first team squad next year. Rennies hiring of some strong

Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:05, Jun 18 2014

SAN FRANCISCO -- A 20-year winless streak and a history of back pain behind him, Jay Don Blake finally feels comfortable on the Champions Tour. Hes playing like it, too. Blake emerged from a pack of contenders and shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Championship. "Its given me quite a bit of confidence, knowing that I feel like I belong and I can win out here," Blake said. "I just think a lot of us want it so bad ... that we probably get in our own way sometimes trying to make things happen instead of just being patient. Thats what Ive tried to do, just be patient with myself." Jay Haas shot a 67 to join Michael Allen (69) and David Frost (69) at 6 under. Loren Roberts was another stroke back after a 65, the best round of the tournament. Rod Spittle (72) of Niagara Falls, Ont., was tied at 16th at 1 over. A day after limping through the final seven holes because of nagging lower back pains, Haas looked fine while moving back into contention. "It doesnt seem to hurt when I swing," Haas said. "Its funny, when Im standing around it bothers me. With the adrenaline, Im able to hit." Charles Schwab Cup points leader Tom Lehman was tied for 16th at 1 over after a 72. Mark Calcavecchia, 382 points behind Lehman, had a 70 that left him tied for sixth at 4 under. He needs to finish at least second to win the season title Fred Couples, tied with Allen for the second-round lead, shot a 74 to drop into a tie for 12th at 1 under. Blake, who went 424 consecutive tournaments without a win until capturing the Songdo IBD Championship in South Korea earlier this season, had five birdies in his bogey-free round at TPC Harding Park. He pulled ahead with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 and finished at 8 under. Not bad for someone who hadnt played this course before and who began the season playing on partial-exemption status while needing to play Monday qualifiers in some of the events. The victory in South Korea in September -- Blakes first on any tour since the PGA Tours 1991 Shearson Lehman Brothers Open -- gave him full status through next year. Blake also is free from the back pain that hindered him earlier in his career and forced him to step away from the PGA tour earlier than he wanted. Though he still has to do stretching exercises before each round to keep his back loose, Blake is making up for lost time playing at Harding for the first time. While Frost and Allen both took sole possession of the lead and then lost it, Blake quietly worked his way up the leaderboard with birdies on Nos. 2, 8 and 9. He got to 7 under with another birdie on 16, then made a 30-foot putt from the fringe on 17. "When I hit it I thought it was going to come about three feet short," Blake said. "I think the spectators in the bleachers cheered it in. They were saying, Roll, roll, roll." Haas also closed strong to get back in contention. The U.S. Presidents Cup assistant captain had three birdies on the front, bogeyed No. 11 then birdied the final two holes. Frost and Allen stayed within range of the leaders despite both struggling down the stretch with two bogeys apiece over the final six holes. Allen was at 7 under until his bogey at par-4 18th dropped him back. "Definitely a cooler, difficult day," Allen said. "Im struggling to hit the ball. Im not quite on my game right now." Roberts, the points champion in 2007 and 09, had seven birdies and a bogey after going 1 over through the first two round. Couples dropped well off the pace after double bogeys on 12 and 18. He also had a bogey on No. 8, a par 3. Earlier, Couples and Calcavecchia were greeted on the first tee by Hall of Fame baseball great Willie Mays. Mays laughed with the two players and joked with their caddies while fans looked on. This isnt the first time Couples and Mays have talked, either. The two first met at the Presidents Cup here in 2009, and earlier this week Couples fondly recalled spending two hours then with Mays. cheap nfl jerseys . Louis. "The truth of the matter is if you take two out of three from those clubs, its a huge difference," he said. "But you have to take them. cheap nfl jerseys usa .C. -- Defenceman Jamie McBain has signed a new two-year contract with Carolina Hurricanes worth US$3. http://www.nfljerseysusamr.com/. His pinpoint passes went for naught. The defence that helped the franchise win it all in 2008 was missing. Needing a big play in the final seconds, the best option Rondo could come up with was himself. Rondo returned from a knee injury and missed a 3-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime, sending the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-104 victory on Friday night. cheap jerseys from china . -- The Washington Capitals awaited word Monday on the severity of Brooks Laichs left knee injury, a setback that comes at a crucial time in the teams hopes for a fifth straight Southeast Division title. cheap jerseys . Yet the vicious sack by San Franciscos Ahmad Brooks also drew a flag that cancelled out Brees lost fumble with 3:12 left and gave the Saints prolific quarterback one chance too many.Vancouver Whitecaps confirmed the departure of head coach Martin Rennie on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after his second season in charge ended with the club sitting seventh in Major League Soccers Western Conference, three points outside the playoff places. In the weeks leading up to the end of the season, speculation was rife that the Scotsman would be replaced so the news comes as no surprise. Its a move that may even have happened if the Whitecaps had managed to sneak into the playoffs. Rennie has trumpeted his teams achievements loudly in recent weeks. This year, they set the clubs highest ever MLS points total, scored the most goals, won the Cascadia Cup against their rivals Seattle and Portland, and beat the Sounders, LA and New York for the first time in MLS. Brazilian sensation Camilo secured the leagues Golden Boot and the club won the MLS Player of the Week award a league high seven times. There was plenty to shout about, and on a number of occasions at BC Place this season, they played some scintillating soccer to entertain and engage the fan-base. However, those achievements mean very little without reaching the two main goals of making the playoffs and winning the Canadian Championship. The Whitecaps came close to both, but close wasnt good enough for Rennie to keep his job. Its true that the club has made progress in each of the seasons Rennie was in charge, but this year, that progress just wasnt big enough to keep up with the teams around them. The fact is, in an extremely competitive Western Conference, the Whitecaps slipped back. Their progress was much smaller than other teams such as Portland and Colorado, who took big strides forward. Its not just about the seasons record. There were other issues at play. Rennies team selections often provoked much discussion, including his desire to play Japanese defensive midfielder Jun Marques Davidson, especially at home. There was the regression of 2012 number 2 draft pick Darren Mattocks, the lack of playing time down the stretch for youngster Gershon Koffie and teenager Kekuta Mannehs thunderous impact when finally handed starts late in the season. Also at times, the Whitecaps looked as though they were trying to fit square pegs in round holes, until they finally switched to a 4-4-2 diamond midfield system late in the year. The fact the Caps lost their captain and highest paid defender Jay DeMerit just seven minutes into the new season, and were without their DP striker Kenny Miller for long sttretches due to injury clearly didnt help.dddddddddddd The Whitecaps never really had a settled side because of injuries and also the coachs choice. Did Rennie know what his best 11 was and the best way to utilize them? It seemed he was still trying to figure that out late in the year. Of course, with any team and any coach anywhere in the world, there are bound to be questions about player selections and formations, but theres little doubt these questions played into the mind of those making the decision. Although Whitecaps ownership has decided to go in a different direction, Rennie still deserves much credit for what he has achieved during his time in Vancouver. He leaves the Whitecaps in a much better position than when he arrived at the club following a dismal expansion season. Over the last couple of years, they have established themselves as an MLS club, assembled a much stronger squad and made the playoffs for the first time in 2012 after turning around one of the worst teams in the league. The Whitecaps are still missing a couple of key pieces that will need to be found in the off-season, but they have a young, dynamic squad that can be a contender for the foreseeable future. Players like Camilo, Gershon Koffie, Kekuta Manneh and Russell Teibert have the potential to be big stars in Major League Soccer, and there are more coming through the Whitecaps pipeline with the likes of Sam Adekugbe ready to step into the first team squad next year. Rennies hiring of some strong assistant coaches, Paul Ritchie, Carl Robinson and Jake DeClute assisted the development of many of the clubs younger players. They were all very shrewd hires by a thoughtful, intelligent head coach. So what now? I think starting completely from scratch would be a massive mistake. There is some momentum. The Whitecaps arent too far off with the squad they have had assembled, so whoever takes charge should be willing to add to what is already in place rather that start again and try to do things a different way. All indications are that former Canadian National Team coach Frank Yallop has already been lined up to take charge. He is available and seems the obvious choice. Hes from Vancouver and has plenty of experience in MLS, is a two-time MLS Coach of the Year and won the Supporters Shield with San Jose Earthquakes a year ago. If Yallop retains current assistant coach Carl Robinson, it would allow the club to keep some consistency while adding experience to its ranks. ' ' '