UFC 187 Aftermath There is no disputing Daniel Cormier holds the gold

LAS VEGAS Daniel Cormier is the UFC light heavyweight champion.

Some might dispute this but facts are facts. Cormier went to the UFC 187 post fight press conference having finished Anthony Johnson holding court while possessing the gleaming gold belt.

Nor is this belt an interim championship. Interim titles are for injuries to give guys like Dominick Cruz some slack when they're working in good faith to get back into ring shape but suffer setbacks along the way.

They're not placeholders for guys who allegedly injure pregnant women in hit and run accidents then return to the scene to grab some cash especially when this is the latest in a string of incidents.

Jon Jones is facing felony charges. In a best case scenario he could be back relatively soon. But if he has the bad luck of facing a prosecutor who wants to make his name with a high profile case he could be out a whole lot longer.

I didn't disqualify myself from competition Jon did Cormier said. Jon is the number one pound for pound fighter in the world. We all know that. But he disqualified himself from this competition so I am the champion. I'm very proud of what I accomplished tonight.

Cormier wasn't one of the enablers who let Jones get in trouble over and over again without consequence until the problem became so big the UFC had to strip him of the title to get his attention. DC simply took advantage of an opportunity when it was presented and in the process put on quite an impressive show against Anthony Johnson.

Lost in all the hoopla of an eventful Vegas night is the fact Cormier took Rumble's best shot then manhandled one of the sport's hottest fighters. Cormier went Cain Velasquez on Johnson with his relentless grinding pressure. It was almost enough to make you forget that Johnson had crushed pretty much everyone in his path over the past three years.

Of course Cormier has also mastered the art of selling fights like few others. Somehow from the Patrick Cummins storyline to the first Jones fight to last night when he got into it with Ryan Bader Cormier's buildup always manages a bit of a pro wrestling feel.

So DC is smart enough to know that when he and Jones eventually rematch all of the people trying to discredit his UFC 187 performance via semantic nitpicking are going to shell out good money to see it.

It's not about just being a champion inside the ring Cormier said. You have to be a champion at all facets of life. It's unfortunate. I believe that he'll get his stuff together and him and I will fight again.

On that last point there's little dispute.

UFC 187 quotes

It's a no brainer for me. I always still want to beat up Demetrious Johnson and knock him out. There's nothing different for me. I thought I beat him the first time me and him faced each other. John Dodson declaring himself the No. 1 contender at flyweight.

I just wanted an easy paycheck. I asked to fight you multiple times b I asked to fight you. They said Daniel what do you want I said I want the easiest fight in the division Ryan Bader. Cormier as Bader rushed the podium during the post fight press conference.

My goal is still to be champion one day. I was on a nine fight win streak and Daniel just defeated me. But I promise I'll be back. Johnson following his loss to Cormier.

'Cowboy' looked insanely good. He kept his composure put together combinations to the legs and head. He looked unbelievable. I will give you this yes Cowboy Cerrone is next in line for a title shot. UFC president Dana White to ESPN.com.

Stock report

Stock up Chris Weidman. On any other night the undefeated UFC middleweight champion would have been the story. But as is Weidman should never have to play second fiddle on a fight card again. Weidman's path to stardom hasn't been the fast track type since he doesn't ooze charisma the way someone like Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey does. Instead Weidman's the sort of slow building low key star who earns his fan base one match at a time. This was apparent Saturday night with the superstar reaction he got from the crowd at the MGM Grand from his entrance to his weathering of Belfort's early storm to his spectacular finish. With wins over Anderson Silva Lyoto Machida and Belfort Weidman is right on the cusp of becoming an A list PPV draw all on his own.

Stock Up Andrei Arlovski. I have a confession to make I was one of those who wanted to see the former UFC heavyweight champion retire. I was cageside when he walked right into Tim Sylvia's knockout punch. I was ringside when he soared right into Fedor Emilianenko's right hand. I was cageside when Sergei Kharitonov knocked him senseless and by that point I had decided I never wanted to see Arlovski fight again. Credit Greg Jackson for what may be his greatest reclamation job yet and credit Arlovski for having the open mind needed to re learn his way back to the top. Arlovski's victory over Travis Browne is now the clubhouse leader for round of the year. It demonstrated that we need to stop harping on Arlovski's chin. And it showed incredibly that Andrei Arlovski is a legitimate UFC heavyweight title contender in 2015.

Stock Up Donald Cerrone. The Cowboy's time has finally come. No a win over John Makdessi in and of itself doesn't qualify you for a title shot. But when you've won eight fights in a row when that eighth win comes a few months after you fought and won twice in two weeks and avenged a prior loss in the process when you've developed a fan following which means your name in a title fight can sell a pay per view on its own and when the circumstances with injuries at the top of the division work out in your favor .. well that means that Rafael dos Anjos vs. Donald Cerrone is the logical lightweight title fight to make.

Hold Joseph Benavidez and John Dodson. What a strange situation at flyweight. Benavidez and Dodson are both solid contenders. Champion Demetrious Johnson of course has beaten them both. In Benavidez's case twice. And yet Benavidez may yet still have a better case at a title shot. Benavidez's victory over another former challenger John Moraga was his third in a row. It also put him at 10 0 in his past 10 against fighters not nicknamed Mighty Mouse. Dodson meanwhile looked tentative in winning a tight decision over Zack Makovsky who is far from the fast track for a title shot. While I understand why the UFC would be hesitant to give Benavidez another shot at this juncture Dodson did little to show he deserves it. Perhaps a Benavidez Dodson fight is the answer.

Stock down Vitor Belfort. Well the results in the post TRT era sure seem to speak for themselves don't they Chael Sonnen resorted to cheating then hit the road. Dan Henderson's decline was precipitous. And now Belfort has gone from knocking everyone silly to gassing in two minutes. The case seems closed on what will go down as one of MMA's seedier sagas.

Questionable calls

No bad scoring. No bad stoppages. In fact Makdessi might have had the best stoppage call of the night when he realized Cerrone had broken his jaw with a head kick and called timeout before Cowboy could do any more damage. No angry Dana White rants. B.J. Penn was rightfully named to the UFC Hall of Fame. A near perfect night in Nevada of all places. I feel like I should cue up Ice Cube's It Was a Good Day while I'm at it.

Fight I'd like to see next Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold

First off after a night like last night there are a ton of fights I want to see. I'd like to see Arlovski take on someone in the Junior dos Santos/Stipe Miocic/whomever loses the UFC 188 main event tier. I'm sold on dos Anjos vs. Cerrone. I think Benavidez vs. Dodson with the winner getting another crack at DJ makes sense. I saw someone on Twitter suggest a Belfort Michael Bisping rematch now that Vitor is off his special sauce and that sounds kind of fun. Oh and I'd like to see more of Islam Makhachev period.

But really there's one fight to make (besides the obvious DC Jones rematch and who knows when that might happen ) Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold. For all the right reasons. These are the two best guys in the division. Rockhold's a straight up wiseass while Weidman is a more subtle wisecracker which should make for an amazing fight buildup. Weidman is right on the brink of of A list stardom Rockhold has the opportunity to steal his shine. This fight has the potential to be one of the biggest of the year regardless of locale. But if it happens to go down on the first show at Madison Square Garden All the better.

Articles Source here

Kawakami Whats normal for Stephen Curry is otherworldly for everyone else

HOUSTON No I guess the stage isn't too big the pressure isn't too oppressive and the Western Conference finals aren't too much for Stephen Curry.

It's the other way around As the games have gotten bigger and the media attention has mushroomed Curry has found a calm casual brilliance in this moment of all moments.

