“@mattpep15: Thousands got to finish the #BostonMarathon today. Here’s a photo at the finish. twitter.com/mattpep15/stat…#OneRun” #BostonStrong

Thousands got to finish the #BostonMarathon today. Here’s a photo at the finish. twitter.com/mattpep15/stat…

— Matt Pepin (@mattpep15) May 25, 2013

 

According to the AP via the Boston Herald, OneRun Organizer Kathleen McGonagle says OneRun honors victims and emergency workers and allows runners to reclaim the final mile.  The article also notes that the National Anthem was sung by the choir from St. Ann Parish, where 8-year-old victim Martin Richard’s family worshipped.

Runners stride to the finish line on April 15th as the first bomb explodes in Boston
Credit: Boston.com

- David Whitlock (@lhd_on_sports)

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Sara Humphreys is the starting goalie for the boys lacrosse team

Sara Humphreys isn’t your typical female attending high school. Humphreys plays a key role on the boys high school lacrosse team. You read that right, the boys lacrosse team. Sara is the starting goalie for the boy’s team because Hillsboro doesn’t have a girls lacrosse team. So instead of jumping to nearby Century to play for the girl’s team there, she chose to play for her high school as a member of the boy’s team.

Via The Oregonian:

For the better part of the past two years, Hillsboro’s boys lacrosse team has employed the same goalie to protect its net.

Hillsboro’s boys lacrosse goalie is a girl.

“When I take my helmet off, they’ll sometimes say, ‘Oh, they have a girl,’ or ‘She’s a girl,’ or ‘They really have a girl goalie!’” said Hillsboro senior Sarah Humphreys, who last year took over goaltender duties for the Spartans. 

According to Dan Badders, commissioner of the Oregon High School Boys Lacrosse Association, Humphreys is just the second female to play boys high school lacrosse in the last 10 years. But don’t feel bad for Humphreys, she prefers playing with the guys as it is much more physical than playing with the girls.

Because Oregon has high school girls lacrosse, it’s rare for girls to play boys lacrosse. Dan Badders, commissioner of the Oregon High School Boys Lacrosse Association (OHSLA), said Humphreys is only the second girl to play boys lacrosse during his 10-year tenure.

The differences in the boys and girls games are dramatic. Boys lacrosse is far more physical than girls because players are allowed to make contact above the waist. Use of the stick is far more liberal in the boys game. As a result, boys wear shoulder and elbow pads and helmets.

Hillsboro doesn’t have a girls lacrosse team, but Humphreys could have played for the girls team at neighboring Century. Humphreys has friends who play for the Jaguars. But the girls game doesn’t appeal to Humphreys.

“From what my friends described to me about girls lacrosse, it wasn’t anything that sounded fun or challenging,” Humphreys said. “I would much rather play with the guys.”

H/T: Yahoo Sports

The wrath of Indiana Pacers’ head coach, Frank Vogel, has become something of legend this post season. Vogel, the often-animated coach on the sidelines for the Pacers, has taken shots at the Miami Heat, benched $58 Million man, and Pacers’ starting center, Roy Hibbert, and now he’s taken aim at the New York Knicks.

As you know by now, the Pacers took care of the New York Knicks in 6 games during their second-round matchup in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Indiana imposed their defensive will against a Knicks’ club that just wasn’t built to battle a gritty, determined team like the Pacers. The Pacers thwarted every attempt the Knicks made to play their type of series, and ultimately dismantled the Eastern Conference’s number 2 seed with ease.

The Miami Heat are a different beast, and they proved that by hanging tough during game 1 against the defensive juggernaut that is the Indiana Pacers, and walked away with a hard-fought win in the process. Indiana’s center, Roy Hibbert, who was probably the biggest difference maker versus the Knicks, was even sent to the bench late in the game, and LeBron James exploited the lack of a 7-footer to sink the go-ahead layup in overtime.

