Republic of Senegal, Academy Look Toward Sports Development

Academy News

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October 17, 2017

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Republic of Senegal, Academy Look Toward Sports Development — The Republic of Senegal and the United States Sports Academy have entered into discussions for the Academy to do a comprehensive assessment of Senegal’s national sport program as well as of how the Academy’s international education programs may be used as a tool for sports program development in the West African nation. His Excellency Matar Ba (middle), Senegal’s Minister of Sport, meets with Academy Trustee Joseph Szlavik, and His Excellency Babacar Diagne (right), Senegal’s Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the U.S.

The Republic of Senegal and the United States Sports Academy have entered into discussions for the Academy to do a comprehensive assessment of Senegal’s national sport program as well as consideration for how the Academy’s international education programs may be used as a tool for sports program development in the West African nation.

His Excellency Matar Ba, Senegal’s Minister of Sport, met recently in Dakar with Academy Board of Trustees member Joseph Szlavik, who shared his thoughts on how the Academy’s sport education expertise may best be used in Senegal. These discussions support the vision of Senegal President His Excellency Macky Sall to enhance the country’s national sport effort.

The meeting between Minister Ba and Szlavik was arranged by His Excellency Babacar Diagne, Senegal’s Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary to the United States, who recently met with Academy President and CEO Dr. T.J. Rosandich in New York City. Ambassador Diagne provided Rosandich a general overview of sports in Senegal and the nation’s effort to develop youth as an investment in the country’s future. Rosandich shared with the Ambassador the Academy’s long history of sports development in some 65 nations around the world and the various ways the Academy can work with the country to reach its full potential in this vital area. The discussion was held during the week the United Nations General Assembly was meeting in New York City.

Minister Ba and Szlavik reached an understanding that the Academy will undertake a thorough assessment of Senegal’s national sport effort to guide plans for the future development of sport in the country. The assessment will look at all aspects including facilities, infrastructure, programs and personnel.

“In sport, just like in other endeavors, you don’t know where you are going until you know where you have been,” Rosandich said.

“To maximize your national sport effort, you must have a thorough assessment of what exists, and the Academy looks forward to working with Senegal on this important initiative.

“This effort recognizes that the structure and function of sport can be a key tool in the development of youth,” Rosandich added.

“The important engagement of youth in sport in turn gives them the tools they need to be more productive as members of society.

“For instance, it is widely known that Senegal has many young people who have gone on to perform well in soccer, including the Premier League. This shows what can happen when human capital is properly developed.

“The youth of the nation represent its future, and any investment in the future is a wise investment indeed.”

Founded some 45 years ago, the Academy has delivered quality sport education and service programs in 65 countries around the world. These have varied in scope from the full-charge conduct of a nation’s entire national sport effort to individual coaching clinics, seminars, and symposia. As a not-for-profit, independent school of sport, the Academy has been able to provide a combination of expertise expected from a sports university combined with the experience gleaned from applying this expertise in the field.

Clients of the Academy have included central sports organizations (CSOs, such as ministries of youth and sports), national Olympic committees, ministries of education (for physical education and interscholastic sport programs) and sport associations and federations. Many of the details of this work can be found by visiting the Academy’s website at https://ussa.edu/international-sport-education/.

The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.

The Academy is based in Daphne, Ala. For more information, call (251) 626-3303 or visit www.ussa.edu.

By the United States Sports Academy

Armour: This was the Injury the Depleted Packers Couldn’t Afford

NFL

By

Nancy Armour

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October 17, 2017

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Armour: This was the Injury the Depleted Packers Couldn’t Afford — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone on a hit by Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. Photo: AP

“Next man up” is the NFL’s familiar refrain after an injury.

That’s easy enough to say when it’s a man. Not so much when it’s the man.

The Green Bay Packers, who had been making the case for a team that could play deep into January, now face an uncertain future with Aaron Rodgers out indefinitely with a broken collarbone. The Packers were quick to say that the two-time MVP hasn’t been ruled out for the season after the hard hit Sunday by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, saying that Rodgers “might” still return.

There were hopeful references to 2013, when he came back for the regular-season finale after missing seven games with another broken collarbone. But that was near his non-throwing shoulder, not the one that has created so much magic.

“Everything,” receiver Jordy Nelson, who is not only one of Rodgers’ favorite targets but one of his closest friends, said flatly when asked what the injury means to the Packers.

“He’s our leader, he’s our quarterback. He’s a great person on and off the field. He’s a great guy in the locker room with the old guys and the young guys.

“He’s the best quarterback in the league.”

The Packers have weathered injuries up and down the lineup already this season. This was the first time the entire starting offensive line was active after tackles David Bakhtiari (hamstring) and Bryan Bulaga (ankle) were hurt sidelined early in the year. Both were knocked out of Sunday’s game, as was left guard Lane Taylor.

Randall Cobb missed a game last month with a chest injury, and Ty Montgomery was playing with a flak jacket Sunday because of broken ribs. The secondary began the day down two starters and lost backup cornerback Quinten Rollins by halftime.

But none of those injuries is as devastating as losing Rodgers. Heck, all of them combined aren’t as devastating as losing Rodgers, whose ability to conjure scoring drives out of thin air and an even thinner roster is unmatched.

Despite playing behind that patchwork line — the Packers started four guards against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 28 — Rodgers was having one of his finest seasons. He began the week leading the league in touchdowns (13), ranks in the top 10 in completion percentage (66.7%) and again has a passer rating better than 100.

Those numbers tell only part of the story, though.

Of the Packers’ four wins, two were thanks to Rodgers’ late-game heroics. He rallied Green Bay from 14 down at the half against the Cincinnati Bengals, tying the game with 21 seconds left on a 3-yard pass to Jordy Nelson that was so ridiculously precise, geometry teachers across Wisconsin can use it in their lesson plans. Last weekend, he needed just 62 seconds to crush the spirits of the Dallas Cowboys, setting up the go-ahead TD with an 18-yard scramble.

Since Rodgers replaced Brett Favre in 2008, the Packers are 94-46 with him as their starting quarterback.

They are 3-6-1 without him.

“Everyone knows the presence (Rodgers) brings to the football field,” Bakhtiari said. “His IQ, his athleticism, his arm. But football isn’t one player.”

Indeed, the Packers are high on backup Brett Hundley, and coach Mike McCarthy was emphatic in shutting down all the internet GMs who noted that Wisconsin-born Colin Kaepernick remains available.

“Brett Hundley and Joe Callahan are my quarterbacks,” McCarthy said. “That is what I am focused on. I am not here for any personnel comments or ideas.”

That shouldn’t come as any big surprise, given that the Packers are a “grow your own” franchise. They’ve carefully groomed Hundley since drafting him in 2015, just as they once did Rodgers. In the preseason, it was Hundley who got most of the reps.

But there’s a big difference between exhibition games and the real thing, and it showed in Sunday’s 23-10 loss. Though Hundley made a nice throw to Davante Adams for a touchdown, stepping up in the pocket as it looked to be collapsing around him, he also threw three interceptions — one coming on his first throw. He was sacked four times.

“I understand that Aaron Rodgers going down is a huge blow to our team,” defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois said. “But you have to remember that Aaron was sitting behind another quarterback once.”

Hundley will get better with more practice reps with the first team, not to mention a game plan tailored to his strengths. He’ll also have a future Hall of Famer for a tutor. He and Rodgers are tight — it was Hundley who went to give Rodgers a high-five as he was being carted off, and Rodgers raising his left arm in return was the first sign of how serious the injury was. But it’s also in Rodgers’ best interest for Hundley to play well if there’s any chance he can return.

Two of Green Bay’s 10 remaining games are against the Cleveland Browns and Bears, with two more are against the fading Detroit Lions. If the Packers can get their key guys healthy, and Hundley plays well enough to tread water, Rodgers could pull off the ultimate in last-gasp heroics.

That’s a long way off and a lot of ifs, however. Right now, the news is as bad as it could possibly be for Green Bay.

By Nancy Armour

This article was republished with permission from the original author and 2015 Ronald Reagan Media Award recipient, Nancy Armour, and the original publisher, USA Today. Follow columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.

Chargers Lineman Urges NFL Players to have Unified Protest Plan

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The Sport Intern

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October 17, 2017

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Chargers Lineman Urges NFL Players to have Unified Protest Plan — Los Angeles Chargers tackle Russell Okung. Photo: John Hefti / Associated Press

Posting a 900-word letter on The Players’ Tribune, Russell Okung, a Los Angeles Chargers lineman, is urging the National Football League’s 1,700 players to take a unified stand against pressure from NFL team owners to curb demonstrations during the national anthem before games.

“We can either wait until we receive our respective marching orders, speak up individually, or find a way to collaborate, and exercise our agency as the lifeblood of the league,” Okung, wrote, lamenting that the original message of the protests, which were started last season by Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, had gotten muddled and had exposed divisions among players, fans and owners.

“Okung’s manifesto takes NFL owners to task for making decisions on anthem demonstrations, which have typically involved players kneeling or sitting during the anthem, without broadly consulting players,” Ken Belson comments in The New York Times. “The owners plan to meet next week to discuss the demonstrations, which were originally intended to draw attention to racial inequality and police shootings of African-Americans. But that initial message has become blurred, and owners could be prepared to issue restrictions on the protests, especially after drawing condemnation from President Trump and a number of fans in recent weeks.”

Meanwhile, the NFL announced it has no plans to mandate players to stand for the U.S. national anthem, but will rather present a possible solution on how to end the controversial protests when it meets with team owners next week. Commissioner Roger Goodell, along with the head of the NFL Players Association, will meet with the owners from Oct. 17-18 in New York.

“Goodell has a plan that he is going to present to owners about how to use our platform to both raise awareness and make progress on issues of social justice and equality in this country,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said on a conference call. “What we don’t have is a proposal that changes our policy, we don’t have something that mandates anything. That’s clear. If that was the case I doubt the head of the NFLPA would have put a joint statement out with us.”

This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at [email protected]. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.

Thomas, Stephens Named Academy September Athletes of the Month

Academy News

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October 17, 2017

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Thomas, Stephens Named Academy September Athletes of the Month — United States Sports Academy graphic. Justin Thomas photo via twitter.com/JustinThomas34, Sloane Stephens photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Golfer Justin Thomas and tennis player Sloane Stephens have been named the United States Sports Academy’s Male and Female Athletes of the Month for September.

Thomas was voted the PGA Tour Player of the Year after winning the FedEx Cup on 24 September 2017 with a second place finish in the Tour Championship. The American won five tournaments and his first major championship this season. Earlier in the month, Thomas shot a 17-under-par 267 to win the Dell Technologies Championship in Norton, Mass. The win included a record-breaking day when Thomas carded twelve “3” scores, the most ever for a single round in FedEx Cup Playoffs history.

Stephens won her first Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-0 win over fellow American Madison Keys in the U.S. Open final on 9 September 2017 in New York. Stephens is just the fifth unseeded female player to win a major title in the Open era.

The second place finisher on the men’s side was American football player Bryce Love and third place went to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Love, the Stanford University running back, rushed for an NCAA best 1,088 yards on 98 attempts for eight touchdowns for the Cardinal in the first five games of the season in September. Love rushed for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 win against Arizona State on 30 September 2017 and broke Stanford’s single-game rushing yardage record.

Nadal captured his 16^th Grand Slam title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the U.S. Open final on 10 September 2017 in New York. It was Nadal’s third overall U.S. Open championship and second Grand Slam singles title this year.

The second place finisher on the women’s side was American basketball player Sylvia Fowles and third place went to Swedish golfer Anna Nordqvist.

Fowles, the Minnesota Lynx center, was named the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Most Valuable Player for the season and picked for the All-WNBA First Team on 29 September 2017. She shot a WNBA-best 65.5 percent from the field and averaged 18.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.97 blocks per game.

Nordqvist battled glandular fever, pouring rain and hail and shot a 9-under-par 204 to win the Evian Championship in Evian Les Bains, France, on 17 September 2017. It was her second career major title win.

Each month, the public is invited to participate in the Academy’s worldwide Athlete of the Month program by nominating athletes and then voting online during the first week of every month. The online votes are used to guide the Academy selection committee in choosing the male and female monthly winners, who then become eligible for selection to the prestigious Athlete of the Year ballot. A worldwide public vote on the annual ballot is used to guide the committee in making the final selection.

The Athlete of the Year Award is part of the United States Sports Academy’s Awards of Sport program, which each year serves as “A Tribute to the Artist and the Athlete.” The Academy presents the awards to pay tribute to those who have made significant contributions to sport, in categories as diverse as the artist and the athlete in several different arenas of sport.

The awards honor exemplary achievement in coaching, all-around athletic performance, courage, humanitarian activity, fitness and media, among others. The Academy’s American Sport Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA) annually recognizes these men and women through its Sport Artist of the Year, Honorary Doctorates, Medallion Series, Distinguished Service Awards, Outstanding Athletes, and Alumni of the Year awards. This is the 33^rd year of the Academy’s Awards of Sport program.

The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.

Founded in 1984, ASAMA is dedicated to the preservation of sports art, history, and literature. The ASAMA collection is composed of more than 1,800 works of sport art across a variety of media, including paintings, sculptures, assemblages, prints and photographs. The museum is open free to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. For more information, go to www.asama.org.

The Academy is based in Daphne, Ala. For more information, call (251) 626-3303 or visit www.ussa.edu.

