COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After a horrendous 5-20-1 start, the Buffalo Sabres have to be happy spoiling things for others. On Saturday night, they ruined a good run by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Christian Ehrhoff and Marcus Foligno scored short-handed goals and Ryan Miller was almost flawless in goal as the Sabres ended a five-game skid with a 5-2 victory that snuffed out the Blue Jackets franchise-record winning streak at eight. "It feels good. It feels good to be a spoiler," Foligno said. "The odds were against us, they were on a roll and have been playing pretty well. Their power plays been good -- and we got two goals off of it, which is great." Matt Ellis, Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson also scored for the Sabres, who snapped an 0-3-2 stretch. "Its pretty cool. Theyre one of the hottest teams in the NHL this month," said Hodgson, who also had an assist. "It feels nice to win, it doesnt matter who its against. But its a little extra sweeter (against a good team)." It was a stunning reversal of fortune for both teams. Ehrhoff added two assists, tying a career high with three points as the Sabres won by three goals and scored five times in regulation for the first times all season. "It is disappointing," said Derek MacKenzie, who had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who blew a chance to take over second place in their division. "You win eight, you want to keep winning." Miller, who was stellar in the first period when the Blue Jackets peppered him with shots, made 38 saves and stood particularly tall on Columbus four fruitless power plays. He benefited from two fluky goals that benched his Columbus counterpart -- reigning Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky. "A couple of those goals, they didnt see. Im not too sure how they got in," Buffalo coach Ted Nolan said. "But the whole game was Ryan Miller. I thought he was sensational again." Bobrovsky, who came in 9-0-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in his past nine starts, had a forgettable game. The Sabres got on the board first at the 2:21 mark of the opening period when Ellis backhanded the puck -- perhaps just trying to keep it in play off the back boards -- and it eluded a surprised Bobrovsky. After MacKenzie tied it, Columbus went on a power play. But a miscommunication in the defensive zone resulted in the puck bouncing to near the end of the left blue line, where Ehrhoff wandered up and unloaded a hard slap shot. Bobrovsky appeared to see it all the way but missed it with his glove, the puck nestling inside the far top corner. "I was about at the red line," Ehrhoff said after collecting his 300th career point. "They had some problems communicating with their goalie and he made the pass up and I jumped on it and tried to get it on net as hard as I could. It changed directions a few times." The puck seldom left Columbus offensive zone for more than 3 minutes at the outset of the second period. After Buffalos Mike Weber went off for elbowing, another bit of shoddy stickwork resulted in Foligno carrying the puck down the right wing, scissoring to the middle and wristing a shot that Bobrovsky caught but then allowed to trickle into the net. It was the sixth of the season for Foligno -- the younger brother of the Blue Jackets Nick Foligno. Bobrovsky was replaced by Curtis McElhinney, but Miller never let the Blue Jackets back in it -- thoroughly deflating a crowd of 16,272. "I thought we competed hard, but we were sloppy at times," Columbus coach Todd Richards said. "Our power play is minus-2. We were a second slow in our decisions and our playmaking." Notes: Columbus recalled D Cody Goloubef from AHL Springfield to replace David Savard (undisclosed illness) -- but Goloubef had travel difficulties and didnt make it to the game. The Blue Jackets were forced to go with five defencemen. ... Sabres LW Ville Leino sustained an upper-body injury and did not come out for the third period. Adidas Superstar Nederland . Advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals should be a formality after Lionel Messi scored a penalty and Dani Alves added a late second to secure a commanding 2-0 advantage over City in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Adidas NMD Nederland .Hoffenheim forward Anthony Modeste opened the scoring on a counterattack in the 15th minute, shooting though Jaroslav Drobnys legs after Lewis Holtby lost the ball in midfield. http://www.nmdtekoop.com/stan-smith-sneakers.html . Basketball fans around the globe will be watching as Kobe Bryant makes his season debut - 240 days after tearing his left Achilles - against Toronto, a team he has used as his own personal punching bag. Adidas Futurecraft 4d Kopen . Finlands Kari Lehtonen made 26 saves to lead Dallas over the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 Saturday night. He received plenty of help from the Stars defence and got goals from Ray Whitney and Russias Valeri Nichushkin. Adidas NMD R2 Heren .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback.INDIANAPOLIS -- A slick surface was all it took for Sebastian Saavedra to win his first IndyCar Series pole. It was also just enough to slip Ryan Hunter-Reay out of the top starting spot for Saturdays Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Saavedra won the pole Friday when Hunter-Reay appeared to drive through a patch of standing water that caused him to spin and crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The accident exiting Turn 14 came on the lap after Hunter-Reay had moved to the provisional pole, and IndyCar penalized him by taking away his two fastest laps for causing a session-ending caution. "We definitely gave that one away," Hunter-Reay said. "Every time through there I almost lost it. I had a few big moments there, but in qualifying youve got to go for it. In the wet, youre always going for it. "Theres a very fine line between stepping over getting that good lap in the wet and throwing it off." Rain showers changed the track conditions for each of the four qualifying sessions, and it picked up moments before the start of the final Fast Six session. IndyCar brought the cars back to pit road because of standing water on the track for a red-flag period that lasted about 20 minutes. Saavedra had just bumped rookie Jack Hawksworth from the pole when Hunter-Reay turned his fast lap. But the IndyCar rule is to strip a driver of his two fastest laps for bringing out a red flag during qualifying, so Hunter-Reay was dropped to third. Hunter-Reay, the only driver to advance to the Fast Six through the first four races of the season, has not started lower than third this year. But his Andretti Autosport team had work to do to repair his bright yellow No. 28, which sustained heavy damage to the right rear of the car. Saavedra, who turned a lap at 1 minute, 23.8822 seconds, will lead the field to the green flag for the first IndyCar road course race at Indianapolis. "I love the rain," Saavedra said. "It was crazy at first because we didnt know what to expect from the track -- if it was going to be wet, if it was going to be dry. The whole session was just weird. It started to rain and went from wet, to dry, to super dry, to super wet. I loved it." The previous road course was reconfigured into a 14-turn, 2.439-mile course to accommodate IndyCar, which is using the race to open the speedway and create buzz in advance of the Indiaanapolis 500.dddddddddddd. Drivers for the first time are running clockwise at the famed speedway, which will run the Grand Prix on Saturday and then revert to the traditional oval Sunday for the opening practice for the May 25 main event. Because the event and the track configuration are new, the field may be even headed into Saturdays race. It appeared even when Saavedra advanced into his first Fast Six of the season, then hung on to win the pole and give IndyCar a relatively inexperienced front row. Saavedra has 41 career starts dating to 2010, but his longtime backer this year brought him to KV Racing, the team that won the Indianapolis 500 last year with Tony Kanaan. Hawksworth, starting on the outside of Saavedra, has three previous starts. The British driver is in his first season with Bryan Herta Autosport. Hawksworth spent last season racing Indy Lights, where he won three times. Meanwhile, a tough qualifying assignment made it a nearly impossible session for Andretti Autosport, which had all five of its cars in the first group. With only six drivers advancing from that group, the odds were stacked against the organization. Indeed, only Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe moved on while Marco Andretti, Carlos Munoz and Franck Montagny were eliminated. "Obviously, Im not very happy," Andretti said. "It was a team decision to go out, we were worried about the wet, but we plateaued too early and the track got better at the end. Weve been on the outside looking in of this hundredth of a second. Im losing sleep over this couple hundredths of a second." Wished good luck for Saturdays race, Andretti, who will start 13th, said: "Thanks, Im going to need it." Mikhail Aleshin, the first Russian in IndyCar history, had been strong through three practices and advanced into the second round of qualifying. But his fastest laps were wiped out when he was hit with an interference penalty. He and Sebastien Bourdais had raced each other hard for many laps two weeks ago at Barber, and Bourdais was eventually penalized for contact. The two drivers disagree wildly on who was to blame. Simon Pagenaud, teammates with the rookie but friendly with Bourdais since their days racing in France, wasnt sure what happened in qualifying. "What I know is him and Sebastien Bourdais are becoming best friends," Pagenaud joked. ' ' '
NEW YORK -- The only thing Jonathan Lucroy wished he would have done differently Thursday night was hit that home run sooner. On the eve of his 28th birthday, Lucroy hit a tiebreaking shot in a four-run 13th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers outlasted the New York Mets 5-1 after an unusual rain delay that lasted all of 3 minutes. "Believe me, I was trying to do it earlier than that," Lucroy said. "Sorry." Aramis Ramirez homered in the second inning to end a Brewers power drought and finished with three hits, helping the NL Central leaders take two of three in the series. Milwaukee (40-27) completed a 5-3 road trip with its 10th victory in 15 games overall, matching a season high at 13 games above .500. New York took advantage of an error by Gold Glove centre fielder Carlos Gomez to tie it in the fourth before Kyle Lohse and Jonathon Niese settled into a crisp pitchers duel. "I tried to get us out of there quick, but their guy wasnt co-operating," Lohse said. "He was mixing it up good. I was mixing it up good. We were flying for a little bit until we hit extra innings." The slumping Mets stranded seven runners from the ninth through the 11th and blew a bases-loaded opportunity with a chance to win. They lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell a season-worst eight games under .500 at 29-37. Ryan Braun was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts when he opened the 13th with an infield single off Carlos Torres (2-4). Lucroy, also hitless in five at-bats after beginning the night with a .341 batting average, drove a hanging curve to left field for his fifth home run. Mark Reynolds added an RBI single and Rickie Weeks was hit by Dana Evelands pitch with the bases loaded. Back in the dugout, a frustrated Torres wiped his face with a towel and punched himself repeatedly on both sides of the head. Zach Duke (4-0) tossed a perfect inning and Francisco Rodriguez finished in a non-save situation. "The way our guys threw tonight was awesome," Lucroy said. "It was a lot of fun to be a part of, although I wish we would have gotten done a little earlier." Mets closer Jenrry Mejia got two outs in the 10th, but a stiff back flared up as he was warming for the 11th and he left the game. Moments later, a sudden downpour halted play. Fans scurried for cover as umpires consulted the grounds crew -- and the radar on a smartphone -- near third base. Players stayed in the dugout waiting for word and when the rain quickly lightened to a drizzle, the game resumed after only 3 minutes. "That was weird. I thought they were going to pull the tarp and bang it and have like a one-inning playoff next time when they come to our place," Lucroy said with a laugh. "Crazy night. Glad we could win and get out of here on a good note." Brewers reliever Brandon Kintzler escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 11th with the help of a five-man infield. Wilmer Flores grounded into a force at the plate before Anthony Recker struck out looking. Incensed by the call, Recker argued and was quickly ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez. "You cant get thrown out there," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I understand his frustration and everything else, but hes got to know theres nobody left on that bench except one guy." With both starters working fast and throwing strikes, the first nine innings were played in a brisk 2 hours, 23 minutes. Lohse, who struggled in three previous starts at Citi Field, held the Mets to an unearned run in eight economical innings. Niese, meanwhile, gave New York another steady outing with nothing to show for it. The left-hander struck out a season-high eight in 7 2-3 innings. He has a 2.22 ERA over 28 1-3 innings in his last four games, all no-decisions. "I felt really good," Niese said. "I knew this is a tough-hitting team against lefties, so I kind of had to go away from how I normally pitch. I used my changeup a lot more." Ramirez hit a solo shot to left-centre for Milwaukees first home run in six games. The last time the Brewers went five games without a long ball was May 4-8, 2011, according to STATS. Lohse retired his first nine batters before Daniel Murphy lined a leadoff single in the fourth. The ball skipped past an indecisive Gomez, allowing Murphy to reach third on the two-base error. He scored easily on Bobby Abreus sacrifice fly. NOTES: Milwaukee is 13-6 at Citi Field. ... Ruben Tejada had made seven straight starts at shortstop for New York before Flores got the nod Thursday night. ... Murphy batted leadoff for the first time since May 26, 2013, according to STATS. Fake Jordan . Modin, 36, tallied seven goals and three assists in 36 games with the Thrashers this season. The Sundsvall, Sweden, native has posted 232 goals and 230 assists in 894 career NHL games with Toronto, Tampa Bay, Columbus, Los Angeles and Atlanta and has appeared in 57 post-season contests, helping the Lightning capture the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship. Cheap Jordans . The league-leading New York Rangers outhit and outmuscled the Maple Leafs during a 3-0 victory on Saturday. Backup goalie Martin Biron stopped all 20 shots he faced to complete a nice workmanlike effort by the visitors. https://www.fakejordanwholesale.com/ . Chris Heisey followed with a two-run triple and Billy Hamilton added an RBI double, all but sealing Cincinnatis fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games. Brandon Phillips, celebrating his 33rd birthday, hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth for the Reds before pinch-hitter Buster Posey tied it with an RBI double off hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom half. Clearance Air Jordan . His Chicago Blackhawks teammates werent shocked when he found it. Kanes career has been defined by his brilliance in the Blackhawks biggest moments, and his tiebreaking goal with 3:45 to play in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals will rank among the best. Cheap Jordan From China . The Marlies centre set up three goals, including the game-winner, as Toronto cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons in American Hockey League action. Johnny Football is heading to the NFL. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday following two spectacular seasons in which he became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy and helped the Aggies make a splash in their first two years in the Southeastern Conference. "After long discussions with my family, friends, teammates, and coaches, I have decided to make myself available for the 2014 NFL draft," Manziel said in a letter posted online by the university. "The decision was not an easy one, but we all felt this was the right time to make the next step toward a professional career." Some NFL draft analysts have Manziel ranked as high as the third overall pick in mock drafts. In a style befitting his record-setting career, Manziel led the Aggies to a 52-48 come-from-behind win over Duke in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on New Years Eve in his final college game. Texas A&M trailed 38-17 at halftime before Manziel guided them to the victory by finishing with 382 yards passing with four TD tosses and 73 yards rushing and another score. "In all of my years of coaching, Johnny Manziel is the most exciting football player I have ever seen," A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. "We appreciate everything he has done for Texas A&M and Aggie football and wish him nothing but the best." Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman in 2012 after setting numerous school and SEC records while leading Texas A&M to an 11-2 record and a victory over No. 1 Alabama in its first season in the SEC. His dynamic play created a frenzy and pushed him into a stratosphere of celebrity that few college athletes have reached. That began to cause problems since Manziel, who is from Kerrville, Texas, still had three years of eligibility remaining. He followed his Heisman-winning season with a high-profile off-season of road trips to Las Vegas and the NBA Finals. Manziel met Heat star LeBron James and rapper Drake, and he posted some tweets that made headlines. One that brought the ire of Aggie fans was when he said he "couldnt wait" to get out of College Station. His most embarrassing blunder came during the summer when he departed early from a quarterback camp for high school players run by the Manning family in Louisiana.dddddddddddd Manziel said it was a mutual decision after he overslept and missed meetings and activities. Manziels trouble continued when he got back to football. He was suspended for the first half of the Aggies season opener against Rice for what the school said was an "inadvertent" violation of NCAA rules. He was investigated for allegedly accepting money for autographs from memorabilia brokers, a violation of NCAA rules that could have led to a much longer suspension. The Aggies were supposed to contend for a national title in Manziels encore. But another standout season by the dynamic quarterback wasnt enough to overcome a porous defence that was among the worst in the nation. Texas A&M finished 9-4. Manziel shook off his early season drama to lead the SEC with 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns and he topped the team in rushing with 759 yards and nine more scores. He threw more touchdown passes, had more yards passing, a better completion percentage and averaged more yards an attempt than he did in 2012. Manziel set an SEC record with 5,116 yards of total offence in 2012 also led the SEC in total offence in 2013. Manziel was again a finalist for the Heisman in 2013, but Jameis Winston stole his thunder with a season much like Manziels a year before to take home the award to Florida State. Manziel finished fifth. Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton tweeted about Manziel following the announcement. "Would love to see Johnny Manziel in a Vikings uniform. This guy is the real deal. He will be a big time player on Sundays," Tarkenton tweeted. The Vikings have the eighth overall pick in the draft. The Houston Texans, who play about 100 miles from College Station, have the No. 1 pick in the draft and need a quarterback, though most mock drafts have Louisvilles Teddy Bridgewater going No. 1. Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons tweeted good luck to Manziel in the draft Wednesday and finished the tweet with: "Texans??" ' ' '
Brendan Gallagher scored the winner in the shootout as Montreal Canadiens remained perfect on the young season with a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center Thursday night. Tomas Plekanec tied the game in the third period with his third goal of the short season. The Canadiens also had a P.A. Parenteau goal disallowed halfway through the final frame after the referee deemed Rene Bourque interfered with the goalie. Rookie forward Andre Burakovsky recorded his first career goal at the 6:43 mark in the first to give Washington the early lead. Dustin Tokarski got the win for the Habs while Braden Holtby was stuck with the loss for Capitals. This was Washingtons first game of the season and the first game for Barry Trotz as the Capitals bench boss after joining the club in the offseason from the Nashville Predators. The Canadiens opened their season last night in Toronto, beating the Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Adidas NMD Human Race Suomi . -- Chad Labelle scored the winner 17:36 into the third period to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday and lift the Tigers into the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs. Adidas Kengät Ale .Cullen scored the go-ahead goal at 13:47 of the third period and Nashville beat the slumping Dallas Stars 3-2 on Thursday in a game that wasnt decided until the last shot of the night. http://www.nmdhalvalla.com/ . Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong. Adidas NMD XR1 Ale . -- Conner Bleackley got it done in regulation time and in the shootout. Adidas Eqt Suomi . - The Clippers have signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract.(SportsNetwork.com) - The last time the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks faced off, a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals was on the line. The two clubs meet for the first time since last seasons Western Conference finals as the Kings host the Blackhawks in Chicagos final stop on its annual Circus Trip. While the Blackhawks have had the upper hand in this series during the regular season -- winning 12 of the past 16 encounters overall and six of the last seven played in Los Angeles, the Kings came through when it mattered most last spring. Los Angeles built a 3-0 series lead before Chicago rebounded with a pair of wins, taking Game 5 in double overtime and then winning a 4-3 decision in Game 6 in L.A. to send the series to a decisive seventh game. The Kings and Blackhawks then saw their Game 7 meeting go to overtime, where defenseman Alec Martinez punched his clubs ticket to the Cup Finals. Los Angeles knocked off the New York Rangers in five games to win the Stanley Cup. While the Kings were able to defeat the Blackhawks in Chicago to advance in the postseason, theyll probably be glad they are hosting tonights contest. Los Angeles is just 2-4-4 on the road this season compared to 10-2-1 at home, where it will play two straight and three of its next four. The Kings picked up that second road win on Wednesday, salvaging the finale of a three-game swing with a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Mike Richards, Dustin Brown, Tyler Toffoli and Justin Williams all scored first-period goals and Martin Jones made 28 saves for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. Theyre a pretty good rush team and we forced them into turnovers which allowed us to have our own rush game, which is generally how we produce a lot of goals, said Brown. Brown potted the 200th goal of his career, while Williams has three goals and four assists over a six-game point streak. Jones, meanwhile, made back-to-back starts for the first time since Dec.dddddddddddd 10-11, 2013, but No. 1 Jonathan Quick figures to return to net tonight. Quick is 6-12-1 with a 2.76 goals against average, .910 save percentage and two shutouts in 19 regular-season meetings with the Hawks, including 18 starts. Chicago enters Saturdays showdown having won two straight and five of its last six games. The Blackhawks are 4-1-0 on their six-game swing with the only loss of the trip coming Sunday in Vancouver. Chicago has rebounded from that setback by notching consecutive wins in Colorado and Anaheim. Joel Quennevilles club turned in an impressive win over the Ducks on Friday afternoon, picking up a 4-1 triumph in Orange County. Patrick Kane scored twice while Brad Richards and Andrew Shaw each had a goal and an assist to help fuel Chicagos offense, which has put up 25 goals over the past six contests. The Blackhawks, who are averaging 2.91 goals per game this season, fired 38 shots on net Friday. That start was huge. It seems like things always trend upward for our team when we have good starts like that, said Kane. Corey Crawford, meanwhile, only needed to stop 23 shots to pick up the win for Chicago. Crawford could get a rest tonight as Antti Raanta is expected to make his first appearance since Oct. 25 when he made 28 saves in loss against the Blues. Raanta was slated to start last Saturdays game in Edmonton, but came down with an illness and had to be scratched in favor of Crawford, who has started 17 of the Blackhawks 23 games this season. He was able to return to his backup role for Fridays tilt in Anaheim. The Finnish netminder is 1-2-0 with a 2.03 GAA this season. He also has excellent career numbers against L.A., going 2-0 with a .50 GAA and a shutout in two lifetime appearances versus the Kings. In total, Raanta has stopped 47- of-48 shots against L.A. ' ' '
PHOENIX -- Running back Rashard Mendenhall is retiring from the NFL at the age of 26. Agent Mike McCartney confirmed via Twitter on Sunday that Mendenhall had decided to end his playing career after six NFL seasons, all but one of them with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mendenhall, the Steelers first-round draft pick and 23rd overall selection out of Illinois in 2008, gained 4,326 career yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. After signing a free-agent contract with Arizona, he was hampered by a toe injury much of last season and was most effective down the stretch. Mendenhall finished with a team-high 687 yards in 217 carries. Mendenhall had consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Steelers in 2009 and 2010. A knee injury limited him to six games with Pittsburgh in 2012. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . Onyshko, from Minnedosa, Man., will compete in artistic gymnastics while Hanet, from Kelowna, B.C., will compete in lawn bowling as a para-athlete. "It is exciting that our Canadian athletes are starting to arrive at the Games Village," said Chantal Petitclerc, Canadas Chef de Mission. Nike MLB Jerseys For Sale . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. https://www.mlbjerseys2020.com/ . Forsman closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday for his third Champions Tour title. He beat Jay Don Blake by two shots. MLB Jerseys 2020 Online . Particularly when speaking in the stadium of Tuesdays opponent: Manchester City. "Maybe they dont fear us as before," Pique said on Monday, "because in the last two years we didnt win the Champions League. Wholesale MLB Jerseys .com) - Roosevelt Jones had 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead No.TORONTO – Dave Bolland did not hesitate when asked who would win on Friday. "Canada," Bolland said with a smile. "Is that a question?" One day earlier, though, fellow Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri wasnt so sure his home and native land could pull off the win against the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament. "I want to say Canada, but to be honest with you, the U.S. looks better," Kadri, a native of London, Ont., said. "We dont know if Naz is Canadian or American," Bolland, from Mimico, Ont., said with a chuckle. "We dont know what he is or who hes cheering for. He could be cheering for the Belarusians." Roommate Turmoil The North American rivalry has many fault lines throughout the Leafs dressing room even though a vast majority of the players – 20 in total – are Canadian. The issue: two of the key players on Team USA are also two-thirds of Torontos top line: Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk. The man who centres that line in the NHL, Reginas Tyler Bozak, may be the Leaf who is most torn. After all, Bozak is close friends with Kessel and actually lives with the Leafs leading scorer. "Thats a tough question for me to answer," Bozak admitted when asked where his loyalties lie. "Ive got my two wingers on the U.S. and Im Canadian so I guess Im cheering for both. I just hope Phil and JVR play really well and maybe Canada wins. I dont know. "Its going to be an exciting game to watch, for sure. I really cant make any predictions. I dont know. The U.S. has been playing great. Canadas kind of snuck by with a few wins, buut every games different and it should be a fun one to watch.dddddddddddd" Another set of roommates are also at odds over the game and are actually putting their money where their mouthes are. Defencemen Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner, from Vancouver and Minnetonka, MN respectively, have placed a friendly wager on the game. "I cant tell you what it is," Rielly said. "Hes overconfident. I think Team Canada will be fine." Most Leafs, however, were trying to take the diplomatic approach with head coach and Sudbury, Ont. native Randy Carlyle, acknowledging the semi-final showdown "was pulling your heart strings in different directions." The Diplomatic Approach "We hope and wish our players all the luck in the world as far as an organization," said Carlyle, "but I am Canadian." "I hope that Phil and JVR do well," said captain Dion Phaneuf, who hails from Edmonton and was invited to Hockey Canadas orientation camp in the summer, "so Im in the middle, thats for sure. Any time you have teammates competing, you want them to do well, but Im Canadian and I have lots of respect for Hockey Canada." What everyone can agree on is that Kessel and van Riemsdyk are having a much better Sochi experience than Nikolai Kulemin, who was the other Leaf taking part in the Winter Games. "Nobody asks questions about how youre going to feel about Nikolai Kulemin coming back and thats a tough one," said Carlyle. "Host country and the way their tournament unravelled, hes part of our hockey club and weve got to find a way to build him back up and get him going again." ' ' '
