SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- It was less than a year ago that the?Dallas Cowboys star rookie duo of running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were at the NFL Combine attempting to woo potential suitors through myriad tasks testing their mental and physical attributes. Today, the two are starters in the NFL on the current best team in the league, at 8-1, and first-rounder Elliot could challenge for league MVP.On Tuesday at the LCS Arena near the beaches of Los Angeles, 20 League of Legends amateurs began their own journey to write the script of their future careers. Under the support of four NA LCS teams in Immortals, Counter Logic Gaming, Echo Fox and Team Liquid, four teams were born to represent the elemental Drakes inside Summoners Rift: Mountain (IMT), Cloud (CLG), Infernal (FOX) and the aptly dubbed Ocean (TL).These ramshackle squads were represented by members of the team guiding the rookies through the combine. CLGs Ocean, for example, had both captain Zaqueri Aphromoo Black and head coach Tony Zikzlol Gray to shepherd the prospects. From there, the brainy quartet sat down in a private room to commence the drafting portion of the event, dividing the rookies into four even teams. The first overall pick, to Ocean, was jungler Omar OmarGod Amin, who entered the rookie field as one of the favorites to impress in the weeklong test of skills.Following the top selection, AD carry Deftly was selected by Team Infernal, mid laner Tuesday was picked up by Mountain, and another jungler, Wiggily, was scooped up by Liquids Team Ocean to round out the first-round picks.After the draft, the players dispersed into their newly chosen tribes and put on fresh uniforms to begin their quest to be the last team standing at the end of the week. The teams will play through Friday night, and a standout player might find himself earning a contract from one of the observing NA LCS clubs. While the players got to know each other, the first day was essentially up to the teams themselves -- no official matches are scheduled until Wednesday night.A team could have theoretically taken their respective rookies to an amusement park for the day; however, as expected, teams went straight into working, with scrimmages scheduled into the night. Also, each team was partnered with a media crew, and ESPN Esports was selected to cover Team Mountain for the duration of the tournament.While several teams stayed at the LCS Arena studios to play in the scrimmage rooms, Team Mountain trekked to the Immortals team house to get the full experience of playing as professionals. A few players reflected on the feeling of sitting in the chairs of some of the elites in the league, such as former MVP and 2016 all-star Kim Reignover Ui-jin.We only get to train them for so many hours for so many days. We wanted to make sure all of our picks were above average or better, Team Mountain coach and new Immortals strategic head coach David Hermes Tu said after a pair of scrimmages to begin the day. We werent shooting too high, like star players, and we werent shooting too low. We didnt want any problem [players] we couldnt resolve by the end of the week, so I think we started out our draft strong.On what he looks to get out of the experience, he said his teams victories would be his own.[Ill enjoy] hopefully what they will enjoy, which is to make sure they know its not about winning, although winning is nice, Hermes said. It might be their sole experience and being exposed to what professional play is like and whether if they want to do it or not. I hope it gives them a good perspective of what is ahead of them.Although a winner will be crowned at the end of the combine, Hermes preached learning and achieving goals as a unit over taking the top prize. With only four days to play together before the event is over, this could be the one chance these players have to separate themselves from the faceless slew of amateurs in the North American ladder.A team house, dedicated scrims, playing side-by-side with your teammates and a legitimate coaching staff behind you make for an opportunity of a lifetime for Team Mountain.Tuesday, the top pick of the team, is confident he can impress in the mid lane, but itll take a five-man effort to stand above the rest. The official games begin Wednesday, and the hopes of a few prospects will begin to be snuffed out. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Cheap Andre Dawson Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. http://www.cheapmarlinsjerseys.com/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Cheap Marlins Jerseys Authentic . With his new coach and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during an official match for the first time, Djokovic appeared tentative early against the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to keep the ball in play. Cheap Marlins Jerseys . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Donald Tiripano makes for an unlikely, everyday cricketing hero. Well under six feet tall, he occasionally tops 130kph with the ball and just about holds his own the bat, without getting too bolshy. But against West Indies at Queens Sports Club on Saturday afternoon, he showed his mettle as a cricketer and became just the hero Zimbabwe needed. With six deliveries in the final over Tiripano sparked the unlikeliest of comebacks, taking three wickets and giving away just three runs to help Zimbabwe tie.To me, it was my dream, Tiripano said, holding back welling emotions. I was talking to myself, saying. This is the chance Ive been waiting for since I was a little kid. I grew up playing cricket in the streets. I was just thinking about that. Thinking Just be positive. Nothing to fear. Just express yourself. That positivity and that faith ... I just thank God for this. Its great for me. Its something that many wish for in their lives, to save a match for their country. Its a blessing.He had opened the bowling earlier, trapping Johnson Charles lbw with an inducker before the opener could really get going. His opening spell of 1 for 24 was useful, but not flashy - and certainly gave no indication of the heroics that would come later, when he was called upon by his captain Graeme Cremer to bowl the final over of this match, with just four runs to defend. With his second ball, he had the dangerous, World T20-winning Carlos Brathwaite caught at long on. With his third, he ran Ashley Nurse out by deflecting a firm drive from Jason Holder back onto the non-strikers stumps.Suddenly, hope surged. After a leg bye, he might have had Jonathan Carter caught in the deep, but Chamu Chibhabha couldnt quite get to the chance despite a stupendous effort. The batsmen crossed, levelling the scores. It all came down to the final delivery, and when Tiripano beat Holders drive with a full, wide slower ball and PJ Moor threw down the stumps, the Zimbabweans unleashed their unrestrained joy. This wasnt a win, but it sure felt like one.[Cremer] just said Back yourself, and do what youve been doing before, Tiripano explained after the breathless finish to the game. So I just backed myself to bowl that slower ball, that I usually know is difficult to hit. Keep it simple. I didnt want to use too many variations, just that slower ball because there was assistance from the wicket. So I didnt have to bowl yorkers or anything. Just use the wicket to help me.I tried to bowl that last ball fuller, because there wasnt much pace in the wicket so it would be difficult to hit over the top. I bowled it ffuller, and he didnt hit it.dddddddddddd Im just so happy we managed to pull out a tie, out of nothing.Then there was his batting. Tiripano was the only member of Zimbabwes bottom seven to reach double figures, and he took them past 250 and to their highest ODI score this year with a clean six (his first in ODIs) off Shannon Gabriel, the quickest bowler in this tri-series. I knew before he bowled that the ball would be fuller, because hed bowled a few back-of-a-length deliveries, Tiripano explained with nonchalance. So I just anticipated before the ball was bowled. I was right there to hit it.Tiripanos resistance was emblematic of the spirit shown by the Zimbabwean side today, which left coach Heath Streak a very proud man. Im proud of the fact that they never gave up, Streak said. They managed to claw it back. It was excellent. Those last seven or eight overs were brilliant. The guys took it to the wire. Cricket is funny. If you take it into the last over, its amazing what can happen with that pressure.Probably in the last three overs, I started thinking: We can do this, Streak added. We got a couple of wickets, and I knew Brathwaite and the skipper Holder can hit a long ball, so I was always worried about the damage they can do. But the wicket was pretty tough. It was gripping and I thought Mpofu and Williams bowled really well. And then obviously Donald bowled that last over really well under pressure. He bowled some superb balls. Im very proud of how they fought.Yet Streak was also realistic about the areas in which Zimbabwe fell short today. They missed three chances off centurion Shai Hopes bat, and their fumbles in the field dissipated the pressure being built up on the batsmen.We know that were better than what we showed in the field, Streak said. Thats the only disappointment. We dropped opportunities and we had a lot of fumbles. We know were better than that. Its something I know the guys are going to have to work on, getting those fielding standards up, but the fact that we were able to tie and not have had our best day in the field is probably a good omen for us, because we know weve still got room for improvement.Despite todays tie, weve still got a lot of work to do to get ourselves to the final, Streak added. Monday (against Sri Lanka) is an important game for us. Weve just to make sure we come out with that same positivity. We have a big game on Monday, but weve got to take it one over at a time, one ball at a time. ' ' '