Offtopic/fun » Boilermakers (5-2) had their four-game winning st

Wikipedia tells me Lin Dan has a fetish for tattoos. So, as he wanders into the arena, aura alongside the racquet bag, I decide to spend a couple of minutes spotting some. He wears a sleeveless red shirt, conforming to the Chinese team dress code I am guessing -- though this man is no conformist. Wiki also tells me these tattoos have been the subject of controversy for their messaging but one glance at Lin and youd know, he isnt one to care. I believe Wiki.Kidambi Srikanth follows him out. He doesnt need to refer to Wikipedia to know everything there is to know about the man he is playing -- all the trophies, the world championships, the gold medals. For Srikanth this may as well be an out-of-body experience. He is standing across the net from his idol, chosen to derail his quest for a hat-trick of Olympic gold medals. He knows what beating him feels like already. The last time they clashed, in Lins backyard a little under two years ago, Srikanth crafted a memory to last a lifetime.This is not a day for sentiment though. A Super Series event comes along ever so often in the course of a year. An Olympics, once in four years. A Chinese journalist seated next to me says Lin isnt quite the player he used to be, but hey, he is Lin Dan.Srikanth takes the first point as their contest begins and then endures a wretched run for the next few minutes. 1-2. 1-5. 1-12. Shuttles are drifting out of court or crashing into the net. Lin is everywhere at the same time. Springing away, leaping over the shuttle to give it a spank. It would seem an autograph hunter has been mistaken for a rival but Lin is insistent on giving him a sound thrashing anyway.We began the competition with three courts in use at Pavilion Four in Riocentro, the venue for the badminton events. But now that the initial rounds have been completed, two courts have been dispensed with. So in a massive coliseum, the two combatants in its middle are the central figures in the drama. Crowds at the badminton have been excitable and generous towards the underdog. So as the first game is done and dusted in all of 16 minutes, with Srikanth claiming just six points, they work up the vocal chords.The Indians sit alongside a robust Chinese cheering crew. They raise their flags alternately and thus far, the Chinese have had the bragging rights. It is all good-humoured. Srikanth starts the second game with three consecutive points. Thats already half as many as he won in the entire first game. Downcast journalists, by now beyond frustrated at having reported the same medal-less narrative for nearly two weeks, arent convinced yet. 6-2. 9-5. 11-5.Hello.Lin Dan, jaiyoou, I hear a squeaky voice urge their man from the side of the court.I turn to the journalist next to me ask what that means. He tells me with a twinkly smile, Fuel the car, Lin Dan.We chuckle in unison. There is a vitality to this contest now. Srikanth is no longer the autograph hunter being pulverised by his idol. He is here to play and unleashes a tornado of shots. Lin is concoction of subtlety and anger. Racquet out front, eyes wide open, he caresses the shuttle, commanding it to float over the net and then bashes it with impunity at his next go. He is Boris Beckerian in his pyrotechnics, surging to his left and surging to his right, falling flat on the floor and rising again, but somehow the shuttle makes it over to the other side.But now, Srikanth is turbo-charged as well. The arena throbs. A ferocious exchange -- whoop-whoop-whoop -- as the shuttle hurtles between the two players ends with Srikanth claiming the point. He is 14-8 up. Even the sanguine Pullela Gopichand in his corner is animated. Fist pumps. Come-ons. Yesses.Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega.Lin Dan, jaiyoouLess than half an hour ago you wouldnt have thought it, but this match is now even. One game apiece. The flag waving is being shared equally now. The banter is between equals. Heres one of the great ones of this game against a man from Guntur on a stage he has owned with impunity in the past. The boxing arena is a stones throw away from badminton but in this moment it would seem the pugilism has been relocated. Lin circles his side of the court at the end of a point, Srikanth takes gentle, assured steps.Gopichand whispers a message into Srikanths ears as they hustle back on to court. The decider is here and it is here that the ebb and flow of the contest rips into the hearts of those watching. Supporters bubbling with excitement are now intently aware that something very special is unfolding. Eyes dig in. A British journalist seated to my right has ignored the match so far, working perhaps on a tight deadline. She flips down her laptop and is watching now. My Chinese friend is giving me an appreciative nod every now and then now, lower lip puckered up in admiration.Srikanth is a torrent of energy now. One dimensional in his attacking methods in the past, Gopichand has inculcated a more nuanced dimension to his game. Lin is constructing a point. He pushes the Indian back, who spars without inhibition by whipping it right back. The shuttle is travelling the maximum distance it can without falling out of play and then suddenly the minimum. They are both poachers at the net, dabbing it with soft hands but a firm wrist. It is mind-numbingly precise play. The shuttle travels only as much as it needs to vertically, crosses the net to the other side and then succumbs to gravity.One must stand and watch now. 6-6. 7-7. 9-8. 11-8. Guess what, into our final mid-game break of this contest Kidambi Srikanth is leading Lin Dan. Somewhere in there they play a 40-shot rally, the longest of the match. My match notes now are an incomprehensible scribble. Sweaty palms and pens arent allies.13-10. Eight points away. 13-13. Damn. 14-13. Like grown men in a shipwreck fighting for the same life jacket, this is now a life-or-death contest. Punches are being thrown, eyes are being poked, all bets are off. Lin reclaims the lead. 15-14. 16-15. A shimmy of the wrist and an obedient racquet kills all momentum on the shuttle. It falls limply over, even a scrambling Srikanth is bemused at the audacity of that shot. This is why you are my idol, Super Dan, but lets get back to this now, shall we?17-16. 19-17. Every point is an occasion now. The Chinese coach recoils from his chair on the sidelines. What is with these Indians? That tall woman yesterday and now this 23-year-old man. Let it go will you.We have gone well past the one-hour mark. There is a finish line in sight. This isnt Bolt v Gatlin though, with a clear winner pulling away as it approaches. 19-17 and Lin is well aware he isnt finished yet. Srikanth leaps in search for a smash to Lins backhand. But perhaps he catches the shuttle a centimetre lower than he should have. Or perhaps the wrist cocked at a slightly acuter angle than he would have liked. In that moment, the arena gasps. The shuttle rattles into the net, shaking it violently, before falling over to Srikanths half of the court.20-17. Match point.I shouldnt have gone for a smash at 17-19, Srikanth would say later. At crucial stages I dont think experience really matters. That smash was the game-changer. Had I kept it simple it would have been 18-19.When it ends there is a victor on the scoreboard and a vanquished. But Lin, this tormentor of opponents and carrier of tattoos, knows he has been in a battle that has left him battered, bruised and utterly spent. The record books will reflect Kidambi Srikanth returned from the 2016 Olympic games in Rio having reached the quarterfinal. But for those of us who were there, Lin Dan included, it will resonate as an hour and a bit of stupendous gallantry.We just wanted to be aggressive and not commit simple mistakes, Srikanth tells us later. Overall there wasnt any special strategy, but to just stay in the rally.You stayed in them good, young man.Los Angeles Lakers Gear . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. Custom Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . 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United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft.BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- OG Anunoby scored 16 points, James Blackmon Jr. had 14 and Robert Johnson added 11 Wednesday night, leading No. 13 Indiana past No. 3 North Carolina 76-67 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.The Hoosiers (5-1) have won two straight since last weeks stunning loss to little-known IPFW.In that game, Johnson struggled, Blackmon injured his knee and Anunoby tried to play through an illness. This time, they helped Indiana start fast and fend off the Tar Heels second-half charges to close it out. Anunoby was injured at the end of the game and needed help to get to the locker room.North Carolina (7-1), which trailed for a total of 16 seconds during its four-game trip to Hawaii, never led and spent most of the game trailing by double digits.The Tar Heels were led by Justin Jackson with 21 points and Kennedy Meeks with 10. North Carolina was 13 of 22 on free throws.---No. 7 VIRGINIA 63, OHIO ST. 61CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- London Perrantes scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half for Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Devon Hall added 12 points for the Cavaliers (7-0), who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and didnt take the lead for good until Marial Shayoks baseline runner made it 59-57 with 1:58 remaining.The Buckeyes (6-1) trailed 63-61 when Shayok missed two free throws with 10.5 seconds left. Coach Thad Matta called a timeout with 6.5 seconds to play, but JaQuan Lyle couldnt find an open teammate as the clock ran down and launched a 3-point try that missed badly.JaeSean Tate led Ohio State with 14 points and Lyle had 12.---No. 9 BAYLOR 79, SAM HOUSTON ST. 45WACO, Texas -- Reserve King McClure scored 14 points and Baylor remained unbeaten.Baylor shot 46.4 percent from the field, including 13 for 31 from 3-point range. On the other end, Sam Houston State missed its first 13 shots while Baylor opened the game on a 10-0 run. The Bears (7-0) limited the Bearkats to 28.6 percent shooting and blocked 11 shots.Al Freeman had 13 points for the Bears, and Ishmail Wainright added 12. Their big frontline players, Jo Lual-Acuil and Johnathan Motley, dominated the boards witth 14 rebounds apiece.ddddddddddddSam Houston State (4-3) came in averaging 81.7 points per game, but never got into a rhythm. Aurimas Majauskas led the Bearkats with 13 points.---No. 14 LOUISVILLE 71, No. 15 PURDUE 64LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Ray Spalding and Mangok Mathiang each scored11 points and Donovan Mitchell contributed seven critical points down the stretch to help Louisville in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.Seeking a rebound from their second-half collapse against Baylor in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship when they lost a 22-point lead, the Cardinals held Purdue to a season-low 36 percent shooting but needed key baskets in the final minutes as the Boilermakers cut a 51-33 deficit to four with 14.4 seconds left.Ryan McMahons 3-pointer with 4 minutes remaining helped along with Mathiangs layup with 2:30 left, but Mitchells late scoring including a 3 helped the Cardinals (6-1) escape with their first win over Purdue since 1996.Caleb Swanigan had 14 points and 11 rebounds and P.J. Thompson had 13 points, but the Boilermakers (5-2) had their four-game winning streak stopped along with a conference-record seven-game winning streak in the Challenge.---No. 16 ARIZONA 85, TEXAS SOUTHERN 63TUCSON, Ariz. -- Lauri Markkanen scored 19 points and hit five 3-pointers, helping Arizona bounce back from its first loss of the season.Arizona (6-1) had no letdown after losing to Butler last week, jumping on the Tigers (4-3) from the opening tip. The Wildcats built a 13-point lead in the opening 5 minutes and were up 19 by halftime, cruising to the 37th straight non-conference win at McKale Center.Kobi Simmons had 15 points and Kadeem Allen finished with 14 points and seven assists for Arizona. Markkanen had six rebounds and five assists.The only bad news for the Wildcats was that starting point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright did not return after appearing to injure his right leg midway through the first half.Zach Lofton led Texas Southern with 19 points and Jalan McCloud added 14. ' ' '