Air travel in Russia concerned Dave King

Longtime NHL coach Dave King was a hockey pioneer, becoming the first Canadian coach in Russia’s Super League. He coached Magnitorgorsk for one season (2005-06), the year following the NHL lockout.

It appealed to his adventurous spirit, and he even wrote a book about it. But there was one particular aspect about the experience he still remembered with unease on the day that a Russian jet crash killed 43 people, many of them prominent hockey players.

“I loved coaching in Russia. It was a great adventure,” King said in a telephone interview from Phoenix on Wednesday. "But the one thing you always worried about was charter flights.”

Commercial flights were not an issue. There was one particular aging propeller-driven plane used on occasion for charters. The players called it Pterodactyl Air, and those flights made everyone nervous, he said.

“Russia is a big country. I remember many times the prop planes would be going to the end of the runway and it seemed like the takeoff taxi would be endless,” said King, who is now a consultant with the Coyotes after several seasons as an assistant with Phoenix.

“Finally, the plane would creep up. The players would joke about it.”

RELATED:

Ducks remember Ruslan Salei, killed in Russian plane crash

Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei among 43 dead in Russian plane crash

Hockey world reacts to Russian plane crash tragedy

Luc Robitaille remembers former Kings teammate Pavol Demitra

--Lisa Dillman

Photo: Dave King during his assistant coaching stint with the Phoenix Coyotes. Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images

Telegraph audio interview: UFC newby Alistair Overeem sees 50-50 fight between Cain Velasquez v Junior Dos Santos

Alistair Overeem spoke to Telegraph Sport shortly after it was announced that he has signed with the UFC, and will face Brock Lesnar in Las Vegas on Dec 30. He was offered his first fight in the UFC against the winner of Cain Velasquez (UFC heavyweight champion) v Junior Dos Santos, but turned that down as he wanted to get into action sooner.

GAD: A very exciting announcement that you have signed for the UFC. The world over, MMA fans are excited for this. You must be too?

Alistair Overeem: I am as well. My team is excited, the UFC is excited. It's a great development. And yeah what can I say? I'm all pumped up.

GAD: It's come in the week that it's been announced UFC has signed a 7 year deal with the FOX Network, taking the UFC brand on to mainstream television. It must be fantastic to be involved at a time when the heavyweights are being put on the main frame in the sporting world?

AO: Very exciting time. It couldn't have been better timing, and for me it's the logical next step. Not fighting in Strikeforce anymore, Japan was quiet, one of my goals was to become world champion and I already achieved that goal in K1. The UFC has always been regarded as the highest belt out there so for me it's the next step and yeah it's just a great time.

GAD: Have there been talks ongoing for a long time behind the scenes?

AO: There have been talks for the last couple of weeks and of course there was a little beef going on. There were all the differences, over when they could start negotiations. I heard the last couple of weeks there were talks. I didn't really worry about myself but I did worry about my team-mates because of the beef. My future wasn't really a major concern because I have a good record, and I am a world champion. But the deal came and today's the big day.

GAD: When you came into the UFC office [in Las Vegas] was the deal already signed?

AO: It was finalised but not yet signed.

GAD: Ok, so you've come in today and its been finalised. Did you know before today that Brock Lesnar would be the first opponent?

AO: Ummm… well, yeah we wanted to do it. So that would be the first fight.

GAD: It's a great fight for you to start in the UFC against Brock Lesnar who has become a great star in the UFC and who has achieved great things already, but he has holes in his game. I'm sure you feel you must be able to exploit them ?

AO: Definitely. I think Brock is an excellent wrestler but I see myself as better rounded, a better striker, but that's the sport. It can go either way. I'm not sure I would still be standing if Brock hits me clean on the chin.

GAD: But obviously you're not gonna let him?

AO: That's the thing with the sport… it can go either way. The thing with Brock is that he's an unpredictable, strong explosive guy. It's exciting. I'm really excited about it.

GAD: In some ways, you were the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle for the UFC in the heavyweight landscape. Now they have the strongest heavyweight group. Could we now end up – finally – with a European heavyweight champion in the UFC ?

AO: That's quite exciting, right ? And I was even born in England. I have, like, British nationality.

GAD: Where will you go from here? The fight is at the end of the year. Will you go straight into training camp in a couple of weeks?

AO: Well, I'm already keeping my shape up. I've got some sparring partners with me. I'm going to head to Tokyo after this to do a television tour, so there's going to be breaking news there as well. After that I'll be heading back home and then get into my 100% training schedule.

GAD: Did you always feel this would come about ? Did you think 'I'm going to end up in up in the UFC' ?

AO: I did see the UFC as a place that I was going to end up in. But of course you never know. You could injure yourself, you could get hit by a truck. That is one of the things I have seen in my career, in my experience that a lot of things can change in the fight scene. But I did see it coming. I thought I would end up in the UFC eventually….

GAD: Finally, there's another major heavyweight fight coming up on FOX on November 12 between Cain and Junior. Can you give your analysis on that fight and how you'd pick in that contest?

AO: It's going to be a very exciting fight. Two fighters who are well-rounded, who have excellent striking. They both come from two excellent camps. It could go either way. It's hard to say. They're well rounded, evenly-matched. For me, it's 50/50. I have no gut feeling on who the winner will be.

Angels look to close gap on Texas; Trout discusses minor league award

The Angels have a chance to shave a game off the Texas Rangers' American League West lead Wednesday night. The Rangers lost to Tampa Bay, 5-4, earlier Wednesday, and if the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners Wednesday night, they will be 2 1/2 games back with 19 games to play.

With left-hander Charlie Furbush starting for the Mariners, Mike Trout is back in the lineup, starting in right field, and Peter Bourjos is back at the top of the order, hitting second. The Angels are 18-4 this season in games Trout has started.

Wednesday afternoon, the Angels held a news conference for Trout so the 20-year-old could field questions about being named Baseball America's minor league player of the year. Among the previous awards winners are Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, Joe Mauer, Dwight Gooden and Tim Salmon.

"I read that list today," Trout said. "Jeter is on it, a guy who just got his 3,000^th hit, Salmon got it. It’s just a great honor."

Trout, the 25th overall pick in the 2009 draft, won the award by hitting .326 with a .414 on-base percentage, 82 runs, 11 homers, 13 triples and 33 stolen bases in 91 games for double-A Arkansas, which is currently playing in the Texas League playoffs.

"Coming into the year, my personal goal was to make the playoffs in double A," Trout said. "Now I have a chance to make them in the big leagues. It's definitely a bigger jump."

Trout was called up for the first time July 8 and hit .163 in 14 games during his first stint with the Angels. He was sent back to Arkansas on July 31 and since being recalled for a second time on Aug. 19, Trout is batting .317 (13 for 41) with four homers, 11 runs and eight RBIs in 14 games.

"When I first got called up I was jittery, nervous, trying to do too much," Trout said. "When I was sent down, I realized this is where I wanted to be. I came up, knew what to expect and went with that."

Trout seems more than comfortable in the big leagues now -- he looks like he belongs. The biggest challenge of playing in the major leagues, he said, is "realizing it’s just a game played before more people. You have to take a deep breath a couple of times. That was big thing. My first game I looked up and saw four decks and 40,000 people. It’s a little different than high school."

The Angels lineup: 3B Maicer Izturis, CF Peter Bourjos, 2B Howie Kendrick, DH Torii Hunter, 1B Mark Trumbo, LF Vernon Wells, RF Mike Trout, SS Erick Aybar, C Bobby Wilson, P Jerome Williams.

The Mariners lineup: RF Ichiro Suzuki, SS Brendan Ryan, 2B Dustin Ackley, LF Mike Carp, 1B Justin Smoak, C Miguel Olivo, DH Wily Mo Pena, CF Trayvon Robinson, 3B Alex Liddi, P Charlie Furbush.

--Mike DiGiovanna

U.S. Open: Two Wednesday quarterfinals canceled

Two men's quarterfinals scheduled for Wednesday at the U.S. Open have been officially taken off the schedule.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic against 20th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic, the all-Serbian quarterfinal, which was to be the second match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the match between third-seeded Roger Federer and 11th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, which was to have been the second night match in Arthur Ashe (after Serena Williams versus Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova), have been canceled.

After Tuesday's entire slate was rained out, there also hasn't been a match completed yet on Wednesday. Play started at 12:34 p.m. with defending champion Rafael Nadal trailing Gilles Muller, 3-0, 15-0; Andy Roddick leading David Ferrer, 3-1, and Donald Young ahead of Andy Murray, 2-1.

Roddick and Nadal were unhappy about going out at all this morning. A spokesman for the United States Tennis Assn. said weather forecasts had indicated a two-hour, rain-free window but that the mist that never stopped did not show up on radar.

The drying machines are back out in Arthur Ashe Stadium now but the fans waiting in the stands have umbrellas up.

RELATED:

Play suspended again because of rain

Rain-altered U.S. Open schedule takes players out of comfort zone

Serena Williams moves into U.S. Open quarterfinals

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

Photo: Workers try to dry the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Wednesday. Credit: Mike Groll / Associated Press

Nick Diaz out, Carlos Condit in for UFC 137 main event

 

Nick Diaz has been replaced by Carlos Condit in the main event of UFC 137 at Las Vegas on Oct. 29. The reason? Diaz didn't show up for any of the scheduled news conferences this week to promote the fight, which made UFC President Dana White very unhappy.

White said Diaz was supposed to board a flight from Northern California to Canada on Monday, but missed both the original flight and a rescheduled flight.

"I told him after the first flight that he had to be on the next one, and he said, 'Yup, OK, no problem,' " White said.

White said he booked a Tuesday morning flight for Diaz, but Diaz missed that, too, and failed to respond to White's phone calls.

Diaz, the Strikeforce welterweight champion, flirted with the idea of becoming a boxer against former title contender Jeff Lacy earlier this year. White swooped in and offered him the St-Pierre fight on Halloween weekend in Las Vegas.

White said he was aware of Diaz's past admissions of heavy marijuana use as a tactic to battle attention deficit hyperactive disorder.

As they struck the St-Pierre deal, White said he told Diaz, "You have to promote this fight fight for me, and not do this," not specifying what 'this' was. "He looked me right in the eye," White said, "and said, 'You got my word.' "

White said after awaking this morning and dropping off his children at school in Las Vegas, he surmised, "Who says this kid's going to show up for the ... fight."

He decided to scratch Diaz and insert Condit. White said Diaz might be cut from the UFC lineup.

What's running through Diaz's mind?

"Who knows," White said. "I honestly can't answer that question. Big fight, big stage. He was going to make crazy money. I like the guy. I don't want him to not be himself. But I don't know what I'm going to do with him."

White said St-Pierre has told him Condit might be a tougher fight because he does more than stand up.

RELATED:

Nick Diaz says smoking marijuana is part of his plan

Brock Lesnar returns to the octagon on Dec. 30

--Lance Pugmire

Photo: Nick Diaz. Credit: Strikeforce.

Did Sam Rice reveal a World Series secret in a letter opened after his death?

BASEBALL URBAN LEGEND: Did a Hall of Famer reveal a 50-year-old World Series secret in a letter opened after his death?

On Oct. 13, 1974, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Sam Rice passed away at the age of 84. His death came almost exactly 49 years after Game Three of the 1925 World Series (October 10, 1925). In that game, Rice made one of the most famous catches in World Series history.

It was also one of the most controversial catches. The controversy surrounded whether Rice ACTUALLY made the catch. Since the play involved Rice being out of everyone's field of vision for at least ten seconds, only Rice knew the answer for sure. Rice always actively avoided telling people the truth (not even his own wife and children), and legend had it that Rice had written a letter for the Baseball Hall of Fame containing the truth that was not to be opened until his death.

Well, two weeks after Rice died, there was no such letter.

Cliff Kachline, the official historian of the Baseball Hall of Fame, said "That Sam Rice letter has been a rumor for a long time, but we never had any solid evidence there was one." Was there a letter?

Read on to find out!

Week 1 in Fantasy Football: Favorable Matchups

Jason and Justin Sablich are here to help you with your fantasy football team. The Sablich brothers will provide fantasy football advice throughout the season on this blog and on Twitter (@5thDownFantasy).

Do you have a start/sit question for Week 1? This season, we will be taking your questions on Twitter rather than in the comments section below. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy.

A big welcome back to fantasy football fans everywhere and to our faithful readers from seasons past. In case you’re just joining us this season, this is the weekly post in which we highlight some players who are not automatic starts, players who are not named Andre Johnson or Aaron Rodgers, who have a chance to succeed based on their matchups for the week. The players you’ll find in these posts will coincide with our weekly rankings and will help explain why certain players are ranked where they are.

Week 1 is always the toughest week to measure; we don’t know how this season’s defenses will fare. We can only assume some of last year’s units will continue to struggle in certain areas given their preseason performances and off-season happenings. When in doubt, start the team you drafted!

Favorable/Unfavorable Quarterback Matchups

Favorable

Rex Grossman vs. Giants – This defense, particularly the secondary, has suffered major losses during the off-season. The Giants also allowed Grossman to rack up 336 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 17 last season.

Kerry Collins vs. Houston – Collins will get last season’s most favorable quarterback matchup as well as the best receiving corps of his career, now that the Colts have said Peyton Manning is out. Can his shaky offensive line buy the notoriously immobile Collins enough time, and just how open will the playbook be for him?

Eli Manning vs. Washington – This matchup is a friendly one for Manning (third best in 2010), who will be hoping to quickly erase a poor preseason. However, he has averaged just 13.3 fantasy points over his last three games against the Redskins.

Matt Hasselbeck vs. Jacksonville – The Jaguars’ defense allowed the seventh-most points to quarterbacks last year, and they haven’t shown us anything this preseason to make us believe they will be tougher to throw on in 2011.

Unfavorable

Joe Flacco vs. Pittsburgh – Flacco had a rough outing the last time he faced the Steelers (fifth-worst quarterback matchup in 2010), totaling just 125 passing yards, 1 TD and 1 interception in last season’s divisional playoff round.

Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Kansas City – The Chiefs were pretty tough on quarterbacks last season (12th-worst matchup), and their young secondary, featuring the star cornerback Brandon Flowers, only figures to get better.

Jay Cutler vs. Atlanta – There wasn’t a lot to get excited about  regarding  the Bears’ passing game this preseason, and Atlanta’s improving defense may keep things that way for at least another week.

Sam Bradford vs. Philadelphia – Bradford goes up against the scary threesome of Samuel, Asomugha and Rodgers-Cromartie, with only the rookie tight end Kendricks as an established target.

Favorable/Unfavorable Running Back Matchups

Favorable

DeAngelo Williams vs. Arizona – The Cardinals’ 3-4 defense struggled against the run in 2010 (second-best RB matchup), and the running game is still this offense’s best asset.

Jahvid Best vs. Tampa Bay — Best has a chance to get off on the right foot (pun intended) as the Buccaneers allowed 20 fantasy points a game to the position on average last season.

Beanie Wells vs. Carolina – Panthers rookies Sione Fua and Terrell McClain will be forced to play extensively because of injuries on the defensive line, and that can’t be a good thing considering the team’s struggles against the run last year (sixth-best RB matchup).

Knowshon Moreno vs. Oakland – Moreno lighted up last year’s ninth-best running back matchup for 21 fantasy points in Week 7, and he should see plenty of touches with  the run-heavy coach John Fox calling the shots.

Unfavorable

Felix Jones vs. Jets – One of this preseason’s brightest stars faces a stiff Week 1 challenge on the road against the second-worst running back matchup from 2010.

LeGarrette Blount vs. Detroit – Blount’s straight-ahead style and questionable offensive line might not hold up against the Lions’ nasty defensive line.

Mark Ingram vs. Green Bay – Limited carries in a committee with Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles against one of the better run-stopping units in the game (fourth-worst RB matchup in 2010) isn’t a recipe for fantasy success. He’ll probably have to score a touchdown to make him worth the start, something the Packers allowed running backs to do just six times last year.

Ryan Grant vs. New Orleans – He’ll be in a 50-50 timeshare with James Starks against an improved Saints defense.

Favorable/Unfavorable Wide Receiver Matchups

Mario Manningham vs. Washington – The Redskins’ secondary (fifth-best matchup in 2010) struggled to contain Manningham when he was the Giants’ WR1 option in last year’s final regular-season game (4 receptions, 101 yards, 1 touchdown).

DeSean Jackson vs. St. Louis – Last season’s 10th-best WR matchup could have an even tougher time slowing down Jackson on artificial turf.

Santonio Holmes vs. Dallas – Despite the Jets’ preseason struggles in the passing game, Sanchez connected well with Holmes, and that rapport could carry straight into Week 1 if the Dallas secondary hasn’t improved (best WR matchup in 2010).

Kenny Britt vs. Jacksonville – Britt hasn’t seen much preseason action because of a hamstring injury, but it might not matter going up against one of the most generous secondaries in the league (23 fantasy points allowed per game in 2010).

Unfavorable

Percy Harvin vs. San Diego — The Chargers allowed the second-fewest points to receivers last season, and there’s no reason to think this unit won’t be a formidable one again in 2011.

Steve Johnson vs. Kansas City — Johnson should be seeing plenty of the shutdown cornerback Brandon Flowers at Arrowhead on Sunday.

Marques Colston vs. Green Bay — You’ll want to start Colston as long as he’s healthy, but he’ll have his work cut out for him Thursday night as Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson front one of the best secondaries in football.

Dwayne Bowe vs. Buffalo — With his quarterback Matt Cassel nursing bad ribs and the weak Buffalo run defense on deck, the Chiefs could opt to run the ball all day.

Favorable/Unfavorable Tight End Matchups

Favorable

Lance Kendricks vs. Philadelphia – Sam Bradford’s favorite target this preseason gets 2010’s best fantasy tight end matchup.

Jared Cook vs. Jacksonville – The popular sleeper has a good chance at early success; the Jaguars had a hard time stopping tight ends in 2010 (third-best TE matchup).

Unfavorable

Zach Miller vs. San Francisco – The 49ers were the toughest tight end matchup in 2010, and we’re not sure how Miller will be used yet.

Favorable/Unfavorable Defense/Special Teams Matchups

Favorable

Arizona vs. Carolina, Kansas City vs. Buffalo, San Francisco vs. Seattle, Cleveland vs. Cincinnati

Unfavorable

Chicago vs. Atlanta, New Orleans vs. Green Bay, Jets vs. Dallas, Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh

Do you have a start/sit question for Week 1? This season, we will be taking your questions on Twitter rather than in the comments section below. Follow us at @5thDownFantasy.

USC football: Robert Woods ready for an encore

A school-record 17 receptions comes with a cost.

Just ask Robert Woods, USC’s sophomore receiver who caught that many passes from quarterback Matt Barkley in USC’s season-opening victory over Minnesota.

"The day after the game I was feeling a bit sore,” Woods said Wednesday. “That was like three games of catches. Three games of hits.”

Woods knew the ball was coming his way, coaches telling him before the game that he would be on a record pace.

“I would like it to be a habit,” he said. “That was a nice 17 catches.”

In an effort to keep Woods fresh for Saturday’s Pacific 12 Conference opener against Utah, Coach Lane Kiffin is expected to rest Woods during Thursday’s practice.

And Utah is expected to take steps to neutralize a player who scored three touchdowns in the opener.

“When something is working it’s hard not to continue doing it until they take it away from you,” Kiffin said. “I’d imagine that’s going to happen in this game. I’m sure they’re going to look at it and say, ‘Let’s take away Robert and make the other guys prove themselves.’ ”

More later at latimes.com/sports.

RELATED:

Brian Blechen is the everywhere man for Utah

UCLA center Kai Maiava suspended a game for positive marajuana test

Marc Tyler's return creates intrigue at tailback for USC

-- Gary Klein

Photo: USC receiver Robert Woods, center, celebrates with teammates John Martinez, left, and Kevin Graf after scoring a touchdown against Minnesota on Saturday. Credit: Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

NBA owners, players talk, agree to resume negotiations Thursday

The NBA labor talks concluded after 5-1/2 hours Wednesday in New York, and both sides agreed to resume negotiations on Thursday.

No details have emerged yet about Wednesday's session, but the planned back-to-back sessions are the first consecutive days of labor talks since the NBA locked out its players on July 1.

Last week NBA Players Assn. President Derek Fisher said there was a sense of urgency in the talks because the start of training camp is scheduled for Oct. 1, with the regular season set to begin Nov. 1.

Both sides have been deeply divided on how to distribute basketball revenue. Previously, the NBA called for a $2-billion annual salary pool that would shrink last season's $2.15-billion pot based on league claims that 23 of 30 teams lost money during the 2009-10 season. The owners also want to institute a hard salary cap that would deeply reduce the pay of supporting players.

-- Barry Stavro

Photo: NBA Commissioner David Stern in June. Credit: Mary Altaffer / Associated Press.

U.S. Open: Two Wednesday quarterfinals cancelled

Two men's quarterfinals scheduled for Wednesday at the U.S. Open have been officially taken off the schedule.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic against 20th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic, the all-Serbian quarterfinal, which was to be the second match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the match between third-seeded Roger Federer and 11th-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, which was to have been the second night match in Arthur Ashe (after Serena Williams versus Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova), have been cancelled.

After Tuesday's entire slate was rained out, there also hasn't been a match completed yet on Wednesday. Play started at 12:34 p.m. with defending champion Rafael Nadal trailing Gilles Muller, 3-0, 15-0; Andy Roddick leading David Ferrer, 3-1, and Donald Young ahead of Andy Murray, 2-1.

Roddick and Nadal were unhappy about going out at all this morning. A spokesman for the United States Tennis Assn. said weather forecasts had indicated a two-hour, rain-free window but that the mist that never stopped did not show up on radar.

The drying machines are back out in Arthur Ashe Stadium now but the fans waiting in the stands have umbrellas up.

RELATED:

Play suspended again because of rain

Rain-altered U.S. Open schedule takes players out of comfort zone

Serena Williams moves into U.S. Open quarterfinals

-- Diane Pucin, reporting from New York

Photo: Workers try to dry the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Wednesday. Credit: Mike Groll / Associated Press

Ducks remember Ruslan Salei, killed in Russian plane crash

Because of reports that initially suggested Ruslan Salei might not have been on the Russian airliner that crashed near Yaroslav on Wednesday, the Ducks held off on issuing a statement on the tragedy and held out hope the Belarusian defenseman might have taken an earlier flight to Minsk, as was first rumored.

But they received word early Wednesday afternoon through embassy and government sources that Salei was confirmed to be among the victims. Salei, 36, maintained a home in Orange County, where his wife, Bethann, and daughters Alexis, Aleksandra and Ava, reside. Their youngest daughter was just born in  March.

“The Anaheim Ducks organization is shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Ruslan Salei. ‘Rusty’ was a fan favorite and dedicated member of the Orange County community since being drafted by Anaheim in 1996,” the Ducks’ statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers go to his wife and three children, along with all of the other members of the hockey community affected by this horrible tragedy.”

Salei is the club's all-time leader in games played among defensemen (594). He scored one of the most memorable goals in team history, scoring  in overtime to give the club its first win in a Stanley Cup Finals game (a 3-2 victory over New Jersey on May 31, 2003).

Alex Gilchrist, the Ducks’ director of media and communications, said Salei fell in love with Orange County “and it seemed pretty obvious to me and Ducks fans that they loved him back. He became a big part of the community.”

Returning here was part of Salei’s long-term plans, Gilchrist said.

“He was hoping to play another year or two and come back and become part of the alumni organization,” Gilchrist said. “He was one of those guys who would reach out and call every summer just to say hello and see how everyone was doing.

“We were talking about him in the office last week, talking about guys who come over and have trouble adjusting and about guys like Rusty, who just fit in and adjusted so quickly.”

RELATED:

Hockey world reacts to Russian plane crash tragedy

Luc Robitaille remembers former Kings teammate Pavol Demitra

Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei among 43 dead in Russian plane crash

-- Helene Elliott

Top photo: Former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei in 2006. Credit: Jerry Lai / U.S. Presswire. Bottom photo: Ruslan Salei. Credit: Times files

Why England are doing us all a favour by playing so badly

Muddling through: Wayne Rooney is the one shining star in England's indifferent current crop

It’s the hope that kills you with England. In recent years the hope has come from increasingly desperate places. In Euro 2004 it came from a prodigious 18-year-old called Wayne Rooney. He’d score our goals. He’d lead us to glory. He’d tell us what to do.

In 2006 hope became a year younger in the form of 17-year-old Theo Walcott. When it became apparent he was in Germany merely as a tourist, I canned logic and put my faith in meaningless precedents. We couldn’t lose on penalties again, surely? “It’s our time,” I argued. “It’s the law of averages. How can it be that difficult for a team of professionals to win on penalties?” In the quarter finals against Portugal we scored one of our four penalties, David Beckham cried, and we all went home.

Last year things took a truly forlorn turn. With other avenues for optimism destroyed by a sobering failure to qualify for Euro 2008 and by years of painful, repeated evidence of ineptitude, I remember glibly predicting we’d win the World Cup because “we’ve got a very nice kit.”

We had also qualified impressively, but qualifying isn’t proof of anything other than an ability to steer clear of horrible embarrassment. Passing a driving test doesn’t make you Sebastian Vettel, it just demonstrates you can operate at a competent enough level not to run over pedestrians. And maybe do a reverse parking manoeuvre.

A central midfield three of Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and James Milner is very much the reverse park of football: unspectacular, dull and unlikely to impress anyone. But like putting your car neatly between two others, such an uninspiring trio is also necessary sometimes.

Capello’s system is defined by a midfield that stops the opponents from playing and looks to spread the ball wide to create chances. Fine, but what happens against technically superior teams like Germany, Spain, Holland or Italy? Is the solid but resolutely one-footed Stewart Downing likely to unlock their defences under pressure at an international tournament?

It’s a system that does a job in qualifiers, as evidenced by Capello’s good-on-paper record since taking charge, but has an in-built admittance of inferiority which gives England supporters no cause for optimism whatsoever at Po-kraine 2012.

Frankly, this is for the best. There is no way England can match the aforementioned teams with its current crop of players. Wayne Rooney is the only member of the squad who consistently displays the touch, awareness and skill to trouble international sides.

We are a quarter-finals sort of team, and without a remarkable turnaround in footballing ability or a gigantic slice of fortune it’s unlikely we’ll be anything more than that for the next generation.

And yet… there’s always one plucky underdog that unexpectedly goes the distance in the finals. And the last time expectations were as low as they are these days was Italia ’90. Look how that turned out! Glorious defeat, sure. But at least it came one stage later than usual.

There’s that hope again. It’s a circle more vicious than piggy in the middle sessions at Stoke.

Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei among 43 dead in Russian plane crash

Former Kings forward Pavol Demitra and former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei were among 43 people killed when a plane carrying a Russian hockey league team crashed shortly after takeoff on Wednesday, Russian officials have confirmed.

Only two of the 45 people on board the passenger plane carrying members of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv survived after the Yak-42 aircraft slammed into the banks of the Volga River after taking off from an airport in Yaroslav, 150 miles northeast of Moscow. The team was flying to Belarus to play in its season opener against Dinamo Minsk.

Russian player Alexander Galimov and a flight engineer survived and were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Sergei Vakhrukov, the Yaroslavl region governor, told the television network Russia-24.

“Today we lost our favorite team,” he said.

Photos: Russian jet crash

The weather was sunny and clear at the time, officials said. Russian media said the plane struggled to gain altitude and then crashed into a signal tower, shattering into pieces, the Associated Press reported.

Among the dead was Lokomotiv Coach Brad McCrimmon, 52, a former NHL defenseman. He had recently worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings and had signed a contract with Lokomotiv in May.

Telegraph on Oscar Pistorius, the athlete, the man and the myths

Telegraph Paralympics correspondent discusses Oscar Pistorius on the Hawksbee and Jacobs Show on TalkSport.

In the morning, the double amputee sprinter had defended his decision to walk out on a BBC Radio 4 interview after feeling insulted. Yesterday, Pistorius claimed he was "drawing a line" against being "stereotyped".

Pistorius became the first amputee sprinter to win an IAAF World

Championship medal last week in South Korea, in the 4x 400m relay for

South Africa.

He told The Telegraph yesterday: "I've had a great

relationship with the BBC and will continue to have one, but there is

a line.”

He added: “I have always been open to discussing the disadvantages of

someone racing with prosthetic legs, but I also have to draw a line in

my life. This is a career. If someone is criticising my personality, I

have to stand up for myself and what I believe in."

“This is about sport and enjoyment, but I do believe in standing up

for disabled people and the stigmas and stereotypes they have been

subjected to for so many years.”

Hockey world reacts to Russian plane crash tragedy

The plane crash that claimed the lives of at least 43 people, including players and coaches of the Russian hockey league team Locomotiv has stunned the sporting world.

Several former NHLers, including former Kings forward Pavol Demitra and Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei were among the people killed when the team's flight when down shortly after takeoff Wednesday from an airport in Yaroslav, Russia.

Here are some reactions to the tragedy:

“This is the darkest day in the history of our sport. This is not only a Russian tragedy, the Lokomotiv roster included players and coaches from 10 nations. This is a terrible tragedy for the global ice hockey community with so many nationalities involved. Our thoughts and prayers are with family and friends of the victims. Despite the substantial air travel of professional hockey teams, our sport has been spared from tragic traffic accidents. But only until now.”

— International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel

“We will do our best to ensure that hockey in Yaroslavl does not die, and that it continues to live for the people that were on that plane.”

— Russian Ice Hockey Federation president Vladislav Tretyak

“The news about their death has been a shock for us. Jan Marek, Karel Rachunek and Josef Vasicek contributed greatly to the best successes of our ice hockey in the recent years, first of all to the gold medals at the world championships in 2005 and 2010. They were excellent players, but also great friends and personalities. That's how we will remember them.”

— Czech Ice Hockey association president Tomas Kral

U.S. Open: Play suspended again by rain

Ten games of tennis were in the books early Wednesday afternoon before rain again stopped play at the U.S. Open.

In Arthur Ashe Stadium, defending champion Rafael Nadal, seeming cranky and making Gilles Muller wait for six minutes by himself before Nadal joined him for warm-ups, was quickly behind 0-3 when rain started again.

In Louis Armstrong Stadium, 21st-seeded Andy Roddick was up, 3-1, over David Ferrer, and wild-card entry Donald Young led fourth-seeded Andy Murray, 2-1, with players on serve on the Grandstand court.

Both Nadal and Roddick, playing on adjoining courts, took it upon themselves to stop play, telling the chair umpires that the lines were too slippery. An attempt to start drying Arthur Ashe again was abandoned when the rain became heavier.

A fourth-round match between 28th-seeded John Isner and 12th-seeded Gilles Simon has been moved from the second match on the Grandstand court (after Young and Murray) to the first match on Court 17. Nadal vs. Muller, Roddick vs. Ferrer, Young vs. Murray and Isner vs. Simon are all fourth-round matches. The rest of the men and all the women are in to the quarterfinals.

-- Diane Pucin in New York

Luc Robitaille remembers former Kings teammate Pavol Demitra

Pavol Demitra may have played only one season with the Kings, but he left quite an impression on one of the franchise's greatest players.

Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, the Kings president of business operations, recalled his playing days with the three-time NHL All-Star, who reportedly died Wednesday in a plane crash in Russia that claimed the lives of 43 people.

"I'm devastated," Robitaille said. "When he came to us he was going to be one of our top guys and he certainly didn't disappoint as a player. He had the same personality as Ziggy Palffy -- just a fun guy to be around.

"Just happy to play hockey. He loved the game -- that's why he was still playing."

Photos: Russian jet crash

Demitra, signed with the Kings during the 2005 offseason, gave the team a much-needed offensive boost, finishing third in team scoring with 62 points. The 36-year-old last played in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2009-10 season, before signing with Locomotive of the Kontinental Hockey League.

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Former King Pavol Demitra killed in Russian plane crash

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Kings give Drew Doughty options on length of new contract

Ducks' Jonas hiller expects to attend training camp

-- Austin Knoblauch and Lisa Dillman

Photo: Former Kings forward Pavol Demitra celebrates after scoring a goal during a game against the Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 6, 2005. Credit: Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

Former King Pavol Demitra killed in Russian plane crash [Updated]

Pavol Demitra, a former Kings forward and a three-time NHL All-Star, was reportedly among the players killed in Wednesday's crash of a jetliner carrying a Russian hockey team, his agent told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

[Updated, 9:50 a.m. Sept. 7: The Kings issued this  statement Wednesday: "The Los Angeles Kings organization is deeply saddened with the tragic news of this morning’s plane crash in Russia that was carrying the members of the KHL’s Lokomotiv organization, including former Kings forward Pavol Demitra, former Kings prospect Jan Marek and many other members of the NHL family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of those affected by this terrible occurrence."]

The plane, which was carrying members of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv, crashed  on the banks of the Volga River shortly  after departing from an airport in Yaroslav, located 150 miles northeast of Moscow. The team was flying to Belarus to play in its season opener against Dinamo Minsk.

Photos: Russian jet crash

Russian officials say a crew member and Russian player Alexander Galimov are the only survivors. Both are in critical condition.

A Czech Embassy official told the Associated Press that former NHL players Josef Vasicek and Karel Rachunek were among those killed. Latvian officials onfirmed the death of former NHL defenseman Karlis Skrastins.

Locomotiv Coach Brad McCrimmon, a former NHL defenseman who worked as assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings, also died in the crash.

The weather was sunny and clear at the time of the accident, according to an Associated Press report.

Officials did not immediately release the names of all of the players and coaches who were on board, but former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei was among the players listed on the Lokomotiv roster.

U.S. Open: Courts being dried so play can begin

While the heavy rains of Tuesday have turned into an on-and-off mist, play is still suspended at the U.S. Open. Driers are being used at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and that's where the first match will start Wednesday. Ashe, the main stadium, always gets dried first, so expect Gilles Muller against defending champion Rafael Nadal to get the first chance to play.

Nadal, seeded fourth, and Muller, were in the tunnel ready to do pre-match interviews before the mist got worse and the players were told "Not yet.'

But Muller and Nadal have been called back to the court.

The biggest key for the tournament is to get Nadal's half of the men's draw played. It is the only section of the fourth round still to be completed.

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Rain-altered U.S. Open schedule takes players out of comfort zone

Serena Williams moves into U.S. Open quarterfinals

-- Diane Pucin in New York

Photo: A worker dries a U.S. Open logo at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Wednesday. Credit: John G. Mabanglo / EPA

Former King Pavol Demitra reportedly killed in Russian plane crash

Pavol Demitra, a former Kings forward and a three-time NHL All-Star, was reportedly among the players killed in Wednesday's crash of a jetliner carrying a Russian hockey team, his agent told the Toronto Globe and Mail.

The plane, which was carrying members of the Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv, crashed  on the banks of the Volga River shortly  after departing from an airport in Yaroslav, located 150 miles northeast of Moscow. The team was flying to Belarus to play in its season opener against Dinamo Minsk.

Russian officials say a crew member and Russian player Alexander Galimov are the only survivors.

Eleven foreign players reportedly were onboard the jet. A Czech Embassy official said Czech players Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek and Jan Marek were among those killed.

The weather was sunny and clear at the time of the accident, according to an Associated Press report.

Officials did not immediately release the names of all of the players and coaches who were on board, but former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei was among the players listed on the Lokomotiv roster. Former NHL defenseman Brad McCrimmon is listed as the team's head coach.

US Open 2011 Diary: To roof or not to roof at Flushing Meadows?

Flushing Meadows was hit by a day of rain

Tuesday in New York

Lashings of Tropical Storm Lee meant there was no play at all yesterday in New York…

Wimbledon weather

Earthquake, hurricane, plague, and then…torrential rain. Flushing Meadows has not been treated kindly by the weather gods. There was not a ball hit in anger in Queens yesterday as the rain fell from noon till night. There had been rumours of a dry patch between 2 and 4pm in the afternoon, but it was not to be.

So the locker rooms of the Billie Jean King tennis centre took on a distinctly Wimbledon-esque hue, players huddled around their iPads, plugged into their iPods, or, if you're Boris Becker, reminiscing about chess and backgammon.

Thankfully though, the powers that be recognised early on that the deluge wasn't going to stop, and called a halt to the waiting sooner rather than later, allowing players to either get on with indoor practice, gym work, or simply sleeping, rather than worrying about if they'd be getting on court or not.

To roof or not to roof?

The abysmal weather, for the third year running, yet again raises the hydra of whether the USTA should follow the lead of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open (it's on the way, apparently), and build a roof.

For, as picked up on by tennis journalist Simon Cambers, somewhat astonishingly, the USTA's wet weather policy does not even allow for refunds, frankly extraordinary at a tournament that has seen at least a day washed out or interrupted by rain at least once a year for the past three years.

That's an easy fix. What is not so easy, is the roof. Quite why the USTA did not incorporate a roof into the design of the $254 million Arthur Ashe stadium when it was opened in 1997, is as befuddling as why there are no covers for the courts. After all, Rod Laver Arena was built in 1988, and they managed to think about the rain.

The trouble is now, there are all sorts of technical structural reasons why Flushing Meadows is destined to remain roofless for quite some time. Here's why:

1. To put a roof over the 21,500 seats on Ashe would not only be prohibitively expensive, it's also apparently structurally impossible. Without dismantling half of it, that is.

2. To put a smaller, cheaper roof on either Louis Armstrong or Grandstand is possible, but, according to Jon Wertheim, the ground beneath these two stadiums is too soggy to support the construction effort that adding a roof would entail.

3. To build a new court with a roof. Also possible, but would involve tearing down Armstrong and Grandstand to find the space, and, more importantly, where is the money going to come from?

So all in all, it seems like we're stuck with the rain delays, the towels and the mops.

When a joke can go badly wrong

There has been a very mixed reaction to Caroline Wozniacki's re-enactment of Rafael Nadal's painful press conference cramp attack. Some fans reckon it was a perfectly harmless joke, nothing personal, just the bubbly blonde's way of having fun. She was apparently chivvied along by some of the press, and was just messing around.

But others have banged their heads on the table to work out what on earth she was thinking. Imitating someone else's pain is never going to be funny. Surely. Especially Rafa, who 1. was extremely embarrassed about the whole incident, and 2. very definitely does not like being imitated.

Caro later tweeted a sort of apology/clarification: @CaroWozniacki: Had a bit of fun last night b4 my press conference.Hope it was not taken the wrong way. I have the upmost respect and admiration of Rafa!!!!

Fair dos. So…bad move or harmless move? Have a watch of Wozniacki in action, and let us know what you think.

Some indoor tennis to look forward to…

GB captain Leon Smith yesterday announced his squad to face Hungary next week. There are still tickets available!

Coming up this evening

A schedule absolutely chockablock has seen Andy Roddick relegated to Louis Armstrong, and Andy Murray shunted over to Grandstand. Apparently Rafa put up a fight to stay on Ashe.

The weather forecast is one of intermittent drizzle, so expect there to be more than a few stops and starts.

ARTHUR ASHE – Day

Rafael Nadal v Gilles Muller

Novak Djokovic v Janko Tipsarevic

Both foregone conclusions. Maybe?

Night

Serena Williams v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Will Pavs get stage-fright against the big W?

Roger Federer v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

The last two have gone Jo-Willy's way…

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

David Ferrer v Andy Roddick

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Daveeed is absolutely the last player you want to play if you're not feeling physically tip top. It's exhausting just thinking about it. So Roddick needs to be very much on strike if he is going to compete from the baseline.

Sam Stosur v Vera Zvonareva

Just how in the zone is Vera? She took care of Sabine Lisicki in an awesome display, but are the marbles upstairs sufficiently aligned to withstand Stosur's variety, and, crucially, confidence? Plus, it's her birthday.

Caroline Wozniacki v Andrea Petkovic

The wall versus the machine. Could be interesting. Can Petko stay error-free enough to break down Wozza's barriers?

GRANDSTAND

Andy Murray v Donald Young

Delayed for a day, this much-anticipated clash is going to be a) very loud, and b) hopefully nothing like their previous and only meeting in Indian Wells. Muzza is well aware of what makes D-Young tick now, and bar the partisan crowd messing with Murray's concentration, it should not be too much of a bother.

John Isner v Gilles Simon

Little and large? Power v poise? Something like that. How well Simon can get under Isner's skin and force the errors will be vital. But big John has been playing verrry well of late, so it is a big ask.

Anqelique Kerber v Flavia Pennetta

The one no one's quite sure about. Forza Flavia, I'd say.

Also in action

British duo Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins aim to make their first Grand Slam semi-final, while the four British boys aim to keep up their four out of four record. Props to Liam Broady for his wet weather gear.

The daily click

Former world No 1 Dinara Safina is taking hairdressing lessons.

And, more of SI Beyond the Baseline's brilliant photo captions.

Losing Goff, and Losing Hope in Giants?

Sam Borden writes about the latest blow to the Giants’ defense: the season-ending injury to middle linebacker Jonathan Goff.

With the Giants reeling and the Redskins looming, it seems as if the Giants may have little choice, at least in the short term, but to go with the players already in their locker room.

It is a familiar strategy. When the Giants lost wide receiver Steve Smith this past off-season, there was a clamor from fans about what free agents the Giants should target as a replacement. Instead, they went with in-house options like Domenik Hixon and Victor Cruz. When tight end Kevin Boss left for the Oakland Raiders, there was the same uprising but the Giants stuck with the familiar tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum.

The Giants are said to be interested in bringing back Kawika Mitchell for another tour. But relying on young players for the short term may not be as damaging as one might think. Andrew Furman of the Ultimatenyg blog spoke with the former Giants linebacker Carl Banks, who has high hopes for the newcomers Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Mark Herzlich.

Extra point: Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger caught up with the Redskins’ Barry Cofield, who said the Giants haven’t treated some of his former teammates right, including Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, Chase Blackburn, Kevin Boss, Steve Smith and Osi Umenyiora. If you’re a Giants fan, given all the off-season losses and the preseason injuries, are you starting to lose hope before the season has even begun?