Issuu

SPORTS SECTION E

NBA TRADE

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017

Kyrie Irving, Page 3

‘Reno’ Johnson has fists set on ‘The Technician’ By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

or the second time in his career, Tureano ‘Reno’ Johnson finds himself on the threshold of securing a world title shot. Johnson, 33, is in Miami, Oklahoma preparing for his 12-round main event showdown on Friday night at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, where he will take on Sergiy ‘the Technician’ Derevyanchenko. The fight will be carried live on Sports 1/Fox Deportes. It’s a mandatory fight with Johnson ranked at number one in the International Boxing Federation and Derevyanchenko at No.2. The winner could get a title fight against Gennady Golovkin, the IBF, World Boxing Council and coWorld Boxing Association champion. Johnson originally earned a mandatory shot at Golovkin after he destroyed Eamonn O’Kane in an elimination fight on October 17, 2015 on the undercard of Golovkin’s unification fight with David Lemieux. However, Johnson suffered a severe shoulder injury in the bout. The injury

required surgery and Johnson did not fight again until he returned for a secondround knockout win against Fabiano Pena on March 23. As a result of his inactivity, the IBF decided to give Johnson another eliminator before they can look at a possible match-up against Golovkin again. “This is something that I’ve been waiting for a long time,” said Johnson in an interview with The Tribune. “I’ve been in this position before, but I am much better prepared this time around.” Johnson, who fights out of the Golden Boy Promotions, heads into the fight with a 20-1 win-loss record with 14 knockouts. His only lost came on April 4, 2014 against Curtis Stevens at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Against 31-year-old Russian born Derevyanchenko, who hails out of Ukraine, Johnson will take on an opponent whose career got started with his debut in at the BB King Blues Club & Grill in New York where he won over Gordon Cromwell. In fact, Derevyanchenko’s promoter Alex Khanas has kept him in the United States where he’s fought all of his fights, including his last encounter on March 14 at the Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mis-

sissippi, over Kemahl Russell. Eight of his fights have been via the knockout. While Johnson said he has only watched his opponent on tape, he knows a little about his amateur background, having fought against one of his Ukraine team-mates at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,

China. Competing in the welterweight division at the time, Johnson won 9-4 over Olexandr Stretskyy of Ukraine in the second round before he was eliminated 11-4 by Hanati Silamu of China in the third round. Johnson won his firstround bout 18-3 over Ro-

lande Moses of Grenada. Two years later, Johnson turned pro, winning his debut on March 5, 2010 against Cleoney Fuqua at the Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia. After he had his 14-0 win streak snapped by Stevens in 2014, Johnson went on to win the vacant WBC Continental Americas middleweight title on July 11, 2014 against Mike Gavronski at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Sheldon, Washington. He also took the vacant WBA International middleweight and the WBC Silver middleweight titles, all vacant, over Alex Theran on January 9, 2015 at the Madison Square Gardens in New York. The 5-foot, 10-inch orthodox fighter said he’s in the best shape of his life, thanks to the preparation of his coach, Antonio Bentacurt, and he intends to put on a show for the Bahamian public, those who will be in attendance and those who will get a chance to watch it on television. “We’ve been working very hard and now I feel I’m ready to take on the world,” Johnson said. “I am very happy to be back with coach Antonio. He has really done a great job getting me ready for this fight.” Bentacurt was in John-

son’s corner for all but his two fights in 2015. Tyrone Jones handled those two before he passed away that same year. Johnson said after Jones’ death, he reunited with Bentacurt who got him prepared for his return to action on March 23 when he won over Fabiano Pena in Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California. During his brief break, Johnson had to undergo surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital to repair his shoulders. He thanked the doctors and staff who worked on him, Lynden Johnson, past chairman of the National Sports Authority for granting him access to the facilities at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre to train and the International Orthopedic Therapy & Holistic Spa. Johnson also thanked the Ministry of Tourism, the Mail Boat, the Food Kingdom on Carmichael Road, Community Pharmacy, KS Moses and Gully’s Towing among others, who have assisted him financially. Without all of their support, Johnson said he would not be in the position that he is in today, getting ready to cash in on a bid to get a world title shot. The weigh-in for the 160-pound fight is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

LAW enforcement officials and Special Olympics Bahamas members take part in the torch run on Saturday.

LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN BENEFITS SPECIAL OLYMPICS BAHAMAS ON Saturday, members of several law enforcement agencies led by the Royal Bahamas Police Force held a torch run to benefit the Special Olympics Bahamas organisation. The run began shortly after 9am from the Magistrate’s Court on Nassau and South Streets, heading west past the University of the Bahamas and the Police College

and then onto John F Kennedy Drive along the sixth-leg roundabout and ending at the Stapledon School on Dolphin Drive. Participants included Minister of National Security Marvin Dames, Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, Chief ALIV Officer Damian Blackburn, Chief ALIV Champion Johnny Ingle, among others.

Minister Dames said he has been a part of Special Olympics for more than 20 years and so the run was “extremely special” for him. “ALIV is demonstrating here today what corporate partnership is all about and we need all of corporate Bahamas to take note,” Minister Dames said. Blackburn said he was delight-

ed that the police and the minister (national security) were deeply involved with Special Olympics and reaffirmed ALIV’s commitment to the organisation in assistance and funding. The end of the run kicked off a Family Fun Day at the Stapledon School where members of the ALIV Nassau team assisted with setup and also playing games with

the children. All proceeds from the event were donated to Special Olympics Bahamas. In May, ALIV entered into a three-year commitment with Special Olympics Bahamas, the first ever corporate sponsorship for the organisation, according to Special Olympics Bahamas national coordinator Gilbert Williams.

PAGE 2, Wednesday, August 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 23, 2017, PAGE 3

AP Source: Cavaliers trade Kyrie Irving to Celtics for Isaiah Thomas By TOM WITHERS Associated Press CLEVELAND (AP) — Kyrie Irving’s next crossover will come against the Cavaliers. Cleveland’s All-Star guard, who asked owner Dan Gilbert to trade him earlier this summer, was dealt last night to the Boston Celtics in exchange for star Isaiah Thomas, forward Jae Crowder, centre Ante Zizic and a 2018 firstround draft pick, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. Since Irving made his stunning request, the defending Eastern Conference champions have been looking for a trade partner. They found the perfect one in the Celtics, who will now build around Irving and newly signed free agent Gordon Hayward. Irving’s first regular-season game for Boston will be against Cleveland as the Cavs will host the Celtics on October 17 — a date being circled by fans already. Irving, who made the biggest shot in Cleveland history to win the 2016 NBA Finals, is joining a Boston team that lost to Cleveland in last season’s conference finals and has been unable to unseat LeBron James and Co. in recent years. The Cavs were concerned about getting equivalent value for Irving, who has two years remaining on his contract, but in the 5-foot9 Thomas they are adding one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers. Thomas averaged 28.9 points last season. He missed most of the East finals with a hip injury. The 28-year-old Thomas, taken with the final pick in the second round in 2011, can become a free agent

IN this November 3, 2016, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving, right, looks to drive against Boston Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas during the first half of a game in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane) when his contract ends after next season. His reputation in Boston was cemented when he led the Celtics through the playoffs last season despite the death of his sister on the eve of the postseason. He also had a front tooth

knocked out during the second-round series against Washington and the hip injury eventually forced the team to shut him down early in the East finals, won by the Cavaliers in five games. Thomas believes he is worthy of a maximum con-

LIFE BANS ARE UPHELD FOR THREE OFFICIALS IN DOPING, BRIBERY CASE LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Life bans for the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack and Russia’s former top athletics official have been upheld in a doping and bribery case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Monday its judging panel dismissed appeals by Papa Massata Diack and former IAAF treasurer Valentin Balakhnichev against bans by the governing body. A coach, Alexei Melnikov, who led Russia’s long-distance running programme, also had his life ban confirmed. “The panel concluded that on the evidence adduced, the charges against Balakhnichev, Melnikov and Diack were established beyond reasonable doubt,” the court said in a statement. The full reasoned verdict is expected to be published at a later date. Papa Massata Diack, then an IAAF marketing consultant, is subject to an international arrest warrant and believed to be in his native Senegal. He is wanted for questioning by France authorities in a corruption case linked to Russian doping and blackmail that also implicates his father. An IAAF ethics committee imposed life bans in January 2016 for an alleged conspiracy to extort money from Russian runner Liliya Shobukhova, a former winner of the Boston, Chicago and London Marathons who later turned whistleblower. The IAAF’s case followed a report by German broadcaster ARD in December 2014 alleging that Shobukhova paid 450,000 euros ($530,000) to Russian officials who threatened her with a ban for doping before the 2012 London Olympics. She competed at the Olympics, though did not finish the race. When Shobukhova was eventually banned for two years in 2014, her hus-

IN this February 17, 2016, file photo, Papa Massata Diack, centre, son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack, arrives at the central police station in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Vincent Tremeau)

IN this Sunday, August 18, 2013 file photo, Russian Athletics Federation President Valentin Balakhnichev, right, and deputy mayor of Moscow Alexander Gorbenkov, left, attend the closing ceremony at the World Athletics Championships in the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) band reportedly received a 300,000 euro ($355,000) refund payment from an account in Singapore linked to Papa Massata Diack, the IAAF investigation found. Banning the three men last year, the IAAF said they “acted dishonestly and corruptly and did unprecedented damage to the sport of track and field which,

by their actions, they have brought into serious disrepute.” Lamine Diack, a longtime International Olympic Committee member who left sport in 2015, is suspected by French authorities of taking more than 1 million euros ($1.18 million) to blackmail athletes and cover up positive tests.

tract and has quoted saying, “They better bring out the Brinks truck.” Cleveland is also getting Crowder, a solid perimeter defender, and a first-round pick that Boston got from Brooklyn. The package could help the Cavs reload

if James opts out of his contract next summer and leaves Cleveland for a second time. The Vertical first reported the possible blockbuster deal. The Cavs drafted Irving with the No. 1 overall pick in 2011. He struggled in

his first few seasons but blossomed in recent years alongside James. However, that didn’t seem to be enough for the 25-yearold, who has wanted to be the prime player and focal point on his own team. He got his wish.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, August 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Champions League: In-demand Insigne nets as Napoli advances By ROB HARRIS Associated Press LORENZO Insigne netted his 50th goal for Napoli on Tuesday as the in-demand forward helped his team book a place in the Champions League group stage by beating Nice. Napoli was already leading through Jose Callejon’s goal when Insigne struck from the edge of the penalty area in the 89th minute to complete a 2-0 win on the French Riviera and send his team through 4-0 on aggregate. Whether Insigne is still at Napoli next month is unclear, with Barcelona among the leading clubs reported to be interested in signing him before the summer transfer window closes on Aug. 31. “I’m proud to hear that top clubs are watching me, but doing well with the Napoli shirt is something I have always dreamt of,” Insigne said on the UEFA website. “I think we improved a lot, especially in terms of mentality, hopefully we can also win trophies.” The 26-year-old Insigne is off the mark quickly this season after taking three months to find the net last year. “Lorenzo is an absolute talent,” Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. “At the moment he’s the player who best represents Italian football.” There was a very different verdict on Nice’s Italian striker, Mario Balotelli, who was described as “highly inadequate” by coach Lucien Favre. Balotelli had been off the pitch arguing with the

NAPOLI’S LORENZO INSIGNE, left, celebrates with teammate Rog yesterday after scoring during a Champions League playoff round, second leg soccer match against Nice in Nice, France. (AP Photo/Claude Paris) fourth official, leaving Nice with 10 men early in the second half, when the unmarked Callejon tapped in at the far post to put Napoli in front. Balotelli, who has a checkered disciplinary record, was booed by his own Nice fans when he was later substituted. SCORING RECORD Celtic held a 5-0 lead over Astana but the Scottish champions were given a scare in Kazakhstan, where they lost 4-3 but still advanced 8-4 on aggregate. The 12 goals over the two games set a scoring record for the Champions League playoff round.

Kristoffer Ajer’s own goal in the 26th minute gave Astana a glimmer of hope of mounting a comeback. Although Scott Sinclair levelled eight minutes later, quick-fire Astana goals at the start of second half from Serikzhan Muzhikov and Patrick Twumasi restored the host’s lead on the night. Twumasi netted again in the 69th to send Astana into a 4-1 lead but his team still required three more goals to go through. Celtic’s nerves were eased by goals in the 80th from Olivier Ntcham and Leigh Griffiths in the 90th.

MARIBOR AT THE TREBLE Only one side in action yesterday was eliminated after winning the first leg. Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s 2-1 advantage over Maribor was wiped out by the Slovenian side winning the second leg 1-0 at home. Maribor went through 2-2 on away goals to contest the group stage for a third time after previously qualifying in 1999 and 2014. FAVOURITES ADVANCE Sevilla is through to the group stage for a third successive season after draw-

ing 2-2 with competition newcomer Istanbul Basaksehir to advance 4-3 on aggregate. Sergio Escudero and Wissam Ben Yedder scored for Sevilla. Rijeka’s first Champions League campaign in 18 years is over after Olympiakos built on its 2-1 first leg success by winning 1-0 in Croatia. The Greek side will contest the group stage for the 18th time. The lineup for Thursday’s group-stage draw will be completed today. Teams losing in the playoff round drop into the group stage of the Europa League in September.

BARCELONA SUES NEYMAR FOR $10M SIGNING BONUS BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona is suing Neymar for the €8.5 million euro ($10 million) bonus it paid the Brazil striker for signing a contract he later broke to join Paris SaintGermain on a world-record transfer. Barcelona said yesterday that it wants Neymar to pay back the bonus for a contract in October 2016 that tied him to the club through 2021. It also wants an additional 10 per cent interest. Neymar was able to leave Barcelona earlier this month after PSG paid 222 million euros ($262 million) to trigger a release clause included in his contract. Barcelona said in a statement that it “has taken these actions in defence of its interests after the unilateral breaking of the contract carried out by Neymar just a few months after having signed his renewal.” The club is also demanding that PSG pay the money, if Neymar is unable to do so. PSG responded to the demand with a statement later yesterday, saying it was “surprised to learn of FC Barcelona’s statement today announcing the start of legal proceedings in Spain against its former player Neymar Jr and indicating that should Neymar Jr fail to pay the monies claimed by his former club, Paris Saint-Germain will be held responsible to pay the outstanding sum.” “Paris Saint-Germain reiterates that, like Neymar Jr, it has always respected all applicable laws and rules in its dealings and, once again, regrets the attitude of FC Barcelona.” Barcelona said the suit was filed on August 11.

SILVA SETBACK: WATFORD LOSES IN CUP TO 2ND-TIER BRISTOL CITY LONDON (AP) — Marco Silva’s promising start as Watford manager came to a halt when the Premier League team was knocked out of the League Cup by second-tier side Bristol City yesterday. The southwest England side fought back to win 3-2 despite making nine changes for the trip to Vicarage Road, with City’s priority being to gain promotion from the League Champi-

onship. “Bad night,” said Silva, who left Hull for Watford in the offseason. “A really bad result for us, a disappointing result.” Watford has opened the Premier League season with a draw against Liverpool and victory over Bournemouth. But it was the only Premier League casualty last night with the other six top-flight teams in action advancing from the second round against opponents

from lower divisions. Leicester won 4-1 at Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion ousted Accrington Stanley 3-1, Swansea beat Milton Keynes Dons 4-1, Crystal Palace eliminated Ipswich 2-1, Bournemouth defeated Birmingham 2-1 and Brighton edged Barnet 1-0. At Watford, Etienne Capoue put the hosts ahead early in the second half, only for 18-year-old Freddie

Hinds to draw City level and Bobby Reid to put the visitors in front. Watford’s night took a further turn for the worse when defender Jose Holebas was shown a second yellow card in the 88th minute and Niclas Eliasson then extended Bristol City’s lead. Adrian Mariappa’s header reduced the deficit deep into injury time but Watford ran out of time to produce an equaliser.

DIAMONDBACKS PUT JEFF MATHIS ON DL WITH BROKEN RIGHT HAND By MIKE FITZPATRICK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff Mathis was placed on the 10-day disabled list yesterday with a broken right hand, leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks without their top catcher as they make a playoff push. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said it’s too early to tell whether Mathis will miss the rest of the season. The 13-year major league veteran, valued for his fine defence and leadership, was injured Monday night against the New York Mets when his bare hand was hit by a foul ball. “We’re going to miss him,” Lovullo said. Arizona began the night a half-game behind Colorado for the first NL wild card and 3½ ahead of Milwaukee for the league’s final postseason berth. In other moves, the Diamondbacks reinstated outfielder Reymond Fuentes from the 10-day DL and recalled right-hander Jake Barrett from Triple-A Reno to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen. Right-hander Jimmie Sherfy was optioned to Reno after pitching a perfect ninth inning Monday for his first major league win. Fuentes had been sidelined since July 18 with a bruised left thumb.

Mathis has started 55 games this season while sharing catching duties with Chris Iannetta and Chris Herrmann. Mathis is batting just .213 with two homers and 11 RBIs but has thrown out 10 of 28 attempted basestealers (35.7 percent), one of the top rates in the majors and by far the best on the team. Iannetta was set to make his 49th start last night against the Mets. He was hitting .223 with 11 home runs, 29 RBIs and a .316 onbase percentage. Herrmann was batting .158 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 30 games, 22 starts. “We have two guys we feel really good about,” Lovullo said. “It’s time for them to step up. There’s going to be some adjustments and we’re going to continue to share information the way we have and do the things that we have done. These guys are ready for the challenge.” Lovullo said his plan right now is to play Iannetta three games out of every five, with Herrmann getting the other two. The 34-year-old Mathis got dinged in the fourth inning Monday night but remained in the game until the sixth. “Just speaks volumes about his toughness and the example he sets,” Lovullo said.

“In the first half we controlled the match but we played very slow,” Silva said. “Very, very slow, too slow all the first half. We controlled the match, we don’t give a lot of solutions for our opponents to make problems for us but we need to do something different in our fast decisions, in our counter attack as well, to create more chances to finish.” Another six Premier

League teams are in action today in English football’s second-tier knockout competition and they are all playing teams from other divisions. Top-flight teams involved in European competitions don’t enter until the third round. The draw is being held on Thursday in the Chinese capital Beijing, as competition organizers seek to attract commercial backing and new fans in Asia.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 23, 2017, PAGE 5

Sparks replace banged-up Lynx atop the AP WNBA power poll By DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx are banged up and struggling. Lindsay Whalen has been sidelined for a few weeks with a broken bone in her hand and Rebekkah Brunson is out with a sprained ankle. Without the two starters, the Lynx have dropped three of their last four games and fell out of first in The Associated Press WNBA power poll for the first time since week 2. Los Angeles took over the top spot yesterday. Whalen said she’s recovering well, but isn’t sure when she’ll be back. Coach Cheryl Reeve was hopefully to have Brunson back soon. “No one is feeling sorry for us,” Reeve said. While the Lynx have hit a rough patch, Seattle hasn’t lost a game since changing coaches. With Gary Kloppenburg leading the way, the Storm have won four straight and are close to clinching a playoff spot. POWER POLL: Los Angeles is No. 1 again after spending the last 12 weeks at No. 2. 1. Los Angeles (21-8): The Sparks are rolling behind the strong play of Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike. 2. Minnesota (22-6): Four of the team’s final six games are against squads chasing playoff berths. 3. Connecticut (19-10): Sun clinched a home game in the playoffs, now they are looking to seal at least a first-round bye. 4. New York (17-12): Five straight wins, including victories over the top three teams in the poll have Liberty soaring. 5. Washington (17-12): A big game in New York looms Friday night that will go a long way in determining if the Mystics can get a first-round bye. 6. Phoenix (15-14): Mercury looked to rebound from a blowout loss in Connecticut when they faced Minnesota last night. 7. Seattle (14-16): A rejuvenated Storm team will try and continue to climb in the standings. 8. Dallas (14-16): A punch cost Glory Johnson a game. The Wings will try and wrap up a playoff berth this week.

9. Chicago (11-18): The Sky picked the wrong time to swoon and look like they are headed to the draft lottery. 10. Atlanta (10-20): It’s been a rough month for the Dream, who are 0-7 in August. 11. San Antonio (7-23): The Stars continue to play well, but just keep falling a little short. 12. Indiana (9-21): The postseason streak of 12 straight playoff berths is over. Now the Fever will try and play spoilers. GAME OF THE WEEK: Lynx at Sparks, Sunday. The Sparks will need to win to have any hope of earning the top seed in the playoffs. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Breanna Stewart, Storm. Averaged 18 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks to help Seattle go 3-0 this week and move closer to clinching a playoff spot. Other players to receive votes included Los Angeles’ Candace Parker and New York’s Tina Charles. RECORD ROUT: The one game that Minnesota did win this past week was a 59-point victory over Indiana. That was the largest margin of victory in league history, easily eclipsing the previous record of 46 that Seattle set in rout of Tulsa in 2010. The Lynx had a 37-0 run during the game that was the largest spurt in WNBA history as well. Minnesota also set the record for biggest halftime lead; the Lynx were up 6823 at the break. DOUBLE-DOUBLE MARK: Los Angeles had four players with doubledoubles in its double overtime win over Chicago. Nneka Ogwumike had 32 points and 10 rebounds while Candace Parker had 29 points and 12 boards. The Sparks starting backcourt of Chelsea Gray and Odyssey Sims also had double-doubles. Gray had 20 points and Sims had 15. Each added 10 assists while not turning the ball over once. PASSING THE BALL: Los Angeles broke the league’s team assist record in that double overtime win

THIS October 11, 2016, file photo shows Los Angeles Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike pulling in a rebound next to Minnesota Lynx’s Rebekkah Brunson during the first quarter of Game 2 of the WNBA Finals in Minneapolis. Without the two starters, the Lynx have dropped three of their last four games and fell out of first in The Associated Press WNBA power poll for the first time since week 2. Los Angeles took over the top spot yesterday. (AP Photo/Jim Mone) over Chicago with 34. That was one more than the previous mark. Seattle tied it a few days later also against

Chicago. The Storm only needed regulation to do it. SUSPENSION: Dallas’ Glory Johnson was

suspended for a game for throwing a punch against Matee Ajavon during a game against Atlanta.

Johnson wasn’t happy that only she got suspended and expressed her displeasure on Instagram.

RAIDERS LOOK FOR MORE OUT OF TIGHT ENDS THIS SEASON By JOSH DUBOW Associated Press ALAMEDA, California (AP) — The Oakland Raiders showed off a new wrinkle in their offence on the opening drive of their second preseason game. A passing game that had been predicated on getting the ball into the hands of the pair of 1,000-yard receivers on the outside in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree suddenly started using some big options in the middle of the field. Derek Carr found free agent tight end Jared Cook on his first drop back of the game against the Los Angeles Rams for a 16-yard gain and then capped the drive by threading a 19-yard pass into the hands of blocking tight end Lee Smith for a touchdown. “Being able to have those guys do everything really helps our team and puts stress on the defence so they can’t just sit and play one coverage and take away everything,” Carr said yesterday. “I hope it’s a sign of things that continue because that will help those other two outside.” Throw in Clive Walford’s three catches in the opener and the Raiders have an aspect of the offence that was missing in 2016. Oakland didn’t get much production from the tight end position at all last season, ranking 28th in catches (57) and 30th in yards receiving (580). The lack of production from that group led to the decision to target Cook in free agency. New offensive coordinator Todd Downing and Carr gave Cook an aggressive recruiting pitch that promised heavy use of tight ends. “It is a tight end-friendly offence,” Cook said. “The way the quarterback reads the plays, how

OAKLAND Raiders tight end Lee Smith (86) catches a touchdown pass against Los Angeles Rams free safety Maurice Alexander (31) during the first half of an NFL preseason game in Oakland on Saturday. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) they line me up, how they use the tight ends. I think it will be important for me to take a big step in my career.” Cook had only 30 receptions last season in Green Bay but did deliver the biggest catch of the year for the Packers when his acrobatic 36-yard catch set up the game-winning field goal in a play-

off win at Dallas. The Raiders hope to get those kinds of plays from Cook. “He’s a guy that creates the biggest mismatches because safeties typically aren’t fast enough and good enough to cover guys,” Carr said. “Linebackers are too slow. You can’t put a corner on him because he could just muscle you

out of the way. Once we’re all out there and rolling together, that’s going to be fun to see how much of a mismatch he has been.” With a more capable receiving threat at tight end in Cook, defences will face the difficult choice of being exposed in the middle of the field if they double team Cooper or Crabtree or being

susceptible to big plays on the outside from the receivers. “We talked about being able to attack the field vertically,” Downing said. “You have to be able to do that on the inside part of the field, too. A lot of times that’s where the tight ends happen to line up. We need their speed. We need their size. Certainly, we’ll give them the opportunity to make plays in the vertical passing game.” The tight ends also should be much more capable as blockers this season, too, thanks to Smith being healthy. Smith, one of the best blocking tight ends in the game, went down with a broken leg early last season. That absence forced the Raiders to use six offensive linemen on nearly one-quarter of their offensive plays last season, according to Football Outsiders, far and away the top mark in the league. While the sixth lineman did help the run game, it also tipped the Raiders’ hand because those players aren’t nearly as capable as receivers as Smith is. Even though Smith has just 38 catches in 75 career games, defences still must honour him more than they would an extra offensive tackle. That was evident when he got down the middle of the field for his touchdown against the Rams last week. “Quit calling him a blocking tight end,” Carr said. “As you see, people just drop him sometimes. That’s one thing we have to take advantage of. We can’t just be limited by a certain personnel group. Lee is one of the guys who has one of the best sets of hands on the team. Being able to run him up the seam and do things like that, people won’t be able to dictate when he comes in the game.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, August 23, 2017, PAGE 7

SOLD OUT OR NOT, VEGAS WILL PARTY DURING MAYWEATHER-MCGREGOR By REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — The fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor may not have sold out yet, but that won’t stop Las Vegas from putting on its party hat. Sin City’s nightclubs have booked a long list of celebrities — including one of the fighters — and high-rolling gamblers and VIPs have snagged some of the most luxurious accommodations in town. Boxing-themed cocktails have even been concocted for the occasion. The social media-fuelled Saturday night fight at the T-Mobile Arena will be a weekend-long, city-wide affair, though in some respects it may not tip the scales as much as a previous Mayweather fight. “It’s going to be a crazy weekend,” said Ryan Thompson, senior vice president and regional chief marketing officer for Caesars Entertainment, whose Planet Hollywood, The Cromwell and Caesars Palace casino-resorts on the Las Vegas Strip have a few

rooms available. “The energy over that weekend is going to be on par with a New Year’s Eve in the city.” Caesars and MGM Resorts International, which owns the fight’s venue, expect their properties to sell out as the weekend approaches. But unlike the bullish market created by Mayweather’s fight with Manny Pacquiao in May 2015 in Las Vegas, hotel rooms are still available. The MGM Grand has cut its prices for the weekend three times, with a two-night stay now at $329 a night. Rooms at several other hotels on the Strip can still be found for $200 or less a night. Many VIPs and highrolling gamblers need not worry about prices, they will be “comped” with free hotel rooms and tickets, as it is customary. Others not so lucky — but certainly with deep pockets — have booked the most lavish accommodations on the Strip. The villas at Caesars Palace (starting at $25,000 a night) and Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace ($35,000 a night and previously used by the likes of Jennifer Lopez

CONOR McGregor (AP)

