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PARIS -- There is no such thing as the beginning of an end. An end is just an end. However short, the period until that finality remains one of possibilities, as Wayne Rooney will prove.Taking their cue from interim manager Gareth Southgates decision to drop Rooney from Englands starting XI for its 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Slovenia on Tuesday, some observers are now prematurely digging the 30-year-olds footballing grave, predicting that his time is running out.It doesnt take a genius to argue that age, the wear-and-tear of nearly 700 appearances for clubs and country and the displacement of older players by younger ones will, in the not unforeseeable future, combine to permanently sideline Rooney. Like weathermen who predict rain, those now pointing to that writing on the wall are bound to be right, eventually.But there are compelling footballing and sentimental reasons to both hope and believe that between now and the inevitable, Rooney will still surprise.First, the football.It has for several seasons been clear to all, including Rooney, that he no longer has the scything speed that made him such a bulldog forward in his younger days and that he is increasingly struggling with footballs ever-quicker tempo, notably in Englands Premier League.But by recognizing and accepting a variety of retooled roles for himself in the England and United midfields and on their benches, Rooney has shown intelligence, pragmatism, adaptability and no shortage of guts. Embarking on what is, essentially, a second career further down the pitch was never going to smooth. It hasnt been made any easier by the unsettling managerial churn at both United and England.On off-days, Rooney looks ponderous and a brake on, not a creator of, attacking momentum for his teams, unable to play box-to-box for extended periods or create enough goal-scoring chances for others.But on good days, which he still has, Rooneys sweet passes, industry, tactical brains and leadership make him an undeniable asset. Even though Southgate and, at United, Jose Mourinho may no longer think first of Rooney, his enduring value is proven by the fact they still want him on their benches when not in their starting lineups.There is no shame in that. That the all-time top scorer and most-capped outfield player for England and soon-to be top scorer for United (he is just three goals shy of Bobby Charltons record of 249) is willing to play cameo roles is the mark of a player who puts the team before himself.By sharing his experience with younger players and imposing his maturity on the dressing room, qualities that Southgate described as gold dust, and by shielding teammates from some of the intense media spotlight that so often unsettles the England team, Rooney can still chip in to its effort to qualify for the World Cup in Russia and shake off the disaster of being knocked out of the European Championship by Iceland this June.There is no embarrassment, Rooney said. Ill be ready to come off the bench if needed.On the sentimental side, Rooney stands as an example of how football can help polish rough kids from rough neighborhoods, of how the game offers opportunity for youngsters to better themselves and isnt solely defined by the corrupt officials who have soiled the sports reputation, at FIFA and elsewhere.The kid from a grim suburb of Liverpool, as thrilling as he was to watch with the ball at his feet, long disappointed as a person. His temper was short, his moods often foul, and the headlines he generated often bad. He stomped on Ricardo Carvalho (2006 World Cup, red card) and vented to pitch-side cameras (2010 World Cup; West Ham vs. Man United in 2011, two-match ban). His stock fell so low that the town of Edenbridge in Englands southeast burned a 30-foot effigy of Rooney in 2010, giving him the ears of cartoon ogre Shrek.In short, a very different character from the poised elder statesman who accepted Southgates decision to bench him against Slovenia with apparent good grace and insisted this was not the beginning of the end that some described it as.I understand this is part of football. It is something which you have to go through and I am big enough to deal with it, he said. I have said before that I will not stop playing for England and then think of going to Dubai for a few days in the international break. I will turn up when called upon and be ready.The fan of boxing may be down, but he is not out.---John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at http://twitter.com/johnleicester. See his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/john-leicesterWholesale Shoes Australia . On June 12, just as the sun sets on the magnificent historical city of Sao Paulo the inventors, innovators and purveyors of “joga bonitowill” open their campaign. The opponent, Croatia and all its football might and will. As opposites do attract we are set for a corker of an opener. Womens Shoes Australia . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.australiashoescheap.com/ . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. Cheap Shoes Australia Free Shipping . After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Cheap Shoes Online Australia . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete.It took just one hit for No. 24 Boise State to see two of its season goals possibly go bouncing away.Last weeks loss at Wyoming was a major blow to Boise States hopes of earning the Group of Five berth to one of the major New Years bowls. It also severely damaged the Broncos hopes of even winning a Mountain West Conference title with Boise State now needing Wyoming to lose twice just to win the Mountain Division.If the Broncos (7-1, 3-1 Mountain West) are to keep their hopes alive for either of those accomplishments, they cant afford another stumble from here on out, beginning with Fridays game against San Jose State.Youre not in the drivers seat but to be honest with you youre not in the drivers seat until the end of the season anyway. It all has to play out, Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said.Thats an optimistic view from Harsin, but there is history behind his optimism. Two years ago, the Broncos lost a conference game at Air Force, but got the breaks they needed to win the Mountain Division, win the conference championship game and landed as the highest-ranked Group of Five team to earn a Fiesta Bowl bid.The difference two years ago: Boise States loss came at the end of September with seven games remaining. Boise State has just three games left after hosting the Spartans.Thats why the loss to Wyoming could be so damaging. There may not be time for Boise State to make up enough ground and get help from others.The Cowboys rallied to tie the game at 28-all. Then Chase Appleby sacked Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien and forced a fumble that bounced out of the back of the end zone for a safety with 1:25 left for what proved to be the winning points.We didnt make enough plays in the game, Harsin said. Theres always things that you want back. Theres always things that you want back in games that you win.San Jose State (3-6, 2-3) has won two of its past three and must win its final three games to become bowl eligible for a second straight season. But the Spartans havent beatten a ranked team on the road since winning at Baylor in 1980.ddddddddddddTheyve got good players across the board. A well-balanced football team, San Jose State coach Ron Caragher said. Were going to need to play on a very high level for four quarters.Other things to watch as Boise State looks to improve to 13-0 all-time against San Jose State:RYPIENS BOUNCEBACK: Boise State quarterback Brett Rypiens play will be closely watched after it was his fumble that bounced out of the end zone and gave Wyoming the decisive points for its upset victory. Rypien threw for 295 yards and caught a touchdown pass on a trick play against the Cowboys, but the Broncos punted on four of six second-half possessions and the last possession ended with the safety.FEED JEREMY: Boise State running back Jeremy McNichols had another standout day against Wyoming, rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns. McNichols has topped 100 yards six times this season. He rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns last year against San Jose State.McNichols is one of three running backs in the Mountain West already topping 1,000 yards rushing, and is No. 6 in the country. But he trails San Diego States Donnel Pumphrey and Wyomings Brian Hill.NO TURNOVERS: Boise State has yet to find the key to forcing turnovers.Through eight games, the Broncos have forced just four turnovers -- three interceptions and one fumble recovery. Thats last in the country and Boise State has a minus-9 in turnover margin.I cant recall being minus-9 in turnovers, ever, and having as few as weve had, Harsin said.San Jose State knows how important it is to protect the ball. In their three wins this season, the Spartans have not committed a turnover.Its no coincidence weve won the turnover battle the last three weeks and won two of those three games, Caragher said.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '