A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.
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As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.
All times are Eastern.
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MONDAY, April 9
SOC--JOHN LEICESTER-DESCHAMPS' DILEMMA
PARIS - If football was a mere financial equation, a simple matter of assembling the game's most valuable players, France coach Didier Deschamps might already be dreaming of having one hand on the World Cup. The squad he will take to the tournament in Russia will, on paper at least, be worth a fortune, packed as it is with eye-wateringly expensive young stars. But it is short an ingredient that France had in abundance when Deschamps captained Les Bleus to World Cup victory in 1998: the maturity and experience that enables players to cope under football's brightest spotlight when things get tough. ''To react well,'' he tells The Associated Press, ''you have to been through it before.'' By Sports Columnist John Leicester. 800 words. UPCOMING, photos, online video.
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TUESDAY, April 10
HKN--PLAYOFF PRIMER-NEED FOR SPEED
NHL executives, coaches and players are quick to say the game is played faster than ever. Technology is available to track how fast players are skating, how hard they're shooting and how quickly they're getting the puck from end to end. ''That's the next wave,'' Vegas general manager George McPhee acknowledged. As the expansion team prepares for the playoffs, McPhee was not interested in sharing any secrets. ''I don't tell people what we do,'' McPhee said. By Hockey Writer Larry Lage. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos.
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WEDNESDAY, April 11
GLF--GRAYBEARD COLLEGIAN
BELLEVUE, Neb. - Bellevue University golf coach Rob Brown knew he wanted Don Byers on his team the first time he met him last summer. The long-hitting freshman has game, and the lifelong Nebraskan fits right in on a team made up mostly of Latin Americans. Byers also happens to be a 61-year-old grandfather. By Eric Olson. UPCOMING: 800 words, with photos and video.
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Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, assistant sports editor for the U.S. east region, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.
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AP Sports
