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Americans in Afghanistan to fight through 2014, top commander says
Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro Black/Gold The commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan bluntly warned Sunday that American soldiers will face combat in that war-torn country right up to the time they leave, December 31, 2014. General John Allen told reporters not to buy into a "narrative" that the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces next year means US troops will be out of harm's way."Combat operations will continue in the country throughout the period of the remainder of the ISAF mission, which will conclude on the 31st of December, 2014," Allen, who leads NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said at a briefing on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago.The diplomatic gathering aims to flesh out the alliance's plan to train and equip Afghan national security forces (ANSF) and given them the lead on combat efforts by mid-way through 2013. But that doesn't mean Americans won't be in the line of fire."I don't want to, again, understate the challenge that we have ahead of us. the Taliban is still a resilient and capable opponent in the battle space," Allen said. "There's no end of combat before the end of 2014. And in fact the Taliban will oppose the ANSF after 2014."
Nike Air Jordan 1 Phat Black/Purple/YellowThe United States is on track to reduce its presence to 68,000 troops by late September. More than 3,000 Americans have been killed in the decade-long conflict launched to catch or kill Osama bin Laden, whom Navy SEALS shot dead in a dramatic May 2011 raid inside Pakistan.While Afghans will take the lead gradually, "it doesn't mean that we won't be fighting, it doesn't mean there won't be combat. And that's important because there is a narrative out there that combat operations for the US stops at milestone 2013. That is not, in fact, correct," the general said.And Allen suggested that international forces could return to areas they have turned over to Afghan troops if the Taliban seem to be getting the upper hand."We have short-term capabilities to shift forces. We're going to watch very closely the Taliban. The Taliban have been unambiguous in that they intend to take advantage of the removal of the surge forces. And so we have planned for that," he said. "If we detect that there is in fact a Taliban presence beginning to surge in behind our forces we have forces that are available that we intend to put against htat to prevent that from happening."
Nike Air Jordan IV Retro-Men's White/Royal Blue Allen played down the potential impact of newly elected French President François Hollande's decision to pull French 3,400 combat forces out by year's end, one year earlier than his predecessor had planned. Hollande has hinted at a possible French role for training Afghan forces but has not yet fully fleshed out his plan."Ultimately, we will need to understand exactly what the French decision will mean," Allen said. "We have the capacity, using our current force structure, to ensure that there is no degradation in security with respect to any decisions that might be made.""At this juncture we will seek to provide France opportunities should they desire to continue to contribute to the ISAF mission," the general said. "But those are sovereign French decisions, and we'll support those decisions. But we're also prepared to provide options, viable options, for contributions to the ISAF mission over time.""And many of those contributions often take the form and the shape of training, mentoring, instructing -- and all of those are important to the mission overall," Allen said.The general also played down the impact of Pakistan's decision to close ground supply lines for NATO forces last November in the aftermath of a NATO strike on Pakistani territory that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Nike James VII+Air Jordan XIII Black/White/Gold"It has not in fact negatively affected my -- our -- prosecution of the campaign," he said. And Allen cited "some very positive indications of late" in negotiations with Pakistan that they will reopen those supply lines.Asked about reports of tension between the White House and the Pentagon over the troop withdrawal plan, Allen replied: "There is no daylight between the commander on the ground in Afghanistan and the commander in chief."I think we're in an excellent strategic conversation right now about the way ahead. I'm frequently asked for my opinion and my views and I am grateful to be engaged in that kind of a strategic conversation," he said. "I was asked whether I could execute that plan and I told them that I can, and I'm executing the plan."Kung, who eliminated World No. 1 Yani Tseng in the third round, was denied her first LPGA victory since 2008.In earlier semi-finals, 49th-ranked Kung defeated 37th-ranked US veteran Vicky Hurst 2 and 1 while 19th-rated Munoz ousted 15th-ranked American Morgan Pressel by the same margin to set up the final at Hamilton Farm Golf Club.
Nike Air Jordan Flight IX White Munoz won the final three holes to eliminate Pressel, who has not won an LPGA event since 2008 and was undone by a slow-play penalty on the 12th hole.Pressel won the par-5 second and fifth holes with birdies while Munoz won the par-3 third with a birdie. Pressel won the par-4 ninth with a birdie and appeared to have taken the 12th for a 3-up edge.But Pressel, who was warned about slow play as she started the back nine, took 39 seconds more than the maximum 90 seconds to make her putt at the 12th and as a result forfeited the hole, her lead plunging to 1-up.Munoz birdied the 15th to square the match, but only after Pressel asked for a penalty on her for touching the line of Pressel's putt. A video review by two officials led to a denial of the protest and Munoz then sank the 12-footer.Pressel dropped the par-3 16th and par-4 17th with bogeys to send Munoz into the final.Pressel beat Hurst 2 and 1 in a match for third place.Hurst birdied the par-4 13th to win the hole, but Kung took the par-4 14th when Hurst bogeyed. Hurst answered with back-to-back birdies to win the par-4 15th and par-3 16th only to have Kung win the 17th with a birdie to advance.
Nike Air Jordan XXVI Team ISO WhiteThe Kings were awful in the second period, with a failing forecheck and poor passing. Smith nearly gifted a goal to the Kings with a turnover behind his net, but the 40-year-old Whitney dived to deflect Dustin Brown's shot on an open net."When you have nothing to lose, you just throw it all out there and see what happens," Whitney said. "You could see we were a little less nervous with the puck."Although a confluence of big sporting events in downtown Los Angeles threatened to affect the day for Kings fans, they weren't deterred by the traffic nightmares threatened by the Tour of California cycling race outside and a Clippers evening playoff game.Thousands of black-jerseyed faithful formed lines outside pubs and thronged the streets outside Staples. Most of the seats were already filled by the warm-up, which began at almost the exact moment Peter Sagan won the Tour's final stage on the street outside.The NBA worried a multiple-overtime playoff game might force a delay of the Clippers' Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, or even force a postponement to Monday.The Coyotes avoided all overtimes — and all celebrations.
Nike Jordan Rare Air Basketball Black/Blue NOTES: Martin Hanzal returned to the Coyotes' lineup after sitting out Game 3 under suspension for boarding Brown. Veteran D Adrian Aucoin also returned for Phoenix after missing the series' first three games with an injury. Aucoin went to the dressing room in the third period, but the Coyotes made no injury announcement. ... Several Kings greats watched the game together in a luxury suite, including Rogie Vachon, Butch Goring, Glen Murray and Ian Turnbull. Rainn Wilson, Matthew Perry and David Beckham attended the game.American Ed Carpenter and England's Mike Conway and Katherine Legge were in row 10, with American Bryan Clauson, Swiss Simona de Silvestro and France's Jean Alesi in the last row.Alesi, who turns 48 two weeks after the race, will make his Indy 500 debut after a career that includes more than 200 Formula One starts. At 210.094 mph, he was the slowest qualifier just 11 days after driving his first oval laps.Traditional bumping of slow cars from the field was not done this year because major changes in chassis and engine rules for this season led to only 33 cars spending the money to make an Indy bid.Chevrolet and Honda engines power most of the field, although it took two of the still-developing Lotus motors for the slowest qualifiers, Alesi and de Silvestro, simply to fill the lineup.The 33-car field average speed is 222.888 mph, down from last year's average of 225.273 mph.American Charlie Kimball, set to start in the middle of the fifth row, crashed in the second
Nike Air Jordan XIII Red/White/Black Overall standings: 1 Telefonica (Spain) 165 points, 2 Groupama (France) 158, 3 Camper (Spain/New Zealand) 152, 4 Puma (United States) 151, 5 Abu Dhabi 74, 6 Team Sanya "I'm right here," Granger said, standing near mid-court.Wade got the message, and he and James returned one of their own in the third.His team's dynamic disrupted without Bosh, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed his starting lineup for the fourth time in four games, putting Ronny Turiaf at center and starting Shane Battier up front with James for the second straight game. The switch did nothing to stop the Pacers from getting off to another strong start.Indiana was up 9-0 in a blink and led 19-11 after Granger dropped a 3-pointer.James, though, got things going for the Heat and had them within 25-18 after one, a deficit that could have been much worse if not for the Pacers missing several wide-open 3-pointersNOTES: The national anthem was performed on harmonica by 85-year-old Carl Erskin, who pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1948-59. Erskin is an Indiana native. ... James passed time before the game reading "Hunger Games" in the Heat's locker room. ... Heat owner Micky Arison was asked for his autograph by several fans sitting near the Miami bench. "You must be desperate," he cracked.

James, Wade lift Heat over Pacers in Game 4
abercrombie saleMiami's season, the one that's supposed to end in an NBA championship and vindication, was slipping away.LeBron James brought it back.And this time, Dwyane Wade helped him.James scored 40 points, Wade added 30 — 22 in the second half — and Miami's dynamic duo took over after halftime to get the Heat even in the series with a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday.With Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tandem saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena."Just survival," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "This is what the playoffs are about."James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami's season slip away."It's still going to be a dogfight," James said. "It's a three-game series now."Wade rebounded from the worst playoff game of his career, shaking off a 1 of 8 shooting start and adding nine rebounds and six assists.Danny Granger scored 20 to lead the Pacers, who had the Heat down but couldn't put the defending conference champions away. abercrombie sale ukDown by 10 points in the third quarter, the Heat were in danger of having their championship dreams obliterated by an Indiana team outworking them at both ends and backed by a towel-waving fans.James would have none of it.Wade either.Wade, who scored five points in Game 3 and yelled at coach Erik Spoelstra on the sideline during a third-quarter timeout in Miami's 19-point loss, came alive in the third when he made all six shots and scored 14 points."I've been doubted before. I'll be doubted again," Wade said.James added 14 as well in the period as the pair landed a 1-2 punch on the Pacers' chin."We had a terrible performance in Game 3," James said. "We wanted to redeem ourselves.Granger's 3-pointer had given Indiana a 61-51 and the Pacers, outhustling the Heat to loose balls, appeared poised to take a commanding lead in the series.But that's when James and Wade put on a jaw-dropping spectacle, combining for all but two points in a 25-5 run that put Miami up 76-66.During one sequence, Wade lost his balance and fell and was lucky to push the ball toward James near the top of the key. As Wade scrambled to his feet, James alertly passed him the ball and he calmly knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Heat a 64-63 lead. The pair made easy shots, tough ones and did everything in their power to steer Miami away from a 3-1 hole
abercrombie ukOnly eight teams in league history have overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-seven series. That's what the Heat were staring at with a loss in Game 4.The Heat took a 76-70 lead into the fourth, and every time Indiana got close, either Wade or James responded.Miami also got a huge lift down the stretch from Udonis Haslem, who hasn't been a factor in the series but made four big jumpers in the final six minutes despite playing with a large bandage over his right eye after being elbowed by Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough.Granger's 3-pointer got the Pacers within 96-91 with 1:33 left, but Haslem hit another short shot and James closed the Pacers out with three free throws in the last 16 seconds.Leandro Barbosa dropped a layup just before the horn to give the Pacers a 54-46 lead at halftime, closing a second quarter that included another altercation involving Granger.Wade was fouled hard on a drive with 12.6 seconds left by Hibbert. After the whistle, Miami's frustrated star slapped off the Indiana center's arm after the two got tangled. Granger didn't like that and he confronted Wade nose-to-nose in the foul lane. abercrombie and fitch ukWade turned to one official and pleaded to "get him out of my face."Granger was slapped with a technical foul for the second straight game, and as Wade lined up to shoot his free throw, Indiana's forward kept jawing at himSailors in the Volvo Ocean Race headed into the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday planning to flirt with the first tropical storm of the US hurricane season, a risk that could make or break their seventh-leg efforts.Tropical Storm Alberto brought an unusually early start to the hurricane season but it is no lightweight, with winds of up to 83.25 km/hr in its center.The six-strong fleet in the round-the-world race, led out of Miami on Sunday by narrow overall leaders Telefonica of Spain, intended to skirt the heart of the storm.But skippers still want to use some of its force to "catapult" their way through the early stages of the 3,590-nautical mile Atlantic crossing to Lisbon, Portugal.If their navigational strategy is awry and they get too close to the storm, the boats could end up literally in the eye of a hurricane.Jules Salter, who helped guide Abu Dhabi to victory in Saturday's Miami in-port race, is one who says the storm front could help slingshot his team through the early stages of the voyage to Lisbon.
abercrombie clothing"In some ways it's quite good," he said. "It's giving us some downwind conditions so we're kind of cutting the corner and probably sailing a more direct route that we would have done if the storm wasn't there."The closer we can get to it the better. It will give us a bit of a catapult out of the way."The epic round-the-world race is entering the most crucial phase of the nine-month, 39,000-nautical mile marathon journey through five continents, 10 countries and four oceans.Only 14 points separate the first four teams, and successive navigational errors in in-port races in Brazil, and on Saturday in Miami, have cut early pace-setter Telefonica's advantage to only seven points over second-place French challenger Groupama.The race is scheduled to finish in Galway, Ireland on July 7.France's Sebastien Bourdais led the last nine qualifiers for the 96th Indianapolis 500 in Sunday's second and final day of time trials for next Sunday's signature IndyCar oval showdown.A day after Australian Ryan Briscoe claimed pole position for the race with a four-lap qualifying average of 226.484 mph around the 2.5-mile (4 kilometer) oval, the slowest drivers completed the 33-car starting grid's 11 rows of three.Bourdais, who won four Champ-Car season titles in a row from 2004 to 2007, claimed the inside spot on row nine with a four-lap speed average of 223.760 mph followed by New Zealand's Wade Cunningham and Spain's Oriol Servia.

