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t a lot to Tiger to have those guys embrace him like they did.All of which leads to one more story about Woods from that week.
NEW YORK -- From his nosebleed seats just under the closed, retractable roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Dave Harris had to raise his voice to be heard.Its not exactly what he expected from his first trip to the U.S Open. A constant, low-grade noise between a buzzing hive and a rushing waterfall that some fans suspected was a combination of the collected murmurs of more than 20,000 fans, the rush of cool air from ducts and a rainstorm pounding on the Teflon fabric roof.Its too loud, grumbled Harris, who traveled from Jackson, California, to bring his grown son to the tournament as a birthday present. All the sound just stays in.Fan complaints rose above the din on a rainy Thursday that gave them their first extended look at what happens when the worlds largest tennis stadium becomes the worlds largest tennis arena. While all acknowledged it was better than having to deal with rain, most said it created an atmosphere that will take some getting used to.Its like watching tennis in an aircraft hangar, said Max Linnington, a British expat who lives in New Jersey.It accentuates all the sounds, he said. I prefer it without the roof, actually.Leslie Leith-Tedeschi, a Manhattanite who has been coming to the matches for years, said the buzz is mostly peoples conversations. They used to just go up in the air, she said. Now they bounce off the roof.The chair umpire made quite a few requests for quiet during a Thursday night match, at one point pleading, Ladies and gentlemen, respect the players. Please remain quiet ... Your voices are carrying to the court.Italian player Andreas Seppi was more blunt from his experience on the court. The people, I think, are used to going to baseball and keep talking.Second-seeded Andy Murray noted that the closed Ashe was loud, definitely louder than the retractable-roof stadium at Wimbledon but that it was up to athletes to adjust to such variables. Ultimately, Murray said, it will be up to the fans and the television networks to decide if major changes need to be made.U.S. Tennis Association executive director Gordon Smith said tournament organizers were collecting data on the $150 million roof but that, so far, he hasnt heard a peep of complaints from spectators. Regardless, he said, weve got a new venue, obviously when you enclose a building youre going to expect some additional noise.Its passionate, he said. We want our New York fans to be passionate. Its really a positive, great atmosphere in there.At least one fan watching Murrays match agreed. Liat Haigh of Australia said more important than any noise issue was the relief that she didnt have to worry that her trip to see the U.S. Open wouldnt be ruined by rain.Ive come a long way and I want to see the tennis, she said, dismissing any buzz about the buzz. Its part of seeing it live and part of the atmosphere. If you dont like that, watch it on television. Kevin Love Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. LeBron James Jersey . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. http://www.cavaliersbasketballpro.info/ante-zizic-cavaliers-jersey/ . He just needed to be his best twisting, turning acrobatic self. "I didnt need to be anybody else, I just needed to be myself and be aggressive," said Burks, who scored a career-high 34 points to spark the Utah Jazz to a 118-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Brad Daugherty Cavaliers Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. Channing Frye Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. During the chaotic celebration just moments after the United States clinched victory against Europe at the Ryder Cup last month, Zach Johnson was looking for somebody to hug. He was walking down the 18th hole at Hazeltine when he saw Tiger Woods -- make that vice captain Tiger Woods -- barreling toward him. T sees me out of the corner of his eye and starts running at me, Johnson recalled. We had a big old hug. I was emotional; he was emotional.Then, Woods took off.He was the assistant responsible for a quartet of team members that included Matt Kuchar, who was still playing in the last match on the course. As Woods quickly explained to Johnson following that tearful embrace, even though the overall result was decided, he still needed to oversee his mans match to fruition.Thats just one story about Woods first venture in a captaincy role, but there are plenty of others. Like the one about him calling captain Davis Love III with some ideas about potential Saturday pairings -- before the roster was even finalized. Or the one about him teaming up with Jack Nicklaus during the week to poke fun at Love for a poor shot from years earlier. Or the one about Woods good-naturedly getting ribbed by team members in the aftermath for failing to play in each of the two U.S. victories this century.I told him, All I know is that the last two Ryder Cups we won, you werent a part of, man, Brandt Snedeker recalled with a laugh. Maybe weve got a trend going on.All of these stories about Woods time as an assistant are preceded and followed by connective tissue that tells more about his dedication to the role than any anecdote. He worked at it. He strategized. He formulated plans. And most importantly, despite what so many have often insisted in regard to his attitude toward this biennial competition, he cared -- a lot.He doesnt do anything halfway -- lift weights, ride bikes, whatever. He jumps in, Love explained. He was so focused and driven. I can just flip through his text messages and show you pictures of pairings, plan A, plan B, cold weather pairings versus hot weather, wet versus dry. No wonder the guy is so successful.If Love was the teams general manager, then Woods was like the head coach calling the plays. Or maybe if Love was the head coach, then Woods was the offensive coordinator figuring out the Xs and Os. There might not be a perfect analogy, but its clear that Woods role with the team was hardly ceremonial or lackadaisical.Tiger as an assistant, I think that raised a few eyebrows. I think folks were concerned about his level of involvement, but it was just the opposite. He was really a part of it, said ffellow vice captain Jim Furyk.dddddddddddd He was on top of pairings and ideas and lineups and orders, way, way, way ahead of time. He fully bought in.He had situational options already on paper -- practice rounds, formats, weather, Friday through Sunday, Johnson added. He was all-in. He was all-in with this team from Day 1.Woods impact extended beyond the details, too.Its no coincidence that he was assigned to the pod that included Patrick Reed -- and perhaps no coincidence that Reed turned in one of the most impressive performances in Ryder Cup history with his childhood idol watching. It was a big part of what Patrick Reed did that Tiger Woods was his guy, Love explained. Everybody had their role .... That was for a reason.You look at some of those young guys on the team, Furyk said. They grew up idolizing Tiger Woods. He was the most dominant player in the history of golf at one time. Now hes a captain. One of them said, Wow, hes actually our captain and hes talking to us. They just looked up to him so much. They had him on this pedestal. They got to see him in the team room and be one of the guys pumping them up.For everything Woods meant to the team, the team -- from all accounts -- meant just as much to him. He wasnt involved in the last U.S. victory in 2008, which means it had been 17 years since hed been part of a winning Ryder Cup side.I think it really meant a lot to Tiger to be a part of something like that, Furyk said. All of us have done stuff on our own and accomplished different feats individually, but its special to do something as a group and I think it meant a lot to every one of us to win, and I think it meant a lot to Tiger to have those guys embrace him like they did.All of which leads to one more story about Woods from that week. It was hours after the team had clinched the win, after the champagne spraying and the closing ceremonies and the media interviews. In the midst of the afterparty, Woods pulled a few players together and recalled an old memory. This one was from 1999, when the U.S. had won at Brookline in come-from-behind fashion. Woods went to sleep before most of his teammates that night, only to be awoken by Payne Stewart, who implored him to return to the party.Stewart told him to remember that night, because it was so special. Woods recalled this story as he huddled with those players Sunday night after the win. He echoed those words that Stewart had told him so many years ago.Remember this night, he told them. This is a special night. ' ' '