All eyes are on him the Warriors franchise is staked to his shoulders there is a championship on the line and Curry has never been better ... or more at peace.

It feels normal really Curry said from the middle of the media maelstrom before the Warriors' Sunday practice at Rice University.

I feel comfortable. I feel ready for the moment and able to kind of just block out the extracurricular stuff that could distract you from the focus on the court.

Pretty content with where we are and just hungry to keep getting better and keep doing what we're doing.

Curry never raised his voice in his 12 minute media session. He smiled a few times. He made eye contact with just about every questioner he talked about team goals and as always veered sharply away from self congratulation.

But also in the wake of his nearly immaculate 40 point performance to lead the Warriors to a blowout victory in Game 3 and a 3 0 series lead over Houston Curry was unquestionably in command of all things.

Quiet but a killer too. Just another teammate but also a man walking among history.

The beauty of Steph is he is who he is coach Steve Kerr said. He's reserved but competitive. He's modest but arrogant.

It's an incredible combination of confidence and humility and the way it manifests itself in the game ... it's really fun to watch. Let's just roll through what the NBA MVP has done in the Warriors' last six games all victories all with the stakes increasing each day.

Since Curry went 2 for 11 and then 2 for 10 from 3 point distance in the Warriors' losses to Memphis in Games 2 and 3 of that second round series Curry has made 36 of 66 3 point attempts (54.5 percent and an average of 6 makes a game).

Overall he is averaging 29.9 points in the playoffs he averaged 31.7 points in the last six games and 35.7 in the three games of the Western Conference finals in which he is shooting 61.3 percent.

The crescendo Game 3 on Saturday when Curry started the game as a distributor and scored only three points in the first quarter then erupted for 37 more points in the final three periods on a series of floaters drives spot ups and one off balance 3 point flick off a loose ball from the left corner.

Add that to his 62 footer at the third quarter buzzer in Memphis and his 3 pointer to send Game 3 vs. New Orleans into overtime ... and so many others ... Basically Curry takes shots that nobody should ever take except that he makes almost all of them.

It's situational arrogance it's humble greatness it's a quieter version of what Michael Jordan Larry Bird and Magic Johnson all had and Curry has it now.

He was definitely in one of those modes where I was like 'All right I'm going to try to screen but I'm also just trying to get out of his way ' forward Draymond Green said of Saturday's Curry performance.

So what's it like to be on the floor while Curry goes supernova

When you think you've seen it all he comes with a little bit more Green said. He's making history and it's fun to be a part of that. Because when you see his highlights my kids will see me.

Curry was very good at Davidson and then as an NBA rookie in 2009 2010 he was better two seasons ago when the Warriors first broke through into the playoffs he was the clear MVP by midway through this season and now ... he's notably remarkably stunningly better than he was just in March.

Or even seven games ago.

Now that it seems so obvious that he was meant to do this I asked Curry if he was always sure he could thrive and dominate in the biggest games.

You just want the opportunity Curry said.

As this all has unfolded Curry's teammates have been his comrades beneficiaries helpers and witnesses.

They experience his grace and humor off the court they laugh and shake their heads at his audacity in the games.

I'm not in his mind but I see how he acts on a daily basis towards us said forward David Lee who has been Curry's teammate the longest since Lee's arrival in 2010.

He's the same guy he was to me four years ago when we were winning 30 games and he had a hurt ankle.

I think he's just a very grounded guy and he's made for situations like this. Hopefully he'll continue to do what he's done and it'll lead us to a championship.

If the next five or six games are anything like the last six Curry will do exactly that and if you're watching his track record it seems almost certain that it actually will only get better.

Read Tim Kawakami's Talking Points blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami.

Contact him at tkawakami mercurynews.com or 408 920 5442. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/timkawakami.

Articles Source here

Review Grace of Monaco a Fractured Fairy Tale on Lifetime

To save articles or get newsletters alerts or recommendations all free.

Don't have an account yet Create an account

Subscribed through iTunes and need an NYTimes.com account Learn more

Articles Source here

Andy Murray v Facundo Arguello French Open as it happened

Game set and match Two big serves make it 30 0 and an Arg error brings up 40 0 and three match points. The Argentine saves the first one with a forehand passing shot but he can't do anything on the second and that's it. Murray is through.

Murray 6 3 6 3 5 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arg plays some deft shots at the start of the game to go up 30 15 and a Murray error makes it 40 15. A double fault allows Muz back into it and a long backhand has us back at deuce. A forehand error from Arg follows and Murray has a break point which he takes after another Arg mistake.

Murray 6 3 6 3 4 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Solid stuff from Murray sees him move to 30 0 after a big first serve and some dogged retrieving. Another excellent first serve makes it 40 0 and an Arg backhand error makes it game and 4 1 Murray.

Murray 6 3 6 3 3 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg is trying to keep himself alive with some big hitting and he moves up to 30 0 after a couple of Murray mistakes. A pair of aces secure the game and the Argentine is on the board in the third set.

Murray 6 3 6 3 3 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray is serving really well now and he moves into a 3 0 lead with a comfortable hold to 15. Tough to see any way back for Arguello now.

Murray 6 3 6 3 2 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks The British No 1 gets himself a couple of break opportunities at 15 40 after a pair of backhand winners. Arg saves the first one but Murray takes the second oppoortunity and moves into a 2 0 lead.

Murray 6 3 6 3 1 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Yep you've guess it ITV were going around the courts for the start of the third set. In fairness there's an epic first set tie break going on between Britain's Johanna Konta and Denisa Allertova which is deadlocked at 13 13. Murray meanwhile holds on to take the first game of the third set after a superb backhand winner and a couple of loose Arg errors.

Murray 6 3 6 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks and wins the second set Andy keeps the pressure on to move up 0 15 and a wonderfully calm point takes him up to 0 30 finsihed off with a gentle forehand prod down the line. The third seed backs that up with a fizzing forehand return that his opponent can do nothing with and it's all of a sudden 0 40 and three set points. Murray only needs one after another Arg error and the Scot eases into a two sets to love lead.

Murray 6 3 5 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray being pegged back on his serve but Arg is long with a forehand to allow the Brit to move up to 40 30. A huge serve out wide follows which Arg can do nothing with and Murray moves to within a game of a two set lead.

Murray 6 3 4 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

A pair of forehand errors from Arg gives Murray a 0 30 lead but the Argentine responds well with a forehand winner to make it 15 30. Murray then can't control a forehand and it's 30 30 before some great defensive work from Arg gets him to 40 30 and a bruising forehand winner wraps up the game.

Murray 6 3 4 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg is trying to keep his pecker up but he can't cut out the errors and Murray moves up to 30 15. The Brit then produces two perfect drop shots to wrap up the game and firmly take control.

Murray 6 3 3 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks A couple of wild shots from Arg presents Murray with a 0 30 lead before the Brit produces an extraordinary piece of anticipation. Arg has an easy smash but Murray reads him and produces an unbelievable passing shot to move up 0 40. He then tops that with a brutal return winner and he has the break in the second set.

Murray 6 3 2 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

The third seed takes a 30 0 lead with a couple of unreturnable serves and that becomes 40 0 after a judicious use of the drop shot. It's a love hold with Arg unable to control a backhand slice from the back of the court.

Murray 6 3 1 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray can't quite piece it all together at the moment and the players excahnge the first two points of the game to make it 15 15. Murray then constructs an excellent point to level things at 30 30 after Arg had moved ahead but he's down 40 30 after a loose forehand. Arg has the chance to wrap up the game but he nets a drop shot after moving Murray all over the court. An 123mph ace down the T is the perfect response but it's back to deuce when Arg nets a pretty makeable forehand. The Argentine gets another game point thanks to a clinical smash and this time he takes it as Murray misfires with a forehand.

Murray 6 3 1 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray moves up 30 0 with some solid serving and wins a beauty of a point to make it 40 15 both players were at the net after an exchange of drop shots but Andy comes out on top. A big serve then follows and Muz claims an easy hold.

Murray 6 3 0 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg kicks the set off with a love service hold. ITV were around the grounds again so that's all you're getting.

17.34

The wind looks to be playing havoc with both players but Murray just about did enough there to take the first set. Arguello looks threatening when he's given time and space on the forehand but Murray will win this comfortably if he keeps his focus. That's obviously a big if...

Murray 6 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray wins the first set A poor start to the game from Murray as he floats a backhand long to fall down 0 15 but Arg returns the favour to make it 15 15. Murray taking a lot of pace off the serve to deal with the wind but he gets away with it thanks to a trademark lob that completely bamboozles his opponent. Arg keeps fighting though and bosses the next point from the back of the court to claw it back to 30 30 but a backhand into the net has Murray at 40 30 and set point up. A big serve crushing forehand and driven volley into the open court wraps things up nicely and Andy moves a set up after 39 minutes.

Murray 5 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arg doing a lot better now and his powerful forehand sets up a couple of well crafted points to move up 30 15. He's then furious with himself though to miss a forehand and allow Murray back into the game at 30 30. Murray who's struggling with the wind nets a forehand before the Argentine sprays a forehand wide to take us to deuce and gives Murray a break point with another error. Both players have hit six winners and 16 unforced errors which tells the story really. Another error gifts Murray the game and a chance to serve the set out.

Murray 4 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray moves up to 30 0 thanks to a couple of errors off his opponent's racket but a duff drop shot makes it 30 15. A decent backhand from Andy gets him to 40 15 and an ace wraps up the game.

Murray 3 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello holds his serve to 15. Unfortuantely I didn't get to see any of it as ITV decided to go around the courts. Apologies for that I can tell you that Heather Watson is through in straight sets.

Murray 3 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello breaks back Arg showing again that he can do some damage with the short ball he swats away a forehand to move up 0 15 and another Murray error makes it 0 30. Yet another Murray error this time off the backhand wing present Arguello with three break points at 0 40. The first one goes a begging courtesy of a forehand that's way out but he snaps up the break at the second time of asking when Murray goes wide with a forehand. Really sloppy stuff from Andy and Arg takes advantage.

Murray 3 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Some better serving from Arguello gets him up to 30 0 before a wild Murray backhand makes it 40 0. Arguello returns the favour with a couple of errors to make it 40 30 but Murray nets another backhand and the Argentine is on the board.

Interesting stat incidentally that Arguello has made 30k on court this year Murray has made 2m.

Murray 3 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Andy is finding his range on the serve and races to a 40 0 lead. Arg is struggling badly here and another long forehand wraps up the game in Murray's favour.

Murray 2 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arguello is a little all or nothing at the moment he's spraying a few errors around as well as hitting some thunderbolts. A long forehand presents Murray with a break point but he snatches at it a little and dumps a forehand into the net. Another error from the Argentine presents the Brit with another break point and this time he takes it when Arguello is out with a forehand.

Murray 1 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello starts positively and picks up a couple of early points to go up 15 30 but a lovely drop shot and a big serve gets Murray back up to 40 30. Arguello won't give the game up easily and a Muz error gets him to deuce. Superb athleticism from the Scot though sees him chase down a drop shot to flick a forehand winner down the line before another error has us back at deuce. A double fault then sees Arguello pick up a break point which Murray saves with a big forehand that the Argentine can't control. More hustling from Andy allows him to rip a backhand away for a winner but Arguello is striking the ball very cleanly and a big forehand forces Murray to err on the backhand and it's deuce 3. An ace from Murray moves him up to advantage and a long backhand from Arguello wraps up the game. It took eight minutes but Andy holds on.

16.53

Murray to serve first here we go...

16.50

Hi everyone and welcome to our first live blog of the 2015 French Open. It s Andy Murray against the little heralded Argentine Facundo Arguello...

Arguello is 22 years old from Argentina his current ranking is 137 his best ever is 104.

The two players have never met before and Arguello has only played five main tour matches this year (winning one). Murray of course is on a run of 10 successive wins on clay courts this year having won the Munich and Madrid tournaments and turning up in Rome for a solitary match.

Preview

The players are expected on court at around 17.00 and Charlie will be here then to bring you all the action.

In the meantime have a read of the related articles above and the preview below.

Andy Murray believes coach Amelie Mauresmo's experience of the pressures of playing at the French Open could give him the edge as he bids for his first Roland Garros title.

Mauresmo won two grand slams during a career that also saw her reach world number one but despite soaring expectations she never went further than the quarter finals in front of her home fans in Paris.

The 35 year old's future as Murray's coach remains uncertain as she is due to give birth later this summer but the British number one places great value on her input and not just for helping with a few good restaurant choices around Paris this week.

Murray's best ever clay court build up to Roland Garros is testament to physical improvements and a more aggressive style of play but the 28 year old believes Mauresmo brings psychological advantages too.

For me that's one of the benefits of working with a player that's just played in the slams and done well in the slams Murray said.

They are also aware of the pressures and all the stuff that comes with trying to win an event like this.

Amelie obviously put a lot of pressure on herself here which probably wasn't beneficial for her performances and she can obviously give me advice and input based on her experiences of playing in these tournaments.

It's good to have experienced former players around I think at these times of year.

Murray said on Friday he has never felt better on clay than in these past few weeks and his record of 10 wins out of 10 in Munich Madrid and Rome suggests he is ready to challenge.

A potential semi final match up with Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal would provide the sternest test of his technical and tactical mettle but Murray believes his best tennis comes from instinct.

The less you think the better on the tennis court Murray said.

It's very easy to over complicate things.

I have been playing tennis for 24 years of my life now so my body and my mind kind of know how to play the game and understand what shots to hit at certain times.

I think sometimes if you start to over think that can be a problem it's about getting that balance right between thinking at the appropriate times.

When you have the change of ends you have a bit of time to think about what's going on what tactics are working what isn't working and based on the scoreline what you're going to do in the next couple of games.

But I think between points and during points if you're thinking way too much it can be an issue.

Murray took three full days off after withdrawing from the Italian Open last week before arriving in Paris on Sunday for a few days' practice.

He opens up on either Monday or Tuesday against Argentinian qualifier Facundo Arguello who is ranked 139th in the world.

It's been a couple of tricky days with the weather it was very cold and wet the first couple of days we were here Murray added.

It was quite tricky training conditions but the last few days it's been perfect.

I played a lot of points and sets. We are staying right next to one of the practice facilities so I have been able to do some drills with Amelie and work on a few things. That's been good.

Articles Source here

From a Deep Hole the Rangers Summon a Familiar Moxie

To save articles or get newsletters alerts or recommendations all free.

Don't have an account yet Create an account

Subscribed through iTunes and need an NYTimes.com account Learn more

Articles Source here

After his dominance gets overshadowed LeBron James dismisses Matthew ...

NewsSportsLifeMoneyTechTravelOpinion

Settings

Full ForecastCrosswordsYour TakeInvestigationsVideoStocksAppsBest Selling BooksClassifiedsCollegeCorrectionsInteractivesNewslettersPhoto GalleriesPortfolio TrackerScoresRace TogetherVideo NetworkWeb to WatchYour TakeNewsstandSearchUser

Get the news

Log In or Subscribe to skip 157 5 Share This Story

Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about

After his dominance gets overshadowed LeBron James dismisses Matthew Dellavedova's 'bad rap'

The Atlanta Hawks gave measured responses about Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova in aftermath of a gutty hard fought and disheartening loss to the Cavaliers.

Post to Facebook Sent

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

Posted

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Join the Nation's Conversation

To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs

Jeff Zillgitt USA TODAY Sports 10 18 a.m. EDT May 25 2015UP NEXT03

USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the Cavaliers' thrilling overtime victory against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers gets up from the court as Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson look on in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena.(Photo Gregory Shamus Getty Images)

CLEVELAND The Atlanta Hawks gave measured responses about Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova in the aftermath of a gutty hard fought and disheartening loss to the Cavaliers.

Using drawing pencils instead of paint the Hawks sketched a portrait of Dellavedova as a player who gets too close to the line of hard play and dirty play and potentially crosses that line.

There's chippiness out there. He's a player that plays hard. There has got to be a line at some point said Hawks forward center Al Horford who was called for a flagrant foul two and ejected from Game 3 late in the first half after an incident with Dellavedova.

USA TODAY

Cavaliers survive Hawks in overtime thriller behind LeBron James' triple double

The call had a direct impact on the game which the Cavaliers won 114 111 in overtime on Sunday. Cleveland took a 3 0 series lead and can sweep Atlanta in Game 4 on Tuesday. Atlanta's Shelvin Mack missed two three point attempts in the final 4.9 seconds.

But two topics and one more than the other will dominate the conversation until then

LeBron James who missed his first 10 shots and 16 of his first 19 registered his 12th career playoff triple double scoring 37 points grabbing 18 rebounds and delivering 13 assists. He scored Cleveland's final five points in overtime including a go ahead three pointer and altered Jeff Teague's potential go ahead shot with 31 seconds left in overtime.

And the Dellavedova Horford incident the incident itself the response from the officiating crew the postgame comments from the Hawks and James' impassioned defense of Dellavedova.

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) shoot over Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) during in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals. (Photo David Richard USA TODAY Sports)

James had his first triple double in the postseason since the 2013 NBA Finals and it was 12th career playoff triple double second most in NBA history behind Magic Johnson's 30. It was also his 54th playoff game most all time with at least 30 points five rebounds and five assists.

He played also with cramps and other pain and came close to checking out of the game late.

I gave it everything I had tonight. My teammates did James said. Played our tail off and to be able to win the game like this with so many ups and downs and so many lead changes it's a huge win for our team.

I'm not the only guy who's limping. I'm not the only guy who's cramping. I'm not the only guy who's hurting. There are a lot of guys out there playing as well and I'm one of them as well. So I've got to go out and help our team win no matter where I'm at.

FOR THE WIN

LeBron James throws down monster slam leaving two Hawks defenders in his wake

But James' monumental game is secondary to the Dellavedova Horford incident which happened with 34 seconds left in the second quarter. Dellavedova and Horford both wanted the rebound. Some of what transpired is open for interpretation and debate and some is not.

In very basic terms Horford and Dellavedova were tangled and as Dellavedova fell to the ground he fell into Horford. The normally reserved Horford launched an elbow at Dellavedova above the shoulders.

Referees Ken Mauer Ed Malloy and Tony Brothers reviewed the play and gave Horford a flagrant foul two and Dellavedova a technical foul. The NBA said Horford threw an unnecessary and excessive forearm/elbow to Dellavedova making contact above the shoulders therefore a Flagrant 2 foul was called on Horford who was ejected from the game and Dellavedova received a technical.

FOR THE WIN

Al Horford ejected for dropping a huge elbow on Matthew Dellavedova

Afterward Mauer the crew chief talked to a pool reporter and confirmed the ruling on Horford and said Dellavedova received a technical foul for making contact with his head and shoulders into the knee area of Horford. So we ruled that a live ball physical taunt technical foul.

All three refs and alternate ref John Goble who was on a headset in the locker room agreed to give Horford a flagrant foul two a person with direct knowledge of the ruling told USA TODAY Sports. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova finished with 17 points in Game 3. (Photo Ken Blaze USA TODAY Sports)

Dellavedova was part of the play in Game 2 in which he went for the ball and landed on Kyle Korver's leg. Korver sustained a severe high right ankle sprain which ended his season. Dellavedova was also involved in an incident with Chicago's Taj Gibson in the conference semifinals and Gibson was also called for a flagrant foul two and ejected. Dellavedova had Gibson's leg trapped and as Gibson tried to free himself the NBA said he used excessive contact against an opponent.

Dellavedova who had 17 points in Game 3 against the Hawks has been a central character in the playoffs. He also had 19 points in Cleveland's series clinching Game 6 victory against the Bulls.

The Hawks weren't thrilled with Dellavedova.

Was it on purpose or not We don't know Horford said. Maybe it wasn't on purpose. But just his track record I just felt like it was. On my part it was very poor for doing that.

Horford said he felt like Dellavedova went at him.

He's got to learn Horford said. He's only been in this league for a couple of years or whatever. But he's got to learn at the end of the day it's a big brotherhood here. Guys look out for each other. I don't think it was malicious but he has to learn.

Dellavedova took exception to Horford's contention that the second year guard from Australia has a track record.

I would obviously disagree with that Dellavedova said. I was boxing him out and you can see from the baseline view that he's pulling my left arm down.

USA TODAY

Undrafted Matthew Dellavedova has become ultimate X factor for Cavaliers

Then James took over the press conference too.

Another reporter asked what responsibility each player on the court has for the safety of other player.

You just play the game the right way James said. At this point you try to do whatever it takes to win. You don't want to hurt nobody. No one in our league goes around trying to hurt people but you don't take the aggressive nature out of the game.

Then James rattled off a sequence during another portion of the game in which guys were diving for loose balls.

We don't never want to play with the integrity of the game and try to get people hurt James said. That's not what it's about because we all want brotherhood at the end of the day NBA family. But I play to win the game and you play aggressively. That's what it's about.

A reporter asked Dellavedova what he thought of Hawks forward DaMarre Carroll's comments that a player should never dive at another player's feet.

James replied I got it and was ready to answer for Dellavedova.

But Dellavedova said I can answer if you want. I saw the ball (on the play with Korver). I dived on the floor. If I stay on my belly it's going to be a jump ball. So I protect the ball and kick it out to a teammate.

On the other one (Horford incident) I'm boxing him out. He's pulling my left arm down. I'm trying to stay up and he's just pulling me down. I mean the tape's there.

James started talking as soon as Dellavedova finished.

In Game 2 when (Pero) Antic two hand shoves me out of the air. The fact that I'm still playing we don't talk about it but he two hand shoves me in the air James said. So what are we really talking about

Are we going to talk about us trying to win basketball games or about those guys trying to figure out a way that Matthew Dellavedova is this type of this guy he works his tail off every single day. He beats the odds and he comes to play as hard as he can every single night. If they're focused on Delly then they're focused on the wrong thing.

I'm a little bit off about it because this is my guy this is my teammate and this is a guy that goes out and works his tail off every single night and people are trying to give him a bad rap. He doesn't deserve it and I don't like it.

