Saturday, August 6, 2011

SPORTS - Lindberg to lead IOC panel for 2018 Winter Games (AP)

SPORTS - Lindberg to lead IOC panel for 2018 Winter Games (AP)
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SPORTS - Rematches set in boxing trials (AP)

SPORTS - Rematches set in boxing trials (AP)
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SPORTS - Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio has neck surgery (AP)

SPORTS - Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio has neck surgery (AP)
Prince Amukamara AP – New York Giants first-round draft choice Prince Amukamara puts in his mouthpiece during NFL football …

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – New York Giants first-round draft pick Prince Amukamara is out indefinitely with a fractured bone in his left foot.

A day after signing with the Giants, Amukamara was hurt in practice Saturday night and left the field.

Roughly an hour after the workout ended, the Giants said that the cornerback from Nebraska fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. He will have surgery to have a screw inserted in the foot and be sidelined for an undetermined period.

It was not immediately clear how he was hurt. He left the field with a member of the Giants medical staff and X-rays subsequently revealed the fracture.

Dr. Victor Khabie, co-chief of Orthopedics and Spine Institute at Northern Westchester Hospital, says such injuries can be slow to heal.

"This is a bad injury as the blood supply to the fifth metatarsal is poor," Khabie said in responding to an email from The Associated Press. "A screw is required in this fracture to help optimize fracture healing. Even with the screw, healing can be slow. He will most likely be on crutches for four to six weeks, and could miss eight weeks of football. If the bone heals slower, he could be out much longer."

Amukamara, the 19th overall draft selection, signed a four-year, $8.18 million contract Friday after missing the first five days of training camp. He practiced with the team for the first time that evening, but mostly stayed close to the coaches and veterans to see what was happening.

The cornerback was confident on Friday that he would be able catch up, saying he also had been told by the coaches not to push things too quickly because the Giants have starting cornerbacks Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster returning and former first-round pick Aaron Ross (2007) backing them up.

However, the 22-year-old also knew that the first exhibition game was a week away. "Time is running out so I am sure they want to work me in pretty quick," Amukamara said.

All he can do now is wait for his foot to heal.

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SPORTS - UCF looks to build on last season's success (AP)

SPORTS - UCF looks to build on last season's success (AP)
Jay Haas AP – Jay Haas hits a hole-in-one on the par three fourth hole during the first round of the 3M Championship …

BLAINE, Minn. – Jay Haas often looks at the scoreboard during his round. What he saw with four holes to play Friday wasn't the most pleasing number.

Coming off back-to-back bogeys after missing short putts, Haas birdied the final four holes en route to an 8-under 64 to share the lead with John Huston after the first round of the 3M Championship. Haas also recorded an ace during his round.

He made a 30-foot putt at No. 15 to start his strong finish.

"That was huge because I'd gone back to 4-under and I was a little disappointed to be only 4-under at that stage because I played pretty well," Haas said. "I'd been playing beautifully. I was frustrated that I'd given two shots back, but at the same time I felt if I kept playing this way I'm going to get some more chances."

He hit a wedge to about 5 feet on No. 16, and a 6-iron to about 15 feet on No. 17 to set up more birdies. Haas settled for birdie on the par-5 No. 18 after two-putting from about 10 feet.

"It was a very, very eventful day," Haas said.

After recording par on the first three holes, Haas's tee shot with a 5-iron on the 184-yard fourth hole landed about a foot short and bounced into the hole. "It was probably my best shot ever that went in the hole. It was just a pretty shot from the start," he said. "I was laughing with Mark (Calcavecchia) because he'd hit a beautiful 5-iron shot about 10 feet left of the hole, and I said walking up to the green, 'I'd have taken your shot.' Good shots don't always go in the hole; great shots don't always go in the hole."

Haas drained a 30-footer on No. 5 to begin a string of three straight birdies.

Huston, who has one win in seven starts since turning 50 June 1, bogeyed the first hole, but made six birdies in a seven-hole span to get to 6-under after the 12th hole. He closed with two straight birdies.

"Everybody knows you're going to have to shoot low scores here. Fortunately, I was able to get off to a good start today and set myself set up for the weekend," he said.

Gary Hallberg, Tom Lehman, Peter Senior and Rod Spittle were one shot back at the TPC Twin Cities. Calcavecchia, who finished second last year, was two shots back after a 66. Joining him were David Eger, Kenny Perry and Joey Sindelar.

Brad Faxon, playing in his first event on the Champions Tour, was among a group of nine players shooting 68.

Lehman, a native Minnesotan playing the tournament for the first time, birdied his first three holes, but did not get another until going back-to-back on Nos. 11 and 12.

"I was happy with the way I played. ... I drove the ball very well, my iron shots were solid and I rolled the ball decently," he said. "It's a good start."

With temperatures in the mid-80s, high dew points and little wind, 53 of the 80 players finished under par.

"You're going to have to put up 20-under this week," Senior said. "I don't think the course is going to play tough enough for the guys to have any sort of problem with it."

Because of the nearly 2 inches of rain received in the past week, the only complaint was that balls hit off the tee would sometimes stick in the damp fairway and leave mud on the ball, reducing the player's ability to control a second shot.

"I had four or five shots that did not go within 20, 25 yards of where I wanted them to go," said Sindelar, who suggested lift, clean and place may want to be used if the course doesn't dry out.

Defending champion David Frost shot a 1-under 71. No champion has defended his title in the event's 19-year history.

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SPORTS - Canucks center Ryan Kesler has hip surgery (AP)

SPORTS - Canucks center Ryan Kesler has hip surgery (AP)
Ricky Stenhouse, Carl Edwards AP – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6) and Carl Edwards (60) slow after crossing the finish line of the NASCAR Nationwide …

NEWTON, Iowa – This was one time Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't mind being wrecked by a teammate.

The smoke billowing from Stenhouse's blown engine as he approached the checkered flag blinded Carl Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing teammate rammed into him, inadvertently sending Stenhouse to victory in a wild finish to the NASCAR Nationwide race Saturday night.

"If he wouldn't have hit us, we would have definitely ended up second. I knew we would have had enough momentum to get there. I just wasn't sure if we were going to be first or second," Stenhouse said. "You definitely don't want to win them like that. You don't want to tear up a race car, but you definitely want to win."

Stenhouse appeared set to cruise to his second win at Iowa this year when the No. 6 car blew an engine with the checkered flag in sight. With the smoke obscuring Edwards' view and oil on the track, he slammed into Stenhouse and shoved him across the finish line.

Stenhouse crossed the line sideways, becoming the first Nationwide series regular to win two races this year.

Edwards wound up second, his No. 60 car torn to shreds as well.

"That's the most amazing finish I've been involved with in a long time. That was spectacular," Edwards said.

Pole sitter Elliott Sadler was third, followed by Josh Wise and Aric Amirola.

For once, luck was on Stenhouse's side.

Stenhouse led all but 15 laps last week in Indianapolis before losing to Brad Keselowski. He led just 25 laps in Iowa, but those were the only ones that mattered.

Stenhouse made contact with Edwards earlier in the race — leaving hard feelings on both sides — then captured the lead from Edwards and Sadler with a bold move to the inside. He held it until the end, though he got some unexpected help from his teammate to do it.

"I think saw a bunch of opportunity for things to go horribly wrong there for Roush Fenway and for Carl and for Ricky. Happily the tempers didn't rise above the boiling point and everything is OK," team owner Jack Roush said.

Edwards, who announced earlier this week that he had signed a multiyear extension with Roush Fenway earlier this week, led for 109 laps after starting 17th.

Edwards dropped all the way to 16th after a sloppy pit stop, though he quickly moved back into the front of the pack to set up the memorable finish.

The earlier contact between Edwards and Stenhouse stirred up some issues that'll have to be worked out in the near future, but Edwards insisted things were "fine" between the two.

"(Roush) came over and said `Hey, this is exactly what's supposed to be happening. You're supposed to have a young guy that's fast, that's frustrating everybody because he's too aggressive and that's all that's going on with Ricky," Edwards said. "He's just being a little bit overaggressive. And in the end, it's almost better that he doesn't figure out that he's too aggressive because that's going to make him better."

Sadler took his third pole of the season earlier Saturday and started on the front row with Trevor Bayne — who won the pole in Iowa in 2010 and finished fourth. Bayne spent 12 laps in front before a tire issue midway through the race sent him two laps down. He finished 25th.

Sadler quickly fell back and didn't appear to be a factor until coming out of seemingly nowhere to grab the lead with 60 laps left. He might have won, too, had the wreck between Stenhouse and Edwards not happened on the final lap.

"I want to talk to the Iowa race track and see if they can't make it 251 laps next year," Sadler said.

Saturday night's Nationwide race was the second of the year at Iowa Speedway. It was the first time the series ran twice in the same year in Iowa, but attendance was as strong as ever.

Officials needed temporary seats to accommodate a standing-room only crowd of just over 48,000. The packed house was a nice sight for the series, which saw Nashville announce this week that it was pulling out in 2012.

They got to see a finish they won't soon forget — from a pair of teammates at each other's necks all night.

"We both race really hard. It doesn't matter who it is. We both want to win," Stenhouse said.

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SPORTS - Ferguson 'lights fuse' ahead of Man City showdown (AFP)

SPORTS - Ferguson 'lights fuse' ahead of Man City showdown (AFP)
Ferguson 'lights fuse' ahead of Man City showdown AFP – Manchester United footballers are seen here taking part in a public training session at Old Trafford …

LONDON (AFP) – Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson 'lit the fuse' ahead of an explosive Community Shield clash with Manchester City by warning his bitter rivals that even their financial muscle can't guarantee success in the Premier League.

Ferguson initially seemed unconcerned when City's Abu Dhabi-based owners started lavishing vast sums on a host of big names three years ago.

But his dismissive jibes about dealing with "noisy neighbours" have been replaced by an awareness that Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled team are now a serious threat.

Now Ferguson has paid City the ultimate back-handed compliment by starting his mind games before the season has even begun.

He chose the eve of this weekend's traditional curtain-raiser to issue a stern reminder that splashing the cash doesn't necessarily mean prizes will follow.

"We get this almost every year when clubs round about us buy, and that's how you view the importance of winning the league these days," Ferguson said.

"Chelsea had this great spell of buying when Jose Mourinho first went there and we accepted that challenge.

"To win the league in England is very difficult. If you look at the Premier League you are looking at the top six fighting for four places.

"I think 84 points will win the league next year. We had less last year but you have to consider the increasing competition.

"Liverpool are expected to be better, the top four we know about and Tottenham as well. You expect it to be a really tough league."

Despite Ferguson's attempt to pile pressure on City, the Scot has spent nearly as much as Mancini since the end of last season.

While City's £51 million spree netted Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy and Stefan Savic, United paid £50 million for David De Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones.

De Gea and Young are likely to feature for United on Sunday, while all three of City's new buys should be involved at some stage.

Aguero, City's record £38 million signing, will be among the substitutes at the start after suffering blisters while wearing the wrong size boots in training.

City's unsettled captain Carlos Tevez -- who hopes to engineer a move to Inter Milan -- will be absent until next week after playing in the Copa America, giving Mancini a chance to show if he retains faith in Mario Balotelli after falling out with the temperamental Italian in pre-season.

United have appeared in this event 18 times -- winning it against Chelsea 12 months ago -- since City last took part in 1973, but the champions are up against a team on the rise after last season's FA Cup triumph ended 36 years without a trophy.

Mancini's men enjoyed a memorable 1-0 semi-final win over United at Wembley en route to that final victory against Stoke.

Yet Ferguson insists the fixture is nothing more than a high-profile opportunity for his players to improve their fitness before the Premier League kicks-off next weekend.

"It's very easy to get emotional about this type of game. I don't think we'll be changing our policy," Ferguson said.

"I've always viewed the Community Shield as a stepping stone for the first game of the season and there are two or three players who will need a game to boost their fitness."

Mancini would dearly love to land an early psychological blow against United, but he believes his squad is still short of the depth required to compete with Ferguson's side for the next nine months.

"It is the first official match of the season. It is important because it is a derby and we want to win, like United. But I don't think the teams at the moment are 100 percent ready to play," Mancini said.

"We are missing other players, we don't have enough players for all the season. This is a problem at the moment. I think we need another two or three players."

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SPORTS - Hamels crisp as Phillies beat Giants again, 2-1 (AP)

SPORTS - Hamels crisp as Phillies beat Giants again, 2-1 (AP)
Cole Hamels AP – Philadelphia Phillies' Cole Hamels works against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of …

SAN FRANCISCO – The toughest matchup for Cole Hamels might've come against teammate Cliff Lee.

Hamels pitched a seven-hitter for his first win in two weeks and the Philadelphia Phillies won their season-high ninth in a row, beating the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Saturday.

Hamels made a pair of first-inning runs hold up as the Phillies, with the best record in the majors, defeated the Giants for the third straight day.

Two days after Lee threw a shutout, Hamels (13-6) blanked the Giants until Pablo Sandoval's two-out home run in the ninth inning. Hamels struck out five and faced five batters more than the minimum while dominating the defending World Series champs.

Hamels had only one victory in his previous four starts and lost to San Francisco 2-1 on July 27 despite pitching into the eighth inning and allowing only two runs and six hits.

He was even stronger in the rematch and got better results.

"I was one out away from a shutout," Hamels said with a grin. "Cliff just got one. We're all trying to compete against each other."

Hamels, who hadn't won since July 22, faced the minimum through three innings, then gave up back-to-back singles in the fourth. He quickly worked out of the jam, striking out Carlos Beltran on three pitches before Sandoval grounded into a 4-6-3 double play in the first pitch.

San Francisco didn't get another runner until the seventh, and had two on with two outs in the eighth but failed to score each time.

All but three of the 27 outs recorded by the All-Star left-hander were made by the infield. Philadelphia also backed Hamels with two double plays in a game that took 2 hours, 14 minutes.

"Any time you can win a series it's big and any time you can win on the road it's big," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We know how good the Giants can be but at the same time if we play the way we're capable of playing and stay relaxed and focused ... that works for us."

The game was far less testy than Friday night's 9-2 Phillies win, which included the ejection of three players following a bench-clearing brawl in the sixth inning.

Matt Cain (9-8) allowed only three hits over eight innings but took the loss, his second straight. San Francisco has dropped eight of nine since taking two of three games from the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Jimmy Rollins doubled high off the wall in right-center leading off the game, and after Chase Utley drew a one-out walk and Howard struck out, Hunter Pence hit a bloop single to right to drive in Rollins.

Utley tried to take third on the play and appeared to be out following a strong throw by Nate Schierholtz, but Sandoval bobbled the ball, allowing Utley to reach safely. Three pitches later he scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

"We got to him early but after that he was tough," said Ryan Howard, who struck out three times before singling in the ninth. "He got into some situations where it could have gone bad, and Cole got into some situations where it could have gone bad, but they got out of them."

The Giants are hitless in 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the three games against the Phillies this weekend. Over its last 16 games, San Francisco is batting .157 (16 for 102) with runners in scoring position.

It got so bad that first baseman and crowd favorite Aubrey Huff was booed loudly by the home crowd after grounding out to Hamels.

"We had more hits than they did, we just couldn't get the big hit," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "You don't win the World Series unless you can beat good pitching. Right now we're not doing that."

Before the game, Bochy said he expects to hear soon from Major League Baseball about penalties for Friday's bench-clearing brawl.

San Francisco reliever Ramon Ramirez and catcher Eli Whiteside were both ejected along with Philadelphia center fielder Shane Victorino.

Victorino was booed during pregame introductions and every at-bat by the sellout crowd at AT&T Park, but there were no other lingering effects from the fight.

Cain nearly matched Hamels, retiring 20 of the final 22 batters he faced after giving up both Philadelphia runs in the first. The right-hander struck out eight and walked two.

"I made a couple of mistakes early," Cain said. "The way Hamels was throwing the ball, that was enough."

NOTES: Friday's winning pitcher, Vance Worley, is the first Phillies rookie to win six games over a seven-game stretch since Bob Walk in 1980. ... Phillies 3B Placido Polanco left the game with soreness in his left hip. ... Philadelphia has an NL-best 28-11 record during day games. ... Giants reliever Sergio Romo has retired 30 consecutive batters, the longest streak in the majors. ... Philadelphia homered in its previous eight games, the team's longest streak since 2009. ... RHP Tim Lincecum (9-9) has six straight quality starts against the Phillies and will try to stop the Giants' slide when he opposes RHP Roy Oswalt (4-6) in Sunday's series finale. Oswalt will be making his first start since going on the disabled list with lower back inflammation on June 24. He was activated following Saturday's game. LHP Juan Perez was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room.

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SPORTS - Giants' Amukamara hurts foot, out indefinitely (AP)

SPORTS - Giants' Amukamara hurts foot, out indefinitely (AP)
Lou Marson, Yorvit Torrealba AP – Cleveland Indians baserunner Lou Marson (6) slides safely in front of Texas Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba, …

ARLINGTON, Texas – Despite the sixth blown save this season by Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington insists he still feels good about his closer.

Michael Brantley hit a go-ahead RBI double and Jason Kipnis homered in Cleveland's four-run ninth inning as the Indians rallied past the Rangers 7-5 in 106-degree heat Saturday night.

Texas had won the first five meetings with Cleveland this season, and the Rangers carried a 4-3 advantage into the ninth before the Indians came back against Feliz (1-3), who failed to nail down his 23rd save.

"My confidence is still high," Washington said of the 23-year-old Feliz, who converted 40 saves as a rookie in 2010. "It never wavered."

Feliz was pitching for the third straight day, but he refused to use fatigue as an excuse.

"I felt good," Feliz said through a translator. "I didn't think I had any problems with my arm. I was 100 percent. I was trying to do the same things. I felt the same the first three days, but on the first two outings I had a better result than today. That's what happens. It happens in baseball."

Kosuke Fukudome led off the ninth with a double off the glove of right fielder Nelson Cruz, who sprinted back to the warning track and nearly made a spectacular catch.

Ezequiel Carrera's sacrifice bunt moved Fukudome to third, and Lonnie Chisenhall's single to right on a 1-2 pitch drove in Fukudome to tie it.

Brantley's double to right drove in Chisenhall, who slid in safely ahead of second baseman Ian Kinsler's relay throw to the plate.

Kipnis greeted Yoshinori Tateyama with a two-run drive to extend Cleveland's lead to 7-4.

Rangers starter C.J. Wilson is a former closer, and he knows how daunting the role can be.

"It's such a hard thing to explain to someone who's not out there, but being a former closer myself, I understand exactly how thin a margin you have," Wilson said.

"With a young guy, he's going to have ups and downs. He's not going to be Mariano Rivera for another year or two, maybe three. That's part of the development process. It's not an easy job at all. That's why I support him so much, because he's got so much potential."

Washington preferred to credit the Indians rather than criticize his closer.

"The problem tonight was the Cleveland Indians," Washington said. "They put some at-bats together against our closer and beat us. There's no guarantees in the game of baseball. When you give the ball to your closer, you feel good about the game being over. But there are no guarantees."

Frank Herrmann (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Chris Perez allowed a two-out RBI single to Elvis Andrus in the ninth, then gave up an infield single to Josh Hamilton.

Perez's wild pitch moved the runners to second and third but Michael Young grounded out, giving Perez his 23rd save in 26 opportunities.

"It was very important to win this ballgame because the game yesterday was very tough and you don't want those games to snowball," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. "These guys have shown that resiliency the whole year."

The Rangers had a four-run seventh off Indians starter Fausto Carmona, with Kinsler ending a 3-for-42 slide with a two-run single and Hamilton hitting a tiebreaking sacrifice fly.

Wilson gave up three runs — two earned — and five hits in 6 2-3 innings with nine strikeouts and two walks.

The first-pitch temperature of 106 degrees was the highest in Rangers Ballpark history.

Wilson and Carmona both pitched shutout ball over the first six innings before the Indians broke through with a three-run seventh.

Fukudome hit an infield single and scored on Shelley Duncan's double. When Wilson walked No. 9 hitter Lou Marson with two outs, Darren Oliver came on in relief.

Oliver was called for a balk when he dropped the ball while his foot was on the rubber, allowing pinch-runner Carrera to score from third.

The Indians put up a third run with the help of a throwing error by Young at third base.

Texas' seventh-inning rally was helped by Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's error. Kinsler hit a two-run single to tie it and scored the go-ahead run on Hamilton's sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, sat in the owners' box to the left of the Texas dugout. Bush, a Dallas-area resident who once owned the Rangers, has attended several games this season. ... The Rangers signed RHP Connor Sadzeck, their 11th-round pick in the June draft. ... Former Rangers LHP Kenny Rogers was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in pregame ceremonies. ... Texas will start RHP Colby Lewis on Sunday night in the series finale as Lewis tries to avoid giving up the long ball after allowing a league-high 27 homers in 22 starts. RHP Josh Tomlin gets the start for Cleveland. He's the first pitcher since 1919 to last at least five innings in his first 34 big league appearances. ... Andrus was hit in the helmet by Carmona's fastball in the first inning, but remained in the game. ... Young's single in the third was the 1,998th hit of his career. ... Kinsler has 20 straight successful steal attempts.

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SPORTS - Adam Scott leads Ishikawa by a shot at Firestone (AP)

SPORTS - Adam Scott leads Ishikawa by a shot at Firestone (AP)
Ryo Ishikawa AP – Ryo Ishikawa, from Japan, watches his drive on the fourth hole during the third round of the Bridgestone …

AKRON, Ohio – Ryo Ishikawa amazed even his peers in a charity-driven sport when he pledged in March to donate his entire earnings on the golf course to the tsunami relief fund in his native Japan.

He could double the donation Sunday in a World Golf Championship that is surprising even him.

Coming off a missed cut in Japan, never better than 20th in stroke play in America, the 19-year-old sensation made six birdies and twice escaped trouble in the trees Saturday for a 6-under 64 that put him in the final group and only one shot behind Adam Scott in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Along with a $1.4 million payoff, Ishikawa could become the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event in 100 years.

"I think it's a little too early to think about winning this whole thing as of now," Ishikawa said. "But I do feel that I was able to play at a pretty good level, a pretty high level today. Actually, I'm a little surprised of how I performed out there."

Scott turned his fortunes around when decided to stick what was working, going to a fade off the tee. He poured in four birdies on the back nine for a 4-under 66, giving the 31-year-old Australian a shot at his first World Golf Championship.

Scott was at 12-under 198, the lowest 54-hole score at Firestone in 10 years. He will play in the last group with Ishikawa. In front of them will be Jason Day, whose 66 put him one shot behind. Day and Scott tied for second in the Masters this year.

About the only thing Tiger Woods can now get out of this week are four rounds and some points to help him qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of the month. Woods, a seven-time winner at Firestone who hasn't played in nearly three months, struggled again with his putting and had a 72. He was 13 shots behind in a tie for 38th in the 76-man field.

"I've just got to put together a good round and let it build," Woods said.

Scott in the lead should be compelling enough, especially with Woods back to golf. It was only two weeks ago when Woods announced he had fired his caddie, Steve Williams, and Scott then hired him on a full-time basis.

But that's became old news because of one of the youngest players in the field.

Ishikawa might be the only other player in golf to appreciate what it's like to get attention like Woods. He has been a star in Japan since he won his first tournament as a 15-year-old amateur, and his 10 wins on the Japan Golf Tour include shooting a 58 in the final round to win The Crowns.

He has earned so much respect from his peers that Scott, even though he was leading, was not the least bit bothered to spend most of his interview talking about the kid once known as the "Shy Prince."

"I first saw him in Japan when he was 15, and he had already won an even over there. I mean, this kid is really amazing," Scott said. "I think this week is really big for him. It's great that he's playing well over here probably for the first time, if I'm not mistaken, first time he's really challenging at a world event.

"He's only 19. He's got everything in front of him."

Ishikawa doesn't get much attention in these parts because he has struggled in America, with only one top 10 in 2010 when Ishikawa reached the third round of the Match Play Championship. This is his 22nd tournament in America, and he started feeling comfortable only when he tied for 20th at the Masters this year.

The spotlight? He's been coping with that for a long time.

He gets the kind of media coverage in Japan that Woods gets around the world. It's not unusual to see Ishikawa sit in a folding chair after every round to accommodate dozens of Japanese media.

Now comes the hard part.

A win would make him the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event since John McDermott at the 1911 U.S. Open at 19, who was one week younger than Ishikawa.

As for the money? He already has donated about $740,000 this year from his earnings, which include a pair of runner-up finishes in Japan. Along with his money pledges for making birdies and eagles, the total donation is pushing $1 million.

"There are people that have no homes right now, and we actually don't know how long it's going to take for Japan to recover," Ishikawa said through a translator. "So I would just like to give my support to Japan."

Ishikawa opened with three birdies on the front nine and never eased back, making enough escapes out of the trees and a few more birdies. It was his best round since he opened with a 65 at Doral, right after he learned of the tsunami.

His expectations are limited for Sunday.

"I think the golf I'm playing now is unstable in a sense," Ishikawa said, noting he went from a runner-up finish to qualify for this event to a missed cut. "And so considering that, I'm not really sure as to how I will perform tomorrow, to be honest with you."

Day took an early lead with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, gave it back with consecutive bogeys to start the back nine and finished with a flourish, three birdies over his last five holes for a 66.

It wasn't enough to put Day in the final group with Scott. They played together in the final round of the Masters, and both looked as though they might win until Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes for a two-shot victory.

"He really impressed me at Augusta on Sunday when I think back to how he played," Scott said.

The third round was played early to avoid a forecast of thunderstorms. Sunday returns to regular twosomes, and Scott doesn't expect a duel at the top. If conditions stay dry, and the fairways get faster, it puts a premium on just about everything. Nine players were within five shots of the lead.

PGA Tour rookie Keegan Bradley had a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Martin Laird (67). The group another shot behind included world No. 1 Luke Donald, who had a 64 despite a bogey on the last hole, and Rickie Fowler, who holed out from the fairway for eagle for the second straight day. He needed that for a 69, although he is still only three shots behind as he goes for his first win.

Woods opened with a bogey that started with shots to the right and left of the fairway, and he didn't hit a single fairway on the front nine. He attributed that to hitting the ball straighter, which is something he's not used to doing.

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SPORTS - LA judge tentatively rules against Pacers owner (AP)

SPORTS - LA judge tentatively rules against Pacers owner (AP)

SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) – Vera Zvonareva clawed her way into a WTA San Diego Open final with Agnieszka Radwanska as the Russian top seed struggled before beating Ana Ivanovic in their semi-final on Saturday.

Russian top seed Zvonareva, a part-time student of foreign policy in Moscow, held off a comeback from former number one Ivanovic, with the Serb charging from 1-5 down in the final set and saving a match point on the way to 4-5.

But Zvonareva, who will play her third final this season, finally prevailed after almost two and a half hours on her second match point a game later.

"I always come up with good tennis when I need it," said Zvonareva, the champion in her last event in Baku, Azerbaijan, who is riding a nine-match winning streak. "It seems when something is working well in my game I get bored.

"I make mistakes or go for stupid shots and I have to start the match all over again."

Poland's Radwanska, who has lost two matches to the Russian including at Miami in March, reached her second straight final in San Diego with a defeat of ailing Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Petkovic, the second seed from Germany was hampered by a stomach virus and had to sprint through the stands to leave the court at mid-game in the second set as her stomach played up.

She returned, made her apologies and dropped the second set 0-6.

"I had something bad for lunch," explained the German. "I tried eating a banana before the match but that made it worse. It was like a rock in my stomach that I had to get rid of."

She added that the decision to run off court as opposed to perhaps being ill on it was a careful deliberation: "I didn't want to be on (ESPN programme) SportsCenter for the next 25 years," she joked, a reference to a clip of Pete Sampras once throwing up at the US Open that has received repeated play on television.

"After, I felt much, much better but the problem was that I dropped intensity. I had trouble finding back my focus and my intensity after that.

"I felt fine throughout the whole match. Afterwards, I felt sick again, but throughout the match I felt totally fine after that little incident."

Interruption aside, third-seeded Radwanska called the contest "a very tough match."

"Even if she was sick she was playing incredibly. It was great to finally win."

Against Ivanovic, who was number one in 2008 after winning the Roland Garros title, Zvonareva made life tough on herself.

The world number three dropped a lead in the opening set to lose it and needed seven set points to square the contest by winning the second.

In the third, she began with two breaks of Ivanovic but left it until late to secure the victory.

"I've had some tough matches this week," Zvonareva said. "I had to pull this one out. It was a challenge, Ana played well and I'm glad I won.

"I'm excited to be in the final, Agnieszka is always tough."

Radwanska, who has battled a right shoulder injury all week, was runner-up here last year to Svetlana Kuznetsova in her last appearance in a WTA final.

Despite the defeat, Petkovic will move into the Top 10 in the world rankings for the first time on Monday, displacing Australian Samantha Stosur.

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SPORTS - Zvonareva to face Radwanska in San Diego final (AFP)

SPORTS - Zvonareva to face Radwanska in San Diego final (AFP)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Swedish Olympic official Gunilla Lindberg will head the IOC panel monitoring preparations for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The International Olympic Committee announced Friday that Lindberg will chair the 11-person coordination commission for Pyeongchang. The South Korean resort was awarded the games last month, beating bids from Munich and Annecy, France.

Lindberg led the IOC's evaluation commission which assessed the three bids and will rejoin the IOC executive board at the end of the month. She has been an IOC member since 1996 and served as an IOC vice president from 2004-08. She is secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

Other members of the coordination panel include American IOC athletes' member Angela Ruggiero, Japan's Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda and Danish member Crown Prince Frederik.

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SPORTS - Woods struggles again and falls far behind (AP)

SPORTS - Woods struggles again and falls far behind (AP)
Tiger Woods AP – Tiger Woods looks over the lie of his ball in the 16th fairway during third round play in the Bridgestone …

AKRON, Ohio – Tiger Woods has discovered something about his game that he never imagined could be a problem.

He's hitting it too straight.

