ABCDE PRO FOOTBALL


‘Assassin’ dies at 61 Jack Tatum’s hits earned him the nickname and paralyzed a player; He had a heart attack. Obits, B5


HOCKEY Going old school


The Caps will dust off a vintage look for theWinter Classic. D6


Safety first: Strasburg sits one out


SPORTS “


wednesday, july 28, 2010 BLOGS, MULTIMEDIA AND CHATS washingtonpost.com/sports


First Things First Today, 9:30 a.m. In Tracee Hamilton’s early Q&A, feel free to ask about a certain pitcher. Redskins Insider Check out the last four of the top 10 story lines as the start of training camp nears. Sports Waves ESPN’s Pam Ward is eager to call NFL games, which would make her the first woman to do so.


PRO BASKETBALL


Mystics lose ground Connecticut moves within a half-game of Washington, which is dangerously close to sliding to fourth in the Eastern Conference. D3


I know he’ll be successful, not only at the next level of football, but in life he’ll be successful, too.” — Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen, on Torrey Smith, who may graduate early. D2


D S


JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST Instead of facing the Braves, Stephen Strasburg had an MRI exam and X-ray that provided good results. “This is something, given a couple days rest, he should be better,” General Manager Mike Rizzo said.


RIZZO MAKES DECISION AS PRECAUTION Nats pitcher struggled to loosen up his arm during warmup


by Adam Kilgore Washington changes plans, but gets expected result


Miguel Batista, above, enters to boos, since he stepped in for Stephen Strasburg, and leaves to applause for helping the Nationals shut out the Braves. Story, D5


D.C. United faces multiple problems


On-field performances, stall in new stadium search thwart once-successful team


by Steven Goff


If wins and losses were the only issues confronting D.C. United, 2010 might not seem so bleak for MLS’s most decorated club. After all, something as common as a three-game winning streak would thrust the club into the playoff chase. But the organization’s problems run much deeper than a league-low 12 points from a 3-11-3 record, its 2-6-1 home mark and its measly 12 goals. Home attendance for regular season


matches is down 7.1 percent to 14,949, which is threatening the club’s all-time low of 15,262 in the inaugural 1996 cam- paign. While most other MLS teams have moved into new stadiums (and, conse- quently, boosted game-day revenue), the promise of a new stadium in the Wash- ington area remains unfulfilled, leaving United at antiquated RFK Stadium. Team owner Will Chang, based in San


united continued on D6 MLS All-Star Game


Who: MLS All-Stars vs. Manchester United When: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN2, Galavision. More inside: Rosters, game preview on D6.


First, the initial steps of their night- mare scenario unfolded. On Tuesday night, Stephen Strasburg played long toss in right field, his typical warmup. He moved into the bullpen and threw maybe five pitches, grimacing after at least one. Then the Washington Nation- als scratched Strasburg from his start against the Atlanta Braves after the pitcher had “trouble getting loose in the bullpen,” General Manager Mike Rizzo said.


Next came the relief. The Nationals consider Strasburg day-


to-day after a body of medical tests re- vealed right shoulder inflammation and soreness but no structural damage, Riz- zo said. An X-ray came back negative, and an MRI exam taken before the game ended showed no changes from the MRI the Nationals performed on Strasburg immediately after the signed him last summer — no damage to his labrum or rotator cuff. “That’s good news,” Rizzo said. “You always like the positive news that the


caution that you showed was worth- while. This is something, given a couple a days rest, he should be better.” The Nationals are not planning for


Strasburg to visit any more doctors or undergo any more tests. He will take a regimen of anti-inflammatory medicine, and the Nationals will gauge Strasburg’s condition Wednesday before determin- ing their next course of action. They have not ruled out Strasburg making his next start as scheduled, give or take a day. “We’re not going to eliminate any-


thing,” Rizzo said. “We’re going to be cautious with him.” Strasburg had no symptoms and of- fered no warnings this week, Rizzo said, and had not felt any similar sensation as a professional. Strasburg did endure


nationals continued on D5


Lin blazes unique trail to the NBA Asian American guard


by Jorge Castillo After eight U.S. presidents, 19 Supreme JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST Albert Haynesworth, above, could benefit from playing in the 3-4 defense under Jim Haslett.


Will there be a meeting of the minds? Haynesworth and Haslett could make the 3-4 defense work for both of them


acknowledges he did not enjoy speaking with defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth in January and people close to the Pro Bowler say he felt similarly about Haslett. Although that’s not the best


T


foundation for an effective professional relationship, Haslett and Haynesworth could quickly become allies when training camp begins


heir only meeting was a disaster. Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett


ON FOOTBALL Jason Reid


Thursday. And that potential union may play a big role in whether Washington’s new 3-4 defense succeeds this season. Obviously, Haslett was among many


at Redskins Park displeased about Haynesworth’s decision to stay away from Ashburn for all but one day of Coach Mike Shanahan’s first offseason


program, and publicly request a trade after receiving a $21 million check from the team. Haslett, who has complete control of the defense, was willing to accommodate Haynesworth to a certain extent, team sources said. He planned for Haynesworth to line up primarily at defensive end, on the guard’s outside shoulder, the position Haynesworth has played since college.


on football continued on D3


Court justices and 41 Nobel laureates, it looks like Harvard University can chalk up a different achievement this summer: its first grad in the NBA in 57 years, and just the fourth ever. Jeremy Lin, who signed July 21 with his hometown Golden State Warriors, also will be the first Asian American in the league since 1947, when Wat Misaka, a Japanese American, became the first non-white player in what was then known as the Basketball Association of America. “Trying to make the NBA is one of the


very few areas where a Harvard degree won’t necessarily help,” Lin said matter- of-factly. Lin is aware of the significance of both accomplishments, but doesn’t want the labels. He was usually the only Asian on the court when he captained Palo Alto High to a California state championship in 2006 and during four years at Har- vard, where last season he was part of the 0.5 percent of Asian American Division I men’s basketball players.


lin continued on D3


is first Harvard grad to break into league in years


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