By Eric Mann

Eric Mann is the communications assistant at the United States Sports Academy.

Opinion: Let Student Athletes Have Agents

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U.S. Sports Academy

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October 16, 2017

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Opinion: Let Student Athletes Have Agents — Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino shouts instructions to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, in Louisville, Ky. Louisville won 85-80. Photo: AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

Coaches acting as agents for student basketball players who desired endorsement deals after their “one-and-done” college careers is at the heart of the recent scandal that led to the FBI arrest of four coaches and the firing of legendary coach Rick Pitino. These coaches allegedly took bribes to get money to students to circumvent the rules designed to preserve the interest of the NCAA in amateurism in college sports; they depreciated that interest and, equally as important, jeopardized the students’ interests in maintaining their eligibility. The NCAA has formed a commission, headed of Dr. Condoleezza Rice, to consider rule changes that might prevent this conduct in the future. According to the statement of NCAA President Mark Emmert, one rule under consideration for change is the rule that prohibits a student-athlete from having an agent. I advocate that change. And I further advocate that those agents be attorneys.

The NCAA permits student-athletes and their parents to negotiate sports contracts (but not to receive the benefits while still in college) and they are permitted to hire an attorney to advise them of their rights, but the attorney is prohibited from participating in the negotiation of the contract. The attorney’s participation violates the “no agent” rule. (NCAA Bylaw 12.3.2.1). The legality of that prohibition has been in thin ice since 2009 when an Ohio court declared it void as against public policy (Andrew Oliver v. NCAA). Nevertheless, the rule still stands because the NCAA paid Andrew Oliver $750,000.00 (the student-athlete who hired an attorney to negotiate his professional baseball contract and won back his eligibility in court) to drop his case against the NCAA and have the court ruling vacated. Hence, it would not be a ground-breaking change (and probably one that’s inevitable under the law) to allow attorneys to serve as agents for student-athletes.

In the four major professional sports, agents must be certified and the requirements for certification are decided to the applicable player’s association—in college sports certification could be decided by the NCAA. In the NFL, to ensure that interest of players are protected, the NFLPA requires, among other things, that agents possess a Post Graduate degree (Masters or Law); to ensure that both the student-athletes and the NCAA interest are protected the requirements should be increased—a licensed attorney—especially since some of these students are under the age of 18. An attorney is trained (and to keep his license must) act in as fiduciary, keeping his own self-interest out of his decision-making. An attorney could negotiate the contract in the best financial interest of the student and then keep the contract and funds in escrow until after college, thus, protecting the NCAA interest in amateurism and the student’s interest in eligibility—and keeping the greedy coaches on the sidelines where they belong.

By: Joseph Caruso, Esq.

By Joseph Caruso, Esq.

Joseph Caruso is a license attorney in New York state. He is also a Full Professor at SUNY Nassau Community College where he teaches a course in Sports Law.

United States Targets Hosting 2026 or 2030 Winter Olympic Games

Olympics

By

Inside The Games

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October 16, 2017

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United States Targets Hosting 2026 or 2030 Winter Olympic Games — Fireworks explode during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games closing ceremony Sunday, Feb 24, 2002 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Photo: Deseret News

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is targeting hosting either the 2026 or 2030 Winter Olympic Games, with chairman Larry Probst claiming it would “ideally” be the latter edition to avoid any potential conflict with Los Angeles 2028.

Discussions were held at the USOC’s Olympic and Paralympic Assembly in Colorado Springs about whether to pursue a bid for the Winter Olympics in the near future.

USOC chairman Larry Probst and chief executive Scott Blackmun both expressed support for the idea but claimed they needed more information from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the process for awarding the 2026 Games.

Probst also hinted the IOC might look at another double award, as was the case with Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.

If the IOC did go down that route, Probst said the USOC would “want to be in that conversation, at the table for that discussion”.

It suggests the United States are positioning themselves as a possible candidate for 2026 if the IOC were not able to find a viable host from those cities who have expressed an interest in hosting the event so far.

Sion in Switzerland and Innsbruck in Austria are among those to have entered the running for 2026.

Both bids, however, face possible obstacles in the near future.

The Swiss Government recently delayed making a decision on whether to back Sion’s bid, while a decisive referendum regarding Innsbruck’s attempt is due to take place tomorrow.

If the US does pursue 2026, the USOC would have to identify a possible candidate city by March, according to Blackmun.

IOC President Thomas Bach has previously stated his wish for the Winter Olympics to return to a more traditional winter sports country.

“During my comments at the Assembly I put a stake in the ground and said we are interested in hosting the Winter Games,” Probst, a member of the IOC, said.

“Ideally that’s probably 2030 so there is no confusion with the preparations for 2028.”

Los Angeles 2028 chairman Casey Wasserman claimed that a US attempt to host the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games would “require a lot of conversation” with the Californian city before a bid is formally launched.

Wasserman admitted there would be “real challenges from a timing perspective”, with Los Angeles due to host the Summer Games two years later.

The IOC officially opened the candidature process for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games last month.

The procedure is due to comprise two stages, with the first featuring a one-year dialogue stage between interested cities and National Olympic Committees alongside the IOC.

As part of the non-committal stage, the parties will assess the benefits and requirements related to hosting the Winter Olympics.

The phase will run from September 2017 to October 2018, with the deadline to enter the process due to come on March 31.

A shortened formal candidature stage will take place from October 2018 to September 2019, with the IOC claiming the streamlined procedure will help candidates increase the value of their Games delivery plan.

The candidature stage has previously taken place over two years.

America has hosted the Winter Olympics on four occasions – at Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley in 1960 and Salt Lake City in 2002.

The build-up to Salt Lake City 2002 was overshadowed by a vote-buying scandal, which led to the expulsion of 10 IOC members with another 10 sanctioned.

By Liam Morgan

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

Federer Sweeps Aside Nadal to Clinch Shanghai Masters Title

ATP

By

Inside The Games

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October 16, 2017

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Federer Sweeps Aside Nadal to Clinch Shanghai Masters Title — Tennis - Shanghai Masters tennis tournament - Finals - Shanghai, China - October 15, 2017 - Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates winning against Rafael Nadal of Spain. Photo: REUTERS/Aly Song

Roger Federer produced a superb display as he comfortably beat world number one Rafael Nadal to clinch the Shanghai Masters title.

The Swiss star dominated the final and secured his sixth major crown of the season with a 6-4, 6-3 win over his arch rival at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in the Chinese city.

Those expecting a classic contest between two titans of tennis were left disappointed as Federer broke at crucial times to lift the trophy.

The result handed the 36-year-old a fifth successive triumph over the Spaniard and moved him level with Ivan Lendl in terms of Open era titles as both players have 94 to their name.

Only American Jimmy Connors has more with 109.

Federer took the initiative from the outset as he took advantage of the fast conditions on court under the closed roof at the arena to move into a 4-2 lead in the first set.

The 19-time grand slam champion served it out to strike first in the final but the early exchanges in the second set were much more evenly-contested.

Neither Federer nor Nadal gave anything away until the Swiss earned the crucial break in the fifth game.

It proved to be the turning point as Federer went on to record a commanding win in an hour and 12 minutes.

The victory, his fourth of the year over Nadal, maintains his pursuit of the Spaniard’s world number one ranking.

He is the only player who is able to overtake Nadal at the summit of the standings and the battle for top spot could be decided at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London in November.

“I’m not thinking about it, I just try to be healthy now,” said Federer.

“I’ll go back to Switzerland tomorrow with my team and decide what I’m going to play, whether I’ll go to Basel and Paris.

“I’m focused on London and winning there.

“If I play like this, maybe, who knows I’ll get close to it.”

By Liam Morgan

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.

The Heavenly 100

History

By

Dr. Stephen Butler

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October 16, 2017

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The Heavenly 100 — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice celebrates after setting the all-time touchdown record during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Raiders at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Monday Sept. 5, 1994. Rice's touchdown was his 127th andbroke Jim Brown's mark. Photo: AP / Chad Surmick, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

May 22, 1989 was my dad’s 62^nd birthday (we miss you dad). It was also the day the great sportswriter, Rick Reilly published his list of the greatest athlete for each number. He called it The Heavenly Hundred (Reilly, 1989).

I still have that one page article, it is one of only two articles I have saved in my over 50 years as an SI reader; the other was Pure Heart, a story about Secretariat’s death written by Bill Nack.

With all credit for the idea to the great Mr. Reilly, here is my Heavenly 100, with a slight change in the rules. My list only includes athletes that I have actually seen play live, either in person or on TV.