Vogel has now given his take on one of the differences between the Heat and the Knicks. This report via Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:

“They (The Miami Heat) had a more intelligent attack at the basket than New York did.”

That’s one way to get Mike Woodson’s attention. Generally when the intelligence of a club comes into question, the intelligence of the head coach also goes along with it. The Knicks’ rotations did seems to lack any creativity, and their one offensive mission was to ISO Carmelo Anthony, thus making the Pacers’ defensive goals sort of easy. Stop Carmelo. It did appear easy to put a defender on Melo and stack the paint with the big bodies of David West and Roy Hibbert. Miami on the other hand, uses more screens, and moves the rock a bit more. They have LeBron, Wade and Bosh who can all break down their respective defenders and make things happen for themselves.

Does Vogel have a point?

The Brooklyn Nets cut ties with interim head coach, P.J. Carlesimo, and are now in the hunt for a new head coach. The Nets seem to be in “go big, or go home” mode as they look to fill their head coaching void with a respectable, accomplished coach, who can wrangle in the big personalities of players like Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.

Unfortunately for New York’s newest kids on the block, Doc Rivers is unavailable, and Boston Celtics general manager, Danny Ainge, is making that very clear to any teams looking to speak with Doc about becoming their next head coach. This report comes from Jackie MacMullan, ESPN Boston:

“Doc has told me he’s coming back,”Ainge said. “I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward.”

The Brooklyn Nets reportedly reached out to the Celtics, inquiring about head coach Doc Rivers, and were sent packing by Ainge, who claims that he and Doc talk on a regular basis and the plan for Rivers, who has three years, $21 million remaining on his current deal with the Celtics, is to continue as Boston’s head coach.

Doc is among the league’s highest paid head coaches, and the Celtics look as if they’ll continue to shoot down would be teams who have interest in trying to lure Rivers away from Boston. Truth be told, Boston is heading for what seems to be a rebuilding period, and perhaps Rivers isn’t the best coach for that type of job. It’s hard to acclimate to a losing culture, when recent success at the highest of levels (including an NBA Championship) is in such recent memory.

“Well, I don’t think anyone is looking forward to [rebuilding],”Rivers said.“but I’m willing to do that. I’ve had a group that has been very loyal to me, and I think it would have been very easy to just run and go somewhere else and chase something else. … I just don’t think that’s the right thing to do. Coaches talk about loyalty and team, and I just thought it was time to show it.”

We’ll see how this shakes out for Doc, Danny and the Celtics, but let it be known that if you come knocking on the Celtics’ door, wondering about how Doc Rivers will fit in as your team’s next head coach, you’ll probably be met by Danny Ainge and his “you can’t date my Daughter” mentality.

Dwight Howard will consider signing with the Hawks and Warriors this offseason

Dwight Howard has added two more destinations to his free agent pool of teams he’d like to sign with. The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors according to Mark Medina are two more squads that could land the polarizing free agent center. It’s been said that Howard wants to go to a team where he would be the team’s best player and still have a chance to win a title.

Via Mark Medina:

 

A source familiar with Howard’s thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State.

Nothing remains binding, though. The source added Howard’s main concern involves “what team he feels has the best chance to win championships, has the best team and system around him.” The source also stressed Howard has not and will not ask the Lakers to make any moves on his behalf.

 

The Hawks could be a sleeper team for  Dwight to sign with because he is from Atlanta. However, depending on Josh Smith the Hawks could be in more of a rebuilding mode if “J-Smoove” were to leave via free agency. If Smith were to stay in Atlanta, the Hawks could have arguably the best front line in the NBA with Smith, Horford and Howard at center.

The Warriors on the other hand are a younger team filled with exciting players. Adding Howard could create a log-jam at the center position with Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Andris Biedrins and David Lee at times. However, adding Dwight could solidify the Warriors as a true contender in the competitive Western Conference. The Warriors could also dangle Bogut and Ezeli with one of their younger swing players to upgrade at another position.