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(07/24/06 12:17am)
PARIS -- The highs and lows of Floyd Landis' nail-biter of a bike race ended without a hitch Sunday as he won the Tour de France and kept cycling's most prestigious title in American hands for the eighth straight year. The 30-year-old Landis, pedaling with an injured hip, cruised to victory on the cobblestones of the Champs-Elyses, a day after regaining the leader's yellow jersey and building an insurmountable lead in the final time trial.\n"I kept fighting, never stopped believing," Landis said, shortly after he received the winner's yellow jersey on the podium, joined by his daughter, Ryan.\nLandis picked up where another American left off last year, when Lance Armstrong completed his seventh and final Tour triumph. With the victory, Landis becomes the third American, joining Armstrong and three-time winner Greg LeMond, to win the Tour.\n"I'm proud and happy for Floyd," said Armstrong, who watched the finish on TV from a luxurious hotel room near the Champs-Elyses. "He proved he was the strongest, everybody wrote him off.\n"I'm very proud that an American has won again," he added.\nAs the "The Star-Spangled Banner" played, Landis, cap in hand, stared solemnly at the crowd. But when the anthem ended, he broke into a smile and waved to the fans.\nLandis, who plans to undergo surgery this fall on an arthritic right hip injured in a 2003 crash, said he hoped he would be able to return next year.\n"Right now, that's the plan," Landis said. He dedicated the win to Andy Rihs, owner of his Phonak team.\nSunday's champagne and Landis' fifth yellow jersey of the Tour were possible thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime ride Thursday in the Alps that put the Phonak team leader back in contention, one day after a disastrous ride dropped him from first to 11th, more than eight minutes back.\nAssured of victory, Landis hoisted a champagne glass handed to him from his Phonak team car early in the 154.5-kilometer (96-mile) route from Sceaux-Antony to the capital.\nA day earlier, Landis placed third in the Tour's last time trial, taking the yellow jersey from former teammate Oscar Pereiro of Spain and securing a 59-second lead over the Spaniard.\nThe deficit was virtually impossible to overcome for Pereiro in the flat, short final stage because Landis and his team eyed the Spaniard closely to make sure he didn't try to break away.\nLandis, a former mountain biker who toiled for three years as a U.S. Postal Service team support rider for Armstrong, had sought to apply the Texan's meticulous strategy for winning, until what Landis called "disaster" struck on Stage 16 in the Alps on Wednesday.\nHis plan to allow Pereiro to take the yellow jersey temporarily as the race left the Pyrenees at the end of week two appeared to backfire after Landis lost the jersey in a second Alpine stage at La Toussuire.\nWith a stunning stage win in the last Alpine stage on Thursday, Landis erased more than 7-1/2 minutes of his 8:08 deficit to Pereiro, putting him in a prime position to win by outpacing the Spanish rider in the final time trial Saturday.
(07/17/06 3:09am)
With the IU football team losing three starting offensive linemen to graduation (Isaac Sowells , Adam Hines and Brandon Hatcher), coach Terry Hoeppner and his staff needed help along the front line. In recruiting Cody Faulkner, they got it.\nThe 6-foot-5, 306-pound lineman, regarded as one of IU's top recruits in the class of 2006, was a three-year starter for Hamilton Heights High School in Cicero, Ind., a career that produced several state and national honors. \nFaulkner was named to the All-State Top 33 and Tremendous 26 teams. He also earned CBS Sportsline All-America All-Region honors as a senior. \nFaulkner racked up awards his entire high school career as he garnered all-state honors in his sophomore and junior seasons. He also earned class 3A first team all-state honors, while registering a blocking efficiency of 92 percent during his career at Hamilton Heights. \nAdditionally, Faulkner collected the Kokomo Tribune all-area first team recognition and All-Mid-Indiana Conference first team honors.\nFaulkner added to his resume with a spot on the Fab 50 offensive lineman watch list. He also competed in the Max Emfinger (known as the voice of high school recruiting) All-American Bowl in Shreveport, La. \nFaulkner is the son of former Florida tight end Chris Faulkner , who went on to play professionally with the Dallas Cowbows (1983-84), Los Angeles Rams (1984) and San Diego Chargers (1985). \nScout.com gives Faulkner high praise in its scouting report: "gives 110% effort on every play. Very good short-area blocker. Big, athletic road grader. His size, strength, power and bulk to dominate when he plays with leverage. Very good lower-body strength. Dominates as drive run blocker. Plays to the whistle. Shows nastiness. Powerful hands. OG at next level"
(07/10/06 5:23am)
WIMBLEDON, England -- Nobody can stop Roger Federer on grass.\nNo. 1 got even against No. 2 as Federer ended a five-match losing streak to Rafael Nadal on Sunday, winning 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3 to earn his fourth straight Wimbledon title and eighth Grand Slam championship .\nNadal had beaten Federer in four finals this year, including at the French Open last month, but couldn't match him on the Swiss star's favorite surface.\nNot here, not in my house, not on Centre Court, not on the biggest stage in tennis. That was Federer's response to the 20-year-old \nSpaniard's challenge.\nAfter dropping the third set, the only set he lost all tournament, Federer lifted his game in the fourth to show who's boss.\nThe milestones keep piling up for the 24-year-old Federer, who strengthens the case for consideration as being among the greatest players of all time.\nIn winning his 48th consecutive match on grass, he became the third player in the Open era to capture four successive Wimbledon championships, joining Bjorn Borg (five straight from 1976-80) and Pete Sampras (1997-00).\n"They're heroes of the game," Federer said. "This is the most important tournament, and to win four is out of this world. I'll come back and try for a fifth."\nWhen Nadal sliced a backhand wide on match point, Federer raised his arms in the air, threw back his head and closed his eyes.\nAfter the two players embraced at the net, Federer slipped into his customized cream-colored blazer to receive the winner's trophy from the Duke of Kent.\nAsked about his rivalry with Nadal, he said, "Now I like \nit again."\nFederer is the eighth man in history to win four or more Wimbledon titles. William Renshaw and Sampras lead the list with seven championships, but Federer is on course to break the mark.\n"It's fantastic," he said. "I never thought it possible, but I made it. It's really an incredible feeling. I was doubting myself early on in the tournament, with the draw and the expectations. So to be through all over again and to play against Rafael in the finals is \nobviously fantastic."\nNadal came into Sunday's match with a 6-1 record against Federer . Federer's only losses this year have been to Nadal, he is 55-0 against everyone else.\nBut anyone who thought Nadal had gotten into Federer's mind was wrong on this day.\nFederer proved he's on another level on grass with his big serves, smooth strokes and quick hands. While Nadal, winner of a record 60 straight clay-court matches, surprised everybody by getting this far, his brutal, relentless game wasn't enough to take Federer out of his comfort zone.\n"This is a difficult surface," Nadal said. "But this year I played my best tournament here. It's unbelievable. I hope next year I don't play against one guy who plays like Roger. He played unbelievable on this surface."\nThe defeat ended Nadal's streak of victories in 14 \nconsecutive finals.\nIt wasn't quite up to the standard of Federer's near flawless performance in the semifinals against Jonas Bjorkman. Both players were almost even on winners, 43-42 for Federer, and Federer had more unforced errors than Nadal, 32 to 26.\nBut Federer could always count on his serve: He won 77 percent of points on first serve, compared to 68 percent for Nadal. Federer broke Nadal six times and lost serve three times.\nNadal was seeking to become only the second Spaniard to win the title. The only one to do it, 1966 champion Manolo Santana, was in the Royal Box for the occasion.\nThere was a real buzz in the stadium when the players arrived on court, Federer in his blazer and Nadal in his biceps-baring sleeveless white shirt. Nadal sprinted to the baseline and hopped up and down like a boxer before a \ntitle fight.\nBut Nadal looked lost in the first set, as Federer reeled off six straight games in 25 minutes. He broke Nadal three times and finished the set with two clean forehand winners. It was the first time Nadal had lost serve since the second round, and the first time he's dropped a set at love in 131 matches, since a defeat to Gaston Gaudio in Buenos Aires in February 2005.\nNadal bounced back quickly, breaking Federer in the opening game of the second set. He served for the set at 5-4, but was broken as Federer won 12 of 13 points at one stretch to force a tiebreaker.\nNadal had his chances again, going up 3-1 in the tiebreaker, but handed back the advantage with two errors. Federer went up 6-3, and, after missing two set-point chances, converted on the third.\nThere were no breaks in the third set. Federer played some loose points in the tiebreaker and, from 2-2, Nadal won five straight to win the set. He backpedaled and pumped his arms three times, then thumped his chest as he sat in his chair. Federer, meanwhile, went to the locker room for a break.\nFederer came back out and dominated most of the fourth set, going up two breaks at 5-1. Uncharacteristically, he was broken serving for the match. But Federer got another chance two games later, and served out \nthe match at love.\nFederer won $1.2 million, while Nadal got $600,000.
(07/10/06 5:03am)
Italy let France do nearly anything it wanted Sunday, except win the World Cup. That belongs to the Azzurri, 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.\nOutplayed for an hour and into extra time, the Italians won it after French captain Zinedine Zidane was ejected in the 107th minute for a vicious butt to the chest of Marco Materazzi. It was the ugliest act of a tournament that set records for yellow and red cards, diving and, at times, outright brutality.\nAnd it was the last move for Zidane, who is retiring.\nWithout their leader for the shootout, the French only missed once. But Italy, rarely strong in such situations, made all five. Fabio Grosso clinched the Azzurri's fourth championship, and his teammates had to chase him halfway across the pitch to celebrate.\nOnly Brazil has more World Cups, five.\nUntil now, no team since the last Azzurri champions in 1982 had to endure the stress and anguish of a soccer scandal. Rather than be disrupted by the current probe ripping apart the national sport back home, the Italians survived.\nIn the final, they outlasted France, which underwent a renaissance of its own in the last month. The French controlled the flow of play, only to fail to finish through 120 minutes.\nTheir only goal, Zidane's penalty kick in the seventh minute, was the lone score by an Italy opponent in seven games.\nBut the Italians put the ball into the net 12 minutes later on Materazzi's header off a corner kick. And then they held on in a game marked by sloppiness\nand venom.\nThis was hardly artistic on either side, and rarely did Italy threaten over the final 75 minutes. But the Azzurri ignored recent history, they lost a quarterfinal shootout to France in 1998, when Les Bleus went on to their only championship.\nAndrea Pirlo, Materazzi, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero all easily beat France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez in the shootout. The difference was the miss by rarely used David Trezeguet, which hit the crossbar on France's second attempt.\nWhen Grosso connected with his left foot, the sliver of Italian fans in the opposite corner of Olympic Stadium finally could let out their breath, and screams of victory.\nOn the trophy stand, amid hugs and slaps on the back, Materazzi placed a red, white and green top hat on the Jules Rimet Trophy. Captain Fabio Cannavaro then held it high as cameras flashed everywhere. An impromptu Tarantella by the players followed as silver confetti fluttered around them.\nIt was, by far, the prettiest sight of the night.\nWith a 25-game unbeaten streak dating back nearly two years, the Italians added this title to their championships in 1934, 1938 and '82, when another match-fixing investigation plagued Serie A.\nThe hero then in Spain was striker Paolo Rossi, fresh off a two-year suspension for his role in match-fixing. This time, there were a dozen stars and a coach, Marcello Lippi, who seemed to make all the right moves.\nItaly won its first-round group over the higher-ranked United States and Czech Republic, and Ghana. Then it beat Australia on a controversial penalty in the second-half extra time that Francesco Totti converted.\nIt routed Ukraine 3-0 before depressing the host nation with two stunning goals in the final minutes of extra time for a semifinal win over Germany.
(07/10/06 5:02am)
The Wimbledon men's and women's singles finals were both sequels to already well-publicized rivalries, making the weekend a must-see for tennis fans and a must-win for the players involved. Though neither of my favorites won (actually, they pretty much choked under the pressure), the finals raised (and answered) one nagging question that has plagued each side of the tour: Who deserves to be No. 1?\nIn the women's final Saturday, former No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne faced current No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in a rematch of their controversial Australian Open final earlier this year. At the Aussie, Henin-Hardenne retired because of a mysterious illness after losing the first set, thus taking the glory away from her opponent's first Slam title. At Wimbledon, Henin-Hardenne was trying to complete her own Career Slam after tearing through to the final round of the only Grand Slam she has not won. (She also knocked out current No. 2 Kim Clijsters in the process.) Mauresmo felt she had to beat Henin-Hardenne to prove she could beat the former best in the world and validate her No. 1 ranking. Mauresmo struggled from being down a set to mentally and physically wear down her opponent 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. \nRanking validated -- for now. The usually tough-as-nails Henin-Hardenne looked like she went on a mental vacation for the last part of the match, so maybe it just wasn't her day. (Translation: She choked, which I, along with other fans and the annoying NBC commentators, found quite odd.) In any case, this rivalry -- and potential battle for the No. 1 spot -- will no doubt be something to watch again at the U.S. Open.\nUnfortunately, Rafael Nadal, current No. 1 Roger Federer's archrival, met with the same fate, though he choked at the beginning of the match. But Federer's path to the trophy was not pleasant, to say the least, as Nadal stretched the match to four sets and fought Federer's forehand till the end. \nThe fact that Nadal, an expert clay-courter, adjusted so well (and so quickly) to the grass and got to the Wimbledon final on only his third appearance at the tournament surprised fans (and a haughty Federer, who admitted his shock after the final). In fact, his run to the final only solidified his dominance in the men's game even though he eventually lost, which was probably the opposite of what Federer wanted to happen. \nFor almost three years, Federer unquestionably dominated the men's tennis world, making seemingly capable opponents look like amateurs with each swing of his racket. Now that Nadal has come along and put a stop to his domination (even after the Wimbledon final, Nadal leads their meetings 6-2 and Federer's four losses this year have all been to Nadal), Federer seems to say "I hate this kid" with every swing of his racket. And for once, in Sue Barker's on-court interview with the champ after the final, her questions weren't swirling around Federer's performance, but mainly focused on Nadal's skills and the future of their rivalry. This obviously irritated Federer, who's used to hearing nothing but compliments and awe about his own game.\nIn fact, a lot of the hype surrounding this match wasn't due to the records that could be broken (Federer won his fourth consecutive Wimbledon, thus landing him amongst tennis greats, like Pete Sampras, who accomplished the same feat), but instead it was fueled by the undeniable fact that perhaps Federer no longer deserves his No. 1 ranking because of Nadal's frequent dominance over him and many other players. \nAnd this got me thinking. Could Nadal be better on grass than Federer is on clay, thus making him the more complete player? Inspired by this thought, I decided to do some digging on the ATP Web site and uncovered some interesting statistics. \nThough Federer has played almost three times as many Wimbledon tournaments as Nadal, he has had three first-round exits in contrast to Nadal's zero. That's right, a guy who grew up on clay has never lost in the first round of Wimbledon. In fact, he made it to the third round on his first try and beat some notable opponents, including Mario Ancic, in the process. And this year, he made it to the quarterfinals at the Queen's Club warm-up tournament (also on grass) before making it to the Wimbledon final.\nIn his eight tries at the French Open, Federer's play has been slightly streaky. His varied success includes three first-round losses (not consecutively), a third round loss, a quarterfinal loss and semi-final and final losses to Nadal. Nadal won the French on his first try and this year defended his title in his second appearance. \nSo, I would like to posit that after all the skeptics poo-pooed Nadal's dream of winning Wimbledon, he has proven that he can do it, and that he might be more likely to win a Wimbledon title than Federer is to win a French. \nAs for the upcoming U.S. Open, I say Nadal has the better chance, even if he does encounter Federer again. After all, he does hold a 2-1 hard court record against Federer, so that means -- to my personal delight -- he might be derailing the "Federer Express" once again.
(07/03/06 1:35am)
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The New Orleans Hornets made the first splash of the NBA's free-agent signing period, agreeing to terms Saturday with three-time All-Star Peja Stojakovic.\nStojakovic, who last week opted to become a free agent instead of continue playing for Indiana, will sign a five-year deal worth about $64 million with the Hornets, said his agent, David Bauman.\nBauman said Stojakovic will sign as soon as the NBA's moratorium ends next week. NBA teams were allowed to begin negotiating with free agents on Saturday but cannot officially sign players until July 12.\n"The Hornets are setting their cap room aside for Peja, and Peja is taking himself off the market," Bauman said.\nStojakovic is one of the league's most prolific outside shooters, having hit 40 percent from 3-point range over his eight-year career. He and Seattle's Ray Allen are the only two NBA players to make at least 100 3-pointers in each of the past seven seasons.\nHornets general manager Jeff Bower was the first executive to call about Stojakovic after the negotiating period opened, Bauman said.\n"The nature of NBA free agency is such that the faster you move, the faster you get what you want," Bauman said.\nBower, in a statement, confirmed that the Hornets intend to sign Stojakovic once the NBA-mandated moratorium ends. He declined further comment, citing league rules.\nAfter playing his first seven seasons with Sacramento, the Kings dealt Stojakovic to Indiana in a midseason trade for Ron Artest. He averaged 19.5 points and shot 46 percent from the field in 40 games with the Pacers but then missed four of Indiana's six playoff games against the New Jersey Nets with a right knee injury. The Pacers lost each game he didn't play.
(07/03/06 1:35am)
Three months. \nThat was my age when Andre Agassi played his first pro tennis event in February 1986. I'm now four months from my 21st birthday and I've watched Agassi play tennis for my entire life. He has become a hero to me and so many in my tennis generation, as well as a favorite of older and younger tennis enthusiasts alike.\nSo you can imagine that after our beloved Andre announced his retirement last Saturday on the lawns of Wimbledon, a rough week followed for tennis fans like me.\nI don't think I'll ever forget the moment I found out about Agassi's retirement. \nLate last Sunday evening I returned home to Bloomington after spending several days in California with my boyfriend. I was tired, jet-lagged and crashed immediately. Monday morning I awakened at noon to my mom standing in the doorway of my room holding a printout of an article about Agassi's retirement. While frolicking in the Golden State I somehow missed the sorrowful announcement he had made just two days earlier. I was heartbroken.\nMy mom placed the article on my desk, but I kept hoping that it was only a dream. I decided that if I closed my eyes again I'd wake up and be on the plane home, looking out the window as the rather large lady next to me snacked on my share of the whale-shaped cheese crackers the airline passed out to passengers. But when I re-opened my eyes I was still in my room clinging to my pillow. There was no plane, no fat lady and no whale crackers. And though I had to face the reality that Andre had retired, I refused to read the article, hoping that it would make the announcement seem less official.\nThe next day Agassi played his first match at Wimbledon. I sat on the couch eating a Pop-Tart and watched as Agassi made his entrance on Centre Court. The standing ovation the crowd gave him was astounding. In all my years of watching tennis, I've never seen any player so warmly greeted. Agassi was clearly moved, too, as he graciously bowed to his loving audience. \nThen I did something kind of pathetic. I'm not an overly emotional person and I rarely cry, but as I watched Agassi make his first Wimbledon entrance for the last time, I started to cry, right into my Pop-Tart.\nAgassi looked a little shaky during his first match but had visibly improved by his second. Then on Saturday, a week after he had announced his retirement, he had to face Rafael Nadal in his third round match, and my nerves took a turn for the worst.\nAndre is my hero, so of course I rooted for him all the way, but I'm also a huge Nadal fan. Both players came out ready to go, Andre sporting a necklace his son made for him with lettered beads spelling "Daddy Rocks" (perhaps the most concise and accurate way anyone has ever come up with to summarize Agassi's greatness), and Nadal sprinting and jumping around the court.\nEventually, Nadal got the better of Agassi, winning 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-4. At the end of the match, Nadal and Agassi both consented to a joint on-court interview. Nadal was very respectful and talked about what an honor it was to play Agassi at his last Wimbledon while Andre quietly wiped away tears with his wristband. And then I started to cry, AGAIN (but at least there was no Pop-Tart to catch my tears this time). Andre thanked the crowd for its support over the years, even though after his first-round loss in his 1987 Wimbledon debut he remarked that he couldn't play on grass and didn't want to come back. But then I guess the crowd -- and the world -- eventually fell in love with him after his 1992 Wimbledon victory; his first of eight Grand Slam titles.\nThough he lost to Nadal, I can't help feeling a little inspired by what I saw from him during the match. He was still pounding groundstrokes and serves at Nadal. He was aggressive and he talked to himself for motivation. It was also the first time in a long time that he didn't go limping off the court after a match (he has hip and back problems, one of the main reasons he's retiring). So if he can hang with the world's No. 2, who frequently beats the world's No. 1 (Roger Federer), that must mean he still has some good tennis left in his 36-year-old body, and that gives me hope that he'll do some damage in the tournaments leading up to the U.S. Open, which will be his last hurrah.\nMaybe I'm being too optimistic, but I desperately want Agassi to have a fitting sendoff, like that of Pete Sampras. (Sampras beat Agassi in the 2002 U.S. Open final, the last match he ever played. Oddly enough, I cried at the end of that match, too.) Even though he was a rebel in his younger days, Agassi has given so much to the game. He's one of only five men to possess all four Grand Slam titles. He has given millions to tennis and education through his charities. And now people refer to him as the spokesperson for the game. I don't know if it will happen, but if there's any way in the tennis world that it's possible, I would love for Agassi to win one last U.S. Open under the New York City lights, and I can guarantee I'm not alone in my tennis fantasy. \nAndre, we'll all be cheering (and maybe crying) for you.
(07/03/06 1:34am)
BUEHLERTAL, Germany -- David Beckham quit as England captain Sunday, the morning after his team went out in the World Cup quarterfinals on penalties to Portugal.\nA tearful Beckham, wearing the England team tracksuit, read a statement to a crowded news conference at England's training camp, stressing that he wanted to continue playing for England.\n"I have lived the dream," he said. "I am extremely proud to have worn the armband and been captain of England and for that, I will always be grateful."\nFirst capped at 21 against Moldova in September 1996, Beckham was named captain for the first time by caretaker coach Peter Taylor for a friendly in Italy. He took over the captaincy permanently from Alan Shearer, who retired after the 2000 European Championship.\nOn Sunday, Beckham said he felt "the time is right to pass on the armband as we enter in a new era" under new coach Steve McClaren, who is taking over as England coach from Sven-Goran Eriksson.\nBeckham, 31, has been captain for 58 of his 94 England caps. He said he had decided "some time ago" to quit as captain after this World Cup, his third.\nLiverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard or Chelsea defender John Terry are most likely to take over as captain. Both are captains for their Premier League clubs.\nBeckham has been England's most famous soccer player for nearly a decade, first for his romance with pop star Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls, then for helping Manchester United win the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League in 1999.\nHis celebrity grew to encompass his professional and personal life. "Posh and Becks" became Britain's biggest celebrity couple, even when he moved to Spain's Real Madrid in 2003.\nHis trademark curling free kicks even inspired the name of the popular 2003 movie "Bend It Like Beckham."\nOn Saturday, he left the field with a leg injury in the 52nd minute. England played for almost an hour with 10 men after Wayne Rooney was given a red card, but held the Portuguese to 0-0 after 120 minutes.\nBeckham could not participate in the penalty shootout, which Portugal won 3-1.\n"This decision has been the most difficult of my career to date," he said. "It has been an honor and a privilege to have captained our country and I want to stress that I wish to continue to play for England and look forward to helping both the new captain and Steve McClaren in any way I can."\nHe said he wrote his statement late Saturday night; after reading it he walked out immediately, to loud applause.\nBeckham's first World Cup in 1998 was marred by his red card against Argentina in the second round. That game went to penalties and England lost.\nIn 2002, Beckham broke a bone in his foot in the leadup to the World Cup. He played every match but wasn't 100 percent and England lost to Brazil in the quarterfinals.\nBeckham said the squad was devastated by another quarterfinal exit, this time in Germany.\n"Both myself and all the players regret that and are hurt by that more than people realize," he said.
(06/26/06 2:43am)
The Indy Racing League and Champ Car have taken important steps toward unifying the two open-wheel series of American racing.\nChamp Car World Series boss Kevin Kalkhoven told The Associated Press on Sunday there is no written agreement, although the two sides have reached an understanding. He said there are many issues to resolve, but he is "very optimistic" the deal can be completed.\nThe Indianapolis Star on Sunday said the parties have an "ownership sharing agreement," although Kalkhoven characterized developments to the AP as "more a progress report than anything else."\nIRL founder and chief executive Tony George told the Star: "We've agreed conceptually (to share ownership). Now we have to agree on how we would go about resolving differences that might come up."\nKalkhoven agreed that finding a way to settle disagreements is critical.\nHe said one possibility discussed is choosing a person to arbitrate these differences or be the deciding vote. Among the names reportedly brought up are Roger Penske, and IRL team owner and one of the founders of Champ Car's predecessor, CART; and longtime CART star Mario Andretti.\n"Obviously, we need some kind of tiebreaker," Kalkhoven said. "We've had suggestions on both sides, but nothing has been resolved at this point."\nKalkhoven also said he supports an idea put forward by IRL president Brian Barnhardt suggesting that the IRL and Champ Car could run separate races at the same venue once or twice next season.\nKalkhoven, a Champ Car team owner and co-owner of the series that was racing in Cleveland on Sunday, remains "very optimistic that we can get this done."\n"What it means, though, is we have a lot of agreements on a lot of issues and there are still a lot of issues to resolve," Kalkhoven added.\nAmong the things yet to be decided: Which races survive a merger? What chassis and engine combination a unified series would run? Who would run day-to-day operations.\n"The good news is that Tony and I talking," Kalkhoven said. "And, as I've said from the start, doing it right is more important than just getting it done."\nAlso, Kalkhoven and Champ Car president Steve Johnson have said the 2007 schedule will leave free time in May for any Champ Car teams or drivers to compete in the IRL's Indianapolis 500.\nThe IRL began competition in 1996, starting a damaging split in the open-wheel world that cut into an already diminished fan base and sinking TV ratings, as well as scaring away big-money sponsors. Both sides have struggled since, with CART eventually sinking into bankruptcy and being resurrected in 2004 as Champ Car.\nThere have been several previous attempts by representatives of both sides to negotiate some kind of peace or merger, but none has succeeded. The latest talks began in December when Kalkhoven and George had a chance meeting and began developing a friendship and dialogue.\n"We have had some face-to-face meetings but, mostly, we stay in contact by telephone and e-mail and we continue to have a very good relationship," Kalkhoven said.
(06/26/06 2:38am)
Andre Agassi's voice wavered and his eyes welled up. After years of dealing with injuries, after months of contemplation, he finally spoke the words he knew he had to, at the place he knew he had to.\nTurning what was expected to be a routine pre-Wimbledon news conference into something significant, Agassi announced Saturday he will retire after this year's U.S. Open, leaving tennis after two decades during which he collected a career Grand Slam and morphed from an "Image Is Everything" youngster to elder statesman.\n"It's been a lot of sacrifices the last few months, trying to get myself right to come back here and enjoy this tournament for the last time," said Agassi, who has played only one match the past three months because of back trouble.\n"It's been a long road this year for me, and for a lot of reasons. It's great to be here. This Wimbledon will be my last, and the U.S. Open will be my last tournament."\nThe 36-year-old American is seeded 25th at the All England Club, where play begins Monday. He intends to enter as many as four hard-court events between Wimbledon and the Open, in what will amount to a farewell tour for one of the most popular and successful tennis players in history.\n"He'll go down as one of the guys who changed our sport in a lot of ways, not only the way he played the game, but also the way that he conducted himself on and off the court," 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt said. "There's not too many more recognizable people in tennis. The sport probably owes a lot to him."\nAgassi said he made up his mind a few months ago to leave at the end of 2006, but he wanted to make it public at the All England Club, where he won his first Grand Slam title. So there he sat Saturday, choking up, discussing his decision.\nA magician at the baseline and one of the game's greatest returners, Agassi has won 60 singles titles. That includes eight at Grand Slam tournaments; he's one of only five men with at least one championship at each. His rivalry with Pete Sampras helped boost tennis' popularity in the 1990s; Agassi is the last active player from their tremendous generation of American men, a group that also included major champions Jim Courier and Michael Chang.\n"Andre announcing his retirement is truly the end of an era. He was one of the best players I competed against and, in turn, made me a better player," said Sampras, who went 20-14 against Agassi, including a win in the 2002 U.S. Open final, Sampras' final match. "His longevity and desire to compete at the highest level have been remarkable. He has brought a huge amount to our sport and will be missed."\nAgassi has won more than $30 million in prize money and collected millions more in endorsement deals; his charitable foundation has raised more than $50 million. The Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy is a charter school for at-risk youth in his hometown of Las Vegas.\n"He's probably the biggest crossover star sports has had, with the effect he has had on the game, and off the court, with kids who really don't even know he played tennis," said Andy Roddick, who grew up watching Agassi's matches on TV and then looked to him for advice on tour.\n"When I was first coming up, the way he was a mentor, he really helped me," Roddick said.\nFrom rebel to sage, huh?\n"I don't think there's one bad thing you can say about the guy," said 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova. "I mean, that guy is just a champion. It's amazing to still have someone around that's achieved so much and that's done so much for the sport"
(06/21/06 10:57pm)
The Big Ten Conference created its own cable channel to showcase its athletic teams and reached a new 10-year deal with ABC Sports and ESPN.\nThe Big Ten Channel, created in partnership with Fox Cable Networks, will launch in August 2007, conference commissioner James E. Delany said Wednesday.\n"It will be a destination for all things Big Ten," he said.\nThe Big Ten's 10-year agreement with ABC and ESPN involves football, men's and women's basketball and volleyball.\nABC and ESPN will carry up to 42 Big Ten football games and ESPN's networks will carry about 60 men's basketball games each season, including games on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Games broadcast regionally by ABC will be cablecast by ESPN or ESPN2 to other markets in the country.\nESPN will carry 100 women's basketball and volleyball games over the 10-year period, including the championship games of the Big Ten women's basketball Tournament.\nThe Big Ten Channel, which involves Fox Cable Networks as a minority owner, will be available to satellite and cable distributors nationwide and through the Internet, i-Pods, cell phones and other technologies. DirecTV will offer the channel on its Total Choice package.\n"This agreement, among the most expansive ever, reinforces our position as the No. 1 college sports destination," said George Bodenheimer, president of ABC Sports and ESPN.\nThe new cable channel also will carry soccer, tennis, swimming and diving and wrestling.\nThe channel will allow for 660 hours of non-sports programs produced annually by the 11-member institutions.
(06/21/06 10:56pm)
DALLAS -- The Miami Heat stretched their arms across each other's shoulders in a jubilant group hug. Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and their frenzied teammates joined to form one jumping organism, 15 strong, as their motivational slogan goes.\nThe Heat won their first championship with teamwork that went beyond the floor. While the Dallas Mavericks struggled to stay together during tough times in the NBA finals, the Heat stuck to each other through the trophy presentation, when 15 hands went up together to touch a piece of history.\nWade led Miami's sizzling comeback from a two-game deficit in the finals, and he had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the Heat's clinching 95-92 victory on Tuesday night. But the unanimous finals MVP said Miami's fourth straight win was a wonder of tenacity and teamwork for a roster that seized one big opportunity to make history.\n"This team was built for the playoffs, and we understood that," Wade said. "That's what makes it sweet, because not at one moment did one of us not believe in each other. No matter what, in the locker room, it was always 15 strong."\nWade's brilliance and just enough help from his teammates allowed O'Neal and coach Pat Riley to make good on their promises of a championship for South Florida. The parade should go down Biscayne Boulevard, just as Riley promised 11 years ago.\nWade cemented his superstardom with a dominant four-game performance capped by four pressure-packed, final-minute free throws in the same building where Miami went down two games to none.\nYet he missed a pair of foul shots in the waning seconds with Miami up by three points, giving Dallas a final shot to tie. Jason Terry missed an open 3-pointer, and Wade grabbed the rebound and flung it joyously into the stands as time expired.\nWhere there's a Wade, there's a will. His grace added a fifth ring to Riley's finger, third-most among NBA coaches, and the first jewelry in Shaq's collection with no connection to Kobe Bryant.\n"I know to be on a championship-caliber team, you've got to have a great one-two punch," said O'Neal, who had nine points and 12 rebounds while finishing a 14-for-48 performance on free throws in the finals.\n"D-Wade is a fabulous player. I felt we could have got it done last year ... but we had to suffer a little bit. People doubted us all year, but we're a tight-knit group."\nAnd the Heat's roster is studded with stars who never won a title. Point guard Gary Payton reached the finals with three teams over 16 seasons before finally grabbing the ring, while Alonzo Mourning played through 13 seasons, two retirements and a serious kidney ailment for a championship.\nAntoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey, Udonis Haslem, all endured serious career troubles, and now they're all champions, too.\nThe Heat became the first team to rally from an 0-2 deficit to win the finals since the NBA went to its 2-3-2 format. Only two other teams ever did it: The Boston Celtics in 1969, and the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977.\nMiami nursed a narrow lead, taking an 89-85 advantage with 2:36 left on two jumpers by Posey. Jerry Stackhouse cut it to a point with a 3-pointer in his first game back from suspension, but after Haslem and Josh Howard traded jumpers, Wade hit two free throws with 26 seconds left.\nErick Dampier then fumbled a pass on Dallas' next possession, and Wade fought to get the loose ball. He hit two more free throws with 17.7 seconds to play, but after Howard hit a pair, Wade missed two with 10.3 seconds left.\nBut Terry missed that open 3-pointer, the last of 11 straight misses, and the final disappointment in the Mavs' otherwise remarkable season.\n"We made a lot of progress this year," said Dallas' Avery Johnson, the NBA's coach of the year who endured his first four-game losing streak at a terrible time.\n"We aimed high this year, and I told them that a lot of teams have to go through this. This will really hurt this summer. I hope they work out hard, make me a better coach. I'm ready to try it again."\nRiley, who won his first ring since 1988, claimed he never considered the possibility Miami wouldn't finish with four straight wins.\n"I packed one suit, one shirt and one tie," he said before the game. "That's it"
(06/19/06 3:55am)
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Even without 7-foot Mr. Basketball Greg Oden in the lineup, Indiana rolled past Kentucky 90-74 Saturday night in the first game of the annual Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Classic.\nOden, the national player of the year and an Ohio State signee, pulled out of the two-game series earlier this week because of a wrist injury, which required surgery that was performed Friday.\nLuke Harangody filled in for Oden at center, scoring 16 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds to lead Indiana. The Notre Dame signee from Andrean High spearheaded Indiana's 65-35 edge in rebounding for Indiana.\n"Luke did a tremendous job on the boards. I was really proud of the way he played on defense," said Indiana coach Chris Benedict of Columbia City.\n"I definitely had some real big shoes to fill, and I had some great guys backing me up," Harangody said.\nChris Kramer, who is bound for Purdue, scored 15 points on seven of 11 shooting. Vaughn Duggins, who is headed to Wright State, came off the bench to score 15 as well for Indiana.\nOhio State signee Mike Conley, a high school teammate of Oden's at state champion Lawrence North, added 12 points.\nKentucky struggled from the outset, falling behind by 20 points in the first half and never getting closer than seven points the rest of the way.\n"When you look at the stat sheet, it's surprising that we even played them to a 16-point game," said Kentucky coach Tim Riley of Warren East in Bowling Green.\nA.J. Slaughter, who is headed to Western Kentucky, got a head start on his future home court at Diddle Arena by pacing Kentucky with 21 points.\nSlaughter was the only Kentucky player to reach double figures in the game. Kentucky made just 24 of 64 shots from the floor and just 17 of 35 free throws.\nThe two teams play a rematch Saturday night in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse.
(06/15/06 12:04am)
PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger's broken jaw did not have to be wired shut, a factor that could hasten his recovery from his scary motorcycle accident, and the Steelers quarterback got out of his hospital bed Wednesday to talk with teammates and family members.\nRoethlisberger's doctors said a second round of tests again showed no brain injuries, although he has a concussion. Initial CT scans taken shortly after Roethlisberger's motorcycle collided with a car at a busy Pittsburgh intersection Monday morning also showed no apparent problems.\n"The results of this second and final scan confirm our previous findings that Mr. Roethlisberger has suffered no brain injury," said Dr. Larry Jones, the chief of Mercy Hospital's trauma unit.\nBecause Roethlisberger's multiple facial fractures, broken nose and broken upper and lower jaw are being held in place by screws and 2-inch titanium plates, he can eat soft foods, and not be restricted to liquids during an estimated six to eight week recovery period.\n"We take a titanium plate, bend it and adapt it to the contours of the facial bones and then secure it in place with screws," surgeon Daniel Pituch said. "This kind of state-of-the-art technology allowed us to successfully treat Mr. Roethlisberger's facial fractures."\nAs a result, the 240-pound Roethlisberger probably won't lose as much weight as he would have on an all-liquid diet. The Steelers have not given a timetable for his return, but they are optimistic he will be ready for their Sept. 7 opener against Miami.\nOne of the team's concerns was how long Roethlisberger would need to regain his weight and strength after being unable to work out for what might be an extended period.
(06/12/06 2:32am)
This was one doozy of a retirement party for Bernard Hopkins.\nThe star middleweight ended his boxing career after 18 years and 52 fights with a storybook finish, an upset of light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver.\n"I'm done, I'm done, I'm done," he said. "I don't need to risk anything else."\nHe risked plenty Saturday.\nAt 41, coming off back-to-back losses, he jumped two weight classes to take on the 175-pound champion in hopes of doing what his idol Sugar Ray Robinson couldn't, win a light heavyweight title.\nThe big night for Hopkins started when his sisters, wife and teachers were brought into the ring in a tribute before a video about his career played on the scoreboard. A who's who of Hollywood and pro sports watched from ringside, with announced spectators including Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Edgerrin James, Queen Latifah and Julius Erving.\nAsked by HBO if he would consider coming back for a $20 million payday, Hopkins replied: "I might come out of my grave for that kind of money."\nBut the fighter, who got his start in boxing while in prison and held the middleweight title for 11 years and finished with a flourish, insisted later he was definitely calling it a career.\n"I did what I said I was going to do," he said. "I wanted to make history, then move up and fight the winner of Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver. And although I had to fight Taylor one extra time, that's what happened."\nA 3-1 underdog, Hopkins thwarted Tarver's jab, attacked him with combinations whenever he tried to get close and controlled the tempo from the opening bell.\nHopkins started slowly in his two losses to Jermain Taylor last year, and was determined not to let that happen again. When the bell rang, he bolted from his corner and met Tarver in the middle of the ring, unleashing a flurry of punches before referee Benjy Estevez separated them.\nIt was a sign of things to come.\nPestering Tarver like a gnat, Hopkins forced the action and never stood still long enough for Tarver to connect on one of his signature left crosses.\n"I felt like in the first round, something was wrong," said Tarver (24-4). "I did not have any answers."\nTarver, who'd agreed to pay $250,000 to a charity of Hopkins' choosing if he didn't knock him out in five rounds or less, needed a miracle in the fifth to avoid paying off. He didn't get it.\nInstead, he was the one who went down.\nAfter missing Hopkins with a right, Hopkins (48-4-1) countered with a right lead that caught Tarver flush in the face, knocking him backward. \nEstevez ruled it a knockdown because Tarver's left glove touched the canvas as he struggled to stay on his feet.\nIn the seventh, the pro-Hopkins crowd of 10,200 at Boardwalk Hall broke into shouts of "B-Hop! B-Hop! B-Hop!"\nHopkins stayed in control in the later rounds, waiting for Tarver to swing and then unleashing five- and six-punch combinations as he chased him across the ring.\n"Tarver definitely is a good puncher," said Hopkins. "I can see why he knocked out Roy (Jones), but I never really gave him a clean target to land his punch."\nBy the end, Tarver's right eye was nearly swollen shut, and the other one didn't look much better.\nThe 37-year-old Tarver, who had bulked up to 210 while serving as Sylvester Stallone's on-screen opponent for the upcoming final installment of the "Rocky" series, looked listless and lost. \nEven when it became clear he'd need a knockout to win, he remained tentative.\n"I hope people got their money's worth," he said.
(06/12/06 2:19am)
Times Square won't be packed with soccer fans watching movie theater-sized screens. Americans won't be shouldering each other out of the way for a better view of TVs in shop windows.\nThe World Cup might be the Super Bowl, Final Four and Olympics rolled into one for just about everyone else. To the U.S. sporting public, it's ho-hum.\nSo when the United States, coming off a run to the quarterfinals four years ago, faces the Czech Republic on Monday (noon EDT), life won't come to a standstill in the 50 states.\nThat doesn't mean the game should be ignored. Hardly, with the Czechs ranked second in the world by FIFA and the Americans standing fifth.\n"Today the world of soccer, or football, is shrinking," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "You have players from all these countries in this tournament that play for big clubs that are much more experienced, and they bring those experiences to their national team."\nThat includes a slew of Americans, particularly stars Landon Donovan, Kasey Keller and DaMarcus Beasley. The core of the U.S. team has been together for most of this decade and has become a formidable foe.\n"It's a good, complex squad with no weak point. They play fast soccer. We've seen what they're capable of," Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky said.\nIn the 2002 World Cup, the Americans upset Portugal in their opener, catapulting them toward the second round. Now, with Italy and Ghana also in their group, the Americans can't afford to slip in their opener.\nThen again, neither can the Czechs, who have been plagued by a series of injuries, including Rosicky's thigh problem.\n"In this tournament, the first step is one of the most important," he said. "If we win, we'll be just one step, or victory, from advancing."\nMonday's other two games feature Italy vs. Ghana at Hanover, and Australia vs. Japan at Kaiserslautern.\nThings got juicy heading toward the Australia-Japan match when Guus Hiddink, the Aussies' Dutch coach, complained about accusations his team plays dirty.\n"I'm getting very angry when people are suggesting that," Hiddink said. "We have a good team. They like to fight. Every team must fight in my opinion."\nA Japanese Football Association official criticized Australia's physical style in a newspaper report. Hiddink said such talk reflected "irresponsible behavior toward our team and the sport in general."\n"And I think that's not fair," Hiddink said. "You should play fair at the beginning."\nThe Socceroos, in their first World Cup since 1974, have a reputation for hard tackles, which was reinforced in a 1-1 draw in a warmup game with the Netherlands.\n"We're very competitive people," captain Mark Viduka said. "We like to win and we will never pull out of a tackle. But it doesn't mean that we go out to hurt people. I think it's a lot of hype made up so people can write articles."\nJapan, making its third straight World Cup appearance, hopes its experience will provide a boost.\n"We have a lot players here who were around four years ago and that should help," said defender Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, who was team captain when Japan co-hosted the event with South Korea and made the second round. "But this is a completely different atmosphere from last time."\nGhana has no such reference points as it makes its World Cup debut. The Africans have recent warmup victories against Jamaica and South Korea _ but neither of those opponents compare with three-time World Cup champion Italy.\nCaptain Stephen Appiah said he relished the thought of playing against former Juventus teammates and Italy coach Marcelo Lippi.\n"I played in Italy for eight years, so this is a special game for me," he said.\n"This means so much for Ghana and its population of 20 million ... We didn't just come to participate but to make surprises."\nSuccess against Italy would be a stunner, although the Italians could be distracted by a soccer scandal involving gambling and match-fixing back home. They've vowed not to let that happen.\n"Our duty at this World Cup and for Italian soccer in general is very important," Alessandro Del Piero said. "But it's not fair to expect this team to resolve all the problems"
(06/08/06 12:21am)
It's almost an understatement to say racism has grown taboo in the United States. In fact, one might even venture to say that our nation is making significant strides to move beyond it. Our sports leagues are no different. Making even the slightest insinuation about a black athlete's natural abilities usually results in instant career suicide for a coach or announcer.\nBut across the Atlantic Ocean an entirely different world exists, and as the World Cup draws nearer, our nation might be in for a culture shock -- or world shock, I guess. But the situation is more familiar to us than we think.\nInternational soccer is no stranger to incident, but racial discrimination is much more prevalent than it has ever been. This past April, U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu -- who is black -- was throwing the ball in for his Belgium club team when an opposing fan punched him in the face. Onlookers had been making racial gestures toward him all game.\nPlayers of color are often even pelted with bananas and subjected to monkey noises, gestures and other racial slurs. The most famous instance came last November in Italy when Ivory Coast defender Marc Zoro picked up the ball and threatened to leave the field after racist jeers from opposing fans brought him to tears. The scene sparked a debate about racism in soccer, which didn't solve much, as Zoro heard the same chants when his Messina club squad returned to Milan the following spring.\nAnd the World Cup looks to be no different as German anti-racism groups are warning non-white visitors against venturing out of Berlin to rural areas. Reports of muggings and thefts are already making the news.\nTo ward off this racist sentiment, FIFA is instituting regulations that will deduct game points from teams exhibiting on-field racist behavior. The rules, however, won't accomplish anything because they do not apply to fans in the stands, where most of the incidents occur.\nFIFA officials needn't worry, though, because this racism will work itself out. Now, I'm not saying racism should ever be ignored, endorsed or upheld in any way, but this dark era will become just that -- a time period the sport moves beyond. For proof, just look in our own backyard.\nThis recent racist influx is the result of traditionally all-white club teams containing non-white players, who aren't just bench warmers but are often marquee players, as in Zoro's case. This is very similar to what happened with our own national pastime about a half-century ago, when Branch Rickey began signing black players into Dodger uniforms. And now, about sixty years later, baseball is one of the most diverse sports, heavily featuring players who are black, Hispanic and even Japanese. \nInternational soccer is currently in the same state as baseball in the mid-20th century. Coaches, players and, most notably, fans are having to cope with the fact that their sport is changing. And much like baseball, soccer is a sport of near-sacredness to which countries often attach pride, which makes watching its complexion change a tough task for them. \nAgain, I'm not saying racism is at all justified or excusable, but the sport will mature beyond this period and some good will come out of it all. Somewhere in Europe, a 12-year-old black kid is aspiring to be the next Zoro, who will -- along with his counterparts -- be viewed in the same heroic light as Jackie Robinson. The sport will mature from being their sport to being everyone's sport. And who knows? Maybe even Americans will start caring.
(06/06/06 1:46pm)
IU star wide receiver James Hardy appeared in Allen County Court today to set up his August 23 trial, where he will face hearings on his two class A misdemeanor crimes. \nThe two charges against Hardy stem from a May 16 incident involving his girlfriend, Kyra Nolan, and their infant son. Hardy is being charged with domestic battery and interfering with the reporting of a crime. \nThe pretrial hearings are set for June 13 and July 17. Hardy must be present for both hearings. \nIn the first pretrial hearing, Hardy and his defense attorney Randy Hammond will attempt to lift the no-contact order currently restricting contact between Hardy and Nolan.\n"We filed a motion asking the court to modify Mr. Hardy's pre-trial release," Hammond said. "We are requesting the court to eliminate the no-contact order." \nIn Indiana, a no-contact order is designed to protect a victim from the perpetrator in any violent crime. In this case, Hardy is legally required to have no contact with Nolan for the entire criminal proceedings. Violation of the order results in revocation of bond. \n"The court does this fairly routinely," Hammond said. \nThe first pretrial hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. June 13 in Allen County Court. Hammond described the pretrial meeting as a, "brief hearing, just on the issue." \nHardy was arrested the night of the incident after police responded to a 911 call placed from his girlfriend's home. According to court documents, Nolan was found with reddish marks on her back and neck and her shirt was torn. \nOriginally, Hardy told the police at the scene that he had not been physical with Nolan. But later Hardy confessed to pushing Nolan after she, "got into his face," according to the court documents. \nHardy was released from the Allen County jail on $1,500 bond. The bond was set for $750 for the domestic battery charge and an additional $750 for interfering with the reporting of a crime. \nThere is still no word on whether the court proceedings and charges will have any affect on Hardy's future at IU. \nPete Rhoda, director of IU athletic media relations, said there was no further information available at this time in regards to Hardy and his football future. \nAlthough he faces problems off the field, in his first year as a Hoosier, Hardy thrived on it. The 6'7" wideout led IU in 2005 with 61 catches for 893 yards and 10 touchdowns. His elite play was recognized when he was selected to the second team all-Big Ten squad.
(06/05/06 2:37am)
PHOENIX -- Avery Johnson put the "D" in Dallas. Then the coach put the Mavericks in the NBA finals for the first time in the franchise's 26-year history.\nDirk Nowitzki shook off an awful start and the Mavericks' defense shut down Phoenix in a second-half comeback, beating the Suns 102-93 Saturday night to win the Western Conference finals 4-2.\nJohnson, the NBA coach of the year in his first full season, focused on adding toughness and defense to a team known as a high-scoring, finesse squad.\n"That's the kind of defense we play under Avery," Nowitzki said, "and it won us the game in the second half."\nMavericks owner Mark Cuban, with the conference trophy perched atop his head like a crown, suddenly found himself in a place he'd never been, finals-bound.\n"For the first time in my life," Cuban said, "I'm speechless."\nNowitzki, coming off a career playoff high 50 points in Game 5, scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half and the Mavericks clinched a series on the road for the third time in three tries in these playoffs.\n"We've been a good road team all season long, we believed in each other," Nowitzki said. "We went through some ups and downs this season, but the playoffs is all about showing heart and playing together."\nDallas opens the NBA finals at home against the Miami Heat Thursday night. It will be a showdown of finals' first-timers, the first time that's happened since Baltimore played Milwaukee in 1971.\n"Going into this season, nobody had Miami and Dallas in the finals," Johnson said. "If you did, you won a lot of money."\nThe Suns, trying to survive a fifth elimination game in the playoffs, appeared well on their way to sending this series back to Dallas for a Game 7: They shot out to a 16-point first-quarter lead and were up by as many as 18 in the second.\nBut the Phoenix offense withered in a flurry of foul trouble, and the Suns fell in the conference finals for the second year in a row.\n"An 18-point lead isn't all it's cracked up to be in a pressure game like this, especially in the first half," Steve Nash, guard for the Suns said.\nDallas outscored the Suns 63-42 in the second half.\n"It took a lot of energy for us to come back," Jason Terry said, "but it took a lot out of them to let us come back, and then we were just full steam ahead."\nJosh Howard added 20 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns and Terry added 17 points, all in the second half. Jerry Stackhouse scored 19 for Dallas.\nBoris Diaw had 30 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Steve Nash added 19 points and nine assists and Shawn Marion 13 points and 11 rebounds. Leandro Barbosa scored 14.\nDallas used a 17-2 outburst to claim its first lead since 2-0, 68-66 on DeSagana Diop's rebound stuff shot with 9:42 remaining. Stackhouse's 3-pointer with 5:01 left put Dallas up 83-77. Howard's 3-pointer at 1:29 clinched it at 93-83.\n"This was a special night for us," Johnson said. "We were so bad in the first half and so good in the second half. The way we turned it on from the middle of the third quarter on into the fourth was incredible."\nAn emotional Suns coach Mike D'Antoni praised the character of his undersized unit, which was shorthanded even before Raja Bell slightly tore a calf muscle in Game 1, then missed the next two games. He played the final three, but was never his old self.\n"Raja is probably the most courageous guy I've ever seen, and he was playing on half a leg," D'Antoni said.\nNash thought the team may have simply worn down, unable to keep up the energy that was so necessary for its success without big Amare Stoudemire, who missed all but three games this season because of knee surgery.\nThe Suns needed seven games to beat the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in the first two rounds, and led at the half in five of the six games against Dallas.\n"I don't know if you can pin it all on fatigue," Nash said, "but I also think it would be ignorant not to say it played a part"
(06/01/06 2:34am)
To be a Hoosier, or not to be a Hoosier, that is Phil Jones' question.\nJones, a 6'10 senior currently attending Laurinburg Prep in North Carolina, told the Indianapolis Star last week that the only thing keeping him from becoming a Hoosier was the formality of some paperwork being processed.\nAfter further review, that may not be the case.\nAfter Jones was interviewed by the Star, he requested the article be e-mailed to him after it was published, according to Terry Hutchens' Hoosier Insider blog on www.indystar.com.\nWhen Jones read the article, which declared his intentions to go to IU, Jones told Scouthoops.com that his college decision was "wide open." He called the article into question, saying "I don't know how the newspaper had quotes from me when I never said those things."\nThe confusion remained Wednesday night with no word from Jones on his basketball future.\nWhen questioned, IU Director of Athletic Media Relations Pete Rhoda said there was, "no official announcement" on Jones. \nSeveral calls were also placed to Billy Reid, the Laurinburg basketball coach, but none of the calls were returned.\nAt one point in time, Jones appeared to be headed to Indiana after his official visit May 13. The visit included Jones playing in several pick-up basketball games with current Hoosier players.\nBut several things have changed since the visit in mid-May.\nCoach Kelvin Sampson was sanctioned for rules infractions by the NCAA while he was across the globe in Kuwait for Operation Hardwood. Jones' friend Larry Davis decided to attend Seton Hall over Indiana. Jones has mentioned Seton Hall as one of his top choices.\nThis year, Jones has attracted a lot of attention from many big time programs across the nation. The forward had supposedly narrowed down his choices to Kentucky, Cincinnati, Connecticut and Seton Hall.\nThe addition of Jones would add some much-needed size to the Hoosiers squad. Listed at 260 lbs., Jones is ranked No. 106 in the 2006 recruiting class by Rivals.com. \nAlthough no official answer has been made public, there have been a few clues dropped revealing Jones' possible intentions.\nOn his MySpace.com profile, under "Big Phil's Schools," Jones lists IU as the school he will attend from 2006-2010. In the same box, Jones lists the "Basketball Team" as his lone club.
