Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:25:06 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sports :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/sports istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us STEVEN GOLDMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/yankees-suddenly-appear-very-much-alive/82536/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST For the Yankees, this has been the season of second chances. They got off to a miserable start, and though they have played very well since finally getting above the .500 mark in mid-June, at first it appeared that the Red Sox and Rays were too far ahead and too good to catch. Now the Yankees are very much alive. Jason Giambi seemed finished, then he grew a mustache. Robinson Cano forgot how to hit, then he remembered. Joe Girardi seemed nervous and indecisive, then he found a bullpen. Most of... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/mussina-yankees-complete-sweep-of-twins-with/82492/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mike Mussina walked off the Yankee Stadium mound yesterday to rousing "Mooose!" calls from the sold-out crowd, having thrown eight economical innings in New York's 5-1 win over the Minnesota Twins for their 10th straight home victory. Last year "I physically couldn't do what I wanted to do. The whole year was miserable," Mussina said after giving up six hits without allowing a run. "Today was probably a good day," he said with a smirk. Alex Rodriguez and Justin Christian each had two-run... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/shocking-defeat-all-but-ends-federer-era-at-no-1/82552/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Roger Federer's days at the top of men's tennis are numbered. The world no. 1, playing his first match since losing the Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal, suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Gilles Simon in the second round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Early on, Federer had no trouble with the 23-year-old Frenchman, ranked no. 22 in the world, and he had leads of 3-1 and 4-3 in the third set. At 3-3 in the final set, Federer played his best game of the match and broke... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-recaptures-lost-glory-in-the-alps/82553/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Carlos Sastre won the most daunting test of the Tour de France yesterday, beating out CSC teammate Frank Schleck for the overall lead on the Alpe-d'Huez. It was a huge victory for the 33-year-old Spaniard on this last day in the mountains, but fortunately for the rest of us, this Tour is not quite over. Sastre's 1-minute, 34-second advantage over prerace favorite Cadel Evans is significant, but it may not prove enough in the end. An individual time trial awaits the riders on Saturday, and this... JOHN HOLLINGER http://www.nysun.com/sports/there-is-a-method-to-the-nets-offseason-madness/82551/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Nets fans: I know you must be confused. The Nets dump Richard Jefferson, in a clear rebuilding move ... and then turn around and sign three veteran free agents and trade one of their young guys? Does this really make any sense? Actually, it does, believe it or not. But it might take a while to get there, so let's get started. Team president Rod Thorn and GM Kiki Vandeweghe are operating with two separate goals in mind — first, to get well under the cap in the summer of 2010, and second, to have... EVAN WEINER http://www.nysun.com/sports/off-field-difficulties-loom-for-nfl/82561/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST John Madden once said winning is a great deodorant, as it covers up whatever internal problems a team might be having. On the national level for the NFL, Brett Favre's retirement has quickly turned into a saga; in the New York area, the decision by the ownership of the Giants to implement a personal seat licensing charge has pushed the league's real problems out of the limelight. But NFL owners do face some tough issues as training camp opens. The difficulties include a potential labor action... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/mets-already-have-outfield-solution-in-house/82554/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST What would you say if I told you that the Mets could add Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez's bat to their roster for nothing at all? That rather than watching one of a variety of fifth outfielders or converted second basemen flail away at the plate like a medicated Al Leiter, manager Jerry Manuel could pencil a real power hitter into the lineup in left field, at no cost in money or prospects? And that this could happen as soon as today? Assuming you're a Mets fan, this would probably strike... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/after-234-weeks-federers-reign-at-no-1-in-jeopardy/82448/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST In Melbourne, Roger Federer lost the Australian Open crown that he had worn for two years, in part because of a bout with mononucleosis. In Indian Wells, Calif., and in Miami, he couldn't win either of the two hard court tournaments he dominated a few years earlier. In Paris, his third consecutive run to the finals ended in an embarrassing defeat in which he won a mere four games. Worst of all, at Wimbledon he lost his grip on the tournament that he had owned since 2003. As the summer hard... http://www.nysun.com/sports/sports-desk/82449/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST BASKETBALL Warriors acquire Marcus Williams from Nets The Golden State Warriors acquired Marcus Williams from the Nets yesterday, filling their need for a backup point guard. The Warriors, who lost Baron Davis to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, traded a conditional first-round draft pick to the Nets for Williams, a first-round pick in 2006. Williams averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 assists in 53 games with the Nets last season after missing the first 23 games with a broken right foot. He... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/much-to-learn-from-bad-predictions/82450/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST One of the best things about the sportswriting racket is the complete lack of accountability the trade offers. In most fields, one's credibility is bound up with the accuracy of one's past predictions. If your accountant advised you that you could get away with claiming tax deductions for seven imaginary children because the IRS doesn't care about small fish, for instance, you'd probably stop paying him. And if a political candidate had spent an entire term in office zealously advocating for a... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/abreu-sends-surging-yankees-to-ninth-straight/82470/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Bobby Abreu hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth and drove in three runs, leading the surging Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 8–2 last night, their ninth consecutive victory at home. Derek Jeter added a two-run double and Robinson Cano continued his typical second-half tear with two RBI singles, his fifth straight multihit game since the All-Star break. New York's effective bullpen came through again after Darrell Rasner was pulled in the sixth, and the Yankees (55–45) won their fifth straight... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/without-wagner-mets-bullpen-gives-up-six-runs/82471/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST So Taguchi and Jimmy Rollins had two-run doubles in a six-run ninth, and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied against the Mets' makeshift bullpen for an 8–6 victory last night, taking over first place in the NL East. After Johan Santana pitched eight dominant innings, the Mets had to make do without closer Billy Wagner, who had an MRI on his shoulder earlier yesterday. Manager Jerry Manuel said Wagner, who has a muscle spasm around the joint, would be a midgame decision based on how the... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/k-rod-may-be-baseballs-first-60-save-man/82368/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Francisco Rodriguez helped his Los Angeles Angels polish off a sweep of Boston with his 40th save on Sunday, which is pretty impressive even if you're not the sort to be impressed by any achievement involving the worst statistic in baseball. Having reached the mark in his team's 98th game, Rodriguez not only set a record of sorts, but destroyed the competition — until now, the record was owned by John Smoltz, who in 2002 saved his 40th in Atlanta's 116th game of the year. More notably... STEVEN GOLDMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-posadas-season-in-doubt-yanks-need-another/82369/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Jorge Posada, one of top three catchers in Yankees history (behind Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey, ahead of Elston Howard and Thurman Munson), is feared to be out for the season after once again hitting the disabled list yesterday afternoon. While a precise determination as to his short-term future has yet to be made, season-ending surgery seems foreordained. Posada's shoulder troubles him when he throws and when he hits. If surgery is necessary, the recovery time is reportedly four to six months... MICHAEL DAVID SMITH http://www.nysun.com/sports/giants-ship-shockey-to-new-orleans-signaling-new/82370/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Jeremy Shockey's tenure with the Giants came to an end yesterday, as the team traded its star tight end to the New Orleans Saints just three days before the start of training camp. The Saints will send the Giants their second- and fifth-round picks in the 2009 draft, and the Giants will move on without Shockey, their starting tight end and one of their most recognizable players for the last six seasons. The trade is a sign that the Giants' front office and coaching staff has faith in Kevin... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/rodriguez-yankees-rout-twins/82371/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer and an RBI single last night to help the Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 12-4 for their eighth straight home win. Robinson Cano hit an upper-deck drive and Derek Jeter also went deep for the Yankees, who have won four straight overall. New York's Yankee Stadium streak is its longest since it won nine straight at home in 2005. Alexi Casilla had three hits for the Twins, but his throwing error led to three unearned runs in New York's four-run second inning... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/wagner-to-have-shoulder-re-evaluated/82372/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Mets closer Billy Wagner will have his tight shoulder re-evaluated today to determine if there is an injury to his pitching arm. The left-hander felt the tightness while warming up Sunday, but struck out three consecutive Cincinnati Reds in the 10th inning to earn his 24th save in New York's 7-5 win. Team spokesman Jay Horwitz said Wagner will be examined at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York on Tuesday. He will undergo an MRI only if it is warranted after the exam. Wagner has a 2.20... BRETT MARTEL http://www.nysun.com/sports/giants-send-tight-end-shockey-to-the-saints/82304/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:32:12 EST NEW ORLEANS — Jeremy Shockey was traded to the Saints for two draft picks today, giving New Orleans a disgruntled star tight end who watched from the sideline while injured as the New York Giants surged to the Super Bowl title. The Giants will get second- and fifth-round picks in the 2009 draft. The deal must be approved by the league and is contingent on Shockey passing a physical. Shockey, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who spent six seasons with the Giants, broke his leg against the... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/pettitte-giambi-bring-heat-in-clincher-over-as/82236/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Andy Pettitte outpitched Oakland All-Star Justin Duchscherer, getting just enough run support from Jason Giambi's homer and a sacrifice fly by Alex Rodriguez to help the Yankees hold off the Athletics 2-1 yesterday for a three-game sweep. The Yankees (53-45) won their seventh straight at home and climbed a season-best eight games over .500, entering a three-game series against Minnesota beginning tonight. Their winning streak at Yankee Stadium is their longest since last September. The... TONY DEAR http://www.nysun.com/sports/harrington-holds-onto-his-british-open-crown/82237/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Anyone who plays this game and has made the trip across the water to play on Britain's unsheltered and often bleak coastline knows how difficult it is to shoot 69 at a 7,000+ yard links course. Those who have played Royal Birkdale, even from the midweek tees, know how good you have to be to go under par. You can safely assume you will never play with anyone who beats 70 at Birkdale in 35-50 mph winds. And anyone who does so to win a major championship — with a dodgy wrist — must be a very... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/error-in-10th-leads-to-mets-win-over-reds/82238/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST CINCINNATI — Third baseman Edwin Encarnacion hit one of Cincinnati's three homers off Mike Pelfrey, then made a throwing error in the 10th inning that helped the Mets rally for a 7-5 victory yesterday and a split of their four-game series. The Mets have won 11 of their last 13 games, salvaging their season one month after they fired manager Willie Randolph. The latest victory left them in a first-place tie with Philadelphia in the NL East heading into their three-game series at Shea Stadium... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/is-richie-sexson-benefiting-from-the-name-game/82239/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST It's good to be famous: Once enough people know your name, it doesn't much matter what you've done, or what you're likely to do. Even in baseball, which comes as near to being a true meritocracy as any institution in America, having the right name can overwhelm all evidence and reason. The reasons aren't mysterious — man has an evolved bias for the familiar over the strange — but the consequences can be bizarre. Take first baseman Richie Sexson, who signed with the Yankees Friday. On July 10... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/sports-desk/82240/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST FOOTBALL Washington's Defensive End Daniels To Miss Season What a way to open training camp: Washington Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels tore a left knee ligament yesterday during the very first practice and will miss the season. Daniels, a starter, was hurt on the initial play of 7-on-7 offense vs. defense drills. He stayed down on the turf for several minutes before being taken away on a cart, a towel draped over his head. He's expected to have surgery Friday. "Not a good way to start... DOUG FERGUSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/harrington-makes-it-a-repeast-at-the-british-open/82213/ Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:22:09 EST SOUTHPORT, England — Turns out Padraig Harrington's wrist was strong enough to hit all the right shots in the British Open. Better yet, it was strong enough to lift the silver claret jug. Harrington became the first European in more than a century to win golf's oldest championship two years is a row, smashing a pair of fairway metals into the par 5s today that allowed him to pull away from misktake-prone Greg Norman and hold off a late charge by Ian Poulter for a four-shot victory. Even in the... JONAH KERI http://www.nysun.com/sports/8-new-york-baseball-story-lines-to-watch/82192/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The Mets were riding high on a nine-game winning streak and had pulled to within half a game of the first-place Phillies going into last night's return from the All-Star break. The Yankees sit in third place, nursing injuries and trailing the defending champion Red Sox and the talk-of-baseball Rays. Which stories will define New York's teams in the second half? Let's have a look. Yankees First Base/DH The Yankees reached a deal with Richie Sexson yesterday, adding a right-handed bat to their... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/on-a-blustery-day-in-britain-mediate-picks-up/82170/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST SOUTHPORT, England — From sunny San Diego to bleak and blustery Royal Birkdale, the expression on Rocco Mediate's face didn't change. He watched one final birdie tumble into the cup for a 1-under 69 and a three-way share of the lead in the British Open, straightened his 45-year-old back, then dropped his jaw into a smile that said, "How did that just happen?" Others must have been wondering the same thing yesterday. Ernie Els was playing some of his best golf in the worst weather until taking... JOHN HOLLINGER http://www.nysun.com/sports/a-new-drive-high-school-to-europe-to-nba/82171/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST If you're looking for the free-agent move with the most long-reaching consequences for the NBA, it isn't Elton Brand's move to the Sixers, nor Baron Davis's jumping to the Clippers, nor even James Posey's defection from Boston to New Orleans. In fact, it wasn't even an NBA signing. But the inking of guard Brandon Jennings by Pallacanestro Virtus Roma of the Italian League could end up having far-reaching consequences for both the NBA and college basketball, because he may prove to be the tip of... MARC NORMANDIN http://www.nysun.com/sports/diamondbacks-flailing-yet-winning-division/82172/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The Arizona Diamondbacks may be on pace to win their second straight National League West crown — but they may also be headed for a less glorious achievement. Since divisional play began in 1969, there have been two teams who held first place with a sub-.500 record this late into the season, and the 47-48 Diamondbacks are half of that unfortunate pair. History might excuse the only other team to match this dubious achievement. The 1994 season for the Texas Rangers was ended by that year's work... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/sports-desk/82173/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Football Giants fans Face costly Stadium seat licenses More than 80% of the Giants' current season ticket holders will be charged between $1,000 and $7,500 for the right to buy tickets for the team's new stadium under a personal seat license plan announced by the Giants yesterday. Licenses for some of the best seats will cost as much as $20,000. The plan gives the first detailed breakdown of the costs season ticket holders will incur and their options to downgrade. The Giants announced two... EVAN WEINER http://www.nysun.com/sports/two-local-stadium-projects-face-different-futures/82174/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Now that the city's experience of baseball's All-Star Game has come and gone, is New York in a position to host a future NBA or NHL All-Star Game in Brooklyn or Manhattan? If you take Mayor Bloomberg at his word, a new arena in Brooklyn for Bruce Ratner's Nets is a go. But Cablevision's James Dolan is not playing ball with the city. In March, a spokesman for Madison Square Garden, Barry Watkins, announced that the Garden would undergo a renovation of its existing building — instead of... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/doping-charges-for-italian-rider-at-tour-de-france/82102/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:31:04 EST LAVELANET, France — The Saunier-Duval team has withdrawn from the Tour de France after an Italian rider, Riccardo Ricco, tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO. The head of the French anti-doping agency, Pierre Bordry, said today that Ricco had tested positive for the performance enhancer after the fourth stage, a time trial in the western town of Cholet. Ricco, who was ninth overall and had won two of the 11 stages in this year's race, was booed by spectators as he was taken off the... MICHAEL DAVID SMITH http://www.nysun.com/sports/at-long-last-jets-may-have-their-shot-at-favre/82040/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST On April 21, 1991, the Jets were just minutes away from drafting Brett Favre. Jets general manager Dick Steinberg and coach Bruce Coslet knew the team needed a talented young quarterback and had correctly identified Favre as the one they should target. When the first round passed and only two quarterbacks — San Diego State's Dan McGwire and USC's Todd Marinovich — were chosen, it began to look like Favre, an unpolished but strong-armed passer out of Southern Mississippi, would be available... TONY DEAR http://www.nysun.com/sports/five-of-birkdales-best/82041/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Royal Birkdale differs slightly from many of Britain's great links courses in that its holes run between the sand dunes, not over them. The fairways are therefore relatively flat, meaning unanticipated kicks from the short grass into the rough (fairly thick this year due to 50% more rain in the last two months than is usual) will be few. But this is a major championship, of course, so although it measures only 7,180 yards from the back tees, Birkdale will be anything but easy. And if the wind... TONY DEAR http://www.nysun.com/sports/five-players-to-keep-an-eye/82042/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Tiger's not here, but as Peter Dawson, secretary of the R&A, said yesterday, he hasn't won eight of the 11 Open Championships he's played in, so the odds are whoever does win this week would have won anyway. Here are five players that will entertain the crowds in Tiger's absence. Anthony Kim (America) This is the Californian's first trip to the Open Championship, so it will be interesting to see how he copes in conditions that he has admitted are totally alien to him. His practice round with... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/the-midseason-awards/82043/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST As part of the All-Star festivities this week, the Javits Center hosted the 2008 DHL All-Star FanFest, which sounded like a marketing horror but was in fact inordinately fun. Along with the sight of Commissioner Bud Selig being completely ignored by thousands of people while doing an interview and a Hall of Fame exhibit filled with such holy relics as a game-worn Rogers Hornsby jersey, one of the highlights was a Tiffany display of baseball trophies given to the winners of the sport's various... RONALD BLUM http://www.nysun.com/sports/american-league-tops-nl-after-15-innings-4-3/82000/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:23:32 EST Baseball's All-Stars came to say goodbye to Yankee Stadium - and what a long, long goodbye it was. In a game that started last night and faded well into this morning, Justin Morneau slid home just in time on Michael Young's sacrifice fly in the 15th inning, giving the American League a 4-3 victory that extended its unbeaten streak to 12. Young ended a 4-hour, 40-minute marathon at 1:37 a.m., with the grand old ballpark half-empty. It was a good thing, too - neither team had any pitchers left in... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/a-legend-among-all-star-games/82001/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:56:32 EST The American League has, for many years, been in a good way. The last time it lost an All-Star Game, Barack Obama had not yet won elected office and Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton was eight years old. Last night, before 55,632 boisterous fans at Yankee Stadium, all the National League's misery was compressed into a few hours and compounded, infinitely. With home field advantage for the World Series at stake, the AL's best came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2, and then... TONY DEAR http://www.nysun.com/sports/mickelson-looks-to-end-run-of-disappointing-opens/81968/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Phil Mickelson made his debut in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale 17 years ago. A prodigious talent, he had shown the world just how prodigiously talented he was six months previously by becoming only the fourth amateur in history to win on the PGA Tour when he beat Tom Purtzer by a shot at the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, Ariz. He continued to impress throughout the spring and summer that year surviving the cut at the Masters, Memorial Tournament, and U.S. Open. A junior at Arizona... STEVEN GOLDMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/struggling-yankee-offense-gets-more-bad-news/81969/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST On the same day as the All-Star Game comes bad news from the Yankees' Droid Repair Shop in Tampa, Fla., where the installation of new gears on Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon have not rejuvenated the outfielders as had been hoped. Though Matsui has been on the shelf since late June, he is still experiencing soreness in his left knee. Damon's shoulder is still troubling him enough that his planned encounter with a batting tee has been put off until the end of the week. For both players, the... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/moment-worthy-only-of-this-city-and-this-ballpark/81970/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Yesterday, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and several dozen of their fellow Hall of Famers paraded up Sixth Avenue on a red carpet 18 blocks long, celebrating the All-Star Game and saying farewell to Yankee Stadium. Hundreds of thousands cheered them, as well as the modern stars who accompanied them, as if they were royalty. Try to imagine New York blocking off two miles of Midtown Manhattan on a summer day for the benefit of some old-school basketball players saying goodbye to the Garden, and you'll... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/all-stars-slug-at-yankee-stadium/81893/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The All-Star Game is where baseball presents itself as it would like to be seen. In everything from its setting to the player rosters, the game expresses the collective will of fans, players, coaches, and the commissioner's office, an idealized vision of where the sport is and where it's going. Ten years ago, for instance, during the vaunted summer of 1998, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds batted third and fourth for the National League in a game that took place at Colorado's Coors Field. All-Star... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/report-donaghy-made-134-calls-to-a-fellow-ref/81898/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy made more than 100 phone calls to a fellow official at the same time he was providing information to gamblers during the 2006-07 season, Fox News reported yesterday. Citing court documents and phone records it obtained, Fox reported Donaghy placed 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers. It's not known what information was... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/sports-desk/81894/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Basketball Gallinari gets on track in first game with Knicks After a scoreless first half, Danilo Gallinari scored 14 points in a hurry in the second half of his Knicks debut, helping New York beat Cleveland yesterday. Gallinari, who was selected by the Knicks with the no. 6 pick of the 2008 NBA draft, scored all of his points in just over 7 minutes during the third and fourth quarters. Gallinari finished with 5-for-11 from the field and added six rebounds in New York's 97-94 win over the... JOHN MORETTI http://www.nysun.com/sports/tour-favorite-takes-yellow-as-true-contenders/81895/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The first week of the Tour de France is like the appetizers before a four-course meal: lots of color, neat little surprises that elicit a few oohs and aahs, but nothing of real substance in the end. The entrιe arrived yesterday, which Cadel Evans served to great fanfare on a balmy Bastille Day in Southwest France. The Tour favorite edged out budding rival Frank Schleck by a mere second at the summit of the Hautacam, one of two hors catιgorie climbs — climbs so hard they go beyond the difficulty... STEVEN GOLDMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/for-yankees-mets-a-summer-reminiscent-of-1987/81896/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST It must have seemed like a pretty obvious ad campaign going into the 1987 season. The Mets had won the World Series the previous fall, and there was every reason to think they'd be good again. The Yankees had gone 90-72, finishing second in the American League East behind the Red Sox. Their pitching was unremarkable, to say the least, but with Don Mattingly, Willie Randolph, Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, and more, the Yankees had the best offense in their league, if not in baseball. Thus... Associated Press http://www.nysun.com/sports/nolan-out-as-islanders-coach/81897/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Ted Nolan's return to NHL coaching ended after only two years Monday when he split with the Islanders over "philosophical differences" with general manager Garth Snow. Although there had been a growing rift throughout last season between Nolan and Snow, the somewhat surprising midsummer move was made after a morning meeting at Nassau Coliseum before the opening of a rookie training camp. "The process for me was something that took a lot of time to come to terms with," Snow... IRA PODELL http://www.nysun.com/sports/nolan-out-as-islanders-coach/81818/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:28:53 EST UNIONDALE — Ted Nolan's brief run as the New York Islanders' coach ended today when he and the general manager, Garth Snow, decided he should not return for a third season behind the bench. The rift between Mr. Nolan and Mr. Snow grew during last season when the Islanders failed to make the playoffs. Mr. Snow said he felt the team was underachieving while Mr. Nolan countered that he lacked adequate personnel. "There have been philosophical differences and we've agreed it's a good time for me to... TOM PERROTTA http://www.nysun.com/sports/one-match-does-much-to-dispel-myth-that-tennis-is/81781/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Every year at Wimbledon, I stay with old friends, an American couple who live and work in London. They have attended Wimbledon several times and have enjoyed it, but they are not, by any means, tennis lovers. They don't pay tennis much mind before and after its annual visit to the All England Club, nor do they know all the rules of the game or spend hours debating the subtleties of forehands and backhands and volleys. They are casual fans, just the type that tennis for years has tried to win... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/which-restricted-free-agents-may-move/81782/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The first full week of the offseason has come and gone and left tremors, especially in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The Los Angeles Clippers gained guard Baron Davis and lost forward Elton Brand, who bolted for the 76ers after enough he said/he said drama to fill a season's worth of a daytime TV drama Those two — plus Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards guard who re-signed with Washington — comprised the top tier of free agents. The rest of the pool of unrestricted free agents — players who... TIM MARCHMAN http://www.nysun.com/sports/baseball-takes-a-glance-into-future/81783/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Yesterday, on a perfect afternoon for baseball, under a cloudless sky and with a light breeze blowing from right field to left, Yankee Stadium was the ideal park in which to introduce 50 of the best prospects in the game, including Fernando Martinez of the Mets and Jesus Montero of the Yankees. New York may even have been the ideal city, as the capital of baseball was only able to fill about one in five seats for the Futures Game. This gave the kids a good idea both of how nice the majors can...