Lazy Sunday 2

Drogba Seals Win for Chelsea in Champions League Final

Washington Post:
MUNICH — Didier Drogba tied the match with a header in the 88th minute, and then scored the decisive goal in the shootout as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League final, 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw Saturday.

The unlikely storyline of an English team beating a German team on penalties in a high-profile match provided a fitting end to a dramatic night, as Chelsea became Europe’s champion club for the first time.

The often theatrical 34-year-old Drogba, playing possibly his last game for the club as his Chelsea contract expires next month, was at the heart of the show.

Drogba sent goalkeeper Manuel Neuer the wrong way on the final kick of the shootout in front of massed Bayern fans in their home Allianz Arena. Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger missed the previous penalty, hitting the goalpost.

“It was written, I think, a long time ago,” Drogba said to British broadcaster ITV of Chelsea’s turnaround since its turmoil in March. “This team is amazing. They never give up until the end.”

The shootout was needed after Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech saved Arjen Robben’s spot-kick early in extra time.

Chelsea’s first Champions League title came four years after losing in a shootout to Manchester United.

Drogba succeeded where his captain John Terry, who was suspended for Saturday’s finale, failed in missing the fifth penalty in Moscow four years ago which would have given the club’s Russian owner Roman Abramavich the Champions League title he has craved.

Abramovich must now make a fascinating decision on the future of interim coach Roberto di Matteo, who took over from the fired Andre Villas-Boas after a last-16, first-leg defeat to Napoli, and inspired a team which then appeared sulky and fading.

Victory also sealed Chelsea’s last remaining route into next season’s competition which is crucial to its elite status and finances.

Everything seemed stacked against Chelsea when Bayern won the toss to send the shootout to the home, south end of its stadium.

After Bayern captain Philipp Lahm scored first, Juan Mata has his kick saved by Neuer.

Cech then saved Ivica Olic’s fourth penalty for Bayern to put the otherwise excellent Schweinsteiger in the spotlight. He struck the post to Cech’s left and covered his face with his shirt.

Drogba stepped up and sealed victory and awaited the adulation of his onrushing teammates.

“He’s a hero. Without him we’re not here,” said Lampard, who scored with Chelsea’s third penalty. “I’d love him to stay. What he did tonight he’s been doing all his career.”

With seven starters from the two teams suspended, Bayern settled quickly against a visiting team set up to absorb pressure. The Germans’ tempo was often dictated by Schweinsteiger, who excelled after collecting a needless yellow card in the second minute for handball.

Toni Kroos, Mario Gomez and Robben all failed to find the target. Robben, the former Chelsea winger, threatened in the 21st when he wriggled through a tiny gap to create a left-footed shooting chance. Gomez, with 13 goals in the competition this season, wasted two good chances to draw level with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

After 83 minutes of Bayern domination, Thomas Mueller broke dogged Chelsea resistance with a header past the outstanding Cech.

Bayern had 35 shots to Chelsea’s nine, and 20 corners to just one, which Chelsea used to great effect. They underestimated Chelsea’s admirable resolve, and Drogba soared to score with a header that Neuer couldn’t keep out.

Lineups:

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Jerome Boateng, Diego Contento, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller (Daniel van Buyten, 87), Franck Ribery (Ivica Olic, 97), Mario Gomez.

Chelsea: Petr Cech, Jose Bosingwa, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou (Fernando Torres, 84), Juan Mata, Ryan Bertrand (Florent Malouda, 73), Didier Drogba.

Nadal, Ronaldo Face Off

Spotlight: Chuck Brown

“I’m not retired because I’m not tired. I’m still getting hired, and I’m still inspired,” he said in 2006. “As long as I can walk up on that stage, I want to make people happy. I want to make people dance.”

Washington Post:
Chuck Brown, known as the "Godfather of Go-Go", the genre of music that has soundtracked life in black Washington for more than three decades, died May 16 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was 75.

The death, from complications from sepsis, was confirmed by his manager, Tom Goldfogle. Mr. Brown had been hospitalized for pneumonia.

Charles Louis Brown was born in Gaston, N.C., on Aug. 22, 1936. He never knew his father, Albert Louis Moody, a Marine. He took the surname of his mother, Lyla Louise Brown, a housekeeper who raised her several children in poverty.

“We’d go to somebody’s house and [my mother] would say, ‘Please feed my child. Don’t worry about me. Just feed my child,’ ” Mr. Brown recalled tearfully in a Post interview in 2011.

Mr. Brown was 8 when his family relocated to Washington, where he abandoned his schooling for a childhood filled with odd jobs. He sold newspapers at the bus station and shined shoes at the Navy Yard, where he recalled being tipped kindly by entertainers including Hank Williams and Les Paul.

As a teenager, Mr. Brown began to flirt with petty crime and stumbled into a disastrous situation in the mid-1950s when he shot a man in what he said was self-defense.

A Virginia jury convicted Mr. Brown of aggravated assault, which was bumped up to murder when the victim died in the hospital six months later. Mr. Brown served eight years at the Lorton Correctional Complex. There, he swapped five cartons of cigarettes for another inmate’s guitar.

Upon his release, Mr. Brown returned to Washington, where he worked as a truck driver, a bricklayer and a sparring partner at local boxing gyms. He also began to play guitar and sing at backyard barbecues across the area. His parole officer wouldn’t let him sing in nightclubs that served liquor.

In 1964, he joined Jerry Butler and the Earls of Rhythm and, in 1965, a group called Los Latinos. Both local acts played top-40 hits at area nightclubs; in 1966, Mr. Brown formed his own group, the Soul Searchers. He originally considered taking the stage name “Chuck Brown, the Soul Searcher.”

With the Soul Searchers, Mr. Brown scored minor hits in the early ’70s — “We the People” and “Blow Your Whistle” — but eventually decided to emulate James Brown by trying to create his own sound. Inspired by the percussive feel of Grover Washington Jr.’s “Mister Magic” and rhythms that Mr. Brown internalized as a child in church, he settled on go-go’s loping, popping cadence.

Mr. Brown sang gospel in childhood and was a guitarist fluent in jazz and blues who could toggle between gritty riffs and fluid solos. But he truly excelled behind the microphone, bringing a warm voice that he could punch up into a hot shout or tamp down into a sandpapery purr or a gentle croon as the drummer’s conga popped and rumbled along.

The influence of jazz and pop standards could be heard in much of Brown’s go-go material. Motifs from jazz staples “Moody’s Mood for Love” and “Harlem Nocturne” became a part of his “Go-Go Swing,” and Brown reshaped Louis Jordan’s calypso “Run Joe” into a go-go classic.

In turn, go-go would have its influence on jazz when trumpeter Miles Davis plucked longtime Soul Searchers drummer Ricky Wellman for one of his last touring bands. Many spotted go-go rhythms on Davis’s 1989 album “Amandla.”

With his group the Soul Searchers, his signature hit “Bustin’ Loose” not only minted the go-go sound, it spent four weeks atop the R&B singles chart in 1978.

“Bustin’ Loose” was “the one record I had so much confidence in,” Mr. Brown told The Post in 2001. “I messed with it for two years, wrote a hundred lines of lyrics and only ended up using two lines. . . . It was the only time in my career that I felt like it’s going to be a hit.”

It was Mr. Brown’s biggest single, but throughout the 1980s “We Need Some Money,” “Go-Go Swing” and “Run Joe” became local anthems, reinforced by radio support and the grueling performance schedule that put Mr. Brown on area stages six nights a week.

But his impact was felt most acutely in the Washington area, where his sound spawned a generation of bands who would pull go-go into focus in the ’80s. Mr. Brown was always the genre’s champion, but he was quick to acknowledge the importance of other band leaders, Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson of Rare Essence, “Big Tony” Fisher of Trouble Funk and the late Anthony “Lil Benny” Harley, among them.

“These guys were the pioneers of go-go, and they each have their own distinct sound and identity,” Mr. Brown told The Post in 2001. “Everybody has something to offer.”

And while hip-hop raced past go-go in the ’80s, Mr. Brown eventually influenced that genre as well. He was sampled by various hip-hop artists, most notably in Nelly’s 2002 hit “Hot in Herre.”

In 1992, Mr. Brown helped launch the career of the late singer Eva Cassidy, recording and releasing an album of duets, titled “The Other Side,” that confirmed his talent as an interpreter of standards.

Formal recognition came late in Mr. Brown’s life. He was nominated for his first Grammy Award in 2011, when he was 74, for best rhythm-and-blues performance by a duo or group with vocals for “Love,” a collaboration with singer Jill Scott and bassist Marcus Miller.

In 2005, the National Endowment for the Arts presented Mr. Brown with a Lifetime Heritage Fellowship Award. And in 2009, the District named a segment of Seventh Street NW “Chuck Brown Way”; it was a strip near the Howard Theatre where he used to shine shoes as a child.

He appeared in advertisements for the D.C. Lottery and The Post and became the city’s unofficial mascot, known for his extroverted warmth and willingness to flash his gold-toothed smile for any fan hoping to join him for a snapshot. An appearance on U Street NW outside Ben’s Chili Bowl could stop traffic.

“I really appreciate that I can’t go nowhere without people hollering at me,” Mr. Brown said in 2010. “I love being close to people.”

Mr. Brown also leaves behind a still-standing genre that, as he once told MTV, embodied the highest of human emotions.

“It’s about love, the communication between performer and audience,” Mr. Brown said of go-go. “When you’re on stage, the people put that love to you and you give it back. There’s no other music like it.”

Dale Hunter Steps Down as Capitals Coach

Washington Post:
Dale Hunter likes to say that he considers the Washington Capitals to be his team, no matter where his career takes him. But once again they will be his team from afar, following the announcement Monday that he will not come back to Washington for another season as coach.

Two days after the Capitals were eliminated from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Rangers, Hunter decided to return to his home, family and the junior hockey team he co-owns with his brother in London, Ontario, rather than extend his first coaching stint in the NHL.

“This was a tough decision,” Hunter said Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “It always is, but weighing both sides and going home to be with the family and running the family business outweighed it. I’d love to win the Stanley Cup coaching, but even if they win a Stanley Cup next year, I’ll feel a part of it. I’ll always feel a part of it here.”

While most of the players said they were taken aback by Hunter’s decision, star left wing and captain Alex Ovechkin was unfazed.

“Family is always in the first position. It’s his decision,” Ovechkin said. “It’s his decision, so we have to live with it.”

When Hunter was hired to replace Bruce Boudreau on Nov. 28, he agreed only to finish out the rest of the 2011-12 season and then “revisit” a longer tenure at the end of the year. Hunter made it clear he enjoyed six months behind an NHL bench guiding the Capitals to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals but the draw of going home and resuming his daily duties with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights and help with the family farm in Petrolia, Ontario, was significant.

Hunter wasn’t afraid to disrupt egos of players as he made decisions throughout his time with Washington, from benching veteran players to limiting the ice time of stars like Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. He demanded that every player fall in line to their roles, block shots and make the effort that he expected from them. It wasn’t always the smoothest ride as players voiced grievances throughout the regular season, but by the playoffs the uniformity within the group was evident in every game.

General Manager George McPhee was disappointed but admitted that the news wasn’t completely unexpected. McPhee added that Hunter will remain connected with the Capitals and plans to work with the scouting staffs at the entry draft in late June.

McPhee also said he will take his time finding Hunter’s replacement.

“I don’t know whether it will be by the draft or sometime in August, like New Jersey did,” he added. “We’re going to take our time and get the right person.”

RGIII Named Starter, Trademarks RGIII

WTOP:
Saying that Griffin has the ability to do things no one else has done in the NFL, coach Mike Shanahan wrapped up a rookie minicamp Sunday by putting RGIII squarely atop the depth chart.

"He's the starter. Period," Shanahan said.

Shanahan said Griffin will begin working with the first-teamers when the veterans reconvene for offseason workouts later this month. Fourth-round pick Kirk Cousins and last year's starter Rex Grossman will share snaps to sort out the second- and third-string spots.

Shanahan said the Redskins didn't go through all the trouble to get Griffin - trading three first-round picks and a second-rounder to the St. Louis Rams for the No. 2 overall spot - just to have him play backup. The coach said he made the decision even before the three-day minicamp.

"We're going to adjust our system to what he feels comfortable with," Shanahan said, "and we'll watch him grow and we'll do what we feel like he can do and what he does the best. ... One thing the NFL is not used to is a quarterback with his type of speed and his type of throwing ability, so I think we can do some things that people haven't done."

With his announcement, Shanahan managed something that's hard to do - overshadow Griffin himself. Sunday was the first chance for reporters to see Griffin practice in a Redskins uniform, an event that attracted some 60 members of the media to a 90-minute session consisting mostly of undrafted, unsigned players trying to earn a spot at training camp.

Griffin wore the familiar No. 10 that he wore at Baylor, with the moniker "Griffin III" on the back.

"It's been a while since we've been able to do football things," he said. "We've been doing combines and beauty pageants on pro days, so it's time to get to football."

Griffin referenced the challenges he might have as a rookie starting quarterback dealing with veterans. With his disarming smile, he said he even has extra pairs of his shoes, in case the vets want them.

"I can't come in flamboyantly, and I don't plan to," he said. "Come in and earn the guys' respect. Even if they say you've already got it, you've still got to go out and earn it."

According to Shanahan, Griffin was everything a coach could love during the five practices that made up the minicamp. The rookie had studied in advance and arrived with a rudimentary knowledge of the playbook.

"You can see what an incredible athlete he is," Shanahan said. "I was impressed because the first day we didn't have one bust with a formation or a play call, and I don't think I ever had that in any minicamp that I've been involved with."

Washington Post:
In the past few months, we’ve seen a Subway sandwich shop offer a Robert Griffin III sandwich, and a Cap Hill hot dog joint offer an RGIII dog. We’ve seen at least a half-dozen fan-created RGIII t-shirts, and we’ve seen a local ad agency change its name to the RG3 Agency.

This, mind you, before the kid has taken a single snap at the NFL level.

So it makes sense that Griffin, or his people, would be somewhat anxious to take control of this situation before the Redskins officially rename their franchise the RGIIIs.

And thus, this, from ChangeLegal:

Following his declaration for the NFL Draft, Griffin hired an attorney. Thereafter, he created his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC and submitted applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a total of four trademarks – RGIII, RG3, Robert Griffin III, and Unbelievably Believable. The first three trademark filings were made for “Shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, hats, caps, athletic uniforms.”

More information:
»Robert Griffin III Acrylic Painting by Van Monroe
»The Onion: Grossman Teaching RGIII Everything He Knows

Caps Look To Stave Off Rangers

Washington Post:
When they host the New York Rangers for Game 6 on Wednesday night, the Capitals will face the greatest challenge to their collective resiliency as they try to stave off elimination.

Washington trails the top-seeded Rangers three games to two in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, and a loss at Verizon Center would end the season. That finality is why the Capitals can’t afford to dwell on the mistakes in the final two minutes of Game 5 that allowed New York to force overtime and then claim a 3-2 overtime victory.

“I think everyone’s realizing that let’s just get it out of our heads now,” defenseman John Carlson said after a video session Tuesday. “Let’s just focus on what we need to focus on. That stuff happens. It’s no one’s fault. There’s no one to blame. As a team, it just didn’t bounce our way."

Trailing 3-2 in a best-of-seven series hasn’t been a fortunate scenario for the Capitals over the course of their history: They’ve advanced to the next round only two of the 11 times they have been in that situation.

Of those previous occurrences, Washington was eliminated in six games six times, eliminated in seven games three times and won in seven games twice. The two victories came in 2009 against the Rangers and in 1988 against the Philadelphia Flyers, when Dale Hunter, now the team’s coach, scored the series-clinching goal in overtime.

After playing 12 close games this spring, 11 of which were decided by one goal, the Capitals know they can give themselves an opportunity to win any contest and that they can bounce back from a loss. Washington hasn’t fallen in consecutive games since late March and is 3-0 after overtime losses in the playoffs. The most recent example came when the Capitals followed up a heartbreaking loss in triple overtime to New York with a tenacious showing in a 3-2 victory in Game 4.

Even rookie netminder Braden Holtby, who has faced elimination in the Stanley Cup playoffs just once — in Game 7 of the first round against Boston — has shown he can distance himself from a loss or poor outing immediately. Holtby has gone 28 NHL starts since November 2010 without consecutive losses.

In the playoffs Holtby is 5-0 with a .959 save percentage following a loss. That drive is why Hunter said he isn’t concerned about the 22-year-old’s ability to rebound.

“He’s a resilient kid and he’s a battler; he’s going to come out and battle again,” said Hunter, who dismissed the notion that there could be a carryover from the Game 5 loss.

“No, the guys are going to come out and battle,” he said. “That’s all you ask from your team, is to go out and battle. We win at home; that’s what we need to do.”

More information:
» Washington Examiner: 25 Best Capitals
» CSN: "To Make History, Caps Must Learn From It"