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Deion Sanders:
Maybe he misses/wants the attention, but maybe rumors of a comeback with the Ravens are true. Prime Time and Ray Lewis together? Amazing!
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
BLAME. GAMES.
Who to blame for Sunday's USA hoops
debacle? The players are taking the brunt (can't
shoot, can't play D, no chemistry).
But unprecedented 20-point losses demand
blasphemous response: Blame sainted, previously
untouchable coach Larry Brown.
"Emperor's New Coach": Brown had the team
poorly prepared, didn't make the right adjustments,
has failed to harness the talent and certainly didn't
motivate them.
Isn't he supposed to be this great Xs and Os
guru? The uber-passionate teacher of the game? Master
of all things hoops?
Stop making excuses for him: If the team loses
on a mental or execution mistake or dozen, blame the
players. But when the team is blown out by 20? It's
the coach's fault.
Olympic Wrap
Wheaties Watch: Uh, more athletes have
taken themselves out of contention than put
themselves in it -- U.S. hoops, Jenny Thompson, 4x100
free swim relay teams (men and women). Doesn't
anyone want the box? (And it can't be South Africa's
record-setting 4x100 men's free foursome!)
All eyes on Phelps: For tonight's 200 free
showdown with Aussie Ian Thorpe. Sunday's relay loss
means Phelps can win 7 golds (at best), but after
tonight, it'll have to be six.
Stolen Gold?
Did Japanese swimmer Kosuke Katajima use an
illegal dolphin kick to steal the 100m breast gold
from American Brendan Hansen, as Hansen teammate Aaron
Peirsol alleges?
Looked like it, but if judges don't see it/call
it, it doesn't matter, so Peirsol just looks like a
whiner. (By the way: If an American did it, we'd call
it "crafty.")
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Willis McGahee: Rehab continues -- 13 car, 58 yds, TD
Norv Turner: Raiders put up 33 points in W over 49ers
Chris Brown: Titans' "new George" solid (6 car, 46 yds)
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| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
Cowboys: Offense draws blank against Texans
Dennis Green: Lost WRs Boldin, Johnson; now Fitzgerald?!
Mets up the middle: Kaz Matsui on DL (with Piazza, Reyes) |
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Vijay Wins PGA
Will anyone remember Vijay and his
playoff win? Or will the only memory be Justin
Leonard's choke? The PGA Championship MVP was the
18th, aptly nicknamed "Dyeabolical" (after its
creator).
Meanwhile: There is no greater disconnect
between paper and reality than Tiger's No. 1 world
ranking. In golf, majors are all that matters, which
is why Mickelson is the real No. 1.
Pre-MNF: Hawks/Pack
Seattle at Green Bay: Are the Seahawks
worth the line for the Super Bowl bandwagon forming
for them? I'll take feel-good
Favre, fantasy-fave Green and the Pack to go further
in the NFC.
Meanwhile: Thanks to Charley, there's another
game tonight -- Bengals at Bucs, notable for being
Carson Palmer's debutante 'ball as starter.
Cleveland Rocks
Despite Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Twins,
the Indians are on the move. After winning the first
two games of the weekend series, they are only 2 back,
with another series next weekend.
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Even better: Cleveland plays 7 of their last 10
games of the season head-to-head vs. the Twins, so
Sunday's loss means even less.
Prediction: Down to the season's final weekend,
with the Tribe swiping the division title (and Travis
Hafner earning AL MVP).
Roenick's Gambling
"I enjoyed it, but I don't think I had
a problem," Jeremy Roenick said. Because somewhere
between $50,000 and $100,000 in total bets is the
behavior of someone with complete control over their
gambling habit.
No evidence he bet on hockey: Funny, no
evidence anyone else ever bets on hockey
either.
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Olympic no-showing:
Citius Altius Fortius Emptius: Staggeringly fan-free venues are far more eye-popping than any Olympic action. Embarrassing for Greece.
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Page 2: Jim Caple in Greece |
| College Football preview |
| NFL training camp |
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AP Top 25
Top 5 Newcomers |  West Virginia (10)
| "Big Least?" Not totally
|  Cal (13)
| Must shake "softee" label
|  Virginia (16)
| Young studs growing up
|  Auburn (17)
| Hmm: Remember last year?
|  Missouri (18)
| | QB Brad Smith that good |
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Best hoops game of the Olympics? Thanks to Manu
Ginobili's buzzer-beater, Argentina's thrilling
one-point W over Serbia and Montenegro ...
For all you wild card haters: Once again, a taut WC
race is the biggest reason to follow MLB. Giants,
Padres, Cubs all tied in NL ...
Scott Rolen nudged into the NL MVP lead after
yesterday's 2-HR blitz over the Braves, making him
first to 100 RBI ...
Speaking of the Cards, in case you weren't paying
attention, St. Louis took 2 of 3 from Atlanta in a playoff preview ...
NOW it becomes clear how ex-agent Jeff Moorad got to
become head of the D-Backs: He paid for it (and for
$35 mil, he can have it) ...
Congrats to Nicky Hilton on her quickie Vegas marriage
(my favorite kind) and for upstaging her sis (nuptials
always do that) ...
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