16 | EXPRESS | 08.15.2014 | WEEKEND
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MLB
Rob Manfred elected next commissioner
Here are five things to watch with the Hokies this season:
Opening holes: Three starters return on the offensive line, but “that’s where we get young,” tight ends coach Bryan Stinespring said. Mark Shuman is a fifth-year senior but has hardly played, and the guards figure to be redshirt freshman Wyatt Teller and redshirt sophomore Augie Conte. Making stops: Inside linebackers Jack Tyler and Tariq Edwards were the Hokies’ top tacklers in 2013, and both have moved on, leaving redshirt senior Chase Williams and junior Deon Clark to fill their roles. Snap count: Assuming he wins the QB job, Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer comes to Blacksburg after having played in a spread offense his entire football life, which means he’s always been in the shotgun. He’ll be expected to get under center in this offense, a transition that can either go smoothly or be very costly. Element of surprise: With tight end Ryan Malleck and running back Trey Edmunds healthy, offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler expects the offense to look “significantly different.” Cupcakes: The Hokies play at Ohio State in the second game of the season, but they caught a break from the ACC schedulemaker by avoiding league powerhouses Florida State and Clemson and getting Miami at home. HANK KURZ JR. (AP)
ALEX BRANDON (AP)
Virginia Tech in transition
In June, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board canceled six of the Redskins federal trademark registrations.
Redskins appeal ruling REDSKINS The Redskins on Thursday formally appealed a ruling that stripped the team of trademark protection, the latest legal maneuver in the franchise’s attempt to defend its name against those who consider it a racial slur. The team announced that it had filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and that it “points out the many errors” in the decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board voted 2-1 on June 18 to cancel six uses of “Redskins” trademarked from 1967
to 1990, saying the name is “disparaging of Native Americans.” “We believe that the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ignored both federal case law and the weight of the evidence, and we look forward to having a federal court review this obviously flawed decision,” Redskins lawyer Bob Raskopf said in the team’s statement. The team had previously said it would appeal the ruling and had two months to do so. The trademark protection remains in place while the matter makes its way through the courts, a process that could take years. A similar ruling by the trademark
board in 1999 was overturned on a technicality in 2003. Native Americans have been challenging the trademark since 1992. The Redskins say they will ask the court to consider “serious constitutional issues,” including whether the ruling penalizes the team’s right of free speech and whether the team has been unfairly deprived of “valuable and long-held intellectual property rights.” The group of five Native Americans challenging the name is equally confident. “This effort is doomed to fail,” said Amanda Blackhorse, the lead plaintiff. JOSEPH WHITE (AP)
For United, summer break is over D.C. UNITED D.C. United’s summer has been relatively low-key, with plenty of time for rest and recuperation. Those breezy summer days, however, are coming to an end. Due to the World Cup break, United played just seven league games in June and July, riding a perfect month of July to a 5-1-1 record in those matches. August and September appear much more formidable. United has six league matches in August alone. When combined with
Tony Stewart sitting out Sunday’s race after dirt-track death
ERIC CHRISTIAN SMITH (AP)
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Rob Manfred, below, was elected baseball’s 10th commissioner Thursday and will succeed Bud Selig in January. A labor lawyer who has worked for Major League Baseball since 1998, Manfred beat out Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner in the first contested vote for a new commissioner in 46 years. The 55-year-old Manfred must address issues that include decreased interest among younger people and longer games. He has served as MLB’s chief operating officer for the past year. (AP)
D.C. United lost its first two games in August, getting outscored 4-0.
CONCACAF Champions League play — beginning Wednesday against Waterhouse FC at RFK Stadium — the team has 13 total
games scheduled in the twomonth period. It will be the biggest proving ground so far for United, which lost its first two matches this month. The team’s depth will be tested with the upcoming schedule, especially with starting left back Chris Korb ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury. Taylor Kemp, who has played in only two games this season, is the only natural left back currently on the roster. SETH VERTELNEY (FOR EXPRESS)
Texas hires ex-QB Vince Young for community relations
D.C. United vs. Colorado Rapids 8 p.m. Sunday, CSN
D.C. United looks to halt its twogame losing streak when it returns home to face the Rapids on Sunday night. The visitors are also looking to break their own losing streak, which has now hit three games. United will be without forward Eddie Johnson, who was suspended two matches for kicking a ball at an opponent on the ground against Real Salt Lake last weekend. (S.V.)
Braves’ free-fall continues, losing 3 of 4 to Dodgers