FLOYD Mayweather Jr (AP)

and Johnny Depp) have been claimed for the weekend. “We get a ton of requests for tickets. We have plenty of our high-end players and guests who come in specifically for the event,” Thompson said. “We put them up for the weekend and they will be attending the fight. We like to take care of our best guests.” McCarran International Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said the number of private aircraft that flew in for the May-

weather-Pacquiao fight overwhelmed available apron parking and forced a taxiway to be closed and used as a jet parking lot. Crews said there is no plan to do that again this weekend but officials are requiring pilots to make parking reservations and encouraging the use of two nearby general aviation airports, in suburban Henderson and North Las Vegas. UFC fighter McGregor will enter a boxing ring for the first time as a professional when he takes on the un-

defeated Mayweather, who is coming out of retirement for a fight that will make him tens of millions of dollars. Just four days to fight night, there are plenty of tickets still available in the T-Mobile Arena, which seats 18,000 for boxing, and prices on the secondary market are starting to come down. Ticketmaster has hundreds of non-VIP tickets ranging from roughly $1,400 to $17,000. Still available are VIP tickets that include hotel accommodations, roundtrip airport transportation, an official souvenir, food and drinks. Those who can’t afford what’s supposed to be the year’s hottest ticket can watch the fight inside six of the seven theaters that regularly host Cirque du Soleil shows, which are going dark for the night. Restaurants, bars and strip clubs around town will also show the fight. Closedcircuit seats are available at various MGM properties, including hundreds for $150 each at the Park Theater just a few steps from the T-Mobile arena itself.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 75° F/24° C

TAMPA

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

A couple of showers and a t‑storm

High: 90°

Low: 79°

High: 91° Low: 81°

High: 90° Low: 80°

High: 90° Low: 77°

AccuWeather RealFeel

106° F

90° F

103°-91° F

108°-94° F

106°-91° F

108°-88° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

almanac

ABACO

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

7‑14 knots

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

W S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6‑12 knots

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

9:38 a.m. 10:00 p.m.

3.4 3.5

3:36 a.m. 3:51 p.m.

0.0 0.1

Thursday

10:25 a.m. 10:45 p.m.

3.3 3.3

4:21 a.m. 4:39 p.m.

0.1 0.3

Friday

11:12 a.m. 11:29 p.m.

3.2 3.1

5:04 a.m. 5:27 p.m.

0.2 0.5

Saturday

11:59 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

3.1 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:47 a.m. 6:15 p.m.

0.4 0.7

Sunday

12:15 a.m. 12:47 p.m.

2.9 3.0

6:31 a.m. 7:06 p.m.

0.6 1.0

Monday

1:02 a.m. 1:38 p.m.

2.7 2.9

7:18 a.m. 8:01 p.m.

0.8 1.2

Tuesday

1:53 a.m. 2:33 p.m.

2.5 2.8

8:07 a.m. 8:59 p.m.

1.0 1.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:47 a.m. 7:37 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

8:30 a.m. 9:09 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Aug. 29

Sep. 6

Sep. 13

Sep. 20

CAT ISLAND

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 81° F/27° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/32° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 93° F/34° C Last year’s low ................................... 73° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 23.16” Normal year to date ................................... 23.44”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

By comparison, Mayweather-Pacquiao closedcircuit tickets sold out the day they went on sale. Pay-per-view sales at $100 each are expected to be in the neighbourhood of 5 million buys, topping the Mayweather-Pacquiao record of 4.6 million. The city’s sports books say this will be the most heavily bet fight ever. So far most of the tickets are on McGregor, who is about a 5-1 underdog, with the William Hill chain saying a McGregor win would cost them more than $1 million. R&B star Chris Brown and his crew of dancers will perform at Drai’s Nightclub on Saturday. Other venues will see performances by Puff Daddy, Jamie Foxx, Travis Scott, Chase B and Kaskade. The night before the fight, 50 Cent, Trey Songz and Jeezy will have a combined performance. Win or lose, McGregor will have to party after the fight. The Irish MMA champion is scheduled to be a host at Encore Beach Club that night as part of a twoyear agreement to entertain partygoers at the Encore casino-resort.

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

10‑20 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 82° F/28° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 10‑20 Knots SE at 8‑16 Knots

WAVES 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 3 Miles 3 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 3 Miles 3 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 3 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 85° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 87° F 87° F 84° F 84° F 87° F 87° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 85° F 85° F 85° F

PAGE 8, Wednesday, August 23, 2017

THE TRIBUNE