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For Super Smash Bros. Melee players, the word offseason is a bit of a misnomer. The once seemingly brief Summer of Smash didnt end this year after Juan Hungrybox DeBiedma collected his Evolution Championship Series trophy at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Recent events like Clutch City Clash, Super Smash Con and Shine gave players who felt like they didnt live up to their potential in June and July more opportunities to showcase their talents. Some even congregated at Dairly Beloved, an event that featured not just a Zachary SFAT Cordoni victory, but also a wedding.While players have a longer and longer list of events they can choose to attend, there is no question that certain events are currently venerated for various reasons; however, they rarely start that way. Five years ago, it seemed like the Midwest was a barren spot for Melee players, but an event in the shadow of Michigan Stadium did more than attract top players from outside the region to Ann Arbor. The Big House showed the world that the Midwest had talent -- they just needed the right opportunity.When I started ... it was a dark time for Michigan Melee, James Duck Ma explained. This was during 2009 when Brawl was taking over everything and most of the Michigan Melee players had quit or switched over. It took a pretty long time for us to get more than 20 to 30 entrants.The Melee scene hadnt had a major event held in the region since FC Diamond in 2007. The following four years would see a dearth of high-level competition in the heartland. Players would have to travel east for the Pound or Revival of Melee series or west for Genesis to get a taste of what other regions had to offer and witness the rise of some of the most esteemed players today.Things would change Oct. 22, 2011.When The Big House rolled around, our whole region was extremely excited, simply because we never got to see how our good players would do against some top out-of-region talent, Abhishek Prince Abu Prabhu said. People traveled much less back then, and there were far less big tournaments, so it was really cool to see SFAT, [Johnny S2J Kim] and [Oscar Lovage Nilsson] come to the Midwest.Lovage would eventually defeat S2J to take that initial event. Despite the fact that the last remaining players were California natives, the newfound interest in Michigan would innervate the entire region, helping a new generation of players rise to the occasion with each passing year.I first started playing in Michigan in summer 2012, Kalindi KJH Henderson recounted. My first Big House was The Big House 2; this was also my first national ever. Despite not making it out of Round 1 pools, I did beat [Weston Westballz Dennis], who was like a hero to me at the time, so that was cool. I was still unfamiliar with the community at the time and didnt know anyone really, so after Day 1, I just went home and watched the rest on stream, which was a big mistake.The Big House 3 was different; I felt like I had improved a ton, made more friends and was ready to compete. I played Hungrybox, [Aziz Hax Al-Yami], [Kevin PewPewU Toy] and finally had made it to the last day. The Big House 4 was huge, [Joseph Mango Marquez], [Jason Mew2King Zimmerman], Hungrybox were in attendance, and it was so cool to see [Adam Armada Lindgren] and [William Leffen Hjelte] playing in Michigan.Last year, some would say the event was overshadowed by Leffens absence and what it might portend; this year, the Michigan scene wants to become the star of the show. The players want to show that they, and the Midwest as a whole, have grown and evolved as a region and cant be overlooked any longer.It is the only major tournament where the whole crowd goes wild for Midwest players, and playing in front of a home crowd like that is a huge motivation boost, Prabhu continued. Ill never forget how crazy the crowd went at The Big House 4, where [Kyle Kalamazhu Zhu] beat [Joe Lucky Aldama], [David Kirbykaze MacDonald], [McCain MacD LaVelle], and almost beat Hax to finish at ninth, and [Kelly Kels Smith] made an insane losers run to place fifth. Or last year, where Duck beat [James Swedish Delight Liu] to place ninth, and [Stephen Abate Abate] beat S2J and [Jeffrey Axe Williamson] to make top eight. That kind of atmosphere is something that makes Big House really special as a Midwest player, and I have no doubt that The Big House 6 is going to be equally hype, especially if one of the top Midwest players breaks into top eight.The series is known for its no-nonsense attitude, as organizer Robin Juggleguy Harn is noted for being especially stringent with how the event is run. When talent in the region wasnt a draw, the efficiency of the event had people planning their trips to Ann Arbor months ahead of time. Out of