Jackson Free Press

Technology has the power to make nearly everything in our lives better. It also could have the power to make our sports better or at least provide in-game analytics that could change them for the better.

In two recent articles, the Toronto Star reported on ways in which the NFL and teams are using technology to try to improve the game.

In one article, it details how teams are using sound-producing footballs to cut down on fumbles. The ball beeps or whistles when a player is holding it in the correct way.

Players have to hold the ball at five fundamental points of pressure to cause the ball to beep. When done correctly, it beeps at around 80 decibels. This way, players can work on ball security in noncontact and contact drills. A player can have his career cut short if coaches deem that he has a fumble problem. Running backs, in particular, don’t want to get labeled as a player who fumbles.

Division II Northwood University coach Tom Creguer developed the new football, which he dubbed the “High and Tight,” or HnTv1 for short. The ball weighs 1.6 pounds more than the average game ball and costs $150.

Several NFL teams are already using this new ball, including the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, among others. Several college and high-school teams are also using the High and Tight.

NFL teams aren’t the only ones using technology to improve the game, though. The league itself has decided to add custom computer chips to kicking balls, or “K balls,” during the preseason and in regular-season games on Thursday night.

These chipped balls will give the NFL Competition Committee valuable information next offseason to determine if the goal posts should be narrowed to make extra points and field goals more challenging.

Even with moving extra points back to a 33-yard kick, players still made 85 percent of their attempts. The league wants to make extra points count and add some excitement to the play, and narrowing the goal posts could be a solution.

The current distance between posts is 18 feet and 6 inches. In the 2015 Pro Bowl, the league used goal post at 14 feet.

There could be more advantages to chipped footballs, which the NFL could decide to use on every play in the future.

A ball with a chip in it could give officials a more accurate placement when the defense tackles the carrier. In games where officials question whether a player reached a first down or not, chipped balls would provide the right spot.

This technology could also determine if a player has crossed the goal line. This might help if a player is in a scrum, making the ball less visible to the officials.

Two things could hold back the use of chipped balls on every play.

Professional wrestling hit one of its high points with the Monday Night Wars between WWE, then known as WWF, and WCW. The battle between the two wrestling federations began in the mid-1990s and ended in 2001, when WWE bought WCW.

This was one of the golden eras in pro wrestling and featured some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Hulk Hogan, the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. After WCW folded, the product hasn’t had the same must-see-each-week feel.

During the ratings war between the two companies, WWE started the popular television series “WWE SmackDown.” While one of the wrestling corporation’s other popular offerings, “Monday Night Raw,” premiers live, “SmackDown” has been mostly pre-recorded.

In order to add some new fuel to the WWE’s ratings, “SmackDown” is now shifting to a live format and moving from its traditional Thursday night slot to Tuesday nights on the USA Network. In previous years, “SmackDown” was taped on Tuesday before being shown on Thursday.

This isn’t the first time “SmackDown” has shown live, but it is the program’s first long-term move to the format. While pre-recording shows has been a staple of the wrestling industry for a long time, the Internet has just about put an end to the process.

WWE is going to split their talent between “Raw” and “SmackDown” with a draft. This also isn’t the first time that the company has used a draft to move talent around.

The main problem with the draft is that few big names moved off the flagship show, “Raw.” One to four main-event talents were on “SmackDown,” but they normally showed up on “Raw” anyway.

If the WWE wants to make the now-live “SmackDown” a more successful show, the company will have to do a few things.

First, WWE will need to split the talent as level as possible. “Raw” can’t have all the big names with “SmackDown” getting the crumbs and having to build main-event stars.

Brock Lesnar is a good fit on “Raw” because it is the flagship show, and he has a limited number of appearance dates. John Cena, Randy Orton, AJ Styles or other recognizable names have to move to “SmackDown” to provide star power.

The WWE can and should break up the former members of The Shield. Current champion Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins can bring main-event status on either show. Once Roman Reign’s suspension is over, it might be best to leave him on “Raw.”

Another idea to help “SmackDown” out is to have that show, or as the WWE likes to say, “brand,” draft several NXT wrestlers. NXT is like the WWE minor-league system if you didn’t already know.

NXT performers such as Finn Balor, Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura would give “SmackDown” a must-see feel for fans who don’t have the WWE Network, which is currently the only way to watch “WWE NXT.”

Those are three of the biggest names …

When you’re the defending national champions, everyone expects you to defend your title. Even the conference media.

As SEC Football Media Days came to an end today, the media predicted the University of Alabama to not only win the SEC West but reign as conference champions once again. Last year’s playoff winners were picked by a wide margin to win both the West and conference.

The Crimson Tide received 2,220 total votes to win the West, with 246 first-place votes. The Tide received 223 points to finish as conference champion.

