RIO DE JANEIRO -- Devastated. Unable to sleep. Cursing and crying and blaming herself after she fell short of her goal of winning a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.Staggered by her first beach volleyball loss at the Summer Games, behind by one set in the bronze-medal match and trailing in the second, Kerri Walsh Jennings pulled herself together on the Copacabana sand to become the most decorated beach volleyball player in Olympic history.Its crazy what 24 hours can do, Walsh Jennings said after she and April Ross beat Brazils Talita and Larissa 17-21, 21-17, 15-9 on Wednesday night. This is a highlight of my athletic career, without a doubt.Walsh Jennings struggled with her passing throughout the medal round, including Tuesday night, when she and Ross lost to Brazils second-seeded team. But the three-time champion delivered a pair of blocks for the final two points to clinch the bronze on Wednesday.After hugging her opponents, Walsh Jennings slapped hands with some courtside volunteers and then found a U.S. cheering section in the corner of the 12,000-seat arena built on the beach that serves as the sports spiritual home.Wrapping themselves in an American flag, the partners gave each other another long embrace.Devastating is a pretty huge word, but it pretty much captures how I felt last night, Walsh Jennings said. We came here to be our best, and I was subpar.The victory left Walsh Jennings with three gold medals and a bronze and broke a tie with former partner Misty May-Treanor for the most medals in Olympic beach volleyball history.I think shes the best player that we have for beach volleyball for all [time], Talita said. If you ask everybody, everybody will say Kerri.With the win, the United States avoided a medal shutout in a sport the nation invented and -- with Brazil -- has dominated since beach volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1996. The U.S. has won six of a possible 12 gold medals in the sport and 10 overall. Brazil has clinched 13 medals, though only two gold, with a chance to add two more in Rio.With the end of her perfect Olympic beach volleyball record -- Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor lost only one set while sweeping to three gold medals -- the loss Tuesday night left the three-time champion in a funk. Walsh Jennings and Ross said neither of them slept after they lost to Brazils other team in the semifinal. It was Walsh Jennings first loss in 27 Olympic beach volleyball matches.It wasnt until she and Ross arrived at the venue Wednesday and got a pep talk from coach Marcio Sicoli that they were able to refocus on the competition.He said, This is all about you guys, she said, adding that he talked about their children and their families and all the people who have supported them. He hit the heart. He made it about being your best.Ross, who earned silver in London, said the bronze-medal game is the hardest match to play in sports.One team is going home empty-handed, and the other is going home with an Olympic medal, she said.Brazils loss leaves the home country with two beach volleyball medals on home sand. Agatha and Barbara lost to Germany in the womens championship in the late match and won the silver. Alison and Bruno are in the mens gold-medal match against Italy on Thursday.Travis Kelce Super Bowl Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Derrick Thomas Super Bowl Jersey . "Theyve both been real good," said Babcock. "Havent changed our minds." A decision has seemingly been made - Sundays Group B-deciding tilt against Finland ahead - but it could not have been an easy one. Price opened the tournament with a sturdy 19-save performance against the Norwegians, yielding just one goal. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Martinas-Rankin-Chiefs-Jersey/ . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Mitchell Schwartz Super Bowl Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Anthony Sherman Super Bowl Jersey .5 million, one-year contract on Friday. Hawkins, who turns 41 in December, will compete with Rex Brothers for the closers role at spring training.WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Drew Brees was patient and non-confrontational while fielding repeated questions about why he and the New Orleans Saints werent able to negotiate a contract extension before Thursdays opening training camp practice.If anything, the star quarterback became testier when the subject of rookie safetys interception came up.Standing nearby, one of Brees oldest teammates, right tackle Zach Strief, hardly seemed surprised.Look, hes a highly competitive and highly professional guy that is way more worried about the fact he threw an interception in seven-on-seven than he is about a contract right now, Strief said. Thats just how Drew is. ... Everything he does is like, unbelievably focused. Hes like a weirdo.And that, Strief said, is why the Saints shouldnt worry about Brees ability to compartmentalize the uncertainty that arises for any pro athlete in the last year of a contract.Around the NFL and in New Orleans in particular, many seem puzzled by the fact that the Saints havent been able to nail down a new, long-term deal with their franchise quarterback, who has passed for 48,555 yards and 348 touchdowns in 10 seasons with the club -- not to mention MVP honors in New Orleans only Super Bowl triumph.After all that, and the fact that the 37-year-old Brees has repeatedly said he wants to end his career in New Orleans, shouldnt an extension have been easier to hammer out?I would hope so, but I also know that sometimes these take time, Brees said, stressing that nothing is adversarial.Ive got a great relationship with (general manager) Mickey Loomis and have for my entire time here, Brees continued. Theres a process to this and its not an exact science.Brees has stated that once the regular season begins, he intends to cut off negotiations because he doesnt want his contract status to distract him from preparing for a game.He took the same approach in 2011, which was not without risk because an injury could have undermined his value going forward. Instead, Brees passed for what was then an NFL record 5,476 yards to go with 46 touchdowns, which ultimately earned him a five-year, $100 million contract that, in 2012, was the richest deal in the NFL.My mindset is the same whether Ive got a one-year deal or a five-year deal, Brees said. Each and every week, Ive got to go out and Ive got to prove it. Ive got to prove thatt I give us the best chance to win.dddddddddddd. Ive got to prove that Im a leader on the team thats going to get the best out of everybody around me and myself.Coach Sean Payton dismissed the notion that Brees contract status would overshadow the clubs preparations.That is something that cannot be the focus of what were doing, Payton said. Thats the one element that Im sure will take care of itself.Added Loomis, Lots of players play into the last year of their contract. It happened the last time with us. Its not our preference, but it happens. Nothing unusual here.Loomis added that Brees is paid like an elite QB and the Saints expect to do that.Strief said he cannot fathom Brees finishing his career elsewhere, but understands that when a contract is of the magnitude an elite player like Brees commands, the details can take longer to iron out.I could have signed my deal with Mickey in five minutes, Strief said. Its just not that type of situation with Brees.Brees has declined to get into specifics about sticking points in negotiations, saying he wants to keep that between his agent, Tom Condon, and Loomis, who also wont discuss details of negotiations.But Brees, who led the NFL in passing last season, seemed eager to discuss a possible divergence between what he called an old-school way of thinking about quarterback longevity and how he sees his own longevity in light of evolving science pertaining to training and nutrition.I dont see any reason why I cant play at the highest level for the next five years, minimum, Brees asserted.As the quarterback later wrapped up his interview session, discussion turned to second-round draft choice Vonn Bells interception of a deep pass Brees intended for Brandin Cooks during practice.Good for him, Brees said. That wont happen again.Game notesLT Terron Armstead and CB Keenan Lewis have opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. The Saints may take them off the list at any time during preseason, at which point they would be permitted to return to practice. If they remain on the PUP list when preseason ends, they must sit out at least the first six weeks of the season.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '