It turns out Rio de Janeiro wont be a terminal destination for Roger Federer. The upcoming Olympics were where?the 34-year-old all-time mens Grand Slam singles champ was destined to go out in a blaze of glory -- or a tailspin.But Rio has become just another station that Federer bypasses without pause as he continues his unique journey in tennis, the terminus still unknown. That much was clear in the undertone of the announcement Federer posted the other day, declaring that he was skipping the Olympic Games and pulling the plug on the rest of the 2016 year.Instead, he will focus on extensive rehabilitation of his surgically repaired left knee.The doctors advised that if I want to play on the ATP World Tour injury-free for another few years, as I intend to do, I must give both my knee and body the proper time to fully recover, Federer wrote on his Facebook page.Note his reference to another few years, and the added emphasis immediately thereafter.Federer may not be ready to revise his timeline and declare that he wants to play through until the Tokyo Olympic Games of 2020. But whos to say he couldnt do it?His decision to take the rest of the year off instead of mounting a retirement tour speaks volumes. It implies a long-term commitment. He wants to strengthen that left knee over a long, five-month period, presumably because he feels it still has a lot more work to do.Back in 2012, when Federer first declared that he intended to play on the ATP Tour at least until the Rio Games, some scoffed at his plans. Sure, he was a 17-time Grand Slam singles champion -- the most prolific in the games history. But he was 30 years old, pressed on all sides by younger men, including Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.But Federer held his own, and then some. True, Federer hasnt won a Grand Slam tournament since his triumph at Wimbledon four years ago. That conquest was followed on the same Centre Court a few weeks later by a painful loss in the gold medal Olympic Games match to Murray. The failure helped crystallize Federers determination to play on, hoping for another crack at the golden prize in Rio.If the singles gold medal remains the only hole in Federers résumé, it has also been a source of motivational fuel. After their Olympic gold medal clash, Federer won six of eight from Murray. In 2015, a healthy Federer was a respectable 3-5 against the rampaging Djokovic. Federer was building steam toward that date in Rio.Then in late January of this year, Federer heard a click and felt a stab of pain in his left knee while drawing a bath for his children. It led to surgery, a hurried rehabilitation, missed time. If only he had taught his twins to shower, Federer might have gone into Rio seeded even higher than his current No. 3 ranking would mandate.Now, the fruit of his sustained excellence over four years is sharp disappointment. But its far from the end of anything.Federer took a spill at this years Wimbledon late in a semifinal loss to Milos Raonic. It was an uncharacteristically ungainly fall. To some, it appeared symbolic. But perhaps it wasnt father time tripping Federer and reminding him of his mortality. Maybe it was Federers knee sending a warning, telling Federer he had been a bit hasty in returning.Its pretty incredible to see the progress Ive been able to make in a short period of time, Federer told the ATP in late March, about seven weeks after his surgery. In his latest statement, a more sober Federer philosophically wrote, The silver lining is that this experience has made me realize how lucky I have been throughout my career with very few injuries.The one thing weve learned over the years is that theres no telling about longevity, about who will or wont have it. Despite this setback, Federer appears to be built for the long haul. Hes as much in love with the game as it is in love with him. It looks as if hes just been denied a final shot at glory. Hes found a greater project than two weeks in Rio.I am as motivated as ever and plan to put all my energy towards coming back strong, healthy and in shape to play attacking tennis in 2017, Federer wrote.Curious that Federer chooses to insert the adjective attacking. Its as if hes telling us: Dont expect to see some 35-year-old has-been hobbling around out there next year, punching up moon balls, either.Get the signs and posters ready: Tokyo, 2020. Todd Frazier Jersey . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes have placed backup goalie Anton Khudobin on injured reserve with an unspecified lower-body injury. http://www.metssale.com/mets-pedro-martinez-jersey/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Tug McGraw Jersey . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Zack Wheeler Mets Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots rookie receiver Malcolm Mitchell?is expected to miss about four weeks after initial tests showed he suffered a dislocated left elbow during Thursday nights preseason game against the New Orleans Saints, a source told ESPN. ?X-rays on Mitchells elbow were negative, but hes expected to also have an MRI.?Mitchell was hurt late in the second quarter, when he was being dragged down after making an 8-yard reception along the right sideline. He sprung to his feet and immediately walked to the locker room with a member of the Patriots medical staff, holding his left arm close to his body.A fourth-round draft choice out of Georgia, Mitchell didnt enter the game until the fifth series. In 15 snaps, he totaled four catches for 55 yards, developing a quick rapport with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was 11-of-18 for 168 yards.Mitchell, whose work as a public advocate for childrens reading has earned headlines, has been sseparating from his competition in practice and has positioned himself to potentially be a big part of the Patriots offensive plans alongside receivers Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan atop the depth chart.ddddddddddddAt Georgia, Mitchell, who is 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, played in 47 games (35 starts) and finished third in school history with 174 receptions for 2,351 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 2014, he was named Georgias Comeback Player of the Year after missing almost all of the 2013 season because of a knee injury.For the Saints, linebacker Stephone Anthony, a 2015 first-round pick, left on a cart before halftime because of an unknown injury. Coach Sean Payton declined to comment on Anthonys injury after the game, a 34-22 Patriots win.?ESPNs Mike Reiss, Mike Triplett and Adam Caplan contributed to this report. ' ' '