 I'll Have Another set to go for another at Belmont
abercrombie ukI'll Have Another poked his head out of his stall, started nibbling on his nameplate tacked to a wall and looked up at all the people watching his every move.Yes, I'll Have Another came out of his thrilling Preakness win over Bodemeister in "super shape," trainer Doug O'Neill said Sunday, and now comes New York for a Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes on June 9."Bring it on! We're ready to go. Super pumped!" O'Neill said as he held court outside the stall of his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner. "I can't put into words how incredible it is. We're just on Cloud 9. It's super exciting."The colorful and controversial trainer was returning to his home base in California, and making plans for the trip to New York in the next week or so. I'll Have Another, meanwhile, was loaded onto a horse van at Pimlico and arrived at Belmont Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon.O'Neill's assistant, Jack Sisterson, will oversee the chestnut colt until O'Neill and the rest of his team arrive.The trainer took time to soak in the moment before leaving Baltimore, though, and to contemplate the pressure-packed days that await leading to the first Triple Crown attempt since 2008. It will be the 12th Triple try since 1978, when Affirmed won thoroughbred racing's most elusive prize.
abercrombie fitch"It's hasn't completely sunk in yet," he said. "The party out here at the barn after the race was like wow! I've never seen anything like that — everyone so excited about horse racing and I'll Have Another being 2-for-2. I definitely feel the energy and buzz in the air."He hasn't seen anything yet.The Triple Crown quest brought some tantalizingly close calls since Affirmed turned back Alydar in the Derby, Preakness and Belmont 34 years ago — the longest drought between Triple Crown champions.There was Real Quiet in 1998, who looked like a lock to take the Belmont until he was nailed at the wire by Victory Gallop. And there was Smarty Jones, who also seemed golden in the Belmont stretch only to be reeled in by 36-1 shot Birdstone in the final 70 yards.So can I'll Have Another win it? Steve Cauthen, who was a fresh-faced, 18-year-old jockey who rode Affirmed into history, believes the colt can deliver. Not only does he see similarities with Affirmed, but "The Kid'" can relate to what "new-kid-on-the-block" rider Mario Gutierrez is experiencing.
abercrombie sale"I guess I'm having a flashback," Cauthen said Sunday from his breeding farm in Verona, Ky. "He's a new kid on the block like I was. The kid's got a great attitude and a great smile. And, like me, he's been put in a position to ride in these kinds of races and a shot at maybe winning the Triple Crown. And the trainer and owner have confidence in him, and that's important, because Laz (Barrera, Affirmed's trainer) and Mr. Wolfson (owner Louis Wolfson) were 100 percent behind me."As for I'll Have Another, Cauthen said the colt seems relaxed and takes things in stride, just like Affirmed."Horses that seem to come out of their races pretty well, it means they don't bother themselves, and that's a huge benefit when you've got three tough races," Cauthen added. "It's like three title fights in five weeks. You are taking on the best around. With Affirmed, he always did the right thing. He didn't waste any energy. And when it came down to a battle, he thrived on it.
abercrombie outlet"This horse looks like he's got that fighting spirit. He likes a game, and he wants to win and he can't wait to get another battle. He thrives on it and to me that's why more than anything he's got a good chance."The race is one thing, the buildup another. Some cave to the pressure, others try to find ways to deal with it. It's impossible to dismiss. Since Affirmed, no one's come up with a winning formula.J. Paul Reddam, who owns I'll Have Another, would like nothing better than to have his horse join the equine pantheon of Triple Crown heroes that includes Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Citation. He's just dreading all the time before the race."I'm actually not looking forward to the next three weeks at all," Reddam said. "I know there is going to be a certain amount of tension, and I'm not eager to do a bunch of TV interviews. That's not me.""I am going to tell everyone to try and keep the tension down. Enjoy it. If you want to be in the spotlight, knock yourself out. If you started singing on David Letterman, you probably carried it too far. But this is supposed to be fun."O'Neill already has embraced the hoopla, and can't wait to take Manhattan.
abercrombie uk saleLike we did in Louisville and Baltimore, when we come to New York we're going to see the town, enjoy it, soak it in," he said. "And the reason we're enjoying it so much is the horse has been thriving so much. If he continues to do good, we'll have a good time."There could be bumpy times, too. O'Neill has been under scrutiny over his many violations for giving his horses improper drugs. He has been accused in California of "milkshaking," the illegal practice of giving a horse a blend of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes. The mixture is designed to reduce fatigue and enhance performance. He was fined $1,000 and suspended 15 days in one incident. He is contesting another and faces penalties ranging from a minimum 90-day suspension and a $5,000 fine to a maximum 180-day suspension and fine of $15,000."I can't talk about all that stuff," O'Neill said. "I know we play by the rules, and I know we love our horses and we take great care of them."He chooses to accentuate the positive."One thing we have here is an open-door policy and a backstage pass for everybody," he said. "And it's been a great opportunity to share with everybody who loves horse racing to see what goes into trying to take care of a horse. You can say whatever you want about me, but you have to be so amazed at how amazing I'll Have Another and all of the people around him are in taking care of him."
abercrombie outlet ukAfter winning the Santa Anita Derby by a nose, the colt purchased by Reddam for $35,000 won the Derby by 1? lengths with a stretch run that caught Bodemeister in the final 100 yards. I'll Have Another then produced an even more dramatic finish in Saturday's Preakness, reeling in Bodemeister in the final strides to win by a neck.In less than three weeks, it's the biggest test of all, the grueling, 1?-mile Belmont, the longest of the Triple Crown races known as the "Test of the Champion."The wait is on."These three weeks will be the longest of their lives," Cauthen said. "Every day they wake up, they have to make sure nothing goes wrong, that when he comes back from a gallop something doesn't happen to him, like he steps on a stone or something silly. No matter what you do, there's always going to be pressure, probably even more so now after 34 years without a Triple Crown.'Spain's Azahara Munoz defeated Taiwan's Candie Kung 2 and 1 in Sunday's final to capture the $1.5 million LPGA Sybase Match-Play Championship and claim her first LPGA title.With the match squared through 10 holes, Munoz birdied to win the par-5 11th and went 2-up when Kung dropped the par-3 12th with a bogey.The Spaniard surrendered the par-4 14th with a bogey but won the par-3 16th with a bogey as Kung double bogeyed and when both parred the 17th, Munoz claimed her first tour crown.