In another pedestrian round Saturday that caused him to lose more ground in the Bridgestone Invitational, Woods didn't hit a fairway until the 11th hole and struggled so much with his putting that one of his associates brought a different putter out to the practice green after a round of 72.

Woods was at 1-over 211, which left him 13 shots behind Adam Scott going into Sunday.

What he noticed at Firestone, however, was the shape of his tee shots. Instead of playing a fade or a draw off the tee, depending on the shape of the flight he wanted, Woods is hitting it straighter. He said the trouble was still aiming right or left.

"Still struggling a little bit with my setup and alignments off of tee shots because I used to curve the ball a lot more," he said. "I don't curve the ball as much anymore, and it's kind of hard to trust when I'm out there in tournament play. And most of my shots are missing right on the edges of fairways, so I've just got to get more committed to that.

"I'm hitting the ball straighter," he said. "It's a nice change. But it's still a change."

That was the scouting report out of Atlanta Athletic Club when Woods played a practice round Monday ahead of next week's PGA Championship. He was having a hard time picking out the right target, instinctively aiming farther outside the fairway lines because for years he was used to more movement on his shots.

He missed every fairway on the front nine, and some of them weren't that close. His shot on No. 6 went into the gallery, plunked a fan in the back and bounced into the rough on the other side of the ropes. Brady Klotz, the college kid he struck, was so excited about being hit that he posed with the glove that Woods signed for him.

Woods picked up two birdies to offset some early mistakes, but finished poorly. A sand wedge for his third shot to the par-5 16th went over the green and into a bunker for a bogey, and he three-putted the 18th for a 72.

The putter is the biggest concern, as it has been since he first returned from the calamity in his personal life at the 2010 Masters. Woods went back to his Scotty Cameron, the model that he has used in 13 of his major championships. But after his round, the Nike putter was being delivered to him on the practice green.

Woods played with Bubba Watson, who believes Woods is closer than the scores indicated. Watson was particularly impressed with the final hole, when Woods carved a shot out of the rough and around the trees to get on the green.

"You've got to think he's just rusty," Watson said. "Like if we have a winter break, we've got a three-month winter break, the first tournament you're a little rusty. But 18 just showed how great he is. He hit some kind of a pitching wedge that sliced over that tree. That just proves he's close, and he's coming back and he's ready."

About all that Woods can get out of this World Golf Championship now is four rounds, and hopes of a good Sunday to improve on his standing with the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of the month. Woods is at No. 135, although he has two weeks to get into the top 125 and appears he can at least do that.

"I've just got to put together a good round and let it build," Woods said. "That's something I haven't done yet. I've only played three rounds. Unfortunately, I'm not there battling with a chance to win, but I can still post a good round tomorrow."

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SPORTS - Sagan wins Tour of Poland title (AFP)

SPORTS - Sagan wins Tour of Poland title (AFP)

MOBILE, Ala. – For 17-year-old Shawn Simpson, the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials challengers' bracket bout on Thursday night was a chance for redemption, one night after a loss to two-time Olympian Rau'shee Warren of Cincinnati.

Simpson took no chances with Emilio Sanchez, his opponent on Thursday night, as he used foot speed and glove work, defeating the Pacoima, Calif, native 21-15.

Simpson gets a rematch with Warren in Friday night's finals.

"I fed into the crowd (when I fought Warren) and fought his fight," he said. "But tonight's win gives me a lot more confidence, and we'll think of some stuff we can use (in the finals). I knew that this kid (Sanchez) was tough and I knew if I didn't fight the right way I wouldn't face Rau'shee."

Sanchez gave Simpson problems early on with his aggressive inside style, but Simpson began to move more in the second round and utilized lateral movement and solid jabs.

"He pressured me a lot, and threw a lot of punches," Simpson said. "He came on stronger and stronger each round."

Another rematch will take place in the lightweight division between Raynell Williams and Jose Ramierez.

Williams, of New Haven, Conn., lost to Ramierez 18-17 earlier in the trials, and had to fight his way through the challengers' bracket to face Toka Kahn Clary of Providence, R.I. on Thursday night.

Clary, a boxer with excellent footwork and great hand speed, appeared evenly matched with Williams, as both put on a show. Williams broke a 9-9 first-round tie with a powerful counterpunching attack in the second and third rounds.

"Toka is a great fighter," Williams said. "When you get two skilled fighters together, they're going to put on a good show. In the second round, I went up strong and picked up the momentum. I think I'll be able to make some adjustments against Ramierez and come up with a whole new game plan."

Three more rematches highlight Friday's finals: O'Shanique Foster against Joseph Diaz, Jr. in the lightweight division; Pedro Sosa faces Jamal Herring in the light welterweight division; and Amir Imam matches up with Errol Spence in the welterweight division.

Foster will look to get even for a 29-15 loss to Diaz on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Foster defeated Tramaine Williams of New Haven, Conn. 19-13 to set up Friday's rematch. Sosa defeated Duran Caferro 22-12 to set up Friday's rematch with Herring. On Wednesday, Herring defeated Sosa, a Bronx, N.Y. native, 14-13.

Spence, the favorite in the welterweight division, defeated Imam 19-12 on Wednesday. However, Imam earned the rematch with Spence, thanks to a 31-23 win over Samuel Vasquez. Imam won because of a strong third round, where he bloodied Vasquez's nose.

Friday's rematches have another significance, if the winner from the challengers' bracket wins, a rematch will be held on Saturday. If more than four winners from the challengers' bracket win on Friday, then the Saturday rematches will start at 2 p.m.

Other winners who made it to Friday's finals included Santos Vasquez (light flyweight); Luis Arias (middleweight); Siju Shabazz (light-heavyweight) and Joseph Williams (heavyweight).

Laron Mitchell made it to the super heavyweight finals on a medical walkover.