Schools were awarded points on a seven to one scale.

The University of Tennessee is picked to win the SEC East with 2,167 total points and 225 first-place votes, but with 29 points, the Volunteers were picked third to finish as SEC champion. Louisiana State University is picked to finish behind Alabama to win the West with 1,984 total points and 76 first-place votes, and as SEC Champions with 59 points.

Defending SEC East champion University of Florida is picked to finish second in the East with 1,891 total points and 57 first-place votes. The Gators were picked fifth with five points to finish as SEC champions.

The University of Georgia is picked to finish third in the east with 1,860 total points and 45 first-place votes. In a strange twist, the Bulldogs were picked fourth with seven points to be SEC champions.

Rounding out the East is the University of Kentucky for fourth place with 933 total points but no first-place votes; Vanderbilt University for fifth place with 810 total points and two first-place votes; University of Missouri for sixth place with 807 total points and no first-place votes; and South Carolina University in last with 800 total points and two first-place votes.

Behind Alabama and LSU in the West is the University of Mississippi, picked to finish third with 1,479 total points and five first place votes; Texas A&M University, picked to finish fourth with 1,130 total points and three first-place votes; University of Arkansas, picked to finish fifth with 1,047 total points and one first-place vote; Auburn University, picked to finish sixth with 890 total points and no first-place votes; and Mississippi State University, picked to finish last with 510 total votes and no first-place votes.

Finishing out the picks for SEC champions is UM with four points and Texas A&M, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Arkansas with one point. Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky and Missouri received no votes to win the SEC championship.

There is a ray of sunshine for fans who don’t like how the media predicted this season. Only five times—Florida in 1994, 1995 and 2008, LSU in 2007, and Alabama in 2014—in the last 24 years has the media correctly picked the SEC champion.

A record 331 media members in attendance took part in the vote. The preseason All-SEC will be released on Friday.

Eastern Division (first place votes in parentheses)

School Points

Wednesday after the MLB All-Star game is without a doubt the slowest sports day of the year. Nearly every professional and college sports event takes the day off the day after the midsummer classic.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any sports on TV today. But it does mean you will have to watch reruns, catch early games, media days or sports outside the country.

Of course, you can catch SEC Football Media Days on the SEC Network nearly all day long. Various networks such as ESPNU and the Longhorn Network have replays of college football.

If you are looking for live football, look no further than ESPN3 and north of the border. Canadian Football League action features the Ottawa Redbacks against the Toronto Argonauts.

FS1 has UFC Fight Night, McDonald vs. Linker starting at 6 p.m. The UFC just sold for $4 billion this week, and on a slow sports day, you can judge for yourself if it was worth the cost.

Of course if you can always watch ESPN’s coverage of the ESPY Awards.

The network began coverage at 4 p.m. with ESPY's Countdown and continues with ESPY's Roadblock and countdown at 6 p.m., which will lead you up to the start of the show at 7 p.m. on ABC.

WWE Superstar John Cena hosts this year’s ESPY Awards, so things could get interesting.

Will the crowd chant “Let’s Go Cena” and “Cena Sucks” just like at live WWE events? Is there a chance The Rock will show up and give the host a “Rock Bottom,” or if The Rock shows up, will the two trade verbal jabs?

Other WWE superstars might not be in attendance, with both WWE Raw and Smackdown broadcasting on the USA Network, which NBCUniversal owns, but other wrestling stars could show up, as the wrestling organization heads toward the draft on the new live Smackdown next Tuesday.

Forest Thigpen, president of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed on July 11 by the Southern Poverty Law Center that alleges the state's charter school law violates the state's constitution by enabling ad valorem taxes to cross district lines, leaving the district they were meant to support:

Charter schools are public schools, and since they charge no tuition, any rational person would conclude that they are "free" schools as referenced by the state constitution.

Parents are responsible for their children's education. It is immoral for the government to force parents to send their children to schools that do not meet their academic and related needs, especially when other public options are available, including charter schools.

Parents who have enough money to move to a better district or to send their children to private schools already have options. Charter schools, as demonstrated by the student population at the two schools that opened this year, primarily serve families who cannot afford either of those options.

Improving educational outcomes is one of the most important ways to lift children out of poverty, and charter schools offer that hope to parents who want a better future for their children. By pursuing this lawsuit, it appears as though the Southern Poverty Law Center wants to perpetuate, not alleviate, southern poverty.

Now that the four-day marathon that is SEC Football Media Days is underway, there are plenty of questions for every team. The media will get its chance at players and head coaches from Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi this week.

MSU players and head coach Dan Mullen will face sports reporters Tuesday, July 12. Mullen will have plenty to talk about while he is at the podium.

