Dan Hardy’s dramatic UFC career was set for a resurgence. What he did not bank on was opponent Chris Lytle announcing his retirement, and the American delivered, winning the first two rounds in a stand up slugfest, and then submitting the Nottingham fighter in the final round.
If Hardy thought he may face being ‘retired’ himself after four consecutive losses in the Octagon, UFC supremo had other thoughts. He tweeted after the contest that he loved fighters who came to have wars, and that Hardy would not be cut.
“It’s a back against the wall fight, it’s a do or die fight. It’s forward or unconscious,” Hardy had said going into this contest. Lytle had never been knocked out or submitted in his time in the UFC. It wasn’t going to happen in this contest.
Lytle, with 20 fights in the UFC, joined BJ Penn with 20 fights, with only Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes and Tito Ortiz having fought more times in the organisation. Five fights of the night, two submissions of the night, one KO of the night. Some record.
Lytle went straight for the body in round one, and landed with several bowling right hooks. Hardy had success himself with the left hook, kicks and a knee. They stood and let the punches go, but Lytle’s timing was there, Hardy’s counter punching was not. It set the pattern for the fight. As Hardy took more punishment, so his work grew ragged as the fight wore on.
Hardy had success in the second round with a big right hand that swung his foe around, and as they tied up, the man with the mohawk landed a knee to the body. A finger from a Lytle jab caught Hardy in the eye and they paused. As the second round drew to a close, Lytle made it his round. For me, Lytle won rounds one and two. Hardy went for broke in the third, and as he inexplicably went for a takedown late in the fight, Lytle caught him in a choke and Hardy tapped out.
Hardy put it all the line, but this was not the best of his work on show. It remains to be seen what his future holds within the UFC.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
UFC: Chris Lytle wins last career fight by submitting Dan Hardy in stand-up slugfest
UFC: Highly popular striking coach Shawn Tompkins passes away
The terrible news has arrived via Twitter tonight that coach Shawn Tompkins has passed away. The details have not emerged yet, but he was in Canada at the time… Our thoughts are with Shawn’s family, for one of the most popular men in the sport who cared deeply about his fighters.
UPDATES WITH MORE NEWS…
USC basketball: Trojans win first game of Brazilian exhibition trip
"The team was good," USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said by phone. "They played hard, played well. We had 20-some turnovers. We didn't play particularly well but we played great defensively. I thought our effort was really good."
USC led for most of the game, O'Neill said, and Fontan dominated.
"He controlled the whole game, basically," O'Neill said. "He was really good."
Sophomore center DeWayne Dedmon, whom O'Neill touted for much of the summer, struggled with foul trouble in his first game as a Trojan, finishing with four points and four fouls. Dedmon played about eight minutes, O'Neill said.
O'Neill said junior center James Blasczyk, a junior college transfer, struggled mightily as did sophomore forward Evan Smith.
Sophomore forward Garrett Jackson scored eight and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The starting lineup included Fontan, Dedmon, Fuller, Smith and sophomore guard Maurice Jones, who scored two points but recorded seven assists and six steals, a USC spokesman said.
O'Neill said guards Byron Wesley and Alexis Moore, both freshmen, and newcomer Greg Allen, a junior college transfer, won't be able to play in a game until Tuesday when their grades are posted.
The Trojans were scheduled to play four games overall and a scrimmage to be held Monday against Sao Jose dos Campos Club Team, a first-division pro team. But, according to the latest version of their itinerary, their game Thursday against the Flumenesse Sports Club has been turned down by that team.
They are trying to add in a game on Wednesday against the 19-and-under Paulistano Team; that's still waiting approval.
If there are any other updates, we'll be sure to keep you posted. And before and after the games, check with latimes.com/sports and my Twitter account for recaps and other news.
-- Baxter Holmes
Photo: USC guard Jio Fontan during practice last season. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times
UFC: Versus 5 Dan Hardy v Chris Lytle LIVE BLOG
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Bantamweight Bout: US Edwin Figueroa vs. US Jason Reinhardt
Figueroa TKO (punches) 0:50 Rd 2.