ROME -- Roma was both classy and fortunate to beat Napoli 2-0 Friday and match the best start in Serie A history with its eighth consecutive win. Miralem Pjanic scored twice for the Giallorossi in the 1 vs. 2 clash. First, the Bosnia midfielder found the net four minutes into first-half added time with a sublime free kick that went over Napolis wall before dipping down into the top corner. Then he added a penalty in the 71st after Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro was shown a red card for taking down Marco Borriello inside the area, leaving the visitors with 10 men. Napoli wasted three close chances. Goran Pandev failed to finish with only the goalkeeper to beat and Lorenzo Insigne and Gokhan Inler each hit the post. Former Napoli great Diego Maradona was in attendance but he had little to cheer for. Roma matched Juventus, which also won eight consecutive matches to start the 1985-86 and 1930-31 seasons. The Bianconeri went on to win the Serie A title on both occasions. Juventus also won nine straight in 2005-06 but its title that season was stripped in the "calciopoli" match-fixing scandal. Roma moved five points ahead of Napoli and Juventus, which visits Fiorentina on Sunday. Perhaps even more impressive than its record is Romas goal differential, with 22 scored and one allowed. Roma hasnt won the title since 2001. The only negative moments for Roma came when captain Francesco Totti exited with an apparent right thigh muscle problem after a half hour and Gervinho went off with a similar injury in the second half. While the Stadio Olimpico was not completely full, the atmosphere was electric. When Maradona entered the stadium early in the first half, fans -- both Napoli and Roma supporters -- rushed past security to take his picture as he waved to the crowd. Napoli started with its standout forward Gonzalo Higuain on the bench with a minor injury and Roma controlled the opening 20 minutes. Daniele De Rossi and Pjanic threatened for Roma early on and just as Napoli began to assert itself, Totti went to the sideline. Totti had his thigh massaged for a few minutes but then decided he couldnt come back on and walked down into the changing room as Borriello replaced him. In the 35th, a through ball from Insigne set up Pandev with only Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis to beat but the Macedonia striker couldnt get his shot around De Sanctis, who played for Napoli the past four seasons. Despite De Sanctis deflection, the ball still trickled toward the net but De Rossi cleared the danger just in time. Ten minutes later, Napoli threatened again when Insigne wasted a great chance by hitting the outside of the post from five meters (yards). Down at the other end, Gervinho earned the foul that set up the free kick for Pjanics goal. Napoli was again dangerous at the start of the second half with Inler hitting the outside of the post with a long shot in the 49th. De Rossi nearly doubled the lead when his bouncing a header missed in the 58th and Higuain replaced Pandev in the 68th. Two minutes after Higuain came on, Pjanic pounded his penalty into the back of the net and Napoli didnt have the will -- or time -- to recover from a two-goal deficit. Air Force 1 Kaufen Deutschland .com) - Jimmie Johnson won Sundays AAA Texas 500 while championship contenders Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski as well as their teams were involved in a post-race fight on pit road after the two clashed in the closing laps at Texas Motor Speedway. Air Force 1 Billig Kaufen . Joining him in this years class were Switzerlands Patrick Huerlimann and Norways Eigil Ramsfjell. The announcement was made at the world mens curling championship at Capital Indoor Stadium in China. http://www.airforce1gunstig.de/air-presto-deutschland.html . A-Rod is also disqualified from any post-season play. So at the tender age of 38, he will miss all of next season. As a result of missing the coming season, hes also out $25 million (which coincidentally is my hourly rate). Nike Presto Off White Fake Kaufen . In this weeks Leaf Report podcast, James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel debate whether Toronto can continue their shootout dominance and discuss what Dave Nonis game plan should be heading into the trade deadline. Nike Air Presto Deutschland Kaufen . - Houston defensive end J. CHICAGO -- Hector Noesi thinks he is a better pitcher than he was when he struggled at the start of the season. One of his former teams got a closer look at his improvement on Sunday. Noesi pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning for his first win in a month, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. "Hes a tough kid," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "I mean, hes confident and he knows what he can do. Sometimes you get an opportunity and you run with it, and I think thats what hes done." Noesi (3-6) struck out five and walked two in 6 2-3 innings, bouncing back from a shaky outing against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander pitched for Seattle for parts of three seasons before he was traded to Texas after two April relief appearances. Noesi pitched in three games for the Rangers before he was let go again. Chicago claimed him off waivers April 25, and the crisp performance against the Mariners made him 3-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 14 games with the White Sox. "Yeah, it did cross my mind," Noesi said of pitching against Seattle, "but if I put it in my mind I would get lost trying to do too much." Chicago finished with just two hits after it had four in Saturdays 3-2 loss in 14 innings. But Conor Gillaspie scored on a wild pitch in the first and Noesi combined with two relievers on a five-hitter. Eric Surkamp got Robinson Cano to fly out with the bases loaded for the final out of the seventh, and Jake Petricka pitched two innings for his third save in four chances. The solid relief work came one day after the White Sox blew a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning. "We didnt swing the bats extremely well," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Balls we did hit hard they made great plays on. Thats the way it goes. Thats baseball." Seattle right-hander Taijuan Walker (1-1) lasted just four innings in his second start of the season. The 21-year-old Walker, one of baseballs top pitching prospects, struggled with his control in his first loss in five major leaguue appearances.dddddddddddd The White Sox took advantage of Walkers wildness to grab the lead in the first. Gillaspie walked with two outs, advanced to third on Jose Abreus single and scored when Walker threw his first of two wild pitches on ball four to Adam Dunn. Walker then got Alexei Ramirez to bounce into a fielders choice, ending the threat. The White Sox left a runner in scoring position in each of the first five innings. Walker allowed two hits and struck out three while throwing 83 pitches on a humid day. He tossed six innings in a 10-4 victory at Houston last Monday in his season debut. "Command of my fastball wasnt there," Walker said. "Definitely going to go back and watch video and figure out whats going on with that." Dustin Ackley and Brad Miller had two hits apiece for the Mariners, who had won five of six. Gillaspie also walked in the third before he left with a bruised right knee after he was hit by a pitch from Dominic Leone in the fifth inning. Gillaspie took a few shaky steps toward first before he was replaced by pinch-runner Leury Garcia. "It sounded bad and he seemed like he couldnt do anything, so we had to take him out," Ventura said. Second base umpire Dana DeMuth also departed in the fifth with a strained hamstring after colliding with White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham. The game continued with three umpires. NOTES: It was Noesis first win since June 9 against Detroit. ... Petricka has a string of eight consecutive scoreless appearances covering 11 innings, lowering his ERA to 1.85. "His progression and his rise through the bullpens been pretty impressive," Ventura said. ... Seattle returns home to face Minnesota in the opener of a four-game series Monday night. Mariners RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (6-4, 3.33 ERA) and Twins RHP Kevin Correia (4-10, 4.95) are slated to pitch the first game. ... The White Sox begin a four-game set at Boston on Monday night. RHP Scott Carroll (2-5, 5.05 ERA) takes on Red Sox RHP Clay Buchholz (3-4, 6.22) in the series opener. ' ' '
MINNEAPOLIS -- By the time Dan Straily took the mound for the second inning, he knew he just didnt have it. His velocity nowhere to be found, the 25-year-old right-hander took the next step in his maturation process by gritting his teeth, focusing on location and changing speeds over anything flashy and shutting down the Minnesota Twins. Straily pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and Sam Fuld hit a rare home run to help the Oakland Athletics complete a three-game sweep with a 6-1 victory Thursday. "Its part of learning from the past, from last year," said Straily (1-1), who gave up one run and struck out five. "On days when I didnt have my best stuff, I would try to pitch like I did and it would cost me. After the second inning, I realized I didnt have my A stuff in my arm today. So it was just a matter of mixing speeds and keeping everybody off balance. The Athletics rotation has opened the season with nine straight starts allowing three runs or less and has compiled a 1.93 ERA in 56 innings. "Theyve done a great job. So far, so good," Josh Donaldson said of the rotation. "Cant really complain about what theyve done. Thats what we expect from them." Fuld hit just his sixth homer in 738 career plate appearances and singled. Donaldson had a two-run homer and an RBI single for the Athletics (6-3). Mike Pelfrey (0-2) gave up six runs on nine hits and four walks in five innings. The Twins have had only one quality start in their first nine games. Brian Dozier hit his third home run of the season for Minnesota. Straily was selected in the 24th round of the 2009 draft, just another in the seemingly endless line of young, strong starting pitchers churned out by Billy Beanes Moneyball machine. Last year he led all AL rookies in starts, innings and strikeouts, and he brushed off the early homer to Dozier to slow down the Twins for the rest of the game. He allowed two baserunners -- both on walks -- over his final five innings "It wasnt his best velocity," manager Bob Melvin said. "He was throwing basically 87 mph today. But hes always got that slider in his pocket. He threw a few more changeups today and a few more curveballs, so he kept them off balance more than he typically pitches." Pelfrey had no such luck, labouring through another poor outing for Minnesotas starting rotation. Donaldsons homer in the third inning put him behind 3-1 and he walked No. 9 hitter Nick Punto in the fourth before Fuld yanked a pitch just over the wall in right field for a 5-1 lead. "I think all the way around, I was terrible today," Pelfrey said. The cushion allowed the As to avoid a save situation on the same day Melvin demoted struggling closer Jim Johnson, who is 0-2 with an 18.90 ERA in five appearances this season. The As will go with a closer-by-committee approach while they try to get Johnson straightened out, Melvin said. "Were all pulling for the same thing. Were all in it together," Straily said. "Its just a brotherhood mentality that we have in this clubhouse. Its something special." NOTES: The announced attendance of 20,650 was the smallest in Target Field history. ... Umpires reviewed a play in the sixth inning in which Jed Lowrie was thrown out at home by Twins CF Aaron Hicks. Umpires were looking to see if C Josmil Pinto was illegally blocking the plate. The call of an out was confirmed. ... Twins assistant GM Rob Antony said star prospect Byron Buxton likely will not start playing until May because of a wrist injury. ... The Twins open a series against Kansas City on Friday night. RHP Kyle Gibson (1-0, 1.80) will start the opener against Royals LHP Bruce Chen (0-0, 1.42). ... The Athletics head to Seattle for a series against the Mariners. LHP Tommy Milone will make his first start of the season on Friday night against Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (2-0, 1.88). Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the search, confirmed reports by several media outlets. The interview took place in Southern California on Monday. Basketball Shoes Sale . -- Omar Infante walked past the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, where he dressed so many times as a member of the Detroit Tigers, and slipped on a crisp, new Kansas City Royals jersey. https://www.cheapbasketballshoesstore.com/ . -- The Oakland Athletics and free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon have agreed to terms on a US$2 million, one-year contract, bolstering their depleted starting rotation. Basketball Shoes From China .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Basketball Shoes 2020 . TSN2 December 18 Knicks at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 December 18 Thunder at Warriors 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 December 21 Pacers at Timberwolves 7pm et/4pm pt. TSN2 December 23 Timberwolves at Cavaliers 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2 December 25 Wizards at Knicks 12pm et/9am pt TSN December 25 Thunder at Spurs 2:30pm et/11:30pt TSN December 25 Cavaliers at Heat 5pm et/2pm pt TSN December 25 Lakers at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN December 25 Warriors at Clippers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN NBA on TSN - January Date Game Time Network January 1 Kings at Timberwolves 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 3 Jazz at Timberwolves 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 5 Nuggets at Timberwolves 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 7 Rockets at Cavaliers 7pm et/4pm pt TSN January 7 Suns at Timberwolves 9:30pm et/6:30 pt. TSN January 9 Bulls at Wizards 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 9 Cavaliers at Warriors 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 13 Timberwolves at Pacers 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2 January 15 Thunder at Rockets 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 15 Cavaliers at Lakers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 16 Cavaliers at Clippers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 22 NBA All-Star Selection Show 7pm et/4pm pt TSN2 January 22 Spurs at Bulls 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 22 Nets at Clippers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 January 25 Heat at Bulls 1pm et/10am pt TSN January 25 Thunder at Cavaliers 3:30pm et/12:30pm pt TSN January 26 Timberwolves at Thunder 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 29 Nuggets at Grizzlies 8pm et/5pm pt TSN2 January 29 Bulls at Lakers 10:30pm et/7:30pt TSN2 NBA on TSN - February Date Game Time Network February 5 Clippers vs. OAKLAND, Calif. -- Thirty minutes after fueling Golden States largest fourth-quarter comeback in more than 50 years, Klay Thompson pointed to a halftime speech by teammate Jermaine ONeal as the difference. It turns out the Warriors backup big man knew just what buttons to push. Thompson made four 3-pointers during the dramatic fourth, Stephen Curry added a pair of shots from beyond the arc down the stretch and the Golden State Warriors rallied from 27 points down in the second half to beat the Toronto Raptors 112-103 Tuesday night. Oracle Arena erupted at the final buzzer after being a den of silence for much of the game. Team owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers ducked into a private room and let out a loud shout while the Warriors celebrated the NBAs biggest comeback this season while jogging off the court. Afterward, all anyone wanted to talk about was ONeals pep talk. "(He) gave a great speech at halftime," Thompson said. "Honestly, that was what was our turning point. It wasnt in the fourth quarter or the third quarter. It was at halftime." No one would reveal what ONeal said. Golden States comeback from 18 points down after three quarters was its biggest since storming back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Boston Celtics 126-124 on Feb. 9, 1962. Warriors coach Mark Jackson, never at a loss for words, could only smile. "This being my third year here, there has not been a bigger win," Jackson said. "We were not sharp, we were not crisp and we allowed (Toronto) to get it going. To our credit, we began to defend." And score. Thompson finished with 22 points and seven assists, nearly matching Currys 27 and 10. David Lee added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Warriors. Toronto led 75-48 with 9:20 left in the third quarter when Golden State began inching back. The Warriors trimmed the gap to 88-70 heading into the fourth then stormed back behind an onslaught of 3-pointers. Golden State made eight 3s over the final 12 minutes, the last coming from Harrison Barnes with 47.2 seconds remaining to give the Warriors a 109-103 lead. "Its one of those where they started hitting the 3 in the third quarter and we couldnt turn the water off," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "We did an excellent job in the first three quarters and then we couldnt score in the fourth quarter." DeMar DeRozan had 26 points to pace Toronto, which lost its fourth straight. Kyle Lowry added 20 points and nine aassists despite being knocked out of the game briefly following a collision with Warriors centre Andrew Bogut.dddddddddddd Golden State was down and nearly out before storming back. The Raptors scored 65 points in the first half and were scoring almost at will against a Golden State defence that had allowed 100 points or more in six straight games. Toronto made it seven despite scoring just nine points over the final 8:45. That cold snap opened the door for the Warriors biggest comeback of the season and extended the Raptors losing streak in Oakland to nine games. Curry nearly brought his team back in record-breaking fashion. He made three 3-pointers and needs three more to break Jason Richardsons franchise record of 700. He got plenty of support in draining 3s. Thompson went 6 of 12 from beyond the arc, Barnes added two and Draymond Green had one. "Were shooters," Thompson said. "It just happened to be a night where we were all missing at the same time, and then it turned out we were hitting at the same time." Barnes finished with 19 points, while ONeal added 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Warriors were sloppy on both ends of the court in the first quarter when the Raptors built a 17-point lead. Rudy Gay and Lowry had seven points apiece as part of a 22-5 run by Toronto. Lowry, who had 11 points in the opening 12 minutes, capped the streak with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from 26 feet. Barnes helped Golden State chip away at the lead. He scored nine of the teams first 11 points then added three free throws to pull the Warriors within 48-39. Torontos Steve Novak answered with three 3s in 97 seconds, Lowry added a driving layup and Toronto took a 65-48 halftime lead. The Raptors were still comfortably ahead late in the third quarter when Lowry dropped to the floor after colliding with Bogut. Lowry lay in the key for several moments, then stood up and took a few steps before sitting back down on the court. He was eventually helped to his feet and walked slowly off the court with the help of a pair of Toronto assistants. Lowry returned with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter -- right in the middle of Golden States best run of the night. NOTES: Toronto had not scored more than 56 points in any half until its first-half eruption. ... Golden State is 3-0 when ONeal scores in double figures. ... Raptors forward Amir Johnson (16 points, 10 rebounds) has double-doubles in each of his past two games against the Warriors. ' ' '
TORONTO - Left-handed pitchers Nick Wells and Grayson Huffman both signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Toronto has now signed 25 of the players it selected in the 2014 first-year player draft. Wells, the Blue Jays third-round pick, played for Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Va. He is six foot five and weighs 180 pounds. The 6-2, 190-pound Huffman, Torontos sixth-round selection, played at Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas. Fake Nike Air Max China . Simona Halep of Romania claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the womens final. After trading sets, Gasquet trailed 4-3 in the decider but broke back to 4-4 in a game that went to seven deuces with Kukushkin constantly failing on his forehand shots. Nike Air Max From China .J. -- Pete Carroll said it was the suspension of linebacker Bruce Irvin last spring that finally got the attention of the rest of the Seattle Seahawks that they needed to be taking their commitment to the team more seriously. https://www.fakeairmaxwholesale.com/ . After a 99-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, his Celtics coaches and teammates have only positive things to say about the Toronto-born rookie. Fake Nike Air Max Free Shipping . Fans holding laudatory signs started showing up at Yankee Stadium when the gates opened at 4 p.m. Monday, an hour early in order to give them a chance to watch the New York captain take batting practice. Fake Nike Air Max For Sale . Marek Hamsik, who had earlier missed a penalty, headed Napoli in front in the 23rd minute and Pandev added a second goal five minutes from halftime. Alessandro Matri got Juventus back into the game just after the break but Pandev was on hand to score again in the 68th.VINA DEL MAR, Chile -- Eighth-seeded Federico Delbonis of Argentina defeated Uruguays Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile. Paolo Lorenzi of Italy also advanced, beating Colombias Alejandro Gonzalez 6-2, 6-1. The top four seeded players, who received byes into the second round, are Fabio Fognini (1) of Italy and three Spaniards -- Tommy Robredo (2), Nicolas Almagro (3) and Marcel Granollers (4).dddddddddddd The tournament kicks off four weeks of play in clay-court events around Latin America. Rafael Nadal has skipped the event after playing there a year ago, but is expected to play next week in Buenos Aires. ' ' '
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - There is no worse month on the baseball calendar than January. Yes, the Hall of Fame announcement comes and that is always good for some debate, but other than that ... nothing. And thats probably a good thing because with the newly formed College Football Playoff and the NFL postseason in full swing, baseball is really on the back burner in the sports pantheon. More so than usual, anyway. Regardless, it certainly makes for a boring time of the year if you are covering the sport. And while we still may be less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, there are still some big questions that need to be answered. For instance ... WHERE IS MAX SCHERZER GOING TO WIND UP? This may have been the biggest question heading into the offseason and here we are on Jan. 14 and still have no idea how this is going to play out. The process was likely slowed by the notion floated from Scherzers agent, Scott Boras, that it could take up to $200 million to land the former AL Cy Young Award winner. Still and all, its probably the same teams you initially thought would be in the mix for Scherzer that are still in the running, despite statements from both the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers that they were no longer interested. Given Boras past relationship with the Washington Nationals, youd have to think they could be a factor. I thought all along he would wind up in the Bronx, but now I am not so sure. However, it is starting to sound like the Tigers could once again be a factor, which could then lead them to move David Price. And if that happens, it could be a wild few weeks. One team that may be laying in the weeds, though, is the St. Louis Cardinals. They normally dont delve into this type of contract, but it does make some sense. Scherzer is from St. Louis and the Cards have a ton of injury concerns in that rotation. Plus Jon Lester going to Chicago may have upped the ante for the Cardinals. WILL THE RED SOX ADD ANOTHER STARTER? Speaking of Lester, the Red Sox failed to re-sign him and have never really addressed the top of their rotation. And if they werent willing to go over $130 million or so for Lester, it makes zero sense to think theyd do it for Scherzer. Now the Red Sox added some depth to their rotation this winter, bringing in the likes of Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson. Its a nice group of No. 3 pitchers, but theres no real ace in the mix. Should Scherzer find his way back to Detroit, dont be surprised to see the Red Sox get involved in a potential Price blockbuster. Righty James Shields is still out there, too, and likely biding his time to offer his services to the losers of the Scherzer sweepstakes. WHO IS GOING TO PLAY SHORTSTOP FOR THE METS? Since the final game of the 2014 season, the New York Mets have been linked to almost every shortstop in the league. Yet here we are almost a month away from spring training and the odds-on favorite to be the teams Opening Day shortstop is once again either Wilmer Flores or Ruben Tejada. A Troy Tulowitzki deal was probably always a pipe dream, but the Mets failed to land a Jed Lowrie or Asdrubal Cabrera. The fact they were in on Ben Zobrist last week tells you, though, that they are looking to fill that spot. There are some options left for them. Rafael Furcal is still available, but at age 37, is he any better an option than what the Mets have in-house? If the Mets do truly want a shortstop, why not just give the Toronto Blue Jays a call and ask about Jose Reyes? The wear and tear from that turf is robbing him of the thing that once made him so electric. The Mets have the pieces to get a deal done. Isnt it something to explore at least? Or maybe they do actually believe in Flores? ARE THE PHILLIES DONE WHEELING AND DEALING? One of the busier teams this offseason has been the Philadelphia Phillies. They finally cut ties with longtime shortstop Jimmy Rollins and may be ready to do the same with both Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard, especially the latter. Finding a taker for Hamels shouldnt be that hard, even with the $90 million- plus still owed to him. Hamels is an ace. Any team would want him. For the Phils, its a matter of what you are getting back. Like we mentioned earlier, the Red Sox are a team that could make a move, as well as a team like San Diego. Hamels is from San Diego and despite all the other moves they have made this offseason, the Padres probably still arent a playoff team in the NL. Getting Hamels would change that. Now the Phillies unloading Howard and his $50 million is a different story. The former NL MVP may not be as feared as he once was, but he still slugged 23 home runs and drove in 95 runs last year. However, he only hit .223 and struck out 190 times. Still, there could be a market for him, provided the Phils eat a ton of that salary. IS THE GAME GOING TO SPEED UP? The owners meetings are taking place this week in Arizona, the final ones presided over by outgoing commissioner Bud Selig, and the biggest topic on the agenda is the effort to speed up these games. Its probably unlikely that a pitch clock is going to be implemented anytime soon, but there could be some tweaks to speed up the game, particularly in regards to the replay process. Far too often last season, managers would take a nice little stroll out to an umpire and stay there until he got word from his dugout if he should challenge a play. One of the changes that could be made is that once a manager leaves the dugout, that automatically triggers his challenge. Another pace of play discussion will center around the experiment MLB used in the Arizona Fall League. A hitter was required to keep one foot in the batters box at all times with exceptions for foul balls, wild pitches and timeouts. With no current major league rule to deter hitters from stepping out of the box, they are free to stroll away after every pitch. With this rule, if a player leaves the box completely, he can be penalized with a strike. Ugh. Spring training cant come soon enough. Vapormax Boty Cz . Adam Lind provided the power and rookie starter Marcus Stroman had the best start of his young career as the Blue Jays dumped the Yankees 8-3 at Rogers Centre. Stroman, making his fifth start for Toronto, allowed one earned run and three hits over a career-high eight innings. Nike Vapormax Damske . -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are bringing back quarterback Chad Henne -- and making him the starter. http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/ . - Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has nothing but good problems right now. Nike Vapormax Plus Levne . - Regan Smith had the checkered flag in sight at Daytona a year ago and a freight train of cars in his rearview mirror. Vapormax Plus Dámské . Next up is another showdown with Michigan. Payne scored 18 points, Branden Dawson had 14 and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 12 Wisconsin 83-75 on Saturday to reach the Big Ten tournament championship.LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Manny Pacquiao won a unanimous decision in his rematch with Timothy Bradley on Saturday night, avenging his 2012 loss and claiming the WBO welterweight title. Pacquiao (56-5-2) pursued and peppered the previously unbeaten Bradley around the MGM Grand Garden ring with an aggressive performance recalling the Pacman in his prime. Bradley fought back with counterpunching and elusiveness, but Pacquiao kept up his attack while Bradley (31-1) struggled down the stretch. Pacquiao left little doubt about the result of the rematch in the same arena where they met nearly two years ago. Bradleys split-decision victory astonished most ringside observers, who felt Pacquiao had earned a clear decision. Judges Craig Metcalfe and Michael Pernick scored the rematch 116-112 for Pacquiao, while Glenn Trowbridge favoured the Filipino congressman 118-110. The Associated Press scored it 116-112 for Pacquiao. After the fight, Bradley said he injured his right calf early on. But he also applauded the decision when it was announced, and he congratulated Pacquiao in the ring. "You won the fight, you deserved the win," Bradley said. "I have no excuses." Pacquiao landed 35 per cent of his 563 punches, while Bradley connected with just 22 per cent of his 627 blow. Pacquiaos jab was much more effective, landing 23 per cent to Bradleys measly 11 per cent, and the Pacman had a slight edge in landing 148 power punches to Bradleys 109. Pacquiaos performance righted one of the biggest perceived wrongs in recent boxing history. Pacquiao was an eight-division world champion on 15-fight winning streak when Bradley was awarded a split decision in their last bout. Pacquiao was more aggressive and accurate from the opening minutes of the rematch, sticking to trainer Freddie Roachs pleas to take the action to Bradley. They exchanged big shots in the opening rounds, but Pacquiao appeared to wear out Bradley with the heavy early pace — and the Pacman never slowed down. Although Pacquiao couldnt knock down Bradley, he answered the questions raised by Bradley about his killer instinct with a consistent attack all night. The arena was crackling with energy when both fighters made thheir ring walks, with Pacquiao in the unusual position of going first as the challenger.dddddddddddd Pacquiao landed a series of big left hands in the early rounds, knocking back Bradley with gusto. Bradley responded impressively in the fourth round, wobbling Pacquiao twice with a right hand. The pace slowed in the fifth, with Bradley showing off his defence and movement while Pacquiao attempted to trap him against the ropes. Pacquiao appeared to wobble Bradley late in the seventh round with a vicious combination, but Bradley stood with his back against the ropes and defiantly encouraged it, blocking most of the shots. Bradley appeared to pretend to have wobbly legs at one point after a Pacquiao miss, but his open mouth betrayed his weariness while Pacquiao steadily racked up rounds midway through the fight. Bradley came on strong in the 12th, and the fighters heads collided late in the round. Pacquiao avoided any trouble until the final bell, when he did a short dance step to his corner. While Bradley remains publicly confident he beat Pacquiao in their first bout despite fighting on two injured feet, that much-derided decision sent both fighters careers on wild spirals. The two judges who scored the bout 115-113 for Bradley are no longer in the boxing business, but their decision ended Pacquiaos 15-fight win streak and forced Bradley to defend himself against widespread criticism of the result. Bradley endured death threats and depression before returning to the ring in unusually reckless style. He brawled with Ruslan Provodnikov in March 2013 in a sensational unanimous-decision victory that silenced critics of his style and heart. Bradley then outpointed veteran Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez last fall, polishing his skills and making himself attractive to Pacquiao for a rematch. Pacquiao was knocked unconscious by Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth fight in late 2012, and he took nearly a year off before returning for an unspectacular victory over Brandon Rios last fall. Pacquiaos last two performances prompted Bradley to declare Pacquiao had lost his killer instinct, noting he was unable or unwilling to stop any of his opponents since late 2009. ' ' '
OKLAHOMA CITY - Injured Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will return Thursday against the Miami Heat, his teammate, Kevin Durant said in a recent interview with Grantlands Bill Simmons. Westbrook has missed 27 games since having surgery on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third procedure in nine months. The three-time NBA All-Star tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee during the second game of the playoffs last April. Westbrook underwent an operation after that injury and had another procedure on Oct. 1 to remove a loose stitch. Oklahoma City went 20-7 this season without him. The Thunder didnt immediately respond to calls and emails regarding Westbrooks status. Oklahoma City (43-12) entered the NBA All-Star break with the leagues best record. Fake Nike Air Max Free Shipping . Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up. Fake Nike Air Max China .com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to get back on track Monday night when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to Chesapeake Energy Arena. https://www.fakeairmaxwholesale.com/ . The New York Rangers centre had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators ending a 13-game goal-scoring drought. Nike Air Max Sale . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. Nike Air Max Discount . Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders.STRASBOURG, France -- Monica Puig became the first Puerto Rican player to win a WTA title on Saturday by beating Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain 6-4, 6-3 in the Strasbourg International final. "Its amazing to do this coming from such a small island, where tennis isnt necessarily recognized as one of the main sports," Puig said. "Im just happy Im able to be here playing tennis not only for myself, but for my country too." In a match between two players appearing in their first final, the 20-year-old Puig was on top from the start as she broke the Spaniard in her first sservice game.dddddddddddd. She also broke twice in the second set, including in the final game. Puig dropped just nine points on serve all match, two of which were double-faults. "I woke up this morning and I felt it. I felt I was going to do something amazing," Puig said. "It was one of those feelings where you just know its going to happen, and I played some of the greatest tennis Ive ever played." Puig next heads to the French Open where she has been drawn against 2010 finalist Sam Stosur. Soler-Espinosa faces Chanelle Scheepers at Roland Garros. ' ' '
DALLAS -- The young Dallas Stars began this season hoping to make the playoffs and end a franchise-record post-season drought. They cant let the cruel collapse in a Game 6 overtime loss diminish what was accomplished in their first season with coach Lindy Ruff. The Stars have a bunch of young 20-something players who got their first playoff experience, including captain Jamie Benn, Cody Eakin and Alex Chiasson. Stars scoring leader Tyler Seguin, traded to Dallas last summer after three playoff appearances in Boston, is only 22. Dallas, in the playoffs for the first time since 2008, was close to forcing a Game 7 in the first round against top-seeded Anaheim. But the Ducks scored twice in the final 2:10 of regulation Sunday night and scored on the only shot in overtime. China Shoes Free Shipping . Its like being on Broadway, everything you do matters. Id want to be good though! I couldnt play here if I wasnt very good. #83217388 / gettyimages. Fake China Shoes . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ .com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract. China Shoes Outlet . "If we only consider this season," Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said, "there is just one club in Manchester -- and its ours. Cheap Shoes From China . Kyle Shanahan was hired as offensive co-ordinator Monday after spending the previous four years in the same role with the Washington Redskins.TAMPA, Fla. -- Darrelle Revis has plenty of reasons to get along with Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, including a hefty contract that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. So, the three-time All-Pro took it upon himself to meet with Schiano this week to stress theres "zero truth" to talk that he has a problem with the way the Bucs are using him in a revamped defence thats struggled to stop opponents late in games. Revis made a name for himself as a shutdown cornerback in six seasons with the New York Jets, routinely holding some of the leagues top receivers in check while discouraging quarterbacks from even attempting to throw to his side of the field. Although hes played some man coverage since joining the Bucs in an off-season trade, there also have been key plays when hes not been assigned to shadow the other teams best receiver. Revis, who sat out the preseason while recovering from knee surgery that sidelined him most of last season, said hes OK with what hes been asked to do. "Why wouldnt I be happy here? They gave me an opportunity coming off my injury to play football again, so Im excited to be here," the two-time Pro Bowl selection said. "At the end of the day, all I want to do is win games here." The Bucs obtained Revis in exchange for the 13th overall pick in this years draft and gave him a new six-year, $96 million contract. With Tampa Bay off to an 0-2 start after losing the past two weeks on last-second field goals, Revis said everyone has an opinion about whats gone wrong. He reached out to Schiano on Tuesday, an off-day for players, visiting the coachs office to let him know that there was no truth to speculation that he was upset after not being lined up to cover New Orleaans Marques Colston on a 31-yard reception that moved the Saints into position to kick a field goal for a 16-14 victory last Sunday.dddddddddddd "I think it comes with us being 0-2 and people start to say rumours here and there, but everythings fine. Were just trying to stick together as a team and get ready for this week," Revis said. "I just wanted to make sure me and coach were on the same page. ... I just wanted to talk to him personally and say: Hey. Just to let you know, I dont know if you believe it or not (and) make sure that he saw me," the cornerback added. "Its a tough time for this team. Were 0-2 and we dont want distractions. The one thing we do want to do is just focus on the week at hand and the team we have to prepare against." The Bucs travel to New England (2-0) Sunday. Schiano appreciated Revis coming to his office, but said it wasnt necessary. "But there was a lot of stuff floating around, I guess, and he said: Coach, I just want to set it straight. ... I told him: I love coaching you. He said: I love playing here, so lets go," Schiano said. "I appreciate him doing that. He wasnt requested, it was on him." The second-year coach didnt second-guess the way Revis was used on the Saints final drive, when Drew Brees completed three straight passes for 54 yards to set up the winning field goal as time expired. "Could I re-do some things? Would I? Who knows. ... At the time you make the decision, you do what you think is best," Schiano said. "Hes playing a lot of matchup coverage, and certainly if you have a guy like Darrelle you do that because you have an opportunity to. Hes got a big load on his shoulders, and hes carrying it well so far." ' ' '
WASHINGTON - The Cousins-to-Canton train was derailed against a good secondary in Week 4. Now Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins will be facing a great defensive backfield when the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks invade the Beltway for Monday Night Football. You can watch all the action on TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5 tonight beginning at 8pm et/5pm pt. You can also listen to the game on TSN Radio. Two seasons ago the Seahawks and Redskins were both up-and-coming teams with tremendous rookie quarterbacks in Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Since Seattle upset Washington in the wild-card round, however, the teams fortunes have been trending in opposite directions. RG3, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft, led the Redskins to the NFC East title in his freshman campaign, while Wilson, the 75th overall selection that same year, piloted the Seahawks to a wild card berth. Washington built an early two-touchdown lead in the playoff encounter before Wilson and Co. responded with 24 consecutive points to advance. To make matters even worse for the Skins, Griffin tore both an ACL and LCL in the game and has never been the same physically. Fast forward a year and Washington finished 3-13, firing Mike Shanahan in favor of current coach Jay Gruden and the Seahawks won the franchises first Lombardi Trophy. Cousins, Washingtons interim starter while RG3 convalesces from his latest injury (a dislocated ankle), was brilliant in his first 2014 start, albeit in a loss at Philadelphia. Not so much the second time around as the New York Giants confused and rattled the third-year signal caller during a 45-14 drubbing of the Redskins back on Sept. 25. After finishing 30-of-48 for a career-high 427 yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles, Cousins came back down to earth versus the Giants, connecting on just 19-of-33 with a touchdown and a career-high four interceptions -- all in the second half. He also lost a fumble. Sometimes you need to play through some of these ruts, Gruden said. As a quarterback, hes a guy thats going to have to lead us the next few weeks. We need him to pull himself out of this and keep his head up. Things really fell apart for Washington in the third quarter, where Cousins fired three of his picks. Alfred Morris, meanwhile, carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards and a score for the Redskins, who have lost their last two games. Seattle comes in even more well-rested than the Redskins, last playing on Sept. 21 when they won a Super Bowl XLVIII rematch by outlasting the Denver Broncos, 26-20, in overtime. Marshawn Lynch ran for a touchdown in the extra frame as the Seahawks thwarted Denvers attempts at revenge from a 43-8 drubbing in the big game this past February. The contest marked just the sixth time that there has been a rematch in the regular season of the previous Super Bowl opponents. Lynch finished with 88 yards on 26 carries, while adding three catches for 40 yards and a score for the Seahawks, who bounced back from a Week 2 loss at San Diego. Wilson completed 24-for-34 passed for 258 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the win. It was a tremendous game, Wilson said. It was a battle. The Redskins lead their all-time, regular-season series with Seattle by an 11-4 margin but Seattle has been the better team on Monday nights, compiling a 20-8 mark overall, including eight wins in a row. Washington is underwater at 27-36 in the national showcase. Fake Shoes For Sale . Henrik Samuelsson and Luke Bertolucci also scored for the Oil Kings, who are now 9-0 on home ice in the playoffs to cut Portlands series lead to 2-1. Chase De Leo and Mathew Dumba responded for the Winterhawks, who suffered just their fourth loss in their last 46 games, a string of success running all the way back to Jan. Shoes Sale . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. https://www.fakeshoeswholesale.com/ . The actual winners on transfer deadline day are those clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City who were well prepared and managed to get their main incoming business done well ahead of the transfer window closing. Tottenham were able to add seven players by spending over 100 million pounds and also ensured maximum return for the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid by managing the move superbly. Fake Shoes From China . Donald Young lost in straight sets to Israels Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-0. Querrey, ranked No. 61, is the second-highest ranked American, ahead of Johnson (64). Cyber Monday Shoes . A fully booked flight forced me to leave two hours later. After a nice meal in which I studied the stats of the Argo win, I prepared to leave the restaurant. As I was gathering my things to leave many large individuals began to walk up and wait for tables.Coming off a season in which he led the Toronto Maple Leafs to their first playoff berth in eight seasons, it would have been easy for goaltender James Reimer to take the acquisition of Jonathan Bernier personally, instead Reimer says hes looking forward to the competition and intends to support the former Kings backup as much as he can. “First and foremost we wear the same jersey, so youre a good guy, youre a good teammate and you look out for your teammates, but aside from that, both of us are going to want to be the starter and definitely I want to keep that and want to be the guy for our team and be the guy that wins us a cup,” Reimer said. “Thatll add some good competition and hopefully we can push each other and pile up a lot of wins for our team.” Speaking with Gareth Wheeler Wednesday on Blue Lunch on TSN 1050, the 25-year-old incumbent said hes focused on winning the no. 1 job, but it wont be at the expense of undermining his teammate. “Its really important to get along,” Reimer said. “I think when you do and you play similar and youre on the same page, I think it gives you another set of eyes, almost like a goalie coach sitting on the bench watching you play every game.” Despite battling through a strained MCL which caused him to miss seven games, the fourth-year pro posted the best save percentage and goals against marks of his career. Having to battle his way up from the AHL and East Coast League, Reimer is used to having to prove his worth to coaches and management. “It shouldnt really matter whos behind you or whos ahead of you when you step onto the icce and youre the guy in net, you want to stop as many pucks as possible and thats the kind of mentality Ill take,” he said.dddddddddddd Coming off the teams first playoff appearance since prior to the 2004-05 lockout, GM Dave Nonis took an active approach in the off-season adding forwards Dave Bolland and David Clarkson in addition to Bernier. “Theyll bring a lot to our team, obviously being from the Toronto area that adds a little jump in their step,” Reimer said of the Mimico natives. “Anytime youre playing in front of family and friends its an extra boost…Theyre great universal players that can play in many different situations.” Possessing an ability to play a two-way game as well as having an element of toughness is something which should allow the Leafs to better compete with the upper-echelon teams in the Conference according to Reimer. “You look at the top teams in the league who have been successful over the last couple of years and theyre gritty, hard-working teams and when you go into their barn you know itd going to be a battle.” Although Nonis was comfortable spending big dollars to sign Clarkson and Tyler Bozak, he has yet to come to terms with restricted free agents Nazem Kadri and Cody Franson. For his part, Reimer hopes the sides can come together, saying both Franson and Kadri were a “big part of our success (last season). “They were huge components of our team and our success and obviously as a fellow teammate you and them to get a fair price because thats what they deserve and thats what theyve earned.” ' ' '
MIAMI -- Atlanta Braves left-hander Mike Minor is set to pitch in the major leagues for the first time this season. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez says Minor will start Friday night at home against San Francisco. The 26-year-old Minor has been slowed by shoulder soreness this season. Hes pitched five times in the minor leagues during rehabilitation games at three different levels. "We just wanted to make sure Mikey was healthy," Gonzalez said before Tuesday nights game at Miami. "But he feels good." Minor had urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, delaying his spring schedule. After the shoulder soreness developed, he was shut down in spring training. Minor went 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA last year. He pitched a career-high 204 innings and led the team with 181 strikeouts. Even without Minor and other injured pitchers, the NL East-leading Braves top the majors with a 2.04 ERA going into the game against the Marlins. As for Fridays impending roster move when Minor comes off the disabled list, Gonzalez said it will likely be a pitcher who gets sent to the minors. "It will depend on who would benefit to go down and be stretched out (as a starter), and who will do a better job out of the bullpen," Gonzalez said. Cheap Air Max 97 Red China . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Cheap Air Max 97 Purple China .com) - The Toronto Blue Jays will look to snap a three-game skid Friday night when they continue their road trip in the opener of a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. http://www.cheapairmax97fromchina.com/cheap-air-max-97-yellow-china/ . - Quarterback Brady Quinn says he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. Cheap Air Max 97 Gold China . In this space, I will be writing new and unique pieces about the team that you wont be able to find anywhere else. So naturally, in an attempt to come up with a fresh topic about the Ottawa Senators, I am going to start with a piece about their goaltending. Cheap Air Max 97 Grey China .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan opened the Ford Womens World Curling Championship with a 7-5 win over Russia on Saturday.MILAN, Italy -- Newly crowned champion Juventus beat Roma 1-0 Sunday with a last-minute goal and set a new points record for Serie A. Pablo Osvaldos stoppage-time winner against his former club ensured Juventus moved to 99 points, beating Inter Milans record. AC Milan lost 2-1 at Atalanta in a match blighted by racism. Atalanta fans threw bananas at Kevin Constant, who is black. They were sarcastically applauded by Milan players Philippe Mexes and Nigel De Jong. Antonio Contes team can become the first Serie A club to reach the 100-point mark when it plays Cagliari in the last round at Juventus Stadium, where it has won all 17 of its matches this season. "My players are celebrating so much because there is absolutely so much to celebrate," Conte said. "We are doing something incredible, we have the chance to secure another record. "Juventus is coming off a fantastic cycle of three years, it has done something historic and I am proud to be the coach of this squad ... This third title is extraordinary, now we want to reach 100 points. The squad is still alive, regardless of the celebrations and a few over-the-top evenings." Earlier, Torino was held 1-1 by Parma. Europa League qualification will now be decided on the final day of the season. Torino remained sixth, a point above Parma and two above Hellas Verona and Milan At Atalanta, fans were warned over the loudspeaker that further incidents would lead to the game being suspended. "I dont think theres much to say about the banana incident," Milan coach Clarence Seedorf said. "The lads immediately got over it all and continued to play football. Lets hope the appropriate bodies manage to find out who it was, to ban him from football forever." Catania beat Bologna 2-1, but both sides were relegated after Chievo Verona and Sassuolo won. Elsewhere, it was: Livorno 0, Fiorentina 1; and Sampdoria 2, Napoli 5. In Rome, it was a clash between the top two teams in the Italian league. Due to the fierce rivalry, the match was brought forward three hours. Vasilis Torosidis had a goal disallowed for Roma for handball, while at the other end Paul Pogbas angled drive crashed off the inside of the far post.dddddddddddd It appeared both teams would earn a deserved point from the match before Osvaldo -- who had been loudly booed by the Roma fans when he came off the bench -- was left unmarked to fire Stephan Lichtsteiners cross under the bar. Torino appeared to be on course to securing Europa League qualification after Ciro Immobile took advantage of a poor back pass from Gabriel Paletta to fire into an empty net at the end of the first half. Immobile has 22 goals this season, two more than Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni and three more than Juventus forward Carlos Tevez. Parma captain Alessandro Lucarelli was sent off for an elbow on Immobile shortly after the hour mark but the visitors levelled in the 71st minute when Afriyie Acquah was brought down by Kamil Glik. Antonio Cassano saw his penalty saved by Daniele Padelli but Torino was slow to react and Jonathan Biabiany netted the rebound. Immobile, who was booked earlier for his reaction to Lucarelli, was sent off two minutes later following a second booking for diving. In the lunchtime kickoff, Franco Brienza curled a stunning 30-meter effort into the top left corner in the sixth minute of added time to secure victory for Atalanta. Milan broke the deadlock early in the second half when Atalanta defender Gianpaolo Bellini turned Sulley Muntaris cross into his own net. Atalanta levelled from the spot in the 68th minute, with German Denis sending Marco Amelia the wrong way after Constant had fouled Carlos Carmona. Milan fought hard to win the match and Mario Balotelli -- who had hit the crossbar at the end of the first half -- saw an audacious effort from the outside edge of the penalty area crash off the far post. The only positive for Milan was the halftime introduction of forward Stephan El Shaarawy for his first appearance of 2014. Bologna and Catania will join bottom club Livorno in Serie B next season. Both teams are on 29 points, four behind Chievo, which snapped a three-match losing run to win 1-0 at Cagliari. Sassuolo is a point further ahead following a 4-2 victory over Genoa. There is one round remaining. ' ' '
