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Features & Departments

PUBLISHING CEO & PUBLISHER

Carnell Moore

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Wright David Coble

Carnell Moore Chris DeCegli

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San Antonio Spurs power forward Boris Diaw (33) of France, congratulates Tony

Parker (9) after Parker scored against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the

second half of Game 2 in their NBA basketball Western Conference finals playoff

series. However, the Thunder rolled in Game 3 to give the Spurs their first lost

since April. See story on page 24. (Eric Gay)

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Rangers Out For Revenge

Jeter Creates A Foundation 2 Turn 2

Michigan & Ohio State—It’s On!

NBA Playoffs Full of Excitement

Expert Gives Fitness Advice

Player’s Ink

PREMIER PLAYERS 5

PREMIER PLAYERS 6

Game 1

Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar (11), of Slovenia, shoots the puck past New Jersey Devils goalie Martin

Brodeur (30) to win the game during the overtime period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 in Newark, N.J. (Julio Cortez)

PREMIER PLAYERS 8

By Steve Wright

We are just over half way through a quarter of the

MLB season and the boys of summer are beginning to

hit full swing. Gone are those frigid April games in

Boston and Detroit, the games where players

questioned their life choices while standing in the

outfield for hours doing everything possible to keep

warm. Instead, we look ahead to the blazing heat and

lazy weekday afternoons as we analyse some of the

teams who will be in the mix when game 162 of the

season rolls around.

AL East

Anyone who had the Orioles leading and the Red Sox

propping up the AL East nearing the end of May

should probably go and buy themselves a lottery ticket

right about now. Baltimore has been the best story in

baseball through the first 45 games, and in most other

divisions they would have out some distance between

themselves and the other teams. Unfortunately for the

O’s they play in one of the most competitive divisions

in baseball, and the combined power and experience

of the Yankees (even without star closer Mariano

Rivera), Red Sox, and Rays will be breathing down

their neck all summer long. Prediction: Yankees

AL Central

There are some really bad teams in the AL Central in

2012. The Royals (who have failed yet again to be

relevant after May) and Twins are both likely to be in

the battle to avoid the worst record in baseball.

Slightly more surprising is the slow start by the Tigers,

who are really doing nothing more than treading water

in the .500 range. All this has resulted in the

Cleveland Indians being the surprise early pace

setters in the division, with the just as surprising White

Sox being the club hot on their tail. As the season

plays out expect the Tigers to come good and prove

too strong in this weak field, but for now Indians and

Sox fans, sit back and enjoy the ride. Prediction:

Tigers

AL West

It is difficult to say a division is wrapped up as we near

the beginning of June, but barring a spate of injuries

and loss of form, the Texas Rangers look like they are

in cruise control in the AL West. The Rangers are

currently the only team above .500 in the division, and

are riding monster offensive numbers which see them

lead the league in runs, batting average, and on base

percentage. The Texas pitching staff has been just as

dominant as their offensive counter parts and rank in

the top three in ERA and batting average against.

With Josh Hamilton lighting up the sky with bomb after

bomb, and star Japanese import Yu Darvish living up

to the billing, this is the team to beat in 2012.

Prediction: Rangers

NL East

The NL East is the most balanced division in baseball

through the first 45 games of the year. All five teams

are above .500 in the win/loss column, and any team

could ride a mid-season surge towards a division

pennant. The Washington Nationals are looking to

their dominant pitching staff to support an offense

which has stuttered so far in 2012. The Nats rank first

in a slew of pitching categories including ERA and

batting average against. If they are to hold off the

Mets, Marlins and hard hitting Braves, Steven

Strasburg and crew will have to once again prove the

old adage that pitching wins championships. I feel

they will fall just short. Prediction: Braves

NL Central

Another central division and another slew of average

to bad teams fighting it out for a division title. The

Chicago Cubs have had a disastrous couple of weeks

after starting out hot, and as of May 27th are riding an

11 game losing streak - the worst in the league! The

Cubs join the Pirates and Brewers in a bottom half of a

division which only its mother could truly love. As the

season continues expect the Reds and Cardinals to

continue to pull away from the mire which will be left

World Series Predictions

Texas Gets Shot At Revenge & Title

PREMIER PLAYERS 9

behind them, with Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran

powering St. Louis into the playoffs to defend their

2011 World Series crown. Prediction: Cardinals

NL West

In the wild NL West race the Dodgers have jumped

out to the biggest division lead in baseball through the

first part of the season. The Dodgers though have

relied heavily on their home form, and the fact they

are only a .500 team on the road will worry manager

Don Mattingly. With Colorado and San Diego looking

abject on their best days, and the Diamondbacks not

looking much better, the Dodgers biggest challengers

over the summer will be the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants do nothing sensationally brilliant, but if

they can turn around the form of ace Tim Lincecum

and the rest of the pitching staff they have the arms to

slowly cut into the Dodgers lead. Prediction: Giants.

Overall, I see a repeat of the 2011 World Series in

2012, with the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals

battling for the biggest prize in baseball. However, I

do see a different outcome this year. Expect the

Rangers to avenge their loss a year ago by taking the

series in six.

Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton hits a ground-rule double to score Elvis Andrus in the third inning of a baseball

game against the Seattle Mariners, Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

PREMIER PLAYERS 10

Hold Your Ground

Missouri short stop Corrin Genovese collides with LSU catcher Morgan Russell while

attempting to knock the ball loose Sunday May 27, 2012 in Columbia, Mo. LSU won the

NCAA Columbia Super Regional two games to one and advanced to the Women’s College

World Series in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Columbia Daily Tribune, Matthew Cavanah)

Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Roadster The technological highlights of the SLS AMG Roadster read like an A-B-C of modern

sports car engineering: The combination of an aluminum spaceframe body, an AMG 6.3

-litre V8 front-mid engine with dry sump lubrication developing a peak output of 571

hp; a seven-speed dual clutch transmission in a transaxle arrangement; and a sports

suspension with aluminum double wishbones is guaranteed to make the hearts of

sports car enthusiasts beat faster.

Love him or hate him, there is no denying that

Derek Jeter is a supremely gifted athlete. He is an 11

time all-star player, has been the Yankees Player of

the Year five times, and has won five Gold Glove

Awards among countless other awards and honors.

Suffice it to say, he can do things with a glove and

baseball that you and I can only dream of doing.

As if all of this athletic talent wasn’t enough,

Jeter is truly a class act off the field as well. He

started a charity organization called the Turn 2

Foundation back in 1996. The foundation is named

after the double play in baseball where you would

“turn two”, or get two outs, on one play.

The mission of the Turn 2 Foundation is to help

children and teenagers avoid alcohol addiction and

drug use. The foundation motivates them with

rewards for high academic achievements, leadership

development and positive behavior.

Jeter and Turn 2 are connected primarily to

Tampa, New York City, and Western Michigan.

Together, they have awarded more the $16 million in

grants that have helped thousands of youths to stay

clear of drugs and alcohol and live a healthy, more

satisfying life.

Now I know that for some of you, it can be

difficult to support such a predominant Pinstriped

player, but just leave those inhibitions aside for now.

Because of Jeter’s foundation, thousands of young

children’s lives have been changed for the better, and

maybe one of those children will grow up to become

the dominant player of your favorite team.

To learn more about the Turn 2 Foundation and

how you can help, visit www.turn2foundation.org.

PREMIER PLAYERS 14

By Chris De Ceglie

Kids Can Turn 2 Jeter For Help

Community

PREMIER PLAYERS 16

Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer

By David Coble

From 1969 to 1978 The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry

was known as “The Ten Year War. Bo Schembechler

was the coach at Michigan and the legendary Woody

Hayes coached at Ohio State.

The rivalry between the two Big Ten schools is

always heated between the fans, but when the

coaches get involve the rivalry goes to another level.

Schembechler was an assistant of Hayes at Ohio

State and Woody coached Bo at Miami University

where he played tackle. Hayes would never say the

“University of Michigan”, he would always say “The

school up north” whenever he would refer to the

Wolverines. Bo would always throw little jabs at

Woody and the Buckeyes and the Michigan fans ate it

up.

Now, flash forward to the twenty-first century where

the rivalry between the coaches is heating up again.

Brady Hoke took over at Michigan after the 2010

season. The Wolverines struggled under head coach

Rich Rodriguez and Hoke was brought in to restore

the pride in the Michigan program. Hoke was an

assistant at Michigan from 1995 to 2002 and he is

what the Wolverines fans refer to a “Michigan Man.”

Hoke led Michigan to an 11-2 season in 2011, a

victory over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl and, most

importantly, he led the Wolverines to a victory over the

hated Ohio State Buckeyes. The last time Michigan

Michigan Coach Brady Hoke

beat Ohio State was 2003. Hoke restored Michigan

to prominence by using the traditions of the

Wolverines. A solid offense and aggressive defense

were the keys to the resurgence.

The 2011 season was a disappointment for the

Ohio State Buckeyes. Before the season even

started head coach Jim Tressel was let go after not

reporting NCAA violations. Several key players were

suspended for various lengths of the season. Interim

head coach Luke Fickell was playing catch up the

whole season.

However, Ohio State showed flashes of brilliance

but the inconsistent play that marked the 2011

season caught up to the Buckeyes and they finished

with a 6-7 season.

with a 6-7 season.

After last season the Buckeyes hired former

University of Florida coach Urban Meyer. Meyer was

an assistant at Ohio State during the 1986 and 87

seasons under Earle Bruce. Meyer has brought an

aggressive approach to the Buckeyes.

Before Meyer was hired at OSU, many recruiting

experts stated Ohio State was heading to their worst

recruiting class in many years. Meyer turned the tide

in the recruiting wars. He added some of the best

talent in the country to elevate the Buckeyes

recruiting class to a top five finish according to many

experts.

Continue on next page

PREMIER PLAYERS 17

PREMIER PLAYERS 18

Meyer was too aggressive for some, especially

other coaches in the Big Ten. For years there was a

gentleman’s agreement that once a player committed

to a Big Ten school, another Big Ten coach would

honor the commitment to the other school. Meyer did

not. He plucked several players off other Big Ten

recruiting classes to add to his own. This left a bad

taste in mouth of his fellow coaches and several

voiced their displeasure.

Last week, Michigan recruit offensive tackle Logan

Tuley-Tillman of Peoria, Ill., set fire to a letter from the

Buckeyes and tweeted it for the world to see. He is a

6-7, 321 pound, four-star prospect who is considered

one of the top tackes in the nation. It was a prank

among friends that quickly added sparks to this

rivalry.

Much like Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes,

Brady Hoke and Urban Meyer have similar

backgrounds. Both were born in Ohio. Both were

assistant coaches at their present schools before

becoming the head coach. They also were successful

head coaches in the Mid-American Conference. Hoke

coached at Ball State and Meyer at Bowling Green.

So they are well versed at the history and importance

of the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan.

What really sets this budding rivalry apart from

Hayes and Schembechler is despite all of the barbs

they threw at each other, there was a deep respect

between them. Schembechler used a lot of the

formulas Hayes preached to him as a player and an

assistant. Hoke and Meyer do not have that bond.

Hoke has referred to Ohio State as “Ohio” and Meyer

has posted a picture comparing the majors of the

players of both schools. The intention was to paint

the Michigan players as inferior academically.

This rivalry between the coaches is going to get

white hot. Both are great recruiters, and the state of

Ohio with its fertile talent base is going to become a

fierce battleground between the coaches. Both have

accumulated some top notch talent and rivalry, once

in the favor of the Buckeyes, is going to be more

balanced in the coming seasons. This is definitely the

rivalry to watch between the coaches over the next

several seasons and it has the potential to exceed the

hostilities between Woody Hayes and Bo

Schembechler.

Last week, Michigan recruit offensive tackle Logan Tuley-Tillman of Peoria, Ill., set fire to a

letter from the Buckeyes and tweeted it for the world to see.

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Sound Off

Clockwise from top: A Chicago Bulls fan expresses her love for the team; an Indiana Pacers fan taunts the Miami Heat

during their playoff series; Dallas Mavericks fans wear wigs in support of forward Dirk Nowitzki; Oklahoma City Thun-

der fans make some noise for their team; and Heat fans hold up cutout heads of teammates Udonis Haslem, left, and

Dwayne Wade, rear. On right page, Celtics dancers bring cheers to the fans.

THE NBA PLAYOFFS

Great Teams Provide Thriller Games?

PREMIER PLAYERS 24

By Steve Wright

It has not been a good few days for basketball fans

in the City of Angels. With both the Lakers and Clippers

crashing out in fairly uncompetitive Western Conference

Semi-Final matchups, this lockout shortened season

ended with something of a whimper in the Pacific Time

Zone. For the rest of the country, however, the NBA

has brought back a level of excitement and dynamism

which the league will look to ride into the offseason, no

matter which team lifts the Finals trophy.

The first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs saw the

usual mixture of blowouts and competitive series as 16

teams embarked on their Finals quest. In the East the

8th seeded 76ers became only the fifth such seed in

NBA history to take down a number 1 seed as they

dispatched the Chicago Bulls. This upset, however,

comes with a huge asterisk as the Bulls lost all-world

point guard Derrick Rose to a torn ACL in the first game

of the series. The other matchups in the East went to

seed with the Heat, Pacers, and Celtics proving too

strong for the Knicks, Magic (without Dwight Howard),

and Hawks, respectively.

The Western Conference saw its top two seeds

progress with little difficulty as the top seeded Spurs

blasted the Jazz and the second seeded Thunder blew

past the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Both

series ended as 4-0 sweeps. The 3-6 and 4-5 match

ups were much more competitive, with both series going

to a game seven. The feisty and often controversial

series between the Lakers and the Nuggets was taken

by the third seeded Lakers who held Denver to 7 of 27

shooting in the 4th quarter of the decider. Meanwhile,

the crosstown rival Clippers were able to ride their

highlight machine Blake Griffin to an upset of the fourth

seeded Memphis Grizzlies in a low scoring slate of

games.

The Eastern Semi Finals have been ultra

competitive with nothing separating the Heat and

Pacers or the Celtics and 76ers. Though Miami had all

the star power, the Pacers played a brand of unselfish

and team oriented basketball which gave the Boshless

Heat fits. It took an all time playoff performance from

Lebron James in Game 4, one in which he put up video

game numbers (40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists), to

even the series with the nameless Indiana squad.

Miami got their swagger back and went on to close out

the series 4-2.

In Boston, the veteran Celtics has finally got the

upper hand on an upstart Sixers squad which is full of

confidence after their elimination of the top seeded

Bulls. Boston has been carefully managing the minutes

of its aging stars through this fast-paced season, and a

trip to the Eastern Conference Finals would give the

Garnett, Pierce, Allen group one last shot at another

ring.

Speaking of aging teams who are firing at the right

time, the San Antonio Spurs were the only team in the

Conference Semi’s to sweep their series as they

eliminated the Clippers. Though the Spurs have an

average age similar to most bingo groups, they are

living proof that experience counts for a lot during

playoff season. Would anyone be shocked if Tim

Duncan and Tony Parker added to their jewelry

collection at the end of this season?

To win it all the Spurs will have to go through the

Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle which is being

dubbed the Old West vs. the New West. The Thunder

are arguably the most exciting group in the league, and

the whole club has developed an ethos and work ethic

which is drawn from the city in which the team resides.

This Thunder team has one of the best scorers in the

league (Kevin Durant), one of the best passers in the

league (Russell Westbrook), and one of the best beards

in the league (James Harden). Whichever team wins

the west will likely be favored to win the NBA crown.

I think the Thunder will win the West while Miami

will do enough to prove the class of the East.

Therefore, my Finals prediction is Thunder over Heat in

6.

Miami Heat's LeBron James (pictured right) during Game 4 of

their NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series

against the Indiana Pacers, May 20th, in Indianapolis. Miami

won the series 4-2. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

By Michael Esco, PhD, HFS, CSCS*D

Here are seven suggestions to keep in mind when

you start a stretching routine:

1. There is a difference between flexibility and

stretching. Flexibility refers to the range of motion for

a given joint. The degree of flexibility that a person

has is influenced by muscles and connective tissues,

like ligaments and tendons. Stretching is a form of

exercise that can lead to an increase in flexibility.

2. The optimal amount of flexibility is different for

everyone. Unless a joint is hurt, limited range of

motion may be due to tight or stiff muscles. This is

linked to injuries, chronic pain, and poor posture. If

your muscles are too tight, then you might need to

stretch.

However, being too flexible may not be good,

either. Muscles that are too loose may be weak. This

could cause joint instability and dislocation. If you are

overly flexible, then you may need to strengthen your

muscles and joints with resistance training. The

appropriate amount of flexibility that you need is

specific to the primary movements of your daily life or

sport.

3. Perform static stretching at the right time. Static

stretching involves slowly stretching a muscle to its

end position and holding it for a short period of time,

usually 10-30 seconds. This is the most common form

of stretching and is most often done to warm up for

exercise -- but that is a big mistake.

Don't bend down and touch your toes to stretch

your legs before running. Don't hold your hands

together behind the back to stretch the chest before

you bench press. Static stretching is not

recommended for warming up. It can actually hurt

your performance and make injury more likely if you do

it right before exercise.

Why? Think of it this way: Rubber bands and

muscles are similar in that they both have elastic

properties. A rubber band that's too stretchy cannot be

pulled back quickly enough to provide a strong "pop."

Likewise, an overly elastic muscle has to work harder

to generate the appropriate level of power.

Expert advice on how to & how not to stretch

PREMIER PLAYERS 26

Above, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu stretches during NFL football practice. Bottom right, Washington

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III perform stretching exercises with teammate Devon Brown. (Keith Srakocic)

Most of the recent research suggests that static

stretching right before playing a sport or exercising

can impair performance, such as reducing jumping

height, lowering muscular strength and power, and

slowing sprint time.

Static stretching is not bad. As a matter of fact, it

can be the safest and most effective form of

stretching. It just simply should not be done as a

warm-up.

That's why I (and many other experts) suggest that

you save static stretching for a cool-down activity,

after you're done exercising, or as the main point of

your workout (after you have warmed up). During this

time, the muscles are warm, more elastic, and less

likely to become injured.

Never statically stretch a cold muscle. Cold

muscles are more likely to tear when stretched

improperly. Be sure to warm-up with active, dynamic

movement -- next, I'll tell you how.

4. Use dynamic movement as a warm-up for

exercise.

The best way to warm up for exercise is to perform

low-intensity, dynamic movement that is similar to the

main type of activity that you will perform. Here are

three examples:

A. You're going to jog three miles. First, do some

dynamic movement to warm up: slowly walk,

gradually speeding up for about five minutes.

B. You're about to do a set of bench presses. First,

bench press a much lighter load -- one that is about

50% to 70% lighter than what you're planning to lift

later. Do 2-3 sets of those light bench presses (10-15

repetitions per set).

C. You're going to stretch your leg muscles. First, do

some high knee marches and walking lunges to warm

up those muscles.

Movements such as arm circles, jumping jacks,

and rope skipping are other good dynamic choices for

warming up. Low-intensity activity will gradually raise

your heart rate and increase blood flow to the

muscles. It will also slowly warm up your body's

temperature, so you may even break a little sweat.

5. Don't overstretch. It is true that you must

stretch and hold a muscle beyond its normal length to

improve flexibility. However, you should not stretch to

the point of pain, because it could do serious damage:

tearing a muscle, spraining a ligament, or dislocating

a joint.

Only stretch a muscle to a comfortable point and

hold for about 15 seconds or so.

6. Don't bounce. This is a common mistake that I

see beginners make with stretching. A ballistic

stretch uses vigorous momentum, such as rocking a

body part back and forth to create a "bouncing"

motion. This may make it harder to control the force

and range of motion -- a recipe for disaster.

Ballistic, or bouncing-style stretching is not

recommended for most people, especially if you are a

beginner or recovering from an injury.

7. Fact-check your technique.

Follow research-supported recommendations or

seek help from a qualified professional for your

routine. A general stretching program should follow

the guidelines set forth by the American College of

Sports Medicine (ACSM).

The ACSM recommends at least two to three days

per week of stretching activities. After properly

warming up with dynamic activity (e.g., walking), static

stretches should be held for 10 to 30 seconds per

repetition with approximately four repetitions per

muscle group. Do multiple stretches of your major

muscle groups.

Remember, everyone is different, and so are their

flexibility and stretching needs. So don't compare

yourself to anyone else.

PREMIER PLAYERS 27

Player’s Ink

PREMIER PLAYERS 42

The tattoo on Michael Beasley's leg, pictured during a charity

basketball invitational game in Oklahoma City, Sunday, Oct. 23,

2011, reads "Born 2 Lose Built 2 Win". The game was the latest in a

series of exhibition games across the country as NBA players stay in

the spotlight while locked out by the league. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

PREMIER PLAYERS 43

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PREMIER PLAYERS 30