College's Million-Dollar Cowboy
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SPRING SOCCER ENDS GILLETTE NEWS RECORD SECTION C The age 12 and younger Renegades FRIDAY SPORTS end spring in Boulder, Colorado, C2 JUNE 20, 2014 SPORTS NEWS? Send emails to Roy Frazier at [email protected] or Grant Egger at [email protected] NFL C3 In brief NBA’s Cavs offer European coach CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers offered successful European coach David Blatt their coaching job Thursday night and are discussing a con- tract with him, said a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymi- ty because the team is not com- menting. After an exhaustive, five- week search, the Cavs zeroed in on Blatt to make him their third coach in three years. Yahoo! first reported Cleveland’s offer to Blatt. The 55-year-old Blatt recent- ly resigned as coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, this year’s Euroleague champion, to pursue his dream Sample of coaching in the NBA. He was coveted as an assistant by Minnesota and Golden State. Jets coach dismisses ex-assistant’s claim FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jets coach Rex Ryan said that a suggestion by former defen- sive coordinator and current Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine that New England might have obtained a copy of New York’s playbook is “ridic- ulous” and “disrespectful” to the Patriots. Pettine made the comments during an interview with Sports Illustrated’s theMMQB. com, saying Ryan once gave Alabama coach Nick Saban a copy of the Jets’ playbook — and Pettine warned that Patriots coach Bill Belichick News Record Photo/Daniel Brenner and Saban are close friends. Richie Champion holds on in the bareback riding competition Monday during the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper. Champion won $1.1 mil- Judge won’t dismiss lion at The American rodeo in March and is seeking a college national title to go with it. Armstrong lawsuit WASHINGTON — A fed- eral judge refused to dismiss the government’s lawsuit against disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong and a number of College’s million-dollar cowboy associates for alleged doping and use of banned perfor- mance-enhancing techniques. From 1999 to 2004, Richie Champion’s journey from Tarleton State cowboy to millionaire got its start in Gillette Armstrong was the lead rider on a team sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, and he By GRANT EGGER finals in Mesquite, Texas. For Champion — the fifth- rest of the rodeo’s events to take place before it was won the Tour de France every NEWS RECORD WRITER place qualifier who beat out the returning, famed announced that in a split-second he went from being year during that period. [email protected] rodeo champion Justin McBride, among others — it a 21-year-old college rodeo cowboy to rodeo’s first $1 Judge Robert Wilkins ruled was the first step toward a life-altering moment just million winner in a single event. in favor of the government’s Richie Champion will never forget where he was four months later in his home state. On Monday, “The whole experience was really unbelievable,” position that Armstrong and on March 2, 2014. after his second successful ride in the college nation- he said. “I’m finding out every day how it’s changed associates owed an obliga- That’s when the Tarleton State University (Texas) al finals, he remembered how his millionaire status my life.” tion to pay money due to the bareback rider won $1.1 million dollars at The came to be. At the same time, Champion feels as though he’s alleged breach of the sponsor- American rodeo in Arlington, Texas, at AT&T “The only reason we decided to go to Gillette the same guy he was before he hoisted a giant check ship agreements with the postal Stadium. It was one of biggest jackpots in rodeo was because we didn’t have anything else to do that over his head in front of thousands of fans. His father service. history and will always be one of the most amazing weekend,” Champion said. took over the financial reins and the Texan was com- times in Champion’s life. “We said, ‘you know what, the fees are expensive peting again within in the week. Now, he is just one Avalanche sign However, on Monday at the College National for those qualifiers. But at the same time, looking of the hundreds of cowboys and cowgirls competing Finals Rodeo in Casper, The Woodlands, Texas, back on it, that 900 bucks was the best investment at the Casper Events Center for a shot at being a col- McGinn to deal native talked about another date, another rodeo and I’ve ever put down.” lege national champion. DENVER — The Colorado another place that he’ll never forget. A meager crowd at the Wyoming Center for the Though Champion hopes to one day top March 2, Avalanche signed left winger The date was Dec. 30, 2013. qualifier turned into a football stadium full of fans 2014, by becoming a world champion, he’ll never for- Jamie McGinn to a two-year The rodeo was The American Qualifier. — who would have usually been cheering on the get how his American win started in Gillette. deal. The place was Gillette, Wyoming. National Football League’s Cowboys. That $900 “It was cold that time, especially coming from The 25-year McGinn had A day before the annual New Year’s Eve Buck-n- investment turned into, at first, the addition of Texas,” he said. 19 goals and 19 assists in 79 Ball at Cam-plex’s Wyoming Center, five bareback $100,000 for winning the bareback event. After his You’ve got to imagine that toughing out the cold games last season in helping riders punched their ticket to The American’s semi- winning ride of 90 points, Champion waited for the was well worth it. the Avalanche tie a franchise record with 52 wins. He also had three game-winning goals. Louisville guard 6th-grader Lucy Li’s Open: a 78, then ice cream transfers out Final round Former Louisville guard By DOUG FERGUSON Kevin Ware was cleared by the AP GOLF WRITER of CNFR NCAA to play immediately for Georgia State after transferring PINEHURST, N.C. — Lucy Li to the school this spring for showed her age only when she fin- family reasons. taking shape ished her historic round Thursday at Ware is best known for the the U.S. Women’s Open. inspiration he provided the Just like any 11-year-old, she went Cardinals after sustaining a Just one section of straight for an ice cream. severe leg injury during their The youngest qualifier ever at the run to the national title in round three is left to Women’s Open played a grown-up 2013. He shot 44.7 percent game at Pinehurst No. 2, except for from the field and 40.5 percent determine finals three holes that made her 8-over from 3-point range that season 78 look a lot worse than it was and as the first guard off the bench. stretched the odds of her becoming By GRANT EGGER NEWS RECORD WRITER Judge denies Shelly the youngest player to make the cut. “She looks 11. She doesn’t talk 11. [email protected] Sterling’s request And she doesn’t hit the ball like she’s 11,” said Catherine O’Donnell, who With each passing performance LOS ANGELES — A judge played with her in a sunbaked open- this week at the Casper Events rejected an urgent request ing round on a course that only four Center, the College National Finals by Shelly Sterling’s attorney days ago hosted the men’s U.S. Open. Rodeo’s final round picture becomes asking that husband Donald The sixth-grader from the Bay more clear. Sterling and his lawyers be Area was the star attraction, right Gillette College can already plain- ordered to stop harassing her down to her Stars & Stripes outfit ly see one of its barrel racers, Taylor legal team and doctors in their to celebrate the occasion. She wore Engesser, in Saturday’s champi- dispute over the planned sale a mid-drift shirt patterned after the onship go-round after what the of the Los Angeles Clippers AP Photo/Chuck Burton American flag, with a similar motif for Spearfish, South Dakota, native basketball team. a skirt, complete with silver stars that Lucy Li waits to putt on the 13th green during the first round Thursday did on Thursday night. The cowgirl A petition filed by Shelly matched the color of her braces. of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament in Pinehurst, N.C. ripped off her second straight blazing Sterling’s attorneys quoted Li wound up 11 shots behind run aboard her horse, Rowdy. Her allegedly threatening remarks Stacy Lewis, the No. 1 player in the 14.03-second time has her ranked made by Donald Sterling in world who opened with a 67. But one Li had the same score as O’Donnell, fifth with one performance left in the phone calls and a letter sent by less than a yard. Even though she hit moment was telling. Natalie Gulbis and Jessica Korda, third round. his lawyer to two doctors who fairway metals into half of the holes, The kid made a 7-foot birdie putt on a two-time winner on the LPGA The time also kept Engesser declared him mentally incapac- she rarely got out of position. Now if the par-5 fifth hole and headed to the Tour this year. There already were 11 ranked first in the average with a itated.