One of the biggest questions that he will face is how the university handled the Jeffery Simmons’ case. In case you missed it, Simmons was seen on video striking a woman who was involved in an altercation with his sister.

MSU allowed Simmons to enroll in school, but there were conditions placed on the player. The athletic program gave him a slap on the wrist with a one-game suspension.

Simmons, a five-star recruit from Noxubee County High School, will miss the game against the University of South Alabama. Mullen will have to answer questions on why the school let Simmons enroll and what steps they are taking to ensure that he doesn’t have a repeat of his behavior.

Finding the new replacement for Dak Prescott will also be a major focus.

After Mullen gets grilled about Simmons, attention at some point will turn to finding out who will be the next quarterback for the Bulldogs. Currently, it looks like Nick Fitzgerald is the leader for the top spot, but will that change between now and game one?

Mullen might get asked about new defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon and whether he will stay in the position for more than a year. MSU has hired six defensive coordinators in eight years, which is a lot of turnover for a coordinator job.

Other topics could include satellite camps and whether the Bulldogs will find their running game this season. Plenty of questions will be on MSU facing a rebuilding or down year, but expect Mullen to quash those questions.

UM Rebels coach Hugh Freeze doesn’t face the media until Thursday and probably hopes after four days, there will be some fatigue from those firing questions. Freeze is one of the few coaches that will get grilled.

The first topic he will face is the Laremy Tunsil situation. Unless you have been living under a rock, there is no way that you missed the former offensive tackle’s draft night drop.

UM is facing sanctions from the NCAA already over violations of the football program. Now, new allegations of Tunsil taking money from a coach might add to the program’s troubles. Freeze will do his best to answer questions carefully or deflect those questions. The Rebels are considered a program on the rise, but allegations of bending, if not breaking, the rules have dogged Freeze almost since his arrival in Oxford.

The Rebels will also face some law-and-order questions after defensive end Breeland Speaks and offensive guard Rod Taylor ran afoul with the law. …

The Mississippi State Department of Health reported three new cases of Zika virus in the state today, which brings the state's total cases to eight. The department said all three cases were travel related for residents from Chickasaw, Hinds and Rankin counties who recently traveled to St. Thomas, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Last week, two cases were reported from DeSoto and Madison counties, in travelers to Jamaica and Guatemala respectively. Three other travel-related cases occurred earlier this year, the department's press release states.

In 2016,four cases of West Nile Virus were reported in Hinds, Grenada, Lamar and Rankin counties. The state health department only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2015, Mississippi had 38 West Nile Virus cases and one death.

“At least 46 other U.S. states and territories have already reported travel-associated cases,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs in a press release. “Now that school is out, we know it is a popular time for mission trips and vacations to these areas. Please be especially mindful of protecting yourself from mosquitoes while you’re abroad. Simple steps can make a big difference.”

Below is information from the state health department about Zika and necessary precautions from their press release:

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that may cause serious birth defects if contracted during pregnancy. Zika virus infection can cause a mild illness with symptoms (fever, joint pain, conjunctivitis or rash) lasting for several days to a week, but 80 percent of those infected have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Death is very rare. The MSDH strongly advises pregnant women not to travel to countries where Zika is actively being transmitted.

Zika has been seen in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands for years, but has recently been reported in approximately 30 countries, mostly in the Caribbean, Central and South America. The breed of mosquito that is spreading Zika – Aedes aegypti – has not been detected in Mississippi since the early 1990s. The MSDH is currently conducting surveillance for Aedes mosquito populations in every county in the state.

In previous years, WNV has been reported from all parts of the state. All Mississippians are potentially at risk – not just the areas where cases are reported.

Symptoms of WNV infection are often mild and may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, a rash, muscle weakness or swollen lymph nodes. In a small number of cases, infection can result in encephalitis or meningitis, which can lead to paralysis, coma and possibly death.

The MSDH suggests the following precautions to protect yourself and your environment from mosquito-borne illnesses: · Use an EPA-registered mosquito repellent that contains DEET while you are outdoors.

· Remove all sources of standing water around your home and yard to prevent mosquito breeding.

· Wear loose, light-colored, long clothing to cover the arms and legs when outdoors.

· Avoid areas where mosquitoes are prevalent.

As the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials continue, more athletes with ties to our state have made the team. Earlier this week, the Jackson Free Press posted a story on athletes who made the team, as the track and field trials started last week.

Four more athletes either from Mississippi or with ties to our state have punched their ticket to Rio. So far, field events have been where the majority of athletes have made the team.

It seems fitting that that men’s pole vaulter Sam Kendricks punched his ticket to the Olympics on the Fourth of July. The current Army reservist, who was once a star at Oxford High School, won the event with a height of 5.91 meters, or 19 feet and 4 1/2 inches.

The second lieutenant starred at the University of Mississippi, where he was a two-time NCAA champion before becoming a professional. Cale Simmons who cleared a height of 5.65 meters, or 18 feet and 6 1/4 inches, for second and Logan Cunningham 5.60 meters, or 18 feet and 4 1/4 inches, for third will join him on the team.

Kendricks broke a meet record that Tim Mack set in 2004. Mack was on hand to root on Kendricks to break his mark.

Four years ago, Kendricks came to the trials to jump before he was scratched for jumpers who were ranked higher than him. Now, the 23-year-old is heading to the Olympics after disappointment four years ago.

In the men’s long jump, former Hinds Community College star Jeffery Henderson won the event, earning his place on the team. Henderson started at Hinds before going on to standout at Stillman College.

His jump of 8.59 meters, or 28 feet and two inches, was barely enough to take first place. Henderson will be joined in Rio with Jarrion Lawson, who jumped 8.58 meters, or 28 feet and 1 3/4 inches, for second and Marquis Dendy 8.42 meters, or 27 feet, 7 1/4 inches for third.

The Rebels will be well represented in Rio, as volunteer assistant Gwen Berry took second place in the women’s hammer throw. She just missed out on first place with a throw of 73.09 meters, or 239 feet and 9 1/2 inches.

Amber Campbell took first place in the hammer throw with a toss of 74.03 meters, or 242 feet and 10 1/2 inches, and Deanna Price took third with a throw of 73.09 meters, or 239 feet and 9 1/2 inches. None of the men threw far enough to meet the Olympic standard and must wait to see if they get an invite from the International Association of Athletics Federation, who may invite up to three athletes.

A perfect summer continues for Rebels star Raven Saunders. She already became a NCAA champion earlier this summer as a sophomore.

The 20-year-old is now heading to Rio after finishing second in the women’s shot put. Saunders made a throw of 19.24 …

A good few great college football and NFL players have made a stop in Mississippi over the years to play in our junior and community-college system. Throughout the years, several of those teams have won national championships.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College was the first to win a national title way back in 1971. Since that first championship, 11 national champions have come out of our state’s junior and community colleges.

Four of the last five National Junior College Athletic Association national football champions have been Mississippi schools. East Mississippi Community College has won three of the last five national titles alone. EMCC has not only won three of the last five national championships, but it has also been a feeder to the SEC.

Both University of Mississippi quarterbacks Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly spent time at the little community college in Scooba, Miss., as well as University of Alabama defensive linemen Jarran Reed, D.J. Pettway and Quinton Dial.

With all the success of ESPN’s sports documentaries, it should come as no surprise that other media would want to cash in on sports subjects. Inspired by a GQ article with the same name, the film, “Last Chance U,” looks at the 2015 EMCC team—a team that is good enough to win a third straight national championship, though it didn’t in 2015.

Northwest Mississippi Community College did. A brawl that took place between East Mississippi and Mississippi Delta Community College ended up getting the Lions disqualified for the playoffs.

East Mississippi was up 48-0 on Mississippi Delta with 59 seconds before halftime when the brawl broke out. Earlier in the season, head coach Buddy Stephens was suspended for two games after getting into an on-the-field altercation with a game administrator in a 48-24 win over Itawamba Community College.

One of the players featured in the film is D.J. Law, who famously, or infamously, signed with both the University of Mississippi and the University of Utah on the same day. He is now at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Another player featured is John Franklin III, who started out at Florida State University before heading to East Mississippi. Franklin is now the favorite to be the starting quarterback at Auburn University this season.

Greg Whiteley, whose other works include “Mitt” and “Resolved,” is the director and producer of this film. The documentary will only be available on Netflix, and all six parts can be streamed on July 29.

Defending women’s long jump gold medalist Brittney Reese looks ready for Rio. The Gulfport High School star broke records as she made the U.S. track and field team.

Reese jumped 7.31 meters, or 23 feet, and 11 3/4 inches, which is just nine inches short of breaking the world record. She did tie the longest jump at Hayward Field, where the track trials are being held.

The former University of Mississippi standout also broke the Olympic trials record of 23 feet and 8 1/4 inches. She made the longest jump in the world since 2004 and the longest jump for an American since 1998.

Reese was still short of the world record of 24 feet and 8 1/4 inches and the American record of 24 feet and 6 3/4 inches , which the great Jackie Joyner-Kersee holds. Tianna Bartoletta, 2015 world champion, finished second in the event, and Shakeela Saunders finished in third. Those three should be a strong group for the American team in Rio.

So far, Reese isn’t the only Mississippian to make the Olympic team in track and field. Tori Bowie, former Pisgah High School star and Sandhill, Miss., native, punched her ticket to Rio in the 100 meters.

