thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Saunders: Baseball’s unwritten rules; one bad, one good, one ridiculous

Baseball is rich with legends , traditions , superstitions and unwritten rules .
Sometimes they all get mixed together .
And sometimes they get people all hot and bothered .
Last Monday , budding San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam , swinging at a 3-0 pitch , with Padres leading Texas 10-3 in the eighth inning .
He said later that he missed the take sign .
“ He ’ s young , a free spirit , ” Padres manager Jayce Tingler told reporters after the game .
“ It ’ s a learning opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ ll grow from it.
” Tatis , who ’ s one of the game ’ s most exciting young players , said he didn ’ t know he ’ d violated some kind of code .
“ I know a lot of unwritten rules , ” he said .
“ I was kind of lost on this .
Probably next time , I ’ ll take a pitch.
” The incident got baseball fans talking about the game ’ s unwritten rules and the players ’ honor code .
Here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwritten rules , one good , one bad and one ridiculous : No swinging on a 3-0 count with your team far ahead Maybe I ’ ve seen too many crazy comebacks inside Coors Field to believe no lead is safe , but this rule is bad .
Tatis did absolutely nothing wrong .
“ Keep swinging 3-0 if you want to , no matter what the game situation is , ” Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer wrote on Twitter .
“ The only thing you did wrong was apologize .
Stop that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving up 3-0 grand slams , pitch better , ” tweeted Tampa Bay pitcher Colin Poche .
This is a good rule because it goes to the heart of sportsmanship , a quality that seems to be disappearing from contemporary sports .
There is a difference between celebrating and showing up your opponent .
Rockies star shortstop Trevor Story flips the bat perfectly .
Story knows when he ’ s hit one out and he celebrates with a quick , but forceful , bat flip and then chugs around the bases .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Not so with José Bautista in Game 5 of the 2015 American League division series between the Jays and Rangers .
After Bautista hit a go-ahead , three-run homer off Rangers reliever , Andrew Keh of The New York Times described Bautista ’ s actions as “ the most ostentatious bat flip in MLB history.
” Actually , it wasn ’ t a flip at all .
It was a showboating , in-the-Rangers-face , stand-and-hurl-the-bat moment .
To me , it ’ s akin to end zone celebrations in football .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just don ’ t spike the football in your opponent ’ s face .
If a Rockies pitcher goes beyond the fifth inning with a no-hitter , I will tweet out the fact that he is , indeed , throwing a no-no .
Inevitably and immediately I will get shouted down on Twitter with fans accusing me of jinxing the no-no .
It ’ s ridiculous .
I understand why the players in the dugout don ’ t mention the no-hitter and essentially ignore the pitcher who ’ s working on his magic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the team , I ’ m not .
And unless I have powers of which I ’ m unaware , I have no influence on the game ’ s outcome .
When the Dodgers ’ Clayton Kershaw no-hit the Rockies in 2014 , legendary broadcaster Vin Scully repeatedly mentioned that Kershaw was working on a no-hitter .
“ It ’ s insulting the listeners to make them think they ’ re silly and superstitious enough to believe my telling them that a no-hitter is going will affect the game , ” Scully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1960 .

Baseball is rich with legends, traditions, superstitions and unwritten rules. Sometimes they all get mixed together.
And sometimes they get people all hot and bothered.
Last Monday, budding San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam, swinging at a 3-0 pitch, with Padres leading Texas 10-3 in the eighth inning. He said later that he missed the take sign.
“He’s young, a free spirit,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler told reporters after the game. “It’s a learning opportunity, and that’s it. He’ll grow from it.”
Tatis, who’s one of the game’s most exciting young players, said he didn’t know he’d violated some kind of code.
“I know a lot of unwritten rules,” he said. “I was kind of lost on this. Probably next time, I’ll take a pitch.”
The incident got baseball fans talking about the game’s unwritten rules and the players’ honor code. Here’s my take on three of the unwritten rules, one good, one bad and one ridiculous:
No swinging on a 3-0 count with your team far ahead
Maybe I’ve seen too many crazy comebacks inside Coors Field to believe no lead is safe, but this rule is bad. Tatis did absolutely nothing wrong.
“Keep swinging 3-0 if you want to, no matter what the game situation is,” Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer wrote on Twitter. “The only thing you did wrong was apologize. Stop that.”
“If you don’t like giving up 3-0 grand slams, pitch better,” tweeted Tampa Bay pitcher Colin Poche.
No exaggerated bat flips after hitting a home run
This is a good rule because it goes to the heart of sportsmanship, a quality that seems to be disappearing from contemporary sports. There is a difference between celebrating and showing up your opponent.
Rockies star shortstop Trevor Story flips the bat perfectly. Story knows when he’s hit one out and he celebrates with a quick, but forceful, bat flip and then chugs around the bases. He doesn’t try to show anybody up.
Not so with José Bautista in Game 5 of the 2015 American League division series between the Jays and Rangers. After Bautista hit a go-ahead, three-run homer off Rangers reliever, Andrew Keh of The New York Times described Bautista’s actions as “the most ostentatious bat flip in MLB history.”
Actually, it wasn’t a flip at all. It was a showboating, in-the-Rangers-face, stand-and-hurl-the-bat moment.
To me, it’s akin to end zone celebrations in football. Be as creative as you want, just don’t spike the football in your opponent’s face.
Don’t mention a no-hitter when a pitcher’s pitching a no-no
If a Rockies pitcher goes beyond the fifth inning with a no-hitter, I will tweet out the fact that he is, indeed, throwing a no-no. Inevitably and immediately I will get shouted down on Twitter with fans accusing me of jinxing the no-no. It’s ridiculous.
I understand why the players in the dugout don’t mention the no-hitter and essentially ignore the pitcher who’s working on his magic game. But the players are part of the team, I’m not. And unless I have powers of which I’m unaware, I have no influence on the game’s outcome.
When the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw no-hit the Rockies in 2014, legendary broadcaster Vin Scully repeatedly mentioned that Kershaw was working on a no-hitter.
“It’s insulting the listeners to make them think they’re silly and superstitious enough to believe my telling them that a no-hitter is going will affect the game,” Scully told the Los Angeles Times way back in 1960.
Case closed.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Grading the Week: Broncos training camp name to know? Just call him Albert O

On Friday , the Colorado Avalanche woke up thinking its next Stanley Cup playoff game wasn ’ t until Tuesday , at the earliest .
By lunch time , the Avs learned they were playing in a little more than 24 hours so NBC didn ’ t have to show Seinfeld re-runs to its prime time audience .
Considering how well the Avs are playing right now , it ’ s probably a good thing for Colorado .
Let ’ s just hope they have enough time to clean up Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper ’ s chalk outline before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One thing we need to get out of the way right off the bat : It is right and good to refer to the Broncos ’ new tight end as “ Albert O.
” It ’ s a name he knows and loves .
And , frankly , it ’ s a lot easier for some of us dummies to spell .
Now to the more important part : Without any preseason games and a shrunken training camp schedule to work with , the rookie out of Mizzou is making the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley .
Injuries to Austin Fort and free-agent signee Nick Vannett gave Okwuegbunam an opening in the first week of camp , and he ’ s burst right through it .
A regular on the positive side of the ledger in Broncos beat writer Ryan O ’ Halloran ’ s training camp reports , the 6-foot-5 , 258-pound tight end has been seen running crisp routes , soaring into the air for jump-ball receptions and catching passes in the end zone .
While his run blocking skills remain a mystery , we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coach Vic Fangio something to think about as Week 1 quickly approaches .
For three straight games , the Utah Jazz have gotten whatever it ’ s wanted against the Nuggets .
Donovan Mitchell drives to the bucket ?
Sure .
Rudy Gobert thunderous two-handed dunks ?
Yup .
Wide open looks from the 3-point line ?
With frequency .
Gary Harris and Will Barton can ’ t come back soon enough .
Unfortunately , the latter already left the Orlando bubble Wednesday to rehabilitate a nagging knee injury — signaling an extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the day Denver submitted the first of two defensive stink bombs .
For the record : The only reason this isn ’ t an “ F ” is the efforts of Jerami Grant and Jamal Murray , who at least seem to care that the Nuggets were getting their behinds kicked Friday afternoon .
After an offseason in which Arenado kinda , maybe , possibly nudged Rockies management about getting traded to a winner , the all-star third baseman is falling down in the clutch for Colorado .
The stat line on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ run , double ) , as has been his predictably stellar defense on the hot corner .
Here ’ s what ’ s not : Arenado ’ s .074 batting average with runners in scoring position entering Friday night .
That mark is well below the 29-year-old ’ s career average in such instances ( .325 ) , and it ’ s even worse when you consider he was just 1-for-14 with two outs and runners in scoring position through 24 games .
When you ’ re getting paid what Arenado is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Especially after what happened last winter .

Talk about a quick turnaround.
On Friday, the Colorado Avalanche woke up thinking its next Stanley Cup playoff game wasn’t until Tuesday, at the earliest. By lunch time, the Avs learned they were playing in a little more than 24 hours so NBC didn’t have to show Seinfeld re-runs to its prime time audience.
Ah, the power of broadcast television.
Considering how well the Avs are playing right now, it’s probably a good thing for Colorado. Let’s just hope they have enough time to clean up Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s chalk outline before the puck drops at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Albert Okwuegbunam — A
One thing we need to get out of the way right off the bat:
It is right and good to refer to the Broncos’ new tight end as “Albert O.” It’s a name he knows and loves. And, frankly, it’s a lot easier for some of us dummies to spell.
Now to the more important part: Without any preseason games and a shrunken training camp schedule to work with, the rookie out of Mizzou is making the most of his opportunities early on at Dove Valley. Injuries to Austin Fort and free-agent signee Nick Vannett gave Okwuegbunam an opening in the first week of camp, and he’s burst right through it.
A regular on the positive side of the ledger in Broncos beat writer Ryan O’Halloran’s training camp reports, the 6-foot-5, 258-pound tight end has been seen running crisp routes, soaring into the air for jump-ball receptions and catching passes in the end zone.
While his run blocking skills remain a mystery, we know this much: He’s given Coach Vic Fangio something to think about as Week 1 quickly approaches.
Nuggets’ defensive effort — D-
For three straight games, the Utah Jazz have gotten whatever it’s wanted against the Nuggets.
Donovan Mitchell drives to the bucket? Sure. Rudy Gobert thunderous two-handed dunks? Yup. Wide open looks from the 3-point line? With frequency.
Gary Harris and Will Barton can’t come back soon enough.
Unfortunately, the latter already left the Orlando bubble Wednesday to rehabilitate a nagging knee injury — signaling an extended absence. That just so happens to be the day Denver submitted the first of two defensive stink bombs.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
For the record: The only reason this isn’t an “F” is the efforts of Jerami Grant and Jamal Murray, who at least seem to care that the Nuggets were getting their behinds kicked Friday afternoon.
Nolan Arenado — C+
After an offseason in which Arenado kinda, maybe, possibly nudged Rockies management about getting traded to a winner, the all-star third baseman is falling down in the clutch for Colorado.
The stat line on Thursday was nice (2-for-5, home run, double), as has been his predictably stellar defense on the hot corner. Here’s what’s not: Arenado’s .074 batting average with runners in scoring position entering Friday night.
That mark is well below the 29-year-old’s career average in such instances (.325), and it’s even worse when you consider he was just 1-for-14 with two outs and runners in scoring position through 24 games.
When you’re getting paid what Arenado is, that’s not going to cut it.
Especially after what happened last winter.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Nuggets coach Michael Malone: We played four minutes of playoff basketball in Game 3 drubbing

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he saw four minutes of playoff basketball on Friday , as his team shrank and shriveled during the Game 3 onslaught .
Even in the bubble , where daily COVID tests are the new normal , basketball is still a 48-minute contest .
Late in the second quarter , with his team already staring up at a 25-point deficit , the Nuggets momentarily came to life .
Paul Millsap awoke from his postseason malaise , drilling two 3-pointers and bullying his way for a runner .
One 3-pointer even drew engaged applause from his dejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rudy Gobert ’ s grill , and Jamal Murray confidently stepped in and stroked a 3-pointer .
For four minutes the Nuggets looked like they had some fight , appeared like a team deserving of being the No .
3 seed in the Western Conference , feigned interest in competing .
The 14-6 run was a small sliver of hope amid a hurricane of disaster .
And that was it .
The fleeting run constituted the postseason basketball that Malone watched from the Nuggets on Friday .
“ Guys were actually playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malone said .
“ You can ’ t do that for four minutes and expect to be in a game.
” The Nuggets carried all that momentum out of halftime and were promptly spanked with a 35-point Utah third quarter .
Not that the game was even competitive at that point .
“ Our group has to be a lot more mentally tough , ” Malone said Heading into Friday ’ s Game 3 , one that decided who took a 2-1 series edge , Malone offered a cautionary note .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 , they ’ d treated the moment like a regular season game .
Who are these Nuggets , and what game are they playing ?
“ I mean I think the energy was there , we were just kind of running around with no reason , ” said Nuggets franchise centerpiece Nikola Jokic .
“ We didn ’ t know what we were doing.
” Denver ’ s season could be over in two games .
The standard of play they knew was necessary should ’ ve been learned after two gripping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Jokic and Jamal Murray who set the tenor in the locker room and whose play will determine whether the Nuggets can drag themselves off the mat .
Malone did not single out Jokic ’ s individual battle with Rudy Gobert , or call out Michael Porter Jr. ’ s disconnected defense .
Knowing it ’ s a young team yet to fully establish itself , he didn ’ t distance himself from blame , either .
“ None of us are performing , ” he said .
“ I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not playing well enough .
And a lot has to change going into Game 4 , because this is two games in a row we ’ ve gotten our ( butt ) kicked .
”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he saw four minutes of playoff basketball on Friday, as his team shrank and shriveled during the Game 3 onslaught.
Even in the bubble, where daily COVID tests are the new normal, basketball is still a 48-minute contest.
Late in the second quarter, with his team already staring up at a 25-point deficit, the Nuggets momentarily came to life. Paul Millsap awoke from his postseason malaise, drilling two 3-pointers and bullying his way for a runner. One 3-pointer even drew engaged applause from his dejected bench.
Nikola Jokic hit a jumper in Rudy Gobert’s grill, and Jamal Murray confidently stepped in and stroked a 3-pointer. For four minutes the Nuggets looked like they had some fight, appeared like a team deserving of being the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, feigned interest in competing.
The 14-6 run was a small sliver of hope amid a hurricane of disaster. And that was it. The fleeting run constituted the postseason basketball that Malone watched from the Nuggets on Friday.
“Guys were actually playing hard, competing every possession,” Malone said. “You can’t do that for four minutes and expect to be in a game.”
The Nuggets carried all that momentum out of halftime and were promptly spanked with a 35-point Utah third quarter. Not that the game was even competitive at that point.
“Our group has to be a lot more mentally tough,” Malone said
Heading into Friday’s Game 3, one that decided who took a 2-1 series edge, Malone offered a cautionary note. He’d said that at times during Game 2, they’d treated the moment like a regular season game.
Who are these Nuggets, and what game are they playing?
“I mean I think the energy was there, we were just kind of running around with no reason,” said Nuggets franchise centerpiece Nikola Jokic. “We didn’t know what we were doing.”
Denver’s season could be over in two games. The standard of play they knew was necessary should’ve been learned after two gripping seven-game series last season.
It’s Jokic and Jamal Murray who set the tenor in the locker room and whose play will determine whether the Nuggets can drag themselves off the mat.
Malone did not single out Jokic’s individual battle with Rudy Gobert, or call out Michael Porter Jr.’s disconnected defense. Knowing it’s a young team yet to fully establish itself, he didn’t distance himself from blame, either.
“None of us are performing,” he said. “I’m not coaching well enough; we’re not playing well enough. And a lot has to change going into Game 4, because this is two games in a row we’ve gotten our (butt) kicked.”


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Chambers: Jared Bednar downplays the Avalanche’s dominance over Arizona

I should have known better .
I should have known that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar , a hockey product of rural Saskatchewan and son of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer , would never answer the question in the way that is was posed .
I asked Bednar , as a coach or minor-league player , if he had ever before been part of such a dominating team in a best-of-seven professional playoff series .
I should have known that knowing him , he would never cross that line in hockey culture 101 .
He would never downgrade the Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing to the Avs in five games , including 7-1 blowouts in the last two .
Me : The Avs absolutely dominated the series , and the only reason Arizona won Game 3 was goalie Darcy Kuemper ’ s 49 saves .
Granted , the Coyotes outshot Colorado in Game 2 , but without factoring in empty-net goals , the Avs outscored the Yotes 22-6 in the series .
The Avalanche proved no match for the Desert Dogs .
“ I don ’ t see it like that , ” Bednar told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tip my cap to Tocc ( coach Rick Tocchet ) and his crew .
I think they ’ ve done an excellent job with that team .
They have an identity and they stick to it and they play to it .
I think as the series went on , our big guys really started to come and we wore them down a little bit.
” A little bit ?
Colorado outscored Arizona 13-1 from the start of Game 4 through the second period of Game 5 .
The Avs eliminated a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an overtime win for the first time since 2000 , when they defeated the then-Phoenix Coyotes .
Colorado has two all-time playoff sweeps , in 1996 against Florida and 2001 against Vancouver , but even those required an overtime win .
So by all accounts , the 2020 series against Arizona could go down as one of the top-three dominating performances in Avalanche postseason history .
“ Yeah , we had some chances but they were dangerous at times , too , ” Bednar said .
“ They play such a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just kind of the way they ’ re built .
Their back end and their forwards do a nice job of clearing all the trouble in front of their goaltending , their goaltending was excellent.
” Yeah , and your team destroyed that structure .
“ It was a close series , ” Bednar said .
“ Again , some of our big guns and game-breakers ( came through ) .
Good starts and the power play steps up and really probably wins us the series with the last two games.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot closer than what people may see just from the score of the last couple games.
” I ’ m not buying it .
But if I were an NHL coach always acting like a class act , I would hope I could find the words Bednar used in congratulating the Coyotes for a “ hard-fought ” series .
Footnote .
Upon review , Game 1 of the Avalanche-Stars second-round series Saturday makes perfect sense .
Yes , it came and went before two potential Game 7s in the first round Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t originally scheduled to begin until Tuesday , but the NHL looked at its primetime slot on NBC on Saturday and took it .
That ’ s good for the Avalanche , good for hockey .
And it ’ s good for the players , who are running out of things to do on their off days in the bubble .
With no travel open dates in Edmonton and Toronto , everyone wins by beginning a series as soon as possible .

I should have known better. I should have known that Avalanche coach Jared Bednar, a hockey product of rural Saskatchewan and son of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, would never answer the question in the way that is was posed.
I asked Bednar, as a coach or minor-league player, if he had ever before been part of such a dominating team in a best-of-seven professional playoff series. I should have known that knowing him, he would never cross that line in hockey culture 101.
He would never downgrade the Arizona Coyotes’ chances or its effort in losing to the Avs in five games, including 7-1 blowouts in the last two.
Me: The Avs absolutely dominated the series, and the only reason Arizona won Game 3 was goalie Darcy Kuemper’s 49 saves. Granted, the Coyotes outshot Colorado in Game 2, but without factoring in empty-net goals, the Avs outscored the Yotes 22-6 in the series.
The Avalanche proved no match for the Desert Dogs.
“I don’t see it like that,” Bednar told me after Game 5. “I have to tip my cap to Tocc (coach Rick Tocchet) and his crew. I think they’ve done an excellent job with that team. They have an identity and they stick to it and they play to it. I think as the series went on, our big guys really started to come and we wore them down a little bit.”
A little bit? Colorado outscored Arizona 13-1 from the start of Game 4 through the second period of Game 5. The Avs eliminated a team in five games without the benefit of an overtime win for the first time since 2000, when they defeated the then-Phoenix Coyotes.
Colorado has two all-time playoff sweeps, in 1996 against Florida and 2001 against Vancouver, but even those required an overtime win.
So by all accounts, the 2020 series against Arizona could go down as one of the top-three dominating performances in Avalanche postseason history.
Right?
“Yeah, we had some chances but they were dangerous at times, too,” Bednar said. “They play such a good team game defensively … It’s just kind of the way they’re built. Their back end and their forwards do a nice job of clearing all the trouble in front of their goaltending, their goaltending was excellent.”
Yeah, and your team destroyed that structure.
“It was a close series,” Bednar said. “Again, some of our big guns and game-breakers (came through). Good starts and the power play steps up and really probably wins us the series with the last two games.”
He added: “I think it was a lot closer than what people may see just from the score of the last couple games.”
I’m not buying it. But if I were an NHL coach always acting like a class act, I would hope I could find the words Bednar used in congratulating the Coyotes for a “hard-fought” series.
Footnote. Upon review, Game 1 of the Avalanche-Stars second-round series Saturday makes perfect sense. Yes, it came and went before two potential Game 7s in the first round Sunday, and the second round wasn’t originally scheduled to begin until Tuesday, but the NHL looked at its primetime slot on NBC on Saturday and took it. That’s good for the Avalanche, good for hockey. And it’s good for the players, who are running out of things to do on their off days in the bubble. With no travel open dates in Edmonton and Toronto, everyone wins by beginning a series as soon as possible.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Ask Amy: Widow seeks dating advice

Ask Amy: Widow seeks dating advice

Dear Amy : I am a widow and have started dating again .
I am currently seeing a man who gets up early to go online .
He is always complimenting women online , even telling them that he loves them .
He and I dated before , and I walked away because of his online activities .
He got back in touch , saying that he missed me .
He asked if we could try again .
During the time we were broken up , he went on a couple of dates with another woman .
He promised that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He still keeps her number and has her on his Facebook account .
I am not on his Facebook account , and his page still says that he is single , even though he tells me that we are in a relationship .
I have told him I will not be second to a computer and a bunch of single women .
I got married at 18 and was married for 32 years when my husband passed away .
I don ’ t know what to do at this point .
Should I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I do not think it is right to keep old baggage hanging around because it doesn ’ t give us a chance to move forward as a couple .
I have had a lot of other men interested in taking me out , but I have turned them down because I don ’ t believe in playing these games .
Please help .
I ’ m thinking of just being alone !
Dear Worried : You say you don ’ t think it is right to keep old baggage around .
Has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario , you might be the baggage that he is keeping around ?
You had a very long marriage , followed by a huge loss .
Surely during your marriage , you learned that you are important .
You should be the most important person in your world , certainly much more important than a skeevy guy who can yank you back into his orbit just by asking .
Please don ’ t “ move forward as a couple ” with this dude .
He is showing you exactly who he is .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want to play games , so stop playing this one .
If you walk away from this person , you will ( without question ) be the winner .
Dear Amy : I am 68 and have been married to a 75-year-old alcoholic for 20 years .
My husband continues to drink .
I am his only friend .
He can be a kind thoughtful man , and also a rude and socially inept jerk .
When he is drunk , he is extremely rude to me .
All attempts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , I have left him and then returned .
I have seen three attorneys and considered divorce .
Each attorney has let me know that for a variety of reasons I will be substantially worse off financially if I divorce my husband .
This is because our home was purchased with assets he gained before the marriage , yet he is entitled to half my saved income from my business .
I also have a fairly benign but chronic health-care issue , which is in remission but flares up from time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has helped me , as I have built a wonderful life .
I also know that alcoholism is a progressive disease and that his drinking and behavior can get much worse .
Do you have any advice for me ?
— Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop Dear Waiting : I can ’ t tell you what choice to make , just as your support system from Al-Anon can ’ t direct you .
Your lawyers can only deliver sound legal advice concerning the financial consequences of divorce .
I will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoe to drop is pretty much the definition of mental torture .
I think it is vital that , at the very least , you have a “ safe place ” to retreat to if/when things get bad .
Your husband has a serious , untreated illness , which unfortunately has a high and negative impact on you .
As a registered nurse who worked with brain injured in ICU and as a certified rehabilitation RN , I have witnessed many changes that can occur after a brain injury .
There are many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve heard a preacher ’ s son use language that would curl your toes .
It would be of benefit to all to meet with the neurologist to discuss the aberrant behavior .

Dear Amy: I am a widow and have started dating again.
I am currently seeing a man who gets up early to go online. He is always complimenting women online, even telling them that he loves them.
He and I dated before, and I walked away because of his online activities.
He got back in touch, saying that he missed me. He asked if we could try again. During the time we were broken up, he went on a couple of dates with another woman. He promised that she would be gone! Nope. He still keeps her number and has her on his Facebook account.
I am not on his Facebook account, and his page still says that he is single, even though he tells me that we are in a relationship.
I have told him I will not be second to a computer and a bunch of single women.
I got married at 18 and was married for 32 years when my husband passed away. I don’t know what to do at this point. Should I walk away? I have told him that I do not think it is right to keep old baggage hanging around because it doesn’t give us a chance to move forward as a couple.
I have had a lot of other men interested in taking me out, but I have turned them down because I don’t believe in playing these games.
Please help. I’m thinking of just being alone!
— Worried Widow
Dear Worried: You say you don’t think it is right to keep old baggage around.
Has it occurred to you that in this scenario, you might be the baggage that he is keeping around?
You had a very long marriage, followed by a huge loss. Surely during your marriage, you learned that you are important. You should be the most important person in your world, certainly much more important than a skeevy guy who can yank you back into his orbit just by asking.
Please don’t “move forward as a couple” with this dude. He is showing you exactly who he is. You need to believe him.
You don’t want to play games, so stop playing this one. If you walk away from this person, you will (without question) be the winner.
Dear Amy: I am 68 and have been married to a 75-year-old alcoholic for 20 years. My husband continues to drink. I am his only friend. He can be a kind thoughtful man, and also a rude and socially inept jerk.
When he is drunk, he is extremely rude to me. All attempts at sobriety are short-lived.
Through the years, I have left him and then returned. I have seen three attorneys and considered divorce. Each attorney has let me know that for a variety of reasons I will be substantially worse off financially if I divorce my husband. This is because our home was purchased with assets he gained before the marriage, yet he is entitled to half my saved income from my business.
I also have a fairly benign but chronic health-care issue, which is in remission but flares up from time to time.
I go to Al-Anon, which has helped me, as I have built a wonderful life. I also know that alcoholism is a progressive disease and that his drinking and behavior can get much worse.
Do you have any advice for me?
— Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
Dear Waiting: I can’t tell you what choice to make, just as your support system from Al-Anon can’t direct you. Your lawyers can only deliver sound legal advice concerning the financial consequences of divorce.
I will say this: Waiting for the other shoe to drop is pretty much the definition of mental torture. I think it is vital that, at the very least, you have a “safe place” to retreat to if/when things get bad. Your husband has a serious, untreated illness, which unfortunately has a high and negative impact on you.
Dear Amy: “Confused” was upset when a recent stroke victim made a sexually inappropriate comment.
As a registered nurse who worked with brain injured in ICU and as a certified rehabilitation RN, I have witnessed many changes that can occur after a brain injury.
There are many ways strokes affect people. I’ve heard a preacher’s son use language that would curl your toes.
It would be of benefit to all to meet with the neurologist to discuss the aberrant behavior.
— RN
Dear RN: Great advice. Thank you.
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule: Avalanche vs. Stars in second round

The NHL has announced its schedule for second round playoff games and it looks to be some late-night hockey for @ @ @ @ @ have the first game in the second round and will face the Dallas Stars on @ @ @ @ @ 6 p.m. No .
2 Avalanche and No .
3 Stars is sure to be @ @ @ @ @ .
The Stars dominated the Avs in the regular season with Colorado flipping the switch @ @ @ @ @ return to hockey in Canada .
All games will be played inside the bubble in @ @ @ @ @ Stanley Cup Playoffs .

The NHL has announced its schedule for second round playoff games and it looks to be some late-night hockey for the Avs.
Colorado will have the first game in the second round and will face the Dallas Stars on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.
No. 2 Avalanche and No. 3 Stars is sure to be a thriller of a series. The Stars dominated the Avs in the regular season with Colorado flipping the switch in the team’s return to hockey in Canada.
All games will be played inside the bubble in Canada the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Full schedule below:
Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 22, 6 p.m. MT (NBC)
Game 2: Monday, Aug. 24, 7:45 p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 3: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 8:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Game 4: Friday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
*Game 5: Sunday, Aug. 30, TBD
*Game 6: Monday, Aug. 31, TBD
*Game 7: Wednesday, Sept. 2, TBD
*if necessary


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Rockies play out familiar, tired script in 5-1 loss to Dodgers

In the shadow of the Hollywood sign , the Rockies keep playing out the same-old , tired script .
With Los Angeles starter Walker Buehler tying them up in knots and striking out 11 batters over six innings , the Rockies lost 5-1 Friday night at Dodger Stadium .
The most telling statistic of the night : Dodgers pitchers fanned 14 ; Rockies pitchers struck out one .
Colorado ’ s dropped their fifth straight game and lost for the 10th time in 12 games , setting them back to .500 at 13-13 .
That might not be so terrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Dodgers , who improved to 20-8 and appear to be streaking toward their eighth consecutive National League West crown , have defeated Colorado 21 times in the last 25 meetings .
The Rockies have now lost 14 of 15 games in L.A. since July 1 , 2018 .
But both manager Bud Black and all-star shortstop Trevor Story disregarded the theory the Dodgers are in the Rockies ’ heads .
“ I don ’ t think so , ” Black said .
“ They ’ re a good team .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
I don ’ t think they ’ re in our heads at all.
” Added Story : “ We feel like we can play and compete with anybody , but we haven ’ t shown that , especially against the Dodgers .
But it ’ s not like we ’ re going out there and thinking , ‘ Ah ( crud ) we ’ re going to lose.
’ That ’ s never been the feeling the clubhouse or in the dugout .
We always go out there with the intent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win.
” Buehler set down the first 11 batters he faced until Charlie Blackmon ripped a two-out single up the middle in the fourth .
Buehler entered the gamed with a pedestrian 5.21 ERA over his first four starts but he was excellent Friday night .
“ I ’ m not sure whether it was the extra day ’ s rest he had or not , but the fastball was live tonight and it had that carry and velocity , ” Black said .
“ From ( my vantage point ) it looked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratio was great .
His curveball was sharp .
… He was on his game .
That was premium stuff tonight.
” Colorado ’ s best chance against Buehler fizzled in the sixth when Nolan Arenado flew out to right with two outs and two on to end the mini-rally .
Story ’ s RBI single to right scored Drew Butera , but Buehler fanned Charlie Blackmon on a wicked curveball .
Up stepped Arenado , who worked the count to 3-2 and gave Buehler ’ s 96.7 mph fastball a ride , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the base of the right-field wall .
Arenado , usually one of the best run producers in the game , is batting 2-for-28 ( .071 ) with runners in scoring position and .067 ( 1-for-15 ) with two outs and runners in scoring position this season .
With Buehler dealing like an ace for the first five innings , the Rockies needed starter Jon Gray to step up his game .
Lacking command of his fastball or his changeup , he was unable to do so .
“ There are times when a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through an outing and hang in there through five or six innings , but it just didn ’ t happen tonight for Jon , ” Black said .
Gray departed after 3 2/3 innings , his final pitch driven into the right-field corner for a two-run double by Corey Seager .
Gray , who ’ s ERA has soared to 6.23 after two subpar outings in his last three starts , was charged with four runs on seven hits .
He walked two , hit a batter and , most disconcerting , did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said his biggest problem was his inability to get ahead of hitters , something the Dodgers took advantage of early on .
“ It ’ s very frustrating .
I can ’ t describe how frustrating it is , especially with how important this game was , ” Gray said .
The Dodgers jumped on Gray for a run in the first , combining a leadoff double by Pederson , a single by Justin Turner and an RBI double by Cody Bellinger .
L.A. hammered Gray in the decisive fourth beginning with A.J @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed by a single by Matt Beaty , an RBI single by Chris Taylor and , finally , Seager ’ s double .
“ We ’ re obviously in a rut right now , and I saw ( this game ) as an opportunity , ” Gray said .
“ Now it ’ s down the drain .
So now we are looking forward to tomorrow and that ’ s the best thing you can do.
” Colorado ’ s highlight reel of the evening was provided by Story in the Dodgers ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Taylor ’ s hot shot near second base and flipped the ball to Ryan McMahon for the force out at second .
The Rockies send left-hander Kyle Freeland to the mound on Saturday night against Dodgers righty Dustin May .

In the shadow of the Hollywood sign, the Rockies keep playing out the same-old, tired script.
With Los Angeles starter Walker Buehler tying them up in knots and striking out 11 batters over six innings, the Rockies lost 5-1 Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
The most telling statistic of the night: Dodgers pitchers fanned 14; Rockies pitchers struck out one.
Colorado’s dropped their fifth straight game and lost for the 10th time in 12 games, setting them back to .500 at 13-13. That might not be so terrible had they not opened the season 11-3.
The Dodgers, who improved to 20-8 and appear to be streaking toward their eighth consecutive National League West crown, have defeated Colorado 21 times in the last 25 meetings. The Rockies have now lost 14 of 15 games in L.A. since July 1, 2018.
But both manager Bud Black and all-star shortstop Trevor Story disregarded the theory the Dodgers are in the Rockies’ heads.
“I don’t think so,” Black said. “They’re a good team. Every night we think we can play with them. I don’t think they’re in our heads at all.”
Added Story: “We feel like we can play and compete with anybody, but we haven’t shown that, especially against the Dodgers. But it’s not like we’re going out there and thinking, ‘Ah (crud) we’re going to lose.’ That’s never been the feeling the clubhouse or in the dugout. We always go out there with the intent and belief that we are going to win.”
Buehler set down the first 11 batters he faced until Charlie Blackmon ripped a two-out single up the middle in the fourth. Buehler entered the gamed with a pedestrian 5.21 ERA over his first four starts but he was excellent Friday night.
“I’m not sure whether it was the extra day’s rest he had or not, but the fastball was live tonight and it had that carry and velocity,” Black said. “From (my vantage point) it looked like it had location. His ball-to-strike ratio was great. His curveball was sharp. … He was on his game. That was premium stuff tonight.”
Colorado’s best chance against Buehler fizzled in the sixth when Nolan Arenado flew out to right with two outs and two on to end the mini-rally. Story’s RBI single to right scored Drew Butera, but Buehler fanned Charlie Blackmon on a wicked curveball. Up stepped Arenado, who worked the count to 3-2 and gave Buehler’s 96.7 mph fastball a ride, but Joc Pederson flagged it down at the base of the right-field wall.
Arenado, usually one of the best run producers in the game, is batting 2-for-28 (.071) with runners in scoring position and .067 (1-for-15) with two outs and runners in scoring position this season.
With Buehler dealing like an ace for the first five innings, the Rockies needed starter Jon Gray to step up his game. Lacking command of his fastball or his changeup, he was unable to do so.
“There are times when a pitcher can sort of bob and weave through an outing and hang in there through five or six innings, but it just didn’t happen tonight for Jon,” Black said.
Gray departed after 3 2/3 innings, his final pitch driven into the right-field corner for a two-run double by Corey Seager.
Gray, who’s ERA has soared to 6.23 after two subpar outings in his last three starts, was charged with four runs on seven hits. He walked two, hit a batter and, most disconcerting, did not strike out a batter.
Gray said his biggest problem was his inability to get ahead of hitters, something the Dodgers took advantage of early on.
“It’s very frustrating. I can’t describe how frustrating it is, especially with how important this game was,” Gray said.
The Dodgers jumped on Gray for a run in the first, combining a leadoff double by Pederson, a single by Justin Turner and an RBI double by Cody Bellinger.
L.A. hammered Gray in the decisive fourth beginning with A.J. Pollock’s leadoff double, followed by a single by Matt Beaty, an RBI single by Chris Taylor and, finally, Seager’s double.
“We’re obviously in a rut right now, and I saw (this game) as an opportunity,” Gray said. “Now it’s down the drain. So now we are looking forward to tomorrow and that’s the best thing you can do.”
Colorado’s highlight reel of the evening was provided by Story in the Dodgers’ eighth when he made a diving stop on Taylor’s hot shot near second base and flipped the ball to Ryan McMahon for the force out at second.
The Rockies send left-hander Kyle Freeland to the mound on Saturday night against Dodgers righty Dustin May.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer leaves Game 1 with apparent leg injury

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury early in the second period of Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday in Edmonton .
Untouched , Grubauer leaned to his right for a puck that wouldn ’ t have hit the net and collapsed to the ice .
He was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate , unable to put any weight on his left leg .
Pavel Francouz replaced Grubauer when Dallas was leading 3-1 .
The Avs tied it shortly thereafter but then Francouz allowed Alexander Radulov ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 4-2 midway through the second period .
Trade-deadline addition Michael Hutchinson is Colorado ’ s third-string goalie .
He is the only other goalie with the Avs in the Edmonton bubble .
The Avs began the game without winger Matt Calvert , who was “ unfit to play , ” and also were without defenseman Erik Johnson for much of the first period .
Johnson collided with former Avs teammate Blake Comeau and couldn ’ t continue .
Johnson also went to the locker room late in the second period after a @ @ @ @ @ @

Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer suffered what appeared to be a left leg injury early in the second period of Game 1 against the Dallas Stars on Saturday in Edmonton.
Scary moment as @Avalanche' Philipp Grubauer goes down in pain and is helped to the locker room. Pavel Francouz is now in net. pic.twitter.com/GfV0jc51z0 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 23, 2020
Untouched, Grubauer leaned to his right for a puck that wouldn’t have hit the net and collapsed to the ice. He was helped off the ice by a trainer and teammate, unable to put any weight on his left leg.
Pavel Francouz replaced Grubauer when Dallas was leading 3-1. The Avs tied it shortly thereafter but then Francouz allowed Alexander Radulov’s second goal of the game to make it 4-2 midway through the second period.
“He won’t be hitting the ice tomorrow or anything like that,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of Grubauer after the 5-3 loss. “The good news on that front is Frankie has played real well for us this year and he’s kind of split the season with some of the injuries we had. His play has dictated that he should stay in the net at times and we’re a confident team in front of him, too. Hopefully, Gruby can get healthy and back in here as soon as possible. In the meantime, Frankie is going to have to get the job done.”
Trade-deadline addition Michael Hutchinson is Colorado’s third-string goalie. He is the only other goalie with the Avs in the Edmonton bubble.
More injuries. The Avs began the game without winger Matt Calvert, who was “unfit to play,” and also were without defenseman Erik Johnson for much of the game. Johnson collided with former Avs teammate Blake Comeau and skated off gingerly and walked to the locker room. Johnson returned but also went to the locker room late in the second period after a head-first collision into the boards.
He returned to the bench early in the third period but did not play.
“He wanted to come out and try and help on the bench any way he could as one of the leaders of our hockey club,” Bednar said of Johnson. “We missed him. Our D, like I said, did not have a good night … When you’re taking out a veteran guy that can help settle things help who’s having a pretty good night. We need more guys playing to his caliber or better.
Bednar said the Avs missed Calvert on his dynamic fourth line with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Nieto.
“When it comes to Calvert, we missed him because he’s a consistent player for us. I still like Bellemare and Nieto. They work. They’re engaged in the game, they’re playing to win. They were engaged physically and mentally. We needed as many players like that as we could get tonight and it was hard finding them on the bench. I guy like Calvert usually brings the juice for us and we missed him.”
Footnotes. Vladislav Namestnikov returned after missing the last four playoff games with an injury. The winger replaced Calvert. … The Avs had 17 giveaways and just 11 takeaways. They blocked just 12 shots, compared to 21 for Dallas.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Dustin Johnson’s big finish gives him 5-shot lead at TPC Boston

NORTON , Mass .
— Dustin Johnson arrived at the TPC Boston this week , headed to the practice range and then looked at his swing coach .
“ He said , ‘ Bro , what am I supposed to be working on again ?
’ ” Claude Harmon said Saturday as he watched his pupil set another personal record in The Northern Trust .
Johnson isn ’ t doing much wrong at the moment , a daunting prospect to the guys trying to chase him .
His birdie-eagle finish gave Johnson a 7-under 64 and stretched his lead to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scheffler .
The finish would have come in handy the day before .
Johnson was an astounding 11-under par through 11 holes Friday and had the golf world curious if he would go as low as 57 to set the PGA Tour record .
Instead , he finished with seven straight pars for a 60 , his best ever but not what it could have been .
Johnson put that behind him and looked just as good .
Instead of the fast start , it was a big finish .
He rolled in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then holed a 40-footer up a ridge and down toward the hole for eagle on the par-5 18th .
That put him at 22-under 191 , his lowest 54-hole by three shots .
In his mind , there is still work to be done .
“ I ’ m in a great position and like where I ’ m at , but I ’ m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score , ” Johnson said .
“ You can go low out here and guys are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the conditions we have — perfect greens , golf course is in great shape and not a lot of wind.
” Johnson knows better than to think it ’ s over .
Just an hour before he signed for his 64 , he was tied for the lead until English made bogeys on the 16th and 17th and missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 66 .
He could also think back to the HSBC Champions in Shanghai three years ago , when he had a six-shot lead in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose , matching a PGA Tour record .
As well as he ’ s playing , he ’ s only thinking of going as low as he can .
“ Doesn ’ t matter what the other guys are doing , ” Johnson said .
“ I ’ m just going to play my game and I ’ ll be aggressive when I can be and be a little more conservative when I have to be.
” Scheffler , coming off the 12th round of 59 or better on the PGA Tour , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final group with Johnson , just like he did two weeks ago on the final day of the PGA Championship .
On this day , it was a final pair of two players who had the lowest rounds in TPC Boston history .
Only one of them shot golf ’ s magic number , and that wasn ’ t a topic of conversation for either of them .
“ I just told him nice playing , ” Johnson said .
Scheffler said his text messages included one from Ben Crenshaw , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Otherwise , as a local NFL coach might say , it was on to Saturday .
“ Yesterday was awesome and the only difference going into today was everybody was telling me good round still , and that ’ s pretty rare , ” Scheffler said .
“ Once I got on the course , I didn ’ t think once about it.
” Johnson is going for his second victory of the year and could go to No .
1 in the world — provided Jon Rahm doesn ’ t finish second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
Tiger Woods predicted Friday there would be low scoring in the third round , and he was right — just not from him or Rory McIlroy , a star pairing for the breakfast hour .
Woods birdied the last hole for a 73 .
McIlroy made two triple bogeys in his round of 74 .
They get to play again Sunday morning .
Johnson will be going for his fifth FedEx Cup playoff victory , and third in this event on a third course .
What matters more is how he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already features some of the best players in golf — Woods , McIlroy , Vijay Singh , Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth among them — and Johnson wants to be on that list .
Johnson set the target with four birdies in eight holes before heavy rain moved in and halted the third round for 45 minutes .
It also softened a TPC Boston that was getting slightly firmer .
He came back and hit to tap-in range for birdie on the 12th , and the had the great finish .
Johnson needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his first 59 , and said he regrets hitting driver off the tee with a shot that tumbled down a small slope into the rough .
Lesson learned ?
Not really .
With the rain , he opted for driver again , teed it low and hit this one perfect , setting up a 5-iron to the green and his long eagle putt .

NORTON, Mass. — Dustin Johnson arrived at the TPC Boston this week, headed to the practice range and then looked at his swing coach.
“He said, ‘Bro, what am I supposed to be working on again?’” Claude Harmon said Saturday as he watched his pupil set another personal record in The Northern Trust.
Johnson isn’t doing much wrong at the moment, a daunting prospect to the guys trying to chase him. His birdie-eagle finish gave Johnson a 7-under 64 and stretched his lead to five shots over Harris English and Scottie Scheffler.
The finish would have come in handy the day before. Johnson was an astounding 11-under par through 11 holes Friday and had the golf world curious if he would go as low as 57 to set the PGA Tour record. Instead, he finished with seven straight pars for a 60, his best ever but not what it could have been.
Johnson put that behind him and looked just as good. Instead of the fast start, it was a big finish. He rolled in a 20-foot birdie on the 17th, and then holed a 40-footer up a ridge and down toward the hole for eagle on the par-5 18th.
That put him at 22-under 191, his lowest 54-hole by three shots.
In his mind, there is still work to be done.
“I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson said. “You can go low out here and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have — perfect greens, golf course is in great shape and not a lot of wind.”
Johnson knows better than to think it’s over. Just an hour before he signed for his 64, he was tied for the lead until English made bogeys on the 16th and 17th and missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 66.
He could also think back to the HSBC Champions in Shanghai three years ago, when he had a six-shot lead in the final round and lost to Justin Rose, matching a PGA Tour record.
As well as he’s playing, he’s only thinking of going as low as he can.
“Doesn’t matter what the other guys are doing,” Johnson said. “I’m just going to play my game and I’ll be aggressive when I can be and be a little more conservative when I have to be.”
Scheffler, coming off the 12th round of 59 or better on the PGA Tour, had a 67. He played in the final group with Johnson, just like he did two weeks ago on the final day of the PGA Championship. On this day, it was a final pair of two players who had the lowest rounds in TPC Boston history. Only one of them shot golf’s magic number, and that wasn’t a topic of conversation for either of them.
“I just told him nice playing,” Johnson said.
Scheffler said his text messages included one from Ben Crenshaw, a big supporter of all Texas Longhorns. Otherwise, as a local NFL coach might say, it was on to Saturday.
“Yesterday was awesome and the only difference going into today was everybody was telling me good round still, and that’s pretty rare,” Scheffler said. “Once I got on the course, I didn’t think once about it.”
Johnson is going for his second victory of the year and could go to No. 1 in the world — provided Jon Rahm doesn’t finish second — for the first time since May 2019.
Tiger Woods predicted Friday there would be low scoring in the third round, and he was right — just not from him or Rory McIlroy, a star pairing for the breakfast hour. Woods birdied the last hole for a 73. McIlroy made two triple bogeys in his round of 74. They get to play again Sunday morning.
Johnson will be going for his fifth FedEx Cup playoff victory, and third in this event on a third course. What matters more is how he finishes the season. The FedEx Cup already features some of the best players in golf — Woods, McIlroy, Vijay Singh, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth among them — and Johnson wants to be on that list.
Johnson set the target with four birdies in eight holes before heavy rain moved in and halted the third round for 45 minutes. It also softened a TPC Boston that was getting slightly firmer.
He came back and hit to tap-in range for birdie on the 12th, and the had the great finish.
Johnson needed a birdie on the 18th on Friday for his first 59, and said he regrets hitting driver off the tee with a shot that tumbled down a small slope into the rough. Lesson learned? Not really. With the rain, he opted for driver again, teed it low and hit this one perfect, setting up a 5-iron to the green and his long eagle putt.


thedenverpost--2020-08-23--Portland protest turns violent, federal police clear plaza

PORTLAND , Ore. — Federal authorities on Saturday forced demonstrators away from a plaza near a federal building as dueling demonstrations in Portland by right-wing and left-wing protesters turned violent .
The area includes county and federal buildings and has been the site of numerous recent protests .
Department of Homeland Security officers moved through the plaza across from an 18-story federal building .
A federal courthouse is also near that area .
The demonstration began at about noon near the Multnomah County Justice Center in Oregon ’ s biggest city , local media outlets reported .
Demonstrators hurled rocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got into fights .
Streets were blocked amid the mayhem .
Images showed what appeared to be hundreds of people involved , many of them wearing helmets and carrying makeshift shields .
Some demonstrators appeared to use pepper spray during clashes , and at least one person appeared to pull a gun .
No arrests were reported .
The Justice Center in recent weeks has been the target of left-wing protesters mostly operating at night , when they frequently get into clashes with police .
Saturday afternoon ’ s demonstrations spread to other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had announced a rally near the Justice Center Saturday afternoon that quickly drew counter demonstrators .
The building houses a police precinct , police headquarters , a county jail and courtrooms and is next door to a federal courthouse that was targeted for weeks last month by left-wing protesters who clashed with federal agents dispatched to Portland to protect it .
The protesters at Saturday ’ s demonstration included the Proud Boys right-wing group and left-wing protest groups Democratic Socialists of America and Popular Mobilization , The Oregonian/OregonLive reported .
Portland police issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrations began , warning that officers were prepared to start using crowd control weapons if the violence did not end .
Violent demonstrations have gripped in Portland for months , following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
The Saturday afternoon clashes followed predawn clashes between police and about 200 left-wing protesters outside a different police precinct .
President Donald Trump on Saturday morning tweeted : “ Another bad night of Rioting in Portland , Oregon , ” Demonstrators hurled bottles and rocks at officers and pointed lasers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minor injuries for several officers , Portland police said in a statement .
One protester was given medical treatment at the scene after he threw rocks at officers and was shot with what police described as a “ sponge-tipped less-lethal round , ” the statement said .
He was among nine people arrested .
Three were charged with assault on a police officer .
Many of the protesters wore helmets , eye protection , gas masks and body armor and some carried homemade wooden shields , police said .
A demonstration Friday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after protesters in Portland clashed with federal agents outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building .
People in a group of about 100 late Thursday and before dawn Friday sprayed the building with graffiti , hurled rocks and bottles at agents and shined laser lights at them , Portland police said .
The agents set off smoke or tear gas and used crowd control munitions to try to disperse the crowd .
Three people were arrested .
Also Friday , a number of federal buildings across the city were closed as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @

PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal authorities on Saturday forced demonstrators away from a plaza near a federal building as dueling demonstrations in Portland by right-wing and left-wing protesters turned violent.
The area includes county and federal buildings and has been the site of numerous recent protests.
Department of Homeland Security officers moved through the plaza across from an 18-story federal building. A federal courthouse is also near that area.
The demonstration began at about noon near the Multnomah County Justice Center in Oregon’s biggest city, local media outlets reported. Demonstrators hurled rocks and other items at each other and got into fights. Streets were blocked amid the mayhem.
Images showed what appeared to be hundreds of people involved, many of them wearing helmets and carrying makeshift shields. Some demonstrators appeared to use pepper spray during clashes, and at least one person appeared to pull a gun. No arrests were reported.
The Justice Center in recent weeks has been the target of left-wing protesters mostly operating at night, when they frequently get into clashes with police. Saturday afternoon’s demonstrations spread to other areas as crowds marched.
Right-wing groups had announced a rally near the Justice Center Saturday afternoon that quickly drew counter demonstrators. The building houses a police precinct, police headquarters, a county jail and courtrooms and is next door to a federal courthouse that was targeted for weeks last month by left-wing protesters who clashed with federal agents dispatched to Portland to protect it.
The protesters at Saturday’s demonstration included the Proud Boys right-wing group and left-wing protest groups Democratic Socialists of America and Popular Mobilization, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Federal agents advance to push protesters out of Terry Schrunk Plaza. pic.twitter.com/uo9unWkxNH — The Oregonian (@Oregonian) August 22, 2020
Portland police issued a warning about two hours after the demonstrations began, warning that officers were prepared to start using crowd control weapons if the violence did not end.
Violent demonstrations have gripped in Portland for months, following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
The Saturday afternoon clashes followed predawn clashes between police and about 200 left-wing protesters outside a different police precinct. President Donald Trump on Saturday morning tweeted: “Another bad night of Rioting in Portland, Oregon,”
Demonstrators hurled bottles and rocks at officers and pointed lasers at them, damaging police cars and causing minor injuries for several officers, Portland police said in a statement.
One protester was given medical treatment at the scene after he threw rocks at officers and was shot with what police described as a “sponge-tipped less-lethal round,” the statement said.
He was among nine people arrested. Three were charged with assault on a police officer.
Many of the protesters wore helmets, eye protection, gas masks and body armor and some carried homemade wooden shields, police said.
A demonstration Friday that went into Saturday morning came a day after protesters in Portland clashed with federal agents outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
People in a group of about 100 late Thursday and before dawn Friday sprayed the building with graffiti, hurled rocks and bottles at agents and shined laser lights at them, Portland police said.
The agents set off smoke or tear gas and used crowd control munitions to try to disperse the crowd. Three people were arrested.
Also Friday, a number of federal buildings across the city were closed as the FBI investigated a car bomb threat.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Why Charlie Blackmon doesn’t relish Rockies DH role, calls it a “necessary evil”

Charlie Blackmon said it ’ s unrealistic to play in 20 consecutive games as scheduled in this shortened Rockies season .
With some needed rest Saturday night in Los Angeles , he was granted two options : Sit out against the Dodgers or join Colorado ’ s lineup as a designated hitter .
“ I chose to DH in that situation , ” Blackmon told reporters pregame on a video conference call .
“ I think it ’ s a good thing that we have that for this year .
But I don ’ t know about going forward.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a DH for the first time in MLB history this year ( the AL has had it since 1973 ) .
Major League Baseball is also considering the use of a universal DH in 2021 , according to multiple reports .
Don ’ t count Blackmon among those excited if it happens .
In three prior games as DH this year , his batting average is .167 over 12 plate appearances .
“ It ’ s something of a necessary evil for this year , ” Blackmon said .
“ I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m ready to hit when I DH , I just don ’ t feel like I ’ m as much a part of the game , or I don ’ t have as sharp of a feel for the game , because I ’ m not playing a position as well.
” The Rockies have tinkered with their approach to a designated hitter all season with outfielders Matt Kemp and Raimel Tapia featured at DH most often ( 43 combined games ) .
Tapia leads all Rockies with 15 hits in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DH-by-committee approach throughout the year .
“ We ’ ve bounced the DH around a little bit this year between a number of guys , ” Colorado manager Bud Black said .
“ We felt it was good to get Charlie off his feet , give him a ( rest ) from playing right field .
Hopefully , that will keep him physically in a good spot .
As far as moving forward , I can see the DH becoming a part of the National League .
We ’ ve been hearing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blackmon entered Saturday ’ s game with a career .309 average against the Dodgers while hitting safely against LA in 11 consecutive games .
End the slide .
Colorado ( 13-13 ) entered Saturday night ’ s game in Los Angeles on a five-game losing streak , its longest of the season , with the Dodgers ’ stranglehold on the NL West tightening at 20-8 .
“ Getting any win anytime is a good one , but where we are right now , a win would be great , ” Black said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then win the next one .
Keep winning .
… Usually , there is a momentum that can occur once you get off a losing streak .
Hopefully , that starts tonight.
” Added Blackmon : “ We ’ re going to be just fine .
I think we ’ ll turn it around and play really good baseball for a good portion of the rest of the season .
”

Charlie Blackmon said it’s unrealistic to play in 20 consecutive games as scheduled in this shortened Rockies season.
With some needed rest Saturday night in Los Angeles, he was granted two options: Sit out against the Dodgers or join Colorado’s lineup as a designated hitter.
“I chose to DH in that situation,” Blackmon told reporters pregame on a video conference call. “I think it’s a good thing that we have that for this year. But I don’t know about going forward.”
The National League adopted the use of a DH for the first time in MLB history this year (the AL has had it since 1973). Major League Baseball is also considering the use of a universal DH in 2021, according to multiple reports. Don’t count Blackmon among those excited if it happens. In three prior games as DH this year, his batting average is .167 over 12 plate appearances.
“It’s something of a necessary evil for this year,” Blackmon said. “I don’t really like DH-ing. … I’m ready to hit when I DH, I just don’t feel like I’m as much a part of the game, or I don’t have as sharp of a feel for the game, because I’m not playing a position as well.”
The Rockies have tinkered with their approach to a designated hitter all season with outfielders Matt Kemp and Raimel Tapia featured at DH most often (43 combined games). Tapia leads all Rockies with 15 hits in the role. But expect more of a DH-by-committee approach throughout the year.
“We’ve bounced the DH around a little bit this year between a number of guys,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “We felt it was good to get Charlie off his feet, give him a (rest) from playing right field. Hopefully, that will keep him physically in a good spot. As far as moving forward, I can see the DH becoming a part of the National League. We’ve been hearing that for a number of years now.”
Blackmon entered Saturday’s game with a career .309 average against the Dodgers while hitting safely against LA in 11 consecutive games.
End the slide. Colorado (13-13) entered Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles on a five-game losing streak, its longest of the season, with the Dodgers’ stranglehold on the NL West tightening at 20-8.
“Getting any win anytime is a good one, but where we are right now, a win would be great,” Black said. “Then win again (Sunday) and then win the next one. Keep winning. … Usually, there is a momentum that can occur once you get off a losing streak. Hopefully, that starts tonight.”
Added Blackmon: “We’re going to be just fine. I think we’ll turn it around and play really good baseball for a good portion of the rest of the season.”
On Deck
Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (3-0, 2.90 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (3-1, 5.61)
2:10 p.m. Sunday, Dodger Stadium
TV: AT&T SportsNet
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 AM
Senzatela is one of four National League pitchers with three or more wins and no losses. He enters Sunday’s game three-for-five in quality starts, and at times this season, he has been the Rockies’ most dominant pitcher. Senzatela pitched eight scoreless innings of three-hit baseball at the Astros on Tuesday and the Rockies are 3-2 over his last five outings. Senzatela struggled in four starts against LA last season, going 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA. Stripling was selected by the Rockies in the ninth round of the 2011 MLB draft but did not sign. He returned to Texas A&M and was picked in the fifth round the following year by the Dodgers. This season, Stripling has 22 strikeouts and one of LA’s eight quality starts. Last year as a starter, he went 2-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 15 outings and limited opponents to a .246 batting average.
Trending: Infielder Trevor Story is batting .310 with 11 runs, six doubles, one triple, two home runs, and nine RBI, while also reaching base safely in 11 of his past 13 games.
At issue: The Rockies’ pitching staff has mostly thrived during its current four-game road losing streak with nine earned runs allowed over 34.1 innings for a 2.36 ERA. Colorado’s loss on Friday marked the first time this year that it allowed more than three runs in a road game (5-1).
Pitching Probables:
Monday: Rockies RHP Ryan Castellani (0-1, 3.77) at Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (3-2, 2.59), 7:40 p.m., ATTRM
Tuesday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (2-4, 4.38) at Diamondbacks TBD, 7:40 p.m., ATTRM
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Jon Gray (1-3, 6.23) at Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (1-3, 8.33), 7:40 p.m., ATTRM