Horford and James both used the word brotherhood to describe NBA players as a collective. But not everyone in a brotherhood always sees issues the same way.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS HIGHLIGHTS

Post to FacebookPosted

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Last SlideNext SlideRelated VideoNBA mock draft 9.0 T Wolves leaning Okafor 0) %

0) %

0) %

Articles Source here

Four thoughts after Juan Pablo Montoyas Indy 500 win

INDIANAPOLIS Four things I think about the 2015 Indianapolis 500 after a month dominated by talk of the new 'aero kits' and crashes ended with a suspenseful race won by Juan Pablo Montoya. That gave team owner Roger Penske Indy win No. 16 in his career.

Official Indianapolis 500 results.

1. Hopefully race officials learned their lesson. The product at hand is more than good enough to put on a show with both passing and speeds. With no race incidents directly related to the new 'aero kits ' which had several cars going airborne during practice and qualifying post race focus was strictly on the action at the track. The decision to add downforce and cut back power was a good one. But now back to square one.

The kits are in the initial stage of development so it is apparent that more than one week of live testing is necessary. It appears the cars can safely get up to near 240 mph which would be a track record if teams were allowed more than just a few days of testing. Yes it is expensive. But the last thing next year's 100th Indy 500 needs are race stories about numerous incidents caused by faulty equipment.

2. Honda power is clearly down right now as it has yet to win a race or a pole this season. A driver with Honda power only led once in the race and that was during a pit stop rotation. But history shows this engine company will get back up to speed and quite possibly before the end of this season. The expected fuel mileage advantage did not show itself for Honda at Indy but either that or more speed will be a must by 2016 or Cheverolet will dominate once again.

3. Last week Danica Patrick said she's locked in with NASCAR and is probably done with racing at the Indianapolis 500. If I were her with her marketing savvy I'd give that a second thought. Next year's 100th race is bound to be a spectacle. If Patrick could latch on to one of the better IndyCar teams for a good ride she is bound to qualify well and potentially be a threat to win. Fact is with her Indy 500 history the odds of Patrick winning at the 500 would likely be better than her winning a NASCAR race anywhere. She has five top 10 finishes in seven Indy 500s. She only has six top 10 finishes in 94 NASCAR races to date.

4. Say what you want about Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi dominating the Indy 500. In these eyes as long as those teams deliver the numbers seven drivers with the potential to win the racing will take care of itself. All seven led at some point during the race and any of them could have easily won. If Honda can quickly get back up to speed the 100th Indy 500 will be just as thrilling as No. 99.

Articles Source here

Watch Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller in This Vintage Johnny Carson Clip

The bit captures Stiller and Meara's chemistry

This bit came out of a need to find another piece of ourselves for our act Jerry Stiller said of this clip of he and wife Anne Meara performing the bit for comedy shows hosted by Johnny Carson and Ed Sullivan. We were running out of tall woman and short guy.

Jerry it came out of a need because we had a date on Sullivan like in a week and a half and we had to have a sketch Meara corrects him.

That exchange part of an interview with the Archive of American Television captures Stiller and Meara s chemistry wonderfully as does the bit they re talking about a riff on computer dating that sees the tall Irish Catholic Meara s character Mary Elizabeth Doyle matched with Stiller s Hershey Horowitz.

We wrote every one of those sketches for that show between the two of us Stiller continued talking about the pair s run on Sullivan. Broke up the marriage almost he continues jokingly.

Yes it did Meara nods.

Our children became estranged from us Stiller adds.

Meara died Saturday at the age of 85. The trailblazing comic is survived by Stiller their son Ben and their daughter Amy.

This article originally appeared on People.

Articles Source here

Images Memorial Day events

Every year Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens has one of the largest Memorial Day ceremonies in the area drawing around 2 000 people.

Articles Source here

Who Invented Memorial Day

History News NetworkMoreHow to Preserve America s War Stories Before It s Too LateMemorial Day Weekend Traffic Sales More By the Numbers

This post is in partnership with the History News Network the website that puts the news into historical perspective. The article below was originally published at HNN.

As Americans enjoy the holiday weekend does anyone know how Memorial Day originated

Popular Among Subscribers Cuba on the Cusp Subscribe In the Line of FireThe Roots of Baltimore s Riot

On May 1 1865 freed slaves gathered in Charleston South Carolina to commemorate the death of Union soldiers and the end of the American Civil War. Three years later General John Logan issued a special order that May 30 1868 be observed as Decoration Day the first Memorial Day a day set aside for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion and whose bodies now lie in almost every city village and hamlet church yard in the land.

At the time the nation was reunited politically but it remained culturally divided and so did Memorial Day observations. In the North the federal government created national cemeteries for men who died in the war while state governments from New York to Michigan gradually made Decoration Day an official holiday throughout the 1870s. In the South from April to June women dressed in white and knelt beneath statues of fallen Confederate leaders they told stories about the men who appeared in portraits lining the walls of many Southern homes. By the early 20th century as Americans faced enemies abroad many of the surviving Civil War veterans recognized their shared wartime history and reconciled their differences turning Memorial Day into a national holiday.

As America recognizes the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War we would do well to revisit the origins of Memorial Day among freedpeople in Charleston. While they honored those who fought for their emancipation (which also celebrate d its 150th birthday in 2012 ) it was not simply a moment of great triumph and celebration for freedpeople but a complicated process that led to the unexpected death of hundreds of thousands of former slaves.

While former slaves venerated the staggering number of Union soldiers who died during the war few have observed the ways in which war and emancipation led to the astonishing mortality of many ex slaves. Former bondspeople liberated themselves from chattel slavery and entered into an environment that was plagued by cholera dysentery and yellow fever devastating nineteenth century illnesses for which the medical profession knew no cure and from which the poor and the marginalized suffered disproportionately. One of the most often forgotten facts among the public displays and memorials about the Civil War is that the vast number of soldiers died from disease and sickness not from combat wounds or battle in fact the war became the largest biological crisis of nineteenth century America.

In their journeys toward freedom ex slaves often lacked adequate shelter food and clothing. Without the basic necessities to survive freed slaves stood defenseless when a smallpox epidemic exploded in Washington in 1863 and then spread to the Lower South and Mississippi Valley in 1864 to 1865. A military official in Kentucky described smallpox as a monster that needed to be checked while another federal agent witnessing the severity and almost malignancy of the epidemic believed that the virus was on the increase and predicted that before the coming summer is over it will decimate the colored population. In the end the epidemic claimed the lives of over 60 000 former slaves while other disease outbreaks and fatal epidemics raised the death toll of freedpeople to well over a million more than a quarter of the newly freed population.

When historians describe casualties of the war they uncover photos of mostly white enlisted men bodies strewn across an image of a battlefield or worst piled on top of one another in a deep ditch dead from the effects of a cannonball explosion. What we don t see is dead freedpeople. The death of white participants in the Civil War is both valued and commemorated framed as part of a larger saga of war and victory and then propped up as the heroic embodiment of nationalism on Memorial Day. White people s death is reenacted annually by thousands of people who for a hobby on a holiday weekend get to play dead.

There was no rebirth for former slaves who died of disease and sickness after the war. There was no chance of them coming back to life in a costume worn by an admirer a century later. Buried under the fallen cities and the new harvests the South at its foundation is a graveyard a place where black people died in unimaginable numbers not from battle but from disease and deprivation.

In the recognition of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War let us not forget that freed slaves created Memorial Day. Let us remember that their prayers and observations were not just for the deceased Union soldiers on that first Memorial Day but also for members of their families and their community who died in a war that was meant to free them.

Jim Downs is the author of Sick From Freedom African American Illness and Suffering During the Civil War and Reconstruction (Oxford U.P. May 2012). He is an associate professor of history at Connecticut College and has a MA and PhD from Columbia University.

