Arizona monsoon damage

Stadium readies for historic night tonight

Time lapse images show Invesco Field as it's prepared for Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech.

We're proud of you, Ryan

As former President George Bush and his daughter watch, Rachelle's cousin, Ryan Reser of the U.S. (blue) competes with Mongolia's Dashdavaa Gantumur during the men's -73kg judo lightweight division preliminaries at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing on Monday. Gantumur won.

Photo credits: Left: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak. Right: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (CHINA)

When life gives you lemons...

SIX FLAGS!

Six Flags... Fright Fest!

Feed the world

Medical Miracles

Yao

Seeing Yao a lot on tv the last few days with China hosting the Olympics. It got me thinking back to some great ads Yao has done that are worth a second look.

Yo

Don't judge

Thank You

Pink Moon

Kid Wisdom

Celebrate Humanity - Olympics

Funny, isn't it
An athlete aspires to be the best
his or her country has to offer
And ends up representing the best
Humanity has to offer.
That's the strength I find in the Olympic games.
--Christopher Reeve

Fathers and Sons : Olympic Heroes

I've gotta say, I cry like a baby every time I see this video and when I watched it live: With the help of his father, an injured Derek Redmond completes his race in the 1992 Olympics.




Rick Weinberg
Special to ESPN.com
Unlike Carl Lewis and Daley Thompson, Derek Redmond is not a name that conjures up memories of Olympic gold medals. But it is Redmond who defines the essence of the human spirit.

Redmond arrived at the 1992 Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona determined to win a medal in the 400. The color of the medal was meaningless; he just wanted to win one. Just one.

He had been forced to withdraw from the 400 at the 1988 Games in Seoul, only 10 minutes before the race, because of an Achilles tendon injury. He then underwent five surgeries over the next year. This was the same runner who had shattered the British 400-meter record at age 19. So when the 1992 Games arrived, this was his time, his moment, his stage, to show the world how good he was and who he was.

Derek's father Jim had accompanied him to Barcelona, just as he did for all world competitions. They were as close as a father and son could be. Inseparable, really. The best of friends. When Derek ran, it was as if his father were running right next to him.

THE MOMENT
The day of the race arrives. Father and son reminisce about what it took for Derek to get to this point. They talk about ignoring past heartbreaks, past failures. They agree that if anything bad happens, no matter what it is, Derek has to finish the race, period.

The top four finishers in each of the two semifinal heats qualify for the Olympic final. As race time approaches for the semifinal 400 heat, Jim heads up to his seat at the top of Olympic Stadium, not far from where the Olympic torch was lit just a few days earlier. He is wearing a T-shirt that reads, "Have you hugged your foot today?"


With the help of his father, an injured Derek Redmond completed his race in the 1992 Olympics.

The stadium is packed with 65,000 fans, bracing themselves for one of sport's greatest and most exciting spectacles. The race begins and Redmond breaks from the pack and quickly seizes the lead. "Keep it up, keep it up," Jim says to himself.

Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond is a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he hears a pop. In his right hamstring. He pulls up lame, as if he had been shot.

"Oh, no," Jim says to himself. His face pales. His leg quivering, Redmond begins hopping on one leg, then slows down and falls to the track. As he lays on the track, clutching his right hamstring, a medical personnel unit runs toward him. At the same time, Jim Redmond, seeing his son in trouble, races down from the top row of the stands, sidestepping people, bumping into others. He has no credential to be on the track, but all he thinks about is getting to his son, to help him up. "I wasn't going to be stopped by anyone," he later tells the media.

On the track, Redmond realizes his dream of an Olympic medal is gone. Tears run down his face. "All I could think was, 'I'm out of the Olympics -- again,'" he would say.

As the medical crew arrives with a stretcher, Redmond tells them, "No, there's no way I'm getting on that stretcher. I'm going to finish my race."

Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of millions, Redmond lifts himself to his feet, ever so slowly, and starts hobbling down the track. The other runners have finished the race, with Steve Lewis of the U.S. winning the contest in 44.50. Suddenly, everyone realizes that Redmond isn't dropping out of the race by hobbling off to the side of the track. No, he is actually continuing on one leg. He's going to attempt to hobble his way to the finish line. All by himself. All in the name of pride and heart.

Slowly, the crowd, in total disbelief, rises and begins to roar. The roar gets louder and louder. Through the searing pain, Redmond hears the cheers, but "I wasn't doing it for the crowd," he would later say. "I was doing it for me. Whether people thought I was an idiot or a hero, I wanted to finish the race. I'm the one who has to live with it."

One painful step at a time, each one a little slower and more painful than the one before, his face twisted with pain and tears, Redmond limps onward, and the crowd, many in tears, cheer him on.