Coyotes beat LA Kings 2-0, avoid West final sweep
abercrombie saleThe Clarence Campbell Bowl was in Staples Center for the first time, waiting to be presented by Commissioner Gary Bettman to the NHL's Western Conference champions. The Los Angeles Kings' long-suffering fans gathered downtown shortly after dawn, eager to witness a series sweep and a coronation.And then Captain Coyote and his goalie crashed the party for a win that suggests this series is far from finished.Shane Doan scored two goals, Mike Smith made 36 saves in his third playoff shutout, and the Phoenix Coyotes emphatically avoided playoff elimination with a 2-0 victory in Game 4 of the conference finals on Sunday.Ray Whitney and Antoine Vermette had assists for the Coyotes, who avoided the sweep by snapping the eighth-seeded Kings' eight-game winning streak and canceling Los Angeles' plans to celebrate its first berth in the Stanley Cup finals since 1993. With their backs against the glass, the Coyotes soundly outplayed an opponent that had been on an 11-1 run through the postseason."We recognize we put ourselves in a tough position, (but) we also know it has been done," said Doan, Phoenix's captain since 2003 and the sole remaining member of the Winnipeg Jets team that moved to the desert in 1996.
abercrombie and fitch sale"I guess that's what sports are all about, trying to do something that someone hasn't done for a while, try to do things (when) the odds are kind of stacked against you," Doan added. "Nobody wants to be in the position we're in, but everybody wants to prove they can answer that call."Phoenix still must win three more games to become just the fourth team in NHL history to rally from an 0-3 series deficit, but the Coyotes finally regained the form they showed in knocking off Chicago and Nashville in the first two rounds.Game 5 is Tuesday night in Phoenix. Los Angeles is 7-0 on the road in the playoffs, but the Coyotes can't wait to see another whiteout in their stands."Two ways to look at it: They're either due to lose, or we've got to find a way to stop them," Doan said. "Law of averages says you're going to lose eventually on the road, so it happens. Next game wouldn't be a bad one to lose."Doan scored on a power play in the first period and on a deflected shot in the second, silencing the crowd at the Kings' first loss since April 18. Smith, who has all three of his shutouts on the road, made several impressive saves while outplaying Jonathan Quick for the first time in the series.
abercrombie clearance"We had nothing to lose," Smith said. "We had to make sure we played our best game. That would give us a chance to win. We obviously had a huge game from Doaner, and it trickled down through our lineup. He was unbelievable. He was such a great leader tonight. Every guy knew that they were going to do their part to try to force this series to Game 5."Quick stopped 19 shots with little help from his Los Angeles teammates, who were shut out for the first time in the postseason while hitting a bump in what had been one of the most impressive playoff runs in NHL history.The Kings have reached the Cup final just once in 44 seasons of existence, but their worst game of the postseason prevented them from claiming just the second conference title in franchise history — and becoming just the second No. 8 seed to win three playoff rounds."Phoenix played a really good game and came out hard," Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. "They got a big power-play goal against us there, and they got a big faceoff goal. Smith was awesome tonight. They played well, and we can play better. We need to respond better than that."The resilient Coyotes are no strangers to adversity after making the playoffs in three straight seasons without an owner or impressive fan support.
abercrombie and fitch clearanceAsked by Doan and coach Dave Tippett to show their pride in Game 4, the Coyotes showed they're not done with the longest playoff run in franchise history."We're going to go home feeling like we can grab some momentum out of this game," Tippett said. "There's some areas we can certainly embrace that we did better in this game than the other games in this series. You go home and try to push it along again. We're in the same situation."The scene was set for a Kings crowning at Staples Center, but they'll have to have to fly to Phoenix after practice Monday. Los Angeles probably should work on its power play, now in a 3-for-60 slump after going 0 for 6 in Game 4."Do I like going back on the road tomorrow? No, absolutely not," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "But that's the way it works. That's why it's four out of seven. Did we think, as not a home-ice team, we weren't ever going to lose a game? No, it's that simple. You're supposed to play 28 games, not 12 or 13, four or five."With its fans standing and cheering from pregame warmup onward, Los Angeles showed only flashes of its usual aggressive forechecking and speed in Game 4. Phoenix managed just two shots in the first 14 minutes, but Doan still put the Coyotes ahead late in the period, skating out from behind the net and flicking a backhand past Quick.
abercrombie ukDoan's first goal in five games snapped Phoenix's 0-for-22 power play drought and ended the Kings' streak of 30 straight penalties killed, dating to Game 5 of the first round against Vancouver on April 22. Los Angeles also fell behind in a game for just the second time since the second-round opener against St. Louis.The afternoon matches were almost anticlimactic.Munoz, an NCAA champion at Arizona State, took a 2-up lead at Nos. 11 and 12 when Kung ran into problems and never lost it.Munoz was defensive when asked about the win being controversial and tainted."I don't care what — you guys are the ones that are going to say that, not people," said Munoz, who earned $375,000. "You guys can say whatever you want to. You know, I didn't do anything wrong. She lost the hole because she was slow, I wasn't. I was slow before, but not when the clock was on and that's when you can't be slow."Kung, who beat top-ranked Yani Tseng in the third round and topped Hurst 2 and 1 in the semifinals, earned $225,000 in just missing her chance to win for the first time since 2008.Pressel played a bogey-free 5 under for 17 holes in beating Hurst in the third-place match."It was extremely difficult,' said Pressel, who made $150,000. "It's certainly, the last place I wanted to be was on the golf course."Hurst, who was looking for her first tour win, earned $112,500.Doan scored again midway through the second period with a deflected shot after Vermette won a faceoff. Doan's shot ricocheted off the camera inside the net, and play briefly continued while the Coyotes raised their arms

Dufner's 25-foot birdie putt on 18 wins Nelson
abercrombie and fitch outletA month ago, Jason Dufner was a single man still in search of his first PGA Tour victory.Life has certainly changed for the 35-year-old golfer who last summer at the PGA Championship blew a four-stroke lead with four holes to play and lost in a playoff.With a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday, Dufner closed out a one-stroke victory over Dicky Pride to win for the second time in four weeks."You probably couldn't dream it any better than what's been going on here," Dufner said. "The wedding has been in the works for close to a year, so we know that's been coming around the corner. And there's been a lot of good golf since then, but to win two events and get married in the span of 22 days, pretty remarkable."Dufner got his first victory April 29 at New Orleans, then got married the following week.Now he has already won again, this time making $1.17 million and taking over the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings.His closing birdie wrapped up a 3-under 67 round for an 11-under 269 to avoid a playoff with Pride.Pride, whose only PGA Tour victory in a 20-year professional career came in 1994, was at 10 under with a par-saving 22-foot putt at No. 18 for a round of 67 after hitting his drive into the water.
 abercrombie outletMoments later, Dufner made a putt that was only a few feet longer but on virtually the same line."Apparently that was not a very difficult putt on 18, from the long right," Pride said chucklingJ.J. Henry, who had an early hole-in-one, was in the lead at 11 under after consecutive birdies at Nos. 15 and 16, overcoming a bad tee shot on the first and a greenside bunker on the second.Pride made a 13-foot birdie at No. 17 right before Henry, in the final group with Dufner, hit a 7-iron over the par-3 green. The former TCU star lost the lead with a double bogey after a 4-foot putt slid just outside the cup."To be honest, I thought I hit a good shot on 17. I thought the wind was a little into me," Henry said. "I hit the line exactly where I tried to and it just carried about 6 or 7 yards too far."After watching Henry's meltdown, Dufner made a tap-in par at No. 17 and then hit a big drive on No. 18 in the middle of the fairway. He hit a sand wedge to the middle of the green, then avoided a playoff with the long putt to join Hunter Mahan as the only two-time winners this season.
 abercrombie sale"I knew I was tied after I hit the tee shot," Dufner said. "I knew if I made birdie that I would win, par would be a playoffs, but the playoffs aren't much fun. My experience in them aren't too great."While Dufner's win at New Orleans came in a two-hole playoff against Ernie Els, he lost twice in playoffs last season, including to Keegan Bradley in the PGA Championship.Joe Durant, who was the final alternate added to the Nelson field, shot a 65 to finish in a tie for third at 271 with Henry (68), Marc Leishman (66) and rookie Jonas Blixt (66).Phil Mickelson, making his first Nelson start in five years, had four consecutive birdies on the front nine and went on to a round of 66 to finish four strokes back. He tied for seventh with Ken Duke, who also had a string of four birdies in a row in his own 66.Pride let out a scream when his final putt dropped. Pride, who went to the University of Alabama, then watched the final group play the hole, and applauded on the clinching putt by Dufner, who went to rival Auburn."Everybody is making a big deal about that," Pride said of their college affiliations. "But he married a woman from Alabama to show him around."
abercrombie and fitch saleMatt Kuchar, the world's fifth-ranked player who won The Players Championship a week earlier, had 70 and finished at 276 in a tie for 15th. He was trying to become the first PGA Tour player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks.Henry's ace came at the 154-yard No. 5 hole, when he hit a pitching wedge. When the ball rolled back into the cup, Henry thrust both of his arms in the air, then had an emphatic uppercut and he celebrated with the gallery.After Henry's drive at the 504-yard 15th was way right and under a tree, he hit his approach to the middle of the green and made a 32-foot birdie putt that led to another, though more subdued fistpump. His approach at the easier par-5 16th went in a greenside bunker, but he blasted inside 2 1/2 feet for a birdie to get to 11 under.Dufner had consecutive bogeys at Nos. 2 and 3, but quickly responded with consecutive birdies on the following two holes.After a bogey at No. 11 following a bad tee shot, Dufner got back to 10 under with his birdie at the par-5 16th, when he blasted out of a greenside bunker to 6 feet.
cheap abercrombie clothesThe last of Mickelson's four birdies in a row came when he holed a 30-footer at the 461-yard eighth hole. That got the 10th-ranked player to 6 under at about the same time Dufner and Henry were finishing at No. 1, both at 8 under.Mickelson was 8 under after a birdie at the par-5 16th, but his 3 1/2-foot par putt at the following par 3 circled the cup and rolled back toward him for his first bogey of the da"I was certainly disappointed with not getting that birdie," he said. "If I could get 17 or 18, get to 9 of 10 (under), you just never know."Divots: Vijay Singh, a 34-time PGA Tour winner whose last victory was in 2008, was within two strokes of the lead after his third-round 66. He started Sunday with three consecutive bogeys, on way to a 71 and part of a ninth-place tie at 275. ... Bradley the nephew of LPGA great Pat Bradley who got his first PGA Tour victory at last year's Nelson, had a triple-bogey 7 at the 232-yard 11th hole for the second day in a row. He shot 72 for a 278 total. Kung birdied to win the par-4 sixth and never surrendered the lead against Hurst. Kung and Hurst exchanged pars to win holes at nine and 10, but Kung then won the par-5 11th when Hurst made bogey and took the par-3 12th with a birdie.