00 – Jim Otto, great Raider center

1 – Gordon Banks, Goalie, Fort Lauderdale Strikers – won MVP in the NASL with one eye

2 – Secretariat in the 1973 Belmont – the greatest performance by the greatest athlete of all time

3 – Secretariat in the 1973 Preakness – second best performance ever

4 – Bobby Orr, the greatest defenseman in NHL history

5 – Brooks Robinson, my boyhood idol

6 – Bill Russell, the greatest basketball player of all time (11 Championships is more than 6)

7 – Mickey Mantle, they wrote songs about him

8 – Yogi Berra, 10 World Championships

9 – Gordie Howe, hockey legend who played in his 50s

10 – Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the reason all great footballers wear #10

11 – Elvin Hayes, the BIG E, actually beat UCLA in college

12 – Tom Brady, just watch the 2^nd half of last year’s Super Bowl

13 – Wilt Chamberlain, scored 100 points in a game and averaged over 50 for a season

14 – Pete Rose, the all-time hit king

15 – Bart Starr, MVP of the first two Super Bowls

16 – Joe Montana, 4 time Super Bowl champ

17 – John Havlicek, 8 – 0 in NBA Finals, of course #6 may have helped a little

18 – Peyton Manning, 14 Pro Bowls, 5 MVPs, 2 Super Bowl titles

19 – Johnny Unitas, won the “Greatest Game Ever Played”

20 – Frank Robinson, first to win MVP in both leagues

21 – Roberto Clemente, take away all 3,000 hits and he still makes the list as a human being

22 – Elgin Baylor, great player, horrible GM

23 – Pete Maravich at LSU, only played 3 years, no 3 pointers, and still the top scorer of all time

24 – Willie Mays, the greatest living player

25 – Barry Bonds, single season and all-time home run king (never tested positive, so shut up)

26 – Rod Woodson, only active player on the list when the NFL picked its 75^th anniversary team

27 – Juan Marichal, could get in on the leg kick alone

28 – Marshall Faulk, the engine of the “Greatest Show on Turf”

29 – Rod Carew, seven time batting champion

30 – Nolan Ryan, as an Angel, seven no hitters

31 – Greg Maddux, first to win four consecutive Cy Young awards.

32 – Sandy Koufax, easily the greatest pitcher ever

33 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor a close second

34 – Walter Payton, “sweetness”

35 – Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter ever

36 – Meadowlark Lemon, the greatest Globetrotter of them all

37 – Lester Hayes, good thing stickum was legal then

38 – George Rogers, greatest South Carolina player ever

39 – Larry Csonka, heart and soul of the only team to go 17 and 0

40 – Gayle Sayers, just Google him and watch – nobody did highlights better

41 – Tom Seaver, 2^nd highest HOF percentage ever

42 – Mariano Rivera, greatest closer ever

43 – Richard Petty, still the King

44 – Jim Brown (wore it at Syracuse), may be the greatest ever in two sports

45 – Bob Gibson, 1.12 ERA in 1968, is that really possible?

46 – Lee Smith, 478 saves

47 – Tom Glavine, 1/3 of MadduxGlavineandSmoltz, became one word to Braves fans

48 – Jimmie Johnson, the second seven time NASCAR Champion on my list, soon to be EIGHT

49 – Ron Guidry, once went 25 – 3 in a season, that is sick

50 – Rebecca Lobo, started the great UConn dynasty

51 – Ichiro, more hits than Pete Rose, who cares where he got them

52 – Ray Lewis, won a Super Bowl without an offense

53 – Don Drysdale, imagine a double header against him and Koufax – “must have the flu”

54 – Randy White, the great Cowboy D lineman

55 – Orel Hershiser, had video game numbers in 1988

56 – Lawrence Taylor, changed the game

57 – Dwight Stephenson, great Dolphins center

58 – Jack Lambert, next to

59 – Jack Ham, the great Steel Curtain Linebackers

60 – Chuck Bednarik, the last full time two-way player

61 – Curley Culp, great KC Chief and NCAA wrestling champ

62 – Jim Langer, center for the 17 – 0 Dolphins

63 – Gene Upshaw, great Raider guard

64 – Jerry Kramer, threw the block that won the Ice Bowl

65 – Gary Zimmerman, HOF offensive lineman for the Vikings

66 – Mario Lemieux, idolized 99 so just turned it over to become 66

67 – Reggie McKenzie, led the way for OJ’s 2,000-yard season

68 – L C. Greenwood, part of the “Steel Curtain”

69 – Mark Schlereth, three time Super Bowl champ

70 – Jim Marshall, he only ran the wrong way once

71 – Alex Karras, he punched out a horse

72 – Carlton Fisk, wore this when his 27 wasn’t available

73 – John Hannah, once called by SI, “The Best Offensive Lineman of All Time.” Enough said.

