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MANCHESTER, England -- WWE-style grappling at corner kicks, manhandling of match officials, verbal abuse: Sometimes the beautiful game can take on an ugly side.This season, at least in these early weeks, English Premier League referees are taking a stand.The start of the new English football season has been marked with no-nonsense -- some might say over-zealous -- officiating that has got fearful defenders re-evaluating their trade and penalty-taking strikers licking their lips at the opportunities coming their way.One referee awarded two penalties in the same game for pushing and holding in the penalty area at a corner kick. Another has yellow-carded a player for sarcastically applauding a decision. Diego Costa, Chelseas typically irate striker, has already been booked for aggressively approaching a referee. After two rounds of fixtures, seven penalties have been awarded already, compared to three at the same stage last season.Its not uncommon for referees to put down markers early in the season or at the start of a major international tournament. Before too long, they have eased off.It remains to be seen if that will be the case this season.Its fine as long as its consistent right from now to the end of the season, Stoke manager Mark Hughes said. Usually it isnt.Stoke has been one of the teams to suffer from the vigorous officiating. The team fell behind to Manchester City on Saturday when defender Ryan Shawcross was adjudged to have pulled back an opponent at a corner and conceded a penalty, converted by Sergio Aguero. In the second half, City conceded a penalty after Raheem Sterling impeded Shawcross at a corner when he wasnt even looking at the ball.After the game, both managers accepted there was a clear move by referees to act on grappling and shirt-pulling. And their players are starting to take note.The penalty was given for using my hands, said Shawcross, a physical and uncompromising center back. Its something Im going to have to look at and hopefully adapt in the right way, so I dont give any more penalties away.City defender John Stones also said he and his teammates would have to adjust to the new directive. Yet, there were also protests that things were being taken too far.If theyre penalties, then youre going to be giving two or three a game and its going to be a farce, Stoke striker Peter Crouch said.We were told they were going to give more penalties this year so we cant say we werent given a warning. Even so, when you see it in the cold light of day its hard to take.Yet, grappling at corners wasnt one of the issues the Premier League was openly targeting heading into the new season. The most popular league in the world was more concerned with the damage that abuse of match officials was doing to its image.To that end, the leagues top brass called for tougher action on dissent, insulting language and gestures, physical contact toward officials, surrounding officials and misconduct in the managers technical areas.People look to us to set the example across the world, Richard Scudamore, chairman of the Premier League, said during the offseason.Thats exactly what is happening.Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter collected the first of his two yellow cards against West Ham on Sunday for dissent toward an assistant referee, and was later criticized by his manager.Weve been told about dissent -- its been drilled into us, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said. If we lose our discipline, we could have a flurry of red cards.Premier League managers held offseason briefings with referees and soccer authorities over the desired improvements in player behavior.They explained everything again, Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka said Tuesday. We have to be careful, they are the rules.Some players dont appear to be getting the message, though.Costa had 23 yellow cards and one red card -- for angrily approaching a referee -- across his first two seasons at Chelsea. He has been booked in both his opening league games this year, too, the first for dissent toward a referee.Asked if he knew about the new dissent law, Costa told ESPN: I am aware of it now.Blake Griffin Jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. 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Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout.RIO DE JANEIRO -- Juan Martin del Potro sobbed into Novak Djokovics shoulder, the two opponents locked in a long embrace at the net.Djokovic would walk off the court weeping, too. For one man, a victory over the worlds No. 1 tennis player that could resurrect a career he feared was over. For the other, a stunning loss that leaves him waiting four more long years for a chance at an Olympic singles gold medal.Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion stalked by injuries ever since, won 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) in the first round Sunday at the Rio de Janeiro Games. After three left wrist surgeries that had him contemplating retirement, he is ranked just 145th. But when the big Argentine is healthy and smacking his signature forehand around the court, his play is worthy of the gold-medal match -- no matter that his backhand is still a work in progress.Amazing, amazing match for me, del Potro said. I didnt expect to beat Novak tonight, because I know my situation.These two faced off for bronze in London four years ago, with del Potro winning. But when he arrived at Wimbledon in June, he hadnt appeared at a major in 2 1/2 years. He would upset fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in the second round there, and even though a fatigued del Potro lost his next match, it was a hint that he might yet still have some greatness in him.Del Potro was just 20 when he rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to stun five-time defending champion Roger Federer in the U.S. Open final. With the way his forehand rocked Federer that day, more Grand Slam titles seemed certain for the young Argentine.Then came a string of wrist injuries, first to the right, then the left -- which the righty needs for his backhand. He was still slicing often Sunday, but the two-handed shot is beginning to look more comfortable. And with the way he was booming his serves and forehand, del Potro put the pressure on Djokovic from the start.In the second-set tiebreaker, del Petro crushed two straight forehand winners on Djokoovics serve to take a 3-0 lead.dddddddddddd He made it 5-0 before Djokovic scored a point.Del Potro hit 41 winners Sunday, 29 on his forehand. It would be a forehand off the net cord, however, that clinched victory on his second match point.Djokovic, a 12-time major champion, had more unforced errors than winners: 32-26. The Serb, who will be 33 at the 2020 Olympics, called this one of the toughest losses in my life.Hes still alive in doubles, though, so a gold medal in Rio remains a possibility.At 2-2 in the first-set tiebreaker, del Potro won three straight points to take control. A big forehand that Djokovic couldnt get back gave him three set points, and he converted the second when Djokovics forehand sailed wide.In decisive moments, he just came up with some extraordinary tennis, Djokovic said of the player he described as a good friend of mine.Del Potros Sunday did not start off so auspiciously -- he was stuck in an elevator at the Olympic Village for 40 minutes before Argentine handball players freed him.Its very difficult because del Potro has a very important match, one of his rescuers, Gonzalo Carou, said later.A hugely difficult match from both del Potro and Djokovics perspectives -- each had the misfortune of drawing the other in the first round.It was a raucous atmosphere in the last match of the night on center court, where Argentine fans chanted for del Potro and Brazilians would try to drown out their rivals with cheers for Djokovic.Djokovic started the year with talk of a Grand Slam after he won the Australian Open and French Open. But he was upset in the third round at Wimbledon by 41st-ranked Sam Querrey. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist seemed to bounce back by winning a hard-court tuneup in Toronto before coming to Rio de Janeiro.He told me really kind words at the end, del Potro said, and I appreciated that. ' ' '