The Original Game » h Jim Boylan, who stepped in after the Bucks and Scott

Four days after Larry Drew was replaced in Atlanta, the Milwaukee Bucks have swooped in to scoop him up. Cheap College Jerseys . The Bucks announced Friday that they have reached an agreement to hire Drew as their new head coach. According to ESPN, the deal is worth $10 million over four years. General manager John Hammond said Drews track record in Atlanta and experience as an assistant coach and former player made him the right choice. "We look forward to what he will bring to this franchise and we welcome him and his family to Milwaukee," Hammond said. Drew will replace interim coach Jim Boylan, who stepped in after the Bucks and Scott Skiles parted ways Jan. 8. Drew was 128-102 in Atlanta, and the Hawks reached the post-season in each of his three seasons. But general manager Danny Ferry, who inherited Drew when he took over last year, opted to let the coach go after the season as he continues his overhaul of the Hawks. Milwaukee made the playoffs this year for the first time since 2010, only to be swept by the Miami Heat. The sweep was part of a late-season collapse that cost Boylan any chance of getting the Bucks job permanently. After being two games over .500 on March 19, Milwaukee won just four of its last 16 regular-season games. It was Milwaukees third straight year with a losing record, and eighth time in the last nine years. Drew does not have the name recognition of Jerry Sloan or Stan Van Gundy, both of whom the Bucks tried to lure out of retirement. But he left Atlanta with a winning record, and consistently got more out of his teams than many expected. In his first season, the Hawks upset Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, then took the Chicago Bulls to six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. His understated demeanour could be just what the Bucks need, too, after a tumultuous season that included Skiles departure, a mid-season trade that sent promising young forward Tobias Harris to Orlando for J.J. Redick, and the implosion down the stretch that many blamed on players being more concerned with their own futures than the teams results. Redick and Mike Dunleavy are unrestricted free agents, while Brandon Jennings is a restricted free agent. Monta Ellis has until June 20 to exercise an $11 million player option. Drew faced similar challenges in Atlanta, where Ferry was brought in to remake the team in the hope of reviving a stagnant franchise. Despite going 84-64 in his first two seasons and reaching the playoffs both years, Drew was not offered an extension last summer. An assistant to previous coach Mike Woodson who moved up when his boss was fired in 2010, he was seen as part of the old regime. With his contract expiring June 30, Drew was essentially a lame duck this season -- and having only three players who were under contract for the upcoming season didnt help. Still, Atlanta finished 44-38 before losing to Indiana in six games in the first round of the playoffs. "I thought we had a really good season given what our circumstances were. They werent the best," Drew said after the Hawks were eliminated. "Whether Im back here or not, I dont know. The one thing I will say is Ive had a great run here." Ferry hired San Antonio Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to replace Drew. Drew inherits a Bucks squad that has plenty of potential -- but two major questions in the status of Ellis and Jennings. The two led the Bucks in scoring -- Ellis averaged 19.2 points per game, Jennings 17.5 -- and combined for almost 37 per cent of Milwaukees points. They also led the team in assists and minutes. But the Bucks have good, young players in Larry Sanders, Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson, as well as the 15th pick in the June 27 draft. Sanders made huge strides in his third season, more than doubling his scoring average (9.8 points) and grabbing more rebounds (672) than he had in his first two years combined. Henson, a rookie, showed his potential with a monster game April 10 in Orlando, flirting with a triple-double with 25 rebounds, 17 points and seven blocks. Ilyasova averaged a career-best 13.2 points and seven rebounds, while Luc Mbah a Moute has emerged as a standout defender. With more than $20 million in cap room, Milwaukee has money to spend on free agents, too. Now its up to Drew to do something with it. Clearance College Basketball Jerseys . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. College Jerseys Outlet . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. http://www.cheapcollegejerseys.net/ . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Paralympics leadership hoped Rio de Janeiro would build on the success of London. Instead, its about limiting any damage.When the curtain comes up for 4,300 athletes at Wednesdays opening ceremony, almost everything will be scaled back: venues, seating, and staffing. Paralympic officials say that no sports or nations have been cut out, but the athlete experience could suffer.Only a last-minute Brazilian government bailout has helped save the event from a shortfall in the local, privately funded operating budget.This is the worst situation that weve ever found ourselves in at Paralympic movement, Philip Craven, the president of the International Paralympic Committee, told The Associated Press. We were aware of difficulties, but we werent aware it was as critical as this.Rio organizers limped through the troubled Olympics, buffeted by empty seats, green water in swimming pools, and the absence of an Olympic feel. Behind the scenes there were no-show volunteers, street crime and traffic chaos.Craven said hes been assured there are sufficient resources to put on a very good games.Heres a look at the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics featuring athletes from 161 nations, and an added refugee team:---FINANCINGThe Rio Olympic organizing committee promised to use only private money in its 7.4 billion real ($2.3 billion) operating budget. But Craven said local organizers didnt tell him until about 5 1/2 weeks ago that there was no money left to run the Paralympics.They blamed it on slow ticket and sponsorship sales, and the rising cost to run the Olympics.Thats been a problem with the organizing committee -- not knowing information, Craven said.To salvage the event, the Rio city government came up with 150 million reals ($46.3 million) in financing, and the federal government has guaranteed another 100 million reals ($30.7 million). This comes in the form of sponsorships from three state-run entities including the scandal-plagued oil company Petrobras.A local prosecutor argued unsuccessfully that the privately-run organizing committee needed to open its books to justify the government bailout.The influx of public money is still less than half of the $170 million that Rio organizers promised for Paralympic funding in their 2009 bid to the International Olympic Committee.The bailout comes as Rio hospitals are understaffed, and some school classes have been suspended because teachers are staying away to protest delayed payments.The Brazilian newspaper Estadao reported last month that the top eight executives of the Rio organizing committee were each paid an average of $25,000 per month in 2015.International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach flatly denied public money was being used to patch up the local budget.There is no public money in the organization of these Olympic Games, Bach said the day before the Olympics closed -- and a day after the city hall financing was announced. The budget of the organizing committee is privately financed. There is no public funding for this.---NO SPORTS CUTParalympic organizers sayy there have been no cuts to the sports, all will be contested as planned, and no delegations were forced to drop out. Authentic College Football Jerseys. All the teams will be here, Craven said.All of Russias disabled athletes have been banned from the Paralympics for alleged involvement in Russias doping scandal. The ruling was upheld by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.Paralympic organizers originally planned for 4,350 athletes. Paralympic spokesman Craig Spence said all of the 267 slots allotted to Russian athletes could not be filled, dropping the athlete total to 4,300.He said athletes were ring-fenced from the cuts, but acknowledged theyll still feel them.The service levels will be the same, but probably the athlete experience compared to previous games will suffer a little bit, Spence said.---TICKETSOrganizers hope to sell just over 2 million of the 2.5 million tickets available. Tickets are priced at 10 reals ($3), with some fans buying tickets as a cheap way to see the Olympic Park with no guarantee they will actually attend a sports events.Organizers say sales have soared in the last two weeks with sales best for track and field, swimming, wheelchair basketball, five-a-side football, and seated volleyball.Most of the events will be held in the Olympic Park in suburban Barra da Tijuca. The second Olympic cluster in Deodoro has been scaled back and will host only three sports -- shooting, seven-player football and equestrian events. Wheelchair fencing has been moved from Deodoro to the Olympic Park.Paralympic officials say if 1.8 million are sold it would be the second-best selling Paralympics after London four years ago. Beijing eight years ago drew 3.3 million, but only 1.7 million tickets were sold.There are not going to be empty stadiums, Craven said. Dont worry about it.---SOME STARSHere are some to watch .Two visually impaired athletes -- Jason Smyth of Ireland and Omara Durand of Cuba -- are likely to be the fastest man and woman over 100 meters. American Tatyana McFadden is hoping to become the first track and field athlete to win seven golds at one Paralympic Games. 74-year-old Libby Kosmala of Australia is competing in her 12th Paralympics; Jonas Jacobsson, 51, of Sweden in his 10th -- both in shooting. Siamand Rahman of Iran will try to become the first Paralympian to lift 300 kilos in powerlifting. Zahra Nemati, who was the flagbearer for Iran in the Rio Olympics, is the first Iranian woman to win gold in either the Olympics or Paralympics -- she won gold in archery in Londons Paralympics. Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, who is seen as the Michael Phelps of the Paralympics, won four gold medals in Beijing and six in London, where he also set four world records. American Matt Stutzman is an armless archer who holds a world record for long-distance accuracy.---Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wade ' ' '