ERST LESEN! » tasy. Because of video games. Beca

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- They were always close as friends. They used to be just as close as golfers.Russell Knox and Duncan Stewart grew up 30 miles apart in the Scottish Highlands and spent four years as teammates at Jacksonville University. Their careers went in wildly different directions since they last played in the same tournament at the Atlantic Sun Conference championship.That was more than nine years ago.Neither could have imagined the circumstances for such a dream reunion.Knox is No. 18 in the world, the winner of a World Golf Championship and a sympathetic figure this summer for being left off the Ryder Cup team.Stewart, who worked in a slaughterhouse and drove a delivery van to help pay the bills, took out a bank loan to give his golf career one last shot, and he made it pay off. He won a Challenge Tour event in Spain on a sponsors exemption in April, moved up nearly 1,000 spots in the world ranking to No. 315 and finally earned a European Tour card.Knox never forgot his friend.As the highest-ranked player in Scotland, Knox was allowed to pick his partner for the World Cup next week at Kingston Heath in Australia, provided his teammate was among the top 500 in the world. He picked Stewart.It was a surprising choice for some because three other Scots are ranked ahead of Stewart.It was an easy choice for Knox.Were going to talk about this forever, the rest of our lives, Knox said. Were going to have the best time. Its going to be epic.Knox first raised the prospect in May, and Stewart figured he was joking. But after Knox won his second PGA Tour title at the Travelers Championship, he sent Stewart a text asking him his plans the week of the World Cup.The last thing he said was, `Lets go win this, Stewart said.Paul Lawrie was among the first to raise questions about the pick, saying on Twitter, Is Duncan Stewart the second highest-ranked Scot? The former British Open champion believes the two best players available should have represented Scotland. Then again, only Knox and Martin Laird have earned more ranking points than Stewart this year.Besides, the World Cup is as much about team as simply two players from the same country.Ever since I picked Duncan, hes only played awesome, Knox said. He was better than I was in college. Our paths have gone in slightly different directions. It could have easily been the other way around. If the roles were reversed, he would have picked me.Knox used a recruiting company to help find a college in the U.S., and while Jacksonville was not a golf powerhouse, the weather there was a wee bit better than in Inverness. His late coach, Mike Fleming, was looking to fill out Jacksonvilles roster and Knox mentioned his friend from home.Knox had a slightly better scoring average over their four years. Stewart won more tournaments and was the Atlantic Sun player of the year as a sophomore. Stewart made more birdies. Knox was more consistent. They even worked at the same country club in the cart barn to pocket spare cash for the mini-tours when they graduated.Thats when it changed.Knox has joint citizenship (his father is American) and had a stronger financial backing. Stewart said he would stay until he could no longer afford it, and the money ran out about the time the engine blew up in his $600 car. He headed home to Scotland where he could stay with his parents and pay less in entry fees to small tournaments.If he would have stayed, I know he would have made it to the tour, Knox said.Stewart took a hard road. He played the EuroPro Tour, one year missing his Challenge Tour card by 300 pounds. He tried to change his swing to get more distance and figures that cost him two years. He took whatever jobs he could find and stopped playing for eight months out of frustration.Knox, meanwhile, made his way onto the Web.com Tour as a Monday qualifier, won a tournament, graduated to the PGA Tour and steadily improved each year until he broke through in a big way by winning the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.It was fantastic to see on the one hand, Stewart said. And it motivated me on the other.Stewart worked harder than ever, and then decided to take out the bank loan to give himself a proper chance. He missed his Challenge Tour card by one spot on the money list but saw enough progress to keep going. He started this year with no status on the Challenge Tour and wound up with his European Tour card.If you had told me at the start of the year I would finish 10th on the Challenge Tour and play in the World Cup with Russell, I would have laughed, he said. Were both really excited.Kanken Bag Sale UK . -- The goal posts lying flat on the field, Arizonas fans lingered on the field, congregating around the locker room entrance nearly 30 minutes after rushing out of the stands. Kanken Backpack Cheap UK . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. http://www.kankenbackpacksaleuk.com/ . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Fjallraven Kanken Big Backpack Yellow . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Kanken Classic Backpack Sale UK . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said.On the second Tuesday of July, the stars will sparkle in the San Diego sky. But enough about astronomy. Its the stars sparkling below, on the glimmering grass of Petco Park, that were here to talk about.If the All-Star Game is a time to celebrate star power, lets just come out and say it. You know where you find the brightest stars and the most star-studded franchises in baseball at the moment?In the National League, ladies and gentlemen. The NL has finally won baseballs star wars.Think about it. All of a sudden, its the NL thats the league of marquee franchises and must-see rivalries. Its the league of fire-breathing aces. Its the league of Buster Posey and Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant and Andrew McCutchen, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner.Its true -- 100 percent true. And well begin proving it in a moment. But first, ask yourself this: When was the last time you could say that?Not 10 years ago. Not 20 years ago. Not 30 years ago. Were talking the 1970s, friends. The days of Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan in Cincinnati. Of Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Greg Luzinski in Philly. Of Willie Stargell and Dave Parker in Pittsburgh. Of Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Davey Lopes in L.A.And how long ago was that? Jimmy Carter was president. The Village People had just released Y.M.C.A. And CC Sabathia and Kim Kardashian had yet to make their debuts on planet Earth. So were talking about 97 lifetimes ago.Then, of course, the American League took over. From 1983 to 2013, the AL won 21 of 30 All-Star Games (not counting that infamous tie in Milwaukee) and 18 of 30 World Series. Curses were shattered in Boston and on the South Side of Chicago. And the Yankees spent about $4 billion to buy every star who changed planes at LaGuardia.But however long the ALs reign of stars lasted, can we agree that its over? At least for now?Im an American League guy at heart, said one longtime executive who has worked in both leagues. But the National League has the better teams right now. And I dont think Im going out on a limb to say the better players are in the National League right now.So how do we measure star power? Dont bother looking at wins above replacement or expected fielding-independent pitching (xFIP). The metrics that tell us most about this shift in the balance of star power are fascinating little trends like this:Jersey sales: Of MLBs top 10 most popular jerseys during the first half of this season, eight belonged to NL players. The only exceptions: Mike Trout and David Ortiz. Thats not a fluke.Attendance: Want to look at road attendance? Six of the top seven attractions, as measured by average per game, are NL teams. (The only exception? Those Boston Red Sox.) Want to look at home attendance? Three teams in baseball average 40,000 or more per game. Theyre all NL teams (Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants). Only three average under 20,000. Theyre all AL teams (Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics).TV attractions: Our friends in sports marketing tell us there is no better measure of star power than which teams are shown on national TV the most. So what does it say that, on ESPNs Sunday Night Baseball -- the one true national game of the week -- the past 10 weeks in a row have featured NL matchups? And in the first half, there were more than twice as many appearances by NL teams (23, by 10 different teams) as by AL teams (11, by five different clubs)? Sounds like a trend!Head-to-head: New York, Chicago, the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles are the only four metropolitan areas in which you can find NL teams and AL teams playing in the same market. In all four of those markets, its the NL team that is now dominating TVs. And yes, that means even in New York. As of mid-June, the Mets were out-rating the Yankees by 33 percent, according to the New York Daily News. Amazin.I could keep beating on this timpani, but you get the idea. The balance of star power in this sport has shifted. Dramatically.Just about all the young stars in major markets are in the National League, said Bill Sutton, one of Americas pre-eminent sports-marketing minds, and the director of the Sports and Entertainment Management MBA program at the University of South Florida. L.A., Chicago, New York. The young stars on those teams are fun to watch, fun to watch interview and fun to watch make commercials. What young stars do the Yankees have? Who do the White Sox have? Who do the Angels have except Mike Trout? They dont have nearly the young stars that the Mets, Cubs and Dodgers have.So what are the forces at work that have led to this fascinating new installment in the Baseball Star Wars saga? Lets take a look.Mound controlHeres a homework assignment for you. Make a quick list of the 10 most dominating, charismatic, must-see starting pitchers in baseball. How many of them currently work in the NL? Seven? Eight? Nine? Sadly, way too many of those guys -- Kershaw, MadBum,?Noah Syndergaard, Stephen Strasburg -- wont be able to pitch in this All-Star Game. Nevertheless, its not even worth debating which league has cornered the aces market.We were talking the other day, said another exec who has worked in both leagues, about the difference between playing in the one-game [wild-card] playoff in the American League this year versus the National League. Take all the teams in the playoff race in the National League. They all have that guy youd never want to face in a one-game playoff: [Jake] Arrieta, Bumgarner, [Max] Scherzer, Kershaw, Jose Fernandez, Carlos Martinez, Syndergaard, Gerrit Cole.Every single team has that kind of guy, who might throw a shutout in that game. Then think about the American League. Outside of [Corey] Kluber when hes on, [Chris] Sale might come the closest. But none of the other teams has a guy like that. Its incredible the difference.And if youre going to corner the market on stars at one position, isnt starting pitcher that position? On the night these aces pitch, theyre the closest thing that baseball has to a Steph Curry, a LeBron James, a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers. They hold the game in their hands. The outcome revolves around them. And when theyre great, theyre the biggest story in their sport for those three hours.Its something to think about as you watch the All-Star Game. Has the difference in ace star power ever been larger?The color of moneyMy dad always told me that the way to answer just about every question is this: Follow the money. And once again, its excelllent advice for charting the shift in this tide.ddddddddddddFor most of those years [of AL domination], it seemed like the American League pretty much inflicted its will monetarily, said one of the execs quoted earlier. The Yankees and Red Sox were like behemoths with money. And the American League became the league of the big, big spenders and the highest payrolls.You wont be shocked to learn that the Yankees had the highest payroll in baseball for 16 consecutive seasons, from 1998 through 2013. From 2001 to 2010, the Yankees and Red Sox ranked 1-2 seven times in 10 years. As recently as 2006, only one NL team (the Mets, at $101 million) had a payroll higher than $98 million -- at a time when the Yankees were at $195 million and the Red Sox were at $120 million.But now, as you look at the economics, said Atlanta Braves president of baseball operations John Hart, the game is a lot different. More clubs have more money, more access to big television deals, more dollars from new stadiums. So more clubs have more access to the [free-agent] market. They see the right guy out there at the right time, and boom, they go get him.I think were seeing a combination of factors that werent there in the 90s and the early 2000s, Hart continued. But theres been a change in the financial giants of our game. Im not saying the Yankees are not still one of them. Theyre still formidable. And obviously, the Red Sox are still formidable. But more clubs can do it. The mindset has changed. When a big free agent hits the market, does he expect the Yankees to be the only player or the biggest player? I dont think so.Feel a draft?So what do the Nationals, Cubs and Giants -- the NLs three first-place teams at the break -- have in common? One of the executives quoted above thinks you can sum it up in two words: the draft.The Nationals were really bad for a while, and now theyre good, the exec said. The Cubs were really bad for a while, and now theyre good. The Giants were bad for a few years, and now theyre good. I dont think you see those swoons in the American League. You see more rebuilds in the National League.And as ugly as those rebuilds can get while theyre unfolding, the rewards are obvious. The Nationals got to pick first in back-to-back drafts, in 2009 and 2010, and howd that work out? Well, their timing was excellent -- they now have Strasburg and Harper to show for it (plus Anthony Rendon, who was the sixth pick in 2011).The Cubs never got bad enough to scarf up the No. 1 pick. But how about this four-year run: Javier Baez at No. 9 in 2011, Albert Almora at No. 6 in 2012, Kris Bryant at No. 2 in 2013 and Kyle Schwarber at No. 4 in 2014? Thatll work.The Giants didnt fall as far as those two teams. But do you think its safe to say they did OK with Bumgarner as the 10th pick in 2007 and Posey as the fifth pick in 2008? Uhhh, yep!Then there are the Pirates, who hit on Pedro Alvarez at No. 2 in 2008, Jameson Taillon at No. 2 in 2010 and Cole at No. 1 in 2011. Not to mention Neil Walker and McCutchen, both at No. 11, in 2004 and 2005, respectively.Thats really when this started to change, is four, five, six years ago, when you look at the drafts that some of these teams had, Hart said. The National League has really had its share of clubs that drafted extremely well and hit on the right players. And now, with this new system, its not just that you pick in the top three or four. Youre also going to have the money that goes with those picks.Its safe to say the Braves, Reds, Phillies, Brewers and Padres have noticed, since theyre now in the major rebuild phase themselves. High picks and more dollars: Its a formula that works. And the NL has the glamour teams -- and the stars -- to prove it.Market watchWe live in an age when the star-making machinery no longer consists of bats, baseballs and a ballgame on TV. More than ever, stars arent just made on the field. Theyre also manufactured off the field, with commercials, with appearances, with social media, with marketing. And at the moment, NL teams seem to be winning that game, too.In the front offices of the National League, I would definitely tell you that they have understood the marketability of star players, said Sutton, whose life revolves around studying these trends. And done it. And maximized it. And created personas. ... Its almost NBA-like.He salutes the Giants, who have done it longer and better than anybody. And these days, he especially admires the Mets, who have seized on the opportunity to turn their young starting pitchers into superheroes at every turn.Youve got teams that are really doing smart things, Sutton said. Im watching Syndergaard in New York. And Im watching Coca Cola. And Im watching Muscle Milk. And Im watching all these people saying, Hey, this is the guy. Lets get behind this guy. Have you seen him walking the streets of New York dressed up like Thor? I mean, theyre just really playing this stuff to the max. Its incredible.Now, none of this means the National League is about to go on a run and win eight of the next 10 World Series, or 15 of the next 20 All-Star Games. But remember, we live in an age in which star power has never meant more than it does right now. So get used to seeing these guys -- Syndergaard and Kershaw, Harper and Posey, McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton -- everywhere you look. Theyre not going away.I think this is the way its going to be, Sutton said. Because of fantasy. Because of video games. Because of coverage, and the emphasis on superstars and stars, people are going to be more star-driven than theyve ever been. Youre still going to love your team. But youre going to make room in your heart for superstars on other teams, who you root for and admire. Because youve seen them and read about them, and we soundbite you to death and video-bite you to death, we make it easier for stars to emerge.So when the spotlights gleam down on the stars who take the field at Petco Park on this magical Tuesday night, take note of which of those magnetic players youre drawn to -- and think about which league they play for. It shouldnt be long before its totally clear which league has taken control of baseballs star wars.Im not saying the American League doesnt have great players, said Hart. Just, the balance has swung. Look at the clubs with the most impactful kind of players. Its swung to the National League. ' ' '