roduce her friend Beyonces epic?performance.While Serena sadly did not join Bey on stage, she made the most of her brief camera time. Introduced as one of the best athlet

HOOVER, Ala. -- The Vanderbilt Commodores took a small step forward overall last season and a bigger one defensively.Sure, they lost four games by single-digit margins and improved on defense with coach Derek Mason pulling double duty as coordinator. But they still went 4-8, just one win better than in Masons debut season.This football team knows how to compete. Okay? Mason said Monday at Southeastern Conference media days. Its not about competing anymore, its about winning. We had the great fortune to win one more game. For some in here, thats not monumental enough. Thats OK. For us, we saw how we let some games slide. We missed some opportunities, OK, and that has not gone unnoticed by this football team.The Commodores dont want that to be considered normal for a program that had back-to-back 9-4 seasons before coach James Franklin left for Penn State.Theyve got some talent, like All-SEC linebacker Zach Cunningham and workhorse running back Ralph Webb. And Kyle Shurmur has already been anointed the starting quarterback going into his sophomore season.Vandy finished in the top half of the league in the four major defensive categories after ranking last in points allowed per game.Mason has gone 7-17 in his first two seasons but has 16 returning starters and more than 40 upperclassmen coming back. He also has six new assistants in a second straight year of high staff turnover.Cunningham said the team has a more together mind-set than we had last season.Mason likes the Commodores attitude as well.This teams got a team-first mentality, has established a team-first mantra, he said. We dont care about who is standing on the hill. We dont care about who takes the accolades. Its about this team collectively and what we need to do in order to move the needle and get up the hill.Vanderbilt gets a chance before most teams even take the field to give some evidence if theyve made real strides. They open Sept. 1 with a Thursday night game against South Carolina.I dont think its a measuring stick game but its definitely a game thats going to prove not only to the fans but to everyone else what we can do, Cunningham said. Tevin Coleman Super Bowl Jersey . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Robbie Gould Super Bowl Jersey . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. http://www.49ersofficialfanshop.com/solomon-thomas-jersey-sales.html . JOHNS, N. Laken Tomlinson Super Bowl Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Richie James Super Bowl Jersey . Breaking three of his own world records on his way to winning in Paris, Chan silenced the critics and left the audiences standing in appreciation and awe. While the Final Five stole the show during Sundays Video Music Awards and made friends with celebrities left and right, Serena Williams was all business during her appearance at MTVs famed event. In New York for -- duh -- the US Open, the 22-time Grand Slam champion graced the music industry with her presence to introduce her friend Beyonces epic?performance.While Serena sadly did not join Bey on stage, she made the most of her brief camera time. Introduced as one of the best athletes of all time, sshe gave an impassioned speech welcoming the singer to the show.ddddddddddddShe was so good, even her pal Caroline Wozniacki was clearly in awe.Now lets just hope Beyonce returns the favor and heads over to Flushing Meadows this week to support Serena.See something entertaining on social media that you think deserves to be shared? Let me know on Twitter, @darcymaine_espn. ' ' '