quarterfinal (6), three masters wins (and a 3-0 record in masters finals), 1 tour championships wins and 5 years finished in the top 5 (vs. 3 for Ferrer). Plus Davydenko leads their head-to-head 3-2. The way Ferrer's playing, he could easily eclipse Davydenko's stats in the next couple years but I say Davydenko has the edge for now. Tim Henman has a good case too.
-- Nick Einhorn, Brooklyn, N.Y.

• See above.

Since I know you love these HoF questions... Is Murray a lock now that he won the U.S. Open (let's say he doesn't win another and never reaches No. 1)?
-- Gene, Metuchen, N.J.

• Given the "One Slam and a bit more" precedent, how could you deny Murray? One Slam title and four other finals. Semis or better at all four. Olympic gold. A bunch of Masters titles. Good record against the other Big Four members. It sounds silly: By winning the U.S. Open he guaranteed himself HoF enshrinement. But, again, given the current requirements, how could he be denied?

How about that men's final for 'greatest match ever?' Truly inhuman shotmaking and defense, 50-plus shot rallies, AND balls being blown hither and yon in the wind. And enough momentum swings to render even the hardiest Scots comatose towards the end.
-- Rick, Albuquerque

• Too many lop-sided sets. Too many errors. Too many lapses. Insufficient fifth set drama. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed the match immensely. But even for the "Men's Grand Slam Final of the Year" award, I pick Australia over the U.S. Open.

Shots, miscellany

• Mauricio of Sao Paulo, Brazil wrote: "So it seems we are officially back to the 80s in men's tennis. We have a 30-plus-year-old still winning Slams and reclaiming No. 1 (Federer/Connors), we have the clay king facing a possible early retirement (Nadal/Borg), a unique character putting on one of the best seasons of all time (Djokovic 2011/McEnroe 1984), and now we have the stoic, less celebrated player among the Big 4 breaking through at a Grand Slam after losing his first four major finals (Murray/Lendl). Interesting how history has a way to repeat itself."

Another good one came from Andy J. Thessaloniki, Greece: "Lendl was not only the player to lose the first 4 of his finals, but also, like Murray, had to beat a 5 time slam champion (McEnroe) to win his first final."

And let's pause to discuss how cool this is: We had bits of tennis trivia come in on the same night from Oslo, Sao Paulo and Salonika. How many other sports can say that?

• Venus Williams leads the D.C. Kastles to World TeamTennis glory.

• The controversy with Indian Tennis continues to build.

• Not to be outdone, we have Davis Cup drama in Argentina.

• Ivan H. of New York: "Jon, here's a link to a fun little photo project I put together recently. It's called tennis hands."

• This week's sports book recommendation: When Saturday Mattered Most.

• Tim, Hopkinton, Mass: "I found myself in Toronto on a business trip this week and, since it's film festival week, went to see the premiere of the Venus and Serena documentary. It was excellent. The filmmakers had virtually unlimited access and we got an amazing behind the scenes look at their lives and their tumultuous 2011 season. I only wish that Venus and Serena had attended. During the Q&A session, the filmmakers said that they were "still reacting" to it, implying that they weren't happy with the final cut. Had they been there, however, they would have been able to experience the audience's reaction. You could literally feel the sense of admiration of their struggle and accomplishments coming from everyone in the room. And, it would have been great from them to have heard Wyclef's (he did the soundtrack) response when asked what he felt about the story. "It's a story of TRIUMPH, man (mon?)," he said. And that, "everyone should leave here feeling like they have a battery pack on their backs... full of energy and feeling like they can do anything." Wyclef got a rousing ovation for his comments. I can only imagine how we would have reacted to seeing Venus and Serena on stage immediately after the film, but I do know that they would have been overwhelmed to see and feel the audience's reaction. Just a wonderful film, and a must see for any tennis fan. Triumph, mon."

• Venus and Serena withdrew their support for this movie:

• The USTA announced that the 2012 US Open, was one of the most successful years in the tournament's history. Total attendance topped 700,000 for the fifth time, finishing at 710,803.

• Israeli tennis aficionado and occasional Dirk Nowtizki hitting partner Marc Stein (Known in his more solemn moments as: Frank M. Stein) points out: "Israeli No. 2 Amir Weintraub led his country into Davis Cup World Group with a pair of wins over Japan's Ito (67) and Soeda (53). All five of his career tour level wins have come in Davis Cup...others: Raonic (31), Federico Gil (84), Janowicz (156)."

• Remember our note about Kim Clijsters warming up Kirsten Flipkens at the U.S. Open? Seems it paid off.

• Good Q&A with Novak Djokovic.

• Press releasin': "A strong contingent of young American players heads up a talented international field set to play in the inaugural Party Rock Open being hosted by Redfoo from the hit music group LMFAO Sept. 23-30 at Darling Tennis Center. Fresh off the US Open where he was a guest in Victoria Azarenka's box for the ladies' final, Redfoo and the Party Rock Open will welcome a slew of rising American talent, including teenager Lauren Davis, NCAA Champion Nicole Gibbs, and Pan-Am Games Gold Medalist Irina Falconi. The women's USTA Pro Circuit tournament will kick off with singles qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 23, where Redfoo plans to participate in free kids' tennis clinics as part Cox Kids' Day from noon to 3 p.m."

• Here's some perspective on Andy Murray from India.

• Troy of Ft Wayne, IN: "One thing I noticed that has not been mentioned yet is another "milestone" for Serena Williams, in a summer filled with them, she surpassed the $40 million mark in career prize earnings. Given her 45 career titles, that averages out to a whopping $888,888.89 (rounded up on the pennies) per title lifetime average. Pretty amazing numbers."

• Nick DeToustain writes: "Love how you went all Serpico on P-Mac calling matches at the Open. And re: LLS, how about Jana Novotna and Novak Djokovic's mom, Dijana?"

Have a good week everyone!

19 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/tennis/news/20120919/wertheim-mailbag/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Sam Amick: A poignant moment for a humble superstar; more news and notes

Derrick Rose has always credited those who helped him achieve success, thanking his mother after he won 2010-11 MVP award.

Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images

Long before my amazing father died in November 2009, one recurring complaint had caused his fandom to wane: that out-of-touch athletes were too self-consumed to care enough about the things that mattered most.

The golden era that he grew up in was gone, and the modern-day stars of the 1980s and early '90s were -- as he saw it -- more concerned with the money and fame than they were the games. So he pulled back from those San Francisco Bay Area teams that once captured his attention, his loyalties never to return.

It's a familiar refrain among today's consuming public, too, this idea that the pedestal on which players are put doesn't allow them to connect with the very people who help make their enormous paychecks possible. Which is why it's worth slowing down to highlight what Bulls point guard Derrick Rose did in Chicago last week.

At an event to launch his Adidas shoe and clothing line, the former MVP showed the kind of humanity and humility that even the most disenchanted of sports fans would have to find endearing. Rose, who isn't expected to return from his May 12 ACL surgery until late this season, broke down in tears after a video of his long rehabilitation process was shown to the attending crowd. Adidas vice president Lawrence Norman had handed Rose the floor during the presentation, and the words were supposed to keep flowing. Instead, Rose sat silent -- wiping his eyes, staring at the floor -- for nearly 30 seconds before sharing the root of all this unfiltered emotion.

The Chicago native spoke of his appreciation for his blessed life, for the support shown to him by so many on his path from the unforgiving streets of Englewood, Ill., to global stardom. And as if that wasn't enough, Rose even took a moment to discuss his story in a context that went way beyond himself. A seven-day teacher strike plagued Chicago's public schools before ending this week, and Rose -- who shared for the first time that he will be a father soon -- discussed how it made him feel to see all those kids walking around town when they should be in school.

"My initial reaction was that this was one of the greatest displays of human emotion that I've seen, because it was real, it was authentic and that's who he really is," said B.J. Armstrong, Rose's agent and a former Bulls point guard. "It wasn't in the script. What he was able to express, and what you were able to see, everyone has had that moment of, 'I don't know how I got here.' Everyone can relate to that.

"I was like, 'Wow, that's pretty cool for the fans. That's pretty cool for people, because it's a reminder that people are human.' We get caught up in all these figures and saying, 'He's the greatest this or that,' but you know what? He's a kid who's just human.

"I'm sure we all have experienced it in the privacy of our own homes, in the privacy of places where millions of people don't get a chance to see it. I'm just very thankful that he shared that moment with us."

Rose, who was raised by his mother, Brenda, and three older brothers and attended the public Simeon Career Academy on the South Side, had to be thrilled to hear that hundreds of thousands of students returned to school on Wednesday.

"He knows the problems in Chicago, through and through," Armstrong said of Rose. "He grew up in the public school system, grew up as one of those kids. He is Chicago, and he understands the city, understands the culture, understands the problems, understands the beauty of this place. He gets it.

"He'll come back [from his injury]. Life goes on, so he's able to put it in its proper perspective and realize that there are things out there besides himself. It's an amazing quality that he has at a young age."

This is hardly the first time Rose has shown his human side. There was the touching speech given to his mother while receiving the 2011 MVP award, the countless times reporters like myself were shocked by his willingness to be so respectful and giving of his time before and after games, and the way he has always gone about his career with a total absence of airs. He's the exception as opposed to the rule, to be sure, which is all the more reason to take notice.

No resolution expected at NBPA meeting

When the NBA lockout was finally lifted last December, anyone who spent all those months covering the "mutant pizza" madness would have been happy if Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher never shared a sentence again.

But here we are almost 10 months later, and the two men at the helm of the National Basketball Players Association are still embroiled in a bitter battle that began during the six-month work stoppage. To review, there was the aggressive attempt of Hunter and his backers to oust Fisher as NBPA president in April, followed by Fisher's salvo in the form of an investigation into the union and its business practices that has gone way beyond the initial accusations of Hunter nepotism.

Fisher (a current free agent) remains in his position and sources said the respective probes of the NBPA -- from the U.S. Attorney's office investigation to the Department of Labor's review to the internal audit being conducted by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison -- have yet to conclude. While the last inquiry was expected to be complete by now, resolution or clarity of any kind isn't likely to come by the time the NBPA holds a conference call with all participating players on Thursday.

According to a memo obtained by SI.com, the "Summer Meeting" was initially scheduled as an in-person affair at a hotel at Chicago's O'Hare airport. A follow-up memo was sent indicating that a conference call was preferable to most players and it detailed a fairly innocuous to-do list for the session.

"We will provide an update of current union business and cover matters including the distribution of 2011-12 group license funds, implementation of the new annuity program, and proposed rules changes from the competition committee," the memo read.

While Fisher has two seasons left in his term as NBPA president, Hunter, who earns $2.6 million annually as the executive director, has a contract that runs through 2016. The lack of answers about what lies ahead for the two union heads is sure to frustrate players like Phoenix forward Jared Dudley who aren't sure what to make of the saga.

20 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/09/19/derrick-rose-chicago-bulls-lakers/index.html?eref=si_writers
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