Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:52:31 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sports :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/sports istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us JOHN HOLLINGER http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-redeem-team-wins-basketball-gold/84474/ Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:37:34 EST They came, they saw ... they survived. Though the "Redeem Team" didn't close with the grand flourish some had hoped, the American men's basketball team completed its return to the top of the mountain with a 118–107 triumph over Spain today to win the Olympic gold medal. This game felt like a coronation after the Americans had pulverized all comers to date, but the Spanish team didn't seem to get the script and nearly pulled a shocking upset of a team it had lost to by 37 points in Pool play... RONALD BLUM http://www.nysun.com/sports/major-league-baseball-to-allow-instant-replay/84654/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:03:15 EST Major League Baseball reversed its long-standing opposition to instant replay and will allow umpires to check video on home run calls in series that start Thursday, a person familiar with the announcement told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was authorized before commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement at 5 p.m. today. Three series are scheduled to start Thursday, with Philadelphia at the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota at Oakland and Texas... BOB BAUM http://www.nysun.com/sports/wansiru-first-kenyan-to-win-olympic-mens-marathon/84472/ Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:21:54 EST BEIJING — Samuel Wansiru pulled away over the final few miles Sunday to become the first Kenyan in the storied running history of that nation to win an Olympic marathon. The 21-year-old negotiated the 26.2-mile (42.15-kilometer) course through the Beijing streets in bright morning sunshine in an Olympic record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds. It was just the third marathon for Wansiru, also known as Wanjiru, who twice broke the world half-marathon record last year. Two-time world champion... DOUG FEINBERG http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-womens-basketball-wins-fourth-straight/84473/ Sat, 23 Aug 2008 23:43:12 EST BEIJING (AP) — Lisa Leslie and the American women's basketball team were once again too good for Australia at the Olympics. Leslie capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a fourth straight gold medal scoring 14 points in a 92-65 victory against Australia on Saturday night. She joined former teammate Teresa Edwards as the only basketball players ever to win four gold medals. "It's a blessing for me to be out on this floor, now participating in my fourth Olympics and walking away with a... ERIC SILVERSTADT http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-series-of-debacles-us-looks-for-redemption/84422/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Any American track and field fan, or even the casual viewer of NBC's truncated coverage of the Beijing Olympics, can realize our athletes have offered dismal performances in their individual events. It couldn't get any worse, right? This column should be about sports, but for a moment, it will digress into an obituary notice for the American track and field team. Yesterday, the Americans did finally set a record of epic proportions, an American record never achieved since the modern Olympic... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/third-gold-for-bolt-as-jamaica-wins-relay/84460/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:21:54 EST BEIJING — In yet another mind-boggling display of speed, Usain Bolt set another world record and won another Olympic gold medal, and this time got to share the glory with his Jamaican teammates. Bolt and Asafa Powell blew away the field over the last two legs of the 400-meter relay today, leading Jamaica around the track in 37.10 seconds to break the 16-year-old world record by 0.3 second. Bolt is now 3-for-3 in these Olympic sprints — as in three gold medals and three world records. The bonus... JIMMY GOLEN http://www.nysun.com/sports/americans-rogers-dalhausser-win-volleyball-gold/84456/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:38:16 EST BEIJING — Phil Dalhausser blocked out the score, the sun, and the Brazilian beat that shook the Olympic beach volleyball gold medal game. Then he blocked just about everything else. Dalhausser rejected three straight shots in the decisive set to turn a tight match into a blowout, then did it again on the championship point today to give the Americans the sport's first Olympic gold medal sweep. "I got in a zone, I guess," Dalhausser said. "I blocked it all out. It's just one of those things... MARC NORMANDIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/brewers-cardinals-race-may-come-down-to-wire/84419/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST What once looked like a division that the Chicago Cubs could take easily has instead turned into the most competitive division in baseball, as the National League Central boasts three of the top teams in the league fighting for just two playoff spots. The Milwaukee Brewers were patching up their early-season issues even before acquiring ace C.C. Sabathia from the Indians, and the St. Louis Cardinals have surprised many analysts by hanging on this far, powered by the best lineup in the NL. Now... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/womens-draw-is-sorely-unbalanced/84421/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As United States Tennis Association officials huddled yesterday to correct a minor mistake made during the random selection of the men's draw, Katrina Adams, a Tennis Channel commentator who co-hosted the selection ceremony with former world no. 1 Jim Courier, asked, "Could we redo the seeds for the women, too?" No doubt that USTA officials, CBS television executives, and most fans would like to grant Adams her wish. Of the five women who have the best chance to win this tournament — Venus and... MICHAEL DAVID SMITH http://www.nysun.com/sports/project-119-didnt-work-despite-chinas-gold-lead/84420/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST China is about to accomplish its goal of winning the most gold medals of any nation at the Beijing Olympics. But China's athletes haven't done it the way their state-run athletic program thought they would. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, 119 gold medals were awarded in track and field, swimming, and outdoor water sports. China won only one of those, in perhaps the most obscure track and field event, the women's 20-kilometer race walk. So the Chinese sports program went on a mission to get... NANCY ARMOUR http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-womens-soccer-team-grabs-gold/84368/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:03:08 EST BEIJING — Outplayed and overwhelmed for most of the night, the Americans got the only shot they needed. Olympic champions, once again. Carli Lloyd scored in the sixth minute of extra time tonight, Hope Solo bailed out her teammates time and again, and America beat Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal in women's soccer for a third time in four Olympics. As the final whistle sounded, the Americans charged across the field, hugging anyone in sight. Someone handed out flags, and several players took... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/even-in-their-10th-us-open-the-sisters-are-ones/84424/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST We had it all wrong. The Williams sisters, everyone thought, weren't much interested in tennis. The game was too easy, they were too far ahead of everyone else, they had better things to do. They would retire young, pack up their rackets, and spend the rest of their days designing dresses and making movies as they lived off their many millions in endorsements. "They gave a lot to the game," we all expected to say, "but they could have given it more." What sadder story is there in sports than... JIMMY GOLEN http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-women-win-gold-in-beach-volleyball/84357/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:48:40 EST BEIJING — The Chinese and the wretched Beijing weather were no match for Misty May-Treanor and "Six Feet of Sunshine." May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their second consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball today, playing through a steady and sometimes driving rain to beat China in straight sets and extend their winning streak to 108 matches in a row. The Americans defeated Wang Jie and Tian Jia 21-18, 21-18 to repeat their Athens victory and confirm their dominance of the sport. They did not... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-relay-teams-flub-baton-handoffs/84366/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:33:17 EST BEIJING —The American men and women both dropped the baton in the Olympic 400-meter relays today and failed to advance out of the first round. First, men's anchor Tyson Gay, part of the American team that won the relay at last year's world championships, did not get the red metal stick from third-leg runner Darvis Patton. Then, about 25 minutes later, women's anchor Lauryn Williams flubbed her exchange with Torri Edwards, their baton dropping to the ground, too. At the 2004 Olympics, Williams... TOM WITHERS http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-softball-team-denied-gold-loses-3-1/84363/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:34:43 EST BEIJING — Losing for the first time since 2000, the American softball team was denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal today, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years — and maybe for good. Japan's remarkably resilient right-hander, Yukiko Ueno, shut down the Americans and handed them their first loss since September 21, 2000 at the Sydney Games. America had won 22 straight since then, most of them with outrageously lopsided scores... EDDIE PELLS http://www.nysun.com/sports/more-jamaican-dominance-in-womens-200/84362/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:04:57 EST BEIJING — It was Jamaica Night again at the Bird's Nest, and this time Veronica Campbell-Brown did the honors. The defending Olympic champion capped a Jamaican sweep of the four men's and women's Olympic sprint races today, routing Allyson Felix of America to the finish line in 21.74 seconds to win by 0.19 second. Reggae music filled the stadium — is the CD worn out yet? — as Campbell-Brown celebrated with her country's flag, much the way Usain Bolt did with his world record-setting wins in the... STEVEN GOLDMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/these-yankees-need-to-be-dismantled-immediately/84323/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST "Break up the Yankees" was the cry after the Joe DiMaggio-led Bombers won straight championships between 1936 and 1939. In an effort to stop the Yankees from improving or replenishing their dominant team, the American League even briefly adopted a rule saying that no team could trade with the previous season's pennant winner. The rule was misguided, since the Yankees largely built from within in those days; it took until World War II to accomplish what the rule was intended to, and then only... ERIC SILVERSTADT http://www.nysun.com/sports/track-and-fields-new-savior-bolts-past/84309/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST It wasn't a shock. A victory was predicted. But it was a staggering achievement indeed, best described as "the bolt heard round the world," as Jamaican Usain Bolt delivered yesterday what was expected of him: an astonishing 19.30 to win Olympic gold in the 200-meter sprint in Beijing. Bolt's time breaks the 12-year-old world and Olympic record of 19.32, set in Atlanta by the legendary Michael Johnson. Let it be known that this young man — Bolt turns 22 today — begins the process of vanquishing... JONAH KERI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tatis-the-unlikely-catalyst-of-the-resurgent-mets/84324/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Few teams have suffered more setbacks this year than the Mets. Already coming off one of the biggest late-season collapses in recent memory, the Mets have given their fans more heartburn this year, thanks to a cavalcade of high-profile injuries — Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner, Moises Alou, Ryan Church, John Maine, Luis Castillo, and Orlando Hernandez, not to mention plenty of more minor ailments. The team's woes seemed to peak in early August. The Mets lost Maine and Wagner to the disabled list... JOHN HOLLINGER http://www.nysun.com/sports/argentina-is-redeem-teams-last-remaining-test/84311/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Bang. Swish. Swish. Swish. Free throw. Layup. Layup. Swish. Ballgame. In the blink of an eye, America turned a competitive game against Australia into a laugher, going on a 19-0 run bridging halftime to turn a tight, feisty game into a 116-85 rout and advance to the semifinals of the men's Olympic basketball tournament. It was part of a day that couldn't have gone better for the U.S. — not only did they win easily, but their two main rivals for the gold medal, Spain and Argentina, both suffered... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/bolt-breaks-200-record-sweeps-sprint-double/84270/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:33:35 EST BEIJING — Usain Bolt of Jamaica broke the world record by winning the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds today, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics. Bolt is the first man ever to break the world marks in both sprints at an Olympics. Not even Lewis or Jesse Owens managed that. Showing what he can do when he runs at full speed all the way through the finish — something he hadn't done yet in the Beijing Games — Bolt eclipsed the old record... MICHAEL DAVID SMITH http://www.nysun.com/sports/chinas-wang-looks-to-make-up-for-failure-at-athens/84310/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST When American sports fans think of athletes who choke under pressure, they might remember a missed field goal by Scott Norwood or botched ground ball by Bill Buckner. Chinese sports fans think of Wang Hao. Wang is the no. 1 ranked player in the world in table tennis, which is one of the most popular sports in China and a sport the Chinese have traditionally dominated, winning 18 of the 22 gold medals awarded since it became an Olympic sport. But Wang's loss to South Korea's Ryu Seung Min in the... EVAN WEINER http://www.nysun.com/sports/europe-provides-players-with-lucrative-second/84308/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST It has been 33 years since high school, college, and the NBA had a legitimate choice when it came to where they wanted to play professional basketball. In 1975, a high school player could go to college or into the American Basketball Association. A college player could leave school early and have either the NBA or the ABA offer him a huge — by 1975 standards — pro contract. And NBA players could jump over to the ABA, and vice versa. Since the NBA's absorption of four ABA teams in 1976, players... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-mens-volleyball-team-heads-to-semifinals/84278/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:47:59 EST BEIJING — The U.S. men's volleyball team came from behind to defeat Serbia in five sets and remain undefeated in Beijing. The 20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12 victory today propels the America into the semifinal round against Russia. The American team overcame tragedy to win all five of its matches in preliminary pool play. Serbia went 2-3 to advance to the quarterfinals... BRIAN MAHONEY http://www.nysun.com/sports/kobe-leads-american-team-to-semis/84275/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:37:16 EST BEIJING — Don't doubt this American men's basketball team — and sure don't challenge them, either. Especially if it's going to make Kobe Bryant flash his NBA MVP form. Bryant scored 25 points in his best game in Beijing, and the men's American Olympic team advanced to the semifinals by beating Australia 116-85 today. America will play defending champion Argentina or Greece on Friday night for a spot in Sunday's gold medal game. Locked in what looked like another tough game in Australia, the... HOWARD FENDRICH http://www.nysun.com/sports/champion-chinese-hurdler-drops-out-of-110-meter/84092/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:08:22 EST BEIJING — In any other city, at any other stadium, under any other circumstances, Liu Xiang might not have shown up at all. His right hamstring's been bothering him for months. A tendon in his right foot flared up a couple of days ago. This, however, was far from any old setting. This was the Bird's Nest, the 91,000-seat centerpiece of the Olympics. The Beijing Olympics. And this was a moment, shortly before lunchtime Monday, that Liu's country of 1.3 billion had anticipated for years: China's... TOM WITHERS http://www.nysun.com/sports/for-american-softball-team-1-more-game-for-gold/84269/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:29:30 EST BEIJING — For the American softball team, there's one more game for gold, and then one last goodbye. The Americans are marching toward their fourth straight gold medal in the sport's swan song at the Olympics for at least eight years. Throughout these games, the Americans had been routing one nation after another — hardly breaking a sweat — until today. Japan pushed them to extra innings before America scored four runs in the ninth to win 4-1, earning the spot in the gold medal game. Their... MIKE FITZPATRICK http://www.nysun.com/sports/mets-closer-wagner-out-indefinitely/84229/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:02:42 EST Billy Wagner has more pain and swelling in his pitching elbow, and the New York Mets' All-Star closer is out indefinitely. Wagner had an MRI exam today that revealed additional inflammation in his left elbow — an alarming sign after he spent most of the past two weeks resting his ailing arm. Now, the NL East leaders don't know when he might be able to return to the mound, if at all, this season. "I'm very frustrated, but there's not much for me to do," Wagner said. "I want to play. I want to... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-dawn-harper-wins-gold-in-hurdles/84186/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:31:25 EST BEIJING — Dawn Harper of America has won the women's 100-meter hurdles at the Beijing Olympics. Harper won in a personal best 12.54 seconds today after American teammate Lolo Jones, who had a clear lead, was knocked off balance when she hit the next-to-last hurdle. Australia's Sally McLennan got the silver medal in a photo finish; both she and Canada's Priscilla Lopes-Schliep crossed in 12.64, but when the time was extended to thousandths of a second, it showed McLennan was faster. Jones, the... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/derby-winning-filly-genuine-risk-dies/84100/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:54:26 EST UPPERVILLE, Va. — Genuine Risk, one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby, died today at Newstead Farm. The 1980 Derby winner died peacefully about 7:30 a.m. at the advanced age of 31 after eating a hearty breakfast and being turned out in her paddock, an office administrator at the farm, Cindy Perry, said. Ms. Perry said the filly had not been ill. Genuine Risk was the oldest living Derby winner, and the only filly to finish in the top three in each of the Triple Crown races. She was... PAUL NEWBERRY http://www.nysun.com/sports/phelps-wins-8th-gold-medal-breaks-tie-with-spitz/84012/ Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:37:17 EST BEIJING — Cheering from the pool deck, Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games on Sunday to become the grandest of Olympic champions. Jason Lezak held on to the lead Phelps gave him, anchoring the United States to a world record in the 400-meter medley relay against an Australian team that did its best to spoil history. But Phelps, with a big hand from three teammates, would not be denied. He eclipsed Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games, an... NANCY ARMOUR http://www.nysun.com/sports/liukin-edges-johnson-for-gymnastics-gold/83994/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:15:55 EST BEIJING (AP) — No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all. Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the American championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago. Yang Yilin of China won the bronze... PAUL NEWBERRY http://www.nysun.com/sports/torres-wins-silver-in-50-freestyle/84010/ Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:51:44 EST BEIJING — Dara Torres was denied an improbable gold medal Sunday morning by one-hundredth of a second — the same margin that kept Michael Phelps on course to break Mark Spitz's record. The 41-year-old Torres, a five-time Olympian and the oldest American swimmer ever, settled for a silver when Germany's Britta Steffen nipped her at the wall in the 50-meter freestyle to complete a sweep of the women's sprint events in Beijing. Torres smiled, her head dropping back, when she saw a time of 24.07... http://www.nysun.com/sports/australia-wins-gold-in-womens-400-relay-sets/84011/ Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:19:43 EST BEIJING — Australia has defeated the United States to win the women's Olympic 400-meter medley relay in a world-record time. Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones, Jess Schipper and Libby Trickett finished in 3 minutes, 52.69 seconds Sunday morning, lowering the old mark of 3:55.74 set by Australia at last year's world championships in Melbourne. The Aussies won for the second consecutive Olympics. The U.S. team of Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Christine Magnuson and Dara Torres earned the silver in 3... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/majewski-fins-shot-put-for-poland/83995/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:48:28 EST BEIJING — Tomasz Majewski of Poland won the men's shot put with a career best 70 feet, 6 1/2 inches, upsetting a strong field to claim the first track and field gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Majewski led the eight men advancing to the last three rounds Friday and produced his best mark with the next throw — 21 1/3 inches better than his pre-competition personal best. Christian Cantwell, the two-time world indoor champion, moved into second place at 61 feet, 2 1/2 inches — the only... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/away-from-failures-federer-looks-at-ease/83806/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Olympic tennis tournament in Beijing has hurt the summer hardcourt series in America; forced most of the world's best players to fly thousands of miles more than they would normally fly at this time of the year, and done little (at least in America) to build momentum leading up to the U.S. Open, since very little of the Olympic tournament can be found on television. But Roger Federer couldn't be happier. Federer, playing his last tournament for at least a few months as the no. 1 seed... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/its-6-phelps-keeps-going-with-another-gold-medal/83981/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST BEIJING — Michael Phelps made it 6-for-6 at the Beijing Olympics, closing in on Mark Spitz with another world-record swim this morning. Phelps dominated right from the start of the 200-meter individual medley and powered away to win in 1 minutes, 54.23 seconds. He knocked off his own mark of 1:54.80 set at last month's American trials, his sixth world record of the games. Ryan Lochte tried to pull off a daunting double, going against Phelps just 29 minutes after swimming the final of the 200... JAIME ARON http://www.nysun.com/sports/china-dominates-phelps-less-day/83905/ Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:23:43 EST BEIJING — Michael Phelps finally had a breather, a day to sit and count his gold medals instead of trying to add to his collection. There was no slowing the Chinese, though. From getting their first swimming gold in a world-record time to a long-awaited gold in men's gymnastics to golden redemption for a shooter, the hosts continued to amaze. With five more golds today, their Olympic tally is up to 22. China's winning percentage is ridiculous — more than 1 in every 4 events. If the Chinese can... STEVEN WINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/nadal-conquers-gonzalez-for-olympic-gold/84014/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:28:28 EST BEIJING — As Rafael Nadal stood in front of the medal podium, his nation's flag draped across his back like a cape, he looked a little like a Spanish Superman. In tennis, he is. Already assured of the No. 1 ranking, Nadal was No. 1 at the Olympics. He won a gold medal today, overcoming two set points in the second set and holding every service game to beat Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3. The gold medal was the first ever for Spain in Olympic tennis, and another milestone in an... JOCELYN GECKER http://www.nysun.com/sports/serena-and-venus-win-gold-in-womens-doubles/84015/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:47:10 EST BEIJING — Venus and Serena Williams kept up a family tradition today, playing together in the Olympic doubles tournament and walking away with the gold medal. Slugging winners from the baseline and slamming shots at the net, the American sisters overpowered Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0. When Ruano Pascual sent the championship point long, the sisters shrieked in unison. Then they jumped for joy and hugged. "I'm so excited, I can't even speak," the... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/jamaican-women-sweep-100-dash-fraser-takes-gold/84016/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:54:05 EST BEIJING — Shelly-Ann Fraser completed a gold-medal Jamaican sweep of the 100-meter dashes at the Olympics today, winning the women's race in 10.78 seconds. Teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart tied for second. Fraser's victory came a day after Usain Bolt gave Jamaica the men's title in world-record time. As extensive a tradition of stellar sprinting as Jamaica has, the Caribbean island of about 2.8 million people never had won an Olympic gold in the 100 until this weekend. Fraser won... EDDIE PELLS http://www.nysun.com/sports/tyson-gay-fails-to-qualify-for-100m-dash/84004/ Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:43:41 EST BEIJING — For Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, it will still be a dream matchup. For Tyson Gay, a bitter disappointment. The American record-holder and defending world champion failed to make the finals of the Olympic 100-meter dash today, finishing .02 second out of fourth place in his semifinal heat and making an early exit from one of the most highly anticipated events of the Beijing Olympics. Starting in the outside lane, Gay got a good jump from the blocks and was in the mix early in the race... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/five-things-to-watch-for-this-weekend/84895/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As the first weekend of the U.S. Open begins, Roger Federer fights on, Venus and Serena Williams move closer to a quarterfinal meeting, Andy Roddick takes on one of the most talented youngsters in the sport, and history has been made: the no. 1 women's seed, Ana Ivanovic, lost earlier than any other no. 1 seed in the Open Era. Here are five things to look for at the tournament this Labor Day weekend. A goodbye? Lindsay Davenport, the 32-year-old American tennis icon, might play her last U.S... AARON SCHATZ http://www.nysun.com/sports/just-17-weeks-left-before-the-playoffs/84896/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST As we enter the 2008 NFL regular season, one question is on everyone's minds: Does the NFL regular season even mean anything anymore? For three straight years, a team has emerged as Super Bowl champion despite not owning one of the best records in the league. In two of those years, the team that won it all began the playoffs as the last seed in the conference. The Giants barely made the playoffs and had a regular-season turnover margin of minus-9, but went on to beat a Patriots team that many... SAM STERN http://www.nysun.com/sports/the-big-four-and-money-dominate-early-epl-season/84807/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Soccer fans can excuse themselves for missing the opening matches of England's Premier League season, given that action kicked off during the Olympics. Not to worry: The quality of early season play is far from the best, and the results can be misleading for projecting how everyone will fare over the season. The Olympics are now behind us, and sports fans can once again devote all of their early morning viewing to soccer. With that, here are three key story lines to follow for the Premier... RUSSELL LEVINE http://www.nysun.com/sports/bcs-hopes-can-be-derailed-early-for-these-programs/84809/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST One aspect where college football has its professional cousin beat is the lack of a preseason. College teams can, and do, schedule games against cupcakes to ease into the campaign. But others open with make-or-break games that can dash Bowl Championship Series aspirations before the season is three hours old. Even schools that are opening against overmatched opponents need to be wary — just ask Michigan about Appalachian State last season. The 2008 season officially kicks off tonight with 14... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/two-stars-of-melbourne-look-to-shine-in-queens/84810/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST They were the talk of tennis a mere seven months ago: two flamboyant, up-and-coming stars of the game. One, Novak Djokovic, had dreamed of being no. 1 in the world since tennis courts were built near his home in the mountains of Serbia. The other, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a 200-pound specimen and master of the drop volley, had overcome several injuries and begun to fulfill the promise he showed as junior. When they met in the Australian Open final, they lit up the Melbourne evening with splendid... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/can-appalachian-stun-lsu-too/84811/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST It used to be when Appalachian State ventured out of its own level of competition to play a major school, it meant only one thing. "It was a money game," coach Jerry Moore said. Like most schools playing in Division I college football's second tier, App State would collect a six-figure check to help pay the bills, get some national exposure, play in front of plenty of people — and take a beating. The Mountaineers lost to North Carolina State, Kansas and LSU by a combined 83-18 in the 2005 and... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/listless-yankees-fall-flat-in-boston-rout/84812/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Jason Bay drove in four runs, Dustin Pedroia hit a grand slam and the Boston Red Sox routed the listless Yankees 11-3 on last night, putting an emphatic dent in New York's dwindling playoff chances. Paul Byrd beat the Yankees in a crucial game for the second consecutive year, and David Ortiz reached base four times for the second straight night. Pedroia's first career slam capped a seven-run eighth inning and sent hordes of booing Yankees fans shuffling toward the exits. With co-chairman Hank... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/replay-first-step-down-a-dark-road/84813/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Thirty-five years ago, at Boston's Fenway Park, Ron Blomberg of the Yankees settled into the batter's box as the first designated hitter in the major leagues, turning a normal ballgame into a historic botch and the otherwise blameless date of April 6 into an eternal day of mourning. In all the years since, through drug scandals and illegal collusion and worse, baseball has offered nothing quite so offensive as the debut of the 10-man baseball team. Tonight, that changes. At Chicago's Wrigley...