Hilfestellungen » of a devastating stroke and battling

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Phil Mickelson looks at himself differently these days. Sure, theres a bit of uncertainty in the grogginess of morning, when he wakes up wondering if that claret jug really belongs to him for a whole year. Then - yep - there it is, his name engraved on the silver chalice. For Lefty, its all gravy from this point on. He feels complete. "The British Open really changed some of my perception of myself as a player," Mickelson said Tuesday after a practice round at Oak Hill for the final major of the year, the PGA Championship. "Had I won another green jacket, that would not have done the same thing as what winning the claret jug has done." Mickelson is a little over two weeks removed from one of the greatest closing rounds in major championship history, a 5-under 66 at rock-hard Muirfield to claim golfs oldest crown. It was the leg of the career Grand Slam that always figured to elude him. His game was built for the target golf played in America, complete with an array of soaring drives and wondrous wedges. But, over four days along the Scottish coast, Mickelson showed he could grind it out better than anyone on a tabletop of a course, imagining shots that go against everything hes supposed to be about -- then pulling them off. "In my mind, it is an accomplishment in my career that makes me more of a complete player," he said. "To finally have won that and break through and play some of my best golf ever in my final round, that kind of changes the way I view myself and my game, more so than just a major championship that I had already won." Mickelson has already won the PGA Championship, back in 2005 at Baltusrol. Thats not to say he doesnt want to add a few more majors to a resume that already ensures hell be remembered as one of the games greatest players. Hes never been this confident about his chances. "Im more motivated than ever to work hard to succeed, because I can taste some of my best golf coming out," Mickelson said, his voice and demeanour just oozing confidence. "I can feel it." At 43, hes already a man in full, complete with five major championships. Only 11 golfers have won more. But dont get him wrong -- hes driven to complete a career Grand Slam, merely lacking a victory in the U.S. Open, where hes been the runner-up a record six times. "I feel as though I started to play my best golf in the last four, five, six months," he said. "I feel like Ive keyed in on two areas that Ive struggled with for years, which is putting and off the tee. I feel very confident in my ability to get the ball in play off the tee, and I feel very confident in my ability on the greens now. "Ive turned weaknesses into strengths," he went on, "and this serves me well in major championships. I feel like now the major championships are possibly the easiest ones for me to be in contention and maybe even win." At home in California, Mickelson had a practice facility built right in his yard, allowing him to work on shots when theres nothing on the line, no fans shouting his name. "I enjoy walking out after dinner and hitting some putts and hitting some chips and hitting some balls," he said. "I find it very calming and very serene being out there doing what Ive always loved to do." Hes still fending off the next generation, giving players who arent even half his age a lesson in how this profession is supposed to work -- on and off the course. If it means spending a good half-hour or more signing autographs after a practice round, as Mickelson did Tuesday for the throngs clamouring for a piece of him on a warm, sunny day at Oak Hill -- well, thats part of the game, too. "Hes a guy that Ive always looked up to, been a fan of," said 20-year-old Jordan Spieth. "I dont know anybody who is not a fan of Phil." Well, maybe one. When Tiger Woods was asked about their personal relationship, he danced around the question as much as possible before finally closing with a terse "its been a lot of fun." Mickelson was more gracious, conceding his record doesnt come close to matching Woods and those 14 major titles, marveling at his rivals remarkable consistency over a professional career thats approaching two decades. "Hes a great motivator for me. Hes helped me work hard," Mickelson said. "Hes helped me put forth the effort to try to compete at the highest level year in and year out, and Ive loved competing against him. Hes really brought the best out of me, especially when weve been paired together, and I hope that we are able to play together for many more years." Theyre certainly not going anywhere at the moment. While Woods is mired in the longest major drought of his career, hes won five times this year on the PGA Tour, is ranked No. 1 in the world, and is coming off a seven-shot victory at the Bridgestone. Mickelson is right behind him in the rankings, two exquisite players who have been the face of American golf for so long. "Im as motivated as ever to compete and to play and get the best golf out of me, to hopefully play against Tiger when hes playing his best," Lefty said. "That would ultimately be the goal -- I play as well as I can at the same time hes doing the same. "I would love that opportunity." Once again, TSN.ca will feature live streaming of the PGA Championship, beginning with Tiger Woods, Davis Love III and Keegan Bradley on Thursday at 8:30am et/5:30am pt. TSNs live coverage of the PGA Championship begins with first-round action on Thursday at 1pm et/10am pt. Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Justin Rose tee off at 1:45pm et/10:45am ptAdidas Nmd r2 Damske . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. Basketbalové Boty Adidas . Ashley Youngs cross was inadvertently headed by Chester into his own net in the 66th minute, allowing United to claim a third straight league win. "We had to dig deep with our fighting spirit and weve done that," United striker Wayne Rooney said. http://www.botynmdlevne.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Boty Nmd Levne . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Adidas Nmd r1 Damske Levne .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play.Former NFL head coach and influential defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan died Tuesday. He was 85.Ryan, who was outspoken and coached in the NFL for 26 seasons, was known for?building some of footballs top defenses with a relentlessness that focused on creating havoc on the field.He was many things to many people -- outstanding coach, mentor, fierce competitor, father figure, faithful friend and the list goes on, his son, Buffalo Bills?coach Rex Ryan, said Tuesday in a statement. But to me and my brothers Rob and Jim, he was so much more. He was everything you want in a dad -- tough when he had to be, compassionate when you didnt necessarily expect it, and a loving teacher and confidant who cherished his family. He truly was our hero.James Solano, Buddy Ryans agent, said he died in Kentucky, where he lived on a ranch in Shelbyville, but did not give a cause.?Funeral services are scheduled for Friday in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.I wonder who just lost their defensive-coordinating job in heaven, former?Chicago Bears?defensive tackle Steve?McMichael told ESPN on Tuesday.James David Ryan was a Korean War veteran who went to Oklahoma State, then got a masters degree from Middle Tennessee State even while coaching. He got his first major job in the pros in New York, then of the American Football League, in 1968. Ryan was the linebackers coach for the Joe Namath-led Jets, a boastful, confident team that fit his personality.Those Jets led the AFL in defense in his first season on staff, then shocked the Colts in the Super Bowl 16-7.Thats something my dad was very proud of, said Rex Ryan, who is entering his second season as the Bills head coach. When [former Jets coach Weeb] Ewbank hired him, he had to make a difference. If he felt he wasnt making a difference, then his career as a professional coach would be short.Buddy Ryans first job as a defensive coordinator came in 1976 with the Minnesota Vikings under Bud Grant, like Ewbank a Hall of Fame coach. He spent two years there before moving to the rival Bears, where he concocted the 46 defense that overwhelmed the league with its aggressiveness and unpredictability.With the Bears, Ryans renown skyrocketed. The 46 defense was founded on sending more blitzing players than an offense could block. And in 1984, the Bears tallied 72 sacks, a record that still stands. The 85 Bears capped their Super Bowl title with seven sacks.Ryans defenders, featuring such Hall of Famers as linebacker Mike Singletary and ends Dan Hampton and Richard Dent, came from all angles and were nearly impossible to budge on the ground -- not that teams had more success in the air, either.Some say the 46 is just an eight-man front, said Buddy Ryan, who named the scheme after safety Doug Plank, who wore that number. Thats like saying Marilyn Monroe is just a girl.Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a member of the 85 Bears, tweeted his condolences.Ryan and head coach Mike Ditka often feuded during that 15-1 85 season and Super Bowl run. They nearly slugged it out at halftime of Chicagos only defeat, at Miami on a Monday night in December. (Ryan later punched offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on national TV on Jan. 2, 1994, when both were assistant coaches with the Houston Oilers.)We won a Super Bowl together, and we would have never did it without each other, Ditka told SportsCenter on Tuesday. Buddy was far before his time, really. He did things defensively that people had no concept of. It took a long time for people to figure out what to do against his defense, not that they ever figured it out.What Buddy did was genius. He was way ahead of his time.At a meeting the night before the Bears beat New England in Super Bowl XX, Dent said a teary Ryan informed his players that he was leaving to coach in Philadelphia: You guys are going to be my champions. Lets kick some tail, Ryan said.Hampton then kicked a film projector out of defensive line coach Dale Haupts hands, and McMichael flung a chair across the room, its legs impaling a chalkboard.After the game, Ryan was carried offf the field next to Ditka.ddddddddddddHe was a hell of a coach. Period, Ditka said. And his players loved him. Theres not much more you can ask than that. I dont profess to be a hell of a coach, and I know what my players think about me, so he had one over on me, thats for sure.Said McMichael: People ask all the time, Why didnt you guys win another Super Bowl? Well, Buddy Ryan went to Philadelphia. Period. Doesnt anybody understand that? That was the first tooth being pulled out of the snarl.Such was the devotion that players felt for Ryan, who guided the Eagles to the playoffs in 1988, 89 and 90. But they lost all three playoff games, and he was fired after the 1990 season by Eagles owner Norman Braman despite a 43-35-1 record.Earlier that season, Ryan bragged that his Eagles would so badly beat up the Washington Redskins in a Monday night game that theyll have to be carted off in body bags. The Eagles defense scored three touchdowns in a 28-14 win and knocked nine Redskins, including two quarterbacks, out of the game.Its a tough, physical, rough game, said ESPNs Mike Golic, who played for Ryan with the Eagles. And Buddy epitomized that style of play more than any other coach I had at any level. ... He wanted the results, and he put you in position to make plays.You loved playing for him because he coached the way you wanted to play the game: attack mode. Attack, attack, attack. And if you dont think were attacking much now, just wait and were going to attack even more. Oh wait, you dont think were blitzing enough, were going to blitz more. Were going to hit you in the mouth. Were going to knock you down. Theyre going to have to carry you off the field. That was his mentality, and thats what you kind of absorbed as a player.A year earlier, Philadelphia routed the Dallas Cowboys 27-0 on Thanksgiving Day with hardly any holiday feelings in the air. Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas said Ryan put a $200 bounty on him, something Ryan laughed off as ridiculous.Buddy Ryan was arguably one of the greatest defensive masterminds in NFL history and forever left his mark on the Eagles organization and the city of Philadelphia, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.Arizona hired Ryan as head coach in 1994, and the Cardinals went 12-20 in his two years there. He never coached again, letting twin sons Rex and Rob carry on the family legacy.For Rob and me, weve had the great fortune of sharing the coaching profession that he was so proud of and cherished so much, Rex Ryan said. There is no way we can possibly begin to measure how much football we have learned from him over the years and we are forever thankful to him for instilling within us his unwavering love for the game of football.While today is a tough day for all of us in the Ryan family, we are consoled in knowing how much dad was loved by so many and the love he gave back in return. Though we will miss him dearly, we take comfort in knowing that his memory will live on through all of us.Buddy Ryan, suffering from the aftermath of a devastating stroke and battling cancer and confined to a wheelchair, attended a Bills game last season.He began his 33-year coaching career in 1961 as a defensive line coach with the University of Buffalo.Buddy Ryan was the architect of the greatest defense our league has seen, Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. He was brilliant when it came to the Xs and Os of the game, but what made him special was his ability to create an unwavering confidence in the players he coached. From the day he was hired in 1978, his defenses bought into more than the scheme, they bought into him and took on his personality.Buddy was brash, intelligent and tough. He was a perfect match for our city and team. ... He is one of the teams all-time greats. Our prayers are with his family.ESPN Staff Writers Mike Rodak, Jeff Dickerson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '