Sports Briefs August 2, 2011
Soccer
New U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann believes his mix of international experience and American knowledge will allow him to improve the national team.
The former Germany striker and coach, who has lived in the United States for 13 years, was introduced Monday in New York and he spent much of the time talking about how to mold future American stars, not managing current ones.
"It all starts down to develop the next Landon Donovan," Klinsmann said of the U.S. one day becoming a serious contender for World Cup titles.
And "one day" is the key phrase - he believes "we still are quite a long way away from that."
"You need maybe 10 Landon Donovans at different positions with different characteristics in order to one day be there," Klinsmann said in an interview.
Perhaps it's partly a way to temper expectations as he takes over from Bob Bradley, whose firing was announced Thursday. The U.S. reached the round of 16 at last year's World Cup, but blew a two-goal lead in the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico in June.
Football
NBA talks have started again and are apparently going nowhere.
A downcast Commissioner David Stern said "nothing" gave him reason for encouragement after a 2-hour meeting in New York between owners and players, the first to include leadership from both sides since the lockout began exactly a month ago.
Stern added nothing had changed since the last meeting on June 30, hours before the old collective bargaining agreement expired, and said he doesn't feel players are bargaining in good faith.
Players argue that although owners insist they are committed to making a deal, their proposals say otherwise.
• University of Montana athletics director Jim O'Day said the school has sold a record number of football season tickets this year.
As of Friday, 18,688 season tickets were sold - 26 more than the previous high in 2009.
Limited single game tickets went on sale Monday, and some season tickets were still available.
O'Day said some fans thought that season ticket sales would be down given the tough economic times and the fact that the Griz missed the playoffs last year. He says the opposite has been true and that crowds at home Griz games should number more than 25,000.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Montana has sold more than 18,000 football season tickets.
Hockey
Chris Chelios hasn't completely closed the door on a comeback.
Sure, the longtime NHL defenseman is 49 years old. And yes, he sat out all of last season. But pulling the plug on his playing days is something he just can't bring himself to do.
His retirement last year did pave the way for this: Chelios was selected for induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, joining former NHL stars Keith Tkachuk and Gary Suter.
Philadelphia Flyers founder and current owner Ed Snider and play-by-play announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick also were selected. The formal induction will take place this fall.
• The relationship between San Jose and newly acquired Brent Burns has gotten off to such a good start that the All-Star defenseman signed a five-year, $28.8 million contract extension before even suiting up for the Sharks.
The Sharks made the move to acquire Burns from Minnesota during the draft in June, trading a package headlined by talented forward Devin Setoguchi for the big, puck-moving defenseman that San Jose had been seeking.
- The Associated Press