SUPER BOWL CHAMP STRAHAN TO REMAIN WITH FOX

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Michael Strahan is staying retired, although his agent said that the seven-time Pro Bowler seriously considered returning to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"He was very close to returning, but the great part about Michael is that he takes his time to think about things and he is very thorough," Tony Agnone said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday night. "You can get excited about coming back and running through the tunnel one more time."

Agnone said that Strahan struggled deciding whether he could give 100 percent mentally.

"In the end, he felt he could not get back to where he was," Agnone said.

The first report of the news was provided by FoxSports.com, which contacted Strahan in Greece where he was vacationing.

"This has been one of the toughest nights of my life," Strahan told FoxSports.com. "But after long deliberation and throwing around a million scenarios in my head for the past day, I think it's just best if I stay retired."

Giants general manager Jerry Reese has asked the 36-year-old Strahan to reconsider his retirement on Monday, just 48 hours after the Super Bowl champions lost Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora for the season to a knee injury in the preseason game against the New York Jets.

Strahan needed just about a day to turn down an offer to return for a 16th season with what could have been an $8 million contract.

"I really love my life now," Strahan said. "It's great having nobody put a finger on me. You really put yourself through an awful lot in this league, more than people realize.

Agnone said money was never an issue.

"We know the parameters of the contract and the Giants would have been generous," Agnone said.

Reese did not seem surprised by the decision.

"We knew it was a long shot, but we owed it to ourselves to exhaust the possibility," Reese said late Tuesday evening. "We appreciate Michael even considering ending his retirement. He has a new career in front of him and we wish him nothing but the best. As we all said when he announced his retirement, Michael was and is a great Giant."

The Giants moved Mathias Kiwanuka from linebacker to defensive end on Monday to take over for Umenyiora, who had successful knee surgery on Tuesday morning and was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

The move will not be a major one for Kiwanuka. He was drafted in the first round in 2006 as a defensive end and started nine games as a rookie. He also lined up as a defensive end in third-down situations last season.

"There is a reason he went in the first round obviously," middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "The guy, he is playing behind Strahan and Osi, and then we moved him to linebacker, so obviously he is one of our top players on the team and he is going to show that he is a top defensive end in the league."

Pierce also said the team was ready to move on with or without Strahan, the team's sacks leader who retired in June, four months after earning his first title ring.

"We know we are a confident team and we are a playoff-capable team and we have to go out and perform like it," Pierce said before Strahan announced his decision. "The reason we took the [underdog] role last year was because everybody said it, and we just went with it. We're not thinking like that this year. We do have a chip on our shoulders and it grows more and more when somebody gives us something to feed off of."

What's bugging them now is the belief by some that they don't have the players to get the job done with Umenyiora out.
Pierce never thought that money would be the deciding issue for Strahan.

"The only reason he will come back is if he wants to play," Pierce said.

Obviously, Strahan did not want to play.

Strahan has signed a $2 million deal to work for Fox Sports on its NFL pregame show on Sundays.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

http://www.payneinsider.com/

LOOKING LIKE A "BOLT" OF LIGHTNING, USAIN STRIKES TWICE IN BEIJING

BEIJING -- Clearly, Lightning can strike twice.

Usain "Lightning" Bolt won his second Olympic gold medal in his second world-record time. He won the 100 meters Saturday while goofing around. He won the 200 on Wednesday while running dead serious. He is a multipurpose, multievent, multimood ballistic missile.

For the first time since 1979, one man holds the world record in both events. He was a Jamaican then (Donald Quarrie), and he is a Jamaican now. A nation with an outsized sprinting heritage has found its biggest star yet.

"Everything came together tonight," Bolt said. "I just blew my mind. I blew the world's mind."

He certainly blew Michael Johnson's mind. Johnson had owned the 200 record until now: 19.32 seconds. He set it in 1996, making it the oldest sprint record in the books.

Bolt already owned the 100 record, which is why he commenced showboating in the final meters of that race and lowered it by "only" three-hundredths of a second when he could have come close to hacking away a full second. He badly wanted a matching set of sprint marks.

"I saw I could get the world record in the 200, so I said, 'I'm going to leave everything on the track,'" Bolt said. Then he went out and did it.

He ran with complete focus through the finish, even noticeably straining a bit. The effort was needed to shave two-hundredths of a second off Johnson's mark and awaken the echoes of that hot night in Atlanta 12 years ago.

Johnson wore gold spikes then. Bolt wore them now.

When Johnson hit the wire then, he glanced to his left at the clock and threw his arms wide in jubilant shock. Bolt reacted in much the same way.

Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson said Bolt would break his 200 record someday, but probably not this day. Johnson cited Bolt's relative inexperience running the curve and said he'd need to improve in that area first.

Turns out Bolt's steep learning curve includes significant progress in running the curve. This race was so over by the time the 6-foot-5 Bolt roared into the straightaway.

"Michael Johnson is a great athlete, and he revolutionized the sport," Bolt said. "I just changed it a little bit."

He changed it in part by being so tall for a sprinter. Bolt is far longer than the archetypal speedster, but with none of the awkwardness that might inhibit someone with limbs like his. As he flowed away from the field in the 200, his 9-foot strides looked effortless.

"He's beautiful to watch," said former Olympic gold medal hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah. "He's poetry in motion."

He's silliness at rest. In a sport rife with preening prima donnas, Bolt has taken posturing to a new level before, during and after a race. It seems relatively harmless -- goofy kid's stuff from a guy who just turned 22 on Thursday and was serenaded with a chorus of "Happy Birthday" by the Chinese fans at the Bird's Nest.

"He added spirit to the sport," said American Shawn Crawford, who benefited from two disqualifications for running outside the lanes to vault from fourth to second in the 200. "He danced in the introductions, and he danced at the end."

When Bolt was introduced to the huge crowd, he wiped his hands across the top of his head 11 times, wiped his brow in each direction and struck his now-familiar pose -- arms cocked skyward. Vague translation of all that: The rest of you are in deep trouble.

Afterward, Bolt briefly appeared overwhelmed by his accomplishment. Then he watched the replay on the big screen (his thought: "I look cool") and began one of the more lavish celebratory victory laps in Olympic history.

He did something approximating a limbo. He wiggled his knees. He waved his arms. He went over to the stands at several places to grab a flag or a hug. He took off his shoes and walked barefoot for a while.

"I was just happy," he said.

And eternally happy-go-lucky. Far and away, the two dominant stars of these Olympics are swimmer Michael Phelps and Bolt -- two child prodigies in their sports who have come to full flower here. Yet their excellence is accompanied by such markedly different personalities.

Phelps' massive caloric intake is expressly designed to feed a voracious metabolism -- he takes his food seriously. Bolt eats chicken nuggets whenever possible, including on race days. His mellow disposition allowed him to sleep until noon, then he asked his masseuse to bring him nuggets for lunch and nuggets for dinner.

