NEW YORK -- When American swimming sensation Katie Ledecky added to her climbing total of career visits to NBCs Today show Monday -- this time to talk about how life has changed since she set two world records and won five medals at the Rio Summer Olympics, four of them gold -- she smiled and squirmed in her seat as the five hosts on the set took turns good-naturedly kidding her about her record-shattering start to her freshman year at Stanford University this fall.It already has included a 65-second rout in a 1,650-yard college invitational race Sunday in which Ledecky ... um ... beat the runner-up by four laps.Sooo, that basically means you get out of the pool, have coffee and a donut, and wait for everyone else to finish? TV host Savannah Guthrie needled.When the 19-year-old Ledecky was too polite or sheepish to parry back, the segment only got funnier.Wait -- she broke another record in just the last 20 seconds! Guthrie added.And on the way to the event tonight, shes going to break another record! Matt Lauer boomed, causing Ledecky to shake her head and blush again.Ledecky was in New York with 40 of her Olympic medal-winning teammates for USA Swimmings annual Golden Goggles Awards on Monday night, a black-tie year-end benefit that recognizes the U.S. teams best performances each year. Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Libby King and Maya DiRado were among the others who attended. Ryan Lochte did not.Ledecky has replaced Phelps as the most riveting figure in U.S. swimming. But as scintillating as her first three months at Stanford have been -- starting with the fact she set an NCAA or American record in every race she swam through Nov. 15 -- there was another woman sharing the red carpet with her at the Marriott Marquis hotel who was also impossible to ignore.That was Stanford teammate Simone Manuel, the first female African-American swimmer to win an individual event at an Olympic Games and, as of last weekend, the first person anywhere to beat the amazing Ledecky in her last 74 finals in a race above 100 meters.Manuel, a junior, defeated Ledecky on Saturday in the 200-yard freestyle during an invitational at Ohio State, clipping Ledecky by .26 of a second.No, I didnt know the [length of the streak], a surprised Ledecky said, grinning as if even she found it cool.I didnt know it, either, but its not like Im out of the park yet, Manuel joked, speaking a little further down the red carpet from where Ledecky was taking questions. I still have to race her every day in practice, at nationals, at NCAAs.Manuel was right. Its just a start. But dont overlook the significance of their head-to-head battles; their races should be fascinating -- maybe even transformative -- for both swimmers.With 10 Olympic medals already won between them, the 20-year-old Manuel and Ledecky could anchor the U.S. swim team for a few Olympics to come.I know I definitely want more, Manuel said.The idea of Ledecky, especially, finally having anything close to a true rival -- another female swimmer who can push her and beat her while training on the same team and sometimes in the same lane day in and day out, sets up an interesting dynamic for both women as they slowly start looking ahead to the 2020 Tokyo Games.I dont look at it like shes a frenemy, Ledecky laughed, pointing out she and Manuel were roommates in Rio, and have been roommates for four years at international meets, so were good buddies.We both love to race and we both love to compete. We race all the time in practice and Simone beats me at least a couple times a week [in sprints]. So its a great environment every day. And I dont consider it a loss when its my teammate thats beating me, anyway. Were both racing our hardest for Stanford and excited about what could follow.Ledeckys coaches are always looking for fresh challenges to throw her way. Shes been so peerless at the distance events for so long, there is talk now about dropping her down to the 100-meter free (Manuels gold-medal individual event in Rio), and maybe adding the 400 individual medley to the 200, 400, 800 and 1,600 events and world records she currently owns.Many argue Ledecky -- not LeBron James, Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi or anyone else you can name -- is the most dominant athlete in the world today. Its only news now when she doesnt win.Manuel shoulders a different set of challenges. Though she also won the gold in the 4x100 medley relay and silver in the 50 free and 4x100 freestyle relay in Rio, she said in the past that trying to become the first African-American to win any Olympic swimming medal was difficult for her at times, as if so much history weighed on every stroke. She was expansive on the topic in Rio, paying homage to groundbreakers that came before her and embracing a chance to weigh in on matters like police violence against African-Americans back in the United States.But Monday, she pulled back on the non-swimming topics a little.When an African-American reporter told Manuel shes now an icon and inspiration to their community and asked what kind of legacy she wants to leave outside the pool, Manuel said, Well, Im just 20 years old, so I havent really thought about the legacy I want to leave. I guess just making sure that people go after their dreams. That they can do anything.Later, Manuel admitted one of the many reasons she and Ledecky feel a kinship is because of the continuing expectation on them to do the extraordinary.We keep each other from thinking too much about the pressure of our races, Manuel said.She only smiled and said, Nah, when asked if she has ever been tempted to tell Ledecky to quit trying to have it all already, stick to the distance events, and leave the 100 or 200 freestyle to her. But then she did quickly add she does give Ledecky some mess about being a freshman.Ledecky already has taken much flak about getting lost on the Stanford campus, putting her swim cap on wrong, having some misadventures on the bicycle she uses to get around, and sometimes screwing up chores like putting the lane markers in the pool for team practices.The freshmen also have to bring up the towels, but they do that in shifts, so Katie knows when she has to do it, Manuel explained.The Great Katie Ledecky? Towel girl?Nodding now, Manuel deadpanned: Shes got it figured out.I wanted the college experience, Ledecky added. And so far, its been awesome. Vapormax 97 Donna . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Vapormax Prezzo Basso . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. http://www.scarpevapormaxscontate.it/vapormax-97-italia.html . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Vapormax Plus Bianche .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. Vapormax Plus Reverse Sunset . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. NEW YORK -- LeBron James had little to say about his choice of hotels and even less about Phil Jacksons choice of words.James and his teammates made their statement loudly on the court.James scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also surpassed 20, and the Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the New York Knicks 126-94 on Wednesday night.It was the first meeting since James was angered when Jackson referred to his friends and business partners as a posse last month in an ESPN interview. James refused to answer questions about the Knicks president, who watched the game from his usual seat a few rows back of center court.Im motivated for the love of the game, Im motivated by the process, Im motivated knowing that my kids are watching me tonight on national television, James said. So I dont need much more.The Cavs, who didnt stay together in New York after James and some other players opted against staying in the teams Donald Trump-branded hotel, won their second straight after a three-game skid.Irving led Cleveland with 28 points and Love scored 21, 16 in the first quarter, in Clevelands eighth straight victory over New York.Were going to go through skids, were not the perfect team, Irving said. But we also know what we have as a team when we collectively come together and its a beautiful thing.Brandon Jennings scored 16 points for the Knicks, who had their four-game winning streak snapped and lost for the just the third time in 10 games. He started for Derrick Rose, who missed his first game of the season with lower back pain.The Cavs made 22 3-pointers in 40 attempts.They played unbelievable and made all those shots, Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis said. Its really hard to stop a team like that.James and Love outscored Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony 46-20.Tristan Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds for the Cavs. They played without guard J.R. Smith, who returned to Cleveland for additional testing after hyperextending his left knee Monday in Torontoo.ddddddddddddLove and Irving made consecutive 3-pointers to kick off a 20-4 spurt that extended a one-point lead to 34-17 and the Knicks never really recovered. They trimmed it to nine late in the first half, but James had a ferocious dunk during the Cavs run of six straight points, and another burst to open the second half pushed it to 71-48 on Irvings 3-pointer.TIP-INSCavaliers: It was a rough first quarter for former Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, who missed a layup and a breakaway dunk, when he appeared to hurt his hand after hitting it on the rim. ... Irving came in averaging 28.4 points in five games at MSG, his highest in any arena.Knicks: Anthony was presented with his USA Basketball Olympic championship ring before the game. He shared USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year award earlier Wednesday with Kevin Durant after winning his record third gold medal in Rio. ... Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, working the game for ESPN, got a big ovation when shown on the overhead video screen.LEBRONS LODGINGJames said the decision not to stay at the Trump SoHo was a personal preference and not a political statement. He said it was the first time he hadnt stayed in the team hotel -- some other players also changed hotels -- though he did ride the team bus as usual to the morning workout.BAD BACKRose left the Knicks victory over Miami on Tuesday in the third quarter and was still feeling pain when he arrived Wednesday to meet with team doctors, who sent him for an MRI exam to make sure there was nothing structurally wrong.UP NEXTCavaliers: Host Miami on Friday. The Cavaliers have won the last three meetings in Cleveland.Knicks: Visit Sacramento on Friday to open a five-game trip in the West. The Knicks just beat the Kings here on Sunday, 106-98.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney ' ' '