his own pocket, Juggleguy helped bring S2J and Lovage to the event and made one of the best investments for the Midwest as a whole.Its probably the only tournament series where you can guarantee everything will run smoothly and on time, Ma added. Juggleguy has instilled the fear in everyone, shown that he doesnt tolerate lateness, and hes willing to disqualify anyone. Beyond that, the tournament boasts 63 of the top 100 players this year, in addition to legends like Lovage, [Tony Taj Jackson] and [Charles Fuzzyness Kimmelman]. People are willing to go out to a tournament they know is going to be amazing.Discipline is a must for potential entrants, as you cant prove how good you are if you are disqualified for breaking tournament rules. That philosophy has spread beyond tenets of event organization and into how the region is managing its own growth and shaping its future.I play friendlies at locals nonstop now, and play with Duck maybe once or twice a week, Henderson remarked. A key for me to close the gap is to use my time wisely, meaning if I cant play as much, then I should study my sets more, theorycraft with other players and overall just think about the game more in my spare time.Free time to play is extremely limited, but I have been making efforts to play a little every day to keep my execution and movement smooth, Prabhu expounded. More importantly, I theorycraft with Duck, KJH, and Kalamazhu, as well as regularly think about the game and analyze my play as well as Hungryboxs. When I study myself, I try to look for and fix specific scenarios I regularly get outplayed in, or spots where I could optimize my punish more. When I study Hungrybox, I really try to look at his neutral game in every matchup and figure out what makes it so much tighter and better than mine. I look for positioning, SDI and little tricks he uses to trap his opponent in positions where he can open them up and kill them.Moving forward, I need to continue to improve my neutral and my knowledge of every single matchup, and in addition, I think I need to start learning how to better play the player as opposed to just the matchup ... I need to learn how to take advantage of specific player habits -- habits that separate [DaJuan Shroomed McDaniel] from Swedish Delight or Lucky from [Aaron Professor Pro Thomas] from [Mustafa Ice Akcakaya] and so on. Every player plays differently, and theres no magical formula to beat every option for most matchups involving two good characters. Mastering the art of adapting and countering specific strategies and habits is a huge skill I need to work on. Although this level of preparation is generally needed for top players, the stakes are higher when some are looking to you to carry a region on your back.The Big House 6 is the second or third most important event to me, Prabhu explained. Overall, Id say making top eight at Evo would mean more to me, and making top eight at Genesis would mean slightly more to me. Because of the size and stacked nature of The Big House 6, as well as the home-field factor, it is extremely important to me, and I cant wait to go out and compete.The Big House has definitely been a roller coaster for me, Ma confessed. The first one [was] where people from the coasts learned who I was, so it holds a special place for me. My placements actually dropped almost every year as the competition got harder and harder. I was finally able to make it to a ninth place finish last year but was just short of top eight. My goal this year is definitely to make that top-eight spot and represent the Midwest. Making top eight would be the culmination of all the hard work Ive put in since last year. It would be my first top eight on American soil, and it would mean a chance for the Midwest to play in another top eight at a national. Doing it at The Big House 6 on home soil would just be icing on the cake.There has been no offseason for Melee in Michigan. Every second theyre not working to improve is a second that someone else is working to catch up to them; every minute they take off lets those that are ahead of them push further. The region has come so far in the last decade. Last year showed that they were on the cusp of brilliance, and this year they intend to show that they have broken through. There will be plenty of other opportunities to do so as the tournament scene grows, but of course, theres no place like home.Balenciaga Shoes Clearance . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. 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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. Adidas Shoes Clearance Sale . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Bud Norris never started a game against Los Angeles prior to this season. After three outings this year, the Angels have seen more than enough of the Houston Astros right-hander. Norris dominated the Angels high-priced lineup again with six innings of four-hit ball and Chris Carter hit a two-run homer in the seventh against Jerome Williams, leading the Astros to a 2-0 victory on Saturday night. "Theyre a great ballclub over there. You know whos in that lineup, and you know youve got to make good pitches," Norris said. "So the only way to play it is to just take the challenge." Norris (5-4) struck out six, walked three and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to end a three-start winless stretch that includes a six-inning scoreless outing against Kansas City that resulted in a no-decision. "Every time he pitches against us hes got his A stuff," Angels centre fielder Mike Trout said. "He was hitting his spots early and locating, and his secondary pitches were good. It was one of those nights. We see him good. I mean, we hit a couple of balls hard and had our opportunities, but it just didnt go our way tonight." Norris became the first starting pitcher to beat the Angels three times before the All-Star break since 2001, when Oaklands Tim Hudson, Seattles Freddy Garcia and Texas Darren Oliver all did it. On April 12 at the "Big A," Norris allowed three hits over seven innings in a 5-0 victory. On May 8, he gave up a run and nine hits through eight innings en route to a 3-1 decision at Houston. "Im sure theyre going to figure out some things about me soon" he said. "But Ive got to stick to my strengths and keep doing what Im doing because its been working so far." Rookie Jose Cisnero pitched two innings and Jose Veras got three outs for his 10th save in 13 attempts, helping extend Houstons winning streak to a season-high four games. Its their longest since a four-game stretch May last year. "This group has come together," Norris said. "Day in and day out, these guys are picking each other up -- from the bullpen to the bench players -- and the coaching staff has pushed that out of us. Everybody is picking up their end of the bargain, and its been pretty good to see." Williams (4-2) held Houston to just three hits over seven innings and struck out six, after going 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in his previous four starts. Carlos Pena, the only Houston player to have batted against Williams in a regular-season gaame prior to Saturday, led off the Astros second with a double and was stranded at third when Matt Dominguez flied out.dddddddddddd The Astros didnt get another hit until the seventh, when J.D. Martinez singled with one out and Carter drove a first-pitch homer into the upper tier of the left field bullpen with two out for his 11th homer. "I played with him a few years ago in Triple-A, so I know he pretty much throws anything and everything," Carter said. "My first two at-bats he threw cutters and two-seamers and kept me off-balance. The next time I came up with the approach that anything that was up in the zone I was going to swing at." Trout doubled in the first, but was stranded as Albert Pujols took a called third strike and Mark Trumbo also struck out. Trout doubled again with one out in the sixth, and was picked off by Norris with a 1-0 count on Pujols. The Angels then loaded the bases with walks to Pujols and Trumbo and an infield hit by Josh Hamilton. But Norris struck out Howie Kendrick, who is batting .227 lifetime in those situations and is 1 for 7 this season. "Weve seen enough of him," manager Mike Scioscia said of Norris. "It seems every time we see him he still is able to use that breaking ball when he needs it, and tonight his velocity was good. We just didnt hit too many balls hard off him. We had a couple infield hits, but he got tough with guys in scoring position." Trout had a chance to get the Angels back in the game in the seventh, but grounded out to third with two men on after Erick Aybar kept the inning alive with a bunt single. He came up again in the ninth with runners at the corners and grounded into a force play to end it. Trout has only three RBIs in 45 at-bats over his last 11 games since May 21, when he drove in five runs against Seattle and became the youngest player in AL history to hit for the cycle. NOTES: Norris is the first pitcher to get three victories against the Angels in their first 56 games of a season since May 1968, when Minnesota reliever Ron Perranoski was the pitcher of record three times in a four-day span. ... Five of Houstons 19 victories have come against the Angels. ... Angels OF Peter Bourjos, sidelined since April 30 because of a left hamstring strain, is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Monday with Class-A Inland Empire before switching to Triple-A Salt Lake. ... Norris has made 177 starts in professional ball without pitching a complete game, including 109 in the big leagues. ' ' '