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--House passes bill to reverse changes in U.S. Postal Service blamed for mail delays

WASHINGTON — With heated debate over mail delays , the House approved legislation in a rare Saturday session that would reverse recent changes in U.S .
Postal Service operations and send $ 25 billion to shore up the agency ahead of the November election .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had recalled lawmakers to Washington over objections from Republicans who dismissed the action as a stunt .
President Donald Trump railed against mail-in ballots , including in a Saturday tweet , and urged a no vote .
He has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the president is saying , because it is all designed to suppress the vote , ” Pelosi said at the Capitol .
Pelosi called the Postal Service the nation ’ s “ beautiful thread ” connecting Americans and said voters should “ ignore ” the president ’ s threats .
The daylong session came as an uproar over mail disruptions puts the Postal Service at the center of the nation ’ s tumultuous election year , with Americans rallying around one of the nation ’ s oldest and more popular institutions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic .
Ahead of voting the president tweeted , “ This is all another HOAX.
” More than two dozen Republicans broke with the president and backed the bill , which passed 257-150 .
Democrats led approval , but the legislation is certain to stall in the GOP-held Senate .
The White House said the president would veto it .
Facing a backlash over operational changes , new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his “ No .
1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrives on time .
But the new postal leader , a Trump ally , said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made .
He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election .
DeJoy is set to return Monday to testify before the House Oversight Committee .
“ The American people don ’ t want anyone messing with the post office , ” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , the chair of the Oversight Committee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just want their mail.
” But Republicans countered that complaints about mail delivery disruptions are overblown , and no emergency funding is needed right now .
Despite the postmaster general ’ s vow election mail will arrive on time , Democrats remain skeptical .
They produced new reports showing declines in postal service since he took over in June .
DeJoy acknowledged at the Senate hearing there has been a “ dip ” in service , but disputed reports of widespread problems .
The Board of Governors of the Postal Service announced a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The bill would reverse the cuts by prohibiting any changes made after January , and provide funds to the agency .
In a memo to House Republicans , leaders derided the legislation as a postal “ conspiracy theory ” act .
Many GOP lawmakers echoed such sentiments during a lively floor debate .
“ I like the post office , I really do , ” said Rep. Glenn Grothman , R-Wis .
But he said , “ We have no crisis here.
” Nevertheless , Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the next COVID-19 relief package .
While Trump has said he wants to block emergency funding for the agency , the White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader bill .
Hundreds of lawmakers returned to Washington for the weekend session , but dozens cast votes by proxy under House rules that allow them to stay away during the COVID-19 crisis .
Another lawmaker , Rep. Dan Meuser , R-Pa. , announced Saturday he had tested positive for the virus .
Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was on Capitol Hill meeting Saturday with GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers , according to a Republican aide granted anonymity to discuss the private sessions .
The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume , COVID-19-related costs and a rare and cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits .
For many , the Postal Service provides a lifeline , delivering not just cards and letters but also prescription drugs , financial statements and other items that are especially needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postal board of governors , appointed by Trump , selected DeJoy to take the job as postmaster general .
A GOP donor , he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor .
He maintains significant financial stakes in companies that do business or compete with the agency , raising conflict of interest questions .
In a statement , the Postal Service said DeJoy has made all required financial disclosures , but he might have to divest some holdings if conflicts arise .
Republicans have long sought changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private company , and Trump often complains the Postal Service should be charging Amazon and other companies higher rates for package deliveries .
The founder of Amazon , Jeff Bezos , also owns The Washington Post , a publication that Trump frequently derides as “ fake news ” over critical stories of him .
Others say the Postal Service is not expected to be solely a money-making enterprise , often delivering to far-flung places where it is not efficient to operate .
Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston , W.Va. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this report .

WASHINGTON — With heated debate over mail delays, the House approved legislation in a rare Saturday session that would reverse recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations and send $25 billion to shore up the agency ahead of the November election.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi had recalled lawmakers to Washington over objections from Republicans who dismissed the action as a stunt. President Donald Trump railed against mail-in ballots, including in a Saturday tweet, and urged a no vote. He has said he wants to block extra funds for the Postal Service.
“Don’t pay any attention to what the president is saying, because it is all designed to suppress the vote,” Pelosi said at the Capitol.
Pelosi called the Postal Service the nation’s “beautiful thread” connecting Americans and said voters should “ignore” the president’s threats.
The daylong session came as an uproar over mail disruptions puts the Postal Service at the center of the nation’s tumultuous election year, with Americans rallying around one of the nation’s oldest and more popular institutions. Millions of people are expected to opt for mail-in ballots to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ahead of voting the president tweeted, “This is all another HOAX.”
More than two dozen Republicans broke with the president and backed the bill, which passed 257-150. Democrats led approval, but the legislation is certain to stall in the GOP-held Senate. The White House said the president would veto it.
Facing a backlash over operational changes, new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testified Friday in the Senate that his “No. 1 priority” is to ensure election mail arrives on time.
But the new postal leader, a Trump ally, said he would not restore the cuts to mailboxes and sorting equipment that have already been made. He could not provide senators with a plan for handling the ballot crush for the election. DeJoy is set to return Monday to testify before the House Oversight Committee.
“The American people don’t want anyone messing with the post office,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chair of the Oversight Committee and author of the bill. “They just want their mail.”
But Republicans countered that complaints about mail delivery disruptions are overblown, and no emergency funding is needed right now.
“It’s a silly, silly bill,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.
Despite the postmaster general’s vow election mail will arrive on time, Democrats remain skeptical. They produced new reports showing declines in postal service since he took over in June. DeJoy acknowledged at the Senate hearing there has been a “dip” in service, but disputed reports of widespread problems. The Board of Governors of the Postal Service announced a bipartisan committee to oversee mail voting.
The bill would reverse the cuts by prohibiting any changes made after January, and provide funds to the agency.
In a memo to House Republicans, leaders derided the legislation as a postal “conspiracy theory” act. Many GOP lawmakers echoed such sentiments during a lively floor debate.
“I like the post office, I really do,” said Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. But he said, “We have no crisis here.”
Nevertheless, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is eyeing a $10 billion postal rescue as part of the next COVID-19 relief package. While Trump has said he wants to block emergency funding for the agency, the White House has said it would be open to more postal funding as part of a broader bill.
Hundreds of lawmakers returned to Washington for the weekend session, but dozens cast votes by proxy under House rules that allow them to stay away during the COVID-19 crisis. Another lawmaker, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., announced Saturday he had tested positive for the virus.
Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was on Capitol Hill meeting Saturday with GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers, according to a Republican aide granted anonymity to discuss the private sessions.
The Postal Service has been struggling financially under a decline in mail volume, COVID-19-related costs and a rare and cumbersome congressional requirement to fund in advance its retiree health care benefits.
For many, the Postal Service provides a lifeline, delivering not just cards and letters but also prescription drugs, financial statements and other items that are especially needed by mail during the pandemic.
The postal board of governors, appointed by Trump, selected DeJoy to take the job as postmaster general. A GOP donor, he previously owned a logistics business that was a longtime Postal Service contractor. He maintains significant financial stakes in companies that do business or compete with the agency, raising conflict of interest questions.
In a statement, the Postal Service said DeJoy has made all required financial disclosures, but he might have to divest some holdings if conflicts arise.
Republicans have long sought changes to have the agency run more like a private company, and Trump often complains the Postal Service should be charging Amazon and other companies higher rates for package deliveries. The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, also owns The Washington Post, a publication that Trump frequently derides as “fake news” over critical stories of him.
Others say the Postal Service is not expected to be solely a money-making enterprise, often delivering to far-flung places where it is not efficient to operate.
Associated Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Charleston, W.Va., and Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta contributed to this report.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Just like us: Tiger and Rory play 18 and then grab a burger

