WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015 SPORTS

Players thrilling win thrusts Fowler into conversation

LOS ANGELES: Rickie Fowler’s stunning vic- reporters. tory at the $10 million Players Championship “I was always looked at as only having one was unquestionably the perfect riposte to win on tour, and I always felt that I needed to any criticism of his perceived inability to close put myself in position to win more often, and out tournament wins. Much more significant- I did that last year,” said Fowler, who claimed ly, through, his thrilling playoff win after four his maiden PGA Tour win at the 2012 Wells extra holes at the TPC Sawgrass thrust his Fargo Championship. name back into the conversation about the “I wasn’t able to end up as the last guy players most likely to dominate the game at standing then but it feels good to be back in the highest level over the next decade. that position, and I’m hoping to be back in Fowler has been bracketed with Rory the same position more often.” McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day as golf’s most exciting ‘young guns’ but doubts had HARD WORK surfaced after he started this year with a soli- Last year, Fowler became only the third tary career win on the PGA Tour despite sev- player after Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to eral close calls along the way. finish in the top five at all four majors in the An anonymous player poll conducted by same season, the result of hard work and revealed last week that the improved ball-striking in association with his young American and England’s Ian Poulter swing coach Butch Harmon. were the two most overrated golfers on the “This ‘overrated’ thing that came out ... it U.S. circuit. motivated him,” Harmon told Golf Channel. Regardless of the survey’s merits, Fowler “You’ve got to hand it to him. He just keeps used the results as strong motivation as he fighting. That’s what I love about this kid. He’s stormed to the top of the Players got no quit in him.” Championship leaderboard with an eagle- Fowler climbed to ninth in the world rank- birdie-birdie finish in regulation before seal- ings following his victory at the TPC Sawgrass, ing victory in the playoff. and Harmon expects his pupil to now work “Given the fact that ... Rickie Fowler, by even harder at his game as he strives for some of his peers, anonymously was called greater consistency in golf’s big events and out as being overrated, I cannot remember a many more tournament wins. more ‘in-your face’ victory in any other “You’ve got to put in more time and endeavour, in any other sport,” said Golf you’ve got to work harder at it because every- Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee. body that’s trying to beat you is working that After earning the winner’s cheque for $1.8 hard,” Harmon said of Fowler who tied for sec- million at the unofficial “fifth major” by ond last year at both the US Open and British adding a second PGA Tour title to his career Open. “He’s dedicated. The fact that he’d only resume, Fowler readily admitted that the won one time (before last week) really both- player poll had given him timely motivation. ered him because he knows how good he is. “I laughed at the poll, but if there was any The rest of the world knows how good he is question, I think this right here answers any- now, and now we have to keep validating thing you need to know,” the 26-year-old told that and keep winning.”—Reuters

FOXBOROUGH: In this Jan. 18, 2015, file photo, looks to pass during the first half of the NFL foot- ball AFC Championship game. The NFL suspended Brady for the first four games for his role in a scheme to deflate footballs usedn i the AFC title game. —AP NFL suspends Brady, hits Patriots for ‘’

NEW YORK: The came “Today’s punishment, however, far exceeded out of the as an unherald- down hard on the New England Patriots on any reasonable expectation. It was based com- ed sixth-round draft choice. He has won four Monday for their role in Deflategate, suspending pletely on circumstantial rather than hard or Super Bowls in six tries with the Patriots, and star quarterback Tom Brady for the first four conclusive evidence.” was chosen the most valuable player in three of games of next season and fining the franchise Brady has a guaranteed base salary of $8 mil- the victories. He has denied playing any role in $1 million. lion for the 16-game 2015 NFL season. If the deflating the footballs. The NFL also said the Patriots will forfeit their four-game suspension with no pay is upheld, first-round selection in the 2016 draft and a Brady will miss games against Pittsburgh, QUICK REACTION fourth-round pick in 2017 for using under-inflat- Buffalo, Jacksonville and Dallas. Ironically, his Reaction to the sanctions was quick-and ed footballs in last season’s AFC Championship first game back on Oct. 18 would be against the mixed. “They had no definitive proof against game. Colts. Tom Brady or #patriots,” tweeted real estate Brady’s agent and Patriots owner mogul Donald Trump. “If Hillary doesn’t have to both sharply criticized the punishment, prolong- INTEGRITY produce Emails, why should Tom? Very unfair!” ing a turbulent season for the most-profitable Vincent, the NFL’s vice president of football Sean U.S. sports league, which has already had to deal operations who handed down the sanctions, Weatherspoon tweeted: “I think the suspension with scandals involving domestic violence and said he was influenced by the Patriots’ 2007 is warranted, they came down hard on the child abuse. Spygate scandal and the lack of cooperation by organization though. #Deflategate” “The discipline is ridiculous and has no legiti- Brady and the Patriots. “We relied on the critical Brady, 37, who is married to Brazilian fashion mate basis,” said Brady’s agent , adding importance of protecting the integrity of the model Gisele B¸ndchen, refused to turn over his that the quarterback will appeal the suspension. game and the thoroughness and independence cell phone and other personal information for FLORIDA: Rickie Fowler makes his winning putt on the 17 green in this file photo. —AP , an attorney hired by the NFL to of the Wells report,” Goodell said in a statement. the investigation, Wells said in the report. investigate the allegations, said in a 243-page While the fine is large by NFL standards, it “I think it’s absolutely right and proper if he’s report that it was “more probable than not” that won’t dent the bottom line of a team that was been complicit in some kind of wrongdoing,” Patriots personnel “were involved in a deliberate valued by Forbes at $2.6 billion in 2014. said Jamie Johnson, 34, a graduate student from Canada sweep Austria effort” to circumvent rules by using deflated “The $1 million is in many respects a slap on at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of footballs in the team’s 45-7 win over the the wrist, that’s lunch money during the football Government outside Boston. “It doesn’t matter to keep perfect record Colts in the AFC championship season,” said Daniel Durbin, director of the who he is, what kind of player he is, or what he’s game. Institute of Sports, Media and Society at the accomplished.” Patriots head coach , An underinflated football would likely give University of Southern Annenberg who was not implicated in the deflated football PRAGUE: Canada kept a perfect record at the play goals. Patrick Thoresen scored for Brady a better grip and allow him to throw School for Communication and Journalism. scandal, was fined $500,000 in 2007 for illegally ice hockey world championships as they Norway on 33 minutes and Mattias Norstebo longer and with more accuracy, especially in the “The larger issue is taking away their quarter- videotaping defensive signals from New York swept Austria in the last group game yester- took Norway within a goal in the 46th minute, chilly and wet conditions the Colts and Patriots back for four games, that has some impact on Jets coaches in what was dubbed “Spygate.” The day to face Belarus in tomorrow’s quarter- but Belarus held on to the points they need- played in to determine who would go to the revenue because one of their star players is Patriots were also fined $250,000 and forfeited a finals in Prague. ed. “They’re a dangerous team... they have . gone.” Although there was no smoking gun, the first-round draft pick. Dallas forward Jason Spezza and Colorado lots of skill and some good offensive players,” The $1 million fine ties the largest ever for a Wells report, which took nearly four months to The “Deflategate” issue has been another forward Matt Duchene had two goals and said Spezza. team in the NFL, equaling the amount the complete, found Brady and two members of the headache for Goodell, who came under fire last two assists each as Canada humiliated Austria Group B leaders the USA were on track to league ordered 49ers owner Patriots’ equipment staff were all likely culpable. year for his lenient stance on domestic abuse, 10-1 in Group A played in Prague, outshoot- humiliate Slovakia with goals by Ben Smith, Edward Debartolo, Jr. to pay in 1999 after he “The footballs were intentionally deflated in which caused him to re-vamp ’s per- ing the minnows 46-15. Seth Jones and Anders Lee that handed them pleaded guilty to a felony for his role in a an effort to provide a competitive advantage to sonal conduct policy and strengthen the penal- Tyson Barrie, Duchene, Taylor Hall and a 3-0 lead by the 21st minute. But Slovakia, Louisiana gambling scandal. Tom Brady after having been certified by the ties against players who commit such crimes. Aaron Ekblad put Canada 4-0 ahead in the already out of contention for the quarter- In a statement, Kraft, considered one of the game officials as being in compliance with the While Goodell was being heavily criticized for first period and Spezza and Jordan Eberle finals, produced a spectacular comeback with league’s most-powerful owners and an ally of playing rules,” Vincent said in a letter to the his light punishments on domestic violence, made it 6-0 by the second intermission. goals from Marian Gaborik, Adam Janosik, Commissioner , expressed his “dis- Patriots concerning the punishment. Kraft was his staunchest defender, leading many Dominique Heinrich scored for Austria ear- Vladimir Dravecky and Milan Bartovic within appointment in how this one-sided investiga- The team told Goodell last week that Patriots to speculate league would go easy on a star ly in the final period, but Nathan MacKinnon, 12 minutes of the second period. Charlie tion was handled” and said Brady, who has led employees John Jastremski and James McNally, player