The short film above is called “Coach,” and is about Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer, who was Iowa’s women’s basketball coach from 1983-1995.

The film is part of ESPN’s “Nine for IX” series, showcasing nine stories that have come out of the Title IX decision in women’s sports.

Never mind that Tahiti lost its opening game of the Confederations Cup 6-1 to Nigeria on Monday. The smallest nation in the tournament (178,333, roughly the population of Providence, RI) trailed 3-0 in the second half before Jonathan Tehau scored the nation’s first goal in any FIFA soccer tournament.

No need to look at the scoreboard, guys. Just enjoy the euphoria.

Photos below courtesy of our dear friends at Reuters:

And the Tahiti soccer Twitter account went justifiably bananas.

The Tahitians probably won’t score again in this tournament, and Spain might beat them by dozens, but who cares. Go Tahiti.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (L) and Tiger Woods of the U.S. walk together on the 10th fairway during the second round of the 2013 U.S. Open golf championship at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, June 14, 2013. REUTERS/Adam Hunger

ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroyplayed together for the first two rounds at this week’s U.S. Open and they remained in lock-step after battling to matching scores in difficult scoring conditions on Friday.

World number one Woods and second-ranked McIlroy each carded a level-par 70 on a brutally challenging Merion Golf Club layout where finding rough was a virtual guarantee of a bogey with tough pin positions to tackle on the greens.

Both players were happy with their respective positions going into the final two rounds of the year’s second major, despite finishing at three over par – six strokes off the early lead.

“I played well,’ Woods told reporters after mixing three birdies with three bogeys on a sun-drenched, breezy afternoon at Merion that followed a week with rain.

“I just made a couple of mistakes out there today, but I really played well. Maybe I could have gotten one or two more out of it, but it was a pretty good day.

“They’ve really tried to protect the golf course, with it being as soft as it is. And they’ve given us some really, really tough pins.”

Asked if he liked his chances heading into the weekend as he continues his bid for a 15th major title, but his first in five years, Woods simply replied: “Yes.”

Though Merion is hosting the U.S. Open for the first time in 32 years after long being viewed as too short to stage a major, Woods disagreed with suggestions that the iconic East Course would be exposed by the power hitters in the modern game.

“Unless you have played practice rounds out here and you’ve seen the golf course, you don’t realize how difficult it is,” the three-times U.S. Open champion said.

“The short holes are short, but if you miss the fairway, you can’t get the ball on the green. And the longer holes are brutal.

“And this is probably the stiffest set of par-threes that we ever face. And then they’ve thrown some of the pin locations in that they have and it’s really tough.”

BIGGEST FACTOR

McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion at Congressional, felt the combination of tricky pin positions and swirling breezes had been the biggest factor in pushing up the scores in the second round.

“They put the pins in places that even when you hit it close, you had a tough putt for your birdie or your par or whatever,” the 24-year-old said after offsetting four birdies with four bogeys.

“The wind is up, and it’s tough to gauge this wind. It swirls a little bit in these big trees and it’s hard to pull a club sometimes. That’s why I think you’re seeing the scores rise a little bit today.

“And if you don’t hit the fairways here, you’re not going to score. If you do hit the fairways, it’s still a big challenge from there.”

Like his good friend Woods, McIlroy was also delighted with his two-round total on a challenging venue where the average score in the second round was almost five over par.

“I’m very happy,” said McIlroy, who clinched his second major title at last year’s PGA Championship to put the seal on a stellar 2012 campaign which he ended by leading the money lists on both sides of the Atlantic.

“Right in there for the weekend. I don’t think I’ll be too far away by the end of the day. I’m in a nice position going into the last two days.”

McIlroy and Woods attracted huge galleries at Merion after being grouped with Masters champion Adam Scott for the first two rounds in a mouth-watering combination of the world’s top three players.

However, Australian Scott has not fared as well, struggling to a 75 to finish at seven-over 147.

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – NASCAR driver Jason Leffler died from injuries suffered when his car slammed into the wall of a dirt raceway inNew Jersey, state police said.