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SPORTS - Edwards pushes Stenhouse Jr. to Nationwide win. (AP)

SPORTS - Edwards pushes Stenhouse Jr. to Nationwide win. (AP)
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SPORTS - Evans beats Ortiz in main event of UFC in Round 2 (AP)

SPORTS - Evans beats Ortiz in main event of UFC in Round 2 (AP)
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SPORTS - Haas, Huston take early lead at 3M Championship (AP)

SPORTS - Haas, Huston take early lead at 3M Championship (AP)
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SPORTS - Washington still has confidence in closer Feliz (AP)

SPORTS - Washington still has confidence in closer Feliz (AP)
Sagan wins Tour of Poland title AFP/Getty Images/File – Slovakian rider Peter Sagan, pictured here in May 2011, of the Liquigas team won the 68th edition of …

WARSAW (AFP) – Slovakian rider Peter Sagan of the Liquigas team won the 68th edition of the Tour of Poland on Saturday, after taking second spot on the final stage.

The seventh and last stage, run over 128 km, was won by Germany's Marcel Kittel of the Skil-Shimano outfit for his fourth stage win of the race.

It was a dramatic final day on the race with Sagan finally edging out Ireland's Daniel Martin, of the Garmin-Cervelo team who had won Friday's penultimate stage, by just six seconds in the overall classification.

"This is one of the greatest successes of my career," Sagan told the PAP news agency.

"I had doubts over whether or not I would be able to get back the yellow jersey that I lost yesterday.

"For me, the race was training for the Tour of Spain but to win it, that's not too bad."

Stage

1. Marcel Kittel (GER) Skil-Shimano 2hr 50min 00sec, 2. Peter Sagan (SVK) Liquigas same time, 3. Leigh Howard (AUS) HTC-Highroad s.t., 4. Heinrich Haussler (AUS) Garmin-Cervelo s.t., 5. Marco Marcato (ITA) Vacansoleil-DCM s.t.

Overall standings

1. Peter Sagan (SVK) Liquigas-Cannondale 26hr 39min 58sec, 2. Daniel Martin (IRL) Garmin-Cervelo at 6sec, 3. Marco Marcato (ITA) Vacansoleil-DCM 7, 4. Poels Wout (NED) Vacansoleil-DCM 23, 5. Peter Kennaugh (GBR) Sky ProCycling 25

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SPORTS - Red Sox bash Sabathia 10-4, tied again in AL East (AP)

SPORTS - Red Sox bash Sabathia 10-4, tied again in AL East (AP)
Eric Cooper, Joe Giardi, Derek Jeter AP – New York Yankees manager Joe Giardi, center, argues a call with third base umpire Eric Cooper, right, …

BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox don't understand why they've been able to dominate CC Sabathia.

They just want it to continue.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a three-run homer with a career-high six RBIs, and Carl Crawford had four hits to lead Boston to a 10-4 victory over the Yankees ace on Saturday, snapping New York's eight-game winning streak and leaving the teams tied for first — again — in the AL East.

"To get wins against guys like that, you try not to think about it too much," said Crawford, who has hit safely in six consecutive plate appearances. "You try to just take it."

One day after losing the series opener to fall into second place for the first time in almost a month, the Red Sox improved to 69-43 — the same as the Yankees. Boston is 9-2 against New York this season, clinching at least a tie for the season series, and nowhere has the dominance been more complete than when Sabathia (16-6) pitches.

The big left-hander, who leads the majors in wins, fell to 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA against Boston this year. He is 16-2 with a 2.11 ERA against everyone else.

"Believe me, it's not like we go, `We're going to lunch up on him,'" Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "He's really good. He's had his way with a lot of teams, and we give him a good battle. I'm sure we'll see him a bunch more times."

Sabathia allowed seven runs in six innings Saturday, giving up nine hits and a walk and striking out six. It's the first time in 11 starts that he didn't last at least seven innings.

"It's a good ballclub. They have a good lineup. Like today, they wear on you," Sabathia said. "I've faced all of those guys a lot. When I'm right, I can beat anybody."

John Lackey (10-8) scattered six hits over six innings for the Red Sox, allowing three runs — he also walked two and hit two batters — while striking out five to win his fifth consecutive decision.

It was 2-2 when Kevin Youkilis doubled to lead off the fourth and, after David Ortiz struck out, Mike Aviles singled home one run. Crawford singled and, one out later, Marco Scutaro singled in another run before Ellsbury hit a high fly that landed in the first row of the right-field seats next to the 380-foot marker.

The Yankees cut it to 7-4 on Mark Teixeira's solo homer off Daniel Bard in the eighth.

But Boston loaded the bases against Hector Noesi in the bottom half before Ellsbury hit a two-run single and Dustin Pedroia added a sacrifice fly to make it 10-4. Noesi finally got out of the inning when he took Adrian Gonzalez's line drive off his right shoulder; the ball ricocheted toward first base, and Teixeira picked it up and tagged the base for the out.

Francisco Cervelli had three hits for the Yankees, including a leadoff double against Dan Wheeler in the ninth. With two on, Teixeira lined the ball down the right-field line, just foul of the Pesky Pole.

He flied out to center to end the game.

Play was delayed briefly when a beer vendor's tray fell over the wall near the Yankees dugout, scattering cans on the dirt. The spill was featured on the national television broadcast, and a FOX TV producer told Red Sox officials the network would pay for the load so the vendor wouldn't be out the money; Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Ganley said the vendor would not have to pay for the spilled beer.

Francona got a chuckle out of it.

"I'm just glad Bogie (third base coach Tim Bogar) didn't grab one and start drinking it," he said.

Notes: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez took batting practice in Florida, continuing his recovery from right knee surgery. The Yankees expect him to rejoin the team in mid-August. ... Aviles, who came to the Red Sox from Kansas City at the trade deadline, made his first pro appearance in the outfield. ... Curtis Granderson scored his major league-leading 100th run in the fourth. ... For the series finale on Sunday, Freddy Garcia will face Josh Beckett. Garcia has won three straight starts, but on the year he is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts against Boston. "They've hit him pretty good," manager Joe Girardi said. "Freddy's been pretty consistent. Those are his starts that weren't." Beckett is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA against the Yankees this year.

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SPORTS - Sanders, Sharpe, Faulk, Dent enter Hall of Fame (AP)

SPORTS - Sanders, Sharpe, Faulk, Dent enter Hall of Fame (AP)
Richard Dent waves to the crowd after receiving his gold jacket from Joe Gilliam at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival inductees dinner Friday, Au AP – Richard Dent waves to the crowd after receiving his gold jacket from Joe Gilliam at the Pro Football …

CANTON, Ohio – Prime Time has come to Canton — with an extra touch of gold. And a black do-rag.

Deion Sanders strutted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night sporting a pair of gold shoes to go with the gold jacket emblematic of the special company he has become a part of.

At the end of his riveting acceptance speech, he placed his ubiquitous do-rag on his hall bust.

Neon Deion indeed.

"This game," Sanders repeated dozens of times, "this game taught me how to be a man. This game taught me if I get knocked down, I got to get my butt back up.

"I always had a rule in life that I would never love anything that couldn't love me back. It taught me how to be a man, how to get up, how to live in pain. Taught me so much about people, timing, focus, dedication, submitting oneself, sacrificing.

"If your dream ain't bigger than you, there's a problem with your dream."

Sanders joined Marshall Faulk in entering the hall in their first year of eligibility. Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter and Ed Sabol also were enshrined before an enthusiastic crowd of 13,300 — much lower than the usual turnout. With Sunday's Hall of Fame game a victim of the 4 1/2-month NFL lockout, Fawcett Stadium was half full.

Not that Sanders needs a big audience.

The dynamic cornerback and kick returner ran off a list of people who influenced him as smoothly as he ran past opponents, whether running back kicks or interceptions — or even catching passes when he appeared as a wide receiver, or dashing around the bases in the major leagues, including one World Series appearance.

He spoke of promising his mother she could stop working in a hospital when he became a success, and of how he created the Prime Time image at Florida State — then turned it into a persona.

A Hall of Fame persona.

"What separates us is that we expect to be great," he said. "I expect to be great, I expect to do what had to be done. I expect to make change."

Just as Sharpe expected to change his life as a kid who went to college with two brown grocery bags filled with his belongings.

When Sharpe headed to Savannah State, all he heard was how he was destined to fail.

"When people told me I'd never make it, I listened to the one person who said I could: me," Sharpe said.

Failure? Sharpe went from a seventh-round draft pick to the most prolific tight end of his time. He won two Super Bowls with Denver and one with Baltimore, and at the time of his retirement in 2003, his 815 career receptions, 10,060 yards and 62 TDs were all NFL records for a tight end. Three times he went over 1,000 yards receiving in a season — almost unheard of for that position. In a 1993 playoff game, Sharpe had 13 catches against Oakland, tying a record.

Sharpe patted his bust on the head Saturday before saying, "All these years later, it makes me proud when people call me a self-made man."

In a captivating acceptance speech, Sharpe passionately made a pitch to get his brother, Sterling, who played seven years with the Packers, considered for election to the shrine. Sterling, who introduced his younger brother for induction, wept as Shannon praised him.

"I am the only player who has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and am the second-best player in my family," Sharpe said.

"I am so honored. You don't know what this means for me. This is the fraternity of all fraternities."

Faulk was the running back of running backs for much of his 12-season career.

As versatile and dangerous a backfield threat as the NFL has seen, Faulk was voted the NFL's top offensive player in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and was the NFL's MVP in 2000. He was the league's scoring leader in 2000 and '01, made seven Pro Bowls, and was the first player to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive years.

The second overall draft pick in 1994, when Faulk was offensive rookie of the year, he played five seasons in Indianapolis, then his final seven for St. Louis, helping the Rams to their only Super Bowl victory in 1999.

Through tears, Faulk said, "Boy this is pretty special. ... I am glad to be a part of it. This is football heaven.

"I am a football fan just like all of you," Faulk told the crowd. "I have always, always been a fan and had an abiding passion and love and respect for this game of football, even when I was a kid selling popcorn in the Superdome because I couldn't afford a ticket.

"It's tough going from the projects to the penthouse."

Dent was a dynamic pass rusher on one of the NFL's greatest defenses, the 1985 NFL champions. He was the MVP of that Super Bowl and finished with 137 1/2 career sacks, third all-time when he left the sport.

He epitomized the Monsters of the Midway: fast, fierce and intimidating.

"Richard was like a guided missile," Joe Gilliam, Dent's college coach, said during his introduction.

"You must dream and you must be dedicated to something in your life," added Dent, who asked everyone in the audience to rise in applause for Gilliam, then thanked dozens of people, including many from the '85 Bears who also were in the stadium. He saved his highest praise for the late Walter Payton.

"When you have dreams, it is very tough to say you can do everything by yourself," Dent said. "It's all about other people."

Sabol made a life out of telling other people's stories.

An aspiring filmmaker, Sabol approached Commissioner Pete Rozelle offering to double the rights fee for filming the 1962 NFL championship game between the Packers and Giants. Rozelle accepted the $3,000 and a wildly successful marriage was formed.

Seated in a wheelchair, the 94-year-old Sabol said he "dreamt the impossible dream, and I'm living it right at this minute."

"This honor tonight really goes to NFL Films, I just happen to be accepting all the accolades," Sabol added.

Sabol's son, Steve, who replaced him as president of the company, introduced his father, about whom he said, "My sisters used to say my dad was two stooges short of a good routine. He loved to entertain."

Hanburger called his induction "one of the greatest moments in my life and I mean that from my heart. I am just overwhelmed by this."

Hanburger never let his job with the Redskins overwhelm him. He was the signal-caller for George Allen's intricate defenses in Washington, which included dozens of formations.

He also was a physical player. Nicknamed "The Hangman," Hanburger stood out for one violent move he practically patented in 14 seasons with the Redskins: the clothesline tackle, which eventually was outlawed.

A senior committee nominee, Hanburger made nine Pro Bowls in his 14 seasons, although he never won a championship. The linebacker's knack for finding the ball helped him to 19 interceptions and three fumble returns for TDs, a league mark when he retired after the 1978 season.

Hanburger stared into the face of his bust before saying induction is "something that I never gave a thought to."

Richter, who died last year, also was a senior nominee. He played nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, who acquired him in 1954 for 11 players after he was the second overall draft pick.

Richter served two years in the military, then became one of the most rugged defenders in the NFL. He made eight straight Pro Bowls while also seeing time at center and as a placekicker for part of his career. He retired in 1962 and went on to a successful career in motor sports.

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