player, in the Western Amateur final.It was pretty stressful, Meyer said. I knew that there was a lot of heat on it, and I knew that I had to make it to extend the match. As Coach (Illinois Mike Small) pre

While everyone has Olympic fever (thankfully that is not a side effect of Zika) this week, the countdown to the Games has to be bittersweet for fans of softball. The sport was discontinued from the Olympics after 2008, and it has suffered since losing its most high-profile event.Nobody knows that better than Jennie Finch. The legendary pitcher was a member of the U.S. Olympic teams in 2004 and 2008, and she was devastated after the team lost in the gold-medal game in Beijing.While the sport looks certain to make its Olympic return in 2020, Finch will never forget the disappointment she and her teammates felt after failing to stand atop the podium in their last attempt. She wrote about that feeling in a piece for Vox on Wednesday. Even now, eight years later, Im not completely over it, she wrote.It was horrible. I felt that wed let down the tradition of USA Softball. That wed fallen short for all the women whod paved this golden tradition for us.Finch goes on to compare the life of a softball player to one of her male, baseball-playing peers, and she helps provide a stark contrast that, while nothing new, is definitely worth reading today.See something entertaining on social media that you think deserves to be shared? Let me know on Twitter, @darcymaine_espn.J.T. Brown Jersey . Nigeria beat surprise package Ethiopia 2-0 in the second leg of their playoff for a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory. Victor Moses converted a 20th-minute penalty after an Ethiopian handball, and Victor Obinna made certain of Nigerias place in Brazil with his powerful free kick in the 82nd at UJ Esuene Stadium. Jared Spurgeon Jersey . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Greg-pateryn-wild-jersey/ . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Jared Spurgeon Wild Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. Mikko Koivu Wild Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season.BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- Michigan sophomore Nick Carlson won two matches on the 19th hole Thursday at Oakland Hills to advance to the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals.Carlson, from Hamilton, Michigan, beat British Amateur champion Scott Gregory of England in the morning round of 32, and topped Thailands KK Limbhasut in the afternoon round of 16.It was unreal, Carlson said. I cant even describe it. There were so many people on this last hole. I was feeding off them on 18. ... I didnt really realize how amazing it was to have this big of a crowd until that last putt went in. Just to look out and see people three-deep all around the green, it was pretty special.Carlson will face Illinois junior Dylan Meyer of Evansville, Indiana, on Saturday on the Donald Ross-designed South Course that Ben Hogan dubbed the The Monster in his 1951 U.S. Open victory.I cant even put it to words, Carlson said. Sure, everyone is trying to win this, but I was just trying to get to match play, and now Im in the elite eight.Meyer beat Alex Smalley, the Duke sophomore from Wake Forest, North Carolina, who led stroke-play qualifying, 4 and 3 in the morning and outlasted Englands Sam Horsfield in 19 holes in the afternoon.Against Horsfield, Meyer made a 10-foot par putt on the 18th hole to extend the match, and won with a par on the firsst extra hole.dddddddddddd Meyer also beat the Florida player, in the Western Amateur final.It was pretty stressful, Meyer said. I knew that there was a lot of heat on it, and I knew that I had to make it to extend the match. As Coach (Illinois Mike Small) preaches, we own 10-footers, we own 6-footers, we own these putts that put us in these positions, and as a good player, youre going to be in these positions. You have to be clutch, and its how you respond.In the other upper-bracket quarterfinal, Pepperdines Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills, California, will face Australias Curtis Luck. In the round of 16, Theegala beat Chiles Joaquin Niemann 3 and 1, and Luck routed Cameron Young of Scarborough, New York, 6 and 4.In the other quarterfinals, Southern Californias Jonah Texeira of Porter Ranch, California, will play LSUs Luis Gagne of Orlando, Florida, and former Stanford player David Boote of Wales will face Oklahomas Brad Dalke of Norman, Oklahoma.Texeira beat Kyler Dunkle of Denver 6 and 5; Gagne topped Jimmy Stanger of Tampa, Florida, 3 and 1; Boote edged Collin Morikawa of La Canada, California, 2 and 1; and Dalke beat Bryan Baumgarten of Granite Bay, California, in 19 holes. ' ' '