Articles Source here

Andy Murray v Facundo Arguello French Open live

Game set and match Two big serves make it 30 0 and an Arg error brings up 40 0 and three match points. The Argentine saves the first one with a forehand passing shot but he can't do anything on the second and that's it. Murray is through.

Murray 6 3 6 3 5 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arg plays some deft shots at the start of the game to go up 30 15 and a Murray error makes it 40 15. A double fault allows Muz back into it and a long backhand has us back at deuce. A forehand error from Arg follows and Murray has a break point which he takes after another Arg mistake.

Murray 6 3 6 3 4 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Solid stuff from Murray sees him move to 30 0 after a big first serve and some dogged retrieving. Another excellent first serve makes it 40 0 and an Arg backhand error makes it game and 4 1 Murray.

Murray 6 3 6 3 3 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg is trying to keep himself alive with some big hitting and he moves up to 30 0 after a couple of Murray mistakes. A pair of aces secure the game and the Argentine is on the board in the third set.

Murray 6 3 6 3 3 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray is serving really well now and he moves into a 3 0 lead with a comfortable hold to 15. Tough to see any way back for Arguello now.

Murray 6 3 6 3 2 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks The British No 1 gets himself a couple of break opportunities at 15 40 after a pair of backhand winners. Arg saves the first one but Murray takes the second oppoortunity and moves into a 2 0 lead.

Murray 6 3 6 3 1 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Yep you've guess it ITV were going around the courts for the start of the third set. In fairness there's an epic first set tie break going on between Britain's Johanna Konta and Denisa Allertova which is deadlocked at 13 13. Murray meanwhile holds on to take the first game of the third set after a superb backhand winner and a couple of loose Arg errors.

Murray 6 3 6 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks and wins the second set Andy keeps the pressure on to move up 0 15 and a wonderfully calm point takes him up to 0 30 finsihed off with a gentle forehand prod down the line. The third seed backs that up with a fizzing forehand return that his opponent can do nothing with and it's all of a sudden 0 40 and three set points. Murray only needs one after another Arg error and the Scot eases into a two sets to love lead.

Murray 6 3 5 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray being pegged back on his serve but Arg is long with a forehand to allow the Brit to move up to 40 30. A huge serve out wide follows which Arg can do nothing with and Murray moves to within a game of a two set lead.

Murray 6 3 4 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

A pair of forehand errors from Arg gives Murray a 0 30 lead but the Argentine responds well with a forehand winner to make it 15 30. Murray then can't control a forehand and it's 30 30 before some great defensive work from Arg gets him to 40 30 and a bruising forehand winner wraps up the game.

Murray 6 3 4 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg is trying to keep his pecker up but he can't cut out the errors and Murray moves up to 30 15. The Brit then produces two perfect drop shots to wrap up the game and firmly take control.

Murray 6 3 3 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks A couple of wild shots from Arg presents Murray with a 0 30 lead before the Brit produces an extraordinary piece of anticipation. Arg has an easy smash but Murray reads him and produces an unbelievable passing shot to move up 0 40. He then tops that with a brutal return winner and he has the break in the second set.

Murray 6 3 2 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

The third seed takes a 30 0 lead with a couple of unreturnable serves and that becomes 40 0 after a judicious use of the drop shot. It's a love hold with Arg unable to control a backhand slice from the back of the court.

Murray 6 3 1 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray can't quite piece it all together at the moment and the players excahnge the first two points of the game to make it 15 15. Murray then constructs an excellent point to level things at 30 30 after Arg had moved ahead but he's down 40 30 after a loose forehand. Arg has the chance to wrap up the game but he nets a drop shot after moving Murray all over the court. An 123mph ace down the T is the perfect response but it's back to deuce when Arg nets a pretty makeable forehand. The Argentine gets another game point thanks to a clinical smash and this time he takes it as Murray misfires with a forehand.

Murray 6 3 1 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray moves up 30 0 with some solid serving and wins a beauty of a point to make it 40 15 both players were at the net after an exchange of drop shots but Andy comes out on top. A big serve then follows and Muz claims an easy hold.

Murray 6 3 0 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arg kicks the set off with a love service hold. ITV were around the grounds again so that's all you're getting.

17.34

The wind looks to be playing havoc with both players but Murray just about did enough there to take the first set. Arguello looks threatening when he's given time and space on the forehand but Murray will win this comfortably if he keeps his focus. That's obviously a big if...

Murray 6 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray wins the first set A poor start to the game from Murray as he floats a backhand long to fall down 0 15 but Arg returns the favour to make it 15 15. Murray taking a lot of pace off the serve to deal with the wind but he gets away with it thanks to a trademark lob that completely bamboozles his opponent. Arg keeps fighting though and bosses the next point from the back of the court to claw it back to 30 30 but a backhand into the net has Murray at 40 30 and set point up. A big serve crushing forehand and driven volley into the open court wraps things up nicely and Andy moves a set up after 39 minutes.

Murray 5 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arg doing a lot better now and his powerful forehand sets up a couple of well crafted points to move up 30 15. He's then furious with himself though to miss a forehand and allow Murray back into the game at 30 30. Murray who's struggling with the wind nets a forehand before the Argentine sprays a forehand wide to take us to deuce and gives Murray a break point with another error. Both players have hit six winners and 16 unforced errors which tells the story really. Another error gifts Murray the game and a chance to serve the set out.

Murray 4 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray moves up to 30 0 thanks to a couple of errors off his opponent's racket but a duff drop shot makes it 30 15. A decent backhand from Andy gets him to 40 15 and an ace wraps up the game.

Murray 3 3 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello holds his serve to 15. Unfortuantely I didn't get to see any of it as ITV decided to go around the courts. Apologies for that I can tell you that Heather Watson is through in straight sets.

Murray 3 2 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello breaks back Arg showing again that he can do some damage with the short ball he swats away a forehand to move up 0 15 and another Murray error makes it 0 30. Yet another Murray error this time off the backhand wing present Arguello with three break points at 0 40. The first one goes a begging courtesy of a forehand that's way out but he snaps up the break at the second time of asking when Murray goes wide with a forehand. Really sloppy stuff from Andy and Arg takes advantage.

Murray 3 1 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Some better serving from Arguello gets him up to 30 0 before a wild Murray backhand makes it 40 0. Arguello returns the favour with a couple of errors to make it 40 30 but Murray nets another backhand and the Argentine is on the board.

Interesting stat incidentally that Arguello has made 30k on court this year Murray has made 2m.

Murray 3 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Andy is finding his range on the serve and races to a 40 0 lead. Arg is struggling badly here and another long forehand wraps up the game in Murray's favour.

Murray 2 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Murray breaks Arguello is a little all or nothing at the moment he's spraying a few errors around as well as hitting some thunderbolts. A long forehand presents Murray with a break point but he snatches at it a little and dumps a forehand into the net. Another error from the Argentine presents the Brit with another break point and this time he takes it when Arguello is out with a forehand.

Murray 1 0 Arguello ( denotes next server)

Arguello starts positively and picks up a couple of early points to go up 15 30 but a lovely drop shot and a big serve gets Murray back up to 40 30. Arguello won't give the game up easily and a Muz error gets him to deuce. Superb athleticism from the Scot though sees him chase down a drop shot to flick a forehand winner down the line before another error has us back at deuce. A double fault then sees Arguello pick up a break point which Murray saves with a big forehand that the Argentine can't control. More hustling from Andy allows him to rip a backhand away for a winner but Arguello is striking the ball very cleanly and a big forehand forces Murray to err on the backhand and it's deuce 3. An ace from Murray moves him up to advantage and a long backhand from Arguello wraps up the game. It took eight minutes but Andy holds on.

16.53

Murray to serve first here we go...

16.50

Hi everyone and welcome to our first live blog of the 2015 French Open. It s Andy Murray against the little heralded Argentine Facundo Arguello...

Arguello is 22 years old from Argentina his current ranking is 137 his best ever is 104.

The two players have never met before and Arguello has only played five main tour matches this year (winning one). Murray of course is on a run of 10 successive wins on clay courts this year having won the Munich and Madrid tournaments and turning up in Rome for a solitary match.

Preview

The players are expected on court at around 17.00 and Charlie will be here then to bring you all the action.

In the meantime have a read of the related articles above and the preview below.

Andy Murray believes coach Amelie Mauresmo's experience of the pressures of playing at the French Open could give him the edge as he bids for his first Roland Garros title.

Mauresmo won two grand slams during a career that also saw her reach world number one but despite soaring expectations she never went further than the quarter finals in front of her home fans in Paris.

The 35 year old's future as Murray's coach remains uncertain as she is due to give birth later this summer but the British number one places great value on her input and not just for helping with a few good restaurant choices around Paris this week.

Murray's best ever clay court build up to Roland Garros is testament to physical improvements and a more aggressive style of play but the 28 year old believes Mauresmo brings psychological advantages too.

For me that's one of the benefits of working with a player that's just played in the slams and done well in the slams Murray said.

They are also aware of the pressures and all the stuff that comes with trying to win an event like this.

Amelie obviously put a lot of pressure on herself here which probably wasn't beneficial for her performances and she can obviously give me advice and input based on her experiences of playing in these tournaments.

It's good to have experienced former players around I think at these times of year.

Murray said on Friday he has never felt better on clay than in these past few weeks and his record of 10 wins out of 10 in Munich Madrid and Rome suggests he is ready to challenge.

A potential semi final match up with Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal would provide the sternest test of his technical and tactical mettle but Murray believes his best tennis comes from instinct.

The less you think the better on the tennis court Murray said.

It's very easy to over complicate things.

I have been playing tennis for 24 years of my life now so my body and my mind kind of know how to play the game and understand what shots to hit at certain times.

I think sometimes if you start to over think that can be a problem it's about getting that balance right between thinking at the appropriate times.

When you have the change of ends you have a bit of time to think about what's going on what tactics are working what isn't working and based on the scoreline what you're going to do in the next couple of games.

But I think between points and during points if you're thinking way too much it can be an issue.

Murray took three full days off after withdrawing from the Italian Open last week before arriving in Paris on Sunday for a few days' practice.

He opens up on either Monday or Tuesday against Argentinian qualifier Facundo Arguello who is ranked 139th in the world.

It's been a couple of tricky days with the weather it was very cold and wet the first couple of days we were here Murray added.

It was quite tricky training conditions but the last few days it's been perfect.

I played a lot of points and sets. We are staying right next to one of the practice facilities so I have been able to do some drills with Amelie and work on a few things. That's been good.

Articles Source here

Lightning Put the Rangers on the Brink of Elimination

ENLARGE

The Rangers did everything but score Sunday night. They held the puck for long stretches in the Tampa Bay zone and as a result they went on four power plays before the game was halfway over. They amassed 59 shot attempts compared with merely 42 for the Lightning.

But the Lightning showing they are more than just speedy and skilled offensive players literally stood in the Rangers way all night killing every power play and blocking 24 shots for a 2 0 victory before a somber crowd at Madison Square Garden.

They did a great job of defending blocking lanes and blocking shots and it made it really challenging for us Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said after his team was shut out for the second time in the playoffs.

The Lightning took a 3 2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and can advance to the Stanley Cup Final by beating the Rangers in Tampa Fla. on Tuesday night. If the Rangers win that game Game 7 would be played Friday at the Garden.

Steven Stamkos the Tampa Bay forward and captain scored for the fourth straight game and had the primary assist on the Lightning s first goal. After surrendering 10 goals in the previous two games goaltender Ben Bishop stopped all 26 Rangers shots.

But this really was a stout team effort apparently as requested by coach Jon Cooper.

You have to pull the reins back and talk about what we ve talked about from the first day of training camp Cooper said. It s not how many you score. It s how many you keep out of the net.

The Lightning handed the Rangers two first period power plays the first for having too many men on the ice in the first five minutes the second when Tyler Johnson whacked Rick Nash in the face with his stick. Tampa Bay killed both.

The Rangers had scored two power play goals in each of the previous three games but the crowd began to grumble when the Rangers failed to convert on back to back power plays midway through the second period.

We didn t do a very good job of managing it in the sense of making plays and chipping pucks in Rangers center Derek Stepan said. That was my only issue with tonight.

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist kept the Rangers in the game. In the first two minutes of the second period Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle tried to flick a behind the back pass to teammate Kevin Hayes in his own zone but Yandle missed his target badly.

The puck ended up on Stamkos s stick. Stamkos unleashed a bullet from the low slot that Lundqvist snagged with his glove. A Hen reek chant quickly arose but he couldn't save his team later in the period when the Lightning scored twice.

We kind of settled down Stamkos said. I think we did what the Rangers did last game. We bent but we didn t break.

Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman a Ranger a year ago jump started a rush from his own zone firing the puck past Rangers forward Tanner Glass off the boards to Stamkos. He whipped a pass to Valtteri Filppula who fired a shot over Lundqvist s stick.

Filppula s first goal of the series and third of the playoffs came at 13 minutes 29 seconds of the period. Less than four minutes later Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov picked up a power play for Tampa Bay when Rangers defenseman Marc Staal tripped him.

The Lightning cashed in on their second power play by pinning the Rangers in their zone. Ondrej Palat dished the puck to Kucherov then asked for it back as he closed in on Lundqvist. Rather than shoot Palat slipped a pass to Stamkos alone in front. He rapped it in.

They made it tough for us to just be in good position Lundqvist said. That s what they do.

The Rangers outshot the Lightning in the third period 10 7 but Bishop turned all of them aside. He d been hit in the groin during pregame warm ups doubling him over for minute or two but he caught his breath and picked up his third career playoff shutout.

Now the Rangers are on the brink of elimination again. They won the last three games against Washington to capture the second round series in seven games but Tampa Bay presents different challenge. Not only can the Lightning score but it can defend.

You have to find different ways to win hockey games Staal said. We just couldn t find ways to get one behind Bishop tonight.

Articles Source here

Indianapolis 500 Juan Pablo Montoya Holds Off Will Power to Win

Juan Pablo Montoya outdueled Will Power and Scott Dixon over the final five laps to win the Indianapolis 500.

Montoya who came into the race Verizon IndyCar Series points leader won the Indy 500 for the second time his first coming in 2000 when he was a rookie.

He Power and Dixon traded the lead back and forth after a caution was lifted with less than 20 laps to go and it wasn't until there were less than three laps left that Montoya pulled ahead to stay.

Power finished second and Dixon wound up fourth behind Charlie Kimball who took third.

Montoya and H lio Castroneves are now the only drivers to win twice in their first three Indy 500 starts.

I don't even know what to say this is too much Montoya said after the race.

This is what racing and Indy car is all about Montoya added. All the way down to the wire.

From Jeff Gordon to David Letterman here are some of the other biggest moments from today's 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

1. Jeff Gordon drives the pace car

NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon switched gears acting as the official pace car driver for the Indy 500. Gordon is from Pittsboro Indiana but he said this was his first time at the Indy 500 since he was 11.

