the second year the safety position has a help-wanted sign. Landon

LAS VEGAS -- It was a typical day in the life of nascent NHL owner Bill Foley. He sat in on his teams first mock expansion draft and offered polite suggestions on players he thinks might be of interest to his more hockey-savvy staff.Then Foley and GM George McPhee answered questions from dozens of fans in the inviting plaza that will no doubt become the focal point of pregame festivities when the expansion Las Vegas Something Knights begins play next season. During the fan session, Foley took a swipe at the prospect of the Oakland Raiders moving to Las Vegas, suggesting that any public monies that might be committed to a stadium for the NFL team could be better put to use on schools, health care and the like.Then he was off to nearby T-Mobile Arena, where he appeared on the ice before a preseason game between the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche with Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille, a top executive with the Kings, for a ceremony that marked the end of the Kings longstanding relationship with the gambling mecca, where the team has long held preseason games. Robitaille handed over the torch (or in this case, a hockey stick) to signal the shift to the Las Vegas home team.I caught up with Foley shortly after the on-ice ceremony in his suite beneath the stands for an update on the team name, its jersey and how things are shaping up for Las Vegas first professional team.ESPN.com: Whats it like to be at the table with your staff for the mock draft and start the discussion about what this team is going to look like?Foley: Its so much fun. I mean, I really didnt bring anything to the party, other than to ask a few questions about certain players and give some input and some advice and so on. I had no input in the way they were ranking people and who they thought would be available or wouldnt be available. But the business situations Im normally in, where Im grinding it out every day, are not fun. Someones quit, or someones done something they shouldnt have done, or the companys not doing what it should be doing. This is fun.ESPN.com: Youre now three months into ownership. Is it different than you imagined?Foley: It is different because I didnt realize all the things I would have to do. Ive never gone through interview processes like Ive been through in this situation. I interviewed, either by telephone or in person, seven different candidates for GM, three over a six-day period. They came in. I met each candidate. We had dinner. I met them the next morning, then they left. The next guy came in. I met him, we had dinner, that whole process. Then you go through and do it again with the guy you really like.Then, in Georges case, we had a nice party at Rock Creek in Montana, where we signed the contract together. Went in, had a couple of glasses of wine. Flew down and had the press conference. And the same thing with the president of business ops. It was exhausting. I never interviewed people like that. I was like, normally, Come on, youre in, lets go.ESPN.com: Do you feel more like a hockey guy now, especially looking at the staff you have? Theres so much experience in that room.Foley: Absolutely. I still know nothing, and I recognize that. I told the guys that this morning. I said, You can say anything you want to say. Im just Bill Foley. Im just another guy sitting at this table. I want to learn. But it was so much fun listening to them talk about players and why they like this guy or that guy. It was amazing.ESPN.com: Are you surprised by how much interest there has been in the name of this team?Foley: I cant believe it. Why is this name this important? Once it became important, then of course I want to make it more important. My job is to keep it in the news. We have the NFL football going on, college football going on, hockeys getting ready to start its regular season. I need attention. I like the attention.ESPN.com:?Would you like to tell me the name?Foley: I will tell you its going to be something Knights.ESPN.com: You could get ahead of the news cycle if you told me.Foley: I could, but were going to announce it Nov. 18. You heard George say, Even my wife doesnt know.ESPN.com: How involved have you been in not just the name but also the design of the jersey and the color scheme?Foley: Completely involved. Im trying to get Adidas to come around to my way of thinking, in terms of how I want this jersey to look and the power and the culture I want it to evoke. And theyre getting there. But Im trying to get one color more bold instead of recessive, and I believe well get it done next week. If we do, we can start printing hats and T-shirts and gym bags. We wont have jerseys probably until mid-December, but well have everything else. This will be powerful.ESPN.com:?Do you want to share the color scheme with me?Foley: Well, as Ive said, it will have some desert influences. Because its Knights, theres obviously going to be some steel gray somewhere. Probably have some gold because that makes sense, and most teams have black.ESPN.com: Have there been moments since you were confirmed at the board of governors meeting in June that have reaffirmed your belief that, yes, this will work?Foley: There have been several validation moments. But were going to kill it. This is going to be one of the most successful hockey teams in the country by the time were done with it. Because were going to engage the community. Were going to engage the people visiting town. Weve got the team and the excitement around town. Its just unbelievable. The local residents love hockey. Its the new identity. I know the Raiders are talking about coming here. They havent even made a dent. Its hockey. Because this is [Las Vegas] team.ESPN.com: Tell me about one of those moments.Foley: It happens all the time. People say, Hey, Bill, congratulations. Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Mr. Foley, for bringing hockey. It happens when Im in downtown Summerlin [Nevada, where the teams offices are located]. It happened at our ground-breaking [for the teams new practice facility]. I mean, we had 150, 200 people there who had season tickets. They just showed up. We didnt even publicize it. It was unbelievable. I was just out there in the arena for the pass-the-torch or pass-the-stick, and two people got up and asked, Mr. Foley, can I shake your hand?ESPN.com: Whats that like for you? Because your business life has been different.Foley: Its been very surprising. Its fun, but it is exhausting, so Ive got to kind of be on my toes a little bit. Ive got to be a little more careful. A little more careful about what I say. Dont have too many drinks. But Im not in politics. Im really not a public figure. 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With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- After missing the playoffs the past four years and then saying goodbye to Tom Coughlin, the New York Giants opened their wallets and seemingly bought new coach Ben McAdoo a shot at the postseason.The price tag: $40 million, at least for this season.That was the cost to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul and lure fellow defensive end Olivier Vernon, defensive tackle Damon Snacks Harrison, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and linebacker Kennan Robinson to the team that hasnt done much since beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl in February 2012.With Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. leading the offense, it just might be enough to make the Giants relevant in the weak NFC East after two straight 6-10 seasons.While they didnt have a very talented roster last season, the Giants werent that far off. They lost six games either late in the fourth quarter or in overtime. A defensive play here or there and those might have been Ws.Now defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has some talent, especially on the defensive line with JPP, Vernon, Harrison and fellow tackle Johnathan Hankins.Were going to be better because of players, Spagnuolo said. We are going to be better because of better coaching, less mistakes. We are going to be better because its the second year in the system. Thats what we fully expect to do, everything that has and what we went through last year is over and done, we are moving on.A lot of the focus this season will be on the 39-year-old McAdoo. He installed the West Coast offense and revived Mannings career two seasons ago. Now he will be getting his first chance to run a team.He has preached evolution and not revolution since taking over.We started to establish our identity- without pads- but sound, smart and tough, committed to discipline and poise, McAdoo said after a mandatory minicamp last month. We know what it looks like now.Whether it translates to the regular season will depend on some things:MONEY WELL SPENT: Will the investment in the defense pay off? The line should be very good against the run, especially with Harrison anchoring the middle. The pass rush will be the key. Vernon was one of the best in the game in Miami and that should not change. The question is whether JPP produces in his first full season since mangling hiis right hand in a fireworks accident almost 13 months ago.ddddddddddddOPPOSITE BECKHAM: Manning and Beckham were limited last season because there really wasnt a second receiver. Victor Cruz didnt play in a game because of injury. He has been limited to six over the last two seasons and how much he will contribute this year is uncertain. It is more likely that second-round draft pick Sterling Shepard will emerge as the No. 2 guy. He looked good in the OTAs and minicamps, but thats not close to the real thing. Second-year pro Geremy Davis and Dwayne Harris also will get a shot at being the other guy.THE O-LINE: After releasing Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz in the offseason, the Giants seemingly are going with the same offensive line led by Ereck Flowers and Justin Pugh on the left side. It needs to produce a running game and McAdoo must also find a No. 1 back. After using four backs last season, Rashad Jennings emerged as the No. 1 guy. The depth chart has five backs this year with rookie Paul Perkins, the fifth-round choice, now in the mix.SAFETY: This is the second year the safety position has a help-wanted sign. Landon Collins, the second-round draft in 2015, had an outstanding rookie season and has one job nailed down. Brandon Meriweather was not re-signed so there is inexperience on the other side. Nat Berhe, Mykkele Thompson and Bennett Jackson all missed last season with injuries. Rookie Darian Thompson, a third-round pick from Boise State, was given a lot of responsibility in the minicamps and OTAs and might be the starter.BIG BEN: Replacing a coach who led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles in his 12 seasons is not going to be easy. Rookies make mistakes; it does not matter whether you are a player or a coach at his first rodeo as the No. 1 rider, that will happen. One of the first things to watch is whether McAdoo continues calling the offensive plays or lets Mike Sullivan, his replacement as coordinator, do it. Having Spagnuolo to run the defense will ease some of his overall burden. Working two years under Coughlin should help McAdoo make the transition.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '