Offtopic/fun » No. 1 overall in the 2016 draft -- a need

RIO DE JANEIRO -- World-record holder Usain Bolt did not have nearly the fastest time in the preliminary rounds of the mens 200-meter dash, but that was partly because he slowed down so much near the finish line while leading his heat that he could have been pushing a grocery cart. Plus, the heats were relatively early, starting around noon as opposed to the late-night finals.I was a little tired, but it was a morning session and Im not a very good morning person, Bolt said. I just came out to qualify.Not surprisingly, he did so, winning his heat with a time of 20.28.That was well off his world record of 19.19 as well as the days top time of 20.09 by Canadas Andre De Grasse. It also was the 15th-fastest time of the day.The heats are not about records, though, especially for those who are fast enough that they can be confident they will advance without running their absolute fastest race.Its not about time right now. Its about getting to the straightaway, holding your form and getting to the finish line, said Justin Gatlin, who advanced to the semifinal round with a time of 20.42. If you think about time, that will get into your head too much.The scheduling of the track events has been a little odd here. The turnaround between the 100-meter semifinals and final was not much more than hour, which both Bolt and Gatlin said caused them to have slower times than they had hoped. The triple-jump final was held in the morning Tuesday, starting at 10:50 a.m., which gold medalist Christian Taylor of the U.S. said he had never experienced before.It required early-morning starts for the Olympians.Its not just the run thats tiring -- its the transportation getting to and from the athletes village to here because of the traffic, Gatlin said. You cant stay up too late, but how could I not stay up to watch the womens 400 final last night? I had to make sure I watched that, and then got right back upstairs to go to bed.Bolt, who won his third consecutive gold in the 100 on Sunday, is the favorite in the 200, and he will try to win his third gold in the 200 as well. The semifinals of the 200 are Wednesday and the final is Thursday.American LaShawn Merritt, who won bronze in the 400 on Sunday, also qualified for the 200 semis with a time of 20.15 (the fourth-best of the day), as did American Ameer Webb with a time of 20.31.Steven Adams Thunder Jersey . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. Russell Westbrook Thunder Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. https://www.thunderrookiesshop.com/Kyle-Singler-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Steven Adams Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Shawn Kemp Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament.This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Los Angeles RamsOverall: 121 Title track: 58 Ownership: 121 Coaching: 109 Players: 106 Fan relations: 121 Affordability: 97 Stadium experience: 120 Bang for the buck: 74 Change from last year: -13The Rams move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles doubled their value, but it didnt necessarily make them more popular. At least, not yet. They return to the West Coast as the Ultimate Standings second-worst franchise, down another 13 spots even after a poor showing last year. But they have greater revenue streams, a young roster and the prospects of a new stadium, so they are ever-hopeful of a better day. Things can only turn up ... right?Whats goodThe Rams have finished below .500 in nine straight years, but a title track of 58 suggests fans remain somewhat hopeful that the organization is upward trending (or at least, that enough of them havent forgotten their Super Bowl XXIV win). In terms of hope for the future, Les Snead and Jeff Fisher have at least built an intriguing young core, drafting players such as Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Alec Ogletree, Michael Brockers, Trumaine Johnson, T.J. McDonald and Tavon Austin over the last five years. If their most recent draft picks click -- most notably Jared Goff and Pharoh Cooper -- the Rams could be on track for postseason contention. They have the second-youngest roster in the league, so perhaps take their 3-1 start with a grain of salt.Whats badThe organization figured it would burn some bridges by uprooting a franchise, so a fan relations ranking of 121 --- down seven spots from last year -- is not unexpected.dddddddddddd Stan Kroenke, the 121st-ranked owner in sports, according to fans, is public enemy No. 1 in St. Louis, and his new fan base is learning how to love again. But some good signs emerged initially. The Rams drew around 90,000 fans for both the first preseason game and the first regular-season game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which ranks 120th in stadium experience, but likely has less to do with the Coliseum than the fact that its not the Edward Jones Dome. That was all part of the honeymoon stage, however. Itll rub off quickly. The Rams will have to win consistently if they hope to maintain attention spans on the West Coast.Whats newThe Rams outfitted themselves for the bright lights of L.A. by moving up 14 spots to take Goff No. 1 overall in the 2016 draft -- a needed addition since the team fell 20 spots in players this year (smaller only than the drop for coach Jeff Fisher, who fell 49 spots after the move). But Goff wasnt even active when the season began, and the offense he watched from the sidelines may be the least aesthetically pleasing in the NFL. In a passing league, the Rams struggle mightily to throw the ball down the field. But they do have stars, most notably with Gurley and Donald, two of the very best at what they do. Theyre hoping Goff eventually ascends, too, so that, you know, they can be a little bit more watchable.Next: San Francisco 49ers?| Full rankings ' ' '