Dear Cricket Monthly,My cricket helmet has lasted 25 years but currently sits in a puddle at short leg in the backyard. Its rarely been hit, and really offers only cosmetic protection, but will soon be unusable. The mistake? I gave it to my children, a pair of young cricket lovers who, despite knowing their Waughs from Star Wars, prefer it as an accessory in their lightsabre duels. Sadly, the force of putting things away is still to awaken.Watching the younglings play one day got me thinking about teaching sports watchers. Or, in our house, ensuring they stay on the light side of the passion-versus-dangerous-obsession spectrum. Because the discussions can get intense quite quickly here, both in the backyard and in front of the television. While its important for them to know Kylo Ren from Mitchell Johnson, at what point does the interest level need to be scaled back?See, we already talk in cricket initials and puns. What six-year-old walks into an international airport to see the customs sign for Australian Border Force and immediately thinks of Allan? When working out directions, we might discuss whether to go Marcus North or Tim Southee. After a shower, one of them is often Mitchell Starc-ers. Outside, my boy commentates himself as SPD Smith, and proudly tells me his school friends now copy the lightsabre-style backlift he interpreted from Australias captain.At this stage I hope were at the quirky end of fandom. And its not totally out of family character. I once tried to name a chook Greg Chappell (we didnt have any ducks) and a puppy Billy McDermott. Were not quite in the phase where a cricket cap is part of the pyjama uniform. But my boy does try to trick me with trivia and sometimes my girl joins in.What does the K stand for in MEK Hussey? Easy. How many did GS Chappell make in the second innings at Headingley in 1975? Seriously? Why is Muralis name spelt in different ways? Um, its cultural? Maybe the children are training me.T20 and Snapchat are banned in the house, but books and Tests are encouraged. Its why the players named are more often historical. My boys self-selected top-shelf reading is based around three cricket books and Lego Star Wars guides. Theres the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket 2009 - the year of his only Ashes tour, aged one - the Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1876-77 to 1977-78, and Richie Benauds 1981-82 Australian season guide. Wisden arrives in May or June and there is brief excitement, but its only a day or two before Cricinfo 2009 reappears beside his pillow.Scorecards are read for fun - and shared. Dad! BM Laird. Not out 3! RAL Massie - 16 WICKETS! Sometimes Im allowed to add context - like, your grandfather insists he was drunk that day at Lords, or Massie only played five more Tests. But mostly its about runs scored and wickets taken. At what age do we have the talk about Statsguru?Watching involves attempting to sit still but is no less exhausting than playing. This is where some parental training already appears beneficial, and particularly rewarding in the long term. Nobody asks whos winning anymore, or stands in front of the television before the final ball (it happened once, during a World Cup final). They know its okay to watch in silence and save their flood of questions for the ads. And now, sometimes, they even tell me to be quiet.But its not just about the enjoyment of spectating for my boy. A fun thing about watching cricket is seeing how people bat and bowl, he says promisingly, before adding that its also a pretty good way to find out a players weaknesses. So hes watching for statistics, strategy and technical disintegration. Are you Steve Waugh in disguise?Of course, its great for our family that theyre cricket fans. But should this level of interest be encouraged or discouraged? We went to watch Australia and New Zealand at the Gabba last year, a first attempt at a proper days spectating after the Australia-Bangladesh World Cup washout. They had been well briefed on the pace of the day, and that there would be no T20 Rocket Man. This was a practical lesson in watching cricket.My girl remembers it being too hot, sending her under the seat for some cool comfort, and later having her view blocked by a tall man. It was my first time watching a Test match and apart from those catastrophes it was a cool game and I had fun, she says. A little older than her brother, she knows about Lisa Sthalekars catch to seal the 2013 World Cup, and how Ellyse Perry chooses cricket mostly over football.I like to think they will select what they want to watch as sports followers. They also know names and numbers in cycling, football, surfing, golf and tennis. But in their upbringing, cricket has got a significant head start. My proudest moment as a sports-watching teacher was when they started asking how many Chris Rogers had made. Now hes gone and they are back to being excited by David Warner. Thats fine - theres a lot to be excited by - but they have an appreciation of a traditional Test batsman.Then I started fearing for them in the playground. Theres no classroom kudos in having Chris Rogers as your last line of argumentative defence. Maybe they better start looking after that rotting helmet.Yours faithfully, Peter English Patrick Marleau Jersey . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Bobby Baun Jersey . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. http://www.authenticmapleleafsshopnhl.com/wendel-clark-jersey/ . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Wendell Clark Jersey . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. Darryl Sittler Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. RIO DE JANEIRO -- For the fourth successive Olympiad, Team USA has beaten Spain in the knockout portion of the mens basketball tournament, booking a spot in the gold-medal game with a 82-76 victory in Friday afternoons semifinal.Heres our at-the-buzzer analysis from press row at the Carioca Arena 1:How it happened: Triple digits.Wilt Chamberlains stratosphere.One hundred points.That was the offensive target whispered within Team USAs ranks on the eve of this much-anticipated showdown with those familiar, stubborn foils from Spain.The coaching staff was privately convinced that the Americans had to at hit least 100, as they did in the gold-medal games in both Beijing and London, to ensure victory and seal an opportunity to send Mike Krzyzewski off with one more gold in his swan song on the Team USA bench.You can thus imagine how giddy Krzyzewski and his staff were that this group found another way -- several other ways, actually -- to get past the reigning European champions with Spain controlling tempo and keeping the score way down in the usual tense circumstances.DeAndre Jordan started opposite Pau Gasol and had the impact game of his life, proving an undeniable force inside with 16 rebounds, four blocks and numerous changed shots while logging 27 crucial minutes of a 40-minute game because of DeMarcus Cousins foul trouble. Klay Thompson had the hot hand offensively with a team-high 22 points. And Kyle Lowry chipped in with very solid backcourt play off the bench (nine points in 15 minutes) to help the offense when it sputtered.?And Team USA needed it all of it.The tournaments heavy favorites never led by more than 15 points and, truth be told, rode their 20 offensive boards and a 52-41 overall rebounding advantage -- with Jordan as the clear spark -- as much anything to finally put the Spaniards away.?Playing on a strained right calf, Gasol led Spain with 23 points and eight rebounds of his own but simply didnt have enough help to counter the Americans size and athleticism with brother Marc stuck at home as he continues his recovery from foot surgery.?Juan Carlos Navarro, at 36, had a handful of turn-back-the-clock moments at Gasols side, but Team USAs safe passage to Sundays championship game was essentially sealed with 2:16 to go, when one of the newest Philadelphia 76ers -- Sergio Rodriguez -- had a layup nullified for pushing off on Jordan when a 3-point play could have cut Spains deficit to six.Given the stakes as well as the level of the competition, Team USA got off to what surely ranks as its best start of the tournament, seizing a 26-17 lead by the end of the first quarter.The problem:?Kevin Durant?picked up his second foul with 15.3 ticks left in the period, with his third soon to follow on one of the six first-half techs dished?out by this painfully whistle-happy FIBA officiating crew.That the lead was still six points at intermission, at 45-39, was mostly down to Thompsons first-half brilliance (17 points) and the teams 13 offensive boards, creating extra scoring chances against Spains stingy D.Were dealing with talent vs. experience, Team USAs Paul George said coming in. Thats what this tournament is coming down to.Yet thats what made the victory so satisfying for Krzyzewski & Co. Amid all that reliance on its talent, Team USA unearthed some well-timed resourcefulness to go with it to trump Spains copious continuity and chemistry.The streak: Make it 75 wins in a row and counting for Krzyzewski. That includes 23 consecutive victories in Olympic pllay, 19 in FIBA World Cup tournaments, 10 in Olympic qualifiers and another 23 in exhibition games.dddddddddddd The Americans previously tasted defeat in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship against Greece, then launched this streak on Sept. 2, 2006, with a 96-81 victory over Argentina in the bronze-medal game in Japan.Play of the game: We have to glue two plays together here, with Kyrie Irving and Jordan heavily involved in both, to properly capture the moment.Irvings lob attempt to Jordan started the bizarre sequence. The pass was too high even for Jordans reach, but the most athletic big man in the tournament managed to bat the pass against the backboard in a fashion that Irving could corral an offensive rebound and score for a 59-50 lead.After a stop, Irving went into one of his inimitable dribbling routines along the left wing, spinning poor Sergio Llull into total confusion before skipping along the baseline and finding Thompson with a pass in the opposite corner.Thompson missed an off-balance 3, but Jordan emphatically slammed the ball home with a one-handed righty follow for a 61-50 lead, Team USAs biggest to that point.(Honorable mention:?Carmelo Anthonys?flying rejection of a Ricky Rubio drive early in the second half was a play out of Jordans locker far more than Melos.)Numbers game: Team USA is now 12-0 against Spain in the Olympics, its most wins against any one nation.Durant needed only seven points to become the second-leading scoring is U.S. Olympic history behind Anthony and was thus a lock to get there, having scored in double digits in all 14 of his previous games in the Olympics.But he was slowed by foul trouble after a fast start and had to settle for 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting, though that meant Durant was still able to give the USA Basketball scoring leaderboard yet another good shuffle:If the Americans win Sundays gold-medal game, theyll stretch the programs current winning streak to a record 76 games including exhibitions, besting the 75 wins in a row Team USA record starting with the Dream Team in 1992 until a loss to Argentina in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis.Whats next: For the 16th time in its 18 appearances in the mens Olympic basketball tournament, Team USA is in the title game.The Americans will play Serbia in a rematch of the 2014 FIBA World Cup final in Spain after the Serbs, as the underdogs in Vegas, drubbed Australia, reversing a 15-point loss to the Aussies in group play in an 87-61 rout.The Aussies, of course, were the first team here in Rio to expose the United States vulnerabilities in a 98-88 defeat on Aug. 10. And now theyll have to beat Spain in Sunday mornings third-place game to win the first mens basketball medal in the countrys history after reaching the semifinals three times previously (1988, 1996 and 2000) and losing the bronze-medal game each time.The Aussies are trying to win their first Olympic? medal in basketball, having reached the semifinals three times previously (1988, 1996 and 2000) and losing the bronze-medal game each time.I will say this is the best chance we have of medaling, Australian legend Andrew Gaze told ESPN.com, stopping short of calling this the Boomers strongest-ever squad. Gaze made five trips to the Olympics, three of them after NBA pros were granted eligibility to participate starting with the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Discount NFL Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys 2019 NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '