Ryan Dungey is sheer class. Every sport witnesses a wide range of talents that pour their lives into the fragile hope of one day reaching the top, yet rarely do young phenoms storm the scene and rack up the kind of success that Dungey has already seen.
After a string of noteworthy performances in the amateur ranks, including a victory in Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Championships, a promising young Dungey was pleasantly surprised by an offer from Team Suzuki to join their factory team, and in 2006, made his professional debut at just 16.
Feeding off the tutelage from motocross elite Ricky Carmichael and Roger DeCoster, accolades continued to roll in, including 2007 AMA Rookie of the Year. Despite these successes, it wasn’t until 2009 that Ryan really layed down the hurt on his competition, sweeping the 250 Motocross and Supercross Lites championships and gaining a victorious momentum that steamrolled into 2010, where he accomplished what only one other rider has: win the 450 Supercross and Motocross championships in a rookie season.
2011 saw Dungey’s talent continue to thrive, and despite landing on the podium countless times and bringing home the win for team USA in the Motocross of Nations, he fell just short of overall victory in both the Supercross and outdoor seasons.
A new team and machine were no doubt risky moves for Dungey coming into 2012, yet it didn’t take long for him to put the hammer down and bring Red Bull KTM its first ever Supercross victory. A broken collarbone sidelined the champion for a large chunk of the remaining Supercross races, yet he still managed to win the final two events. During the outdoor season, Dungey rode away from his competitors and into the books as being the first rider to win a 450 Motocross Championship for KTM.
While the San Antonio Spurs cruised through the Western Conference Finals against Memphis, the Miami Heat had everything they could handle against the size and youth of the Indiana Pacers. Naturally, throughout that seven-game marathon, the storyline seemed to change over and over again. We had the inevitable drama as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh took some heat for their play, but as usual (since their choke job two years ago against Dallas), the Heat delivered in crunch time. So now we have a pretty evenly matched NBA Finals, and serious betters will be doing a ton of research and then checking out online gambling site reviews to make their picks and get the latest and best odds, though in the end this one really comes down to your gut.
We have one dynasty led by Tim Duncan, and one potential dynasty led by Lebron James. With Duncan, he’s basically ceded the leadership of the team to Tony Parker, and their “Big Three” with Manu Ginobili have more to do with legacy. The Spurs are a deep team, with these veterans supported by some excellent young talent. The professionalism and experience of the Spurs sets them apart from some of the other teams the Heat have played, so many think they have a shot here.
In Miami, Lebron was ridiculed for being “Robin” to Wade’s “Batman” several years ago, and while we can all mock him for pairing up with superstars to win, there’s no doubt today that he has emerged as the leader of this team, as he matured quite a bit after the humiliation of the Dallas series. Meanwhile, the inconsistency of Wade and Bosh has to worry Heat fans, though like I said earlier, they always seem to rise up. Lebron also has revenge on his mind, so the motivation is definitely there against the Spurs.
So sit back and enjoy what should be a great series.
Sir Alex Ferguson will end this Premier League season having managed Manchester United for the 1,500th time.
The retiring Old Trafford boss who has won 38 trophies now during his 26 year reign will be replaced by Everton manager David Moyes. Check out http://www.freebets.com to keep up to date with the odds on Manchester United to win the Premier League next season or for who will be the next Everton manager.
Last week Manchester United played Swansea which was Ferguson’s final home game in charge of the Red Devils. Ferguson received a huge ovation before thousands of people lined the streets for the Premier League champion’s parade on Monday.
“Sunday was amazing and the parade on Monday, it was incredible, even better than 1999.” Ferguson said.
“I thought the scenes after the treble in 1999 couldn’t be beaten but I think Monday probably did.”
“I went home that night and got 10 hours sleep, the first time in my life. It was marvellous, really good.”
Ferguson will stay on at Old Trafford as a director and an ambassador and has asked United fans to support Moyes when he takes over as manager this summer.
The 71-year-old prepared for his last game at the helm by holding his final pre-match press conference on Friday morning at United’s training ground. The media presented Ferguson with a cake before the news conference to honour the 26 years he has spent in charge of Manchester United.
Ferguson admits his final act will be to look to the future. “I’ll make some changes to the team and play some of the younger ones on Sunday,” he said. “Anders Lindegaard will be in goal and I want to play Phil Jones and Jonny Evans at centre half as they could be the future. ”Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic can sit on the bench with me.”
It’s no secret that American cycling has suffered like a dog under the relentless allegations brought to light by the US Anti-Doping Agency, an organization hell bent on seeking due punishment for cyclists who used performance enhancing drugs to better their careers. Spurred by thorough investigatory tactics and irrefutable evidence, countless US cyclists confessed to using PEDs throughout a whole slew of events, from the Tour de France to the Olympics, all typically in the years prior to 2007. The coup de grace came when once-hero Lance Armstrong, whose seemingly untouchable seven Tour de France titles were a symbol of inspiration to millions of Americans, finally threw in the towel and confirmed what countless skeptics had ranted on for over a decade.
As the dust settled, many brilliant careers were cut short or put on suspension, forever casting them as bad men amidst an even worse culture. Regardless of the validity surrounding these judgments, the sport has continued to pedal on, yet where does this leave American cycling, both for the fan and the rider?
America’s Greatest Race. This title, aptly given to the Amgen Tour of California, describes in three words one of the nation’s most prestigious and successful sporting events, with roughly 750 miles of beautiful terrain. The route, which started in Escondido and finished in Santa Rosa, acted as stadium last week as 16 professional teams from around the globe squeezed every last drop of energy into eight days of battle between man, bike and road.
The Amgen ToC has solidified its reputation as the nation’s most triumphant bike race, offering a hearty platform for domestic athletes to showcase their talents to a large audience. Despite the fallout from Lance and his syringe-prone US Postal teammates, this year’s edition saw American riders shake off the naysayers and cynics, eventually leading to a first place overall victory by 24-year-old Washington native Tejay van Garderen, as well as a stage win by Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp.
Even though he just recently finished his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, Traevon Jackson comes across just like his game- confident, smooth and mature.
For being just 20 years old, he’s so calm and composed, you can’t help but think about where you were in life at 20….and then sheepishly quit punishing yourself.
Some of that confidence undoubtedly comes from his famous genetics and being the son of NBA star player Jim Jackson, but the greater part of it comes from his faith and approach to life, off the court.
After getting limited minutes in the beginning of the year, Jackson became a starter and was a key contributor during the Badgers’ NCAA Tournament run, being named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team and hitting multiple game winning shots. Jackson was 15th in the Big Ten in assists as a true sophomore, also leading the team in both steals and finishing second in free throw shooting.
You get the feeling that it isn’t about what Jackson has accomplished thus far, but what he is going to accomplish. And that gets Badger fans excited.
Bullz-Eye- What was your experience like playing in the NCAA Tournament?
Traevon Jackson- “Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to. Just the fact of me playing in the tournament was great because it’s the attitude of “loser goes home” and unfortunately we had to go home. But it really puts into perspective what you need to do to prepare for it going forward. And learning from that this year helps us next year.”
You just finished your sophomore year you were a big part of the rotation. What helped your development the most between freshman and sophomore year?
“Mainly going home and working with Anthony Rhodman (Who also trained National Player of the Year Trey Burke). This was my first full summer going back home and doing all the skill work that I needed to work on. Coming back in this year I was way more confident and better overall. It took a little while, had to go thru adversity. I didn’t achieve all the goals I wanted to, but the little bit of success I had is like a glimpse of the future.”
What is one area you’ve improved the most on the court and the most off of it?
“It goes for both- just my faith on and off the court. I’ve always been somewhat of a faithful guy but Ant really opened my heart to the lord and it really took hold of everything I do in life, I do it for the Lord. It’s a bigger purpose now. It really took hold for me on and off the court, doing it for the right reasons, bringing glory to god’s name, when it used to be “I want be the best just for me.” But now it’s not just for me but it’s for, Him, the Lord as well.”
What’s the experience been like at Wisconsin since you committed, versus what you thought it would be?
“Coming out of high school, just like any other freshman I’m sure, I thought I’d come in, play major minutes and be the man. And that wasn’t the case at all. Rarely played in my freshman year, and coming into my sophomore year I wasn’t expected to play either. But some injuries happened and I still didn’t start in the beginning of the year, but as season went on I became starter. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned in my two years- overcoming adversity. And if you just stay in the fight because anything can happen if you put in the work.”
What’s the most annoying or creative heckling you have heard in any Big Ten arena?
“A lot of stuff about my dad, but I’ve heard that forever so it’s rare I hear anything new. Honestly, I don’t know. There was this one lady at Indiana after we beat them. It was after the game and I was walking off the court and she was just sitting there on the sidelines. I was walking off the court and apparently I was smiling and she said, “There’s nothing to be smiling at!” It caught me off guard and I thought, “Why are you so mad?” That’s one thing that comes to mind. Fans always say “Jimmy’s better!’ (laughing) but I’m so focused on the game I don’t even pay attention except at maybe at a dead ball.”
Is there added pressure based on who your dad is to succeed? What’s the dynamic of that like?
“Growing up, I felt it more than I do now, but now I don’t even think about it at all, actually. The pressure that I feel now the most is pleasing the Lord. That may sound cliché, but that’s an everyday type of task and the biggest thing for me. As long as I continue to grow in that aspect, there is no other question.”
Who would win a game of one on one right now?
“Oh, me of course (laughing). Easily. He can beat me in golf and all the other, cards, all that stuff, but he’s not beating me on the court.”
How did him moving, playing for 12 different NBA teams, impact you as you were growing up?
“It was great. I got to go to a lot of different cities and see a lot of places I wouldn’t have probably otherwise seen. But, just from watching him, I got to really go thru and experience his career. He started out as a top guy in the league and eventually became a productive role player. Just seeing how he handled it was awesome. It taught me no matter what, and I think about it now when I go through adversity, I never saw him put his head down, he always found a way, just like my mom- keep working hard and good things will come.”
