Die Macht » the last two weeks. If first-year Rutgers coac

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Sophina DeJesus wont be on the floor when Olympic gymnastics begins this weekend. Her career likely ended in April when she wrapped up her senior year at UCLA by helping the Bruins to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships.And DeJesus is OK with that. Spend the better part of your life in a gym and eventually you get to the point where its time to move on.Besides, the 21-year-old managed to do something this spring the three-time world champion Simone Biles, reigning Olympic champion Gabby Douglas and the rest of Team USA that plans to crash the medal stand in Rio over the next two weeks has yet to accomplish, at least not yet:She went viral.In a sport that largely only enters the public consciousness for two weeks every four years -- and even less frequently at the college level, where interest can be fervent if not widespread -- DeJesus launched a 90-second remix of an old favorite on Feb. 5 in a dual meet against Utah.On the judges sheet, DeJesus floor routine that night looked just like most others. Three tumbling passes. A series of smaller elements scattered in between. All the necessary requirements designed to post a big score.In practice, however, it was something else entirely. Portions of her curly hair dyed blue, the former child hip-hop dancer unleashed a series of moves ripped straight from MTV, (at least the part of MTV that still shows videos).She whipped. She nae naed. She saluted. She dabbed.It was, as the kids might say, lit.And the crowd -- not to mention the teammates that mobbed her before her score of 9.925 was even posted -- completely lost it. The internet did, too. A few million YouTube views later (currently 14 million-plus and counting), DeJesus found herself on a couch chatting up Ellen DeGeneres and trying to explain how she took her floor routine and put it on fleek.This was my last year, DeJesus said. I need to end this year with a bang. I wanted to do these cool dance moves and hope everyone can go along with me.So UCLA coach Valorie Kondos Field let her do just that, working with DeJesus to put together a set that highlights DeJesus unique charisma.It was `Lets just feel all the latest dance crazes and mashem together, Kondos Field said. You come to me with something and Ill craft your routine and Ill make it gymnastics respectable.While not as technically demanding as routines done at the elite level -- where gymnasts are required to do four tumbling passes instead of three -- it also created some serious buzz. Kondos Field believes the immediate visceral response came with an underlying message: perhaps its time for occasionally staid International Gymnastics Federation code of points to live a little.We want to respect the sport but where I think the international scene could loosen up a bit is to make the routine, give them a theme, make them more entertaining, Kondos Field said.Kondos Field isnt suggesting girls start breakdancing on the balance beam, but while tumbling runs have evolved over the decades -- watch Biles and U.S. teammate Aly Raisman regularly test the laws of physics in Rio -- the music and the dance at times might as well be stuck in a time warp.Kyla Ross, who won gold as part of the Fierce Five that stormed the podium in London four years ago, competed that year with a floor routine set to Phantom of the Opera, her neck nearly spasming as she constantly (and dramatically) lifted her chin more than a half-dozen times. She laughs at the memory, knowing her routine will look far different when she joins Kondos Field at UCLA in the fall.I want to show a different side of me, thatll be fun, Ross said. I want to do something thats going to be remembered.While gymnastics is typically one of the most watched events at the Olympics, it retreats to its popular if small place in the sports world once the flame goes out. Its telling that DeJesus hopped on Ellen before Biles, who didnt get an invite until she racked up 15 world championship medals. Theres a lot of noise out there in sports. DeJesus found a way to cut through the clutter.The majority of the people that viewed it werent just die hard gymnastics fans, Kondos Field said. They were just people on social media and want to see something fun and cool and hip. It went viral because of the six different dance moves that are relatable to the lay person.Biles, at one time a UCLA commit before opting to turn professional last summer, has a pretty good idea of what would happen if she approached U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi and suggested trying to incorporate DeJesus choreography into her routine.I think Marthas jaw would drop, Biles said with a laugh.Probably. And while members of Team USA universally support the artistic freedom college gymnastics provides, theyre not quite so sure how it would go over at the international level.I think theres a difference between college and real FIG gymnastics, said Douglas. I dont know. You would kind of lose the elegance and I dont know, the spice. You would kind of get `club if you did that on the floor.Douglas pointed out her own attempt to do The Dougie while goofing around after she won gold in London. Four years later social media is still giving her a hard time about it.I feel that dancing would be tiring, too, she said. We have four passes, four difficult passes and they have three. I feel like we would be sloppy.It would also put the FIG, judges and coaches in a difficult spot. Its one thing to teach an American gymnast how to whip. Its another to do the same in a place not as attuned to western culture.Kittia Carpenter, Douglas former coach and a longtime judge, imagines FIG officials trying to score DeJesus routine running into trouble while putting pen to paper.They might be scratching their heads and wondering what to do, Carpenter said. Theyd be like, `What do we do with that?The envelope is being pushed at the Olympic level, if in a slightly less in your face way. Laurie Hernandez and coach Maggie Haney collaborated to put together a floor routine that includes plenty of preening and posing. Biles electric smile, effortless talent and come follow me choreography -- set to Brazilian-style music in a nod to the host country -- make her unmissable.If theres one gymnast who can take the seeds being planted at the college level and elevate it, it may be Biles.Shes got the personality, Kondos Field said. Shes got a really great balance of respect for Martha and respect for her coach and respect for the world of gymnastics while she certainly is doing it her way. Theres never been someone that has as much fun on the international floor as she does.Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Josh Sterk scored once and set up two more as the Oshawa Generals edged the visiting Belleville Bulls 3-2 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. NHL Jerseys Outlet . PAUL, Minn. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Custom NHL Jerseys .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.Some things to watch in the Big Ten on Saturday:GAME OF THE WEEKNo. 2 Ohio State at No. 8 Wisconsin. This is the first meeting of the teams since the Buckeyes rolled the Badgers 59-0 in the 2014 Big Ten championship game. Cardale Jones started that game at QB for Ohio State in place of an injured J.T. Barrett and led the Buckeyes to the national championship. Barrett goes into Saturday looking to strengthen his Heisman Trophy candidacy after last weeks poor passing performance against Indiana. The stakes are especially high for Wisconsin . A victory would give the Badgers, for the first time, three wins in the same season against top-10 opponents. However, a loss in this game, two weeks after their loss at Michigan, would all but end their College Football Playoff hopes.BEST MATCHUPNorthwestern at Michigan State. These two teams are the biggest underachievers in the Big Ten, so why is this the best matchup? Both are desperate to save their seasons. The Wildcats are 2-1 in their last three and coming off a road win against Iowa two weeks ago. But theyve been beaten by West leader Nebraska and can afford no more losses if they hope to keep pace in the division. The Spartans, meanwhile, are 0-2 in the conference, have lost three straight and are unsettled at quarterback . For the defending Big Ten champions, its all about securing the best possible bowl destination.INSIDE THE NUMBERSOhio State is third nationally in scoring (53.2 points per game) and second in points allowed (10.8 ppg). The Buckeyes remain the only FBS team to not allow a rushing touchdown. ... Nebraska has gained at least 400 yards in seven straight games, the Huskers longest streak since 2012. ... Iowa heads to Purdue on an eight-game road winn streak that is the Hawkeyes longest since 1920-23.dddddddddddd ... Purdue is going for back-to-back victories for the first time since 2012 and its first home win over Iowa since 2007. ... Minnesotas Conor Rhoda, expected to start in place of injured Mitch Leidner at Maryland, has completed 1 of 2 career passes for 6 yards. ... Illinois Chase McLaughlin had made the first 22 kicks of his career (8 FGs, 14 PATs) before he missed in the final seconds of regulation against Purdue last week. ... Five players have taken a snap behind center this season for Rutgers: Chris Laviano, Janarion Grant, Giovanni Rescigno, Tylin Oden and Zach Allen.LONG SHOTRutgers is a six-point underdog at home against Illinois. The Scarlet Knights have been outscored a combined 136-0 by Ohio State and Michigan the last two weeks. If first-year Rutgers coach Chris Ash can get his players minds right, the Illini present their best chance for a conference win. Illinois is coming off a loss at home to Purdue and faces uncertainty at quarterback after Wes Lunt was knocked out of that game in the second quarter.PLAYER TO WATCHQB Richard Lagow is the key to Indianas bid to beat a top-10 opponent for the first time since 1987. He enters his home game against 10th-ranked Nebraska with a Big Ten-leading 15.7 yards per completion and 292 yards a game. He has 11 passing TDs, one rushing and one receiving. Other than a brutal five-interception game against Wake Forest, Lagow has lived up to expectations in his first year as successor to Nate Sudfeld.---Online:AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '