George Blanda

George Blanda, a quarterback and place-kicker who played professional football longer than anyone else and who retired having scored more points than anyone else, died Monday. He was 83.

The Oakland Raiders announced his death but provided no details. Blanda finished his career with the Raiders, playing for them from 1967 until his retirement, at 48, just before the 1976 season.

Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, Blanda played for 26 seasons and was one of only two men to have played in four separate decades. (Jeff Feagles, a recently retired punter, is the other.) Blanda played in the National Football League, the American Football League and, after the leagues merged in 1970, the hybrid that was unified under the N.F.L. rubric.

He began his career in 1949 with the Chicago Bears, playing for George Halas, the legendary coach and team owner who helped shape pro football in its early years. He finished playing for Al Davis, the Raiders’ legendary owner (and one-time coach) who helped shape the contemporary professional game.

“Blanda had a God-given killer instinct to make it happen when everything was on the line,” Davis said to The Sporting News in 1989. “I really believe that George Blanda is the greatest clutch player I have ever seen in the history of pro football.”

Davis had a firsthand look at Blanda’s most famous stretch of games. On Sunday, Oct. 25, 1970, Blanda stepped in for the Raiders’ injured starting quarterback, Daryle Lamonica, and threw for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to beat Pittsburgh.

The next Sunday, against the Kansas City Chiefs, he kicked a 48-yard field goal, salvaging a tie with eight seconds left in the game.

The week after that, against the Cleveland Browns, Blanda entered the game with a little more than four minutes to play and the Raiders down by a touchdown. He threw a touchdown pass, kicked the extra point, drove the team into position for the winning field goal and kicked it — that 52-yarder — with three seconds on the clock.

The next Sunday, he beat Denver with a late touchdown pass; the Sunday after that, he beat San Diego with a last-minute field goal.

Five straight weeks he saved the game; he was 43 at the time.

Team USA 2010

[9/12/10] Durant leads USA over host Turkey to win World Championship

[9/12/10] Lithuania defeats Serbia for the bronze

[9/12/10] Argentina defeats Spain for fifth place

[9/11/10] Turkey nips Serbia to reach the finals

[9/11/10] Durant carries USA over Lithuania to the finals

[9/9/10] USA defeats Russia to advance to semifinals

[9/8/10] Serbia knocks off defending champion Spain to advance to semi-finals

[8/30/10] USA edges Brazil 70-68

[8/23/10] Rajon Rondo withdraws, finalizing U.S. roster: Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom, Kevin Durant, Danny Granger, Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chauncey Billups, Derrick Rose

[8/21/10] USA hangs on to defeat Spain 86-85

[8/14/10] USA defeats France 86-55 at Madison Square Garden

[8/14/10] USA cuts roster to 13 dropping Jeff Green and JaVale McGee (again)

[8/3/10] Brook Lopez withdraws, replaced by JaVale McGee

[7/28/10] Evans, Mayo, Wallace, McGee are the first cuts

[7/21/10] USA roster shrinks

[7/21/10] David Lee injures middle finger, will miss world championships

[7/20/10] Robin Lopez to miss World Championships to continue rehabbing back

[7/19/10] Amare Stoudemire to miss World Championships because of insurance concerns

[7/19/10] JaVale McGee added to Team USA roster

***

The next generation of USA Basketball will gather in Las Vegas on Monday and begin training camp Tuesday, in preparation for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, which takes place in Turkey from Aug. 28 through Sept. 12.

No members of the 2008 gold-winning Olympic team will be participating this summer, so USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be building an entirely new team over the next six weeks. And they won't have the ability to rely on the talents of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company.

Team USA also will have to build its chemistry. That 2008 Olympic team had the same starting lineup as the team that won the FIBA Americas tournament in 2007.

Colangelo and Krzyzewski are bringing 21 players to Las Vegas. Eventually, they'll have to trim that list down to 12.

Here's a breakdown of the team in the recent past, and a look at what the USA Basketball braintrust will work with in the next few weeks:

*Starter (majority of games)
Point guards

2006: Chris Paul*, Kirk Hinrich

2007: Jason Kidd*, Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams

2008: Jason Kidd*, Chris Paul, Deron Williams

The candidates: Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook

Billups should be a lock for three reasons. First, he has 139 games of NBA playoff experience. Second, he's a proven leader. And third, he's one of the only two shooters in the group.

Colangelo told NBA.com that Billups could also play the two, and the same could be said about Curry, the other shooter. Colangelo also mentioned Rajon Rondo's playoff experience, but as the smallest of the group, Rondo could be the least fit for the international game, where much more contact is allowed on the perimeter.

Defensively, Rondo should stand out, but Westbrook should also have an advantage on that end. The competition for the two roster spots after Billups should be fierce. That extra year of experience for Rose and Westbrook may make the difference.

Early Prediction: Billups, Rose and Westbrook
Wings

2006: Shane Battier*, LeBron James*, Joe Johnson, Dwyane Wade

2007: Kobe Bryant*, LeBron James*, Mike Miller, Michael Redd

2008: Kobe Bryant*, LeBron James*, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade

The candidates: Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Danny Granger, Andre Iguodala, O.J. Mayo

Durant is on the team and is likely to be the starting small forward when the U.S. takes the floor against Croatia on Aug. 28. The biggest unknown going into camp may be who the starting two guard will be.

You can separate the rest of this group into shooters and non-shooters. Figure that either Mayo or Gordon make the team for their shooting, and Granger would be valuable as a combo-forward. Iguodala is the most experienced and is also the best defender, so Gay may be the odd man out.

Early prediction: Durant, Granger, Mayo and Iguodala
Fours

2006: Carmelo Anthony*, Antawn Jamison

2007: Carmelo Anthony*, Tayshaun Prince

2008: Carmelo Anthony*, Tayshaun Prince

The candidates: Jeff Green, Lamar Odom, Gerald Wallace

Anthony is an NBA three, but he was Team USA's starting power forward for three years. And LeBron James or Prince played the four when Anthony went to the bench. In international competition, you need a four who can shoot and defend on the perimeter, so that's why Kevin Love, a prototypical power forward in the NBA, is not included in this group.

Granger has the size to be a four in international competition, and Durant could see some time there as well. But there should be room on the roster for at least one or two of these guys that have actually played the four in the NBA.

Odom should be a lock with his experience and versatility. Wallace is a terrific defender and rebounder, and is actually the best shooter of the group. Green has been a part of the USA Basketball program for a while now, and always shows well in camp. But somebody in this group has to stay home.

Early Prediction: Odom and Wallace
Bigs

2006: Dwight Howard*, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand, Brad Miller

2007: Dwight Howard*, Tyson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire

2008: Dwight Howard*, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer

The candidates: Tyson Chandler, David Lee, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Kevin Love, Amar'e Stoudemire

As noted above, the four man needs to be able to play on the perimeter, so it's unlikely that you'll see two of these guys on the floor together for very long. Boozer wasn't even in the rotation in Beijing.

Stoudemire should be a lock and will be a huge pick-and-roll threat for Team USA. After that, it's going to be a case of what skills Colangelo and Krzyzewski want from their other two bigs. Chandler gives them length and shotblocking. Lee and Love give them rebounding and passing. Brook Lopez gives them a low-post game, while his brother gives them energy and defense.

Early prediction: Chandler, Lee and Stoudemire

no Heisman for Bush

The Heisman Trophy Trust is expected to strip former USC running back Reggie Bush of his 2005 Heisman Trophy and leave the award vacant, Yahoo Sports reported.

Two sources close to the trust said the organization is completing its investigation and will agree with the NCAA's finding that Bush accepted improper benefits while at USC and was ineligible during the 2005 season, according to the report. The NCAA cited USC for "lack of institutional control" and handed the Trojans four years' probation, a two-year bowl ban and a reduction in football scholarships.

Bush would become the first player in the 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy to have the award taken away.

***

[9/15/10] Running back Reggie Bush has decided to hand over the Heisman.

Under pressure since his award-winning 2005 campaign at USC was vacated, Bush said in a statement on Tuesday that he will forfeit the Heisman Trophy.

ESPN3

Cool, I can now catch ESPN3 courtesy of Hawaiiantel.com. (Fran Fraschilla keeps mentioning it on the USA basketball telecasts.)

I recall I tried to access it before but it had to be authorized in partnership with the ISP. And now it is.

Not that I plan to watch it that much. (Hey, I got enough to watch/do already!)

Aroldis Chapman hits 102 in debut

CINCINNATI — Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman was too fast to hit in his big league debut, throwing 102 mph during one perfect inning, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 on Tuesday night, wrapping up the best August by any team in the majors.

Chapman joined the Reds' bullpen and matched the hype his first time out, throwing four pitches clocked at 100 mph or better. The Reds called up the hard-throwing lefty, hoping he can add some sizzle to their September — and beyond.

From the start, the Reds had their attention on September.

They called up Chapman from the minors before the game, making him eligible for postseason play. Chapman's fastball has been clocked as high as 105 mph in the minors, making him something of an urban legend before he even reached a major league mound.

Fans started snapping pictures when he took off his jacket and started warming up after the seventh-inning stretch. The crowd cheered when Chapman — wearing No. 54 — was shown on the videoboard.

Chapman got a standing ovation from the crowd of only 19,218 when he jogged out of the bullpen to pitch the top of the eighth with the Reds leading 8-3. Fans let out a collective "ooh" after each high-velocity warmup throw.

His first pitch to Jonathan Lucroy registered 98 mph, and the third one hit 102 mph, drawing a loud cheer. Chapman made quick work of the three batters he faced — a strikeout by Lucroy on an 86 mph slider and two weak ground balls by Craig Counsell and pinch-hitter Carlos Gomez. Half of his eight pitches reached triple digits, topping out at 102.

He walked off the field to another standing ovation.

***

[9/24/10] Chapman hits 105, the fastest pitch ever recorded

BYU goes independent in football

Still reeling from two defections last month, the Western Athletic Conference and University of Hawaii suffered an additional setback yesterday with an announcement that Brigham Young University will move most of its teams to the West Coast Conference instead of the WAC.

What remains to be seen is if WAC member Utah State will be invited to take BYU's place in the Mountain West Conference.

BYU, which two weeks earlier was prepared to move to the WAC in all sports except football, replacing Boise State, will instead join the WCC, a nonfootball conference, in 12 sports. The Cougars' football team will become an independent in the same time frame.

The fear for UH and the WAC now is that the MWC might attempt to fill the hole left by BYU's departure with an invitation to Utah State. Indications are the Aggies, who said they turned the MWC down last month, would likely accept a second offer if one comes.

That could leave the WAC with five members -- one below the minimum for automatic-qualifier status for most NCAA championships, UH said.

***

The University of Hawaii and the Western Athletic Conference are expected to announce a scheduling alliance with Brigham Young University in football today.

WAC commissioner Karl Benson has a media conference call scheduled for today from Honolulu to make the announcement.

BYU announced yesterday it will leave the Mountain West Conference to go independent in football and put 12 of its other teams in the West Coast Conference in 2011-12 instead of joining the WAC.

But to fill out its football schedule BYU is expected announce an alliance with the WAC that will provide it with four to six opponents each season.

UH is expected to become an almost annual opponent through 2020 on a home-and-home basis. Before the departure of Fresno State and Nevada to the MWC on Aug. 18, plans were in the works for UH to play BYU in 2011, replacing Boise State, as well as additional games through 2016.

UH athletic director Jim Donovan and BYU's Tom Holmoe had previously scheduled games for 2012 (in Provo) and '13 (Aloha Stadium).

BYU, once viewed in the islands as UH's fiercest rival in several sports, has not played the Warriors since 2002. They have met 27 times since 1930.