ld face? Theres the obvious one thats frequently cited: the lack of preparation time. The multimonth tour the U.S. team took in 1995-96 to be as ready

Western Michigan coach P.J. Fleck has been preparing the Broncos for the national spotlight, putting them through media training and other high-pressure social and athletic situations.Flecks Row the Boat mantra and positive approach have made him popular during the unbeaten season for No. 20 WMU (7-0, 3-0 MAC West), and the first national ranking in the schools 109-year history have pulled him into the coaching rumor mill.After noting how attendance has grown at his weekly on-campus press conference, Fleck was asked about his name being thrown out as a possibility for open jobs -- most recently at Purdue.Its elite exposure for Western Michigan, Fleck said. My focus is on today, thats the way Ive lived my life. I cant control rumors and speculation and Ill never comment on rumors and speculation. Im not interested in that. Im interested in coaching this football team and being the best head coach I can be today.Broncos quarterback Zach Terrell says talk of Flecks future is no distraction to us at all, even if he believes his coach should be a candidate for a more high-profile position.You see the commitment from him every single day. If he were to come in and be a different person, maybe be reserved, maybe wed be worried, Terrell said. He deserves those jobs, 100 percent. Hes one of the best coaches in college football. ... He deserves to be mentioned in those categories. But he brings it every day and thats all we can ask.THEIR OWN RESURGENCEWhile Western Michigan makes national headlines, the opponent on Saturday (3:30 p.m., American Sports Network) is experiencing a resurgence of its own. Eastern Michigan (5-2, 2-1) has already won four more games than last season, which is the biggest turnaround among all FBS programs. In fact, long a MAC cellar-dweller, the Eagles totaled five wins in their last three seasons combined.I think our guys have done a really good job of not getting caught up in outside momentum and what-not. We are not a team that gets very high and we have not gotten very low, EMU coach Chris Creighton said. Its interesting because Im more of an emotional coach, and thats not necessarily a strength. But our team has remained level-headed, and we need to continue that.AWARD SHARINGSaturdays game will serve as a tiebreaker of sorts for Western Michigan running back Jarvion Franklin and Eastern Michigan quarterback Brogan Roback, who shared their divisions offensive player of the week honors after last weekends wins. Franklin ran for a school-record 281 yards against Akron, the second-highest total in the FBS this season. Roback threw for a career-high 347 yards and three touchdowns in a win at Ohio.PROTECT THE BALLWhen Davon Tucker lost a fumble in the second quarter of last weeks win over Akron, it was the first turnover of the season for Western Michigan. The Broncos six-plus games of turnover-free football was the longest in the nation and, Fleck said, one of the biggest reasons for its 6-0 start. Ball protection will be important against Eastern Michigan, which is No. 6 in the country with eight fumble recoveries. Senior defensive lineman Pat OConnor -- who has 5 1/2 sacks and 9 1/2 tackles for loss -- has forced three of those fumbles.ON THE ROAD AGAINPerhaps the most notable statistic in Eastern Michigans turnaround season is that the Eagles have won three straight road games for the first time since 1967, drawing praise from Creighton for their maturity and focus away from home.UNDER PRESSUREFleck says the Broncos are enjoying the extra attention and expectations that comes with this historic season. We embrace it. We love it, he said. Its hard. Dont get me wrong, its very hard on a daily basis. But we embrace it and make sure they understand that most people dont get the chance to feel this type of pressure.---College Football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org Air Jordan Baratas Online . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. Comprar Jordan Baratas .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does. http://www.airjordanbaratas.es/ . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Jordan Retro Baratas . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Zapatillas Jordan Retro Baratas . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. With most teams, if you want to discern any potential weak spots, you look at their recent losses. You see if anything in particular caused the team trouble, and whether its a pattern.But this is not the case with the U.S. womens basketball team. There is very little data to analyze in regard to the Americans losing. In fact, you could almost say there was no relevant data at all, because theyve lost only one game in two decades, and that was 10 years ago.The thing that does make that semifinal loss to Russia in the 2006 World Championship somewhat relevant, though, is that four players on that squad -- Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi -- are still on the national team. For what its worth, that tournament also was held in Brazil.For those that were on that team, thats a driving force, Bird said of that 2006 loss. Thats in the back of our heads, whether we admit it or not. Its there.That tells you about their fierce competitiveness, and how much USA Basketball means to them. For Bird, Catchings and Taurasi, this is their fourth Olympics. Its the third for Augustus.The United States will be going for its sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal in womens hoops, but Taurasi said its not as if she and her teammates have already started polishing that new piece of hardware in their minds. They realize they have to earn it.You know that these teams have some of the best players in the world, Taurasi said of the rest of the Olympic field. And when you make mistakes, they hurt you. For us, its always making sure we focus on whos in our locker room.The U.S. team includes five former WNBA MVPs (Taurasi, Catchings, Tina Charles, Maya Moore and Elena Delle Donne), last years WNBA Finals MVP (Sylvia Fowles), and this years front-runner for WNBA rookie of the year (Breanna Stewart).And its got a coaching staff led by an 11-time NCAA champion who has already guided the United States to one Olympic and two world championship golds (Geno Auriemma). Among his assistants are a three-time Olympic gold medalist as a player (Dawn Staley), and a coach who has been part of five WNBA title teams (Cheryl Reeve, as an assistant at Detroit and as head coach at Minnesota).The U.S. contingent in womens basketball has a collection of Hall of Fame talent -- both on the floor and on the sidelines -- that is so vast that the competition in Rio de Janeiro might appear to be a mere formality as to who wins the gold.But that is the last thing that Auriemma is thinking. Hes had a great deal of practice at this concept of preparing just as earnestly if you are heavily favored to win as if you are a hungry challenger striving to pull an upset.That mentality has been paramount to UConns success, and it fits in perfectly with the national team, which happens to have five former Huskies. Although it does prompt Auriemma to jokingly question his willingness to spend so long in the pressure-cooker.I dont know why I keep putting myself in these situations, he said, smiling after the U.S. teams recent stretch of four exhibition games with practices in between. Its not bad enough that weve got to win every game at UConn.The answer, of course, is that this is exactly what he thrives on: seeking perfection even when the stakes are the highest. And part of that is being able to identify weaknesses that a lot of people either wont see or will dismiss as insignificant.So what are the challenges that the U.S. team could face? Theres the obvious one thats frequently cited: the lack of preparation time. The multimonth tour the U.S. team took in 1995-96 to be as ready as possible for the Atlanta Games started this on-going gold rush, but theres been nothing like that since for preparation.Thus, the Americans are very used to, as Taurasi puts it, cramming like crazy for their biggest tests. They rely on the WNBA and their overseas play to have them sharp individually, and their experience and commitment to USA Basketball to help them play well collectively.Still, there arre some potential obstacles.dddddddddddd Again, this is speaking relatively. Because the Americans are good at everything and great at most things.On offense, this team seems as potentially powerful as any the Americans have fielded. Four of the U.S. players have led the WNBA in scoring average for a season; Taurasi has done that five times and Angel McCoughtry twice. That doesnt include Charles, who is currently leading the league in scoring at 21.4 points per game.But there might be some concern about defense. Auriemma addressed that after a 104-89 victory against Australia in an exhibition Sunday in New York.I dont think our perimeter defense was that great; I thought we gave up a lot of 3s, he said of the Aussies 10 of 24 accuracy from behind the arc. We havent spent a lot of time on it, but I think well be a lot better as the games progress in Rio.The age/experience factor in regard to Bird, Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen in the backcourt is a huge advantage as far as running the offense, but it puts a little more emphasis on the U.S. post players being able to cover ground defensively.It also highlights the importance of the teams two primary rim protectors, Fowles and fellow center Brittney Griner, to be aggressive and effective as the last line of defense.This is something Ive been focusing on ever since Ive been with USA Basketball, said Fowles, who is on her third Olympic team. Im just looking to go out there and disrupt things as much as I can defensively.Griner, who in her fourth WNBA season has 390 career blocked shots, is playing in her first Olympics. Shes been a starter at Phoenix, as she was collegiately at Baylor, but she doesnt mind at all being a reserve for the U.S. team.I can come in with fresh legs and a lot of energy, she said. I like that.Having the 6-foot-6 Fowles and the 6-8 Griner might be especially important in a potential matchup with Australia. Aussie center Elizabeth Cambage is 6-8, and she had 22 points and eight rebounds Sunday.Auriemma said he told Fowles, Griner and Charles before that game to try to stop Cambage at the foul line and not let her get deep into the paint.And they all looked at me like, Yeah, why dont you go try it, he said. I mean, as hard as they tried, theres just nothing you can do against somebody like Cambage. We tried to make it difficult on her.Australia is the second-ranked team in the world behind the United States, and is the top squad in Group A. The Americans are the ranked No. 1, of course, and lead Group B.After Senegal, the United States faces Spain, Serbia, Canada and China in group play. The Americans soundly beat Canada 83-43 last Friday in an exhibition in Bridgeport, Connecticut.The U.S. team met Spain, which is currently ranked No. 3, in the 2014 world championship final, winning 77-64. In the London Olympics in 2012, the Americans beat France in the gold-medal game 86-50. The French are currently ranked No. 4 in the world.Auriemma, in the comic-hyperbole way he has of putting things, suggested there was a parade in Paris for the French just getting to the Olympic final four years ago. While he said the response to the U.S. team winning gold was essentially, Oh, thats nice.These women have accomplished so much, Auriemma said. Maybe because theyve won so much, they probably dont get the respect they truly deserve for how dominant they have been.And its not as if no other country is trying. Womens basketball worldwide has steadily improved. Russia, the last team to beat the Americans, didnt qualify for the Rio Olympics.You try to tell everybody that winning a gold medal isnt easy, Auriemma said. I know what all the pitfalls are. We were down at half against Australia in London [in the semifinals]. So I know whats out there.But its like the old saying, Dont tell me how rough the water is, just bring the boat back to shore. Its kind of where we are. ' ' '