Sports

Inside the NL | Mets set sights on NL East division title hoping to avoid another September collapse

    The following events are all possible signs that you're not having a very good September:     Your shortstop, already a two-time All-Star at age 24, hits .205/.279/.333 for the month. And to boot, he's caught stealing in four of nine attempts. Your pitching rotation, one of the league's best, manages an ERA of 5.51.     The 41-year-old ace of said rotation, a virtual Cooperstown lock, goes winless in his last four starts by allowing 19 runs (all earned, of course) in 18 innings. Your team, on paper the best in the National League, loses six of its final seven games, all at home, against a motley mix of the barely .500 and the absolutely awful.     Alone, any of these occurrences can be troubling. But together, they are more than the sum of their parts — they comprise quite possibly the worst collapse in the history of the National League. Such was the story of the 2007 New York Mets.     A year later, everyone in Queens is now well aware that absolutely no lead is safe. And with this year's Mets finding themselves, just as they did a year ago, neck-and-neck with the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East race, there will be no room for error this September.     The Mets have plenty to worry about this time around. Their closer, Billy Wagner, has a torn MCL and is out for the rest of this season and likely all of the next. One of their promising young arms, John Maine, is on the DL with bone spurs in his pitching shoulder. One of their best veteran arms, Pedro Martinez, is perfectly healthy but is starting to pitch like a 36-year-old.     Note: He is one.     All of that said, the Mets are still clear favorites to win the National League East. And one would be hard-pressed not to believe it after the events of this past week, as the Mets won four of six against two playoff contenders, the Phillies and the wild card-hunting Milwaukee Brewers.     The hard part is over. This week the Mets kick off a 12-game stretch against the division's two bottom-feeders: six games with the bad Atlanta Braves and six with the even worse Washington Nationals, giving New York ample opportunity to pad its lead. Johan Santana is the game's greatest second-half pitcher, and the Mets will no doubt get a boost from the 9.92 strikeouts per nine he's averaged in 44 career September games.     If Johan can be Johan, Oliver Perez and Mike Pelfrey can continue their strong second halves and 21-year-old rookie finesse pitcher Jonathon Niese turns out to be the real deal, then the Mets' starting pitching should be fine. And none of that seems like too much to ask. A repeat of the rotation's 2007 meltdown seems virtually impossible.     The offense, one of only two in the NL — after the Chicago Cubs — to pound out 700 runs already this season, is a non-issue. That leaves the bullpen as the Mets' only area of concern. With Wagner out of commission, the closer role falls to Aaron Heilman, a serviceable middle reliever whose walk rate has taken an alarming hike this season, especially over the last two months.     After Heilman, the Mets are filling innings six through eight with a strange cast of characters. Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Smith have been two fairly solid bullpen arms this season, while Pedro Feliciano and Duaner Sanchez have been decent but unreliable. The bullpen is capable, but the Mets can afford few slip-ups if the Phillies get hot in the coming weeks.     The Mets hold their fate in their own hands for these final three weeks. If they can pad their lead against the Braves and Nats now, they'll be well in front for that final week.     And once again, they'll need only to survive the Florida Marlins to seal the division crown. They've been in that position before.

Women's Soccer Preview | Whiting welcomes eight freshmen to roster after departure of seven starters

    The women's soccer team is arguably one of the most established and successful programs at Tufts: The team has posted 13 consecutive winning seasons and has only two losing records to show for 29 years of competition, it has made the NESCAC tournament for eight straight years and has drawn five invitations to compete at NCAAs and it is coming off a 13-3-2 season in which it has competed in both the NESCAC Championship game and the NCAA Tournament (and was defeated in both by penalty kicks).     And yet, with its history of excellence, this will nevertheless be a trying year for coach Martha Whiting and her Jumbos. While the tradition of success is inherent to the Tufts name, the roster will be very different.     Not only did the team graduate seven starting seniors — something that would severely damage any program — but those seniors were part of arguably the most successful and prolific class in Tufts' history. The group's accomplishments included over 40 wins in four years, a .750 winning percentage against conference opponents and two trips to the NCAA tournament, highlighted by a run to the final four in 2005.     "They were very impressive, especially in the NESCAC," Whiting said. "Over the course of four years, this could've been the most successful group that we've had in terms of wins and losses."     "They were the center of the team for the past few years," junior tri-captain Cara Cadigan said. "We'll definitely need to work hard to fill a lot of their positions."     The group featured forward Lauren Fedore (LA '08), midfielders Rebecca Abbott (E '08) and Martha Furtek (LA '08) and defenders Annie Benedict (LA '08), Julia Brown (LA '08), Joelle Emery (LA '08) and Jessie Wagner (LA '08).     Furtek and Benedict made an impact early on in their careers, garnering All-NESCAC second-team honors. The next year, Wagner and Brown transferred to Tufts, while Furtek improved to All-NESCAC first team status and Emery emerged as All-NESCAC second team. That was the year that the team made its NCAA run, coming back against regional juggernaut Wheaton in the Sweet Sixteen and clinching a penalty-kick victory over Oneonta State in the Elite Eight, all before falling to the College of New Jersey in the NCAA Final Four.     "They were a significant part of the team," Whiting said. "Most of them were on the field almost 90 minutes of every game. So you figure half the kids on the field at any one time were those girls.     "I think that's a really hard thing to do," she continued. "To advance that far in a sport where there are potentially 400 Div. III teams. The fact that they went that far was phenomenal."     Over four years at Tufts, Benedict earned three All-NESCAC second team selections, while Furtek earned three first-team nods and was named an All-American in 2007.     Now, in the wake of their graduation, Tufts is left with a clear and sizable void. The Jumbos will have to make up for that production from somewhere, which is part of the reason that there are eight freshmen on the squad this season.     "[The freshmen are] very versatile," junior tri-captain Whitney Hardy said. "Regionally, they come from all over the country. Their styles of play are all very different, which makes the team better because we're playing against different styles of play every day."     "The new class is one of the most talented that we've had in a while," Whiting said. "They could potentially rival last year's senior class, which is exciting. Still, they're inexperienced, and it'll take a while for them to get their feet wet."     That's why Tufts will be relying mostly on team veterans to pick up the slack, at least for this year.     "We have a returning group that is very experienced," Whiting said. "I think we're only starting one freshman at the outset, which is impressive considering how many seniors we graduated. I'm very excited about the group we have."     The biggest question mark for the Jumbos will be on defense where the team will be starting four new players. Freshman Cleo Hirsch, sophomores Audrey Almy, Carrie Wilson and Bailey Morgan, a transfer student who won Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference newcomer of the year for Rhodes College last season, will be crucial to the Jumbos' success this year.     "They need to get a game under their belt to get confidence," Whiting said. "But they're good players, good athletes, and they understand the game. I have extreme faith in them and know that the more they play together the better they'll get."     "They're learning to work together as a unit," junior goalkeeper Kate Minnehan said. "They just need to become more familiar with each other, and once they learn that they'll be successful."

Final cut: Federer, Murray will square off today for US Open title

    While many in the tennis world found themselves looking forward to another installment of the rivalry between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland, this time on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows, N.Y., Scotsman Andy Murray had different plans.     After four sets of play against the world's best and the US Open's top seed in Nadal, No. 6 Murray emerged victorious 6-2, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 to propel himself into his first career major final, where he will take on the second-seeded Federer. The Swiss, who at age 27 remains on the hunt for an elusive 13th Grand Slam, is more than comfortable at the Open, having won the last four titles at Flushing Meadows.     Murray, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the tennis scene. At 21 years old, the Scotsman has climbed the rankings the last couple of years to peak at No. 6 at this year's US Open. Before today he had advanced only once to as far as the quarterfinals at a major event, which occurred at this year's Wimbledon when he lost in straight sets to Nadal. Indeed, the Spaniard had been 3-0 against the Scotsman this year, giving Murray a measure of revenge in yesterday's contest.     While one shouldn't downplay the undeniable momentum Murray has right now as a young gun in his first Grand Slam final and hunger for a major trophy, Federer will not roll over easily. Having lost in two major finals already this year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, both to Nadal, a defeat today would make this Federer's first year without picking up a major title since 2002.     Federer's champion's edge and his will to win in Grand Slam finals, especially when Nadal is not standing on the other side of the net, will prove to be difficult obstacles for Murray to overcome. That said it's important to note that Murray is 2-1 for his career against Federer in past matches, all of which took place on hard court, including a three-set win in the round of 32 at a hard court tournament in Dubai earlier this season.     It has also been an uncharacteristic off-year for the Swiss, who picked up only two ATP titles this season and is 0-for-3 in his 2008 quest for major title No. 13. Murray on the other hand has three hard court titles to his name this season, including a victory at the ATP Masters Series in Cincinnati, while today's match serves as the first hard court final for Federer this season.     In the end, though, the US Open is nothing less than Federer's stomping ground; the last player not named Federer to win there was American Andy Roddick in 2003, and the Swiss has since racked up 33 straight match wins at Flushing Meadows to bring him to today's finals. And with Nadal gone, the Swiss will likely be more at ease mentally.     The Fed Express will also undoubtedly benefit from an extra day's rest: while Federer managed to complete his four set win over No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia Saturday afternoon, Murray and Nadal had to stop play in the middle of their match, which they concluded yesterday with the Scotsman's eventual victory.     Murray's and Nadal's semifinal match commenced Saturday where Murray raced to a two-set lead after capitalizing on a sluggish start from Nadal. Inclement weather forced a delay to Sunday afternoon, but not before the Spaniard took a 3-2 third-set lead. Nadal went on to win that set but couldn't do more, as Murray outplayed him to win the fourth 6-4.     Semifinal play on Saturday also saw Federer exact vengeance over Djokovic after the young Serb downed Federer in straight sets last January in the semifinals of 2008's first major event, the Australian Open, which Djokovic would later go on to win. Djokovic also made a run to the US Open finals last year, but Federer bested him there with a three-set win to give the Swiss his 12th major victory.

Men's Soccer | Tufts captures season opener

    For the first time in three years, the men's soccer team is undefeated.     The Jumbos got things started on a high note Saturday afternoon, opening their season with a 2-0 victory over the Gordon College Fighting Scots and erasing disappointing memories from the last two seasons.     The contest marked Tufts' first victory in a season opener since 2005 and gives the team the early-season momentum it sorely lacked last fall.     "It was clearly awesome to get a win," junior tri-captain Bear Duker said. "We're a young team, so it was huge to win our first game, which we haven't done the past two years. It sets a good tone."     The Jumbos came out strong from the start, pressuring Gordon early and gaining the lead on a goal from junior forward Dan Schoening in the 25th minute. The first of Schoening's career, the goal came courtesy of sophomore forward Naji Muakkassa, who fed Schoening with a pass through the Fighting Scot defense.     "It was a perfect ball from Naji into tons of space," Schoening said.     Gordon pressured the Tufts defense, but the Jumbos were up to the challenge. Senior tri-captain Dave McKeon made four saves in goal to earn the fifth shutout of his career.     "The defense really won the game for us," Schoening said. "Dave had a huge game. He made a big save at the end, which was probably the defining moment of the game."     With Tufts clinging to a 1-0 lead, Gordon junior forward Joel Spruance had a clear shot on goal but was thwarted by a diving save from McKeon in the 87th minute.     "[Spruance] was about 10 or 12 yards out," McKeon said. "He turned around and shot at the near post, and I dove to my right. It was my only real test of the day because the defense did a good job."     "It was a great save," Duker said. "We might have lost without it; Dave and the defense deserve a lot of credit."     The game remained 1-0 until the final minute, when sophomore forward Mike Fitzgerald found the back of the net with a game-clinching goal, also the first of his career.     The match had been rescheduled from the evening to the afternoon in order to elude the worst of the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna; still there was no avoiding Saturday's torrential downpours.     "The weather was ridiculous," Schoening said. "It was almost surreal playing in rain that heavy — kind of like playing in a shower. I think it pumped us all up. When the conditions are wet, you have to be smarter with how you move the ball because it's moving quicker."     "Soccer players love playing in crappy weather," Duker said. "Sometimes the rain brings out the second sense, and we played with a lot of heart and passion [Saturday]. Everybody really stepped up."     The team has benefited from opening the season with a non-conference game rather than delving right into its conference schedule, McKeon said.     "This is my fourth year, and in the three previous years we've started by playing Colby and jumped right into NESCAC play," he said. "Having some time to get ready for Colby is a huge plus."     Next on the horizon for Tufts is another road contest tomorrow against non-conference foe Southern Maine. With a win under its belt, the team appears to have established itself as a confident and cohesive unit.     "I think this game demonstrated how much heart this team has," Schoening said. "We're a close team and we enjoy being together, which is hopefully something that can carry us through the season."

Field Hockey | Decimation: Jumbos score record 10 goals on Wesleyan

    The field hockey team opened its season with an offensive performance that would have humbled even last season's record-setting squad.     Behind hat tricks from sophomore forward Tamara Brown and junior forward Michelle Kelly, the national No. 16 Jumbos kicked off the fall in style, walloping NESCAC rival Wesleyan 10-1 at Bello Field Saturday. Fresh off a season that saw it tally a school-record 52 goals, Tufts rewrote another part of its record book over the weekend, besting the program's 25-year-old mark for goals in a game.     "We couldn't have asked for a better game than we got today," senior tri-captain Tess Jasinski said. "I'm absolutely thrilled right now. It's just a great way to start the season off, and I hope it'll launch us ahead with confidence for the rest of the season."     A team that enjoyed tremendous success last year, including its first-ever victory in an NCAA Tournament game, wanted no letdowns to begin 2008. In a season full of high hopes, the team was glad to get off to a running start.     "Now, we have the reputation of being a solid team that can compete with anyone," coach Tina McDavitt said. "That's great, and it's awesome to be recognized, but you still have to go out there and earn it every day. You've got to go out there and get the win. Today was a great game. … I'm excited to take it one game at a time and try to build off our success."     While 12 of the Jumbos' last 20 meetings with the Cardinals had been decided by one goal, there was no doubt which team was in command of this contest. Tufts needed just 58 seconds to grab the lead, and from there the rout was on. The Jumbos scored seven times in the first period alone — they had never scored more than six goals in an entire game in McDavitt's four previous seasons at the helm — on their way to a 7-1 halftime advantage.     Brown led the charge early, requiring just 8:23 to notch Tufts' first three scores and earn her first career hat trick. In her first game since tearing her ACL last October, Brown didn't need much time to regain the form that characterized her rookie season, in which she tallied 11 points in 13 games.     "I have just been so impressed with [Brown's] work ethic," McDavitt said. "Right after she tore her ACL, she was ready to rehab and get right back in there. She was so excited to be playing and to be back on the field. She has been working her butt off, so it was awesome for her to get in there and set the tone early."     After assisting on Brown's first goal, Kelly accounted for all three of Tufts' second-half tallies, marking the first time two Jumbos have scored hat tricks in the same game. With seven points on the afternoon, Kelly moved into the top 10 of the program's all-time scoring list.     "She's really fast, and she always gets to where she's supposed to be," senior tri-captain Marlee Kutcher said. "She's been scoring since she was a freshman, and it's really great to see her come out strong like that again."     Brown and Kelly's scores were sandwiched around goals from senior tri-captain Brittany Holiday, junior midfielder Margi Scholtes, junior forward Amanda Russo and sophomore midfielder Irene Lewnard. For a team that graduated its single-season scoring leader, Ileana Casellas-Katz (LA '08), the balanced attack was a welcome sign.     "Last year … we definitely looked to Ileana a lot," Kutcher said. "But this year, we have no star players, and we just work together really well. All our forwards and all of our subs do a great job of stepping it up, working together and just getting involved."     "I think it shows that we have a lot of depth," McDavitt said. "It was very difficult putting together our starting lineup for [Saturday] because we have so many good players. We have six players who can play on the forward line and who can contribute and do a great job. It was great to let everyone get in and let everyone get their turn."     Each healthy player on the Jumbos' roster saw game action, including all eight freshmen. In their collegiate debuts, first-years Claire Kemp and Bri Cilley notched an assist apiece.     Tufts will next take the field Wednesday afternoon, when it hosts regional foe Wellesley at Bello Field. The Blue have gone just 3-6 against NESCAC opponents over the past two seasons, but two of those victories have been over the Jumbos. Tufts hopes it can reverse its recent fortunes against Wellesley and jump to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2004.     "It's going to be really important that we go out and we just play our game," McDavitt said. "They're a great team, and they go after us, but some of the reasons we've lost is that we haven't capitalized on our corners, or we haven't finished, or they've gotten down to our end and gotten a goal that we should have stopped defensively. As long as we play our game, I think we should be in good shape."     "I don't think us seniors have been more fired up for a game in a long time," Kutcher said.

Women's Cross Country | McNamara follows in O'Brien's footsteps at Trinity Invite

    For the second consecutive year, a member of the women's cross country team ran away with the win at the annual Trinity Invitational. And for the second consecutive year, she did it in 16:31.     As last year's senior tri-captain Katy O'Brien (E '08) did before her, sophomore Stephanie McNamara led the Jumbos on Saturday with a first-place showing in the 2008 season opener.     "[Coach Kristen Morwick] just told me to go out with the leaders," McNamara said. "I had to kind of figure out who was there from different teams. She said to go out nice and easy in the first mile and then see where you're at and how you feel and kind of work the next mile-and-a-half and go for the win."     McNamara, whose time was 21 seconds faster than that of second-place finisher sophomore Lyra Clark of UMass Lowell, was followed by classmate Amy Wilfert, who was second for the Jumbos and fourth overall with a 17:04 clip.     "[Wilfert's] freshman year is behind her, and the nerves and adjustment to [college running] that goes with that are gone," senior tri-captain Betsy Aronson said. "She had a strong summer of training … and she's been able to put in consistent mileage, so she's really starting to break out into following Steph and being up there in a No. 2 spot. She's really matured as a runner in the last year."     The Jumbos also took home the team title, tallying 45 points on the hilly Wickham Park course. Tufts dominated the meet, with second-place Stonehill finishing at a distant 95-point mark. Each of the Jumbo runners placed within the top 16, with freshman Anya Price in 12th, clocking a 17:38, and senior Amy Hopkins and junior Lisa Picascia taking 15th and 16th, respectively.     "It was a good meet – better than last year," McNamara said. "There was much better competition and more teams that came, so it was a little bit more indicative of what we can do in the middle of the season. Last year we scored seven of the top 10 at Trinity; that's great, but it doesn't really say much if you don't have competition."     Freshman Bryn Kass also joined Price in the Jumbos' top seven in what was part of a solid racing debut for the freshman class.     "The freshmen ran really well," Aronson said. "They tend to get a lot of nerves in the first meet. We had two freshmen in the top seven and the rest ran really good, confident races. We were happy with the way it worked out."     Tufts' overall score was helped by a pack-running strategy, something the team struggled with during last year's season.     "We were pretty close together with our top runners, which is good for us," Aronson said. "We tend to have front-runners, so we were happy that we had a lot of packs."     Like the other meets that precede championship season, while the Jumbos were happy with their performance, they viewed the meet more as an opportunity to assess themselves and prepare for later meets more than anything else. Consistent with that focus, the meet featured a 4,000-meter run, shorter than the traditional 6k course.     "It's nice to go into the season running a shorter race," McNamara said. "We'll be running a 5k next weekend and the course is pretty hilly, so it was good to try something a little shorter, especially for some of the freshmen who had never had a collegiate race. It was good practice — they have one meet under their belt, and now we're just going to move forward."     The Jumbos will now look ahead to next weekend, when they host the only home meet of their season at their hilly home course in Grafton, Mass., where Tufts University Veterinary School is located.     "Grafton is a very tough course, but seeing as we came off a relatively good hill workout [at Trinity], we'll keep working on what we've been doing," McNamara said. "It's just getting more mileage under your belt at the right pace — basically what the beginning of the season is all about."

