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YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- McLarens new executive director Zak Brown says flexibility will be the key to achieving his primary goal of bringing a title sponsor to the team by 2018.The American business man is due to join the company next month and will work alongside current COO Jonathan Neale to shape the direction of the team. Brown will focus more on the commercial responsibilities while Neales engineering background makes him better suited to the challenges the team faces on track.McLaren has not had a title sponsor on its car since Vodafone left in 2013, with the teams former CEO Ron Dennis famously unwilling to budge on the teams rate card. Brown says the global economy has made sponsors hard to come by and admits that achieving his goal of a title sponsor by 2018 is not going to be easy.Its a difficult environment for all of us, he said on his first appearance with the team in Abu Dhabi. Red Bull had a title sponsor, they dont now, its themselves. Ferrari go about things a little bit differently and then obviously Mercedes has been fortunate enough to have a title partner for some time.I think there are some serious head winds out there in this world -- whether its Brexit or the US election -- and so its a difficult environment. Its not an inexpensive sponsorship but it is great value and global, so when you break it down its money very well spent.But Ive not been on the inside, so I dont know how many near misses there have been and weve had a couple of close opportunities. So its hard, its very hard. By no means do I have a magic wand and think that having a title sponsor in 2018 is going to be an easy feat.Asked what he could bring to McLaren to change the situation, Brown said the most important factor is to be flexible enough to give sponsors return on investment.Ive got 22 years of experience of working with corporate partners, so I have got a very good understanding of what they want and how they operate and that is different today to how it was five, ten, 15, 20 years ago.Measurement is critical and return on investment is critical and then we have more competition among other sports and its going to be about understanding the market place and being flexible to a potential partners needs. So flexibility will be key.Brown said he would look to bring new names into the sport but also said there is also the possibility of poaching sponsors from rival teams.Im positive we are going to bring in new partners, we have for the last 22 years in motorsport and the last 12 in Formula One. Id like to think the well hasnt run dry in our talent in doing that, but its a competitive sport on and off the track so everyone at times talks to each others sponsors and its not unusual to see sponsors move. I dont think that will be any different moving forward.Edgar Renteria Jersey . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. Drew Steckenrider Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. 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Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player.CHICAGO -- Moments after his successful return to Chicago with the U.S. national team, Jimmy Butler pulled on a T-shirt with a picture of Brazilian soccer star Pele on the front.Yup, its almost time.Kyrie Irving scored 13 points, DeMarcus Cousins powered a dominant performance in the paint, and the United States pulled away from Venezuela for an ugly 80-45 exhibition victory Friday night.Coming off three straight flashy victories in Las Vegas and California, the United States used a strong fourth quarter to shoot 42.4 percent from the field in by far its worst offensive performance of its five-city tour in preparation for the Rio Olympics. But the Americans used their superior athleticism to limit Venezuela to 24 percent shooting and owned the interior with a 54-29 rebounding advantage.Quite frankly, Im very pleased about tonight because you dont just want to just hit 17 3s and not work hard, U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said. We had to work real hard tonight.Butler, a two-time All-Star with the Bulls, had four points and eight rebounds in 21 1/2 minutes in his first start with Team USA. He was cheered every time he was announced at the United Center.This is like home for me now, Butler said. Im glad that I got to play here for USA in front of my hometown crowd. Theyve embraced me since Day 1. I hope they continue to do so. I want to win with the Bulls. I want to win with USA and bring a championship with the Bulls and a gold medal here.Butler had one of the few electric plays for the U.S. when he ran out on the break and dunked Kyle Lowrys tip pass in the fourth quarter. DeAndre Jordan also had a vicious dunk off a lob from Kevin Durant, and DeMar DeRozan drew chants of USA! USA! with a windmill jam in the final minutes.Klay Thompson also scored 13 points, and Cousins finished with seven points and 12 rebounds. Durant had nine points of 3-of-9 shooting for the U.S., which plays one more exhibition on Monday against Nigeria before departing for Brazil.We just kept fighting defensiveely, and we were great (in that area), Durant said.dddddddddddd And in the second half, we made some shots.John Cox scored 14 points for Venezuela, which will play the U.S. again on Aug. 8 in the Olympics. Nestor Colmenares pulled down 10 rebounds.Their defense is so good because they can switch everything because of their length and athleticism, Cox said. So theres not really another team in the Olympics that can do that.Irving and company were greeted with a round of hearty cheers when they came out for pregame warmups. Fans flocked to the side of the court where the Americans had their layup line, and Anthony and Durant posed for pictures with a couple of eager boys.Before Butlers introduction drew the most applause of the night, former Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau received a thunderous ovation when he was announced with the U.S. coaching staff. Thibodeau took a year off after he was fired by the Bulls in May 2015, and then was hired as Minnesotas coach and president of basketball operations in April.Hes the best as far as preparation and team player and whatever, and the fans appreciate it, said Krzyzewski, a Chicago native. It was great. I love the fact that my town gave a guy who gave them his heart and soul for the number of years hes been here, and acknowledged that. Thats a great, great thing.The star power also extended to the sideline near the U.S. bench, where former Olympians Scottie Pippen and Dwyane Wade watched the action attentively. Wade was joined by his wife, actress Gabriel Union, hours after he held his introductory press conference for his new contract with his hometown Bulls.Pippen played on the 1992 Dream Team that rolled to gold in Barcelona, and also helped the U.S. win gold in 1996. Wade was on the Americans gold medal-winning teams at each of the last two Olympics.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '