The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • C1

Monday, July 14, 2008 charlotte.com/sports SECTION SportsPANTHERS RYAN KALILFind out his sports hero growingup, and what he bought with his first NFL paycheck. 2C KENNY PERRY WINS JOHN DEERE CLASSIC Breaks tie with Brad Adamonis, Jay Williamson in playoff hole for his 3rd win in 5 starts. 2C JOLIET, Ill. Perhaps it is not wise to see the finish of Saturday LifeLock 400 as some sort of demarcation between the fortunes of Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. It, however, surely is tempting.

When Johnson passed Busch for the lead with 16 laps to go, Busch came over his radio and declared, not how it turned out. Not this year, when every- thing that happens somehow adds up to 18 the number on Toyota. Johnson was pulling away and sailing toward his second win of the season until a late caution for David blown engine set up a two- lap race to the checkered flag. That opened the door for Busch, 23, and he plowed right through it for his seventh win of the season. Johnson is the two-time defending Cup Se- ries champion, and going to be around in the final 10 races when the Chase determines the 2008 title winner.

Race fortunes breaking for Busch IN MY OPINION DAVID POOLE JOE ROBBINS U.S. PRESSWIRE PHOTO Kyle Busch pushes Jimmie Johnson across the finish line on the final restart en route to winning the LifeLock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night. SEE JOHNSON, 6C By Edward G. Robinson III (Raleigh) News Observer ARLINGTON, Texas Years ago, Josh Hamilton made a promise to Clay Council. They never shook hands or signed a contract.

It was just the word of one baseball player to another. Hamilton, a student at Ra- leigh Athens Drive High at the time, told Council, an American Legion volunteer coach who tossed batting practice, that if he ever reached Major League Home Run Derby he would take him along to pitch. Three weeks ago, phone rang in his Cary home. On the other end was Hamilton, the former Athens Drive phe- nom and now major league All- Star for the Texas Rangers. the first guy I thought Hamilton said last week before a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Rangers Ballpark.

done so much for so many kids and probably got a lot of thank-yous for it. is a big thank Hamilton, voted to his first Major League Baseball All-Star Game, called Council to remind him of the promises they made to each other years ago. you as good as your Hamilton asked. Council an- swered. And so 71-year-old Clay Council traveled from the Tri- angle to New York on Sunday to toss pitches to the Raleigh-born Hamilton during Home Run Derby at Yankee Sta- dium.

Council said Hamilton has never had trouble hitting him, so he was a logical choice. to him through- out the years, always hit me so Council said. would tease him, you ever have a try- out or get to the Home Run Der- by, you better let me throw be- cause you wear me no reason to believe Council will not put the ball on the money at the Derby. de- livered strikes to countless young players throughout the Triangle for nearly 40 years as a volunteer coach for Cary High and Cary American Legion teams. A 1955 Apex High graduate, he has had an affinity for baseball since he played American Le- gion ball in Raleigh as a teenag- er.

He played three years of rookie professional ball and two years in the Army before return- MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HOME RUN DERBY, 8 P.M. ESPN JASON ARTHURS (RALEIGH) NEWS OBSERVER PHOTO Clay Council, 71, a coach for the Cary American Legion team, will pitch to Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby tonight at Yankee Stadium, on the mound where Babe Ruth used to play. you imagine an old country boy in Yankee Council said. Big thank-you for a big giver Josh Hamilton keeps his word to an old friend LM OTERO ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Josh Hamilton entered games as the American League leader in RBIs and tied for second in home runs as a Texas Rangers outfielder. Here he celebrates his game-winning, two-run home run in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels last week.

The Rangers won 5-4. SEE HAMILTON, 5C BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE, France Riccardo Ricco captured the ninth stage Sunday in premier race, finishing more than one minute ahead of Luxem- Kim Kirchen and the main pack. Ricco, who rides for the Saunier Duval team, burst from the pack on the final ascent with about 19 miles left in the 139-mile route from Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Bigorre. YELLOW JERSEY: Kim Kirchen the Team Columbia leader retained the overall lead ahead of Cadel Evans of Australia, who recovered from a crash and did not lose any time. Christian Vande Velde of the United States rose from fourth to third.

OBSERVER NEWS SERVICES Tour de France, 3C BAS CZERWINSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Aleksandr Kuschynski of Belarus, Nicolas Jalabert of France, and Sebastian Lang of Germany (left to right), cycle in a breakaway group during ninth stage of the Tour de France, which took the race between Toulouse and Bagneres-de-Bigorre. ON A SUNDAY By Rick Bonnell As most anyone known Muggsy Bogues would attest, he give up easily. There was this pretty lady met the night of ex-teammate Dell retirement cele- bration in 2003. He gave her his cell phone num- ber, but two weeks had passed and she called. So former Charlotte Hornet Bogues went through his financial advisor at Wachovia to track down Sharon Smith.

They talked, they clicked and they dated steadily the past five years, right up until Smith succumbed to cancer Thursday at Carolinas Medical Center. was such a fighter. Every step of the way, she never thought this thing would beat Bogues said Sunday night. Bogues and Smith PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CHARLOTTE STING Muggsy Bogues and girlfriend Sharon Smith teamed up to fight breast cancer. Cancer patient a but loses battle Former Hornet Muggsy Bogues helps girlfriend of 5 years through her struggle, but it ended Thursday.

SEE BOGUES, 7C Sprint Cup standings Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. Kyle Busch 2881 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2619 -262 3. Jeff Burton 2590 -291 4. Carl Edwards 2509 -372 5. Jimmie Johnson 2494 -387 6. Jeff Gordon 2384 -497 7.

Greg Biffle 2318 -563 8. Matt Kenseth 2317 -564 9. Kevin Harvick 2308 -573 10. Tony Stewart 2305 -576 11. Kasey Kahne 2295 -586 12.

Denny Hamlin 2283 -598 NEXT RACE: Allstate 400 at The Brickyard July 27, 2 p.m. TV: ESPN Home Run Derby TODAY, 8 P.M., ESPN AMERICAN LEAGUE Josh Hamilton Evan Longoria Grady Sizemore Justin Morneau NATIONAL LEAGUE Lance Berkman Ryan Braun Dan Uggla Chase Utley.