who is considered one of the greatest of Spezza, Brayden Schenn and Duchene round- Coyle levelled the score before the second the Patriots to four championships, “has our who were linked to the scandal, have been his generation. “It’s a good thing the @nfl sus- ed off the score. Canada have advanced to intermission and Jack Eichel then scored the unconditional support.” “Despite our conviction indefinitely suspended without pay by the club, pended Tom Brady now everyone knows that the quarter-finals with seven wins from as game winner in overtime. that there was no tampering with footballs, it the NFL said. NOBODY is above the system #NFL #FairGame,” many games and an impressive goal differ- In Prague, France beat Latvia 3-2 in a was our intention to accept any discipline levied The punishment was a rare loss for Brady, tweeted Shawne Merriman, a retired former ence of 35. “It is nice to finish first in the group penalty shootout, a result that sent Austria by the league,” Kraft said in a statement. who has played 15 years in the NFL after coming three-time linebacker.—Reuters but it really doesn’t mean much,” Spezza said into relegation side by side with Slovenia, the after the game. “We’re here to win the gold last team in Group B. medal and we have to start with winning our Latvia took a 2-0 lead with two power play next game.” goals in the first two periods, but France put Belarus earned a spot in the quarter-finals the score level five minutes from the end and Walker fuelled by ‘injustice’ after beating Norway 3-2 in a Group B game were luckier in the shootout. yesterday. Alexei Kalyuzhny scored on a pow- The Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, NEWPORT: Ian Walker believes his Abu Dhabi “But it’s like a Formula One race. If you no chance of winning. er play eight minutes into the game and Sweden and Switzerland have also made it to team are on course for a victory in the Volvo haven’t got the car, never mind how good the “Last time, boats had different strengths Dmitri Korobov and Andrei Kostitsyn made it the quarter-finals. The schedule will depend Ocean Race that would settle a sense of “injus- driver is. We had the potential to win but we and weaknesses. “This time around it’s amaz- 3-0 in the second period, also with power- on games to be played late yesterday. —AFP tice” from the last round-the-world epic. never had the opportunity to demonstrate it.” ing. There are still differences between the The Walker-skippered Abu Dhabi Ocean This time Abu Dhabi Racing are in control teams and the boats, but obviously it’s down Racing have a six point lead over Frenchman and Walker says they only have to finish in the to you and how you sail the boat. “You cannot Charles Caudrelier’s Dongfeng Race Team top three in each leg to claim the coveted modify the boats but you can play with the going into the final three legs of the nine title. He is taking nothing for granted howev- weight you carry. month battle. er. “In offshore sailing, you can always break You can be generous or tight with your Hiking up the pressure the Chinese-backed something, crash into something or make a food weight. Not much else. “We have learned vessel won the latest duel into Newport, big tactical error. “The race is not over yet at a lot against Dongfeng going downwind in Rhode Island to narrow the lead. Walker, a all. But we are in a strong position, a position light air. The team that wins this race will be two-time Olympic silver medallist, is hoping where we don’t have to beat Dongfeng in the team who improves most. We’re still learn- however that the disasters of 2011-2012 can every leg. Which is important. ing a lot.” be avoided. “We can afford to lose a point here and This time Dongfeng has suffered a broken In that race, the Abu Dhabi boat broke a there. We don’t have to chase the race. mast and other troubles but Caudrelier has mast during the opening leg and later suf- Fundamentally, if we finish in the top three in battled back. Walker knows there could be a fered hull damage, which forced it to retire every leg, then it’s OK. We dont need to rough ride ahead and the rivalry with the from the crucial race from Auckland to Itajai, change anything in the way we sail.” French skipper will be intense. “No other team in Brazil. The team eventually limped home Walker was to gather the eight man crew has been consistently in the top three. We fifth. together on Tuesday to discuss tactics before have had very similar results. We’ve been neck But Walker denied he was seeking they leave on May 17 for the Newport-Lisbon to neck all race,” said Walker. “revenge.” “The word is too strong. I always leg. The Briton said that changing the race so After Lisbon there are two legs to France felt a sense of injustice in the previous race. I everyone has the same boat design has had a and Gothenburg, Sweden where the event knew we were sailing well. I knew we had a dramatic impact on the competition. “Last ends about June 27 after a 38,739 nautical OSTRAVA: United States players celebrate their victory during the Hockey World good team and I knew that we deserved bet- time, we had big differences between the mile race taking in 11 ports on every conti- Championships Group B match between United States and Slovakia. —AP ter. boats. And therefore, you had teams who had nent. —AFP