NORTON , Mass .
— The scene is almost as old as the Royal & Ancient game .
Two friends meet at the club on a summer morning for a quiet round of golf .
They play well at times , poorly at times and both think their scores should have been better .
And then they order a few hamburgers and sit down at a picnic table to eat lunch and share a few laughs .
On Saturday , this was Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy .
They are two of the biggest names in golf .
No one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world longer than them over the last 20 years .
They draw the largest galleries wherever they play .
That ’ s what made this occasion at The Northern Trust so eerie , even if it ’ s now common .
There was no one there to watch except for those in a working capacity — camera crew , a half-dozen writers , photographers , Norton police officers on bikes , a few volunteers on each hole .
Imagine being able to walk around with two of golf ’ s best for what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In their case , it also looked like a casual round .
Woods used his putter to go over a steep slope from behind the 18th green , and he made a 6-footer coming back to end with a birdie .
It was this third of the day , not enough to account for the five bogeys in his 2-over 73 .
Most unusual about this round is that he didn ’ t break par despite hitting 12 of 14 fairways .
McIlroy two-putted for birdie on the 18th , his fourth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was no recovering from two triple bogeys on his opening six holes .
McIlroy started with a short birdie on No .
1 , and he hit a beauty to 10 feet on the par-3 third hole with the pin tucked behind a bunker .
In between , he came up just short of the green on the par-5 second , the ball barely inside the hazard .
He tried to chip out , but McIlroy caught too much grass from an awkward stance and a bad lie .
The ball went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was a yellow hazard , he had to go back 110 yards to the fairway .
He made triple bogey .
McIlroy was overheard saying his card read like an area code .
That number hasn ’ t been assigned an area code in the United States , though he might be interested to know it ’ s the country code for Montenegro .
There was no time to share this pertinent information .
Woods and McIlroy both opted not to speak to the media after their rounds , not unusual this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of a tournament in which they were out of contention .
They did go to the media center , but only to order hamburgers at the kiosk — it ’ s been a popular all week — grab a seat at a picnic table and chat for the next 30 minutes , undisturbed .
It ’ s a reminder of golf at the highest level while coping with a pandemic .
No spectators have been allowed at any tournament since it returned two months ago .
Players are used to it by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ease of getting around without so much traffic and distraction .
But there ’ s no energy , and that ’ s no fun , either .
Birdies or bogeys , and even the pair of triple bogeys belonging to McIlroy , all get the same reaction .
Everyone is playing in the same environment , but some players — Woods and McIlroy are good examples — have talked about drawing from the noise , converting the cheers of a birdie into some momentum .
The TPC Boston did have three spectators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teed off on the par-5 seventh in such a way that some people don ’ t miss the fans at all .
“ YOU ’ RE THE MAN , TIGER !
” came the voice out of nowhere .
Three men had cut through the thick woods and found a spot — just inside the red hazard line — some 50 yards behind the seventh tee , next to a small pond .
McIlroy hit next , and then officers looked around the bushes to find the source of the yell and approached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chairs .
It appeared to be a pleasant conversation , and the men packed up their chairs and left .
They saw Woods and McIlroy hit drives on a par 5 .
Better than nothing .

NORTON, Mass. — The scene is almost as old as the Royal & Ancient game. Two friends meet at the club on a summer morning for a quiet round of golf. They play well at times, poorly at times and both think their scores should have been better.
And then they order a few hamburgers and sit down at a picnic table to eat lunch and share a few laughs.
On Saturday, this was Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
They are two of the biggest names in golf. No one has been No. 1 in the world longer than them over the last 20 years. They draw the largest galleries wherever they play.
That’s what made this occasion at The Northern Trust so eerie, even if it’s now common. There was no one there to watch except for those in a working capacity — camera crew, a half-dozen writers, photographers, Norton police officers on bikes, a few volunteers on each hole.
Imagine being able to walk around with two of golf’s best for what felt like a casual round of golf. In their case, it also looked like a casual round.
Woods used his putter to go over a steep slope from behind the 18th green, and he made a 6-footer coming back to end with a birdie. It was this third of the day, not enough to account for the five bogeys in his 2-over 73. Most unusual about this round is that he didn’t break par despite hitting 12 of 14 fairways.
McIlroy two-putted for birdie on the 18th, his fourth birdie in his round of 74. There was no recovering from two triple bogeys on his opening six holes. McIlroy started with a short birdie on No. 1, and he hit a beauty to 10 feet on the par-3 third hole with the pin tucked behind a bunker.
In between, he came up just short of the green on the par-5 second, the ball barely inside the hazard. He tried to chip out, but McIlroy caught too much grass from an awkward stance and a bad lie. The ball went behind him into water, and because it was a yellow hazard, he had to go back 110 yards to the fairway. He made triple bogey.
The scorecard read 3-8-2.
McIlroy was overheard saying his card read like an area code. That number hasn’t been assigned an area code in the United States, though he might be interested to know it’s the country code for Montenegro.
There was no time to share this pertinent information. Woods and McIlroy both opted not to speak to the media after their rounds, not unusual this late in the season in the third round of a tournament in which they were out of contention.
They did go to the media center, but only to order hamburgers at the kiosk — it’s been a popular all week — grab a seat at a picnic table and chat for the next 30 minutes, undisturbed.
It’s a reminder of golf at the highest level while coping with a pandemic. No spectators have been allowed at any tournament since it returned two months ago. Players are used to it by now, and some have talked about the ease of getting around without so much traffic and distraction.
But there’s no energy, and that’s no fun, either.
Birdies or bogeys, and even the pair of triple bogeys belonging to McIlroy, all get the same reaction. Everyone is playing in the same environment, but some players — Woods and McIlroy are good examples — have talked about drawing from the noise, converting the cheers of a birdie into some momentum.
The TPC Boston did have three spectators, one of them shouting after Woods teed off on the par-5 seventh in such a way that some people don’t miss the fans at all.
“YOU’RE THE MAN, TIGER!” came the voice out of nowhere.
Three men had cut through the thick woods and found a spot — just inside the red hazard line — some 50 yards behind the seventh tee, next to a small pond. McIlroy hit next, and then officers looked around the bushes to find the source of the yell and approached the men, all sitting in lawn chairs.
It appeared to be a pleasant conversation, and the men packed up their chairs and left.
They saw Woods and McIlroy hit drives on a par 5. Better than nothing.


thedenverpost--2020-08-22--Colorado to review ketamine waiver program as Elijah McClain’s death prompts scrutiny

Colorado ’ s health department on Saturday said it plans to review the state ’ s ketamine waiver program — an announcement that comes nearly one year to the day that Aurora paramedics used the strong sedative on Elijah McClain .
The committee will be charged with examining the safety of ketamine administration in EMS settings , the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a news release .
“ Our agency will work with medical experts to study the use of ketamine in the field — as well as the state ’ s oversight mechanisms — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunsaker Ryan , the state ’ s top public health official , said in a statement .
“ Patient safety and program transparency are top priorities.
” The review committee , overseen by the public health department ’ s chief medical officer , will comprise EMS providers , pharmacists , emergency room doctors , anesthesiologist and others , the news release said .
The review is expected to last a minimum of 12 weeks .
The state department grants waivers to first responders to use ketamine to treat extreme agitation in a non-hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency medical service agencies in the state have such waivers .
In the past three years , it has been used 902 times for excited delirium and/or extreme or profound agitation , the health department said .
Last month , the department reopened its investigation into the use of ketamine on McClain after his case became a rallying cry for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis this summer .
The state previously found no reason to revoke the waiver granted to Aurora Fire Rescue , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s announcement comes nearly a year after Aurora police stopped 23-year-old McClain after receiving a call about a suspicious person .
Officers violently arrested him before paramedics injected him with ketamine to sedate him .
McClain , a massage therapist , suffered cardiac arrest during the ambulance ride to a hospital and died after being declared brain-dead six days later .
The Adams County coroner could not determine the cause or manner of his death , saying the ketamine level in his blood was at a therapeutic level but that an unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t be ruled out .
McClain ’ s family and their attorney immediately questioned its usage .
State guidelines say ketamine “ has been shown to be effective for the treatment of excited delirium and/or extreme or profound agitation .
However , it is also associated with a significant potential for complications and may lead to the need for intubation and admission to the Intensive Care Unit.
” In addition to the state ’ s ketamine review , McClain ’ s death is being investigated at the local , state and federal levels @

Colorado’s health department on Saturday said it plans to review the state’s ketamine waiver program — an announcement that comes nearly one year to the day that Aurora paramedics used the strong sedative on Elijah McClain.
The committee will be charged with examining the safety of ketamine administration in EMS settings, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said in a news release.
“Our agency will work with medical experts to study the use of ketamine in the field — as well as the state’s oversight mechanisms — and produce a public report,” Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the state’s top public health official, said in a statement. “Patient safety and program transparency are top priorities.”
The review committee, overseen by the public health department’s chief medical officer, will comprise EMS providers, pharmacists, emergency room doctors, anesthesiologist and others, the news release said. The review is expected to last a minimum of 12 weeks.
The state department grants waivers to first responders to use ketamine to treat extreme agitation in a non-hospital setting. About 90 fire departments and emergency medical service agencies in the state have such waivers.
In the past three years, it has been used 902 times for excited delirium and/or extreme or profound agitation, the health department said.
Last month, the department reopened its investigation into the use of ketamine on McClain after his case became a rallying cry for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis this summer. The state previously found no reason to revoke the waiver granted to Aurora Fire Rescue, who administered the drug last year.
Saturday’s announcement comes nearly a year after Aurora police stopped 23-year-old McClain after receiving a call about a suspicious person. Officers violently arrested him before paramedics injected him with ketamine to sedate him. McClain, a massage therapist, suffered cardiac arrest during the ambulance ride to a hospital and died after being declared brain-dead six days later.
The Adams County coroner could not determine the cause or manner of his death, saying the ketamine level in his blood was at a therapeutic level but that an unexpected adverse reaction to the drug couldn’t be ruled out. McClain’s family and their attorney immediately questioned its usage.
State guidelines say ketamine “has been shown to be effective for the treatment of excited delirium and/or extreme or profound agitation. However, it is also associated with a significant potential for complications and may lead to the need for intubation and admission to the Intensive Care Unit.”
In addition to the state’s ketamine review, McClain’s death is being investigated at the local, state and federal levels.