Fragen&Probleme » like Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark and Ryan Smyth.

PINEHURST, N.C. – No one expected Phil Mickelson to win last years British Open championship. Its not the style of course or game that has favoured the lefthander. Yet win he did. By contrast, everyone is expecting Mickelson to win this week, in the championship he wants to win more than any other and has broken his heart six times. Golf fair? Golf understandable? Not when it involves Lefty. Here at Pinehurst, Mickelson will try one more time to not only break through and win the tournament he wants most, but also to join that exclusive club of career grand slam winners that has just five members. "Its a career goal of mine to win all four majors," Mickelson admitted. "I feel like the five players that have done that, have separated themselves from the other players throughout all time. It shows that they have a complete game. If Im able to do that, I feel that I would look upon my own career differently." It wasnt that long ago that Mickelson had no majors and everyone wondered if hed ever get his first. And certainly last year, very few were predicting hed win the Open Championship. Now hes on the edge of greatness, but that edge is a wide chasm he must get across. For the first time since 2003, Mickelson comes into the Open without a victory. Worse than that, he hasnt even managed a top-10 finish. Still, he remains relatively optimistic. "I feel as good about my game today as I have all year," he stated. "Its not saying a lot, because I havent played well all year, but last week was a good week for me. I started to slowly put it together." Last week was a tie for 11th spot at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and a far cry from what he wants here. The weak link in his game this year has clearly been his putting. Hes ranked 103rd in Strokes Gained –Putting. A year ago, he finished the year in sixth. Things have gone so poorly on the greens that this week, Mickelson has decided to change things up after conferring with putting coach Dave Stockton. "The greens here are quick," Mickelson stated, "and so Im actually going to go back to the claw grip this week in an effort to have a little bit lighter grip pressure and create a softer roll so that I get some of the hit out of it. I was running them way by last week and by taking my bottom hand off the putter, it eliminates some that hit." Of course it wouldnt be a major if Phil wasnt taking some sort of risk. Two drivers. No drivers. Phrankenwood. Driver when he should hit three-wood. Sometimes the moves pay off, other times he slaps his head and scolds himself. And he waits for another year, another chance. After six silver medals, Mickelson says he tries not to look at what might be possible, what it would be like to raise the trophy he wants more than any other on Sunday evening. He knows the disappointment too well. But he is, after all, only human. "I try not to, because I dont want to get ahead of myself," he said. "But its only natural that its going to. Occasionally Ill catch myself, but I really try not to, because I really just want to focus on what I need to do to get ready for Thursday. If I can do that, hopefully Ill give myself a chance on the weekend. But when I jump ahead, that never really works out good, at least in the past . . . six times." This will be Mickelsons 24th attempt at winning the U.S. Open and he believes it may be his best. Of course he said something like that last year, too. And the year before. If nothing else, Phil is the eternal optimist. But this course might just prove him right. Pinehurst No. 2 is tailored to a game such as Phils – or at least Phils when hes on. He proved that back in 1999 although the last time around, in 2005, he was a non-factor in a tie for 33rd. "This place is awesome," he gushed. "It is just a wonderful site. This is the first -- well I really believe that this week is testing a players entire game. Because it forces you to make decisions, make good decisions, to choose the right club off the tee, hit solid iron shots into the green, and utilize your short game to save strokes. Theres no luck involved with the hack-it-out rough that sometimes we have around the greens. Its just a wonderful test that is, I think, the best test Ive seen to identify the best player." Whether Mickelson can be the best player this week is the question a lot of people are asking. Its also a question hes asking himself. And one hes hoping he can finally answer. Lionel Messi Jersey .C. -- When Michael Jordan speaks, people still listen. Xavi Hernandez Jersey . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that its believed the Flames are working towards a new contract with the defenceman. http://www.fcbarcelonapro.com/Kids-Ivan-Rakitic-Jersey/ . He will play 10th-seeded Feliciano Lopez in Sundays final, after the Spanish left-hander defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7), 6-4. Custom Barcelona Jerseys . Wade is posting a short film on his website next week, with a sneak preview scheduled to come out Wednesday. Samuel Umtiti Jersey . Brazilian striker Brandao opened the scoring with a header in the 55th minute before winger Franck Tabanou volleyed home from close range to double the lead in the 61st.When Chris Phillips suits up for his next game, he will move into a tie with Jean Beliveau on the NHLs all-time games played list. Beliveau played his entire career with the Montreal Canadiens and up to this point, Phillips has played all 1,124 games of his career with the Ottawa Senators. But there is no guarantee that Phillips will be in the Ottawa lineup on Tuesday night in Edmonton, as his future with the team is up in the air. Phillips has reportedly been offered a one-year contract extension by the Senators, but its believed the 35-year-old defenseman is looking for a multi-year deal. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement on an extension in the next 48 hours, there is a very realistic chance that Phillips will be moved by Wednesdays 3pm ET trade deadline. And while Phillips has been able to control his fate in the past, he no longer has the luxury of holding the hammer with a no-trade clause this time around – which means general manager Bryan Murray can move him to any team in the NHL that is willing to offer suitable compensation. If Phillips is moved by the trade deadline, he will join the likes of Daniel Alfredsson and Jarome Iginla as players who left Canadian cities after spending the majority of their careers with one team. A couple of years ago it seemed unfathomable that all three of these players would pack up and leave. But playing an entire career in one Canadian city has been virtually impossible since the NHL expanded in 1967. That ended the Original Six era when players like Beliveau and the Richard brothers played with only one Canadian franchise for the duration of their careers. Since that time, only one player – Bob Gainey – played more than 1,000 games and spent his entire career with one Canadian team. As it stands right now, Phillips and Gainey are the only two members in that exclusive club – although that could change in the next couple of days. (Other players like Thomas Steen and Stan Smyl spent their entire career in one Canadian city, but did not meet the 1,000-game threshold) At the same time, its a lot easier to find players who fit these criteria in American cities. Whereas the Canadian list of players includes just Gainey and Phillips (for now), the American list includes the following 14 players: Nicklas Lidstrom – DetroitSteve Yzerman – DetroitMartin Brodeur – New JerseyKen Daneyko – New JerseyGilbert Perreault – BuffaloDenis Potvin – NY IslandersBobby Clarke – PhiladelphiaPatrik Elias – New JerseyDave Taylor – Los AngelesCraig Ramsay – BuffaloWayne Cashman – BostonPatrick Marleau – San JoseTomas Holmstrom – DetroitMilan Hejduk - Colorado So just by comparing the two lists, it seems significantly more difficult to spend yourr entire career in one Canadian city – even when you adjust for the fact there are roughly three times as many American teams in the NHL.dddddddddddd This dates back almost 30 years, when players from the Montreal Canadiens dynasty moved along to other teams to close out their careers. Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Steve Shutt all joined other teams after the Canadiens stopped winning Stanley Cups. And all of the pieces of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty found new homes as well, with most of them ending up with the New York Rangers at some point in their careers. This trend also includes players who didnt play for winning teams, but were considered to be mainstays with their Canadian teams. Borje Salming played the first 1,099 games of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but in a prelude to what Alfredsson would later do, he signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings to finish off his career. Even popular players who were deemed to be the "face of the franchise" by the fans and media in the 1990s were moved along, like Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark and Ryan Smyth. All three players eventually returned to their original teams to close out their careers, but were unable to stay for several years during their prime. And the recent examples of Alfredsson and Iginla highlight the challenges of staying with one Canadian team in this current climate. The Sedin twins recently signed long-term extensions that should keep them in Vancouver for the rest of their careers, but dont be surprised if they leave to chase a Stanley Cup at some point if the Canucks dont have a legitimate chance at winning in two or three years. There are certainly more challenges that make playing in a Canadian market extremely difficult. In some cases, the players feel suffocated by a rabid media and fan base and yearn for a chance to spend a couple of seasons in a fresh place. In other instances, the players fail to live up to the expectations of a contract and are forced to a new destination because public pressure becomes intolerable. Often a player just wants a chance to win a Stanley Cup and doing so has been impossible for Canadian teams since 1993. And we are all well aware of how Canadian cities have colder climates and higher taxes that make American destinations seem more appealing at times. Whatever the reasons – and most need to be judged on a case-by-case basis – it appears virtually impossible to spend your entire career in one Canadian city. If Phillips signs an extension in Ottawa, he will join Bob Gainey on this list of post-expansion players to spend their entire careers with one Canadian team and play more than 1,000 games. But as history shows, its more likely that Phillips will be moving on to a different destination to close out his career. 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