LEADING OFF

Down Under Duress

Bendigo midfielder Blair Holmes slogged for the ball in a round 17 Victorian Football League match against Coburg last Saturday near Melbourne. Bendigo beat Coburg 12.11 (83) to 9.7 (61) for its fourth straight victory.

Gift of Grab

Glen Ishino of Santa Ana, Calif., had a handle on the rings competition during the Visa national championships last Friday at XL Center in Hartford. Ishino, a junior at Cal, finished fifth in the all-around, four spots behind Jonathan Horton, who won his second consecutive national title.

Pour Start

With showers coming down in Miami, first-year Dolphins running back Tristan Davis bobbled the opening kickoff against the Buccaneers last Saturday in the preseason opener for both teams. Backup quarterback Tyler Thigpen (10-of-19 passing, 145 yards) directed a pair of scoring drives in Miami's 10--7 victory.

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Photograph by Matthew Mallett/Getty Images

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Photograph by Chris McGrath/Getty Images

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Photograph by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images