another team. Hey, everyone has a breaking point, right? Al

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Rafael Nadal was something to behold during his third-round singles match on a windswept Thursday at Olympic Centre Court.True, he flashed plenty of raggedness. No surprise there, given that injuries and self-doubt have recently stunted his play.But mixed amid a stream of unforced errors in a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win against Frances Gilles Simon were enough vibrant glimpses of vintage Nadal to widen the eyes. There were stirring side-to-side dashes. There were buzz-saw forehands that looked sure to sail three feet long only to crash down, suddenly and violently, straight into play.Same as always, the 30-year-old Spaniards intensity filled the stadium. He looked like he would chew off an arm if it meant giving himself a better chance to win. It was no surprise then, when, after the match, he said in his brief comments that he would fight to the death for a medal.Nadal, of course, is as tough a competitor as weve ever seen in any sport. He didnt need to play here. He already has a singles gold medal, from Beijing in 2008. A wrist injury caused him to miss the 2016 Wimbledon after he pulled out of his beloved French Open. And yet here he is, on the brink of a performance that would significantly gild his legend. Two more golds are a possibility in Rio. He followed the Simon match by winning in the semifinals of doubles with partner Marc Lopez. (Nadal then pulled out of the first round of mixed doubles with Garbine Muguruza.)?But if Nadal at the 2016 Rio Games underscores his dogged competitiveness, it is also a potent reminder of something missing. Or, rather, someone: Roger Federer.Martina had Chris. McEnroe had Borg. Agassi had Sampras. Since they first played in 2003, Nadal has always had Federer. Both, no doubt, have lost a step. Other rivalries have begun. But no matchups have defined mens tennis in its current form like the tense battles waged when the two greats faced off in their best days. At Wimbledon in 2008, they played five scintillating sets that finished with the dusky All England Club reveling in, arguably, the greatest match in tennis history.Ah, what fun these two could have had, playing in front of the electric crowds in Rio.Only Federer is nowhere to be seen. As far back as 2012, he was saying hed play at least long enough to take the court in Brazil. Then 2016 came, and with it a knee surgery and a balky back and birthday No. 35. After losing gamely in the Wimbledon semifinals last month, Federer shut down his entire 2016 season to heal up. The closest he came to Rio was a lonely tweet -- Wish I was there with you -- typed from some undisclosed location during the Games opening ceremonies.Sadly, opportunities like this -- the Spaniard and the Swiss duking it out with the whole world watching -- might not come again. There was a period when Nadal and Federer, despite never playing each other in the Olympics, averaged four or five matchups every year. (Nadal owns a commanding 23-11 head-to-head record, in good part because prime Federer was often good enough to make it to the finals of the clay tournaments where Nadal reigned.)But they have played less and less with the passing of each season. There was just one match in 2014, a Nadal victory at the Australian Open. Then a single match in 2015, Federer winning in Basil. 2016 will end without them playing at all. Ugh.If Federer were here, they could have been closing in on a Rio showdown. Given the way their careers have been trending, and paying a nod to the strength-sapping march of time, it just might have been their last great match.Still, there is what might have been, and there is the plain reality of the moment. Upsets and the Federer no-show have turned the tennis star power in Rio down a notch, but well-known players such as Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro remain, and theyll be challenged in the closing days by the likes of Americans Madison Keys and Steve Johnson, who both advanced in singles Thursday.The Olympic tournament is proving to be memorable, full of great play and stands brimming with rhythmic chants, stomping feet and flag-waving national pride. That kind of atmosphere was on full display Thursday afternoon, when Andy Murray beat back stubborn 40th-ranked Italian Fabio Fognini, digging out of the 3-0 third-set hole by winning the last six games.Both have a few matches to go, but Murray and Nadal are now favored to meet in the final. That would be the 2008 gold medal holder against the 2012 champion, a wonderful and attractive match, perhaps as good as any that will be played this year.But it wouldnt be Federer versus Nadal.Wholesale Shoes Australia . 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The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.Everyone has a go-to-move during training camp fights.Maybe its a slap to the side of the helmet. Or a tug of the facemask. Or even a quick, efficient jab. Yeah, some guys throw punches. Fake haymakers. But those are a waste of time in August. And roundhouse kicks arent going to fly either.My move? I was a face mask guy. Grab it quickly, and pull that thing down hard. Then use the off-arm to secure the body. Lock that dude up. Now you are in control. Now you are leading the dance until the rest of the guys jump in. Offense versus defense. Everyone meet up in the middle of the field. Pushing. Shoving. Words. A few weak punches might be thrown too. Nothing gets guys going in August like a good scuffle.?Then, suddenly, its over. Coaches bark, players separate, and practice resumes. Back to the drill. Back to the huddle. Line up again.But that simple fight -- or scrum -- serves a purpose in practices all over the NFL. Its a necessary change of pace in the otherwise monotonous slog of training camp. Heck, sometimes these are even scripted or planned before the day starts. Whatever the case, the intensity level of that practice session changes a bit after the scuffle. The team gets a quick jolt of energy. The speed on the field increases. In some ways, that little fight can be looked at as a positive.?I remember a pretty good scrum during the first couple days of camp back in Washington under Steve Spurrier. Its was early too, maybe the second day of pads. During a 7-on-7 drill, a running back got laid out on a checkdown route. His response? Whip a ball at the head of linebacker Jessie Armstead. Nope. Cant do it. We all jumped in and took care of that situation.Players feed off that kind of stuff in August. I know I did. No one got banged up there. And once Spurrier cleared the thing out, we went back to work. It was almost routine. Come together and shove each other for a minute, and then shut it down. Get the next play call, and start rolling.Sure, there are NFL coaches who wont put up with this stuff. Bill Belichick is one of them. Throw a punch, and youre gone. See ya. That happened twice last week in the New England Patriots joint practices with the Chicago Bears. Malcolm Butler and Bryan Stork. Belichick tossed them both.?Other coaches? Many of them wont sweat a fight on the practice field in camp. You might get chewed out after the fight inn front of the team, but youll still get an atta boy from your position coach coach when the headman isnt looking.ddddddddddddWhy do fights start? A lot of reasons. A chop block. A low tackle at the knees. Playing through the whistle. Heck, maybe you lit up an offensive player with a big hit. Do that, and someone is going to come after you. The lick I laid on Trung Canidate during Redskins camp in 2003 (video below) didnt immediately start a fight, but it changed the dynamic of practice, and a scuffle broke out later that day.?One-on-one drills are also prime grounds for fights. Just this past weekend, Seahawks DE Michael Bennett got booted from practice for fighting O-lineman Bradley Sowell after Sowell had taken a few shots at Bennetts position-mate Josh Shirley in one-on-one drills.Thats pro football in August.Remember: These guys have been competing since July, and you get tired of beating on your own teammates day after day.And these joint practices? What do coaches think is going to happen when two teams get together in August? Come on, man. Players are fighting for jobs right now.Yeah, these joint sessions are great if we are talking about the level of competition. Its going to rise. Its another chance for coaches and GMs to evaluate the roster in a controlled setting. Those are very good reps to get on tape.But the fights at these things should almost be expected at this point of camp. Its hot. Its humid. Guys want to get out of camp. They are tired. They want to go home. They arent used to practicing against another team. Hey, everyone has a breaking point, right? All it takes is a quick shove, and everyone starts pouring onto the field. Its a battle royale, WWE-style.Plus, you are going to support your teammates. You dont stand there and watch some dude wrestle your buddy to the ground. Get in there, guy. Mix it up. Then get back to the routine of practice.The majority of these fights, in reality, are pretty lame. And you dont want to see pro ball players swinging on each other every day in August. Thats not going to build a winner. But camps are ultra competitive, and stuff happens. A mini-fight? Thats part of the deal.ESPN.com NFL analyst Matt Bowen played seven seasons as a defensive back in the NFL. ' ' '