2. First lap setbacks

In the first lap alone Alex Taglianai's car didn't start and Conor Daly's car caught fire according to ABC affiliate WRTV.

Then in turn 2 of the first lap Takuma Sato tried to pass Sage Karam and their cars collided. Ryan Briscoe was also involved in the crash.

3. Crash takes Tony Kanaan out of the running

Tony Kanaan who was considered one of the favorites coming in to the race lost control and crashed into a wall with just under 50 laps remaining.

Kanaan stepped out of the damaged car and waved to the crowd but his chances of winning a second Indy championship were gone.

4. Major crash towards the end of the race

As the race neared the end Jack Hawksworth and Sebastian Saavedrea clipped each other and rookie Stefano Coletti crashed into them. Saavedrea was carried to an ambulance while Hawksworth and Coletti were checked and released according to the Indy Star's live blog.

5. David Letterman makes a post retirement appearance

Just days after starting his retirement Indianapolis native David Letterman came to show his support at the Indy 500.

Letterman isn't new to the racing world he actually began his on camera career as a pit reporter and he's co owner of the car driven today by Oriol Servia

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Articles Source here

Charlie Charlie Challenge 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

(Twitter)

The Charlie Charlie Challenge is the new craze sweeping Twitter. It involves teenagers summoning a Mexican demon named Charlie to ask about One Direction and Justin Bieber. The game is kind of a ouija board experience.

Here s what you need to know

1. First Thing s First You ll Need Some Pencils

The whole 1D fandom doing the charliecharliechallenge like pic.twitter.com/IpJJljPgEV

natalie ( zaynbaabe) May 25 2015

The game involves people crossing two pencils. Then the One Direction/Justin Bieber fan writes Yes twice and No twice in the squares created by the pencils. After doing this the thrill seekers are required to ask Charlie Charlie are you here If the pencils move towards the Yes you re in luck and the Mexican based demon is present. From there you leave the pencils crossed but change the writing on the paper to reflect whatever questions you want answered.

2. Charlie Needs You to Be Polite

the real story behind the charliecharliechallenge RT TO SAVE A LIFE pic.twitter.com/JtlcHKuNyw

daphne ( tbhdaphne) May 25 2015

According to some users on Twitter there are problems if you don t say a proper goodbye to Charlie and just leave abruptly. You will be haunted. Not properly ending the session leaves the door open for other demons to enter your life.

3. Charlie Is a Mexican Demon Who Targets Children

Me when I see someone doing the charliecharliechallenge pic.twitter.com/9BNWTB0VE4

Best Scenes ( BestScenees) May 25 2015

On Pencils.com it cites slightly different rules to play the game including a version with a whopping six pencils. The history of the game is written as being based on folk tales in Mexico that are targeted at children. One commenter on that article wrote of a harrowing experience she had with Charlie Heidi writes

Today me and my friends started to play the pencil game but we didn t do as specific as the rules suppose to be this Charlie dies buy abuse he was very young thass why people usually hear ah kid laughing this gan isn t safe safe but it does work but it can t tell the future.

4. The Public Are Divided on the Authenticity of the Videos

In addition to being a hit on Twitter the game is also swarming on Vine with teens posting definitely not staged short clips. You can watch a compliation of the clips above.

5. And We All Thought the Kylie Jenner Lip Game Was Bad

Kylie Jenner s Lips. (Instagram)

This is the latest social media game sweeping the world. It comes a month after the Kylie Jenner lips challenge which encouraged kids to over inflate their lips similar to the Kardashian half sister. For over a year Kylie Jenner s lips have been a big topic of conversation in the media and among her fans. They seemed to have plumped up overnight and viewers were convinced that Jenner had work done. At only 17 years old having any kind of cosmetic work done can be highly debatable and Jenner was not trying to be on the receiving end of hate comments and criticism.

Paul Farrell is Heavy's breaking news editor. He's from Ireland and lives in Brooklyn. Reach him at Paul heavy.com. May 25 2015 12 45 pm

Articles Source here

John Nash Dead 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

John Nash. (Getty)

John Nash the Nobel Prize winning mathematician whose life inspired the movie A Beautiful Mind and his wife Alicia were killed Saturday in a car crash in New Jersey NJ.com reports.

John Nash was 86 and his wife was 82.

Here s what you need to know

1. They Were Riding in a Taxi That Crashed When the Driver Lost Control

Mathematician John Nash inspiration for 'A Beautiful Mind ' killed in car crash in New Jersey http //t.co/d7NoGauNsJ pic.twitter.com/zc719Zw5gC

Chicago Tribune ( chicagotribune) May 24 2015

John and Alicia Nash were riding in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike when the crash occurred according to NJ.com. The taxi s driver tried to pass another car and lost control crashing into a guard rail.

Police said they were both ejected from the car and didn t appear to be wearing seatbelts.

The taxi driver Tark Girgis of Elizabeth New Jersey had to be pulled from the wrecked car by firefighters and was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries.

The crash happened at about 4 30 p.m. and they were pronounced dead at the scene.

A prosecutor told NJ.com that no charges are expected to be filed against the taxi driver.

2. His Wife Alicia Cared For Him as He Battled Mental Illness

This undated family photo shows mathematician John Nash (second left) and his wife Alicia Nash (third right). (Getty)

John and Alicia Nash married in 1957. Alicia graduated from M.I.T. and had a degree in physics. Two years after they were married John Nash began to be overcome by his mental illness. He was hospitalized while Alicia was pregnant with their son John Charles Martin Nash.

She divorced him in 1963 but he remained living at her house as a boarder. As he gained control of his illness their relationship restarted and they re married in 2001.

3. Russell Crowe Played Nash in the 2001 Movie About His Life

John Nash left was portrayed by Ruseell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. (Getty)

Russell Crowe starred as Nash in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. Alicia Nash was played by Jennifer Connelly. Crowe tweeted about Nash s death

Stunned my heart goes out to John Alicia family. An amazing partnership. Beautiful minds beautiful hearts. https //t.co/XF4V9MBwU4

Russell Crowe ( russellcrowe) May 24 2015

The movie was based on the book also titled A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar.

4. The Nobel Prize Movie Helped Turn Around His Life

John Nash in 2005. (Getty)

According to the New York Times Nash s life was turned around by winning the Nobel Prize in 1994 and the movie in 2001.

It changed him from a homeless unknown person who was wandering around Princeton to a celebrity and financially it put him on a much better basis Harold Kuhn a friend of John Nash and a professor at Princeton told the Times.

5. He Has Been Called One of the Great Mathematicians of the 20th Century

John Nash. (Getty)

According to the Times his theory of noncooperative games which was published in 1950 as the Nash equilibrium provides a mathematical tool for analyzing competitive situations such as corporate rivalries or legislative decision making and is now used in economics and social science as well as other fields like evolutionary biology.

Roger Myerson an economist at the University of Chicago compared the Nash equilibrium to that of the discovery of the DNA double helix in the biological sciences.

Most of Nash s best works were in a small number of papers published before he was 30 and prior to being overcome by mental illness though he continued to work into his late age.

Jane Austen wrote six novels Bach wrote six partitas Barry Mazur a professor of mathematics at Harvard told the Times. I think Nash s pure mathematical contributions are on that level. Very very few papers he wrote on different subjects but the ones that had impact had incredible impact.

Tom Cleary is a reporter and editor for Heavy.com. Tom was a breaking news reporter at the Connecticut Post and an editor at the Register Citizen and New Haven Register. He can be reached by email at Tom.Cleary Heavy.com. Follow him on Twitter tomwcleary. May 25 2015 11 18 am

Articles Source here