The crash occurred during a race at the Bridgeport Speedway in Logan township in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia, state police spokesman Sergeant Adam Grossman said.

Leffler, 37, of Huntersville, North Carolina, was rushed to the Crozier Hospital in Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was pronounced dead at 9:02 p.m., police said.

The raceway calls itself the “Fastest Dirt Track in the East.” It consists of a spacious 5/8-mile high-banked dirt oval, where average speeds reach well over 100 miles per hour, according to the track’s website.

Leffler was a two-time winner of the Nationwide Series. He had been racing for over a decade, with experience in so-called midget race cars as well as the Indianapolis 500, where he placed 17th in 2000, his website noted.

New Jersey State Police said in a Twitter posting that the accident was under investigation.

“NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening,” the organization said in a Twitter posting. “For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed.”

Tiger Woods of the U.S. bounces a ball on his putter as he leaves the 16th green during a practice round for the 2013 U.S. Open golf championship at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Adam Hunger

(Reuters) - Merion Golf Club has been linked with some of the most iconic moments in championship golf and Tiger Woods will aim to add a chapter of his own when he competes there in this week’s U.S. Open as the overwhelming favorite.

A host of other in-form players can lay claim to being genuine contenders for the year’s second major, which begins on Thursday, but Woods is widely viewed as the likeliest winner based on his outstanding record and the often dominant form he has shown this season.

Though Woods did not fare well in his most recent start, languishing joint 65th in a field of 73 at theMemorial Tournament eight days ago, he has triumphed four times on the 2013 PGA Tour and is clearly the player to beat at Merion.

With much of his golf this year, the American world number one has revived memories of his glory days in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and he will be eager to end a major title drought dating back to his playoff victory at the 2008 U.S. Open.

“I feel comfortable with the motion I’m making,” three-times U.S. Open champion Woods said of the progress he has made in consultation with coach Sean Foley following the fourth swing change of his career.

“All the stretches where I’ve played well for a few years, a few tournaments … I just felt good about what I was able to do … being able to fix it (the swing) on the fly.

“That took a little bit of time, and I finally have turned the corner. What you’re seeing this year is that I’ve gotten more precise and I’ve been able to work on other parts of my game and made them strengths.”

Woods was bitterly disappointed with his overall game at the Memorial Tournament, especially his putting, and was swift to outline what needed improving for Merion when asked by reporters.

“Everything,” the 14-times major champion replied. “You want everything clicking on all cylinders, especially at the U.S. Open because everything is tested in the U.S. Open.”

Merion’s iconic East Course will be hosting its fifth U.S. Open this week, but its first in 32 years after long being regarded as too short to host a major.

PRECISE SHOT-MAKING

The par-70 layout located in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore has been stretched to 6,996 yards since Australian David Graham triumphed by three strokes in the 1981 edition, and Woods appreciates that precise shot-making is required for success.

This is a course, after all, where Bobby Jones completed his “grand slam” by winning the 1930 U.S. amateur, where Ben Hogan claimed the 1950 U.S. Open just 16 months after being involved in a near-fatal motor vehicle accident and where Lee Trevino beat Jack Nicklaus in a playoff to win the 1971 U.S. Open.

“If you look at the list of champions, they have all been really good shot-makers,” said Woods, who played 13 holes of practice at Merion on Sunday.

“They have all been able to shape the golf ball. That’s what it lends itself to. You have to be able to shape the golf ball, and you have to be so disciplined to play the course.”

Phil Mickelson, runner-up a record five times at the U.S. Open, visited Merion last week and was lavish with his praise for a layout that has thick rough, narrow, tilted fairways, deep bunkers, contoured greens and several semi-blind tee shots.

“It’s really a wonderful set-up, the best I’ve seen,” said the four-times major champion.

“They gave you birdie opportunities on the easy holes, and they made tough pars a little bit harder, which allows the player that is playing well to separate himself from the field.”

As ever at a U.S. Open, the ability to minimize errors and to stay patient on slick greens and tight fairways flanked by thick, graduated rough will be defining traits in the make-up of this week’s champion.

Because of Merion’s limited yardage and its mix of long with short holes, United States Golf Associationexecutive director Mike Davis has predicted more birdies than usual at a U.S. Open, and a greater number of potential winners.

“There’s going to be more birdies made, trust me, at this U.S. Open than any we have seen in recent history,” said Davis. “Why? Because there are just some holes out here that lend themselves to it.

“And there are probably more players that can potentially win this U.S. Open than in any other U.S. Open venue we go to. Some of that is the overall distance, that we’re under 7,000 yards. It allows more players to be competitive.”

Included in that long list of potential winners are Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia, EnglishmenJustin Rose and Luke Donald, and in-form American Matt Kuchar, who clinched his sixth PGA Tour title at the Memorial Tournament.

Northern Irish world number two Rory McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion at Congressional, is another likely contender as he bids to claim his first tournament victory this season after winning five times worldwide last year.

MIAMI (Reuters) – The founder of the Miami anti-aging clinic suspected of supplying performance enhancing drugs to Major League Baseball players has agreed to cooperate with investigators, according to U.S. media reports on Wednesday.

Any evidence he provides could determine whether or not any MLB players are charged with drug offenses and possibly suspended. The media reports have stated more than a dozen players could be implicated, making it one of the biggest doping scandals in the history of American professional sports.

Various U.S. news media outlets, led by the sports network ESPN on Tuesday night, cited unidentified sources saying Anthony Bosch, the founder of the now defunct Biogenesis of America clinic, would co-operate with the MLB’s investigation.

MLB declined to comment on the media reports and Reuters was unable to independently confirm if Bosch had agreed to cooperate with the investigation.

But Bosch’s lawyer, Susy Ribero-Ayala, said: “There are pending investigations and litigation, so we cannot comment at this time.”

Bosch has repeatedly denied accusations he administered banned drugs to players and had declined to cooperate with the MLB investigation that was launched after the Miami New Times published the allegations and named some of the sport’s biggest players as his customers.

In March, MLB filed a lawsuit against Bosch in an attempt to get him to cooperate. The media reports suggested the lawsuit would be dropped if he provided evidence, though this could not be confirmed.

Charles Strouse, the editor of the Miami New Times, said his publication had been unable to confirm whether Bosch had agreed to speak with the MLB, but said he would welcome such a development. “It’s been months and we felt there was enough evidence from the start,” he said.

The players who were identified have all denied any wrongdoing.

One of them, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, earlier this year, through his attorney, denied being Bosch’s patient and said the documents that have been referred to by the Miami New Times are not legitimate. He has threatened legal action to protect his reputation.

A spokesman for Rodriguez did not return calls seeking comment.

Michael Weiner, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said reports that players would be suspended were premature.

“The Players Association has been in regular contact with the Commissioner’s Office regarding the Biogenesis investigation. They are in the process of interviewing players and every player has been or will be represented by an attorney from the Players Association,” he said in a statement.

“The Commissioner’s Office has assured us that no decisions regarding discipline have been made or will be made until those interviews are completed. It would be unfortunate if anyone prejudged those investigations,” Weiner added.

The news reports come at a sensitive time for MLB, given the sport is trying to get re-admitted to the Olympics. Just days ago, the International Olympic Committee announced that baseball and softball had been included on a shortlist of sports for the 2020 Olympics.

MLB has a murky history concerning doping allegations and the sport’s administrators have been heavily criticized in the past for a lax approach, including being accused of turning a blind eye to steroid users, not conducting enough tests and failing to impose stiff penalties.

In 2005, the IOC kicked baseball, and softball, off the Olympic program. They became the first sports to be cut from the Games since polo in 1936.

The IOC did not specify why baseball was axed but some IOC members said MLB’s approach to doping was among the reasons.

MLB has since vowed to take a tougher stance against doping and help the sport get re-admitted to the Olympics.

Wrestling and squash were also on the IOC’s list but only one of the sports will get approval for 2020. The IOC membership will cast their votes in Argentina in September.

Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman lost both of his legs in the now infamous bombing near the race’s finish line on April 15.

The Red Sox invited Bauman to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the team’s game with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, and the video above, from MLB.com, shows the crowd at Fenway Park giving the wheelchair-bound 27-year-old a standing ovation and the picture-perfect strike that followed.

Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the MLB interleague baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman (C) gets some pitching tips from former Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez (L) as Carlos Arredondo, who helped rescue Bauman, looks on before the Red Sox MLB interleague baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts May 28, 2013. Bauman and Arredondo threw out ceremonial first pitches before the game. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman (R) gives a thumbs up to the crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before the MLB interleague baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2nd L) applaud as Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman and Carlos Arredondo (R), who helped rescue Bauman, take the field to throw out ceremonial first pitches before the MLB interleague baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

Boston Marathon survivor Jeff Bauman acknowledges the cheers of the crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the MLB interleague baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts May 28, 2013. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

KV Racing Technology driver Tony Kanaan of Brazil kneels on the start/finish line after winning the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, May 26, 2013. REUTERS/John Sommers II

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) – Proving no good deed goes unrewarded, an emotional Tony Kanaan was paid back in full by a young fan and an old friend whose talismans helped power the Brazilian to his first Indianapolis 500 victory on Sunday.

One of the most popular drivers in IndyCar Series, Kanaan’s win was greeted with thundering approval across the sprawling speedway as a crowd estimated at close to 250,000 watched the 38-year-old cruise to the checkered flag under caution.

But it is likely no one was more excited than a long time fan and former IndyCar champion Alex Zanardi, who both turned over good luck charms to Kanaan with the hope it would bring him the one victory that had always been just beyond his reach.

On Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lady Luck finally smiled on Kanaan as he won the crown jewel of North American motor racing on his 12th attempt, tying a record for the most tries before earning an Indy 500 victory.

“I never had doubt I could win this thing,” Kanaan told reporters. “I think we can prove that theory that says that nice guys don’t win … I guess we proved them wrong.”

A former IndyCar champion, Kanaan had led 221 laps at the famed Brickyard coming into Sunday’s race, more than any other non-winner besides Michael Andretti and Rex Mays.

Kanaan had known nothing but bad luck and heartache on the 2.5 mile oval, coming close but never quite able to find his way to Victory Lane. He entered Sunday’s race with five top-five finishes, including a second place in 2004 and third place in 2003 and 2012.

But Zanardi and the young fan decided it was time Kanaan’s luck changed and the two rallied around the Brazilian who had once rallied around them.

CHARM RETURNED

Nine years ago, a 14-year-old girl was in a coma awaiting surgery at an Indianapolis hospital when Kanaan made a visit and offered her mother a good luck charm to help see her safely through the operation.

Now 24 years old and healthy, the woman returned the charm to Kanaan four days ago along with a note, telling him to go and win the one race he wanted most.

“I had this thing that my mom gave me,” explained Kanaan. “It was kind of a necklace to protect me, not to bring me luck, because you know the way moms are.

“So I took it out and I said to her mother, ‘I don’t know if you believe in these things but I had this for a while. It always protected me. My mother gave it to me. I want to give it to you.’

“Four days ago, she showed up, gave me a letter with an envelope. I opened the letter. She said that she had enough of luck in her life. She got married, and she wanted to give it back to me to bring me luck.”

When Zanardi was nearly killed in a crash during an IndyCar race in Germany and lost both his legs, Kanaan was one of the first their to support the Italian.

Zanardi decided it was time to pay back that kindness on Sunday when he showed up at the Brickyard with a gold medal he won at the 2012 London Paralympics hoping it too might give his friend an edge.

“Right before the race, he gave it to (team owner Jimmy Vasser). Jimmy brought it to the bus. I was laying in bed. Jim said, ‘Zanardi asked you to rub it.’

“I actually cuddled with the thing.”

While luck may have contributed to Kanaan’s win, victory did not come without the experience and patience that comes with 12 years of challenging the world’s most famous speedway.

It was that experience that told Kanaan that there was a good chance of a yellow caution flag coming out in the closing laps as drivers made their moves.

He was right, and when Graham Rahal struck the wall, Kanaan bounced on leader Ryan Hunter-Reay at the restart. Then, when Dario Franchitti crashed with two laps to run, bringing out another yellow, Kanaan knew he had won.

“I knew a yellow flag with six, seven, eight laps to go, it’s a big potential for another yellow right away,” said Kanaan. “I was in the perfect place, exactly where I wanted to be, right behind the leader, with three to go because I knew a potential yellow could happen.

“It happened. I guess it was right.”

New York Yankees President Randy Levine, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, and CEO of Manchester City FC Ferran Soriano (L-R) smile during a press announcement in New York, in this photo courtesy of MLS Soccer taken May 21, 2013. Courtesy of MLS Soccer/Handout via Reuters

MIAMI (Reuters) – The New York Yankees and Premier League club Manchester City have formed a Major League Soccer (MLS) team to play in New York City from 2015, aiming to win over America’s largest sports market to the global game.

City, owned by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, will be the majority partner in New York City Football Club with the biggest name in baseball, the Yankees, as a minority partner active in running the team.

The ownership group will pay a $100 million franchise fee.

New York City has been without a top professional soccer team since the demise in the mid-1980s of the old Cosmos, which featured soccer greats like Brazil’s Pele and Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer.

While the New York Red Bulls are based in Harrison, New Jersey, MLS has long coveted a chance to get inside the five boroughs of the city itself.

“This is another big day for soccer in America,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told Reuters.

“We have worked for quite some time on trying to finalize a deal to bring the 20th MLS team to New York City. Two of the biggest, most prestigious and clearly most respected sports organizations in the world are joining together to own this team,” he added.

MLS has steadily grown since its formation in 1996 with successful, well-supported teams in city’s such as Los Angeles and Seattle. But it has failed to attract large television audiences and the league hopes a New York team will change that.

Garber said MLS viewed a top-flight team in New York City itself as a defining moment for the league.

“This is a big market and represents over 19 million people,” he said.

“I think it will be transformational for MLS and for soccer in America. This country is rapidly becoming a very powerful and passionate soccer nation and it is our view that bringing together these two organizations will allow us to continue that tremendous momentum and bring it arguably to the most important city in the entire world,” he added.

Manchester City, who won the Premier League in the 2011/12 season before finishing second to local rivals United this year, hope the Yankees will allow them to tap into expertise in reaching sports fans in New York.

“This is the best of both worlds – we believe we know how to manage a soccer club and the Yankees are a top sports organization in the world and are true New Yorkers,” Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano told Reuters.

“We have a long term plan for soccer in New York and there couldn’t be a better partner,” he said.

PHENOMENAL OPPORTUNITY

While City have been working on the details of an MLS franchise for nine months, Yankees president Randy Levine said his organization only joined the process “very, very recently”.

“We are really excited. George Steinbrenner, the boss, and the Steinbrenner family, (owners) Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, have long been soccer fans,” Levine told Reuters.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for us, in our home market, to partner with Manchester City, one of the great organizations in the world,” he added.

The new team will play at a temporary home in 2015 while efforts to find and build a new stadium are completed and Levine said Yankee Stadium was one option in the meantime.

Sheikh Mansour’s wealth and the Yankees local contacts should help in the construction of a new stadium.

MLS has already begun discussions with the City of New York about the possibility of building a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens but other options will also now be looked at.

“I don’t think there have been any setbacks (with Flushing Meadows) and I think clearly that is an option,” said Levine.

“We just got into this and we are going to sit down with our partners and the commissioner and get the lay of the land and review and see what is the best alternative. This is just to see what are the best available options,” he added.

As well as the Red Bulls in New Jersey, the other professional team in the New York area is the re-formed Cosmos who will join the second tier North American Soccer League later this year.

Retired former England midfielder David Beckham, who played for Los Angeles Galaxy, is in talks with MLS regarding an option he has to create a new MLS team but his deal with the league explicitly ruled out New York City as a possible location for such an “expansion franchise.”

Soriano said Beckham “was never considered” for any role in the new franchise.