English Gardner won the women’s 100 meters with a time of 10.74 seconds. Bartoletta was second in the event.

With a time of 10.78, Bowie finished third, as she lost her first race in the 100 meters all year. A long jumper until 2014, the former University of Southern Mississippi star is one of the favorites to win gold in Rio in the 100 meters.

Next up for Bowie is to try and make the U.S. team in the 200 meters. She has run the fastest time in the 200 meters for an American this year with a time of 21.99 seconds.

While Reese and Bowie are heading to Rio, two other athletes with ties to Mississippi just missed out on making the team.

NCAA champion in the javelin Curtis Thompson set a new personal best of 271 feet and 11 inches. That left him five inches short of a qualifying mark for Rio of 272 feet and four inches. Thompson finished second in the event.

Cyrus Hostetler won the men’s javelin with a throw of 273 feet and one inch. The other two members joining Hostetler are Sam Crouser, who finished fourth with a throw of 256 feet and one inch, and Sean Furey, who finished 11th with a throw of 227 feet and 10 inches. Only Hostetler, Crouser and Furey had the qualifying mark to reach Rio heading into the event.

University of Mississippi star Craig Engels finished fourth in the men’s 800 meters, just missing third place and a spot on the Olympic team. Engles posted a time of 1:46.03, completing an impressive showing at the trials.

Clayton Murphy finished first with a time of 1:44.76, with Boris Berian in second with a time …

Sending an email or text to an unintended recipient is something that has either happened to you or something that you fear. An email fail from the New Orleans Saints cost them a chance to add a player late last week.

When the Cleveland Browns cut quarterback Connor Shaw, his rights went on the waiver wire. The Saints put in a claim on Shaw, but instead of sending their intentions to just the league office, New Orleans emailed the other 31 clubs.

That email let the Chicago Bears know the Saints plan and claim Shaw instead. Chicago was awarded the rights to the quarterback due to having a worse 2015-2016 season than the Saints.

Shaw became expendable in Cleveland after the team signed Robert Griffin III and drafted rookie quarterback Cody Kessler and veteran Josh McCown to their roster. ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan was the first to report on the Saints email blunder.

Chicago might have had plans on claiming Shaw regardless before knowing the Saints intentions, or they could have played some gamesmanship on New Orleans. In addition to Shaw, the Bears now have starter Jay Cutler and backups Brian Hoyer, David Fales and Dalyn Williams.

New Orleans has stated that it would like to add another quarterback for training camp to go with starter Drew Brees, backup Josh McCown, brother to Luke McCown, and second year quarterback Garrett Grayson. The Saints will have to continue their search before camp opens later this month.

Former University of Mississippi cornerback Tee Shepard is one of six players eligible for this year’s NFL Supplemental Draft. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the annual summer draft will be held July 14 at 1 p.m..

Shepard is a former four-star recruit from Fresno, Calif., who originally signed with the University of Notre Dame in 2012 out of high school. He enrolled early, but a reported academic issue forced him to leave the school.

His next stop was Holmes Community College in 2012 and 2013, and he committed to Mississippi State University before flipping to the Rebels. Shepard missed the 2014 season due to a toe injury.

Shepard, who is deaf, appeared in the first five games of the 2015 season before announcing he was quitting football. He later alleged that the coaching staff cut his playing time due to the fact he was deaf.

Then came the announcement that he would transfer to Miami University in Ohio if he could graduate by May. Shepard’s graduation is now moot since he applied for and has been accepted into the supplemental draft.

Joining the former Rebel cornerback in the draft is long snapper Eddie D’Antuono out of Virginia Tech, defensive tackle Ra’Zahn Howard out of Purdue University, running back Jalen Overstreet out of Sam Houston State University, defensive end Cameron Walton out of Concordia College and wide receiver Rashaun Simonise out of the University of Calgary in Canada.

The format for the supplemental draft is …

After a less-than-stellar freshman season at Mississippi State University, guard Malik Newman decided to test the NBA waters. Newman chose to return to school once it was certain that he wouldn’t get drafted late in the first round or early in the second.

Signs showed that Newman might not have heard his named called on draft night in either round.

As one of the top recruits in the nation and the top recruit in Mississippi, it was expected that the star guard would spend one season in college. Instead, he averaged just 11.3 points per game and only shot 39 percent from the field.

After withdrawing from the draft, Newman has ultimately decided to leave MSU. Newman informed ESPN that he will be transferring to the University of Kansas.

The Jayhawks, along with Kentucky, were one of several schools vying for Newman’s college commitment. The six-foot, three-inch playmaker decided on Kansas after trips to North Carolina State University, Western Kentucky University and the University of Oregon.

Currently, the starting Jayhawks guards are senior Frank Mason and junior Devonte’ Graham. Newman will have to sit out next season under the NCAA transfer rules.

In Mississippi tennis news, Jackson State University won the 2016 SWAC Men’s Championship, but the actions of a former coach have put the program in hot water with the NCAA. The Division I Committee on Infractions placed the program on one-year probation from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017.

The violations occurred when former coach Scott Pennington used an ineligible student athlete under the name of a student who was eligible to play. The NCAA cited that the former coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and knew the student wasn’t eligible to practice or take place in competitions.

Still, Pennington allowed the player to practice and reimbursed the student for travel-related expenses on at least two occasions. The NCAA determined that the student received impermissible recruiting benefits.

The NCAA’s other penalties and corrective measures include a public reprimand and censure of the university, a two-year show-cause penalty for Pennington from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018, a $5,000 fine, and the forfeiture of any wins that the ineligible student athlete participated in.

Pennington committed these violations in 2015 before Lois Alexis replaced him. In her first season as the men’s and women’s coach, Alexis earned the honor of the SWAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year after leading the JSU men to a title.

*CORRECTION: In a previous version of this story, Mississippi State was incorrectly named the University of Mississippi State. Also, Malik Newman committed to MSU after Rick Ray was fired, not before.

The U.S. Olympic Trials for Track and Field start this Friday in Eugene, Ore. at Hayward Field. In each event the top three finishers will make the U.S. squad for Rio. Athletes either professional or collegiate who meet qualifying standards for the U.S. trials will take part in the event.

There are six collegiate athletes from Mississippi universities who will be competing at the trails. Two athletes from Mississippi State University and four athletes from the University of Mississippi will compete.

Those who finish in the top three must meet the Olympic qualifying standards to be placed on the Olympic team. The qualifying standards for the U.S. and Olympics are slightly different.

Two Rebels are in the trials for the men’s 800-meters. Both Craig Engels and Holland Sherrer will take part in the 800-meter and will have to reach the time of 1:46.00 to earn a spot on the Olympic team. Neither has run that fast, with Engels’ best time 1:46.13 and Sherrer’s best time is 1:47.13. Both will have to run for new personal bests just to have a shot at making the final or the Olympic team.

The last Rebel on the track will be Michael Ebb in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase. An Olympic qualifying time in the steeplechase is 8:30.00. Ebb’s best time has been 8:34.13, which he ran at the NCAA Track and Field finals. He will have to break a new personal best to make the team or qualify for the finals in Oregon.

One Rebel who could end up heading to Rio is Raven Saunders in the shot put. She won the women’s NCAA title in this event and broke records with her throw of more than 19 meters. Saunders already has thrown better than the Olympic qualifying mark of 17.60 meters. She has the fifth-best throw in the world outdoors this year with a mark of 19.33 meters.

Both Bulldogs will have a good shot at making the Olympic team.

In the men’s javelin, Curtis Thompson won the men’s NCAA title with a throw of 77.69 meters. A throw of 83.00 meters is the Olympic standard. Thompson’s best throw came earlier this year at 81.03 meters.

He will need a new personal best to make the Olympics, but his best throw ranks 44th in the world this year. Only one American, Cyrus Hostetler, has a better throw at 83.83 meters.

Erica Bougard finished second in the heptathlon at the NCAA finals. She will need 6,200 points to meet the Olympic standard. Her best performance came in earlier this year when she put up 6,170 points, which places her at 18th in the world this year. Two Americans, Kendell Williams and Barbara Nwaba, have put up better numbers with 6,225 and 6,360 points, respectively. Bougard could make the team if she can raise her best point total just slightly.

The track and field trials are July 1-10 and can be seen on NBC, NBC Sports and streamed …

Four years ago in London, gymnast Gabby Douglas became a household name when she became the first African American woman to win the gold medal in the individual all-around competition. She won a gold medal in the team competition when the United States won the women’s artistic all-around.

Flash forward to 2016, and Douglas isn’t the top women’s gymnast for the U.S. At the recently held 2016 U.S. Championships, Douglas finished in fourth place overall.

No, Douglas isn’t the top woman to watch in U.S. gymnastics anymore. Simone Biles has taken over that role.

If there is one Olympian you should take time out of your schedule to watch, it is Biles. She is the winner of the 2016 U.S. Championship with a personal best score of 125.000 points. It was the fourth-straight win in the U.S. Championships.

Second place belonged to Aly Raisman, who scored 121.100 points. Raisman won two gold medals and three overall in London.

Without question, Biles was the star of the show as she won the vault, floor and balance beam, in addition to the overall title. She is the first woman in 42 years to win four straight U.S. Championships since Joan Moore Grant accomplished the feat from 1971 to 1974.

