Hornets center Tyson Chandler has accepted an invitation to train with the U.S. national team in Las Vegas later this month, shortly before the team departs for the Olympics in China.

"This will allow Tyson and the team to be better prepared in the  event he is needed," said USA managing director Jerry Colangelo on USA Basketball's Web site.

Whether the 7-foot-1 Chandler travels to China with the team has yet to be decided. It may depend on whether starting center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic recovers fully from a chest injury. Howard said he expects to be ready for the Olympics from July 21-25. Chandler will join Hornets teammate Chris Paul, who is expected to be a backup guard on the team competing in Beijing.

Chandler was a member of the 2007 USA Team that participated in the FIBA America Championship and finished 10-0 to win gold and qualify the U.S. for the Beijing Olympics Games.

In 10 games he averaged 2.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg and recorded a team best 14 blocked shots, while shooting 56/3 per cent from the field. Playing for the USA Blue Team in the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge, he scored five points, a game high 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in just 25 minutes of action..

The USA Senior Team will resume its training in Las Vegas on z\Monday and will train daily through July 24. The Americans will cap the Las Vegas portion of its training on July 25 with the 2008 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge. The USA will meet the Canadian National Team.

The USA will then train and play four additional games in the USA Basketball International Challenge that will see games in Macao, China and two more games in Shanghai.

The U.S. is scheduled to arrive Beijing on Aug. 6, and preliminary round play of the 2008 Olympics takes place Aug. 10-18. The U.S. was placed in preliminary Group B, opens preliminary play Aug. 10 against host China.

Chandler has been a crowd favorite with his "Alley Oop" play for the Hornets. How does the name of a cartoon character become synonymous with one of the most exciting plays in basketball is a mystery to me.

The term "Alley Oop" was first used in the 1950s by the NFL 49ers to describe high-arching passes from Y. A. Tittle to R. C.Owens, who would out leap shorter cornerbacks for touchdown receptions.

Former UNO basketball coach Monte Towe lobbed passes to David Thompson when they won a national championship at North Carolina State in the 1970s. Dunking in the NCAA was illegal back then.

There was a a popular song by the Hollywood Argyles called "Alley Oop." but it had nothing to do with the cartoon strip of the football or basketball play. 

Mail Bag:

I read that Peyton Manning underwent surgery to remove a bursa sac in his knee? What is a bursa sac? --  Tim Alexander, Metairie.

A bursa is a small fluid-filed sac that reduces friction between the knee's moving parts. There are 11 bursae in each knee. The Colts would not comment on which bursa Manning had removed, but the one most commonly affected particularly in football players, is the patellae bursa on the front part of the kneecap or patella. It enable the the skin and subcutaneous tissue to glide smoothly over the kneecap. Peyton should be be ready to play in the Colts' regular-season opener on Sept. 7.

I live near Pensacola and am a fan of Kenny Stabler. He is a good guy, but has a problem he needs to address. --  Terry Lynch, Pensacola.

Kenny will not be in the Alabama broadcast booth this season and said he will fight the DUI allegations made against him. He said he is innocent and has faith in the judicial system and expects to be exonerated. He plans to return to the the Crimson Tide broadcast booth for the 2009 season.

SOME HITHER, OTHERS YON: Former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staunch has sold his commercial real estate company for $613 million. His personal take is $87.million...It's been 100 years ago this season that LSU shared college football's national championship with the University of Pennsylvania. That team, coached by Edgar Wingard, soared through a 10-game schedule without a loss or tie as Doc Fenton scored an incredible 125 points on the year. The Tigers would have been favored to win the SEC this season had Ryan Perrilloux returned. The Tigers would have also been a serious contender for another national championship, but the loose cannon would have done something along the way to derail them...One running back you'll be hearing a lot about this season is USM's Damion Fletcher...The Cardinals have come to terms with wide receiver Early Doucet, their third-round draft choice from LSU. He figures to compete for the No. 3 receiving job with the Cards...Is Brett Favre being more of a diva than a good ol' boy? He's either a brooding Shakespearean figure tormented by his own inability to make a decision or he likes being the center of attention...My time is up. Ed Staton can be reached at edocachstaton@yahoo.com.