Lightweight Bout: US Jacob Volkmann vs. US Danny Castillo
Volkmann unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Lightweight Bout: US Cole Miller vs. US T.J. O’Brien
Miller submission rd 2
Featherweight bout: US Alex Caceres vs. US Jimy Hettes
Hettes submission rd 2
Light Heavyweight Bout: Czech Rep Karlos Vemola vs. BRZ Ronny Markes
Middleweight Bout: US Ed Herman vs. Aus Kyle Noke
Bantamweight Bout: US Joseph Benavidez vs. US Eddie Wineland
Middleweight bout: US C.B. Dollaway vs. US Jared Hamman
Main Card
Welterweight Bout: US Amir Sadollah vs. US Duane Ludwig
Lightweight Bout: BRZ Charles Oliveira vs. US Donald Cerrone
Lightweight Bout: US Jim Miller vs. US Ben Henderson
Welterweight Bout: Eng Dan Hardy vs. US Chris Lytle
Remembering Don Chandler, Former Giant and Packer
A few thoughts about Don Chandler, who began his career on the 1956 N.F.L. champion New York Giants and ended it on the 1967 Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. In between he was one of the best punters and place-kickers of his era. Chandler died Thursday in Tulsa, Okla., at age 76.
Don Chandler was part of two of pro football’s most celebrated teams: the late 1950s and early 1960s New York Giants and, from 1965 to 1967, the final three years of the Lombardi dynasty in Green Bay. In his 12-year career, he played in nine N.F.L. championship games, including the overtime classic at Yankee Stadium in 1958, and the Ice Bowl at Lambeau Field nine years later. He’s perhaps best remembered for one crucial kick in 1965 that many, including Chandler himself, thought he missed. It remains probably the most controversial field goal in N.F.L. history.
Chandler was a three time All-Southern Conference halfback and punter for the University of Florida before he was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 1956 draft (57th over all). He signed a contract for a $7,200 salary with a $500 bonus and reported to his first training camp at Saint Michael’s college in the Winooski Park section of Colchester, Vt. It was almost his last.
In late August, Chandler and another rookie, Sam Huff, decided to pack their bags and leave. Huff was later persuaded to stay but Chandler was determined to go home and forget about pro football. He later said he had hurt his shoulder earlier in camp and thought he was going to be cut anyway.
Chandler hitched a ride to the Burlington airport and was waiting for his flight when he was confronted with the full fury of one of the Giants’ assistant coaches. It was Vince Lombardi. “Now hold on!” Lombardi screamed. “You may not make this club, Chandler, but you’re sure as hell not quitting on me now!… Now get the hell back to Saint Michael’s and be at practice tomorrow morning!” (Jack Cavanaugh, “Giants Among Men”, Random House, 2008) Chandler immediately went back to the dormitory. It was his first exposure to the Lombardi mystique.
Over his 11 season as a full-time punter, Chandler averaged 43.5 yards per punt and finished in the top five in yearly average seven times. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1967 and was later named as the punter on the N.F.L.’s all-decade team of the 1960s.
Chandler was especially effective under pressure, when the offense was backed up deep in its territory. In nine years with the Giants, he averaged 51 yards per punt out of his end zone. Chandler, Detroit’s Yale Lary and San Francisco’s Tommy Davis were the best punters of that era.
Except for one field-goal attempt in 1959, the Giants used Chandler exclusively as a punter in his first six seasons, from 1956 to 1961. In 1962, after Pat Summerall retired, he also assumed the place-kicking duties. In 1963, Chandler made 18 of 29 field-goal attempts ( a high percentage for that time), and added 52 extra points to lead the league in scoring with 106 points.
Chandler used a black high-top with a square toe for field goals and extra points, and a standard low-cut shoe for punting. He frequently had to change shoes when the offense moved the ball across midfield. “Sometimes I feel like the one-armed paperhanger”, Chandler said. “The coach changes his mind and I have to change my shoe. The low one isn’t bad but lacing up the other takes time.” (Gene Hintz, “Kicking”, Green Bay Packer yearbook, 1965)
The Giants traded Chandler to the Packers in the spring of 1965. Lombardi was looking for a kicker because Paul Hornung made just 12 of 38 attempts in 1964. Hornung also missed two critical extra-points in one-point losses to the Colts and Vikings early that season. In his first year in Green Bay, Chandler set an N.F.L. record with a 90-yard punt against the 49ers.