Suddenly, Jim Redmond finally gets to the bottom of the stands, leaps over the railing, avoids a security guard, and runs out to his son, with two security people chasing after him. "That's my son out there," he yells back to security, "and I'm going to help him."

Finally, with Derek refusing to surrender and painfully limping along the track, Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish, and wraps his arm around his waist.

"I'm here, son," Jim says softly, hugging his boy. "We'll finish together." Derek puts his arms around his father's shoulders and sobs.

Together, arm in arm, father and son, with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying, finish the race, just as they vowed they would. A couple steps from the finish line, and with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son, so Derek could cross the finish line by himself. Then he throws his arms around Derek again, both crying, along with everyone in the stands and on TV.

"I'm the proudest father alive," he tells the press afterwards, tears in his eyes. "I'm prouder of him than I would have been if he had won the gold medal. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did."

Pull out your PDA's, or open your day planner...

Hi guys--
I've pulled my favorites from an article ESPN did on their favorite games
of this upcoming NBA season.
Here we go! Yea Suns!

--Dan


The NBA's 2008-09 schedule is out ... and you know what that means.

An equally anticipated document has to go with it: ESPN.com's first
rundown of must-see games for the coming season to immediately input into
your electronic calendar of choice.

Oct. 28: Opening Night
An earlier-than-usual launch to the season starts with a tasty TNT
doubleheader, leading off with the new champs from Boston hosting LeBron
James' Cleveland Cavaliers on ring night and capped by Greg Oden's
long-awaited NBA debut in Blazers at Lakers.

Oct. 29: Opening Night (continued)
Ron Artest makes his Rockets debut in Memphis at Houston, and Oklahoma
City makes its debut as a full-time NBA city with a visit from the
Milwaukee Bucks.

And ...

ESPN dishes its own doubleheader doozy: Phoenix at San Antonio to renew
year after year of recent playoff pleasantries, followed by Lakers at
Clippers in a fitting bow for the Clips' new Angeleno point guard: Baron
Davis.

Oct. 30: Houston at Dallas (TNT)
The Mavericks are one of two teams (along with Charlotte) that must wait
until Thursday for their opening game, giving Mavs fans more time to fret
that the Rockets' acquisition of Ron Artest reduces Dallas to the
third-best team in Texas.

Oct. 31: San Antonio at Portland (ESPN)
The best of the Halloween fare, at least in NBA terms, is unquestionably
Oden matching up with Tim Duncan.

Nov. 1: Washington at Detroit (NBA TV)
The league is still sorting out its full 96-game NBA TV schedule, but
Wizards-Pistons has been confirmed as the opener of NBA TV's maiden
doubleheader, which concludes with a Portland-at-Phoenix nightcap.

If Yao can stay healthy, this could be a preview of the 2009 Finals.

Nov. 4: Boston at Houston
You don't have to wait long for a look at the NBA's reigning threesome of
doom (Garnett, Pierce and Allen) throwing down against the new trio on the
block (McGrady, Yao and Artest).

P.S. How much playing time will the twins get in Phoenix at New Jersey ...
also known as Robin Lopez at Brook Lopez?

Nov. 6: Houston at Portland (TNT)
Yao Ming and Oden go toe-to-toe for the first time. Health permitting, of
course.

Nov. 9: Houston at L.A. Lakers
The denizens of Lakerland who so badly wanted to see Artest in purple and
gold will get their first dose of torture early. In L.A.'s first Sunday
home game of the season, actually.

Nov. 10: Portland at Orlando
Oden will have lined up against Shaquille O'Neal (Nov. 1), Yao and Dwight
Howard in a span of 10 days by the time he gets through this one. Health
permitting, of course.

Nov. 13: Dallas at Chicago (TNT)
Mavs owner Mark Cuban could know by this point whether he has won the race
to buy the Cubs, which would make this somewhat of a home game for him and
certainly spice up his relationship with Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf,
since Reinsdorf owns the White Sox.

Nov. 14: Detroit at L.A. Lakers (ESPN)
What sort of reception awaits Kwame Brown at Staples Center? Just a hunch:
If history is any guide, Kwame needn't expect (or want) any mention of a
cake.

Nov. 20: L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (TNT)
Kobe, tell me how many times do you think you and Shaq will be asked about
recent rapping exploits?

Detroit at Boston, incidentally, isn't exactly a bland appetizer for TNT.

Nov. 21: Boston at Minnesota
A hamstring strain prevented KG from playing in his first visit to 'Sota
as an ex-Wolf last February. Hard to see him missing two in row, though.

Nov. 28: Miami at Phoenix (ESPN)
Shawn Marion spent eight and a half seasons as a Sun, playing alongside
Jason Kidd, then Stephon Marbury, then Steve Nash. Which makes this one of
the season's standout reunion games.

Dec. 15: New York at Phoenix
If the Knicks are a running team by this point -- and if the Suns are
still running by this point -- we should be treated to a fun track meet in
Mike D'Antoni's honor.

Dec. 17: San Antonio at New Orleans (ESPN)
Spurs at Hornets for the first time since that fateful Game 7.

Dec. 19: Dallas at New Jersey
Jason Kidd is back in Jersey as a visiting player for the first time
since, well, making Jersey matter to the NBA.

Dec. 22: L.A. Lakers at Memphis
The Lakers were out of trips to Memphis by the time they stole, er,
acquired Pau Gasol from the Grizz in that infamous, er, famous trade. As
if that isn't enough of a story line for you, don't forget that Pau and
his brother Marc Gasol will be dueling, too.

Not to be overlooked: Houston at New Jersey will only be the most watched
game of the regular season ... once you factor in the Chinese TV audience
tuning in for Yao Ming vs. Yi Jianlian.

Dec. 25: Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!
This has to be some sort of record: Christmas Day delivers five NBA games on
national TV.

Five!

New Orleans at Orlando gets us started at noon on ESPN.

ABC follows with a pretty handy doubleheader: Spurs at Suns, then your
inevitable Celtics-at-Lakers Finals rematch.

TNT takes us home with Washington at Cleveland -- LeBron and DeShawn
Stevenson together on a holiday? -- followed by Dallas at Portland.

You can't ask Santa for more.

Jan. 14: L.A. Lakers at San Antonio (ESPN)
We repeat: Manu Ginobili's ankle injury had to be worse than anyone
imagined for the Lakers to win the West finals in five.

Jan. 19: Cleveland at L.A. Lakers (TNT)
Can't do one of these schedule columns without the obligatory LeBron
versus Kobe reference.

It's part of a Martin Luther King Day tripleheader which also features
Detroit at Memphis and Phoenix at Boston.

Jan. 25: L.A. Clippers at Golden State
We believe Baron Davis will get a warm reception from Warriors fans who
will never forget how much he did to help Golden State halt a 12-season
playoff drought.

We also believe that you'll enjoy the first ABC Sunday doubleheader of the
season:
Dallas at Boston, then Spurs at Lakers.

Jan. 28: Golden State at Dallas (ESPN)
It sure would inflate the tension nicely -- assuming that's possible with
these two -- if Warriors coach Don Nelson hasn't yet collected his $6.3
million in deferred compensation from his old boss Cuban by the time this
game rolls around.

Feb. 2: L.A. Lakers at New York
It's not just Mike D'Antoni versus Phil Jackson any more. It's D'Antoni
versus Jackson with D'Antoni coaching the Zen Master's beloved Knicks.

Feb. 5: L.A. Lakers at Boston (TNT)
The season's second NBA Finals rematch, which comes with the added bonus
of knowing that Paul Pierce's recent comments about being the best player
in the game will be brought up incessantly whenever he and Kobe are in the
same zip code.

Feb. 6: Portland at Oklahoma City
Kevin Durant versus Greg Oden for the first time as pros. We hope.

Feb. 11: Oklahoma City at Portland
Durant versus Oden is still a rivalry even if the geography has changed
drastically.
Right?

You have to believe some Sonics fans will make the drive from Seattle to
chime in on this one.

Feb. 14: Valentine's Day
What's the over-under on how many times TNT shows the Charles Barkley-Dick
Bavetta kiss on this particular All-Star Saturday Night?

Steve Nash and the Suns will play host to the 2009 All-Star Game in
Phoenix on February 15.

Feb. 15: All-Star Game
In gorgeous-in-February Phoenix, no less.

Feb. 17: New Jersey at Houston
Yi vs. Yao, Round 2.

March 4: Phoenix at Miami
Some 13 months after he was dealt to the desert in a deal that's still a
little hard to believe, Shaq is back.

March 17: Boston at Chicago
After all those years of trade speculation, Bulls fans undoubtedly still
dream of having KG on an everyday basis. Just seeing him on St. Patrick's
Day doesn't cut it.

April 1: Houston at Phoenix (ESPN)
No joke: Yao and Shaq are hooking up on April Fools' Day.

April 9: Houston at Sacramento
If the reality of the Artest trade hasn't sunk in yet for the Kings' loyal
subjects, it certainly will by the time Artest finally makes it back to
Arco Arena, which won't happen until the 78th game on Sacramento's
schedule.

April 15: Regular season ends
Twenty-eight teams will be in action on the final night of the schedule --
all but the Jazz and Lakers -- but I suppose the fact that taxes are due
might be more important to some people.