74 – Merlin Olsen, one of the original “Fearsome Foursome”

75 – Mean Joe Greene, won four Super Bowls and had the greatest Super Bowl commercial ever

76 – Orlando Pace, one of the greatest offensive tackles

77 – Ray Bourque, another great Bruin defenseman

78 – Anthony Munoz, the dominant tackle of a generation

79 – Harvey Martin, co-MVP of a Super Bowl

80 – Jerry Rice, the GOAT

81 – Tim Brown, Heisman winner and Super Bowl champ

82 – Raymond Berry, Johnny U’s favorite target

83 – Ted Hendricks, the prototypical Raider, “out there” but great

84 – Randy Moss, if Brady only had him for his whole career

85 – Nick Buoniconti, leader of the “No Name Defense” that went 17 – 0

86 – Buck Buchanan, the first player ever drafted by the AFL

87 – Sidney Crosby, three Stanley Cups and counting

88 – Dale Jarrett, my favorite race car driver (it is my list)

89 – Gino Marchetti, played on one of the greatest college teams nobody ever heard of

90 – Neil Smith, great Chief and Bronco D Lineman

91 – Sergei Federov, greatest Russian to play in the NHL

92 – Reggie White, the “Minister of Defense”

93 – Doug Gilmour, high scoring defenseman

94 – Charles Haley, five time Super Bowl champ

95 – Bubba Smith, wore it at Michigan State

96 – Cortez Kennedy, great Hurricane and Seahawk

97 – Cornelius Bennett, hopefully I won’t lose my Auburn card

98 – Tony Siragusa, by far the weakest one on my list; will take suggestions

99 – Wayne Gretzky, the “Great One” says it all

There it is, I agree with the great Mr. Reilly on 34 of 100. Of course greats on his list like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are no-brainers if I don’t exclude players I never saw play. Thanks to Mr. Reilly for the great article and the inspiration.

By Dr. Stephen Butler

Stephen L. Butler, Ed.D., is the Dean of Academic Affairs at the United States Sports Academy, and can be reached at [email protected].

Nightengale: Justin Turner Walks off Cubs and into Dodger Lore

MLB

By

Bob Nightengale

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October 16, 2017

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Nightengale: Justin Turner Walks off Cubs and into Dodger Lore — Dodgers Justin Turner hits a game-winning three-run home run against the Cubs. Photo: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Tommy Lasorda, the Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame manager, came into the Dodgers clubhouse late Sunday on his motorized cart, his eyes glistening, looking for the man of the hour.

Twenty-nine years ago to the day, Lasorda was in uniform, jumping up and down, wildly waving his arms, the moment Kirk Gibson hit that legendary walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

And on this night, with 90-year-old Lasorda sitting in the third row by the Dodgers’ dugout, history repeated itself, with the third-oldest stadium in the major leagues shaking so hard at 7:50 p.m. local time, you’d have thought it was an earthquake.

This time, it was 32-year-old Justin Turner doing his Gibby impersonation, hitting John Lackey’s 92-mph fastball deep into the Los Angeles night, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, and a stranglehold on the National League Championship Series with a 2-0 lead.

“It reminded me a lot of that night,’’ Lasorda said. “Same result, but with his, it was different. Gibson’s home run helped us win the World Series.

“This home run got us into the World Series.’’

Well, to be technical, the Dodgers still have to win two more games, but this victory, leaving a sellout crowd of 54,479 caring less about the traffic and sticking around for the finish, may have been their biggest since that Oct. 15, 1988 night.

“It was the coolest moment I’ve ever seen in my career,’’ said Dodgers leadoff hitter Chris Taylor, who set up the heroics by drawing a walk. “I can’t imagine how he feels.’’

Turner didn’t try to imitate Gibson’s classic exaggerated pump while rounding the bases, and instead threw both arms into the air, spreading them wide, as if he wanted to hug all of Los Angeles.

When Turner rounded third, and headed home as the crowd screamed louder than anything he’s ever heard, he pulled the helmet off his head, unleashing his long flowing red hair, ferociously spiked the helmet, and was mobbed at home plate.

“I can’t even put into words right now,’’ said Turner, who remembers watching Gibson’s home run on his grandma’s TV in Long Beach. “It’s incredible.

“The most important thing, obviously, was helping us get another win. But hopefully, many, many years from now, I’ll get to tell stories about it.’’

Well, how about forever?

Who knew in the Dodgers clubhouse, on the whiteboard before they walk to the dugout, there would be a written message that would become prophetic nearly 10 hours later:

“All Mothers give birth to children, not ours though. Ours give birth to [expletive] legends! Win the game.’’

Indeed, it was the day a legend was born.

It will also be remembered as the day that will end the Cubs’ reign as World Series champions, with fans fit to bicker all winter on why veteran John Lackey was even in the game to pitch to Turner.