Biles isn’t just the best American women's gymnast; she is the best gymnast in the world. She has won the last three World Championship All-Around titles.

The 19-year-old has a tear-jerker story NBC will promote until everyone knows it by heart. Her grandparents adopted her after her mother gave her up.

Finishing third was Lauren Hernandez with a score of 120.500, and Douglas was a distant fourth with a score of 117.800 for the two-time gold medal winner. Madison Kocian finished in fifth with a 116.450 score.

Biles is a lock to head to Rio, but the other four spots on the U.S. team are up grabs. If the same score from the U.S. Championship holds up, the team will be Raisman, Hernandez, Douglas and Kocian.

The U.S. Trials will be held from July 8 to July 10 in San Jose, Calif. to name the official team. Besides just the top five finishers, also in San Jose will be Amelia Hundley, Alyssa Baumann and Ragan Smith earned automatic berths to the trails.

USA Gymnastics added Christina Desiderio, Brenna Dowell, Rachel Gowey, Ashton Locklear, Maggie Nichols, Emily Schild and MyKayla Skinner to compete at the trails. The U.S. looks to defend its all-around medal from London.

The sports world suffered two losses early on June 28 with the passing of legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt and defensive mastermind Buddy Ryan. Summitt was the major factor in the growth of women’s basketball and Ryan built, arguably, the greatest defense in NFL history.

After suddenly being thrust into the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee in 1974, Summitt built one of the greatest basketball programs in American men's or women's basketball history. Her starting salary at UT was just $8,900, but that changed before her time with the Volunteers was finished.

Before becoming the winningest coach between both men and women at the Division I level, Summitt starred on the court at the University of Tennessee-Martin. By the time she left UT-Martin, she was the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,045 points and two appearances in the national championship tournament.

She played for her country in the Pan American Games and the Olympics. While doing that, Summitt had already begun her coaching career.

Summitt built Tennessee in to a national power in basketball by the early 1980s and guided the school to its first Final Four in the 1981-1982 season and finished as runner up during the 1983-1984 season.

Finally, in the 1986-1987 season, Summitt broke through for her first national championship. She won seven more national championships, include three straight from 1996 to 1998.

Tennessee won 16 SEC Championships and 16 SEC Tournament Championships under her coaching. The Volunteers reached 31 NCAA Tournaments and 18 Final Fours with Summitt.

In 38 years with Tennessee, Summitt won 1,098 games, had a .841 winning percentage, coached 21 All-Americans and 12 Olympians, won two Olympic gold medals as a coach, got 112 NCAA Tournament wins, eight SEC Coach of the Year Awards and seven NCAA Coach of the Year awards.

Summitt broke the million-dollar salary ceiling for women’s coaches in 2006 when she signed a contract for $2.125 million a year. After winning her 1,000th game in 2009, Tennessee awarded her with a $200,000 bonus and a contract that ran until the 2014 season.

Before she could finish her final contract at Tennessee, Summitt revealed she was suffering from early onset dementia and stepped away from coaching after leading her team to the Elite Eight in the 2011-12 season.

She was named Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year in 2011 and was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2012, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and was put in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Summitt never had a losing season at Tennessee, and every player who finished their eligibility under her when on to earn a degree. She only lost 208 games during her time as a college basketball coach.

At the age of 64, Summitt passed away due to early onset dementia.

While she was breaking glass ceilings and busting down barriers, Buddy Ryan was perfecting defensive …

It is a tale of two vastly different brackets in the UEFA Euro 2016 knockout stage. One side is stacked with historic European soccer powers, and the other side has a mix of powers who haven’t broken through and upstart teams.

The bottom half of the bracket features teams that have won 21 major titles. It features nations with 11 World Cups and 10 European Championships. The other half of the bracket features teams with zero major titles.

That would be like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots being on one side of the playoffs and the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans being on the other side.

If you are a neutral fan, there are plenty of underdogs to root for left in the tournament.

The biggest underdog will be Iceland against England. The smallest nation to ever qualify for this tournament is the feel-good story.

Iceland’s last-second goal against Austria has thus far been one of memorable moments of the tournament. About 8 percent of the 330,000 population of Iceland has bought tickets for this event.

Just making the second round is a major accomplishment, but beating England would be even bigger. While England will be rooting for the Three Lions, the rest of them will be backing the Ice Men.

Host nation France also plays an underdog as it takes on Ireland in the next round. The Irish beat Italy on a late goal, sending them into the second round.

Italy also sat several important players, having advanced to the next stage. Ireland’s win over Italy reminded fans of their upset win over the Azzurri in the 1994 World Cup.

Last time these two teams played in a non-friendly saw France advance to the World Cup after a handball goal in Dublin from Thierry Henry gave Les Bleus a 2-1 in a playoff. Ireland would love revenge on French soil.

Slovakia was the top third-place team to advance, and for their accomplishment, they get Germany. It would be a great win for Slovakia to beat World Champion Germany. Both teams have struggled at times, but the Germans are the stronger side.

The last matchup in the bottom of the bracket is between two soccer heavyweights. Italy against Spain will be like getting a championship game-caliber match in the second round. These two teams have met 34 previous times with both sides earning 10 wins and 14 draws. One team will get the upper hand after this match.

One underdog is going to advance. That is because Northern Ireland plays Wales in the second round.

Gareth Bale provides Wales with the star power, but Northern Ireland has defended well and advanced as a third-place team with 1-0 losses to Poland and Germany. Wales won a group that also included England, Russia and Slovakia.

Croatia against Portugal is an interesting match in the second round. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has …

If you are missing football and wishing for NFL training camps to open, there is something you can do for your football fix. The Canadian Football League will be on ESPN networks the next three nights.

Two of those three games feature players with ties to Mississippi.

Tonight, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN News, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hit the road to take on the Toronto Argonauts. The Tiger-Cats have former University of Mississippi player Jeremiah Masoli as their starting quarterback. This is also the opening of the 2016 Canadian Football League season.

The Montreal Alouettes take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Friday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2, but neither team features a player from Mississippi. The Blue Bombers have held a tryout in Jackson the last two years, though.

On Saturday night, the British Columbia Lions host the Calgary Stampeders at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. The Lions have former Alcorn State University wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux, and the Stampeders have former University of Southern Mississippi running back Tory Harrison.

Those aren’t the only players with Mississippi ties on CFL rosters.

The Tiger-Cats have former University of Mississippi defensive tackle Ted Laurent. Currently, Laurent is on the British Columbia one-game injury list. He is a national player since he was born in Montreal, Quebec. Players born outside of Canada are listed as international players.

Former Jackson State University defensive back Marcell Young is an Edmonton Eskimos defensive player. He also played at Hinds Community College before heading to JSU to finish his college career.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed former Mississippi State University defensive back Justin Cox this spring. He not only played at MSU but also at East Mississippi Community College.

Joining Cox on the Roughriders is former Pearl River Community College defensive back Johnnie Dixon. He also signed with Saskatchewan with spring.

The CFL offers a chance for players who don’t latch on with an NFL team to continue their football careers. Some players head north if they don’t sign an undrafted free agent contract with an NFL team.

However, playing in the CFL doesn’t mean an athlete won’t get a shot at the NFL. There have been several players who have made an impact on the league who NFL teams signed out of the CFL.

It would seem unlikely that any of the players on this list will sign with the NFL. Most are in their late 20s, except for former MSU player Cox who is 23 years old, and the NFL has trended in the direction of younger players in recent years.

The Farm Bureau Watermelon Classic has become a Fourth of July tradition. For the last 20 years, Jacksonians have spent their mornings running the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) race before setting off fireworks and lighting the grill.

There have been as many as 1,800 runners in past events, and this year, race officials expect 1,500 runners to take part in the fundraiser for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

While the 5K run is the main event this Independence Day, participants can also walk the 5K or enjoy a one-mile fitness/fun run for all ages or the Tot Trot for children under 3 years of age.

Registration for the event is now open, and there is a week to register before the prices go up on June 30. Currently, the cost is $25 to run or walk in the 5K race, and the mile run is $15.

After June 29, the price for the 5K run/walk goes up to $30, and the mile run goes up to $20 until registration ends on July 3 for individuals and July 2 for teams. The Tot Trot, which follows the 5K race, requires no registration and is free.

There is no registration on race day. Race packets will be available for pick up starting on June 29, and race officials encourage participants to pick the packets up before race day.

The race starts at the intersection of Lakeland Drive and the Interstate 55 Frontage Road to Eastover Drive and then moves on to Ridgewood Drive and Lakeland Drive before the finish line at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Strollers are allowed but must stay in the back of the pack. No pets or roller blades are allowed.

There are three water stations on the race route. The top three overall runners—Master, Grand Master and Senior Master—will receive cash prizes. Last year’s overall winners were Joseph Chebet and Kristi Hall.

The 5K race begins at 7:30 a.m., and the mile run begins at 8:50 a.m. Fresh watermelon will be awaiting all the runners at the finish line.

Runners can also wear costumes for the race, with race participants voting on who will receive the prize for best costume. To win, the runner must wear the costume during the race.

Former “world’s fastest man” and two-time Olympic medal winner Calvin Smith, will serve as the race’s official starter for the second year in a row.

For more information, call 601-982-8264 or visit the registration page.