the starters since the All-Star break leads all of baseball. --?Ja

NEW DELHI -- Months ahead of the Rio Games, Indian sports officials vowed that the massive nation would turn around its long history of dismal Olympic results and be proud of its athletes.Steeplechase. Golf. Shooting. Badminton. Boxing. Tennis. Wrestling. Archery. Discus. India saw medal possibilities in all those disciplines, and the head of the governments sports authority, Injeti Srinivas, said he expected India to bring home anywhere from 10 to 14 medals.What happens on a particular day is something none of us can predict. But we should achieve this target, Srinivas said in March.You dont hear such optimism these days. With the end of the games just a few days away, India has yet to win any medals at all. Both its mens and womens field hockey teams were bounced; its best chance left at gold, silver or bronze could be in womens badminton, with Pusarla Sindhu playing a semifinal Thursday against Okuhara Nozomi of Japan.Other problems have surfaced beyond competition.The Indian sports minister was chastised by Olympic officials for the aggressive and rude behavior of his entourage in Rio. The standout Indian athlete of the games, a gymnast known for performing one of the sports most dangerous moves, confessed that shed had to cobble together her own training equipment because gymnasts get so little support.Abhinav Bindra, a rifle shooter who won Indias first individual gold, at the Beijing Games in 2008, questioned on Twitter his countrys commitment to winning.Each medal costs the UK 5.5 million pounds, said Bindra, who finished fourth in the mens 10-meter air rifle finals in Rio. Thats the sort of investment needed. Lets not expect much until we put systems in place at home.The reaction at home has been harsh.Its a disaster, said Mihir Vasavda, a sportswriter for the Indian Express newspaper. Were looking at returning (from an Olympics) for the first time without a medal since 1992.In theory, India should be a serious Olympic contender with its 1.3 billion people and tens of millions of rabid sports fans. It has a growing economy and increasing wealth, a large bureaucracy that oversees sports and a deep sensitivity about its position in the world.But none of that has helped. Instead, Indias total Olympic medal count -- 26 -- puts it slightly ahead of Portugal, a nation with less than 1 percent of Indias population. India is even behind Michael Phelps, the American swimmer with 28 medals.Nearly one-fourth of Indias medals came in London in 2012, spiking interest and giving people hope for an Olympic turning point for the country.But in a country with very little Olympic history, there is little to hold Indias attention when its athletes are losing.People dont understand the rules, they dont know who the stars are, they just cant relate to most Olympic sports, Vasavda said.They do relate to cricket -- an obsession in India. The game is played across the country, from the Himalayas to the southern tip. Its played at Indias most elite boarding schools, and on the streets of sprawling slums. Traffic in Indias car-clogged cities decreases noticeably during major matches. The biggest stars are not admired -- they are worshipped as something close to gods.The fervent following pushes every other sport to the margins, leaving non-cricketers and their coaches to scrabble for funding, facilities and support.For years, many top athletes came from the countrys economic and aristocratic elite. When Bindra won his gold, few were surprised that he was the son of a wealthy Indian industrialist who could hire one of the worlds top coaches.The multitude of sports bureaucrats and federations are widely dismissed for putting their own interests ahead of the athletes, concerns Indian Sports Minister Vijay Goel appeared to embody when he was confronted by Rio organizers for repeatedly trying to push into restricted zones. Goel later dismissed the concerns as a misunderstanding.Few Indian athletes get the official help -- coaches and trainers, housing, food, stipends, equipment -- that are the norm in many other countries.Take Dipa Karmakar, a 23-year-old gymnast from Tripura, a small northeastern state that, like gymnastics, is little more than a mystery to most Indians. After learning on equipment she made herself, this year she became the first Indian woman to qualify for Olympic gymnastics. Her success at vault is largely based on her use of the Produnova, an aerial double somersault so dangerous most gymnasts never attempt it.She says the move doesnt worry her: One can get injured any time -- anything can happen, she told the AP in an interview earlier this year.Her coach, however, says that danger is part of an equation that also includes Indias lackluster interest in Karmakars sport.We have to take this risk because we are not a strong nation when it comes to gymnastics. Dipa attempts the Produnova because it can get her bigger points and a chance to enter the finals of a tournaments, he told the Hindustan Times.She finished fourth in the vault final.While India shared a collective groan when she missed the bronze by the slimmest of point margins, some see a frightening message in her use of the Produnova.Dipa Karmakar is a symbol of Indias failure, hypocrisy and mediocrity, the popular news website Firstpost said in a headline earlier this week.If we were a nation that produced athletes with skills, Dipa would have never been forced to rely on her courage to get ahead, wrote Sandipan Sharma. But in India the pursuit of Olympic glory is contingent on an individuals decision to transcend her love for life, put it below the pursuit of victory.---Follow Tim Sullivan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ByTimSullivan Nike Air Force 1 Womens Nz . -- Bobby Ryan helped the U. Air Force 1 Cheap Wholesale . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. http://www.airforce1salenz.com/air-force-1-low-nz/womens.html . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. Air Force 1 Low Nz . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Air Force 270 NZ . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. The Chicago Cubs?check in at No. 1 for the second straight week, potentially starting a new streak on top of the rankings. The Washington Nationals remain a strong No. 2, keeping the NL theme alive at the top. The Cleveland Indians check in as the top AL team at No. 3, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays at No. 4, their highest spot all season. Theyve been as high as No. 6 three different times.With Andrew Miller headed to Cleveland, can the Indians make a run at the Cubs and Nats for the top spots?The Boston Red Sox were one of the big fallers this week, dropping from No. 5 all the way to bottom of the top 10 after a disappointing 2-5 week that included a sweep at home by the Detroit Tigers. The week did end on a high note with a ninth-inning rally to salvage a split against the Los Angeles Angels. Can Boston use that momentum to jump back into the top five?This weeks voters are Jim Bowden of ESPN Insider, Eric Karabell of ESPN Fantasy, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, David Schoenfield of the SweetSpot Blog Network/ESPN.com and Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Most of the team comments come courtesy of the SweetSpot Blog Network.Past rankings: Week 16 |?Week 15 |?Week 14 |?Week 13 |?Week 12 |?Week 11 |?Week 10 | ?Week 9 |?Week 8 |?Week 7 |?Week 6 |?Week 5 |?Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason1. Chicago CubsRecord: 63-41 Week 16 ranking: No. 1The Cubs have yet to lose a series since the All-Star break, going 10-6 in that span. With Aroldis Chapman at the back of the bullpen, ?Chicago looks like its the team to beat again.?--?Joe Aiello (@VFTB), View from the Bleachers2. Washington NationalsRecord: 61-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 2New closer Mark Melancon, acquired from the Pirates, will displace the struggling Jonathan Papelbon. Among relievers with 15 saves, Papelbon ranked 23rd of 24 in batting average allowed, 22nd in wOBA and 18th in K rate. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot3. Cleveland IndiansRecord: 60-42 Week 16 ranking: No. 4Although the Indians potential deal for?Jonathan Lucroy fell through, it was a good weekend for the Tribe. They acquired Andrew Miller to shore up the bullpen and swept the Oakland As. The Indians are now 53-0 when they enter the ninth inning with a lead. --?Stephanie Liscio (@stephanieliscio), Its Pronounced Lajaway4. Toronto Blue JaysRecord: 59-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 7Troy Tulowitzki suffered a small chip fracture in his thumb when hit by a pitch on Sunday, but its not clear whether hell need a stint on the disabled list. The Jays will evaluate him on Monday and see whether he can grip a bat. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot5. San Francisco GiantsRecord: 61-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 3The Giants snagged Eduardo Nunez to help cover for injuries in the infield. Still leading the NL West despite a July record below .500, the Giants have Joe Panik back on the roster and could have Matt Duffy back this week. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona6. Texas RangersRecord: 62-44 Week 16 ranking: No. 8The Rangers have found themselves on a roll again. After a four-game sweep of the defending-champion Royals at home this past weekend, the Rangers are six games up on the Astros in the AL West and will look to solidify their position before Mondays trade deadline. --?Brandon Land (@onestrikeaway), One Strike Away7. Los Angeles DodgersRecord: 59-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 9Corey Seagers home run Sunday was his first since the All-Star break, but hes hitting .396/.418/.604 (AVG/OBP/SLG) in those 11 games with eight doubles and just four strikeouts. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot8. St. Louis CardinalsRecord: 56-49 Week 16 ranking: No. 11It was a scary moment for the Cardinals on Sunday when rookie shortstop?Aledmys Diaz got hit on his right hand (the throwing one) by an Andrew Cashner pitch. It doesnt look like hell miss too much time, which is big for the Cardinals, who trail the Marlins for the second wild-card spot in the NL after dropping the final two games of their weekend series against Miami.? -- ESPN.com9. Baltimore OriolesRecord: 59-45 Week 16 ranking: No. 6The Orioles have been a team of streaks lately. Before an extra-inning win on Sunday to escape Toronto with a slim first-place lead, the Os had the following stretch: won four, lost four, won five, lost five. Baltimores offense was surprisingly bad in July (13th in runs scored with 89), but perhaps Adam Jones much-needed three-run blast in the 12th inning Sunday will jump-start a struggling lineup. --?Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot10. Boston Red SoxRecord: 57-46 Week 16 ranking: No. 5Drew Pomeranz relied on his curveball during his strong second start for the Red Sox last week (6 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) but still threw 22 pitches at 90 mph or faster. In an underwhelming performance Saturday, Pomeranz threw just 11 pitches 90 mph or faster, yielding five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona11. Houston AstrosRecord: 55-49 Week 16 ranking: No. 10A brutal weekend sweep in Detroit: Pitchers?Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel both got pounded, and Saturdays loss came after they Astros took the lead in the top of ninth. Fun stat: Jose Altuve is hitting .417 on the road. Since World War II, only Stan Musial in 1948 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 have hit .400 on the road for the season (250 PAs). -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot12. Detroit TigersRecord: 57-48 Week 16 ranking: No. 15Finally, the Tigers got hot! They have a six-game win streak after sweeps of the Astros and Red Sox. That pushes them all the way up to ... one game out of the second wild-card spot and 4? games out in the AL Central. The playoff picture and whether the Tigers should buy or sell at the deadline wouldve been much clearer if those wins had come against their AL Central opponents earlier this month. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers13. Miami MarlinsRecord: 57-48 Week 16 ranking: No. 12The Marlins acquired Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea from the Padres but received bad news when Rea left his first start and was placed on the DL with an elbow sprain. Cashners debut went better, as he allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot14. New York MetsRecord: 54-50 Week 16 ranking: No. 13After going 15-7 in April, the Mets had losing records in May and June and finished July at .500. Neil WWalker has a five-game hitting streak and is 12-for-19 (.dddddddddddd31) with five RBIs in those ballgames. --?Joe Janish (@metstoday),?MetsToday.com15. Pittsburgh PiratesRecord: 52-51 Week 16 ranking: No. 16Mark Melancon had a fantastic 3?-year run with the Pirates: an incredible 1.80 ERA over an even more incredible 260 1/3 innings. His replacement as the Pittsburgh closer, however, is hardly a step down; Tony Watson has thrown 268 2/3 innings of 2.24 ERA ball during the same span. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona16. Seattle MarinersRecord: 52-51 Week 16 ranking: No. 14After an amazing .333/.383/.609 July, Kyle Seager is in the midst of a career year. Now in his fifth full season in the majors, Seager has never finished with a slugging percentage above .454 -- but with two-thirds of 2016 in the books, Seagers SLG is .522. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona17. Colorado RockiesRecord: 52-53 Week 16 ranking: No. 20The Rockies reached .500 on Saturday (and then dropped back under Sunday), the latest in a season theyve done so since 2010. As Charlie Blackmon deadpanned, Congratulations, were average. Both he and Rockies fans are glad the team got there, but they want more. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers18. New York YankeesRecord: 52-52 Week 16 ranking: No. 17Sell mode engaged. With the team dropping three to the lowly Rays this past weekend and ownership finally coming to its senses, the 2016 endgame that many Yankees fans have been waiting for took off for real Sunday in the form of the Andrew Miller trade. Now well see what other moves the Yankees can/will make to start building for the future as they continue to hover aimlessly around .500. -- Brad Vietrogoski,?Its About the Money19. Chicago White SoxRecord: 51-54 Week 16 ranking: No. 19The White Sox have been poised to turn this seasons trade deadline on its ear, with Chris Sale and Jose Quintana arguably the two best pitchers available. They moved Zach Duke for interesting center-field prospect Charlie Tilson but have waited until the final hours before the deadline to see whether they can drive up their starters prices. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona20. Kansas City RoyalsRecord: 49-55 Week 16 ranking: No. 18Goodbye, 2016. The Rangers swept the Royals in a four-game series as the Royals dropped to 49-55. Wade Davis landed on the DL, Kendrys Morales may be traded, and theyd love to find a taker for Ian Kennedy (good luck). -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot21. Los Angeles AngelsRecord: 47-58 Week 16 ranking: No. 21While Huston Street had an epic ninth-inning meltdown on Sunday, the good news was Tyler Skaggs delivered his second scoreless outing of the week in his return from Tommy John surgery. In 12 1/3 innings, he allowed seven hits and just three walks with 13 strikeouts. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot22. Oakland AthleticsRecord: 47-58 Week 16 ranking: No. 22Sonny Grays troubles continue, as hes allowed seven runs in three of his past six starts, his ERA ballooning to 5.84. He leads the majors with 15 wild pitches and has the fourth-worst slugging percentage allowed among qualified starters. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot23. Philadelphia PhilliesRecord: 48-59 Week 16 ranking: No. 25The Phillies have lost four series and split one since the All-Star break, with the split coming in their most recent series against the MLB-worst Braves. This should make them sellers at the trade deadline, but they havent sold anything yet. --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers24. Milwaukee BrewersRecord: 47-56 Week 16 ranking:?No. 24Amid all of the Jonathan Lucroy trade drama, the Brewers have not missed much of a beat on the field. They have gone 7-3 during their homestand, taking series from both Arizona and Pittsburgh. -- Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3), Disciples of Uecker25. San Diego PadresRecord: 45-60 Week 16 ranking: No. 23With Matt Kemp joining Melvin Upton Jr. on the departed list, the Padres likely will eventually call up Hunter Renfroe and/or Manuel Margot and give them some playing time down the stretch. Both outfielders are hitting over .300 in Triple-A. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot26. Arizona DiamondbacksRecord: 43-62 Week 16 ranking: No. 26By trading Tyler Clippard to the Yankees, the D-backs moved one of their most productive pitchers this season. With Josh Collmenter designated for assignment and Brad Ziegler shipped to the Red Sox earlier in July, Arizona is fresh out of relievers with track records of success. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona27. Tampa Bay RaysRecord: 42-61 Week 16 ranking: No. 27This past week was a reminder of what has been and what could have been for the Rays. They dropped four consecutive one-run contests out West and maintain the leagues worst record in such games. The losses and wins of late have both involved great efforts by the rotation, as the 2.36 ERA by the starters since the All-Star break leads all of baseball. --?Jason Collette (@jasoncollette), The Process Report28. Cincinnati RedsRecord: 42-62 Week 16 ranking: No. 29The resurgent Reds have won all five of their series since the All-Star break and enjoyed their first winning month in more than two full seasons. Behind the improved play is the unstoppable Joey Votto, who just became one of only 11 players in the past century to post a .550-plus OBP in July. --?Chad Dotson (@dotsonc), Redleg Nation29. Minnesota TwinsRecord: 40-64 Week 16 ranking: No. 28The Twins have played 104 games. In the first 52, they went 15-37. In the second 52, they went 25-27. Theyve been playing decent ball for two months, but by the time they turned things around, it was too late to matter. -- Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN), Twins Daily30. Atlanta BravesRecord: 37-68 Week 16 ranking:?No. 30The Braves spun two pitchers they got off the waiver wire in May into highly-thought-of prospect Travis Demeritte in a trade with Texas. They turned on- and off-the-field disaster Hector Olivera into productive middle-of-the-order power hitter Matt Kemp. Both trades used players who werent part of the future to greatly further the Braves rebuilding effort. -- Martin Gandy (@gondeee), Chop County ' ' '