In 1965 the Packers and the Colts finished in a tie for first place in the Western Division. The teams met in a playoff at Lambeau Field to determine who would play Cleveland in the championship game. Late in the fourth quarter, with Baltimore leading, 10-7, Chandler attempted a 22-yard field goal to tie the game and most likely send it to overtime. After striking the ball, Chandler looked up and immediately threw his head back in disgust, believing he had missed. As the Colts began to celebrate, the field judge, Jim Tunney, positioned behind the end line, raised both arms to signal that the kick was good. Chandler won it with a 25-yard field goal 13:39 into overtime. This time, the kick was right down the middle.
Did Chandler make that field goal? The end zone angle provided by NFL Films shows the ball well above and then clearly outside the right upright. The holder, Bart Starr, has always maintained that the kick was good and, as Bill Curry says, “Bart doesn’t lie about anything.” (NFL Films America’s Game: 1966 Green Bay Packers) The Colts never got over it. Tunney, who later worked three Super Bowls as a referee, told The Times in 2008: “I think I got it right. But every time I’d run into Don Shula, Tom Matte and John Unitas, even years later, they’d always tell me I was wrong.” (See video at top at about the 4:53 mark.)
The next spring, the owners voted to extend the height of the uprights from 10 to 20 feet above the crossbar and to station two officials in the back of the end zone on extra-point and field-goal attempts, one behind each upright.
A week after beating the Colts, the Packers defeated the Browns to win the first of three consecutive N.F.L. championships. Their wins against the Cowboys in 1966 and 1967 were followed by victories over Kansas City and Oakland in the first two Super Bowls. Late in the ‘67 season, Chandler decided that he would retire at the end of the year.
In Super Bowl 2 in Miami, Starr threw a long touchdown pass, Herb Adderley returned an interception for another score, and Chandler, playing in his last meaningful game, kicked a record four field goals as the Packers became champions again. After the game there wasn’t much celebrating. During the week, the players sensed it would be Lombardi’s last game as their coach. Many, like guard Jerry Kramer, had been with him from the beginning, in 1959. They knew an era was ending.
Now, as his teammates quietly showered, dressed and began to leave, Kramer just sat at his locker trying, as he says in conclusion in “Instant Replay,” “to keep my uniform on as long as I possibly could.”
2011 Miami Dolphins Season Preview
Andy Benoit is previewing all 32 N.F.L. teams. It’s Miami’s turn today, followed by the Jets and New England.
Well, this is a little awkward. You have the Miami Dolphins being coached by a guy that ownership and the front office tried to replace back in the spring, and quarterbacked by a guy they tried to trade this summer. Whoever steps up next and dares to assume a leadership role for this club may be shipped to Siberia.
There’s no chalking any of this up to rumor or miscommunication, either. Owner Stephen Ross already admitted he made mistakes by getting on a plane to go try to talk Jim Harbaugh into replacing Tony Sparano as Miami’s coach. And every media outlet from South Beach to Denver has reported that General Manager Jeff Ireland and his staff engaged in serious negotiations over Kyle Orton (a k a Chad Henne’s replacement).
Neither pursuit was successful, of course. Thus the Dolphins find themselves sitting in a five-star restaurant with a fresh red wine stain on their white dress shirt. And, given that it’s already August, their food is on the way. The only choice they have is to carry on as if this Sparano/Henne awkwardness doesn’t matter.
One way to do that is to denounce the logic behind it. One need only ask, What was Ross thinking when he sought Harbaugh anyway? Is Sparano not the same Sparano who inherited a one-win team three years ago and wound up going 11-5? Yes, Sparano has posted back-to-back seven-win seasons since then. But let’s be honest: the Dolphins have had 7-9-type talent.
This admission, of course, would make it harder to back Henne. Elite quarterbacking would probably propel this old-school team close to the top of the A.F.C. East. But you can’t win with 1980’s-style ball-control football when your quarterback throws more interceptions than touchdowns for two consecutive years.
Henne is actually the closest thing the Dolphins have had to stability under center since Jay Fiedler (there’s a name for ya). Before Henne took the reins in ’09, there’d been six different passing leaders in Miami over the previous six years. Dan Marino, where art thou?
The good news is Henne was not the biggest part of the problem last year – offensive coordinator Dan Henning was. Once the league figured out how to stop the Wildcat, the Dolphins became an average running team with a banal passing attack.
Fortunately, those systems are now being updated. Former Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was hired to replace the “retired” Henning; Daboll doesn’t have a sterling track record – the rebuilding Browns offense ranked 32nd and 29th in total yards his two years there – but he’s more willing to meet Ross’s demands to open things up.
