When Eric Murray and Hamish Bond jump into their boat in Rio, people wont be asking whether theyre going to win, but by how much.The New Zealand pair hasnt lost a race since 2007, so anything but a third consecutive Olympic gold medal would be a major upset.Some of their closest competitors have switched events to avoid having to compete against the blond Kiwis, something that has only strengthened their grip on the mens pair.Here are some of the other things to watch for in the rowing competition.NO SPLASHINGWater quality is a serious concern in the Rodrigo de Freitas lake, where an Associated Press investigation last year found high levels of viruses.Though the international rowing federation called the water quality very acceptable at last years Junior World Championships, its medical commission recommends rowers to avoid inadvertent immersion, including splashing.Taking no chances, the U.S. team will be training in special suits with anti-microbial features. Katelin Snyder, who coxes the U.S. womens eight, said shed gladly skip the tradition of throwing the coxswain in the water, saying winning would be enough of a celebration.THE FANTASTIC EIGHTThe U.S. womens eight is one of most successful teams in international sports, having won every World Championship and Olympic gold medal since 2006.The dynasty has endured even though the crews have changed. Only two rowers, Meghan Musnicki and Eleanor Logan, remain from the eight that won gold in the London Olympics.The biggest menace to the U.S. winning streak is likely to come from New Zealand or Great Britain, which nearly caught up with the Americans in a World Cup race in May in Switzerland.CATCHING CRABSWhen rowers talk about catching a crab theyre not thinking about trapping crustaceans from the boat.The expression is used to describe what happens when the oar blade gets caught in the water at the wrong moment. This causes the oar to flip, which slows down the boat and sometimes it can knock the rower into the water.Its rare among top-level rowers but it happens. Australias mens four caught a crab just ahead of the finish line in a World Cup event in May, which allowed Britain to surge past them and win.RULE BRITTANIA?Britain topped the medal table for rowing in London 2012 with four gold, two silver and three bronze medals. It was Britains biggest medal haul ever in the sport.Thats going to be tough to match for Team GB in Rio. Helen Glover and Heather Stanning will be hard to beat in the womens pair but 40-year-old Katherine Grainger, competing in her fifth Olympics, may find it tough to defend her gold in the womens double sculls. This time Grainger is partnering with Vicky Thornley.Britain has won 63 Olympic medals in rowing, second only to the United States.CROATIAN BROTHERSMartin and Valent Sinkovic are two-time world champions in the mens double sculls and big favorites to win Croatias first Olympic gold in rowing.They used to race in the quadruple sculls and won the silver medal in that event in London four years ago. After teaming up in the doubles in 2014 they havent lost a single race.Valent, 27, is a year older that Martin. Both say they were introduced to rowing by a third brother, Matija Sinkovic. Custom Nashville Predators Jerseys . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Craig Smith Jersey . SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Kyle-turris-predators-jersey/ . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Juuse Saros Jersey . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Matt Irwin Jersey . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. ARLINGTON, Va. -- ?? Barring a complete collapse, nothing the Washington Capitals do from the time the puck drops on the 2016-17 season until April will mean much of anything in the long run.Over the past nine seasons, there have been plenty of trophies: three for Alex Ovechkin as MVP and six for the most goals, one for Braden Holtby as top goaltender, one each for Bruce Boudreau and Barry Trotz as coach of the year and two Presidents Trophies for the team having the most points in the regular season. Eight times the Capitals have made the playoffs and eight times theyve failed to make it past the second round.The Stanley Cup is still very much within reach, especially with Ovechkin, Holtby and centers Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov in the prime of their careers. But with key players Karl Alzner, Justin Williams and T.J. Oshie eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, the salary cap hanging over their heads and the uncertainty that follows, this is arguably the Capitals last, best chance to win the championship they looked to be building toward for more than a decade.When you get older, then the more think about that a little more, Alzner said. I would love to just win so you can stop worrying about getting that win.Last spring, after dominating the NHL for 82 games, the Capitals beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round before falling in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin, who just turned 31 and has led the league in goals for four consecutive seasons, brushed it off as, Last year is last year, though the sting of that loss stuck with players through the summer.Back at the rink for training camp, it was hard to deny a desire to fast-forward several months. But another first-in-the-NHL finish guarantees nothing, as the Capitals know all too well.Itd be nice to just jump back into June or May and say, OK, lets have another crack at it, but thats not the way it works, right winger Tom Wilson said. The tough part is the 82-game season: getting yourself into the position to have success, and then when youre there, to have success at the right time.After the Capitals played their best hockey early and midseason and the Penguins hit their stride for the stretch run and the playoffs, center Jay Beagle thought a lot about peaking at the right time. If he and his teammates learned any lesson from last season its that they need to be at their best at playoff time, something that hasnt been the case so far.ddddddddddddhe playoffs is about scoring big goals at big times, said Williams, who won the Cup twice with the Los Angeles Kings. The margin of errors very small. You dont want to be asking yourself why things didnt go right. ... You want to be asking yourself why it went right. We have a chip on our shoulder and we have a point to prove to everybody.Here are some other things to watch with the Capitals this season:HOLT-BEAST MODEHoltby, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, started 66 games last season and 72 in 2014-15. Expect him to play less and backup Philipp Grubauer more as Trotz, goalie coach Mitch Korn and the Capitals reduce Holtbys workload so he peaks for the playoffs like the New York Rangers did with Henrik Lundqvist a few years ago.CONSISTENT KUZNETSOVEven though he led Washington with 77 points and was an All-Star, Kuznetsov had just one goal and 12 assists in his final 31 games, including the playoffs, and must show better endurance over a long season. The 24-year-old Russian is due a big raise as a restricted free agent and can prove hes an elite player.BLUE LINE DEPTHAlzner, John Carlson and Matt Niskanen are Washingtons top three defensemen and then theres a drop off. Brooks Orpik is 36 and better in a third-pairing role, so the Capitals may count on Dmitry Orlov making the leap and taking on more responsibilities.NOTHING REGULARBackstrom chaffed at Presidents Trophy talk late last season after winning it in 2009 preceded a first-round eOKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook recorded his second straight triple-double and NBA-best seventh of the season with 17 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Detroit Pistons 106-88 on Saturday night.It was Westbrooks 44th career triple-double, tying LeBron James for sixth all time in the league. It took Westbrook 605 career games; James did it in his 1,000th game.?Westbrook shot just 8-for-22 from the field after scoring at least 30 points for eight straight games. It was just the second time this year Westbrook failed to score 20.Anthony Morrow scored 21 points off the bench to lead the Thunder (10-8), who were playing their fourth game in six nights in four different cities. Victor Oladipo added 18 while Steven Adams had 16 points and nine rebounds.It was just the fourth time in 18 games this season that Westbrook did not lead the team in scoring.Tobias Harris scored 21 points for the Pistons, who have lost five of their past seven.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Michael Thomas Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. Custom New Orleans Saints Jerseys . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. http://www.authenticsaintssportsonline.com/saints-cameron-jordan-gold-jersey/ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Erik McCoy Jersey . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. Wil Lutz Saints Jersey . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. RIO DE JANEIRO -- It shouldnt be that hard. The Americans make it look that way.The latest U.S. debacle in the Olympic relays reached its end point Saturday, when track officials rejected the protest from the American team and upheld their disqualification from the 4x100-meter mens relay race from the night before. The United States crossed the line third, but Canada keeps the bronze medal.At issue: The baton exchange between Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin between the first and second legs.According to rule 170.7 of the track and field handbook, its illegal for the baton to touch the second runners hand before it passes the yellow line that marks the start of the zone. Overhead shots of the exchange show Gatlin doing just that.The U.S. men now are medal-less in the last three Olympics in a race that was virtually made for the country with the deepest collection of sprint talent, even with Usain Bolt running against them. Tyson Gay and Darvis Doc Patton fumbled the baton in 2008. In 2012, the U.S. held on for silver, only to get that one stripped because of Gays subsequent doping positive.In all, this equals 10 finishes outside the medals since 1995 in either world championships or the Olympics.I couldnt even shed a tear I was so shocked, said Gay, who has been around for many of the most recent failures. I couldnt even cry. Damn, bad luck again. Its weird. I dont get it.It gets shoved in their face, time and time again. In a feature previewing the race, NBC had four of the U.S. sprinters look at some of the nightmares that have preceded them.Unfortunately, weve come to be defined by failure, said the coach, Dennis Mitchell.Mitchells naming to his post raised some eyebrows, not only because hes been part of the problems of the recent past, but because he has a doping history, too.Carl Lewis, who won two Olympic relay golds, has been a longtime critic of the way USA Track and Field does relays. Asked about the issue in March, he laid out the problems, saying the U.S. relay game is fraught with infighting among agents, volunteers and administration.USATF needs to stop the joking, stop the crap, Lewis said. What they need to do is get a retired college coach whos going to tell the agent to kiss off, whos going to tell thee athletes to get in line and who knows how to put together a relay.ddddddddddddSome say the pressure of holding off Bolt, year in and year out, takes its toll and takes people out of their comfort zone.True, but there was one little problem with that Friday.Take Bolt out of it, and we still wouldve been beaten by Japan, said Mike Tucci, a high school coach in Delaware, who has produced champion after champion, often by not even using his fastest runners.Not a single man on Japans second-place team made an individual sprint final at the Olympics. Japan focused on winning a medal in the relays, perfected the handoff and took it to the line. Legally.Not that all has gone wrong for the United States, either in the relays or the track meet itself. Even without the mens relay, the United States entered the weekend with 27 medals, on pace to surpass the 29 it took home from London four years ago.The womens team won the 4x100, but it overcame a lot along the way.First, there was a dropped baton in preliminaries that came because a Brazilian runner bumped Allyson Felix in the passing zone. That led to a protest, then a bizarre rerun of the heat, alone on the track.The U.S. made the final, and Tianna Bartoletta, Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie blew away Jamaica for gold. They recorded the second-fastest time in history (41.01 seconds) despite a less-than-perfect exchange between Gardner and Bowie, who had to reach back twice to get the baton.It helps being so much faster, and USATF was touting the success story with this fun anecdote: Shortly before the warm-up, Gardner opened her bag to discover there was only one shoe in there. As luck had it, Felix had an extra pair -- although a half-size bigger -- and loaned it to Gardner.Thats a great story, but only because they won.For the men, let the second-guessing begin.Some of my kids are coming up to me mad, saying `Why do we keep losing? said Tucci, the high school coach. When it happens once, its a mental thing or a goofy situation. When its twice, you cringe a little bit. When it happens three or four times, you start thinking its systematic. ' ' 'xit. After winning it again last year, its not like the Capitals want to lose more games, but the balance between going hard in the regular season and pacing themselves warrants monitoring to see how it affects their place in the standings.ELLER, ELLER, ELLERAcquiring Lars Eller from Montreal gives Washington a solid third-line center behind Backstrom and Kuznetsov and could make it look more like Pittsburghs top-nine forward group. The Capitals didnt copycat the Penguins in many ways, but they want to have three scoring lines, and Eller is a big key to that happening.---Follow Stephen Whyno on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SWhyno ' ' '