PHOENIX -- One of the most popular Phoenix Suns players from the franchises past will guide the team to an uncertain future. At the news conference on Tuesday announcing his hiring as Suns coach, Jeff Hornacek spoke at length about his readiness for the job and the influences that will guide him. "Ive always felt that Ive been a coach," he said. "My dad was a coach, so Ive been around basketball since I was 5 years old." Hornacek played the first six of his 14 NBA seasons with the Suns. He was traded to Philadelphia in the Charles Barkley deal, then went to Utah, where he found great success as the backcourt teammate of John Stockton. Hornacek retired from playing to spend more time with his family, then eased into coaching, first as a shooting instructor in Utah, then since 2011 as a full-time assistant with the Jazz. His coaching style, he said, would be heavily influenced by his days playing for Cotton Fitzsimmons in Phoenix and Jerry Sloan in Utah. "Hopefully, I can take Jerrys toughness, Cottons enthusiasm and confidence-building and blend them together," Hornacek said, "and become a great coach like some of the great coaches that have been here in the past." He went through a "whos who" list of the best Suns players in the past, from Gar Heard to Walter Davis, Alvin Adams, Kevin Johnson, Barkley and Steve Nash. "Theres been great success here over the years," Hornacek said. But the Suns never have won an NBA title, and things have gone from mediocre to far worse the last couple of seasons. Hornacek inherits a team that went 25-57 last season, the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst in Suns history. Only the teams inaugural season of 1968-69 was worse. Owner Robert Sarver said that these days the Suns "are selling hope." Hornacek will embody that belief as new general manager Ryan McDonough works to improve the teams unimpressive roster. Phoenix has the fifth and 30th picks in next months draft. Hornaceks philosophy will be to build teamwork with a consistent improvement on the court. He especially looks forward to working with young players, although he knows that fortunes arent transformed overnight. "Sometimes its a tough deal as a coach, as players," Hornacek said. "Youre going to have some struggles and thats when you have to stay positive through that, knowing that youre ultimately striving to get better and you have a higher goal." He said that he will enter the season with no preconceived notions on players and looks forward to the teaching aspect of his job. He said that todays players often havent received much quality coaching before they get to the NBA, often after just a year in college. His experience the last few years with Utah, Hornacek said, showed him that the demeanour of young players is not indicative of their willingness to be taught. "They may look at you and you might think theyre not paying attention," he said, "but they really do want to learn." McDonoughs first task when he replaced the fired Lance Blanks was to find a coach. He had heard all the great things about Hornacek but said the hiring seemed "almost too obvious." After McDonough met with Hornacek last week, he understood what all of those who had promoted him for the job were talking about. The team then moved quickly over the weekend to finalize the deal. Hornacek brings an amiable personality to a challenging job. He thinks thats an asset, because when he does come down hard on players, it will be a rare occurrence that gets their attention. "You have to find that fine balance between being able to get on guys and not harping on them all the time," he said, "because if you do that theyre going to tune you out." Hornacek has a home in Phoenix but McDonough said the new coachs abilities, and not the fact that he had such strong ties to the Suns, were the reason he was hired. "That was a bonus," McDonough said. Hornacek replaces Lindsey Hunter, who became interim coach after Alvin Gentry and the team parted ways in mid-January. Hornacek was drafted in the second round by Phoenix in 1986, the 46th selection overall. He eventually became part of a high-scoring backcourt with point guard Kevin Johnson, but he was sent to Philadelphia in the Barkley trade. Hornacek spent less than two years with the 76ers before being traded to Utah, where he played alongside Stockton for six-plus seasons, helping the team twice reach the NBA Finals. He averaged 14.5 points, topped by a career-best 20.1 points in 1992, his final season with Phoenix. He retired in 2000, and after working with the Jazz in various roles, he became a full-time assistant coach in 2011. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Ryan-Switzer-Jersey/ . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Emmitt-Smith-Jersey/ . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Sean-Lee-Jersey/ .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Hoodie/ . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. http://www.cowboysrookieproshop.com/Cowboys-Demarcus-Ware-Jersey/ . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Evelyn Stevens has built the kind of resume in cycling that should make her one of the favorites to land on the podium in Sundays Olympic road race.She nearly didnt get the chance to compete at all.In perhaps the strongest sign of American might, the four women selected for the road race were not set until just before leaving for Rio -- and after several arbitration hearings sought by riders who believed they had earned the chance to race along Copacabana Beach.That was the first time I ever had that experience, said Stevens, who also competed at the London Olympics four years ago. I wouldnt call it a pleasant process to go through for anyone.Especially riders such as Carmen Small and Amber Neben who lost their cases.USA Cycling does not use Olympic trials for its team. It relies instead on a complex set of criteria giving riders the opportunity to earn automatic nomination through results on the world stage, such as reaching the podium at the world championships like Megan Guarnier did last fall.If that doesnt fill out the team, the decision goes to a committee that examines riders resumes against the selection criteria. And that opens the entire process to accusations of bias.The committee this year chose Stevens, Mara Abbott and Kristin Armstrong to ride along Guarnier, and all three are deserving. Stevens is the current hour record holder, Abbott is among the best climbers in the world and perfect for the hilly Rio course, and Armstrong is a two-time gold medalist in the time trial -- she must also ride in the road race to compete in that event.So where did the problem occur?Well, Small trumped both Stevens and Armstrong in the time trial at the national championships earlier this year. Neben has competed for years on the world stage and won several medals.It became such a conundrum that USA Cycling may implement trials for the 2020 Tokyo Games.You have to be careful because our No. 1 objective is to select the best team for a given Olympics, USA Cycling chief executive Derek Boucharrd-Hall told The Associated Press.dddddddddddd And trials isnt necessarily the way to do it because you introduce an element of luck. What if someone crashes? What if someone is sick? Its different in running where people dont get flat tires.You introduce an element of chance where you could not have your best athletes going.Bouchard-Hall believes one solution might be to combine the two selection systems. Riders could still earn an automatic spot through results over a period of time, and there could still be a role for the committee to select riders. But one spot would also go to the winner of trials.That is the system that is used to select the three-man BMX squad for the Olympics.The system we have opens you up to accusations of bias and unfairness and thats totally understandable, Bouchard-Hall said. Having lived that personally as an athlete, I understand that.There are other benefits of Olympic trials, such as broadcast and marketing opportunities, which would help with Bouchard-Halls goal of expanding cycling to a broader audience.In the meantime, the four riders lining up for Sundays road race form a formidable squad, with Guarnier one of the biggest favorites after her recent victory in the Giro Rosa.They will be challenged by a strong Dutch squad that includes reigning gold medalist Marianne Vos and Anna Van Der Breggen, British star Lizzie Armitstead and Polands Katarzyna Niewiadoma.They will be tackling a slightly shorter version of the mens course that caused all kinds of problems Saturday. Numerous riders lost chains or had other mechanical problems on the cobblestones, including Tour de France winner Chris Froome, who needed a bike change midway through.The race begins and ends in the shadows of Fort Copacabana along the beach.Its a hard circuit, like nothing Ive done before, said New Zealands Linda Villumsen, so its hard to know what sort of rider it will suit. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Authentic Jerseys ' ' '