Ross’s theory is that an up-tempo offense will take advantage of the warm south Florida climate while also rejuvenating the lackluster Miami fan base* (the Dolphins were just 1-7 at Sun Life Stadium last season). This will also lend support to a defense that quietly ranked sixth in yards allowed last season (by far its best performance in the Sparano era). Ross is a real estate mogul talking pigskin, but he could be on to something here.
Offense
One thing that stands out about Chad Henne is how much better he performs when the Dolphins spread the field. This was evident on film and paper last season (Henne’s passer rating when two wide receivers were on the field was 67; with three receivers it was 79; with four or more receivers it was 83). Henne does not see the field particularly well on slow-developing plays (play-action, max-protect, seven-stop drops, etc.). In these situations, his confidence rattles, leading to the erratic accuracy and turnovers (which, for Henne, tend to pour when they rain).
It used to be, getting a quarterback in rhythm involved throwing lots of screen passes and dumpoffs in the flats. But nowadays, the best way to calm a quarterback is to spread the field, as that creates natural throwing lanes and paints a clearer picture of what’s now a stretched-out defense. This is what Dan Henning did not do.
Brian Daboll has the personnel to make this work. (Whether Henne succeeds is another question, but this gives him the best chance.) At Daboll’s disposal is a classic trio of wide receivers: a possession target in Brandon Marshall, a surprisingly swift route runner in Brian Hartline and a supremely quick space-eater in slot ace Davon Bess. It’s critical that Marshall stay focused and commit to playing within the confines of the offense. It frustrates him that he can’t break off routes and freelance here as he did in Denver with Jay Cutler, but that’s the reality. Henne isn’t Cutler; again, he’s a guy who needs as clear a picture of the field as possible. Having receivers run expected routes is a big part of creating that clarity.
Depth is an issue at wide receiver. Fourth-round rookie Clyde Gates has speed and is already 25 years old, so the expectation is he can immediately move ahead of last year’s undrafted wideouts Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace. More important, tight end Anthony Fasano is soft-handed and a fleet-footed enough runner to work out of the slot as a fourth option. Of course, he’s not nearly as big a slot weapon as that player they picked up from New Orleans.
The addition of Reggie Bush is huge for creating mismatches out of spread formations. The Dolphins would be wise to forgo the nonsense of making Bush a more traditional running back. Even casual N.F.L. fans know by now that Bush is not a 20 carries-between-the-tackles-type runner. And the Dolphins have not had great success with this type of running style the last two years anyway. In Bush they have a one-of-a-kind mismatch creator who can make defenses vacillate between using base and nickel personnel. He can also freeze any second level defender who’s told not to let N0. 22 (Bush’s new number, apparently) get in the flats. These are attributes the Dolphins must use to their advantage.
Bush’s presence – and Ricky Williams’s and Ronnie Brown’s absence – doesn’t mean the Dolphins needs to abandon their power run game. They drafted 228-pound Daniel Thomas in the second round to fill this role (for what it’s worth, Thomas ran the Wildcat at Kansas State). Also, they still have one of the game’s best fullbacks in Lousaka Polite and an offensive line that’s well sized and seemingly improved inside.
First-round pick Mike Pouncey is expected to be a carbon copy of his Pro Bowl brother (no pressure). It’s a lot to even ask a rookie center to start, let alone excel, but it seems a safe enough bet that Pouncey will, at the very least, be an upgrade over the shuffle of fringe centers from past years.
To Pouncey’s left is an especially stellar duo: tackle Jake Long and guard Richie Incognito. Long is arguably the game’s finest at his position. He’s nothing jazzy – just a player devoid of any noticeable weaknesses. Incognito flashes good power in the ground game. Sanity seems to escape him at times, however, which is why the Dolphins should not stop developing last year’s moderately disappointing third-round pick, John Jerry.
Jerry, a starter part of his rookie season, finds himself battling Nate Garner and Joe Berger for top backup guard duties, in part because he doesn’t hold ground well in pass protection (Incognito has some issues with this at times, as well). This shouldn’t be an issue at right guard this season now that tackle Vernon Carey has slid inside. Carey is not a dazzling athlete, but at 340 pounds, he’s always held ground well. Don’t be surprised if Carey winds up back outside, though. He was repositioned to make room for ex-Cowboy Marc Colombo, a proud veteran right tackle who seemingly lost his foot speed two years ago.
Defense
No one talks about it, but Dolphins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, a 3-4 connoisseur, has three outstanding horses in his front seven. Cameron Wake is as good an outside linebacker as the N.F.L. has to offer. He can rush the passer with the power of a bull or the fleetness of deer (whatever’s needed). He’s athletic enough to burst into throwing lanes and, more notably, he can set the edge against the run.
Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby more than lived up to his five-year, $43 million ($22 guaranteed) contract last season. Though not a particularly physical player, Dansby is one of the premier closing tacklers in the game. He moves with an Olympic skater’s grace and has the instincts to sniff out both the run and pass.
It helps that he plays behind Paul Soliai, the third (and most unheralded) star of Miami’s front seven. A fourth-round pick out of Utah in ’07, Soliai battled weight and consistency issues early in his career before blossoming into a plugger in ’10. A rare ability to laterally bulldoze his way through traffic helped earn him a franchise tag (face value $12.4 million) this past off-season.
Though backups Ronald Fields and Tony McDaniel will see action here and there, Soliai is capable of playing all three downs. The Dolphins, however, are probably more inclined to slide Randy Starks, a superb four-technique end (i.e. playing head-up on the offensive tackle) to nose tackle in passing situations. On the other side, Kendall Langford must reclaim his once-promising lateral agility if he wants to keep his job from last year’s first-round pick, Jared Odrick, who’s healthy after missing his rookie season with a broken fibula and broken foot (separate injuries). Also in the mix could be Phillip Merling.
New inside linebacker Kevin Burnett is an improvement over Channing Crowder, who says he is retired. Burnett is a finesse player who needs space in order to thrive, which is only mentioned because, with Dansby around, the Dolphins have two critical run-stoppers who don’t necessarily like fighting contact.
At the other outside linebacker position, Koa Misi must become more of a force. It can sometimes be easy to forget that the Junior Seau lookalike is even on the field. Misi registered only 4.5 sacks last season, which prompted the team to bring back 36-year-old pass-rushing specialist Jason Taylor for what’s most likely a farewell tour. (Interesting debate that lies ahead: Jason Taylor – Hall of Famer? He has better numbers and accolades than Ricky Jackson and Derrick Thomas…)
All four members of Miami’s solid but unspectacular secondary return in 2011. The tandem of third-year cornerbacks has thus far followed the plan. Vontae Davis, a first-round pick, matches up with the opposing team’s top receiver and doesn’t get challenged a whole lot; Sean Smith, a second-rounder, has had some trouble staying in the lineup due to stiff hips in man coverage. The Dolphins were aware of Smith’s limitations when they drafted him; their thinking was that his unusual size (a lanky 6-3, 214 pounds) could make up for it, especially in zone concepts.
A healthy Will Allen – which, granted, hasn’t existed since October ’09 – could relegate Smith to competing with Nolan Carroll for nickel duties. Then again, if Nolan wants to be creative in his subpackages this season (and the guess is he will), he’ll probably fill the slot with Benny Sapp, one of the better blitzing defensive backs in the league.
At safety, Yeremiah Bell still has one of the coolest names you’ll ever here, and one of the stoutest games you’ll see from a veteran in the box. Free safety Chris Clemons is a solid hitter, and his backup, last year’s fifth-round pick Reshad Jones, has flashed subtle all-around quickness in limited action thus far.
Special Teams
Special teams were a problem for this club early last season; the coordinator John Bonamego was fired in October. His replacement, Darren Rizzi, has a recent Pro Bowl placekicker in Dan Carpenter, though the fourth-year pro missed 11 of his 41 attempts in 2010 (all were from 40 yards or longer). Brandon Fields was able to down 31 punts inside the red zone in ’10, with only four touchbacks. Nolan Carroll and Patrick Cobbs are adequate return men.
Bottom Line
The atmosphere in Miami is a bit bleak, but it’s not like this team isn’t, at the very least, respectable. If the offense can spruce up, this defense is good enough to lead the way. The Dolphins will still have to manufacture wins via field positioning and the turnover battle – but that’s a formula Sparano has succeeded with before.
Predicted Finish: 3rd A.F.C. East
*Some have pointed out that it’s odd that Ross also asked the league not to schedule Miami any 1 p.m. home games early in the season because of the heat.
Andy Benoit is the founder of NFLTouchdown.com and covers the N.F.L. for CBSsports.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLtouchdown.com.