Lackey, who had just pitched 1 2/3 innings Saturday in Game 1, in his first postseason relief appearance in four years, now was being asked to pitch back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

Lackey had been warming up in the bullpen along with closer Wade Davis, but when the Cubs didn’t score in the top of the ninth (extending to 30 their hitless at-bats against the Dodger bullpen), Lackey was the one Cubs manager Joe Maddon chose to enter the game.

Even the Dodgers, they would say later in their clubhouse, were stunned that Davis didn’t come into the game.

Maddon, grilled in his postgame press conference, said that Davis, who threw 44 pitches for his career-long seven-out save in Game 5 of the NL Division Series on Thursday night, was available for only one inning.

Simply, he was going to save those bullets for a save situation.

Really, the moment Turner stepped to the plate, the Dodgers had an idea how this one would end. Sure, no one was calling a home run, considering Turner had never had a walk-off homer in his career, but this is their best clutch hitter.

This is a guy who has a career .377 postseason batting average, with four homers and 21 RBI, and the second greatest on-base percentage in at least 75 plate appearances behind only Lou Gehrig.

“I’m not saying he’s David Ortiz,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Robert said, “but I played with David, and you’re talking about big spots, and coming up big. J.T.’s that guy for us.

“He just has that pulse where he can just kind of keep his calm, stay within the strike zone, and just not afraid to fail.’’

And just like that, 29 years to the day, Turner went where no other Dodger, with the exception of Gibson, has ever gone in the month of October.

“It’s unbelievable,’’ Roberts said. “Twenty-nine years.

“It was pretty special. Our guys feel it. We feel it.’’

Sure, it’s not over, but it may be nothing more than dotting the I’s and crossing those T’s on their World Series itinerary.

There have been only three teams in League Championship Series who won the first two games of the LCS and lost, and only one team, the 2004 New York Yankees have blown a 2-0 lead since 1985.

The Dodgers have everything going their way. They have won five consecutive postseason games for the first time in franchise history, their bullpen has yet to give up a hit, and the Cubs are hitting.162 in seven postseason games.

Tired of hearing about ’88, the Dodgers now are ready to create their own memories, with an indelible image left for everyone this night.

“We badly want to bring a championship back to L.A.,’’ Turner says. “It’s been such a long time. It’s time. It really is.’’

By Bob Nightengale

This article was republished with permission from the original publisher, USA Today. Follow Bob Nightengale on Twitter and Facebook.

Legendary Detroit Boxing Gym Destroyed in Suspected Arson

Boxing

By

Inside The Games

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October 15, 2017

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Legendary Detroit Boxing Gym Destroyed in Suspected Arson — Fire recently destroyed Kronk Gym in Detroit. Photo: Detroit Fire Department.

A Detroit boxing gym which has trained many successful fighters has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack.

The Kronk Recreation Center, where Emanuel Steward trained fighters like Tommy Hearns – the first boxer to win world titles in five weight classes – became famous all over the world.

Dozens of Detroit boxers trained there from the 1970s until the early part of this century.

Hearns, 58, told the Detroit Free Press that “what this building brought for me was a chance at life.”

He added: “I got a chance to become somebody out of this building right here.

“To see it like this is pitiful – it’s really pitiful.”

The gym had been closed for some time.

Built in 1921, it was called after John Kronk, a member of the City Council, but became famous when Steward took over boxing training.

A total of 50 amateur boxing champions, 30 world champions and three Olympic gold medallists came from the gym, including Hilmer Kenty, Mickey Goodwin, Milt and Steve McCrory, Duane Thomas, Jimmy Paul and William Lee as well as Hearns.

Many were trained by Steward, who died in 2012.

Financial cuts made it harder to maintain the gym, which closed in 2006 after vandals had ripped out wiring and copper pipes, cutting off water service.

While some of the boxing community had plans to maintain it through private funding, this never became a reality, but the training program was relocated to another part of the city.

Detroit deputy fire commissioner David Fornell told the Detroit Free Press: “We tried to attack it from inside but because of the danger of the roof falling in, the chief pulled the crew out and [we] fought the fire from the outside.”

The roof caved in but the crew fought the blaze for over four hours.

Fornell does not think there is any connection between the fire and a recent one at the auditorium at the disused Cooley High School building nearby.

Hearns, also known as “The Hitman”, was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine in 1980 and 1984 – the latter following his one-punch knockout of Roberto Durán.

He was known as a devastating puncher throughout his career, even at cruiserweight, despite having climbed up five weight classes.

By Declan McSweeney

Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.