week. Hendrick Motorsports will likely make a decision on Earnhardts availability on Wednesday.-----UP NEXTKyle B | Forum

PARIS -- Frank McCourts plans to bring Marseille back to the top of French and European soccer could be undermined by local criminals. Darius Leonard Womens Jersey .Winger Florian Thauvin became the latest victim of the southern citys notorious thieves this week, suffering a vicious attack near his home in a chic neighborhood of the port city.Thauvin was attacked and strangled by two men on motorbikes who crashed into his car before they tried to steal his luxury watch. The Newcastle loanee managed to flee the scene and escaped uninjured but the incident highlighted once again the violence to which players are regularly exposed in a city with a long history of organized crime.According to the LEquipe newspaper, at least 12 players and officials from the club have been victims of robberies or thefts since 2011, a poor record slowing down Marseilles development because it makes it difficult to attract top-quality players.Five years ago, midfielder Lucho Gonzalez was robbed of his luxury car and credit cards by armed men who broke into his house, while then-Marseille president Jean-Claude Dassier had his house robbed during a Champions League game abroad. The same year, defender Vitorino Hilton was attacked in his home and hit on the head while armed men held his family hostage. He left the club soon after.It creates a very unpleasant climate, Dassier said in an interview with LEquipe. It does help building a serene and calm atmosphere in the changing room.The assault on Thauvin was the first reported on a Marseille player since McCourts arrival at the former French champions. But it followed another incident in August involving former Marseille sports director Gunter Jacob, who was reportedly robbed of his car and computer while asleep at his rented villa. Jacob left the club three months after he was hired, replaced by Andoni Zubizarreta.McCourt, the former owner of baseballs Los Angeles Dodgers, bought the club last month and has pledged to restore Marseilles battered image. The club is the only French outfit to have won the Champions League, beating AC Milan in 1993. It has won the French title nine times but not since 2010, and has fallen way behind rival Paris Saint-Germain since it was bought by Qatari investors five years ago.But with the winter transfer window looming, taking PSG off its perch will be a tall order if the club fails to build a competitive squad because of the citys lack of attraction, in spite of McCourts vow to invest 200 million euros over four years as part of his project to rebuild the club. For now, Marseille is languishing in 12th place in the French league, 15 points behind Mediterranean neighbor Nice, the surprise leaders who recruited Mario Balotelli and Dante.---This story has been corrected to show that the incident involving Gunter Jacob happened in August, not last year. Margus Hunt Youth Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Andrew Luck Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. http:///...-wayne-colts-jersey/ . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. LOUDON, N.H. -- Matt Kenseth was always near the front of the pack. He stalked the leaders and waited for contenders to wilt.Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. faded down the stretch. So did Denny Hamlin.It almost seemed like a repeat scenario for Kenseth.Just like last fall on the same track when Kevin Harvicks lead evaporated when he ran out of fuel, Kenseth pounced. He pulled away down the stretch to win the Sprint Cup race Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.Truex and Busch each led more than 120 laps before faltering over the final 75 laps, paving the way for Kenseth to win for the second time this season.Kenseth also won the New Hampshire race last September. He has 38th career victories.Last fall, we squeaked one out, a little more fuel than Kevin and a little different strategy, but not quite as good a car, Kenseth said. Today, I felt like we had the best car.NASCAR said Kenseths No. 20 Toyota failed the post-race laser inspection station and will be brought to the research and development center in Concord, North Carolina, for more evaluation. The penalty for that kind of failure has traditionally been a 15-point penalty. But this was the first time a race winner was busted since the lasers were instituted in 2013.Tony Stewart finished second and strengthened his spot inside the top 30 in the points standings. Stewart has a win this season and needs to secure a spot in the top 30 in points to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. He inched from 30th to 28th in points.Joey Logano was third, followed by Harvick and Greg Biffle.Alex Bowman had a solid day ruined when he hit the wall late and finished 26th driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt was sidelined because he suffered from symptoms of a concussion.Truex tumbled to 16th when his Toyota suffered a broken shifter and Busch dropped to eighth when he could never break free on late-race restarts.Were doing everything right, but were taking some on the chin here, Truex said.That allowed Kenseth, Buschs Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, to cruise to the top and snatch the lead with fellow JGR teammate Denny Hamlin with 30 laps He drove away on the final restart with 11 to go in the 301-mile race and soon the traditional lobster plopped on the hood of his Toyota.But this race could be the one remembered for truly solidifying Stewart in Chase contention. He snapped an 84-race losing streak last month at Sonoma and was fifth last week at Kentucky Speedway. Smoke is heating up this summer and could be racing for a fourth championship in his final NASCAR season.Everyone wants this last year to be good, Stewart said. Sonoma, I think really helped relax everybody.Kenseth became the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2004 to win consecutive starts at New Hampshire. He didnt win in his first 27 Cup starts at the track but has three wins in his last three races at the 1.058-mile track.It used to be one of my worst places and now I feel like its one of our better places, he said.Here are other items of nnote from Sundays race:---BOWMANS RUNBowman enjoyed perhaps the final race of his Sprint Cup career, running inside the top 10 and seemingly in position for his best finish in 72 starts. Rock Ya-Sin Youth Jersey. But Bowmans run in the No. 88 Chevrolet ended with a thud when a tire issue slammed his car into the wall and he finished 26th in his first Cup race of the season.Ive never got to actually race with guys like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, all those guys, he said. I had a lot of fun passing really good cars.With four-time champion Jeff Gordon set to take the wheel next week if Earnhardt isnt cleared, Bowman is out of options for the rest of the year.The result will not show what a great job (at)AlexBRacing and the (at)nationwide88 gang did this weekend. Proud of them guys, Earnhardt tweeted.Bowman had no top-10 finishes in 71 starts over the 2014-2015 seasons with BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing.I dont think Ive gotten out of a Cup car with a smile on my face in a while, he said. Its just so much fun to be able to run up front like that. Ive spent two years of my career wondering if I can really do this at the Cup level and today I answered that for myself.-----UNHAPPY HARVICKHarvick was hardly happy over his top-five finish.He went on TV after the race and blasted his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet pit crew for continued poor stops that cost him a serious shot at the checkered flag.Im disgusted to tell you the truth. Its the same thing every week. We just make mistake after mistake and until we clean that up we dont have a chance to win races putting ourselves in a hole every time we make a mistake, Harvick said.He added, Its really going to have to come from the top. I mean, they are going to have to clamp down and there is no way we can win a championship like this unless they straighten some of this stuff out.Harvicks crew had problems with lug nuts and the air gun on two separate spots that sunk him from contention.We always do something wrong, he said.-----KEZS STREAKBrad Keselowski failed in his bid to win three races. He followed wins at Daytona International Speedway and Kentucky Speedway with a 15th-place finish on Sunday.-----JUNIOR UPDATETeam owner Rick Hendrick does not think the concussion symptoms that sidelined Earnhardt are career threatening. He hoped to have NASCARs most popular driver back in the car next week at the Brickyard.Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon will come out of retirement and drive the 88 next week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway if Earnhardt does not return. Hendrick says Gordon will likely remain in the car should Earnhardt need an extended absence.Earnhardt will have more tests early this week. Hendrick Motorsports will likely make a decision on Earnhardts availability on Wednesday.-----UP NEXTKyle Busch heads to the Brickyard as the defending winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ' ' '