LITTLE ROCK — McFadden gets a hint from coach
One of Oakland Raiders running backs coach Tom Rathman's jobs is making sure rookie running back Darren McFadden of Arkansas doesn't fumble.
Rathman noticed something about McFadden's running style and relayed how to cut down on turnovers.
"I told him he's got to lock his elbow down," Rathman said. "A lot of times his elbow wasn't locked to the side, and obviously if you don't have that point, which is the most critical point in my opinion, as far as the four points of pressure, you're going to have some issues."
McFadden is attempting to break a habit.
"It's something you just got to get used to because I've been carrying the ball my way of carrying it forever," McFadden said. "Seems like 14, 15 years and now they add a different twist to it. It's somethingyou just have to get used to."
McFadden said the problem is "easily corrected" when he does what Rathman wants.
"I think the biggest problem is he didn't have proper ball leverage a lot of times," Rathman said. "He'd always carry it in his left hand.
You're going to eliminate a lot of [fumbles] by just properly carryingthe football - when it needs to be in my right hand, when it needs to be in my left hand. He'll be better from that aspect."
If coaches aren't on McFadden, teammates will test his ball security at every turn.
"They tell you you've got to run 40 yards down the field and you've got to keep the ball high and tight," McFadden said. "And even when you're coming back to the huddle you've still got to keep it locked up because the defensive player is still coming at you going back to the huddle." Surprise ace
The odds of making a hole in one on a par-4 hole are about a million to one, according to a 2004 story in Golf World magazine, but Jason Dumler, the head pro at Vista Ridge Golf Course in Denver, made one Thursday and he has the video toprove it.
Dumler was giving a tour to Denver television station CBS4 when they arrived at the 330-yard 17th hole.
Asked if there had ever been a hole in one on the 17th, he replied, "There has not been an ace on this hole, but the pin has been hit."
Dumler then teed off and as theball headed toward the green, the reporter began to get excited.
The group raced to the green and discovered the ball in the hole.
"I'm in shock," Dumler said after arriving on the green and picking his ball out of the hole.
Love match
Former tennis pro Anna Kournikova, who never won a singles title, is relaunching her official Web site.
The revamped www.
Kournikova.com includes Kournikova's blog, videos and photo galleries.
"I love communicating with my fans and I am looking forward to having a lot more personal interaction with them," said Kournikova, who won two Australian Open doubles titles with Martina Hingis.
Regular guy
Pro golfer Boo Weekly calls himself a redneck.
"People take redneck different ways," Weekly told Sports Illustrated. "To me, I'm just a country boy who likes to fish and hunt - so I'm a redneck. What you see is what you get. It might not be what you want, but it's what you get."Quote of the day
"I know we have horse
left. There is no question.
He's just shown up every step, every way. I just can't imagine him not showing up for the Belmont." Trainer Rick Dutrow, after Big Brown won Saturday's Preakness Stakes.
Sports, Pages 35 on 05/18/2008