Munoz wins Sybase after slow-play controvers
red bottom shoesAzahara Munoz is never going to forget her first LPGA Tour win. It was as emotional as it was controversial and possibly tainted.Munoz beat Candie Kung 2 and 1 on Sunday to win the Sybase Match Play Championship, a title that was set up when Morgan Pressel was penalized for slow play while in control of their semifinal match.Pressel was one of the first to hug and congratulate Munoz, her good friend, but she also had to be feeling this could have been her first win since 2008 just as easily.It all reverted to the morning semifinal in which Munoz and Pressel were both slow, although Munoz was admittedly a little slower. They were warned about slow play after nine holes and put on the clock after No. 11.The 12th hole changed everything. Pressel won it with a par to seemingly take a 3-up lead.However, before she could tee off on No. 13, tour official Doug Brecht informed her that she was being penalized for slow play. She had taken 2:09 to play her three shots, 39 seconds over the 30-second limit per shot.In match play, a time penalty is the loss of the previous hole and that handed the admittedly slow-playing Munoz the hole. She was 1-down and back in the match.
red bottoms"It was tough timing because it was a really big, I think, turning point in the match, going from 2-up to 3-up, and then all of a sudden back to 1-up," said Pressel, who was on the verge of tears several times in a post-match news conference after she beat Vicky Hurst 2 and 1 in the consolation match. "You know, it was — I mean, it was really unfortunate."The time penalty was the first for Pressel in seven years on the tour and it left a very bad taste in her mouth, knowing Munoz was the slower player"I think that slow play is one of our biggest problems on tour," Pressel said. "You know, I think that what bothers me the most is that we were given sufficient warning and she really didn't do anything to speed up and then I was penalized for it.Munoz said was apologetic, adding she was surprised Pressel was penalized."I know I was slow and I really apologized for that and I told her, but I do feel both of us were slow and she was the only one getting penalized, and that was not fair and I know that," Munoz said. "I would never make her lose a hole."The penalty didn't end the controversy.Munoz evened the match with a birdie at No. 15, a stroke that was delayed when Pressel contended the Spaniard touched the line of her putt before striking the ball.
 cheap red bottom shoesMatch referee Marty Robinson had two committee officials away from the 15th review the videotape of the one camera angle they had of the hole. Robinson said they could not see any evidence of a rule being broken. Munoz then made her putt.Pressel lost the match when she bogeyed the next two holes, missing a 3-foot par putt at No. 17."It's an unfortunate situation," said Heather Daly-Donofrio, the senior vice president of tour operations. "This is one of those days where it is very tough to be an LPGA official. It's not an easy thing to deliver a pace of play penalty to a player in a situation like this."Daly-Donofrio said two other players have been penalized for slow play this year and five were penalized last year. Pressel was the only one disciplined in the tournament, although two others face fines for slow play.When asked about officials deciding events instead of the players, Daly-Donofrio said that USGA rules have to be upheld. Rule 6-7 says players must play without such delays and it's up to the tour to apply its policy.Daly-Donofrio said slow play is a concern throughout golf, which was evident on the PGA Tour last week when Kevin Na was very slow at The Players Championship. However the PGA Tour has not handed out a slow play stroke penalty in more than a decade.

Updated: In an exclusive interview with All Hip Hop, Dexter Isaac says that he shot and robbed rapper-actor Tupac Shakur during the infamous incident at Quad Studio in 1994. The incident in which Shakur was shot multiple times and robbed of jewelry has been played out in the media in multiple ways. Legendary rapper Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, was in the studio when Shakur was shot and robbed. Shakur blamed Wallace for the attack, releasing a "dis record" entitled "Hit 'Em Up," featuring his group the Outlawz in 1996. This record was in response to Wallace's 1995 song "Who Shot Ya?" which he claimed he recorded prior to Shakur's incident at Quad Studio.

The shooting, on Nov. 30, was the start of a deadly feud that resulted in the murders of both Tupac Shakur and Biggie. Their murders have never been solved.

AllHipHop.com reports that Isaac came forward Wednesday (June 15) with the information on the eve of what would have been Shakur's 40th birthday. He confessed his involvement in the robbery of Shakur after James "Jimmy Henchman" Rosemond, CEO of Czar Entertainment, identified him in a statement relating to Rosemond's indictment for dealing numerous kilos of cocaine. 

"I want to apologize to his family [Tupac Shakur] and for the mistake I did for that sucker [Jimmy Henchman]," Isaac told AllHiphop.com from prison. "I am trying to clean it up to give [Tupac and Biggie's] mothers some closure."

Isaac maintains that Rosemond hired him to rob and shoot Shakur. Rosemond, who is on the run from federal authorities, said in a May 2011 interview with AllHipHop.com that Isaac "ratted" on him to federal authorities. Isaac, who is serving a life sentence plus 30 years, denied the claim, deciding to come forward with the information on Shakur's 1994 shooting. He also claims that he is in possession of a necklace that was stolen from Shakur on the night of the incident as proof of his involvement.

Can you say, "Too much, too little, too late"? Shakur is dead, largely because of a East Coast-West Coast beef that started over this incident involving Rosemond and Isaac. Isaac says that he's coming forward to help the mothers of Shakur and Wallace, but if that was his intention, he could have done it long ago. He's in prison for life plus 30 years, so there was nothing stopping him, especially since the statute of limitations has passed on the crime.

He confessed to get back at Rosemond for muddying his name. Why else would he offer this information on the eve of what would have been Tupac's 40th birthday? Now all eyes are on Isaac instead of Shakur.

Whatever the case, how sad and ridiculous is it that two extremely talented men are dead because of what Rosemond and Isaac started? Sitting idly by and letting this feud escalate to the point where two iconic rappers are dead is unconscionable. In the case of what happened at Quad Studio, we guess it really is true:  You should believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

It was not just a battle between east and west coast, but between two types of hustle. The rough, in the form of Compton-born Marion "Suge" Knight, a failed American footballer whose intimidating physique and links to street crime became an asset while running gangsta rap label Death Row Records. And the smooth, epitomised by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, suburban New Yorker and founder of the Bad Boy label, a marketing genius with an ego even bigger than his mouth.

Both sought to dominate hip-hop as it went mainstream in the mid-90s. Their respective rosters were home to rival talents – Dr Dre, Snoop and Tupac on Death Row, Biggie Smalls on Bad Boy – but the Californians took their allotted role a little too seriously. In 1992, Knight pistol-whipped, then threatened to kill, aspiring rappers George and Lynwood Stanley, for using a studio phone while he was expecting a call.

Chart rivalry and lyrical pot shots gave way to escalating threats, with Tupac and Biggie murdered within six months of each other in 1996 and 97. It's a sign of the chaos of the era that both killings remain unsolved. Long-term, Combs's business acumen won out, with Knight ending up in prison and bankrupt. But, for a while, criminality paid.