with just this focus. [The 200 back] is my favorite race. Glad its fin

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Inside the heart of Riot Games campus, Team Mountain fell 0-2 to Team Infernal (supported by Echo Fox) to begin the League of Legends Scouting Grounds round-robin group stage Wednesday night. The team, which had excelled in scrimmages before the event, felt the difference between playing comfortably in a team house to the pressure of playing an official match. Infernal Fox deployed an unexpected top lane Nasus strategy in both games, catching the Immortals-backed squad off-guard and accomplishing a sweep to put it atop the standings heading into Day 2 of the competition.Scouting Grounds Standings (After Day 1) 1. Team Infernal (Echo Fox): 1-0 (2-0) 2. Team Cloud (Counter Logic Gaming): 1-0 (2-1) 3. Team Ocean (Team Liquid): 0-1 (1-2) 4. Team Mountain (Immortals): 0-1 (0-2)Following the loss, ESPN.com spoke to the team about its thoughts on the first days action, what it needs to improve upon to make it to Fridays final, and the best moments so far in Scouting Grounds.Of course there is more pressure [in an official game.] If you make a mistake in scrims its whatever -- you can move on and fix it, said Shynon, 21, the teams vocal shotcaller from the AD carry position from Houston. For me personally, I didnt feel the pressure as much. The main difference is that youre never sure what the other team is going to bring out, if they have a pocket pick or anything and needing to adjust on the fly.I didnt play as well in the first game because I had jitters, said Team Mountains first-round draft pick (No. 3 overall), 18-year-old Tuesday from Quebec, holding down the starting mid lane position. I kind of did feel the pressure. I didnt play up to my standards.On what they learned from Day 1 of the competition, BmxSpecks, 20, from Toronto, said it didnt matter how well they did in scrimmages and that performance on the main stage is a different beast entirely. You cant put a label of best team just based off scrim results, he said. And we learned that obviously pretty well today. We just need to work from the ground up and erase that mentality [were the best] and act like everybody is even, which everyone is.I need to talk more, said the teams top laner and youngest member, Bobjenkins, 17, from New Jersey. In-game I was really quiet, because I didnt like the certain matchup I had. Its really annoying to play against [Nasus]. Its very suffocating, and you have to hope to get an early-game lead to shut the enemy top laner down before he gets too tanky. Also, I need to look around at the map more.Although the competition is cutthroat with two of the teams seeing their journey end Thursday following the culmination of the group stage, Scouting Grounds is also about getting the chance to peer into the world of pro-gaming. The main takeaway is theyre experiencing the life of a pro-gamer and having the opportunity to play on a real team; theyre learning to communicate and confide, qualities they need to become a better overall player. In short: its an experience of a lifetime for the 20 amateurs invited.Ive liked every moment of it, said Tuesday. The one that stood out is when Bjergsen visited the Immortals house. I was fanboying so hard over him. Hes been my idol and role model for the past two years, so that was super cool.On the topic of whether any of them had improved, every player nodded in agreement that they already felt like a better player after being in the Immortals house and practicing endlessly for two days.Oh yeah, definitely, Shynon said. Ive never really been coached by a professional or an LCS coach before -- Ive had analysts or coaches in lower [league] teams help me out -- and I think Hermes has really developed and helped me into a better player who just has an infinitely better understanding of the game.Ive learned a lot more about macro and really how to abuse lanes when summoner spells are burned, BmxSpecks said. A lot of time in solo queue you see someone burn their summoner spell and say youll maybe go visit that later on, but really punishing the [lack of] summoner spell and taking another objective as a team -- my macro has definitely improved a lot.Each of the five Team Mountain players gave a shout out to the professional player that has inspired them the most to reach this point.I want to be more like Impact, Bob said. During scrims, I was like solo killing everyone [like Impact] but I feel like he knows a lot more about the game. He can transition [those kills] to midgame and late game. Me, right now, all I do is add pressure by strictly 1-v-1ing, and sometimes Ill teamfight. Hopefully I can learn more from Impact ... and how he impacts the game.Reignover, answered BmxSpecks, smiling because he is practicing at Reignovers desk in the Immortals team house. Hes a very calculated player with really good macro, and I also like how he comes off really humble. There are other junglers in the NA scene that are really cocky and outspoken -- which isnt necessarily a bad thing -- but I just really attract to the whole humble player who lets his play speak than the shit talk.How did it feel playing in his seat? he was asked.It felt pretty good, but kind of bad after the Nidalee performances in scrims, BmxSpecks said.Its pretty clear already -- my favorite player, by far, is Bjergsen, said Tuesday. I think its unbelievable that hes been atop of the game for three years now, and he keeps going strong. I really aspire to be the leader he is on TSM and keep up the same mechanical level of play. Overall, he is humble for how good he is, and I really respect that.The player I aspire to just be and idolize is ROX Tigers PraY, Shynon said. PraY is one of the longest standing veterans in the scene. Hes been playing at the top level since like [2011], and so his knowledge of the game is immaculate. Especially in a meta where flashy AD carry plays isnt so prevalent, PraY finds a way to make highlight reels, and overall hes just really consistent, too.Aphromoo is my top one, said Winter, 19, the teams support and the third Canadian on the roster. He does a lot of [big] plays [while] micromanaging everyone, and hes pretty cool, too. Im talking to him everyday, almost, and hes really great.By the time the interview finished at 9 p.m. in Santa Monica, the day was winding down for most of the city. But Team Mountain returned to their practice room inside the LCS studios, having scheduled scrimmages with Team Infernal, the team that had just defeated them an hour earlier. Cheap NFL Jerseys Paypal .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Stitched Jerseys From China . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. http://www.authenticcheapjerseys.net/ . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Cheap Jerseys Store . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Cheap Jerseys Authentic . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. OMAHA, Neb. -- In a U.S. Olympic swim trials that have yet to see a world record, Katie Ledecky on Friday morning said that may be about to change.Ledecky cruised in her preliminary heat of the 800-meter freestyle, focusing mostly on using her arms but still finishing in a time of 8 minutes, 10.91 seconds, the third-fastest time in history and an Olympic trials record. She now owns all of the top 10 times in the events history.I took it pretty easy, Ledecky said. I thought it was going to say 8:20. But it felt really easy -- that bodes well for tomorrow.Ledecky will swim in the 800 free final on Saturday night, when she takes aim at the 8:06.68 world record she set in January at a grand prix meet in Austin. But first she will swim in the 100-meter freestyle final on Friday night. She is seeded sixth.To help prepare for that race, around the 550 mark of Friday mornings 800 free Ledecky said she spontaneously decided to push her pace and essentially practice for the 100. Considered already one of the greatest distance freestylers of all time, Ledecky has set the challenging goal for herself of trying to finish in the top four of the sprint-dominated 100 free in hopes of earning a spot on the 4X100 free relay in Rio.She finished third in her semifinal heat on Thursday night.I just want to get in and race, she said. I think I can be up there. Just need to get my hand on the wall as fast as I can.Waiting for Ledecky after her 800 free prelim Friday morning was Janet Evans, who held the world record in the event from 1992-2008. Evans hugged Ledecky after the race and told her great job.Ledecky planned to eat, nap, then eat some more in preparation for Friday nights 100 free final.This is a little different, she said. I dont think Ive done this before. An 800 free prelim and then a big time 100 free final? It will be fun.USA Swimmings other big stars were in the water Friday morning as well, with Michael Phelps finishing sixth (:51.87) and Ryan Lochte ninth (:52.66) in tthe preliminary heats of the 100-meter butterfly.ddddddddddddMissy Franklin had the top preliminary time in the 200-meter backstroke, her best event, 2:09.69. Franklin led her heat from beginning to end.Earlier this week Franklin failed to finish in the top two and make the team in the 100-meter backstroke, the event in which she won gold in London. She later finished second in the 200 free to punch her ticket to Rio. She failed to make the final for Friday nights 100 free.Its been hard to call on my speed this week but my endurance has felt awesome, she said. A little bit of a blessing that I didnt make that 100 free final. Being able to come to this next day-and-a-half with just this focus. [The 200 back] is my favorite race. Glad its finally here.Ledecky has already made the team in the 400- and 200-meter freestyle events. And Phelps qualified for his fifth Olympics when he won the 200-meter butterfly final on Wednesday night.Lochte, who will turn 32 two days before the Opening Ceremonies in Rio, has battled a groin pull this week that he suffered in the breaststroke leg of the 400-meter individual medley on Sunday. His best chance to make the team in an individual event will come Friday night, when he squares off with his longtime rival Phelps in the final of the 200-meter individual medley. Lochte has never beaten Phelps in the event at Olympic trials or the games, but is the current world record holder in the event. He will enter the final with the top time after swimming a 1:56.71 in semifinals.Both swimmers will also have the semis for the 100 fly on Friday night. Lochte said he would talk to his coach David Marsh about the possibility of scratching the event. Phelps is expecting to remain in the event.The 100 fly is my off event. Its a fun event, Lochte said. Im not expecting too much out of it. Just going up there and racing. ' ' '