ERST LESEN! » ell prepared on both sides of the ball.Coach Dan Quin

RIO DE JANEIRO -- A week of Olympic golf that went well above expectations came to a fitting conclusion Sunday, as Justin Rose made the clutch shot in the end and lustily celebrated his winning birdie putt and the gold medal that comes with it.There wont be a seven-figure check or FedEx Cup points or ramifications for the Ryder Cup. There is no jug or jacket or strength-sapping trophy.But that gold medal will do just fine.As will being called an Olympic champion.It sounds absolutely incredible, said Rose, 36, who won the 2013 U.S. Open and will go to 10th in the world with his victory. I was on that last green just sort of pinching myself. I was thinking back to that quote that I had given about the Olympics all along.I hope my résumé one day will read: multiple major champion. But lets just call it major champion and Olympic gold medalist. Id be a very, very happy man.Who knew that golfers who earn millions and fly on private planes and stay in lavish accommodations and command huge appearance fees and can make a kings ransom for a corporate outing could get emotional over playing for a medal?That was the knock on golf, which has its four major championships every year, the games pinnacle. The Olympics were derided, considered not necessary. Perhaps in some ways that is correct; the majors remain the standard, and it will be a long time before the Olympics could be considered on the same level.But this always required taking a longer view. Looking at the big picture. Recognizing how this might impact golfers in non-golfing nations, how kids might be inspired to take up golf to purse Olympic glory. And maybe, giving back to the game in some way.Olympic golf found an unlikely ambassador in Bubba Watson, who couldnt have been happier for a guy who tied for eighth.Were so blessed, Watson said. When you look at these other countries, and these athletes that train for years, not just hours, years, and they got 30 seconds or they got a minute or they got under 10 seconds ...And I get to show up at Augusta every year from now on because I won [the Masters] there. So it is humbling, for sure. This is the greatest thing Ive ever done. Im so honored and pleased that they let me represent the U.S.Watson couldnt make the charge he needed, but Olympic golf turned out to be incredible, and a sun-splashed day on the Olympic Golf Course only added to the vibe. The grandstands were packed, fans lined the fairways waving flags, cheering and chanting throughout the final round.Rose, of Great Britain, shot 67. Stenson had 68. American Matt Kuchar rallied with a 63 to snag the bronze medal and briefly flirted with contention for the gold.It wasnt exactly the Duel in the Sun of four weeks ago at Royal Troon, when Stenson held off Phil Mickelson to win his first major championship and win the Claret Jug.And yet it was compelling just the same, the two major champions battling back and forth all day, surging out in front, tied coming to the par-5 18th, and Stenson finally blinking -- hitting an indifferent pitch shot that left him some 18 feet from the cup, Rose knocking his stiff to set up the winning birdie.I just said today that I had to out-Stenson Stenson, Rose said. I knew I wasnt going to get much from him at all. Obviously the bogey at the last only came because he had to force the putt in.But he is unbelievable. Hes relentless and a great player, and I cant wait to be on the same team as him in the Ryder Cup. Hes a great player and hes a great friend, and I just gave him a hug on the 18th green. Hes as gracious as ever.I just said to him, Great summer, winning The Open championship, I was so pleased for him. Theres a lot of players, majors come and go, guys win them. But almost when youre a professional golfer, very few guys are you really genuinely, genuinely happy for, and Henrik is one of them.Stenson, 40, was indeed gracious, commending Rose for the shot he hit on the 18th to set up the winning birdie. A final-round 68 is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but it undoubtedly will sting for a bit. He dearly wanted to win this tournament, add it to The Open title, and he came ever so close.He will undoubtedly look back on a summer in which he won The Open, contended at the PGA Championship and came to the final green with a shot at the gold medal, with a silver medal an excellent consolation.Of course, when youre in good position to try and win, you always kind of feel a little disappointed afterwards, said Stenson, who bogeyed the last when he ran his birdie putt well past the hole -- one he knew he needed to make to force a playoff. But at the same time, we said that all along in the Olympics, youve got some pretty good consolation prizes.I guess if you would have asked me before the week, I would have left here with a medal, I would have been pretty pleased and I managed to do that. Im quite happy. I didnt feel like I played my absolute best throughout the week, but I played good enough to put myself in contention and that was my goal.It is fitting that the medal-winners were all invested in the Olympics. Never did any of them express doubt or concern about competing, a common occurrence in the lead-up to the Games. There were 21 golfers who were eligible to compete in this tournament and passed up a spot, including the top four in the world: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.It was Spieths agonizing decision on the eve of The Open to not participate that created room for Kuchar, who just a week ago wasnt even aware of the format. But he admitted he was hoping players would withdraw, and he took advantage of what turned out to be a bronzed opportunity.I couldnt be more proud, said Kuchar, who narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 18th for a career-best 62. Its really hard to describe the feeling, the pride that I have, whether its in myself, whether its in my country. To come out to play an amazing round of golf and to know that it would take an amazing round of golf to medal, I couldnt be happier.Nobody, of course, walked away happier than Rose, who has had a frustrating year dealing with a back injury and had failed to win all season. Now he has the glow of an Olympic champion.How that impacts his legacy is a discussion for another day and might need more time to determine. But there is no denying that Rose wanted to be here, that competing with passion mattered to him, and he prevailed.Ive been so focused, really, to be honest with you, he said. Ive been so into it. Ive been so up for it. Ive just been so determined to represent Team GB as best as I could. And it was just the most magical week. Martell Webster Jersey . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. 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TAMPA, Fla. -- Mike Smith is headed back to Atlanta, this time as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.The ex-Falcons coach is excited about the trip, though not because hes facing his old team for the first time since being fired two seasons ago.The winningest coach in franchise history when he was let go in December 2014, Smith spent a year away from the NFL before joining one of his former Atlanta assistants, Dirk Koetter, in trying to transform the Bucs into playoff contenders.Koetter, in his first season as coach of the Bucs, and Smith, 66-46 in seven seasons with the Falcons, both reject the notion that returning to the Georgia Dome on Sunday will be special for any other reason than its the regular-season opener.The duo said so much has changed since they left that their familiarity with players remaining on the roster from the Smith regime is only a minimal advantage.Obviously for me and Mike, were both two years removed, so theres less and less guys that theyve kept, Koetter, who spent three seasons as Smiths offensive coordinator in Atlanta before moving into the same role with the Bucs in 2015, which means this weekend actually will be the third time hes gone against the Falcons since his departure.Theres some guys that are the same, but I think my emotional time with that is passed, Koetter added. We have to look at this as a football team. This is a divisional game on the road to open the season. ... Im just worried about what our team does.Smith led the Falcons to two NFC South titles and four playoff berths, including an appearance in the 2012 NFC championship game. He fell out of favor over his last two seasons in Atlanta, going 4-12 in 2013 and 6-10 in 2014.The 57-year-old jumped at the opportunity to join Koetter, who reached out to his old boss after Tampa Bay promoted him from offensive coordinator to first-time NFL head coach when Lovie Smith was fired after last season.The former coach sees a parallel in the challenge he faced in Atlanta, which drafted quarterback Matt Ryan in 2008, and the situation Koetter inherited with the Bucs, who have second-year quarterback Jameis Winston.This is a quarterback-driven league. Theres no doubt about it. And I think Jameis is an outstanding quarterback, Smith said Thursday. Hes got some great traits on the field, but hes also a great leader.And when you have that, I think it puts you a step ahead of the teams in the league. Werre all trying to have the best possible football team, and I think it starts with the quarterback position.dddddddddddd So I do see some similarities, definitely.Smith joked that hes had a lot of sleepless nights lately, preparing to face a Falcons offense led by Ryan, receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman.Theyre three really outstanding football players, and if they get going, they can make it be a long day for you. Weve had an opportunity to put in our preparation and now we have an opportunity to go in and play and see how we execute, said Smith, adding that the transition from head coach to defensive coordinator hasnt been as difficult as some might expect.I sleep better at night, thats the first thing. Its been enjoyable, Smith said. Its been refreshing to be a little bit more hands-on in a smaller group that youre dealing with. These guys have been great.Not only the players, but the coaches and our support staff. Its been fun to get back to just worry about Xs and Os and not having to worry about things outside of that.Like Smith and Koetter, the Falcons are playing down the significance of opening the season against familiar faces.Once youre out there playing -- and Im sure they would say the same thing -- youre competing. Its just like any other week, Ryan said. I know theyll be well coached. Thats probably the biggest thing going into it. I know theyll be well prepared on both sides of the ball.Coach Dan Quinn and defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux agreed that when the game begins, all that matters is how well the teams play.You always face former coaches and former teammates, week in and week out. Its the way the league is. Nobody ever really stays on the same team, Babineaux said.Im blessed to be here for 12 years now. But it really doesnt happen anymore these days, the tackle added. Ive got a lot of regard for Dirk and Smitty and what they did in the past here. I think theyre going to have a successful program over there.But Sunday is about the Atlanta Falcons. Theres a lot of new guys in this locker room who werent even here when they were here. So its really no rivalry. Its just a great divisional battle.---AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '