for the pending departure of chancellor Jimmy Cheek

OMAHA, Neb. -- After his semifinal heat in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday night, Michael Phelps stood on the pool deck with his arms folded and his eyes bouncing back and forth between the pool and the scoreboard. His focus centered on one man, swimming in the heat after him. It was a familiar face, the same one hes had his eyes on for the past 12 years: Ryan Lochte.At the Olympic trials back in 2004, Phelps began his dominance over Lochte in the 200 IM, winning his first of three straight medals in the event. Lochte finished second each time. Phelps then backed up his trials victories with three consecutive Olympic golds. Lochte settled for two silvers and a bronze. Yet Lochte holds the world record from the world championships in 2011.Why does any of this matter? On Friday night, when Phelps and Lochte go at it in the event for the fourth and final time at the trials, it will mark the unquestioned end of an era. Phelps, who turned 31 on Thursday, already has announced his retirement after the Rio Games, insisting there will be no comeback as there was after London. And the 32-year-old Lochte has battled a groin injury at these trials, prompting questions about his own career longevity. Lochte has yet to make the 2016 Olympic team in an individual event, but he has qualified for the 200-meter freestyle relay.Theirs is a rivalry born not out of bad blood, but rather ultimate respect. Two of the greatest male swimmers of all time, pushing one another for more than a decade.I think its one of the greatest rivalries in sports, me and him, Lochte said Thursday night. From what weve both done in the sport of swimming. Its fun racing him -- hes the toughest competitor out there.Even their times during Thursday nights semifinals, in which they swam in separate heats, were eerily similar. Phelps 1:57.61. Lochte 1:56.71.He and I have gone back and forth a number of times in this race, Phelps said. During the big meets, we have great races and are right there with each other. [Friday] night, well both be in the middle of the pool.After prelims Thursday morning, Lochte said he tried to alter his breaststroke kick to accommodate a groin pull he suffered during that leg of the 400 IM. It didnt work, with the pain returning on his first breaststroke kick. I was like, dammit, he said. After Thursday nights semifinal race, he said he felt better after taking some ibuprofen in the afternoon.It was easier than this morning, Lochte said. First part of the breaststroke felt good, and then halfway through it started hurting more and more to the last couple strokes. But I was able to put it together.Phelps doesnt believe the injury will be an issue for Lochte on Friday night.Even if he is hurt, hes not going to let anything be an excuse, he said.Lochtes prelim time of 1:58.05 was almost a second faster than Phelps 1:58.95. But Friday nights swim is what matters. Both swimmers acknowledge that they shut it down early toward the end of their semifinal heats. That surely wont happen Friday night.Im sure were gonna be out and step on the gas a little more than we have, Phelps said.Phelps qualified for the U.S. team with his victory in the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday night. Rio will be his fifth straight Olympics -- a record for a U.S. male swimmer. He said he struggled to sleep Wednesday night, waking up at 5 a.m. and texting his coach, Bob Bowman. Bowman told him to go back to sleep. Between Thursdays sessions, Phelps spent most of his birthday watching the European soccer championships. Family and friends planned to celebrate with him Thursday night in a private room his mom Debbie had rented.When asked if he planned to attend the festivities, Lochte chuckled.I dont think so, he said. Ill be in bed.Hell need the rest if he finally wants to beat his rival in the 200 IM at the trials. Their dominance of this race for the past 12 years is unparalleled. The list of the top 10 performances in the history of the race is filled with only two names: Lochte and Phelps. Each has five spots on the list, with Lochte occupying spots No. 1 and No. 2. They have not raced against each other in the 200 IM at a major international meet since the London 2012 Games. Phelps won that battle in a time of 1:54.27, beating Lochte by 0.63 seconds.Last summer at the world championships in Russia, Lochte won gold with a time of 1:55.88. Phelps did not compete in Russia as part of his punishment from USA Swimming after his September 2014 DUI arrest.Motivated in part by his frustration over that decision, Phelps responded by swimming the event in the fastest time in the world last year (1:54.75) at the U.S. Nationals in San Antonio. It was the eighth-fastest time ever.Both swimmers have scratched their participation from other events to focus on this one. Phelps removed himself from competing in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle competitions to focus on the 100- and 200-meter fly and 200 IM. Lochte scratched the 200-meter backstroke Thursday morning to focus on the 200 IM.I did whats best for me, Lochte said.Both swimmers are still scheduled to compete in preliminaries of the 100-meter butterfly on Friday morning. The top 16 finishers advance to the semifinals Friday night. That race will take place after the final of the 200 IM, the event that has mattered so much to both of these men for so long.[Friday] night is going to be a good battle, Lochte said. Any chance I can get up on those blocks and race him is definitely an honor. Jimmy Graham Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Adam Pankey Jersey . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. http://www.wholesalepackersjerseys.com/?tag=youth-lucas-patrick-jersey . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Greg Roberts Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Deon Simon Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Tuesday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- RIO DE JANEIRO -- IOC President Thomas Bach speaks out against the nuclear option of imposing a complete ban on Russian athletes for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, prompting a debate that lays much of the blame for the scandal on global anti-doping authorities. Bach opens the International Olympic Committees three-day general assembly by seeking formal backing from the full membership of the executive boards handling of the Russian doping scandal.- HOUSTON -- They have crisscrossed the country, their Olympic preparations taking them from coast to coast. Now the U.S. basketball teams take the flight they really want, departing Tuesday for Rio, with gold expected on the other side.- BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- The U.S. womens soccer team makes its Olympic debut on Wednesday looking to show it can continue to dominate despite losing some key players ahead of the Rio Games, where it will try to become the first nation to win the Olympics after succeeding at the World Cup.- PARIS -- Gustavo Kuerten has not been able to play tennis in years, thanks to problems with his hips that have required multiple operations. Still, the three-time French Open champion and former No. 1-ranked man is an important figure in his native Brazil, where he has inspired plenty to pick up a racket. Kuerten will be a correspondent for local TV during the Rio de Janeiro Games.- BALTIMORE -- Help is en route as the AL West-leading Rangers begin a three-game series at AL East-leading Baltimore. Texas acquired outfielder Carlos Beltran, catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress on Monday, bolstering a club that already has the ALs best record and has won four straight games. Baltimore welcomes an old friend, Steve Pearce, and new arm, Wade Miley, in its quest to reach the pplayoffs.ddddddddddddYu Darvish (2-2, 3.09) pitches for the Rangers against youngster Dylan Bundy (3-3, 3.46). Game starts 7:05 p.m.- INDIANAPOLIS -- Marvin Harrison often stood silently in the corner of the Indianapolis Colts locker room. He didnt need to utter a word. The numbers spoke for themselves, and he was content playing the quiet, productive.- OXNARD, Calif. -- Tony Romo smiled and joked a lot in his first chat with reporters at the Dallas quarterbacks 14th training camp -- even about the fat memes that circulated over an unflattering and deceptive photo. Hes serious about chasing an elusive Super Bowl title, though.Whos No. 1? The Associated Press began asking the most important question in sports in 1936, and 1,103 times since then the AP college football poll has provided an answer that has only led to more questions, such as: What? Why? Are you kidding? Now the AP has crunched 80 years worth of poll data to come up with an all-time top 100. List being released at 2 p.m.North Carolina is scheduled Tuesday to respond to five NCAA charges tied to the schools long-running academic fraud scandal. UNC got a weeklong extension to its 90-day deadline to respond to the NCAAs Notice of Allegations sent in April.- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart acknowledges this has been an emotional year as the school has settled a Title IX lawsuit, mourned the death of former womens basketball coach Pat Summitt and has prepared for the pending departure of chancellor Jimmy Cheek.- SPRINGFIELD,