Men's Cross Country | Faller grabs fourth individually to lead team in first race of the fall

    The men's cross country team started the year off on a positive note over the weekend, as the team notched a fourth-place finish out of 11 teams at the Trinity Invitational Saturday.     Although it marked just the first race of the cross country season, the meet did carry some significance as runners look to get back into competition and evaluate what they need to work on for the rest of the season.     "There's always things to work on after the first meet of the year," junior co-captain Nick Welch said. "But after that first race, everyone feels a little better, so it was a good start to the season overall."     The host Bantams performed well on their course, as they took first, second and fifth places individually to earn 51 points. However, UMass Lowell showed its depth by taking the eighth through 12th places, earning 50 points to barely edge out Trinity for first place. Keene State took third with 67 points, while Tufts (80) and Stonehill (85) rounded out the top five.     Junior Jesse Faller led the Jumbos with a fourth-place finish, coming in 20 seconds behind the leader, Bantam senior Michael Burnstein, at 16:41.     "It's the first competitive meet of the season, so it's kind of a gauge meet," Faller said. "I was happy with my race; this was a good meet to come back to competition."     The Jumbos also benefited from a solid performance on the part of Welch, who clocked in at 16:55 to finish 15th.     "I was pleased overall, but it certainly leaves me feeling like there are things to be done, worked on, improved on," Welch said. "It shows that everything's not perfect on day one, but you keep working at it. It was a fine start but it shows that I and the team have a ways to go before we get to were we want to be."     With the graduation of senior captains Dave Sorensen (E '08) and Chris Kantos (E '08) last year, the Jumbos will be counting on strong performances from both Faller and Welch throughout the year. Additionally, they will continue to look for younger racers to step up and fill out the remainder of the scoring positions. After Saturday's race, it looked like the squad's depth wouldn't be much of a concern, as sophomores Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot and Jeff Ragazzini finished 17th and 18th, respectively.     "They both ran awesome races," Welch said. "Honestly, for me to turn around at the finish and see both of them so close rounding out our top four was very encouraging. I think we're already starting to see the sort of jump that we hoped they would make after freshman year. It was very encouraging to see both of them run like they did."     "Obviously I was very proud of them today for the way that they ran," Faller added. "They both ran very tough races ... and I think it shows that they're ready to be on the varsity team. It bodes well for the future that we have a couple sophomores placing well and stepping up to the varsity seven."     Junior Ryan Lena rounded out the scorers for Tufts, coming in at 26th with a time of 17:15.     Now the Jumbos look ahead to the Tufts Invitational, their only home meet of the year, Saturday at the university's Veterinary School campus in Grafton, Mass. While racing well on the team's home course remains an important goal, it still serves as an early meet that is part of a longer-term goal for the season.     "On some level, it has importance for us as our home meet, and we never want to not represent our program, and our home course, well," Welch said. "On the other hand, like Trinity, [and] like many of these first meets in September, it's another developmental meet. It's still a chance for freshmen to get a race under their belt and get more used to the style of collegiate cross country. Grafton is a tough course, so it should be a challenging race, but I think it'll be a good day."

Athletes of the Week

Tamara Brown, Field Hockey

Weak at the knees: Brady's season feared over after Pats' Week 1 win

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered what has been called a season-ending knee injury during New England's Week 1 victory over Kansas City yesterday. Brady crumpled to the Gillette Stadium turf when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard grabbed the reigning NFL MVP by the leg as he was completing a pass to Randy Moss in the first quarter. The 31-year-old veteran, coming off a season in which he threw a record 50 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, has started the last 128 regular season games under center for the Pats.

Field Hockey Preview | Field hockey team geared to stick to winning ways in 2008

    Like many of the engineers that scale the Hill, the field hockey team has learned an important lesson: building a good foundation is often the best way to create a strong and reliable finished product.     While success has not entirely  eluded the Jumbos over the past decade, coach Tina McDavitt's arrival in June 2004 provided a warmly welcomed boost of coaching prowess.     The squad has posted a 42-23 record in her four  years  at  the  helm, and despite an average 8-7 mark in 2005, the team has played exceptionally well of late, tallying an impressive 24-10 record over the past two seasons.     Last year, McDavitt took her Jumbos all the way to a No. 15 national ranking by season's end and guided the team to its first NCAA tournament win in program history.     The key to the Jumbos' recent success is due in part to a shifted recruiting focus that pinpoints high school juniors and seniors who lead their team on the field as well as in the classroom.     "I am trying to find [Div. I] recruits who want to come to Tufts for more than just the field hockey," McDavitt said. "I want to find players who value their education as much as their athletics so that they will be able to perform well mentally on the field and contribute to our culture of success, as well as explore what Tufts has to offer academically."     "I think that [McDavitt] looks for girls who obviously have great field hockey talent but who also are very smart and perform well in the classroom," junior forward Michelle Kelly said.     And in a game as mental as field hockey, it's no wonder McDavitt looks for school-savvy players to give her team a competitive edge.     "Smart players integrate much faster into the team's chemistry, and thus they are much more able to contribute quickly to the team's successes on the field," Kelly said.     "[McDavitt] wants girls who are mentally ready to play field hockey in college," junior midfielder Margi Scholtes said. "Recruits who are capable of playing a sport well and functioning at that same level in the classroom will be naturally more apt to succeed on game day."     During the recruiting process, McDavitt also places an emphasis on players who have won state championships or competed with well-respected high school programs.     "I'm focused on players who come from winning programs because those players are built with a certain mentality that you need to win," she said. "The transition from high school to the college game is much easier for them and allows them to contribute faster for us."     McDavitt came through once again with last year's freshman class, led by forward/midfielder Tamara Brown, who finished fourth on the team in total points in 2007 even though a torn ACL cut short her season, midfielder Jess Perkins and defender Amanda Roberts. The squad will count on the three of them for increased contributions during their sophomore years.     "Those are three very smart players who were naturally ready and able to contribute to our team during their freshman year," Kelly said. "Jess and Amanda are solid defenders who use their smarts to have a great field vision. Tamara is more of an offensive player with an awesome sense for our offensive sets."        Part of the team's recent success is due to McDavitt's coaching style, which demands hard work and focus to succeed, while also encouraging her players to have fun.  "She wants us to always be serious on the field, yet she looks for girls who will contribute positively to the team's culture as a whole," Scholtes said. "If a girl will contribute more to the team's success through her teamwork skills and ability to be a part of the team's culture, then she might take that girl over a slightly more talented one."     McDavitt's newest recruiting class, consisting of eight Jumbo freshmen, will get its first look at competition on Saturday when Tufts hosts the Wesleyan Cardinals in its season opener.

Men's Soccer Preview | Jumbos have their eyes fixed on first opening-day win since 2005

    The 2007 men's soccer team, a veteran squad loaded with eight seniors, entered last season with the expectation of earning a spot in the NESCAC playoffs and taking its rightful place among the conference elite. But after a slow start, the team was never able to fully recover, and its hope of a playoff berth was dashed on the final day of the regular season when it suffered an overtime defeat at the hands of Conn. College.     With the new season opening against Gordon College on Saturday, the 2008 Jumbos are approaching this season with fresh optimism. Although this year's squad has less experience, its strengths have become evident during the preseason.     "One of our main strengths is speed," senior tri-captain Peter DeGregorio said. "Speed and commitment. Last year we didn't perform as well as we can, so our goal this year is to focus game by game and play as well as we can each time."     "I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with our speed, both individually and in terms of our ability to move the ball," sophomore forward Alex Lach added.     While last year's roster was heavy on freshmen and seniors, this year's squad presents a more cohesive unit.     "It's been a lot different," Lach said. "This year we have a lot of sophomores and juniors. Being closer in age, there's been less of a hierarchy and no real cliques on the team."     Indeed, that sense of togetherness and unity off the field is already paying dividends on the field, where the defensive line, a group that recorded five shutouts in 2007, has been particularly impressive.     "In our five scrimmages so far, the defense has been working well together," Lach said. "They've been covering for each other and communicating really well."     The relative youth and inexperience, coupled with the departure of the graduated seniors, has also intensified early season practices as the Jumbos nail down their starting lineup.     "We're not very, very young, but we're inexperienced playing at the college level," DeGregorio said. "So our practices have been very competitive so far because everyone is fighting for spots. That's been a positive because the practices have been very productive."     Another change from last season can be found in the team's schedule, which opens with games against Gordon and Southern Maine. While the team has a penchant for slow starts — the Jumbos were winless in their first five games in each of the past two seasons — these non-conference contests might help ease the Jumbos into the season before they take the field against NESCAC opponents.     "It really helps to have these two games before our first league game so we can work things out," DeGregorio said. "Our league is so competitive that every game is hard, so to have a couple wins under our belt would give us some momentum heading into our first league game."     Despite the graduation of senior tri-captain Greg O'Connell (LA '08), who led the team last year with five goals scored and 11 points, the Jumbos have retained a solid core of firepower upfront this year. DeGregorio, sophomore Naji Muakkassa, juniors Dan Schoening and Bear Duker, and Lach — who tallied nine points in just nine games during his rookie campaign — were all standout contributors offensively last year.     Still, Tufts will need to improve its goal-scoring output in order to make a playoff run. The team ranked eighth in assists and second-to-last in goals scored in the NESCAC last season. Coach Ralph Ferrigno is emphasizing the importance of possession.     "We're working on a more controlled style of play [and] trying not to turn the ball over," Lach said.     Key games awaiting the Jumbos later this season include matchups with league rivals Middlebury and Amherst. In addition, the Jumbos are looking forward to their rematch with Conn. College, who ended Tufts' playoff hopes in last year's memorable regular season finale.     Before getting ahead of itself though, Tufts must first square off against the Fighting Scots of Gordon, a team that has not been on the schedule since 2001 when the Jumbos recorded a late-season 1-0 shutout.     "The first game is always big," Lach said. "We're still finding our top shape."

Volleyball Preview | Tufts looks to build on impressive '07 finish

    Despite having only one senior on the floor and an interim head coach at the helm, the volleyball team still won 10 of its final 11 games before advancing to the 2007 NESCAC semifinals. Tufts finished at 19-13, netting the program its seventh consecutive winning season.     Now, as the squad kicks off 2008, it will be led by five seniors and returning coach Cora Thompson. With this experience comes the hope that the team can build on 2007, as eyes are on trips to the conference finals and NCAA Tournament.     "One of our goals every year is to win the NESCAC," Thompson said. "It's a realistic goal. We're going to need to be very disciplined in order to reach that goal. We have five seniors who are very driven and very focused. When they were freshmen, they made the NCAA Sweet 16, and they have that goal in mind."     After dealing with personal problems that forced her to hand the reigns to then-assistant Marritt Cafarchia, who is now the head coach at Holy Cross, Thompson is back for her sixth season. She is eager to return to a program that has witnessed her amass 120 career wins against 45 losses since her arrival at Tufts in 2002.     "I love it, and I missed it," she said of coaching. "I think that this isn't just a job for me —  it's a way of life. I don't get up in the morning and think I'm going to work. Last year was hard. It was challenging, but I think that's a lesson in life. There are some things that are more important than volleyball, and it's important to get everything in perspective."     Building on three years of prior experience on the squad, senior tri-captains Natalie Goldstein, Stacy Filocco and Kate Denniston will lead the Jumbos this season. Goldstein has proven to be one of the top liberos in the conference and has ranked in the top five in digs per game every year in her collegiate career.     Filocco, along with sophomores Dawson Joyce-Mendive and Caitlin Updike and junior Brogie Helgeson, recorded over 200 kills last season. Denniston, meanwhile, will help anchor the middle, where she racked up 161 kills in 2007.     "The great thing about our team this year is that we're incredibly deep," Filocco said. "There are more players than we've ever had, and everyone belongs. We go 15 deep, and we go three or four deep at every position. That's going to be what makes our team really special; no matter who's in there, we'll have a chance."     Still, the Jumbos will have to work to fill the gap left by last year's senior and captain, Katie Wysham (LA '08), who was a dominant force at middle blocker last year. Wysham tallied the most blocks in the conference by a wide margin on her way to earning First Team All-NESCAC and Honorable Mention All-American honors. Three freshmen, Lexi Nicholas, Audre Kuan and Cara Spieler, will be stepping in to fill out the roster.     "The freshmen are definitely in shape," Thompson said. "There's more of a learning curve at our level, with the high speed and high pace. They're learning a new offense and new defense, at the same time getting to know some names. Athletically, they're completely on par with where this team is and will only get better with experience."     One area where Tufts will look to improve is in its play against regional competition, particularly MIT. In three matches against the Engineers last season, the Jumbos went 0-3 and lost by a combined score of 9-1.     "They've been our Boston-area nemesis," Filocco said. "We've gone back and forth with them, but they've gotten the better of us. We're looking forward to showing them how much we've improved."     Another challenge lying ahead for the Jumbos is their tough schedule, which will take them on the road for nine out of the 10 NESCAC games in which they will compete.     "Home- and away-court advantage is important," Thompson said. "Everybody feels comfortable in their own gym, but one thing that's made us successful as a program is that we've been able to win on the road, as much, if not more as we win at home," Thompson said. "Our level of play is going to stay at a certain level, and we're going to keep up our intensity no matter where we are."     Tufts will kick off its season at Cousens Gym Tuesday night with a home contest against the Stonehill Skyhawks.

Inside the NFL | Brett the Jet lands in Miami for intriguing Week 1 matchup

    When the NFL's powers that be first released the 2008 schedule back in April, they probably saw the New York Jets' Week 1 visit to Dolphin Stadium as nothing more than a meaningless matchup between arguably the AFC's two worst teams. Instead, they'll get much more.     Oddly enough, the Miami Dolphins find themselves in the spotlight as their new quarterback, the ever-talented-but-never-quite-a-star Chad Pennington, makes his debut Sunday afternoon against his former team of eight years.     And by the way, the man opposite him is his replacement, three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre.     Both teams, as logic would have it, should be in rebuilding mode. Between the two, they totaled five wins last season, a horrendous figure especially considering they played each other twice. But both have made the decision to roll the dice on veteran quarterbacks this season, and Favre and Pennington will don their new uniforms this weekend, knowing that an army of second-guessers will be ready to pounce on their every mistake. Never has there been more pressure on a pair of AFC bottom-feeders.     So who has the edge on Sunday? And, more importantly, which team has a chance to turn things around with a new face under center this season? That's no easy question.     Now seems like a good time to mention that Favre's reputation, even his career numbers after 16 years in a Green Bay Packers uniform, are a bit misleading. This is a man who turns 39 four games into the Jets' season, and the question of which Favre will show up on any given Sunday must be on the minds of many in East Rutherford.     The problem is that even a best-case-scenario Favre may not be enough to bring the Jets back from irrelevance. Even in a stupefyingly anomalous 2007 when he suddenly returned to his prime to throw for 4,155 yards and even steal an MVP vote from Tom Brady, he was still only sixth in the NFL in passer rating at 95.7, sandwiched between Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneer QB Jeff Garcia.     The reason is Favre's accuracy, which has varied throughout his career between fairly good and plainly average. He has compiled monsterous counting stats over his years in Green Bay, becoming the NFL's all-time leader in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns, but he's also top dog in interceptions, which should never be overlooked.     Favre's completion percentage for his career is 12th in the NFL among active quarterbacks, slotting him right behind such titans as Brian Griese and Brad Johnson. And who happens to be number one on said list? Hint: He'll be putting on a Dolphins helmet this weekend.     Pennington, now 32, has always had the potential to be a star in the NFL, ever since his first-round selection out of Marshall in 2000. His main problem, with all due respect to Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery (and, blast from the past, Wayne Chrebet), has been the lack of a formidable supporting cast around him. The last time Pennington threw a pass to a bona-fide superstar was his sophomore year back in Huntington, W.Va. — the kid's name was Randy Moss.     How will Pennington perform in Miami, where his two favorite targets will likely be Marty Booker, a former Pro Bowler who looks more than a step slower at 32 than he did at 26, and Ted Ginn, Jr., who has a mountain of work to do to avoid the label of Historic Draft Bust (Brady Quinn, anyone?). The logical answer is … not much better than he did in the Meadowlands with the Jets. The Dolphins should be thrilled to see Pennington in town, as he's a huge upgrade over the three-headed monstrosity of Cleo Lemon, Trent Green and John Beck. But this Dolphins team still has some work to do.     No AFC defense allowed more points last season than the Dolphins', the offensive line is still atrocious and unreliable would be an understatement to describe their presumable lead running back, Ricky Williams. But despite all that, Pennington is a good start for a team that desperately needs one. Look for him to triple the Dolphins' win total from last season. That's right: three wins.     Sunday's Favre-Pennington showdown will be a fun one, but fans have another treat awaiting them the following night when Green Bay plays host to a season opener between the team that lost Favre, the Packers, and the team that almost landed him, the Minnesota Vikings.     Fans at Lambeau will have the privilege of seeing two young quarterbacks who are desperate to prove themselves take the field. In one corner is Aaron Rodgers, a former All-Pac 10 signal-caller at the University of California, and in the other is Tarvaris Jackson, who led the Vikings to 8-8 and a playoff near-miss last season.     Without a doubt, the critics will be eying these two games closely this weekend, and the comparisons between the Packers under Rodgers and the Jets under Favre will be flying around from day one — and not without good reason. It's still early, but there will likely be no question in 2008 more compelling than what will be worse: life without Brett Favre, or life with him.

Field Hockey Preview | Field hockey team geared to stick to winning ways in 2008

Holiday, Jasinski, Kutcher  to fill void left by Class of '08 By Cary Helfand

Despite loss of two captains, Nationals remains top priority

    After enjoying a successful 2007 season — which featured a third-place finish at the NCAA New England Championship and an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships — the men's cross country team starts off with a clean slate on Saturday when it travels to Hartford, Conn. for the Trinity Invitational.     Although much of the training occurs during the summer, the team came back earlier to meet and train in preparation for its first race.     "We've had a chance to see the freshmen," junior co-captain Nick Welch said. "They seem like a good class. There's a whole range of abilities and experience levels, and it'll get clear how they're able to run when we get more races and workouts. At this point they look good and seem excited and ready to jump into it."     While it took clutch performances and a little luck to qualify for Nationals last year, the team is hopeful that it can equal last season's effort.     "There are many parts of the year that make up a successful season, like guys improving and making a jump after summer or freshmen having a good intro to college running and college life in general," Welch said. "Each workout, each week, each race has its own importance. Obviously, there's much more focus and importance placed on late season meets that impact Nationals."     "I don't think our team goals are much different this year than last year or previous years in general," Welch continued. "We want to get back to Nationals. Whether it comes from winning Regionals or grabbing that at-large bid, our goal is to get back to Nationals in the long term."     The team will be looking for some new faces to step up and fill the void left by the departure of former senior captains Chris Kantos (E '07) and Dave Sorensen (E '07), two of the team's top three runners in the 2007 campaign.     "There's no hiding the fact that we graduated two of our top three, two of our seniors, captains, leaders," Welch said. "In every respect, it's a big hole to fill. But there are guys that are going to step up, there's not a doubt in my mind ... There were a few guys last year who were at the back of our top seven and certainly can look to make the jump."     Additionally, the team will look for continued improvement from junior Jesse Faller, who last year as a second-year was already the team's best runner. His 18th-place finish last year at the NCAAs in Minnesota was more than 60 spots ahead of the next Tufts runner — Sorensen finished 79th — and was good enough to merit All-American honors.     "I can't fill the role myself because I'm only one person, and we're losing two seniors [from our top seven]," Faller said. "The best I can do is to do as well as I did last year or better, which would be important for the team. As far as filling the roles of the seniors, we have a couple sophomores looking really good right now, and I think they've been training hard all summer and they're going to be a huge part of our team."     Those sophomores will get a chance to show their improvement this weekend during the race at Trinity. While it poses no late-season significance and will be shortened to a 5k race, as opposed to the traditional 8k length, the team looks to this first meet as an important piece of the foundation to a successful 2008 campaign.     "It will be the first chance for those returning to come back after months of track and get back on the cross country course and see how all that summer training can be put to use," Welch said. "For the freshmen, it's their first chance to don a Tufts uniform and race as a Jumbo. The program has its continuity, but each team has its own identity, and this will be the first time that the '08 team steps on the line together."

Beck, O'Brien leave behind young but experienced squad

    To say that replacing graduated seniors Cat Beck (LA '07) and Katy O'Brien (E '07) would be nearly impossible is an understatement.     But despite the loss of the Jumbos' potent one-two punch, both of whom helped lead the team to a program-best fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championship in 2006 and earned multiple All-American honors over the course of their impressive collegiate campaigns, this season's Jumbos are still hopeful that they can earn the NCAA bid that eluded them last season.     "I'm really looking forward to the October-November time period," sophomore Stephanie McNamara said. "I know we're really, really trying to go after getting to Nationals as a team. We were so close last year, and hopefully now that we have a little more depth we can really achieve that goal. I'm looking at Div. III as a huge meet and also at NESCACs — we want to place high there."     And while the Jumbos' offseason losses were significant, graduation hardly spared their rivals, taking several of New England's elite runners. Among them were top competitors from many NESCAC schools, including Amherst's Heather Wilson and Kim Partee, Colby's Anna King and Bowdoin's Laura Onderko.     "Hopefully, if they take five teams again from New England [for NCAAs,] we have a shot at one of those spots," coach Kristen Morwick said. "The teams ahead of us, a couple of them graduated a lot of people, so we're not the only one who lost significant runners. It's not like we're unique in that. We lost Katy and Cat, and obviously they were two of the best, but our top kids will be really competitive with anyone in New England. It's really a matter of how the new people end up doing."     While last year's squad struggled to close the gap between the trio of Beck, O'Brien and McNamara and the rest of the pack, this year's top seven won't be as top-heavy. The combination of a year of experience for last year's new runners, the new group of freshmen and the graduations of Beck and O'Brien should make for a more balanced lineup in the coming season.     "Katy and Cat were some of the best runners in the nation, not to mention in the conference or on this team," Morwick said. "A few people have come in that really fit this year, and it's definitely a more cohesive group. We'll see how the freshmen kind of fill in the spots — it shouldn't be as big a difference between 1-2-3 as it was last year, but even still, it hurts losing those two. It's just going to be a really different-looking team this year."     Similarly to last season, however, Tufts will boast a young squad, with the incoming freshman class nearly doubling the size of the team.     "We have a pretty solid new pack of freshmen," senior Amy Hopkins said. "We're all excited about that — to see some new faces and just to get some early and new talent out on the courses. They're all very strong runners; we've been running with them the past couple days or so and getting to know them, and I think they'll be a great addition to our team."     Despite their youth, the Jumbos are far from lacking in leadership, with senior veterans Erica Hylton and Susan Allegretti coming in to join senior Betsy Aronson, one of last year's tri-captains, in the other two captains' roles.     "Our captains this year are awesome," McNamara said. "Even the other sophomores and juniors are looking up to them for leadership. I think they're going to do a great job leading the team this year."     Also key for the Jumbos this season will be McNamara, whose stellar freshman campaign set milestones for Tufts in 2007. After her 15th-place showing at NESCACs  cemented her as the Jumbos' No. 3 runner, McNamara went on to earn a championship berth with a ninth-place finish at Regionals before becoming the Jumbos' first-ever freshman to earn All-American honors in women's cross country. The Jumbos will look to McNamara to lead the pack in the absence of Beck and O'Brien.     "She's up to the challenge," Morwick said. "She put in a good summer and she's capable of doing anything she wants to in cross country. She's a really talented runner and a really hard worker who is very focused on training and performance."     Luckily for the Jumbos, the team will return from the summer relatively injury-free, a much-welcome change from the 2007 season. At this time last year, injuries plagued the Jumbos both on and off the-course, with Beck and then-junior Katie Rizzolo sitting out to start the season and O'Brien and McNamara heading into competition following extensive summer rehab stints.     "It's really exciting because there haven't been many injuries at all," Hopkins said. "Coming in, it's always a big plus. It's been an issue in the past with people being a little too ambitious during the summer or overtraining a bit, but from the runs we've had so far, it seems like everyone was able to get their miles in and train smart through the summer, so they're healthy and ready to go and really take off."     "We've had [a few] chances to see where people are fitness-wise and what they're ready for," Hopkins continued. "I'm really excited to see a group of returners as well as healthy freshmen coming in that will be ready to train hard at the beginning of the season and hopefully through the rest of the season too."     The Jumbos will officially start the season Saturday at the annual Trinity Invitational. While Tufts dominated the competition last year, placing five runners in the top 10, the Jumbos' focus is more on getting a sense of where they are training-wise than on winning the race.     "It's a very low-key meet," Morwick said. "It's nice to start with a race that's shorter. It's a very difficult course — it's very hilly, and it's still early in the year, so it's going to be warm. It allows us to see where we are in a scenario where we're not racing top competition in the league."     "Trinity has a good team," she continued. "They're not a pushover, but there are some smaller teams at the meet. It's nice to open up against a more relaxed field. I just like to see people get out and race for the first time. It's just a good way to test the waters."

Sanchez, USC quiet critics with decisive opening-week win

    Who's doubting them now?     The third-ranked USC Trojans couldn't have scripted a better start to their 2008 campaign, thrashing the Virginia Cavaliers 52-7 Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. The victory cemented USC as a legitimate national title contender and silenced any critics who wondered how its offense would survive an injury to its starting quarterback and inexperience on its offensive line. Southern Cal's prolific performance led to a whopping 558 yards of total offense and the squad's first 50-point game since its 2006 opener.     Leading the charge was junior quarterback Mark Sanchez, just three weeks removed from a left knee injury that once appeared to jeopardize his chances of making Saturday's start. Showing no ill effects, Sanchez completed 26 of 35 passes for a career-high 338 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that suggests he is now prepared to continue the lineage of great Trojan quarterbacks.     That didn't seem as certain last season, when Sanchez made three starts filling in for the injured John David Booty. In two of those games — the first, a near-upset at the hands of the hapless Arizona Wildcats, and the third, a loss to the Oregon Ducks that ultimately cost USC a chance to play for the national championship — Sanchez tossed a combined three touchdowns against four interceptions. These poor outings, coupled with the arrival of highly-touted transfer Mitch Mustain, left the incumbent starter in a battle for his job entering spring practice in 2008.     Head coach Pete Carroll eventually stuck with Sanchez, however, even after the California native put together a less-than-spectacular spring and suffered the knee injury that left him out of practice until the week of the season opener. Sanchez rewarded Carroll's faith on Saturday, displaying a great command of the offense by distributing the ball to nine different receivers. With two completions of over 40 yards, Sanchez also showcased a deep-threat capability that was missing from Southern Cal's offense in the two seasons that saw Booty at the helm.     Sanchez received tremendous help from the Trojans' offensive line, which was hit hard during the offseason after four of last year's starters left for the NFL Draft. Certainly the Cavaliers' pass rush, still trying to overcome the graduation of stud defensive end Chris Long, isn't exactly amongst the nation's best.But Southern Cal's revamped line — consisting of center Kris O'Dowd, tackles Butch Lewis and Charles Brown, and guards Zach Heberer and Jeff Byers — still had an impressive showing, yielding no sacks and giving an inexperienced quarterback all the time he needed.     For proof of the Trojan offensive line's effectiveness, look no further than the running game, where USC outpaced Virginia 218-32. Regardless of whether C.J. Gable, Joe McKnight, Allen Bradford or Stafon Johnson was rushing the football, every one of the Trojans' quartet of fullbacks had a hole to run through. The highlight came with 4:01 to play in the first quarter, when Gable ran untouched for a game-breaking 33-yard touchdown thanks to key blocks from Herberer, Lewis and O'Dowd.     But with its toughest opponent of the season next on the docket, USC won't have much time to dwell on its performance against UVA. On Sept. 13, the Trojans will return to the Coliseum for their home opener against the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, a matchup that will surely have major BCS implications later in the season.     Fresh off their 43-0 demolition of the Youngstown State Penguins Saturday afternoon, the Buckeyes will challenge Sanchez and the Southern Cal offensive line with a defense that held its opening week opponent to a paltry 74 yards of total offense, including -11 yards rushing. A veteran-laden defensive unit, starring senior All-Americans James Laurinaitis at linebacker and Malcolm Jenkins at cornerback, will be yet another test for the Trojan offense's largely inexperienced starters.

Top Ten | Summer Sports Breakups

It was the summer of the breakup in the wide world of sports. It seemed that no sport could escape the cold winds of Splitsville, no relationship could weather the slings and arrows of outrageous affairs, and no athlete could live up to his given name.  Here at the Daily, we compiled the 10 best breakups in honor of the summer that was: 10. Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Rodriguez: After over five years together, A-Rod and C-Rod parted ways in early July amid rumors of a relationship between the Yankee slugger and aging pop star Madonna. While the truth remains murky, it's evident that just the thought of someone born during the Ford Administration cheating with someone who was born while Eisenhower was president proved simply too much for Cynthia to handle. 9. The City of Seattle and the Supersonics: It was a bitter divorce between these two as a group of Oklahoma City investors led by Clay Bennett successfully purchased the Supersonic franchise and whisked it away to the Sooner State. Now aptly named the Oklahoma City National Basketball Association team, all Seattle has to look back on are 41 happy seasons together, including an NBA championship in 1979. 8. Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox: Manny being Manny? After consecutive seasons of dancing around this breakup, the Sox finally cut ties with the slugger after a tumultuous seven-and-a-half seasons together. Our question is about the (World Series) rings: Namely, is Manny obligated to give one or both of them back? 7. Mike and the Mad Dog: One of the most famous sports radio duos Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo called it quits after 19 years on air together. With Mike as the more knowledgeable and Mad Dog as the more likable part of the team, these two were a match made in heaven, but their different styles eventually gave way to a sour spring in 2008 and an official split in August. 6. Boston and its underdog status: If you Boston fans thought you could hang onto this one after buying a World Series, a Super Bowl appearance and an NBA Championship all in the same year, think again. 5. Chad Javon Ocho Cinco and his original last name: After flirting with Ocho Cinco as a nickname during the 2006 NFL season, the Bengal WR legally ditched his given name of Johnson in favor of the Ocho Cinco surname just last week. 4. Roger Federer and the Wimbledon title: With five consecutive Wimbledon titles to his name leading up to this year's Championships, many felt that nothing would stop the Fed Express from winning his sixth in July. Alas, Rafael Nadal of Spain had other plans and successfully captured the Swiss' beloved hardware. 3. United States and winning the Olympics gold medals race: China may have smoked the Stars and Stripes in the gold medal count at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, but at least we don't lip sync our national anthem. 2. The Yankees/Red Sox and first place in the AL East: In what was once seemingly an annual guarantee, the Yankees and Red Sox always found their home atop the AL East standings. But after the exorcism of the Devil in central Florida, a "Ray" of sunshine is peering — check that — now pouring through the clouds in Tampa. With less than thirty games left on the slate, it looks like the Rays, not the Yanks or Sawx, will be dancing atop the standings come October. 1. Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers: After a long, illustrious career as the face of the green and gold, Favre made it clear he would not be going back to Lambeau Field this fall. However, after a long summer down on his hunting range in Mississippi, he felt the inkling to return once more to the gridiron. Packers' management, however, along with many of the cheesehead faithful, had already moved on and Favre was left out in the cold. If only the Jets were worth anything more than nine or ten wins.

Top seeds alive and well as Open moves into later rounds

    As the second week of play kicks off for men's singles at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., the three favorites of this year's fourth and final major event show no signs of slowing down as they all look to add to their Grand Slam troves.     World and tournament No. 1 seed Rafael Nadal of Spain continued on his quest for his third Grand Slam title of the year and sixth of his career with a four-set victory yesterday over unseeded American Sam Querrey. With the win, Nadal moves on to the quarterfinals, matching his career-best showing at the Open in 2006 when he lost in the quarters to Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.     This time around, the young Spaniard will face unseeded American Mardy Fish, who is making an unprecedented run at this year's Open after posting three straight upset wins over seeded players, including No. 32 Gael Monfils of France yesterday in straight sets. Fish also emerged victorious in straight sets over fellow American and ninth seed James Blake in the third round and knocked off No. 24 Paul-Henri Mathieu the round before.     Nadal's stellar 2008 season ought to dictate a win tomorrow over the streaking Fish, who has advanced to a Grand Slam quarterfinal just once before in his career, but the world's best ought to be wary of the American, as the red-hot underdog could play David to Nadal's Goliath.     Meanwhile,defending champion and No. 2 seed Roger Federer has looked true to form through three rounds of play, not dropping a set en route to his match today against Igor Andreev of Russia, seeded 23rd. While the Swiss, who is on the hunt for his fifth consecutive US Open crown and 13th major title of his career, has played mediocre hard court tennis thus far in 2008, his play at this point in Flushing Meadows appears to reflect a revamped desire to end the Grand Slam season on a winning note.     To his credit, Andreev pulled off a dominating straight set upset of No. 13 Fernando Verdasco in the third round Sunday and has not dropped a set all tournament. That said, it would take a major mental collapse on the part of Federer as defending champion to slip up this early at the Open.     As for Novak Djokovic of Serbia, who is seeded third and remains a legitimate contender along with the aforementioned Federer and Nadal, his tennis has remained relatively honed throughout three rounds of play as well to qualify for the Round of 16. After making short work of Frenchman Arnaud Clement and American qualifier Rob Kendrick in his first two rounds, the Serb surrendered the first set of his Sunday contest against Marin Cilic of Croatia before rebounding to win 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (0).     Awaiting Djokovic today is No. 15 Tommy Robredo of Spain, whose tournament included wins over 2008 Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Sunday's third round and a four-set second round victory over 2000 US Open champion Marat Safin of Russia.     Robredo has once again proven himself a strong early-round performer at Flushing Meadows, as demonstrated by four appearances in the Round of 16 over the last five years. Djokovic, however, boasts a Grand Slam hard court résumé that includes the 2008 Australian Open title and a run to last year's finals at the US Open. If the young Serb can keep his play disciplined, he ought to have little problem advancing to the quarterfinals.     While the bulk of the attention from the media and tennis fans remains steadfastly on Nadal, Federer and Djokovic as the front-runners to capture this year's Open crown, there remain a few other highly seeded players in contention who could catch fire at just the right time and shake up the tournament's focus. Among them are No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who has made runs to the semis at the Open the last two years, and No. 8 Andy Roddick, who was champion at Flushing Meadows back in 2003 and a runner-up to Federer there in 2006.     Davydenko faces off today against upstart Gilles Müller of Luxembourg, who while playing as a qualifier, has pulled off back-to-back five-set wins after dropping the first two sets in the second and third rounds of the tournament. Roddick's opponent is Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who is seeded 11th but remains a clay court player at heart and will have trouble overcoming the American on his favorite surface.

After bronze in Athens, redemption is golden for Team USA