reluctance to blood youngsters has dogged Mourinho,

NEW YORK -- Its late at night and the National Tennis Center is empty and still, the pale moonlight reflecting off the new fabric roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium, the venue that eclipsed me as the centerpiece of the US Open. It makes me feel older than my 52 years, but I wont be feeling overshadowed much longer.Sometime next week, the first wrecking ball will kiss one of my flanks, shaking me down to my steel foundation, as my demolition begins. Soon theyll cart me away in pieces to become landfill somewhere. At least Ill still be useful.You might wonder why Im writing this letter. I could say a lot of fancy things about the importance of the historical record, or about legacy. Thats certainly a part of it. Legions of people who attend the US Open now probably never experienced me in my prime, before Ashe Stadium was built. We Americans have a knack for burying and forgetting our past, always moving on. Im scared. Im afraid Ill be forgotten.I may not be the most iconic tennis court in the world; I never was, even before I was superseded by Ashe. That honor belongs to Centre Court at Wimbledon. I never offered the intimacy of the Bullring at Roland Garros, the grandiosity of the Foro Italico, or the perfect sight lines of Rod Laver Arena.Ive only been the most important tennis court in the world. It would make my gradual fall and demise easier to accept if I knew I will be remembered as such.Fittingly, I wasnt born to the manor. I was originally the Singer Bowl, part of the 1964 New York Worlds Fair. Left to molder after that historic gathering left town, I was discovered in 1976 by a visionary USTA president from Mississippi named Slew Hester. He was pondering the future of the US Open, gazing out the window of a plane approaching LaGuardia Airport, when he spotted me. He changed my life.In 1977, tennis was in the midst of a tremendous boom in popularity. But it was still considered a sport of and for the country club set. And no wonder. Three of the four Grand Slam championships, including the US Open, were played at exclusive, private clubs. In our case, the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York, which is just a few subway stops but many income brackets removed from Flushing Meadows.Hester, a tough man with profound democratic instincts, resolved to take the US Open out of the country club and into the public park. He rammed his agenda through the USTA board and ultimately got the entire National Tennis Center created in one year, in time to host the 1978 Open.There I was, reborn and renamed for a marvelous, soulful musician instead of a stitching machine. I was the centerpiece of the largest tennis Grand Slam venue in the world, with seats for 18,000. No tennis stadium on earth was larger. And it was a public facility, in a public park.Oh, there was blowback. Some critics didnt like my bare bones look, with all those steel girders and a visible, concrete underbelly. Others missed the genteel aspects of the country club. Some wanted more greenery. Snobs thought the USTA was going down-market or just grabbing for more money. Most of them forget this: In just 12 months, Hester got an entire Grand Slam facility built. There would be time to cross the ts and dot the is.This was a transformative moment in tennis. We opened the floodgates on a new era that was only stirring when Open tennis began in 1968. In 1978, the U.S. dominated tennis as well as the economics of tennis. We shaped the future, setting the tone for how the world would receive, view and regard the game. The results speak for themselves.Within a few years, Tennis Australia officials would do exactly the same thing Hester did. Look where they are now. Wimbledon has undergone massive renovations and kept up with the times, evolving into a private club with a near-messianic and almost exclusively public mission. The French are hamstrung by local politics and threatening to move from Roland Garros if not allowed to fulfill their manifest destiny. The global reach of the game now extends far beyond the silver on a white linen tablecloth.And yes, those were grand times. The players we had only made it better. What can I say about Jimmy Connors? Man, did he go at it with that Johnny Mac! Chrissie and Steffi brought a touch of class, but I had a soft spot for that feisty little tiger cub, Tracy Austin. Martina and Pete, what offensive talents! Andre never did figure me out. Stony-faced Ivan was a hoot. I couldnt get rid of him -- eight finals in a row! Sheesh. So many memories.It was an unending party for 19 years. Then Ashe was opened in 1996. You might think I was shattered by that. They loped off my upper deck, reducing my capacity to 10,200 (they threw in a facelift, covering my facade with brick to match Ashe). They got rid of anything like a press box, and most seats became open on a first-come, first-serve basis. That bred long lines and frustrated fans. I was relegated to being the No. 2 show court.I dont like the way my reputation has been tarnished over time by the crowding and access problems. It would have been nice in these last few years to host Roger Federer, Serena Williams or Novak Djokovic. But I dont mind having been relegated. Ashe was the right call -- the stadium honors the right person.Its dark out beyond my rim and the MTA rail yard, but I imagine the bulldozers and earthmovers are already lined up, ready to go to work Monday. Sometimes I wish there were another way, but I know there isnt. Im an artifact. Ive outlived my usefulness. But for a long time I was the most important tennis court in the world. Hydro Flask Standard Mouth Sports Cap . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Wide Mouth . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. http://www.hydroflaskcoffeesale.com/hydro-flask-standard-mouth/24-oz-standard-mouth.html . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Hydro Flask Coffee 12 Oz . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Hydro Flask Coffee 20 Oz . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage.Was it really as long as 12 years ago when a slim, slightly-built Portuguese man arrived in west London amid a blaze of hype and fanfare? This was no ordinary manager, however, and on that day - Wednesday, June 2, 2004 - he was about to tell the assembled expectant media as such with a claim which would not only go down in the annals of football history, but could have equally come back to bite him on the behind.Chelsea had been in the Premier League shadows of London rivals Arsenal, who in 2003/4 had just delivered an incredible unbeaten season and a third Premier League title under Arsene Wenger with their Invincibles side. Neutrals may have pointed to that theme continuing, but furnished with the riches of owner Roman Abramovich, the newly-appointed Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho knew different. Please dont call me arrogant, but Im European champion and I think Im a special one. Jose Mourinho Please dont call me arrogant, but Im European champion and I think Im a special one, said Mourinho, before adding: We have top players and, sorry if Im arrogant, we have a top manager. Mourinho took over from Claudio Ranieri, who had been at Stamford Bridge for four years. At the time, the well-liked Italian professed that his replacement would struggle to make the transition from the Portuguese League to the Premier League. Mourinhos reply was typical of the man.I heard that and I suggest if one of you is Mr Ranieris friend or has his number, you should call him and explain to him that for a team to win the European Cup, it has to beat many teams from many countries. I did not win the cup playing against 20 Portuguese teams. Heres a look at some of Mourinhos funniest moments in the Premier League I played and beat a team from his own country, Italy, from your country and the one he was working in, England. And to win the UEFA Cup, that was the same kind of thing.It was all breathtaking stuff, pure box office, and would continue to be so for both his spells in charge at Stamford Bridge - from 2004 to 2007, and from 2013 to 2015. Mourinho went on to back up his claims by guiding Chelsea to three Premier League titles, the FA Cup in the 2006/07 season and three League Cup wins.Humility is perhaps something one doesnt often attribute to Mourinho, but when asked about his initial Premier League ambitions 12 years ago as he began his career at Chelsea, he replied: The biggest ambition I have is to win the first Premiership match on August 14. When pushed to expand on that theme, he added: The second ambition is to win the second Premiership match on August 21 and we will keep going like this.With earlier Champions League successes at Porto and then later at Inter, it was that prospect of winning pedigree in the hotseat which saw Manchester United decide to ditch Louis van Gaal two years into his three-year contract. Mourinho has replaced Louis van Gaal in the Manchester United dugout Despite seeing their side see off Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup, United vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the Red Devils fans were in the main forced to witness dire football under Van Gaal. All parties at United are now eager to see the Special One bring his special charms to Old Trafford.Combining his two spells in England, Mourinho has won 140 of 212 Premier League games, a win percentage of 66%, the highest in Premier League history and a stat which United hope will continue.Loved and loathed in equal measure, his record of a total of 22 trophies shows Mourinho is nevertheless a serial winner. Heres a look at what Mourinho has had to say about Manchester United in the past So the sacking by Chelsea last December was a particularly bitter pill for Mourinho to have swallowed.dddddddddddd When Mourinho was sacked last December, he left Chelsea just one point above the relegation zone, having lost nine of their first 16 Premier League games.Despite all the silverware, Jamie Carragher would reason on Sky Sports following the Blues 2015 Champions League last-16 exit to Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge that Mourinhos teams will be respected for the titles they win, but theyll never be loved.Following Chelseas 2-1 Premier League loss at Leicester last December, Mourinho was clearly not happy, as Eden Hazard indicated his hip injury would not allow him to continue. The former Chelsea player of the season, Hazard was a shadow of himself in his second season under Mourinho, and only rediscovered his form once the latter had departed. Mourinho on the touchline at Leicesters King Power Stadium in the final game of his second spell in charge of Chelsea in December 2015 Results improved markedly under caretaker coach Guus Hiddink as Chelsea steered well clear of the drop zone, using the same players as under Mourinho, thus pointing to a loss of team spirit.Speaking on June 2, 2004, Mourinho stressed the importance of spirit, which was evident when Chelsea were lifting silverware, but noticeably absent in his final days as Chelsea manager.Im a great defender of team spirit and team work and the first thing I have to promise to my new players is that I will look at them all with the same eyes, he said.I dont want special relations with one of them. I hate to speak about individuals. Players dont win you trophies - teams win trophies, squads win trophies.I cannot say I love this player, but generally I love the players who love to win. Not only the ones that love to win in 90 minutes but love to win every day, in every training session and in all of their lives. Former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon believes Mourinho is the perfect replacement for Louis van Gaal The United players will be aware that Mourinho has shown he only selects players who demonstrate a continuous work ethic, both with and without the ball.His willingness to castigate and then discard Joe Cole for a perceived unwillingness to track back and defend was echoed when Mourinho sold Blues favourite Juan Mata for £37.1m to United. The two are therefore likely to have only a brief working relationship when Mourinho and Mata are reunited at Old Trafford.It may have previously been unthinkable to even imagine Mourinho at United, but following Fergusons retirement in 2013 and the short but unpopular 10-month stint of David Moyes in 2013/14, followed by the dull, dour Van Gaal style, Mourinho will be perceived as a breath of fresh air, and that is what United are desperate for.There will be no Champions League football for Mourinho, not next season anyway, but he will be given a massive war chest to get new players. Heavily linked in the British press with a move for Chelseas Willian and reportedly desperate to finally land Evertons John Stones, they may be the first of many new arrivals at Old Trafford. Mourinho is reportedly keen on bringing Chelsea forward Willian with him to Old Trafford However, a reluctance to blood youngsters has dogged Mourinho, and at Chelsea, only 20-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek emerged from the Blues academy - and even he was only used sparingly.Despite his perceived failings at United, Van Gaal gave young players a chance and we witnessed the explosive start of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford, with 19-year-old Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 18-year-old Tomothy Fosu-Mensah, 21-year-old Patrick McNair and 23-year-old Jesse Lingard forming a very able supporting cast. United fans will want to see their careers continue to develop at Old Trafford, and for them not to be loaned out elsewhere.The United job is one that Mourinho has long coveted, and the 20-times English champions were keen to get their main. The Special One will now look to prove that 12 years on from his dramatic Premier League arrival, and six months after his sacking by Chelsea, he has lost none of his winning allure. Also See: Mourinho and Man Utd timeline Joses biggest job? Mourinho in numbers Mourinho and Man Utd in quotes ' ' '