anfred also appreciated the segment of fans who are attached to Chief Wahoo, which still appears on some of the Indians caps and sleeves of game jerseys.The Indians dropped Chief Wahoo as their primary logo three years ago, replacing it with a block C, but that isnt enough for some groups who want it

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The night began with Carmelo Anthony?--?while all 11 of his teammates were still on the floor finishing their pregame warm-ups -- sitting alone on the Team USA bench with his arms stretched widely and casually. Custom Joe DiMaggio Jersey .The night was winding down when Anthony leapt off that bench before anyone else in red, white and blue and headed straight for DeMarcus Cousins, determined to console Cousins, who had just fouled out.Im not really a hugger, Melo confessed afterward.But on this occasion?Sometimes you just gotta give [Cousins] a hug, man, and tell him everythings gonna be all right.Thats Anthony. He always believes its going to work out.Yes: Even with the Knicks.Hes a Hall of Fame optimist.Hes an uncertain hugger but definitely not a worrier. Hes not going to sweat a slow start against Venezuela at the Olympics, hes not going to fret about the foul trouble Cousins and DeAndre Jordan endured against the Venezuelans and presume that even bigger problems on that front loom Wednesday night against Australia, and hes most certainly not going to listen to the naysayers who say hes a better player in FIBA competitions than the NBA.I havent heard that one, Melo said.And thats, of course, because hes not listening to the judgy pundits whove been batting that one around for the past five or six years.Hed prefer to listen to peers such as Team USA point guard Kyrie Irving, who asserted the other day that an NBA championship and a gold medal are pretty much the same.I believe so, Anthony said in support of Irvings proclamation, insisting he finds tremendous satisfaction in his status as the only four-time Olympian in U.S. mens basketball history ... with a record third gold medal now just six wins away.I believe so.It obviously behooves Anthony to take that stance, with no championship in sight back home for Melo and his beloved New York Knickerbockers. Yet he seems so at peace these days in this incarnation as Team USAs elder statesman, in addition to his leading role in the world of athlete-driven social activism, that you tend to believe three gold medals will be enough for him if thats how it plays out.If theres ultimately no NBA ring in his future.I enjoy it, I enjoy it, Anthony told ESPNs Hannah Storm in a SportsCenter interview that aired this week, explaining the pull of representing his country for a fourth time when three big names from what he calls our brotherhood -- LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade -- either passed on the chance to do the same or (in CP3s case) were sidelined by injury.I like it. I enjoy learning about different players personalities, not just as basketball players, but as people. I feel like Im that bridge, that gap, between the veterans and the young guys.Me and Draymond [Green] instantly clicked, Anthony said, because its like we just sit back and we just talk trash all day. ... This whole team, man. ... [On] the first day, we put together a group text, and its like nonstop trash-talking. I know people wish they could see these group texts, these team chats.On this night, folks had to settle for seeing Melo, as Team USAs older leader, stepping up in the second quarter when little else was working. The Americans finally stopped fouling Venezuela in that quarter and watched happily as Melo scored 10 of his 14 points in the period to restore some much-needed order.Really what changed this game was the steal by Melo, Team USAs Paul George said after finishing with a team-high 20 points. Kyrie?came down and kicked it out for a 3. That really ignited us on the bench. That ignited Melo, it ignited that group out there on the court. That was really the turn of events in this game.Not that Anthony was terribly impressed with himself. He has now played in 25 of these Olympic basketball games, more than any other American man, and he just passed Michael Jordan to become the United States third all-time leading scorer in the Olympics -- but predictably, he wasnt aware of the milestones until a reporter informed him postgame.I never even knew that, Anthony said.Why would he?Tuning out the noise and wanting what youve got, Sheryl Crow-style, is working well for a thirtysomething whose NBA legacy remains a matter of fierce debate but whos destined to go down as one of the most versatile and impactful players in the history of the international game.Its all basketball, Melo said. Its all the game of basketball.Perhaps we should be listening more to him. Joe Torre Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Jorge Posada Jersey Large .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/custo...large-684i.html . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. CLEVELAND -- Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is hopeful an agreement on a new labor contract will be reached before the current deal expires Dec. 1.Negotiators for management and the players association have been meeting in New York this week. The 2006 contract was announced during the World Series and the 2011 agreement on Nov. 22.There are certain natural deadlines that kind of flow around the end of the World Series and then through the expiration date of the agreement, Manfred said Wednesday before Game 2 between the?Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. Each of the last couple of times, weve either gotten it done during the World Series or a few days afterwards. I remain optimistic that were going to be in that same window in terms of getting it done.Primary issues include luxury tax thresholds, managements desire for a draft of international amateur players, changes in schedule rules to ease travel and international play, such as regular-season games in London. Baseball has not had a work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike that led to the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years.Manfred was managements primary negotiator for the past three labor deals, then he succeeded Bud Selig as commissioner in January 2015. Former All-Star first baseman Tony Clark is leading players in talks for the first time; he took over as union head following the death of Michael Weiner in November 2013.Manfred said that whether an agreement is reached during this years Series depends on how long the World Series goes.On other topics:RatingsClevelands 6-0 win over Chicago?on Tuesday night drew the highest rating on Fox for a Series opener since 2009. Viewers are intrigued by the Cubs quest for their first title since 1908; the Indians have not won since 1948.An average of 19.4 million viewers watched on Fox, up 30 percent from the 14.9 million average for the?Kansas City Royals 14-inning Game 1 win over the New York Mets last season.We define our postseason challenge as finding narratives that takes our tremendous seasonlong, local audiences and draws them into the postseason, even if their team is not there in the postseason, Manfred said. I think that the narrative surrounding 68 years in Cleveland and 108 years in Chicago is exactly the recipe that we need to take that tremendous local fan interest that goes oon all season long and draws it into the postseason. Casey Stengel Jersey. And the rating last night was a first indication that that narrative is going to be powerful.Olympics/World Baseball ClassicIt is imperative that our sport continue to develop a broader international footprint, Manfred said. It is the way that the media landscape is going to evolve; attracting international audiences is going to be absolutely crucial. I think its an area where we need to continue to focus. Our players need to be prepared to go to different countries and play, because I think its crucial to building the popularity of the game in other countries.The next World Baseball Classic is scheduled for March.Given the difficulties associated with playing major league players in the Olympics, I think its important for baseball to continue to have a premier international event. We need to work hard to make sure that the WBC is that event, he said.Indians logoManfred plans to meet with Indians owner Paul Dolan following the Series to discuss the teams continued use of the controversial Chief Wahoo logo. The smiling, red-faced symbol has stirred strong opinions for years. Manfred said he understands that particular logo is offensive to some people, and all of us at Major League Baseball understand why.Manfred also appreciated the segment of fans who are attached to Chief Wahoo, which still appears on some of the Indians caps and sleeves of game jerseys.The Indians dropped Chief Wahoo as their primary logo three years ago, replacing it with a block C, but that isnt enough for some groups who want it abolished completely.Manfred said he and Dolan agreed to put off discussion until after the Series.Oakland and Tampa ballparksI think both Tampa and Oakland are major league markets, and we need major league-quality facilities in those two markets, Manfred said.The St. Petersburg City Council voted in January to give the?Rays?permission to search for new ballpark sites on both sides of Tampa Bay. The teams current lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2027.I dont see me in a position of making an immediate timetable or putting a timetable out there immediately, because were far enough away from the end of the lease, Manfred said. ' ' '