badminton in a place thats not used to it. Drifts

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Alabamas bottom line under Nick Saban hasnt changed one iota.The No. 1 Crimson Tide are still winning at a head-spinning clip, still collecting national championship hardware and still beating Tennessee every year. But to say its the same, old Alabama would be like saying its the same, old Godzilla.The worlds most feared lizard is still wreaking havoc and still breathing fire on the silver screen. Hes just a little more refined, a little sleeker and a little more with the times.The same goes for Alabamas football machine, which once again turned the Third Saturday in October into its own little gala with a 49-10 drubbing of the Vols at Neyland Stadium, the Crimson Tides 10th consecutive victory in a rivalry that really hasnt been much of one for the last decade.Its not so much that Alabama handed Tennessee the second most lopsided defeat in the history of this series (Alabama won 51-0 way back in 1906). Its the way the Crimson Tide did it, and the way they continue to evolve as they keep winning games. Their overall winning streak is up to 19 straight games now, the longest active streak in the FBS.You play the way you need to play under the rules the way they are, Saban said. If you dont, youre going to get left behind.Think about it. Did anybody really see Saban playing a true freshman quarterback five years ago? For that matter, did anybody see Saban breaking away from his pro-style approach and running the quarterback as much as Alabama is with Jalen Hurts, who torched the Vols for 132 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries?But heres the clincher: The Tide are going hurry-up on offense, using tempo, not huddling and spreading out the defense, the style of football Saban was railing against as recently as three years ago.For a guy who has been accused more than once of being stubborn and a creature of habit, Saban is as progressive as they come when it comes to his football team.He flashes a wry smile when asked how it feels to officially be one of the fastball guys, Sabans term for the coaches who run hurry-up offenses, the same offenses that were allegedly his kryptonite on defense when he had the audacity to go two straight years in 2013 and 2014 without winning a national championship.The reality is offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is the one who has transformed Alabamas offense, but Saban is the one who brought Kiffin in and gave him that license. Yes, their animated exchanges on the sideline are priceless -- what Saban calls ass-chewings when Kiffin gets a little too far out there on the plank. But its a fact that Hurts, an explosive athlete, adds a whole different dimension to the Alabama offense with his ability to run the zone read, make people miss and also throw the ball on the move.And as Saban notes, Hurts is growing and only getting better each week.One of the things Saban likes best about Hurts is hes not averse to hard coaching. Saban jumped on Hurts pretty good a couple of times in the first half after the freshman committed turnovers against Tennessee, but Hurts was unfazed, took the tongue-lashing and came back and played that much better.Its not Kiffins first rodeo, either. He knew during the preseason that this wasnt going to be an elite Alabama offensive line. Its a line thats improving, but simply isnt on a par with some of the dominant offensive lines the Crimson Tide have had in years past. So a quarterback who can extend the play, run around and put pressure on a defense with his legs was probably going to be this offensive lines best friend.Saban was on board, even though that quarterback was a true freshman.The hardest quarterback to face is a dual-threat quarterback, Tennessee defensive back Rashaan Gaulden said. (Hurts) exploited us being able to get around the edge and deliver on the long ball when needed. Where he hurt us the most was being able to get around the edge and provide explosive plays for his team.Even on defense, which has long been Alabamas backbone under Saban, the Crimson Tide have a different makeup.Go back and look at the Alabama defense on that 2009 national championship team, or even the 2011 and 2012 national championship teams. The defensive linemen were bigger and bulkier. Its hard to believe, for instance, that Terrence Cody would be able to play on this defense and in this age of college football. Alabama is leaner across the defensive front, and its speed on defense is the best its ever been under Saban.Were faster at every position, but that was something we went out and addressed on defense in recruiting because of the way everybody is playing now on offense, Saban said. Its been a couple of years in the making.Already this season, seven of Alabamas 11 defensive starters have scored touchdowns, and the Tide have scored 11 nonoffensive touchdowns as a team, including special teams touchdowns. The only touchdown they gave up to Tennessee on Saturday was after Hurts was sacked and lost a fumble at the Vols 11.We made it a point of emphasis this offseason for a bunch of guys to shed a little bit of weight, get a little smaller so we could play these speed-ball teams, Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen said. Weve done a good job of stopping that this year.Tennessee, which was missing several starters due to injury, averaged just 2.6 yards per play. Alabama, meanwhile, churned out 438 rushing yards, the most the Crimson Tide have gained on the ground since the 1986 season.We saw they didnt have a lot of depth on defense, and we just kept fast tempo all game, and they got tired, Alabama tight end O.J. Howard said.The rest of the country may be tired of Alabama winning all the time, and Saban is the last person whos ever going to take winning for granted.Thats why hes constantly adapting, constantly tweaking and constantly looking for different and better ways to do things.Even if it means becoming a quasi-fastball guy.Air Max 90 Scontate . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Air Force 1 Scontate . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. http://www.outletscarpesaldi.it/air-vapormax-prezzo-basso/scontate-vapormax-uomo.html . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Air Max 270 Bianche Scontate . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Italia . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play.SEOUL, South Korea -- Badminton at the Rio Olympics will try to shake off multiple scandals and adapt to a rule change many consider an attempt to curb Chinese dominance.Seen as backyard fun by many Americans, the sport is serious business for millions in Asia and parts of Europe, where throngs of people pack stadiums to watch players who are household names.Its less popular in Brazil, and that has some players worried about whats in store for them.Those who tune in will see an appealing blend of power, speed and agility, with long rallies that can seem like video games as the shuttle whizzes back and forth across the net and players stretch like gymnasts to parry smashes that can reach speeds of well above 100 miles per hour.Heres a look at what to expect in Rio from a game named after a 19th century English dukes country house:---SCANDALSBadminton has been rocked by scandal in recent years and is hoping the Olympics will provide a chance to move on.At the 2012 games in London, two South Korean womens doubles teams along with a Chinese and an Indonesian team were disqualified for trying to lose early matches so they could get better draws in the knockout round.Two of the disgraced South Koreans, Kim Ha-na and Jeong Kyung-eun, made the Olympics team for Rio. Time has passed and Ive moved on and grown up, Kim said recently. Although I still have bad memories, I will never make the same mistake again.The current No. 1 mens singles player, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, served an eight-month ban for doping. Lee said he took an anti-inflammatory drug inadvertently, and a panel said he had been negligent, rather than intending to cheat.A gambling scandal, meanwhile, has hurt the chances of the recently improved Japanese mens team. Kento Momota, a young star who had been ranked No. 2 in the world, was banned from the Olympics after admitting to gambling at an illegal casino in Japan.---END OF CHINESE DOMINANCE?China won gold in all five badminton events in 2012, and many top Chinese will again be contenders.But competition in Rio is likely to be more open after an Olympic rule change that limits countries to two singles entrants in each event. Each country could previously enter three, something that benefited Chinnas deep field of talent.ddddddddddddEven without the change, however, the rest of the world has been gaining on China.The current top mens and womens singles players are non-Chinese -- Malaysias Lee Chong Wei and Carolina Marin, of Spain -- although both of the No. 2 and No. 3 players are Chinese.---THREEPEAT?Chinas Lin Dan, considered by many the greatest mens player of all time, will be going for his third consecutive singles gold.He won at home in Beijing in 2008 and again in London in 2012, both times against his top rival, and perhaps the second greatest player of his era, Malaysias Lee Chong Wei, who is now considered the top gold medal contender.Lin, currently ranked No. 3, is no longer the top-ranked player even in China, eclipsed by world champion Chen Long, the world No. 2.Both Lin and Lee are old by badminton standards: Lin is 32; Lee is 33.Still, Lin combines a powerful attack, agile defense and subtle net play, and many fans are hoping for a dramatic rematch between Lin and Lee.---VENUEBrazil is not a traditional badminton power, and there is some worry about fan support and the arenas layout.Lin Dan, used to huge, adoring crowds and dedicated badminton arenas, mentioned what he considered the venues small size after playing a test event there last year.Air drifts and currents are also worries when playing top-level badminton in a place thats not used to it. Drifts can play a major, detrimental part in a game by changing the direction and speed of the shuttle, which is conical, made of 16 goose feathers stuck to a leather-covered round cork, and weighs only about 5 grams.Major drift culprits include air conditioning and the opening and closing of doors and windows.To be fair, there were drift complaints even at the Olympics in England, where the modern version of the game was developed in the 19th century. To try to compensate for any drifts, players change ends during matches.---AP TV journalist Jungho Choi contributed from Seoul.---Foster Klug, APs bureau chief in Seoul, South Korea, is covering table tennis and badminton in Rio. Follow him at www.twitter/apklug ' ' '