Phelps is a mask of inscrutable concentration before a race, never acknowledging any outside presence when he's introduced. Bolt can't wait to mug for the camera and the fans.

When Phelps finished his races, his emotion tended to be directly proportionate to how close they were. He truly exulted over the close ones. Bolt hasn't had a close one here, but he has reacted like Chad Johnson on his showiest day.

But by midnight Wednesday, Bolt was decompressing and showing the effects of eight races here, counting prelims.

"I want to chill out," he said. "I just want to sleep. I wish I was in sandals right now, ready to take a weekend."

He could have won the 200 in sandals. But before it's time to take a weekend, Bolt still has to anchor a 400 relay team as the Jamaicans attempt to further their takeover bid of all the speed events.

So far in Beijing, the Jamaicans have won seven medals in events of 400 meters or shorter, while the Americans have won nine. But the tiny Caribbean country leads the big, bad U.S. in gold medals 4-2, and could add several more.

"We want to prove to the world we're the best," said Jamaican 400-meter hurdles gold medalist Melanie Walker.

"I talked to the prime minister," Bolt said. "He told me everything in Jamaica is blocked off. Everyone is in the streets."

Lightning bolts usually send people running indoors. But Lightning Bolt striking twice is a reason to party in Jamaica.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

KILLER INSTINCTS AND TIMELY SHOOTING JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

BEIJING -- Deron Williams couldn't talk about the play of the night immediately after the game, because he was the Team USA player randomly selected to take a doping test afterward.

Perhaps he tested positive for that little-known substance called "gamechange-amine."

Because in a game that was a tale of two entirely different halves, what Williams did in the final four seconds of the first half played a big part in Team USA's 116-85 blowout victory over Australia.

With six seconds left in a first half in which the Australians had managed to stay within striking distance of the Americans (by using an effective zone and keeping Team USA from forcing turnovers and getting out into the open court), Mark Worthington lined up from the 3-point line and let a shot fly.

Had it gone in, it would have been a six-point game at the half. A half in which the Americans had only two assists on 21 buckets and missed 10 of their 20 free throws and 10 of their 13 3-pointers while displaying virtually none of the ferocity that had carried them into the medal round on a wave of positive vibes.

But the shot missed, and Chris Bosh corralled the rebound and made a quick outlet pass to Williams, who already had turned upcourt.

"I looked up and saw I had time to get off a shot," Williams said. "When I caught it, it was about three seconds. I thought I could make it to the basket, a big man came up and I thought I could go by him and get to the basket, but he kept backing up, and I rose up for the 3."

What was striking about the 3 was the way Williams kept his cool and was able to get his feet set right at the base of the 3-point arc. The form was perfect, and the shot was, too.

"Usually a jump shot is better [than a runner]. That's the way you practice it," Williams said.

The sequence amounted to somewhat of a six-point swing in the final six seconds, and the Americans had a 55-43 lead going into the locker room. And as we've seen over the course of these Olympics, there is little hope for anyone who falls behind by double digits against these guys, and when the Americans came out and scored the first 14 points of the second half -- Kobe Bryant scored nine of 'em -- the Australians were cooked.

G'day and g'bye.

"Plays like that, they really hurt teams," Bosh said. "Especially when the game is close, they've been playing as hard as they can and then they're down 12. It really puts them at a disadvantage and hurts their confidence. It really was a turning point."

If there's anything for the folks back home to worry about, it's whether any opponent can find a way to do what Australia did so well for 20 minutes and keep doing it for the entire 40 minutes.

What kept Team USA from having to play from behind in the first half was its work on the offensive boards, grabbing 13 of its own missed shots to create extra possessions.

Australia's game plan included dropping four players quickly back on defense while letting a fifth, one of its speedy point guards, apply ball pressure and make the Americans use an extra few precious seconds before getting their offense running. The Australians also placed a premium on protecting the ball and turned it over only once in the first quarter -- something no American opponent had managed to do until then -- and dared the U.S. team to beat them from behind the arc (the Americans did finish 12-for-25 after the poor start). And when Team USA managed to get open looks, especially from inside, the Aussies gave hard fouls and took gambles that the Americans would miss from the line.

For a half, it worked, and the game would have been even closer if Australia hadn't missed several open looks from underneath and if Andrew Bogut hadn't fumbled the ball out of bounds two times during a second quarter in which Australia coughed up seven turnovers.
Too much NBA style, not enough FIBA style?

"Exactly, exactly. And that doesn't really work too much unless somebody's hot," Bosh said.

Bryant said afterward that, personally, he wants to play Argentina in the semifinals because the Argentinians, as the defending Olympic champions, are the holders of exactly what the Americans want: gold medals.

"You want to be able to play the guys who won it the last time," Bryant said. "There's a sense of pride that comes with beating a champion."

Bryant's wish will come true, as Argentina defeated Greece 80-78 in a barnburner that came down to the final seconds. Manu Ginobili and friends escaped with the win when Vassilis Spanoulis missed a 3-pointer from straightaway just before the final buzzer.

So if the Americans complete their gold-medal quest, they'll have defeated three of the toughest teams in this tournament -- Greece, Spain and Argentina -- at least once apiece .

But first they have to get to the gold-medal game, in which the opponent will be either Spain or Lithuania. And if they're sharp for only 20 minutes again, winning won't be as easy against Argentina as it was against Australia.

"It's go time, and we're all ready to go. The money's on the table," Bryant said.

And, if the Americans get through Friday, the gold will be on the table Sunday.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

STEVEN JACKSON TO REPORT TO CAMP AS SOON AS TOMORROW

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson will end his holdout on Thursday while his agent, Eugene Parker, negotiates a new contract.

Jackson had notified the team of his intentions and was scheduled to arrive in St. Louis from his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.

A new contract for Jackson, who has one year remaining on his rookie deal, appears imminent given that the Rams refused to negotiate with Parker as long as Jackson was not in camp. Jackson, on the other hand, had been adamant about not playing this year without a new long-term contract.

Recently, the Rams and Parker held preliminary conversations, clearly positive enough to motivate Jackson to report. The Rams have been fining him $15,000 a day.

Formal, intense negotiations are expected to begin immediately with the aim of getting a new contract completed quickly for the centerpiece of the Rams' offense.

The 235-pound Jackson, a bruising runner and the centerpiece of the team's offense, is entering the final year of a five-year, $7 million deal he signed as a first-round pick in 2004. His prolonged stand perhaps reflected a realization of his value to an attack that averaged only 16 points last season while going 3-13.

The Rams cut off negotiations in late July on the first day of training camp after Parker turned down a deal the team said would have put Jackson in the top echelon at his position.

At that time, Jay Zygmunt, the Rams' president of football operations, said there would be no further talks until the running back reported.

"This is certainly a step in the right direction," coach Scott Linehan said. "We're hoping we can get this thing squared away real quickly."

Parker did not return a telephone message from The Associated Press.

Jackson is scheduled for a physical Thursday morning and could make it onto the practice field that day. The Rams have a workout scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT.

"Steven is one of the best players in the NFL and we'd like to have him back," linebacker Chris Draft said earlier Wednesday before Jackson ended his holdout.

Jackson had his third consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2007 despite missing four games with injuries and the Rams had made signing him to a contract extension a priority in the offseason. Zygmunt said the team approached Jackson's agent not long after the season to discuss a new deal, but negotiations stalled when Jackson switched representatives and signed with Parker in late June.

Linehan said earlier in the week that he didn't think it would take Jackson long to learn the new offense, which is similar to that run by the 1999 Super Bowl championship team, because he participated in offseason workouts. New offensive coordinator Al Saunders was a top assistant under Dick Vermeil on that team.

Throughout the holdout, Linehan was careful to avoid criticism of Jackson. However, after the backup running backs combined for 144 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown in a 7-6 preseason victory over the Chargers on Saturday, the coach said Jackson's absence was getting to the critical stage.

It's likely Jackson will get a rude welcome back from fans in the Rams' third preseason game against the Ravens on Saturday. The Rams failed to sell out three games last season and Jackson was often critical of the lack of support.

Antonio Pittman, signed by the Rams last season after the Saints drafted him in the fourth round and then released him in their final roster cuts, gained 67 yards on nine carries last week as the stand-in feature back.

"I would approach it the same way if he was here," Pittman said. "I'm trying to compete and get better every day. Competition pushes us all and you can't look too far ahead. If you do, you might not be here."

http://www.payneinsider.com/

AFTER TROTTING TO A WORLD RECORD IN THE 100M, BOLT LOOKS TO BE THE FIRST SPRINTER TO WIN THE 100M & 200M SINCE CARL LEWIS

BEIJING -- Usain Bolt played to the cameras before his 200-meter semifinal and slowed down before it was over -- the usual drill for a sprinter who doesn't look like he can be beaten at these Olympics.

Bolt won his semifinal in 20.09 seconds Tuesday night, keeping alive his chances for the first 100-200 Olympic double since Carl Lewis in 1984.

The Jamaican sprinter, who set the world record in the 100 at 9.69 seconds Saturday, beat defending 200 champion Shawn Crawford of the United States by 0.03 second. The noticeable difference, though, was that Bolt appeared to be loping to the line, while Crawford was busting across at full speed.

"I wouldn't say jogging," Bolt said. "I'm just trying to get through to the next round."

American Wallace Spearmon used a late burst to finish third and will join a third American, Walter Dix, in the final Wednesday night.

Bolt had fun during his short stay on the track, pretending to smooth his closely shaven hair before the start and pointing toward the camera before he climbed into the starting block.

Starting in Lane 6, it took him about 10 steps to make up the lag against Spearmon in Lane 7. Crawford was in Lane 5 and actually looked like he might win the heat, but Bolt passed him for the win -- and possibly to send a message to one of his prime contenders for the gold.

The big question, however, is are there any real challengers?

Bolt's win by 0.2 second in the 100 was impressive not just because of the world record, but because he was hamming it up -- pounding his chest and holding out his hands -- with about 20 meters to go. His left shoelace was even untied.

He broke his own world record by 0.03 second. Next up is a run at Michael Johnson's mark of 19.32 in the 200, a record set 12 years ago.

In qualifying for the 110-meter hurdles, with two top medal contenders out, American David Oliver ran a strong quarterfinal heat Tuesday night to advance along with world record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba.

Oliver finished in 13.60 seconds to win his heat by 0.23 second.

The U.S. Olympic trials champion, Oliver came into the games widely considered in the medal mix. His chances for gold increased when China's Liu Xiang withdrew in the first round with a foot injury and America's two-time Olympic silver medalist, Terrence Trammell, pulled out because of a hamstring strain.

The 110-hurdles final Thursday night was supposed to be one of the highlight events of these Olympics, with Liu -- one of China's biggest celebrities -- trying to defend his Olympic title in the 91,000-seat Bird's Nest.

Instead, it is setting up as a chance for Robles to improve the record time of 12.87 seconds he ran in June and Oliver, whose personal best is 12.95, trying to pull an upset.

Robles easily won his quarterfinal in 13.19 seconds.

American David Payne also advanced and said that with Liu gone, the race is open.

"That's a medal for anybody that steps up," Payne said.

There were no surprises in the second round of women's 200 heats. Americans Allyson Felix, Muna Lee and Marshevet Hooker all made it through, as did the Jamaican trio of Veronica Campbell-Brown, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart.

In the 100, the Jamaicans swept and the Americans finished 4-5-8. The two countries could again earn six of the eight spots in Thursday night's 200 final.

"It fueled my fire," Lee said of Jamaica's dominance. "I'll just think about that in the final."

In women's 5,000-meter semis, American Shalane Flanagan kept her hopes alive for two Olympic medals.

Flanagan overcame stomach troubles to win bronze in the 10,000 and said she's still celebrating that success.

"It's beautiful," she said. "It's kind of like I'd imagine if you have a newborn child. You're fascinated with it. You're like, 'Wow, that really is mine? That's mine?'"

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

http://www.payneinsider.com/

LEAD BY DWIGHT HOWARD USA CRUSHES GERMANY & NO-HEART NOWITZKI

BEIJING -- The U.S. Olympic team put away Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in a hurry.

Next up: the only team so far these Americans couldn't blow out.

After destroying Germany 106-57 on Monday, the Americans (5-0) move on to a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday against Australia, the team that's provided them with their toughest test in China.

The U.S. led by only seven points midway through the fourth quarter of an 87-76 exhibition victory in Shanghai two weeks ago over an Australian team that didn't have starting center Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks. He was resting a sore right ankle.

It's hard to imagine a repeat of that semi-Shanghai surprise with the way the U.S. has played in Beijing.

Dwight Howard scored 22 points and LeBron James had 18, 16 in the first half, Monday as the United States completed an undefeated march through pool play.

Not since the Dream Team rumbled through Las Ramblas 16 years ago in Barcelona has a team been this dominant. The Americans won their pool games by 32.2 points and averaged 103 points.

The only thing they might have to work on is Kobe Bryant's dunking. He blew two Monday, but hit three 3-pointers after going only 5-of-24 in the first four games.

Bryant finished with 13 points as the Americans shot 55 percent from the floor and tossed in 11 more 3-pointers after making 12 in their last game.

With the top seed in their group already clinched, the Americans could have come out flat like Lithuania, which entered Monday as the other unbeaten and was trounced 106-75 by Australia.

Instead, they came out and flattened Germany.

The Americans scored 3 seconds into the game when Howard batted the tip to James, who threw it ahead to Carmelo Anthony for a layup. That was the start of eight straight U.S. points, and the end of any suspense.

Germany missed nine of its first 10 shots, including a blown dunk and a botched putback by Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman. Bryant missed a dunk, too, during that stretch, but Howard and James had consecutive slams to make it 18-3.

The Americans were scoring so easily, they practically got in each other's way. Chris Paul led a 3-on-1 break and threw an alley-oop that could have gone to either James or Dwyane Wade. James jumped higher and got it to lay it in, then stepped outside to hit his second 3 for a 23-5 bulge.

Up 19 after one, the U.S. scored the first eight points of the second to make it 39-12. The lead was 28 after James drilled 3-pointers on consecutive U.S. possessions, and ballooned to 30 for the first time when Howard scored four straight to make it 49-19 with 3 minutes left in the half.

Bryant hit the side of the rim on another slam attempt early in the third quarter, so he backed up 20 feet and tossed in back-to-back 3s for a 62-29 cushion. Howard slammed down an alley-oop from Wade right after Nowitzki checked out, turning into an 80-39 bulge with 2:41 remaining in the period.

Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks All-Star, scored 14 points for Germany (1-4), which completed a disappointing Olympics. The Germans looked like contenders in a 95-66 rout of Angola in their opener, but then dropped four straight.

Kaman, who joined the Germans this summer after getting German citizenship, managed just six points.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

WAS THERE EVER A DOUBT SUPERMAN WOULDN'T WIN 8???

BEIJING -- Cheering from the pool deck, Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games on Sunday to become the grandest of Olympic champions.

Jason Lezak held on to the lead Phelps gave him, anchoring the United States to a world record in the 400-meter medley relay against an Australian team that did its best to spoil history.

But Phelps, with a big hand from three teammates, would not be denied. He eclipsed Mark Spitz's seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games, an iconic performance that was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music and texting with his buddies.

"I don't even know what to feel right now," Phelps said. "There's so much emotions going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom."

Debbie Phelps was sitting in the stands at the Water Cube, tears streaming down her cheeks, her two daughters sitting with her.

Even though the Americans have never lost the medley relay at the Olympics, the latest gold was hardly a breeze. When Phelps dived into the water for the butterfly -- the third of four legs -- the Americans were third behind Japan and Australia.

But Phelps, swimming the same distance and stroke that he used to win his seventh gold a day earlier, powered back to the front on his return lap, passing off to Lezak with the Americans in front.

Australia's Eamon Sullivan tried to chase Lezak down and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall. But Lezak touched in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds -- Phelps' seventh world record in his personal Great Haul of China.

The Aussies took silver in 3:30.04, also under the old world record, while Japan held on for the bronze.

"Nothing is impossible," Phelps said. "With so many people saying it couldn't be done, all it takes is an imagination, and that's something I learned and something that helped me."

Phelps patted breaststroker Brendan Hansen on the head and threw his arms in the air after Lezak finished, though the Americans still had to wait a couple of tantalizing minutes for the official results to be posted. Aaron Peirsol swam the leadoff leg for the Americans.

Finally, it flashed on the board.

World record.

Gold medal No. 8.

On deck, a beaming Phelps slapped hands with his teammates and thrust his arms toward the Water Cube roof. The winning swimmers locked arms as if they were in a football huddle about to break for a play.

Phelps, meanwhile, couldn't stop smiling.

"Without the help of my teammates this isn't possible," said Phelps, who won five individual races and three relays in Beijing.

"I was able to be a part of three relays and we were able to put up a solid team effort and we came together as one unit," he said. "For the three Olympics I've been a part of, this is by far the closest men's team that we've ever had. I didn't know everybody coming into this Olympics, but I feel going out I know every single person very well. The team that we had is the difference."

http://www.payneinsider.com/

IF THIS WAS USA'S BIGGEST CHALLANGE, GOLD LOOKS CERTAIN

BEIJING -- Spain tried everything. Pretty much none of it worked.

The zone? Team USA shot over it, drove the baseline against it, picked it apart.

The pick-and-roll? Spain tried it a lot early, and you know how many points their best player, Pau Gasol, had in the first 12 ½ minutes against it? Zero.

The press? Let's put it this way: If another team tries to use the full-court press against Team USA, they may as well just walk off the court and forfeit. Open up the court for the Americans, like the Greeks did two nights earlier and like the Spanish foolishly tried to in this one, and they'll crush you.

What made Saturday's 119-82 throttling of Spain so awesomely impressive was the way the Americans did everything so extraordinarily well. They're getting better each game, they're improving their few weak areas, and only thing that's scary about this 37-point beatdown is the notion that they might have peaked.

It's up to them to prove that they haven't, because the plane ride home is still more than a week away. But if they're going to keep bringing it like they brought it against the reigning world champions, there's no way they're going to lose.

"Twenty-eight turnovers is just a staggering number," said Gasol, whose team's field goal total matched its turnover total.

Another staggering number from the box score. The fast-break points were listed as 32-0.

"First time I've ever seen that happen," Carmelo Anthony said.

There was another astonishing number at halftime, when the U.S. team had already opened a 16-point lead despite Spain shooting 58 percent from the field. By then, the Americans had already forced 17 turnovers, and all 10 players Spain had used had at least one.

"The only place Spain is beating us tonight is at the ashtray," NBA and USA Basketball official Brian McIntyre said outside the media entrance, where Spain's nicotine addicts had the American media outnumbered something like 15-2.

It never got close in the second half, and Jason Kidd even managed to attempt his first shot of the Olympics, a lefty layup off a feed from LeBron James on a 2-on-1 break after Dwight Howard had rejected Marc Gasol's shot at the other end.

"I thought he was going to give it back to me, because J never shoots the ball. Couldn't believe he laid the ball up. I thought he was going to give it back to me off the backboard," James said.

The victory clinched first place in Pool B for the Americans, who complete opening round play against Germany on Monday, then will likely face Australia in the quarterfinals, then Argentina or Lithuania in the semifinals.

James could find only one fault with Team USA's performance, saying they had three or four unforced errors when they tried to force outlet passes to the point guards when Spain hung back on defense. But he rated this performance, overall, as superior to the one two nights earlier against Greece.

"We didn't shoot the ball particularly well against Greece, from the free throw line or the 3-point line. But we shot 45 percent from 3 and almost 80 at the line, so that's a plus. We know we're going to defend, we know we're going to get fast break points, but when we can shoot the ball from the outside like that, and shoot free throws, it's going to be tough for anybody to beat us."

Gasol called it a statement game by the Americans. "They're for real. They're serious about this."

James? He didn't totally agree.

"Statement game? I don't know. It means nothing. It means that we're 4-0, but we've got to continue to play better," James said. "I'm the leader of the team, and I'll make sure there's no slippage."

Slippage is what tripped up the Americans two years ago in Japan -- slippage and panic. And when they fell behind by eight in the third quarter against Greece and started pressing and panicking, the deficit ballooned to 18 before they knew what had hit them.

So as much as it appears this Olympic basketball tournament is going to be a gimme, as much as it appears Team USA is going to be the 12-man version of Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, the Americans can't allow themselves to let up, to be overconfident, to put any more stock into this victory than what it was -- a preliminary-round victory.

They've still never had to play from behind, they've still not had to deal with early foul trouble for their big men, they still haven't run across a referee who seems out to get them (although Spain did in its game against China).

They still haven't won anything.

"This was a good lesson for us to learn what we need to do to compete with a team that's at the U.S. level," Gasol said, "So hopefully we'll learn and put it behind us."

That's what the Americans need to do, too. Put it behind them.

The charter flight back to the good ol' U S of A doesn't go wheels up until a week from Monday, and the best thing they can do from here is fight off the mental and physical fatigue, keep their eye on the prize and forget about what happened against Spain. It's still too soon to feel too good about themselves, no matter how uncommonly awesome they looked. That's what they need to take away from this game.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

PHELPS DOES IT AGAIN...THAT'S NUMBER SEVEN!!!

BEIJING -- Michael Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly.

His arms soaring through the water one last time, Phelps got his hand on the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Serbia's Milorad Cavic.
Phelps' time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that Phelps won an event without breaking the world record.

The 23-year-old from Baltimore has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records, matching Spitz's performance in the 1972 Munich Games.

Call this one the Great Haul of China -- and it's not done yet.

Phelps will return on Sunday to swim in his final event of these games, taking the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

PATRIOTS BOLSTER SECONDARY WITH SAVY VET

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- One day after visiting New England, former Denver Broncos safety John Lynch has reached a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Patriots, according to a source.

Lynch, 36, was released by the Broncos, who wanted to re-adjust his role this season. After talking to coach Mike Shanahan, the Broncos gave him a chance to land elsewhere. The Patriots were the perfect fit.

Belichick became interested in Lynch after losing safety Tank Williams for the season because of a knee injury suffered on Aug. 7 in a 16-15 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Williams was expected to be used 10-to-25 plays a game in certain defensive packages that needed a hard-hitting safety.

Neither of last season's starters, Rodney Harrison and James Sanders, played in the preseason opener and both have missed several practices in training camp.

Sanders became a starter last season, his third with the Patriots.

"Whatever moves they plan on making it'll be what's best for the team," Sanders said after Thursday's practice. "He's just a hard, tenacious hitter. He's a big guy and he brings it every time he makes a tackle. So he's a tempo setter."

Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees said Williams, who spent his first four seasons with Tennessee then played for Minnesota last season, had been playing well in camp.

"I hate to lose him. You hate to lose anybody," said Pees, a 36-year coaching veteran in high school, college and the NFL. "But when you've done it for as long as we've all done it, it happens every year. So somebody else has just got to step in and take his place."

After leaving Denver, Lynch said he could sign elsewhere.

"I still have a great passion for the game of football," Lynch said after being released by the Broncos. "I still very much love it in my heart. I still feel like I can compete at a Pro Bowl level, but the situation is going to have to be right. I'm not going to just play for any team or any situation."

Lynch, who spent his first 11 seasons with Tampa Bay, played every snap in Denver's last three games last season, but earlier he was taken out on passing downs.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

WAITING GAME BEGINS FOR "PAC-MAN", I MEAN...ADAM

Adam Jones will mail a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday in which he will ask for full reinstatement to the league, The Dallas Morning News reports.

According to the newspaper, the Cowboys cornerback will receive a ruling on his status before the start of the season.

"I'm feeling real good," Jones told the newspaper in reference to his letter. "It's just a letter why I feel I should be reinstated. It's my chance to respond and we'll see how it goes."

Jones received partial reinstatement to the NFL on June 2 from Goodell and as part of his reinstatement, was permitted to participate in organized team activities as well as training camp and preseason games.

While that decision gave Jones the chance to earn his way back into the league, Goodell didn't guarantee he would be reinstated.

"This limited reinstatement is a step in the process," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Adam is aware of the things that need to be done in order to take the next step."

Adam Jones played in the Cowboys first preseason game against San Diego on Aug. 9, recording a tackle. Jerry Jones said he was treading lightly while awaiting Goodell's decision on Adam Jones.

"That's at [Goodell's] discretion, and I don't want to do or say anything that would imply that I'm getting anxious or pushy about it," Jerry Jones said.

Jerry Jones wouldn't speculate on when he expected to hear from Goodell, acknowledging that the decision "probably will be very late in the preseason." Jones did say, however, that he anticipated to at least "get a feel" of what to expect before the Cowboys have to cut their roster to 53 players on Aug. 30.

"I'm just guessing that," Jones said.

A final determination will be made by Sept. 1. Jones will have to be on perfect behavior in order to be eligible for the 2008 season.

"Commissioner Goodell told Jones that his continued participation in the NFL depends on demonstrating that he can conduct himself in a lawful and reliable manner," the NFL said in a June 2 release. "Jones will be expected to continue the personal conduct program established by the NFL and the Cowboys and to avoid further adverse involvement with law enforcement."

Adam Jones, who has been arrested six times and has been involved in 12 incidents requiring police intervention since being drafted, was the main player involved in the league's player conduct policy, which was created to discipline players who have had repeated confrontations with the law. Jones missed all of last season under the player conduct policy and could miss all or part of the 2008 season if he has another incident.

In late May, Jones met with Goodell to discuss his status with the league. By giving Jones the chance to work at the Cowboys facility, Goodell apparently accepted Jones' explanations for allegedly giving money to a suspect in a shooting incident in Las Vegas. Goodell also must have accepted Jones' explanation for a $20,000 marker at a casino that was just recently paid.

Since being traded to the Cowboys, Jones has tried to surround himself with a better support group. He's befriended former Cowboys Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders. Jones also has become friends with several of his new teammates, including Tank Johnson, whom the Cowboys helped return from a similar suspension last season.

"The important thing is getting him here and getting him acclimated," Johnson said. "I have told him you are a good kid, we know you and we're looking forward to having you on the team and we're excited about you proving everybody wrong."

Jerry Jones said Adam Jones has avoided being a distraction at training camp thus far.

"We're just doing everything we can do to have an uneventful training camp relative to Adam, and he's doing his part," Jerry Jones said. "He's working his tail off, he's making it that way."

The Cowboys could use another good cornerback, but they're not hanging their hopes on Jones, having spent a first-round pick on Michael Jenkins. Jenkins and fellow first-rounder Felix Jones also can handle kick returns if Jones isn't around -- or even if he is.

"If [Pacman] can come out and help us here, great," said linebacker Bradie James, the defensive captain last season. "But if he doesn't, we've got enough guys to make it happen."

http://www.payneinsider.com/

CAVS GIVE KING JAMES HELP IN 3-WAY DEAL

Cleveland, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City have agreed in principle to a six-player trade that could add a much-needed second scorer to LeBron James' Cavaliers.

Mo Williams, the high-scoring point guard from Milwaukee, will go to Cleveland in the deal.

The 6-foot-1 Williams averaged 17.2 points and a team-high 6.3 assists for the Bucks last season.

"Acquiring Mo strengthens our nucleus of players for both the short and long term. He is entering his prime NBA years and will be part of the foundation of our future success," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. "His ability to push the tempo, get inside the lane, shoot from the perimeter and distribute the ball will be very valuable for us."

Ferry said the team let James know of the deal even though he's on the other side of the world.

"We've communicated with most of the team," Ferry said. "All these guys are very excited. They respect Mo as a player, and they're looking forward to playing with him."

Cleveland will send shooting guard Damon Jones to Milwaukee and forward Joe Smith to Oklahoma City.

Milwaukee also will get point guard Luke Ridnour and forward Adrian Griffin from Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, also gets Desmond Mason, the athletic small forward, from the Bucks.

Since joining the Cavaliers in 2003-04, James has not had a teammate who averaged as much as 17 points per game. But Williams has done so the past two seasons, averaging a career-high 17.3 points in his breakout season of 2006-07.

The Cavs have long sought a scorer to take pressure off James, who led the NBA last season with a 30.0 scoring average.

James' lack of help was particularly noticeable in Cleveland's Game 7 loss to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals when he scored 45 of the Cavs' 92 points.

Larry Hughes was supposed to be James' sidekick, but couldn't fulfill the role and was sent to Chicago last year at the trade deadline in a 10-player deal.

Cleveland also has been searching for years for a point guard, and considered trades in the past for Mike Bibby and Jason Kidd, but never made a deal.

"I think this is a move to be able to get a talented, young, 25-year-old point guard that can be part of the future," Ferry said.

Williams' agent, Mark Bartelstein, said a scoring-minded point guard will make it easier on James and sharpshooter Daniel Gibson.

"I think there was so much pressure on LeBron to create so much of the offense in Cleveland," Bartelstein said. "I think somebody like Mo is going to really make the game easier for LeBron and create opportunities for other people."

Mason played in college at Oklahoma State and spent time with the Hornets franchise in Oklahoma City when it was relocated after Hurricane Katrina.

"We're excited," said Mason's agent, Roger Montgomery. "He's been to Oklahoma City, he's familiar with the people there, he's familiar with the Ford Center, he's played there, the fans loved him when he was there. His nickname is the Cowboy. It's really apropos to come back."

Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti sees the basketball benefits.

"We understand that it's a unique opportunity here specifically but we've got to do the best thing for our basketball team, and we feel like the best thing for our basketball team is to add some toughness and some intangibles defensively for us at that position," Presti said. "It just seemed like the right fit for us."

Ridnour, who averaged 6.4 points and four assists last season as the backup to Earl Watson in Seattle, had faced decreased playing time in Oklahoma City after the franchise drafted point guard Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick.

Bucks general manager John Hammond said he can envision Ridnour thriving in Milwaukee.

"His most productive days in the NBA were just a few short years ago when he had Ray Allen on one wing and Rashard Lewis on the other wing," Hammond said. "Here, you say you have Michael Redd on one wing and Richard Jefferson on another wing, you're putting Luke Ridnour in the best possible position to be successful again as he has been in the past."

Griffin averaged 1.9 points in minimal playing time after coming over from Chicago in a midseason trade.

The acquisition of Williams may spell the end of Delonte West's brief tenure in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been embroiled in contract talks with West, a free agent who became their starting point guard after being traded from Seattle last February.

While Williams, 25, will definitely be Cleveland's starting point guard, a person close to the situation said the Cavaliers still will look to re-sign West, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who could start beside Williams in the backcourt. Milwaukee and Oklahoma City view the trade largely as a salary dump.

The Bucks, who traded former lottery pick Yi Jianlian to New Jersey for Jefferson earlier this summer, get rid of the five years, $43 million left on Williams' contract while taking on Jones and Griffin, both of whom are in the last year of their deals. Ridnour has just two years, $13 million remaining on his contract.

It's also the next step in an offseason facelift in Milwaukee by new general manager John Hammond. The Bucks fired coach Larry Krystkowiak after going 26-56 last season and replaced him with Scott Skiles. They also selected West Virginia forward Joe Alexander with the eighth pick in the draft.

Additionally, the Bucks signed guard Tyronn Lue and forward Malik Allen in the offseason in an effort to bolster what has been one of the league's worst defenses.

"Our challenge from Day One has been to shape our roster in a way that our fans will see a team that is competitive, that plays hard every night and has a chance to win," Hammond said. "We feel this trade continues to move us toward that goal for this season and beyond."

As for Oklahoma City's acquisitions, Smith and Mason also are in the final year of their deals.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

PROBLEMS ALREADY BREWING IN NEW YORK?

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP)—Brett Favre said his rocket right arm felt “fatigued”— but not sore—during a break from his fifth day of practice with the New York Jets.

“My arm’s kind of dragging a little bit today,” the quarterback said Wednesday after the Jets’ morning session. “It’s not really sore, but just fatigued. To be honest with you, I’m surprised that, I don’t want to say I feel good, that I’ve been able to make it through every practice so far.”

Favre was acquired from the Green Bay Packers last week, and has been practicing with the Jets since Saturday. He’s set to start Saturday’s preseason game against the Washington Redskins.

“I didn’t throw the ball that well this morning, underthrew some throws,” Favre said. “No pain, but I’m 38 years old. It’s going to be fatigued a little bit.”

Jets coach Eric Mangini hadn’t yet spoke to Favre when he met with reporters before the afternoon workout.

“We only have two practices left before the game and we do monitor that stuff,” Mangini said. “You guys talked to him more than I did, so I don’t really know where he is with that.”

Since his practice debut, Favre has been on the field for two practices Sunday, one Monday and had a day of classroom work Tuesday.

“My arm, for the most part, has felt great,” he said. “Legs, a little bit fatigued. You’ve got to figure I’m a little bit behind some of these guys. I’m a little bit surprised that, up to this point, I’ve been doing OK.”

Favre, who took his second penalty lap—which was again cheered—since joining the Jets, ended the morning session on a good note. The three-time league MVP hit Brad Smith on a fourth-down play for 53 yards—about 45 in the air—down the right sideline for a touchdown.

“Believe me, this system’s not easy,” Favre said. “I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’ve got it down. I’ve got about just enough plays down to run those plays Saturday. How it turns out, I have no idea. I hope it turns out well.”

So do the Jets, of course, who sent a conditional draft pick to Green Bay for Favre and then cut franchise favorite Chad Pennington.

“We’ve had a few false starts and I’ve had to run a couple of laps, no big deal,” he said. “No one wants to see that. You want it to run like it should, and I think, for the most part, we’ve done that. Now, they haven’t thrown everything at me, but I could go into a game and I think I could manage a game OK.”

http://www.payneinsider.com/

USA CRUSHES WORLD RECORD & FRANCE IN ONE QUICK STRIDE

BEIJING -- Halfway through what might have been the greatest comeback swim in Olympic history, Jason Lezak peered through his goggles at the lane to his right and briefly abandoned hope.

"The thought really entered my mind for a split second," Lezak said. "There's no way."

Could you blame him? That thought already had been screaming through the minds of everyone in the National Aquatics Center plus several million Americans watching at home. It almost certainly was on the mind of one Michael Phelps, the leadoff swimmer in this 400-meter freestyle relay who had so much riding on Lezak's straining shoulders.

NO WAY!

The anchor swimmer had gone into the pool well behind Frenchman Alain Bernard and, after busting it for 50 meters, had not appreciably closed the gap. The only comfort was that Bernard, who began this race as the world-record holder in the 100 freestyle, had not put the race out of reach -- something he all but guaranteed last week by declaring the French would "smash" the Americans in this event.

Now Bernard was a mere 50 meters from backing up the boast. Lezak was running out of water.

When he flipped and thrust off the wall, he was still half a body length behind. That's a country mile in a sprint race. The United States was going down and taking Phelps' quest for eight gold medals in a single Games with it.

NO WAY!

But just as quickly as that glimmer of despair flitted through Lezak's mind, it was shoved aside by fresh determination.

No way met no quit.

"I changed," he said. "I thought, 'That's ridiculous. I'm at the Olympic Games, I'm here for the United States of America. I don't care how bad it hurts, I'm going after it.'

"I just got a super charge."

What transpired during the final 50 meters was the stuff of Disney movies. It was the kind of thing that should land Lezak a co-starring role with Phelps on cereal boxes and network morning shows. And if Phelps does complete the great eight and pocket a $1 million Speedo bonus, he should cut a check for one-eighth of that total to the guy who kept the quest alive, Jason Lezak.

"His last 50 meters were absolutely unbelievable," Phelps said.

The 32-year-old Lezak, a three-time Olympian who has been an American anchorman nearly as long as Ted Koppel, steadily closed in on Bernard. Lezak hugged the lane line, drafting off Bernard like a NASCAR driver. It was a welcome change of tactics for a guy who is accustomed to being drafted upon by trailing swimmers.

With every powerful pull and explosive kick, Lezak gained inches. With 25 meters to go, the crowd volume picked up, as the impossible was upgraded to highly unlikely. With 10 meters to go, the crowd was roaring, as Lezak pushed it into the improbable range. At five meters, it suddenly was possible.

"I was pounding on the block, saying the f-word," admitted second-leg swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale. "I was saying, 'Come on!'

"It was an amazing thing to watch. I was saying to myself, 'If anybody in the world can pull this off, it's Jason.'"

In the final stroke, Lezak pulled it off. He thrust his right arm for the wall, desperation and determination meeting perfect timing. The lunge beat Bernard by an eye blink. Lezak somehow touched first, as the fans and his relay teammates both exploded.

The winning time: a world-record 3:08.24. Winning margin: eight-hundredths of a second. It was the closest 400-meter relay in Olympic history and the second-closest Olympic relay of any distance. (In 1984, the U.S. nipped Germany by four-hundredths of a second in the 800 free relay.)

And Lezak swam the fastest 100-meter relay split in world history, a shocking 46.06 seconds. His split was faster than Bernard's by .67 seconds. Smashing.

When you're the world-record holder but you cannot hold a lead in your specialty, that's not good. When that happens after you've talked smack, that's worse. At least it took a superhuman swim to beat Bernard.

Afterward I asked the French technical team director, Claude Fauquet, about Bernard's prediction.

"Well," Fauquet said, "I think he got it wrong."

I think so.

"We didn't react to it," Phelps said. "It just got us fired up."

Not nearly as fired up as they were after the race.

Phelps was screaming like a madman, his face contorting and muscles straining, as his quest careened from incredible domination Sunday in the 400 individual medley to incredible drama Monday. On paper, this was to be his toughest event. If another one turns up tougher, he'll lose.

"As you could see, I was pretty excited," Phelps said. "I was very emotional."

So was Weber-Gale, who won his first Olympic medal. The third relay member, Cullen Jones, won his first gold, as well -- and nearly fell in the pool while jumping up and down. And even Lezak was howling through the fatigue.

"We were all so excited," he said. "We were just yelling at each other."

This was all part of a grander plan for Phelps, but this relay held its own import to each of the participants. Especially for Lezak.

For years, he's been considered America's premier freestyle relay swimmer, but he also has swum on the only two Olympic 400 free relays the U.S. has ever lost. He was on the 2000 team that was nipped by Australia by .21 seconds and was the anchor in 2004 as the Americans finished third behind South Africa and the Netherlands.

For Mr. Relay, that was intolerable. So at a team meeting, Lezak pounded home the importance of returning America to the top of the podium in this event.

"I could see in his face the pain of losing like that," Weber-Gale said.

Lezak wanted his relay team to swim as a unit, not as four independent contractors brought together by nothing more than speed. He wanted to remind his teammates that being first on the heat sheet doesn't guarantee being first to the wall.

"People always step up and do things out of the ordinary at the Olympics," he said.

Now, after turning no way into no quit, Jason Lezak is the one who stepped out of the ordinary and into newfound Olympic glory.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

THE TIME IS NOW FOR USA BASKETBALL TO PROVE ITSELF...

BEIJING -- The night began with hundreds of Chinese fans lined up in the rain outside Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, four hours before tip-off. It began with volunteers distributing plastic ponchos to the damp throng, presumably to keep the red flags painted on their cheeks from running.

The night ended with Mike Krzyzewski being asked by a foreign journalist what he did "to get your players to kill their own superego."

Between the drips and Freudian slips, the United States and China played a basketball game of historic import and global impact. The country with the best players walloped the country with the most players, 101-70. The country that owns the game's past and present showed the country that could possess much of its future how to hoop at the highest level -- literally and figuratively, dunk you very much.

And up to a billion people might have witnessed it, either live or on TV, the president of the United States among them. In terms of signaling something big, it might have been the game's most portentous moment since Bird played Magic in the 1979 NCAA championship, or Michael Jordan scored 63 on the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs.

"This was the mother of all the games?" another foreign journalist asked American player Chris Bosh.

It might have been the symbolic mother, given China's staggering basketball potential. On the court, it was more a game of "Who's your daddy?" And bringing up baby.

The Americans won. So did the Chinese. Even in 31-point defeat, this was the best basketball night the host country has ever seen.

This was East meets (Jerry) West. He's the human logo for the NBA, and the league is bullish on Chinese basketball -- not just drafting its best ballers but pumping massive funds and manpower into developing the game in a nation that has a reported 300 million players.

The biggest and best of those players is Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 NBA All-Star for the Houston Rockets. He missed much of the NBA season with a stress fracture in his foot but wasn't going to miss this milestone moment.

"It is a treasure in my life," said Yao, who carried his country's flag in the Opening Ceremony on Friday night.

Yao opened the game by making a 3-point shot, a stunning thing for a guy who has made exactly one in his NBA career. He played passionately before coming out with four minutes, 45 seconds to play to a huge ovation.

Yao pumped his fist to the crowd and was animated on the bench, standing and encouraging his teammates even in the final minutes of a lopsided defeat. He has the personality of a supporting actor on the court in the U.S., but he's a leader here and knows it.

He also has a staggering number of followers.

The wildly enthusiastic home folks showed up early and soggy, settling in to cheer for every high-altitude move in pregame warm-ups. They chanted incessantly -- "Chi-na!" Clap-clap, "Chi-na!" -- even with the game out of reach. They came to roar for their favorite export, Yao, but also to laud the heroes they've imported via satellite from the States.

At last, all those NBA stars China is crazy over were right here, running and dunking in living color. You'll never hear a road team get that many cheers -- in introductions, and every time the Americans rammed home another breakaway slam. LeBron James is huge here. Kobe Bryant is bigger.

Up in the stands, two teenaged kids were trying to talk their way into media seating and get nearer to the floor. The fact that one was wearing a Kobe jersey and the other a LeBron unit might have given away the fact that they weren't media members. The fact that they were Chinese might have given away the fact that the NBA's hold on the nation is strong and getting stronger.

Even if the kids had talked their way into press seating, there was nowhere to go.

The IOC designates media tickets for what it perceives as its most popular sporting events, capping the number of journalists. For unfathomable reasons, this was an unticketed event, which meant that every reporter's seat was full -- and then some. The entire upper concourse was ringed three-deep with overflow reporters and photographers -- and many of them jammed the postgame press conference, a comedy of lingual errors and an exercise in perpetuating negative stereotypes of American players.

There was the kill-the-superego question, apparently not pertaining to psychoanalysis but meant as a swipe at the perceived me-first attitude of the American players. (Other than Kobe, can't say it fits this bunch.)

Krzyzewski's cute response to that one: "I didn't have to destroy or kill anything."

There was a question to the Chinese about whether the Americans were guilty of excessive celebration at the expense of an outclassed opponent with all the dunking: "Do you think the U.S. team was showing off a bit too much? About because trying to show the numbers of circus?"

(That's the straight quote. Apparently the only proper way to score an uncontested layup is to demurely kiss it off the glass. Memo20 to that dude: This ain't "Hoosiers." If you can flush it, do it. If you can reverse it, all the better.)

Even though it was directed at the Chinese, Krzyzewski later made sure to register his response: "There was no showing off. I don't know what your definition is of showing off. Maybe it's a language thing. That's hard basketball. … Don't confuse hard with show off."

And don't confuse this with any other first-round Olympic basketball game. This portentous night could mean much more years down the road.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

CLEMONS ATTORNEY LOOKING FOR "HOME FIELD" ADVANTAGE

HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens' lawyers asked a federal judge to reject attempts by Brian McNamee to dismiss the former pitcher's defamation suit or have it moved from Texas to New York.

In papers filed late Thursday in U.S. District Court in Houston, they responded to a July 2 motion filed by attorneys for McNamee, Clemens' former personal trainer.

Clemens filed the defamation suit against McNamee in January, after the trainer claimed the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used steroids and human growth hormone.

"Desperate to avoid the merits of Clemens's claims, McNamee moves to dismiss on insubstantial and frivolous grounds that are contrary to controlling authority which requires McNamee to answer to a Texas court and jury for his intentional conduct that injured a Texas resident in Texas," Clemens' lawyers wrote.

They said hearing the suit in New York instead of Houston would be wrong "because most of the key witnesses in this case are in the Southern District of Texas, the cost of attendance in New York City for willing witnesses is substantially higher than it would be in Houston (and) the courts in the Southern District of Texas are less congested."

"Whether McNamee falsely charged Clemens with using steroids in New York, Texas, or on the moon is of little consequence. It simply does not change that McNamee's conduct was calculated to and did harm Clemens where he lived and worked."

The case is being heard by U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

PARCELLS DRAFTED HIM IN 2000, NOW PENNINGTON IS ON HIS WAY BACK TO TUNA TOWN

Chad Pennington, cut by the New York Jets after they signed Brett Favre, signed with the Miami Dolphins on Friday.

The 32-year-old Pennington, expected to be the starting quarterback for Miami, agreed to the deal Friday worth $11.5 million over two years, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move hasn’t been officially announced.

“We are neither confirming nor denying the report,” Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said Friday night.

Bill Parcells, now the Dolphins’ vice president of football operations, drafted Pennington with the 18th overall pick in 2000 when he was the Jets’ general manager.

The Dolphins, coming off a 1-15 season, will open the season against the Jets in Miami, giving Pennington an immediate chance to face his former team.

Before the signing, Pennington said he was disappointed but had no hard feelings after being released by the Jets.

“I have enjoyed it,” Pennington said Friday in his first public comments since his release. “I’ve learned a lot, become a better professional and a better man because of my experience and my time in New York. I don’t regret or feel ashamed about anything that happened to me in my time in New York.”

Pennington became the popular face of the Jets for several seasons and arrived in camp competing with Kellen Clemens for the starting job. The Jets jettisoned Pennington to clear salary cap space once they got Favre from Green Bay.

“The most difficult part is just the realization that the organization no longer wants you,” Pennington said. “You spend eight years there and, in the blink of an eye, you’re no longer wanted there.”

The 32-year-old Pennington ranks first in NFL history among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts with a 65.6 completion percentage. He was often recognized as being a leader in the huddle and an intelligent field general, but was dogged throughout his time in New York for his lack of arm strength.

Injuries were also a problem for Pennington, who broke his wrist in 2003 and had two rotator cuff operations in eight months in 2005. His career was in doubt, but he bounced back and was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after beating out Clemens, Brooks Bollinger and Patrick Ramsey for the starting job in 2006. He had his best all-around season, throwing for a career-high 3,352 yards while again leading the Jets to the playoffs and starting every game for the first time.

He struggled last season, going 1-7 as the starter and was benched after Week 8 in favor of Clemens. Pennington had done a bit better than Clemens early in training camp, and was considered the favorite to open the season as the starter at Miami.

Then, came the news that Favre was coming to town. Pennington found out from coach Eric Mangini around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, shortly before the team announced the deal.

http://www.payneinsider.com/

WILL THE HAWKS MATCH THE GRIZZLIES OFFER SHEET FOR J-SMOOTHE?

Restricted free agent Josh Smith has received a five-year, $58 million offer from the Grizzlies, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Friday.

The Hawks have seven days to match the offer. The Hawks have maintained that they will match any offers made to Smith, though no one saw the Grizzlies' offer coming, the Journal-Constitution said.

Smith, 22, averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season while helping the Hawks make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Atlanta drafted Smith out of high school with the 17th pick in the 2004 draft.

http://www.payneinsider.com/