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: BIGFOOT VS. MIR FIGHT RESULT Bigfoot Silva vs. Frank Mir Mir wins via TKO (strikes) at 1:40 of 1st Round Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson Johnson wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Cezar Ferreira vs. Sam Alvey Alvey wins via TKO (punches) at 3:34 of 1st Round Rustam Khabilov vs. Adriano Martins Martins wins via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) Iuri Alcantara vs. Frankie Saenz Saenz wins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sean Strickland Ponzinibbio wins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Jessica Andrade vs. Marion Reneau Reneau wins via submission (triangle choke) at 1:54 of 1st Round William Macario vs. Matt Dwyer Dwyer wins via TKO (punches) at 3:14 of 1st Round Tiago Trator vs. Mike De La Torre De La Torre wins via TKO (punches) at 2:59 of 1st Round Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Cody Gibson Silva wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) Ivan Jorge vs. Josh Shockley Jorge wins via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Wholesale China Jerseys . -- Kurt Buschs Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, in some ways, was like his career wrapped into one afternoon. Cheap Jerseys . - The situation looked bleak at best for the coach Doc Rivers Clippers — down by four points with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. https://www.fakejerseyswholesale.com/ . Dancevic won his singles match on Friday, defeating Go Soeda 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-1, to even the best-of-five series at a game apiece. World No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky in the opening match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Wholesale Jerseys . scored 18 of his career- high 28 points in the first half, as fifth-ranked Ohio State dominated No. Cyber Monday Jerseys .com) - Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for more than 300 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as Rutgers rolled past North Carolina, 40-21, in the Quick Lane Bowl.NEW YORK, N.Y. - Urijah Faber walked out on a Madison Square Garden stage in a Wes Welker jersey, the UFCs fun nod to that other "super" show this weekend. Peyton Manning would have been more appropriate choice. Like Manning, Faber is a former world champion and about as good as it gets in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Walking out of the cage on top? Thats where it gets tricky for the laidback Californian. Faber has a knack for losing MMA title fights, yet hes back in the octagon Saturday night with another shot at the belt. Faber fights 135-pound champ Renan Barao at UFC 169 at the Prudential Center, just a few miles away from MetLife Stadium, the site of Sundays Super Bowl. Hes 0 for 5 as the challenger in title bouts since 2008 — a measure of both his inability to rise to the occasion, yet proof of his tenacity to fight back toward the top. "Look at any other sport in the world. Who just quits if they didnt get No. 1?" Faber asked. "The reason I keep getting into these title fights is because no one else can beat me. Ive had fights to get into these positions and I win. And I win decisively." He sure does, including a stout 4-0 record in 2013. He choked out Michael McDonald just six weeks ago on a UFC on Fox card, and was pressed into service for Saturday night when injury-prone Dominick Cruz pulled out with a torn groin. "Im kind of used to Cruz not fighting these days," Faber said. Another UFC card going off without Cruz seems almost as automatic as one with Faber chasing another championship. Faber lost decisions to Cruz (2011) and the first Barao bout (2012) to extend his title-fight losing streak. "I figured Id fight him again," Faber said. "You start thinking about things right after the fight, the things that were difficult, the things you had success with. But I havent been dwelling on it, thats for sure. But looking again and recapping his fighting style is something Ive had to do." Fabers most notable championship reigns came with World Extreme Cagefighting. But "The California Kid" knows he needs a UFC championship to cemment his status as one of the best in the world.dddddddddddd "Saturdays a defining moment in his career," UFC President Dana White said. Jose Aldo defends his 145-pound championship against Ricardo Lamas and Alistair Overeem fights Frank Mir in a heavyweight bout to headline the fifth major UFC card at the Prudential Center since it opened in 2007. The UFC carved out a big slice of mainstream success in the New York area this week, with billboards and buses in Times Square promoting the show, and main event fighters were welcomed at the NFLs media day. "Anybody who knows the sport knows what great fights these are," White said. "Do I think were going to do 1 million buys this weekend? No, but I think were going to do well." Overeem and Mir could have main evented a PPV a few years back, but both heavyweights are fighting just to stay in UFC. Mir, a former heavyweight champion, hasnt won a bout in more than two years and has talked openly about moving into a broadcasting career. Overeem is riding a two-fight losing streak and is far removed from his prime and his last big win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 in 2011. Hes not not ready to quit. "Fighting in the UFC is the biggest stage, so theres always pressure to perform," Overeem said. "Ill keep fighting. What else can I do?" Only 34, Mir points to aging fighters like Dan Henderson as a reason to keep going in the cage for a few more years. "If I was losing to the No. 20 guy who just got to UFC, then after he beats me he cant win another fight," Mir said, "that would weigh on me." Mir said there was no shame in losing to Junior dos Santos, Daniel Cormier, and Josh Barnett. And if Mir has to fight elsewhere, even the self-proclaimed UFC lifer would consider his options. White isnt quite ready to proclaim Mir-Overeem a good ol fashioned "loser leaves town" bout. "Everybody keeps asking me if those guys are done, if one of them are getting cut," he said. "What if the fight is a (great) fight? Ill keep them both. But they need to perform on Saturday night." ' ' '
PITTSBURGH -- Lyle Overbay didnt take it personally. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle decided to have Edinson Volquez intentionally walk Scooter Gennett, a .287 hitter, to pitch to Overbay with the score tied runners on second and third in the fourth inning Saturday. With good reason. The Milwaukee Brewers first baseman was hitting just .213. Overbay came through, hitting a tiebreaking two-run single to centre field that made it 4-2 and sent the NL Central-leading Brewers on their way to a 9-3 victory. Just before Gennett was walked, Khris Davis hit an RBI single to tie the score at 2-2. "I wasnt really surprised that they walked Scooter in that situation," Overbay said. "Volquez has a good sinker and theyre looking to get a double play there. What I need to do there is make sure I dont swing at a sinker low and away and hit into the double play." Milwaukee had lost three of its previous four gamers, including getting routed 15-5 by the Pirates on Friday night. "This was a good win," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "It feels good to come back the next day and play well. We got some big hits, took advantage of some opportunities they gave us and got solid pitching." Matt Garza (4-4) got through six shaky innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time since last July. He allowed five walks and six hits while striking out one, yet limited the Pirates to three runs a day after they scored a season-high. Rob Wooten, Will Smith and Brandon Kintzler each pitched an inning of scoreless relief. "Personal wins are nice, but the team winning is what really matters, and all I want to do is keep stacking up those team wins," Garza said. Davis and Jonathan Lucroy had two hits each for the NL Central-leading Brewers. Ryan Brauns two-run double in a four-run eighth inning extended Milwaukees lead to 8-3. Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez had two hits each for Pittsburgh, which committed five errors. First baseman Ike Davis made two of the errors on one play in the first inning when he failed to catch a pickoff throw then threw wildly to second base. "We gave up a lot of free bases with the errors," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "From a fielding perspective, we were all over the place. We made it a lot tougher on our pitchers than it needed to be." Volquez (3-5) lost for the first time in four starts, giving up four runs and four hits in six innings. "I left a couple of pitches right in the middle of the plate in (the fourth) inning," Volquez said. "Ive got to do a better job than that. I let them have a big inning and that was the ballgame." Pittsburgh got within 4-3 in the sixth inning on a double play grounder before Milwaukee put the game away in the eighth on Brauns double and an infield RBI single by Jean Segura. Irving Falu added a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Alvarezs two-run single in the second inning put the Pirates ahead 2-1 after Lucroy hit a sacrifice fly in the first. The Pirates Josh Harrison extended his hitting streak 10 games, tying a career high, with a two-out double in the ninth inning NOTES: Milwaukee placed RHP Tyler Thornburg on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow after the game and recalled RHP Mike Fiers from Triple-A Nashville. . Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole was scratched from his scheduled start Monday night against the Chicago Cubs. LHP Jeff Locke will be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and start Sunday against the Brewers Yovani Gallardo (3-4, 4.08) in the finale of the three-game series. RHP Charlie Morton will start Monday instead of Sunday. . Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte, mired in an 0-for-20 slump, was not in the lineup for a fourth straight game. ... Milwaukee rookie LHP Wei-Chung Wang bruised his right knee Friday night but X-rays showed no broken bones. Luis Gonzalez Jersey . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. Josh Reddick Jersey . Strasburg (1-1) got 14 consecutive outs in one stretch and allowed only three hits, including Marcell Ozunas homer in the seventh. The right-handers lone walk was to the last batter he faced. Washingtons starter Wednesday, Jordan Zimmermann, left after a career-low 1 2-3 innings, leaving the bullpen "taxed," as manager Matt Williams put it. https://www.cheapastros.com/1403o-jeff-kent-jersey-astros.html . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday. Lance Mccullers Jr. Jersey . -- The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed cornerback Perrish Cox to a one-year contract. Collin McHugh Astros Jersey . Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was also taken to three sets but emerged with a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over Tobias Kamke of Germany, while second-seeded David Ferrer joined Murray in making an early exit after a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Daniel Brands of Germany. SALVADOR, Brazil -- France is striking at the World Cup again, this time in a way the fans back home will approve of. Four years ago to the day, Frances players shamed the nation by going on strike at the last World Cup. On Friday, the team put on a striking attacking display, blowing Switzerland away with a 5-2 win on Friday to take total control of Group E and put themselves in position to avoid a showdown with Lionel Messis Argentina in the next round. "We were all magnificent tonight," said goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, one of only four holdovers from the shambles of Frances last World Cup. "We cant let ourselves get flooded by emotion and must stay calm. But were going to savour this." Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud and winger Mathieu Valbuena alls scored one goal and created another to underline both the newfound team spirit in this team and the lethal versatility in attack. "When you score five goals, its ecstasy," Valbuena said. "It was a great night for us. We hurt them with our quick attacks and with the variety of our play," France coach Didier Deschamps said. Giroud and Blasie Matuidi scored a minute apart and Valbuena added another before halftime. Benzema made up for a first-half penalty miss with a poachers finish in the 67th, and then turned provider for Moussa Sissoko, who made it 5-0 in the 73rd. "Karim is confirming that hes in very, very good form," Deschamps said." Hes in great shape athletically." Switzerland pulled two consolation goals back as Blerim Dzemaili scored with a free kick in the 81st and Granit Xhaka slotted in the second in the 87th. Benzema thought he had scored his second -- and the goal of the night -- but his curling, first-time strike was ruled out because Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers blew his whistle for full time just seconds before the shot. "I didnt hear the whistle," he said. Friday marked the fourth anniversary of Frances infamous World Cup training ground strike four years ago in South Africa, when the players shamed a nation back home. How different things look from 2010. "We have to carry on this way and to keep this strength, this irreproachable team spirit we have," Valbuena said. France has scorred eight goals in two games in the tournament and Benzema could even afford to miss a penalty.dddddddddddd "Its a huge satisfaction within the team but were not going to get carried away," Deschamps said. "We shouldnt think were prettier than we are." Switzerlands demise came rapidly, after centre half Steve Von Bergen came off with blood pouring down from under his left eye after Giroud kicked him in the face in the sixth minute. He was replaced by Philippe Senderos and things went from bad to awful from then on for a makeshift defence against the ferocious pace of Frances breaks from midfield and the slick movement of its interchanging forwards. "They can go very far in this tournament," Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said through a translator. "We have seen Frances potential. They had an explosion of power." Deschamps had dropped midfielder Paul Pogba, who was lucky not to be sent off against Honduras for aiming a wild kick at Wilson Palacios, warning him that he needs to control his temper better. After coming on as a substitute, Pogba sent an exquisite pass with the outside of his right boot that had Senderos kicking at air, and Benzema finished confidently for his third goal of the tournament. The Real Madrid forward then instigated a move and waited for Sissoko to break down the right, serving him with an inch-perfect pass. The Swiss conceded far too easily. Giroud jumped above Behrami from near the back of the penalty area to head powerfully under the crossbar in the 17th minute. Then, Valon Behrami gave the ball away to Benzema, who fed Matuidi sprinting down the left, and the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder slotted neatly inside the near post. The Swiss had only one shot on target in the first half, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diving low to keep out Mehmedis drive. Shaqiri picked up the rebound and scuffed a low shot that rolled just wide. That close miss went unpunished by Benzema, who missed from the spot after being tripped by Johan Djourou in the 32nd. Yohan Cabaye hit the crossbar from the rebound. It mattered little as Giroud galloped into space down the left and picked out Valbuena at the back post in the 40th with a classic counterattacking goal. ' ' '
Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - David West hit two free throws with 31.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lift the Indiana Pacers to a 107-103 win over a Boston Celtics team that continued shuffling its roster on Friday. The Celtics played without leading scorer Jeff Green amid reports that the forward will be traded to Memphis in exchange for veteran Tayshaun Prince and a future first-round draft pick. Boston did deal Brandan Wright just prior to tip-off, sending the reserve center to Phoenix for a protected 2015 first- round choice. Despite their absences, the Celtics fought back from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime on Avery Bradleys triple with 4.3 seconds to go in regulation. Roy Hibbert shook off a sprained ankle to lead the Pacers with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while C.J. Miles tallied 17 points off the bench and C.J. Watson finished with 15 along with eight boards. Bradley scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, but his efforts werent enough to prevent Bostons eighth loss in 10 games. Final Score: Philadelphia 90, Brooklyn 88 Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Nerlens Noels slam with 3.2 seconds left lifted the Philadelphia 76ers over the Brooklyn Nets, 90-88, on Friday night. Noel ended with 12 points for the Sixers, who ended the game on a 10-2 run. Robert Covington added 20 points, seven rebounds and six steals. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had 16 points and three steals in his return to the lineup for Philadelphia, which had lost it previous five trips to the Barclays Center. Mbah a Moute missed the past two games with turf toe. Brook Lopez tallied 18 points, six rebounds and two blocks for the Nets, who have lost four in a row. Mason Plumlee donated 15 points and 15 boards, Jarrett Jack had 14 points and 10 assists and Joe Johnson contributed 13 points. Final Score: Atlanta 106, Detroit 103 Auburn Hills, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Al Horford collected 19 points and 16 rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks held off a furious rally to beat the Detroit Pistons 106-103 on Friday night in a game between two of the NBAs hottest teams. Sitting on a seven-game winning streak since releasing Josh Smith last month, the Pistons trailed by as much as 23 points but had a chance to tie the score at the buzzer after an out-of-bounds call went their way following a replay review. But Kentavious Caldwell-Popes off-balance 3- pointer from the right wing was short, ending the winning streak. Paul Millsap added 17 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks, who extended their winning streak to seven games, improving to 21-2 since late November. They have won eight in a row and 12 of their last 13 on the road. Caldwell-Pope fired up 23 shots, including 16 3-pointers, and led Detroit with 20 points. The Pistons set a franchise record by attempting 43 3-pointers, making just 13 of them. Caldwell-Pope missed all seven of his 3-point attempts over the first three quarters, then made four to lead a Pistons rally in the fourth. It came just three days after Detroit erased an 18-point deficit to beat San Antonio on Brandon Jennings last-second shot Tuesday. Final Score: New Orleans 106, Memphis 95 New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jrue Holiday had 23 points and eight assists as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 106-95 on Friday night. Tyreke Evans posted 21 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Davis supplied 20 points, nine boards and three blocks and Ryan Anderson added 20 points and six rebounds for the Pelicans, who had dropped three of their last four games coming in. Mike Conley tallied 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Memphis, which has dropped three of its last four contests. Marc Gasol netted 19 points and Zach Randolph provided 11 points and 11 boards in his return from a nine-game absence Randolph had been out with a sore right knee and the Grizzlies went just 4-5 without him in the lineup. Final Score: Oklahoma City 99, Utah 94 Oklahoma City, OK (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a 99-94 victory over the Utah Jazz. Six of Durants total came during a pivotal 10-1 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 94-91 lead with two minutes remaining, helping the Thunder bounce back from consecutive lopsided road defeats to Golden State and Sacramento. Russell Westbrook came up big for Oklahoma City as well, racking up 25 points and 12 assists, while newly acquired Dion Waiters put up 15 points off the bench in his second game with the Thunder. Utah, fresh off a 20-point triumph at Eastern Conference power Chicago on Wednesday, received 27 points from Gordon Hayward and 22 from Derrick Favors. Trey Burke added 20 points in the loss, with Favors finishing with 11 rebounds. Final Score: Washington 102, Chicago 86 Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Washington Wizards 102-86 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Bradley Beal added 17 points for the Wizards, who have won three in a row. John Wall tallied 16 points and 12 assists, Nene contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds and Rasual Butler donated 13 points. Derrick Rose finished with 19 points for the Bulls, who have dropped two straight since a three-game winning streak. Aaron Brooks had 16 points and Pau Gasol added 12 points and 13 boards. Final Score: Milwaukee 98, Minnesota 84 Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Knight had 14 points and four assists as the Milwaukee Bucks cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-84 on Friday night. O.J. Mayo and John Henson each netted 12 points off the bench, while Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 10 points and seven rebounds apiece for the Bucks, who have won five of their last seven games. Andrew Wiggins posted 20 points, seven boards and five helpers to lead Minnesota, which has dropped 14 consecutive games. Final Score: San Antonio 100, Phoenix 95 San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Patty Mills scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as the San Antonio Spurs got a late spark from their bench to beat the Phoenix Suns 100-95 on Friday night. Mills and the Spurs reserves scored 30 of the teams 41 points in the fourth quarter, leading them back from 10 points down over the final 12 minutes to cap what was a roller coaster game. Earlier, the Spurs led by 11 in the first quarter and by as much as 14 points in the second. The Suns used a big run spanning halftime to take a 12-point lead in the third quarter. Danny Green had 20 points to lead the Spurs and Tim Duncan scored 12, but only four after the first quarter. Cory Joseph added 11 off the bench, including nine in the fourth, and Tiago Splitter had a game-high 14 rebounds in the win. Eric Bledsoe and P.J. Tucker scored 19 points apiece to lead the Suns, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. It was only their third loss in the last 13 games. Goran Dragic added 17 points, Gerald Green scored 16 off the bench and Alex Len had 12 rebounds. The Suns acquired center Brandan Wright from Boston on Friday in exchange for a protected 2015 first-round draft pick. Wright appeared in just eight games for the Celtics after being acquired from Dallas in the Rajon Rondo deal last month. Final Score: Denver 118, Sacramento 108 Sacramento, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ty Lawson scored 14 of his 22 points during a dominant third quarter, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 118-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Arron Afflalo added 22 points for the Nuggets, who have won four in a row. Jusuf Nurkic and J.J. Hickson each had 16 points, with Nurkic also pulling down eight boards and blocking three shots. Denver outscored Sacramento by a 36-15 margin in the third. DeMarcus Cousins ended with 32 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three steals for the Kings, who got 22 points from Rudy Gay. Darren Collison contributed 15 points and seven assists. Final Score: Golden State 112, Cleveland 94 Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Stephen Curry had 23 points and 10 assists as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-94 on Friday night. Klay Thompson netted 24 points, while Draymond Green added 10 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors, who have won six straight games. Andrew Bogut posted four points, five boards and three assists in just under 20 minutes off the bench in his second game back from a knee injury. Kyrie Irving tallied 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, Kevin Love supplied 17 points and 14 boards and J.R. Smith scored a game-high 27 points for Cleveland, which has dropped seven of its last eight games. Six of those defeats have come without LeBron James, who was held out of the lineup for a seventh straight game due to knee soreness. Final Score: LA Lakers 101, Orlando 84 Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Jeremy Lin scored 18 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Orlando Magic without Kobe Bryant, pulling away for a 101-84 win on Friday night. Rookie Tarik Black got 10 of his career-high 14 points in the fourth quarter, when Los Angeles out-scored Orlando 28-17 while stretching a six-point lead to as high as 19 down the stretch. The Lakers out-rebounded the Magic 60-36, with Carlos Boozer collecting 14 boards and 12 points and Ed David getting 10 and 10. Ryan Kelly added 13 points and Jordan Hill scored 11 with nine rebounds. Bryant rested for the second time in three games. He sat out Mondays loss to Portland, the second game of a back-to-back, then had a season-low four points on 2-of-12 shooting in a loss to the Clippers on Wednesday. The Lakers snapped their two-game losing streak without him, winning for the fourth time in their last 13 games. Victor Oladipo had 17 points and Tobias Harris scored 15 for the Magic, who have lost five in a row. Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss and Luke Ridnour scored 12. Braves Jerseys 2020 . Bjoerndalen, who had failed to win any major race for two years before Sochi, writes in a Facebook entry that he is "full of energy and inspiration" after winning the 10-kilometre sprint and mixed relay at last months Olympics. Patrick Weigel Braves Jersey .com) - The fading Ottawa Senators have a chance to make up some ground in the playoff race on Tuesday night as they play host to the New York Rangers. https://www.cheapbraves.com/423o-josh-tomlin-jersey-braves.html . -- Isaiah Pead took a stutter step forward, then raced to the left sideline and travelled 60 yards up the field before finally getting tripped up by a leg tackle. Freddie Freeman Braves Jersey . All of 46 seconds into the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 victory over Alex Ovechkins struggling Washington Capitals, Crosby assisted on Chris Kunitzs goal. Chipper Jones Braves Jersey . As future stars prepare to make the big leap to the professional ranks, TSNs Draft Week delivers wall-to-wall coverage of both the NHL and NBA Entry Drafts, highlighted by exclusive live coverage of both events.SYLVANIA, Ohio -- Laura Diaz almost chose to walk away from golf to spend more time at home with her family. Now shes making the decision to juggle both jobs seem like a shrewd move. "I love being a mom; its the greatest thing in the world," she said after following a 9-under 62 with a solid 69 on Friday to maintain a three-shot lead through 36 holes at the Marathon Classic. "Its hard for me when I have to choose. So I made a list. My family is first, and then golf comes second and we work everything out in between." Chasing her first win since 2002, Diaz is at 11-under 131, three shots ahead of Lee-Anne Pace and Lydia Ko. Diaz led by four shots over Pace and Austin Ernst after the first round. She was pleased her game was sturdy enough to hang on to the lead despite being in the heat of contention for the first time in several years. "It was just a challenge because I havent been in this position in a very long time," Diaz said. "For sure, I havent had cameras on me in a long time." So she took the opportunity to say hello to her kids -- 8-year-old son Cooper and 4-year-old daughter Lilly. "(The cameras) get in my face and I dont really know what to do," she said. "I said, Hi, kiddos. I love you. That kind of stuff." She made sure the cameras stuck around with her strong play down the stretch. After a nine-birdie, no-bogey effort in the first round, she showed signs of faltering early on Friday. She had her first bogey of the tournament on the sixth hole to fall back into a tie with Pace and Ko, but then regained her touch after getting par on the next six holes. Starting at the 13th, she birdied four of the next six, including the par-5 closing hole. Diaz was a rising star early in her career, winning twice in 2002 and playing on four Solheim Cup teams. After she married Kevin Diaz, she found that she liked being a wife and mother more than travelling the world playing golf. She hasnt been in the top 20 of a toournament since 2010.dddddddddddd. Before the season she was torn between coming out on tour and staying home so as not to miss any of the daily routine. In the end, she decided to keep playing. "(It was) knowing that I could manage being a mom and play. I think thats something Ive struggled with, for, well eight years," she said. "When I only had one (child) I think I got to a point where I was OK. But with two youve got twice as much to get done. Pace, a South African who is an alum of the University of Tulsa, is looking for a breakthrough win on American soil. After a 68, she couldnt contain herself. "Im very happy about (my) position," said Pace, who has won eight times on the Ladies European Tour. "I would like to be in contention on the weekend. Thats when the fun starts, right?" The 17-year-old Ko is bidding for a second LPGA Tour title as a pro to go with the two she won as an amateur. She shot a second consecutive 67, turning in 1 under and then posting three birdies on the inward nine. The key, she said, was to keep her emotions in check. "I try and be calm. You know, thats what you have to do," she said, sounding far older than a rookie. "Being overly happy or overly angry, thats not going to help me." Lurking another shot back at 135 are 2012 Marathon winner So Yeon Ryu and Rebecca Lee-Bentham, both of whom shot 67s. Ryu was grouped with U.S. Open winner Michelle Wie and last weeks Womens British Open champion Mo Martin. A large gallery followed the threesome. "It was really great to be playing with the two major champions," Ryu said. "I felt like I was one of the other major champions." Brittany Lang had the days low round (66) and was at 136 along with Kayla Mortellaro. Cristie Kerr (67) led the pack of six golfers at 137. Defending champ Beatriz Recari of Spain followed a 70 with a 68 and was at 138 along with Martin, who shot a 71. Wie missed the cut by seven strokes. ' ' '
TORONTO - On Saturday afternoon, less than three years after winning an unlikely championship together in Dallas, Dwane Casey and Jason Kidd will sit on opposite ends of the Air Canada Centre sideline, getting set to make their postseason debut as head coaches. Just ahead of tip-off, as their teams stretch, shoot around and a sellout crowd - draped in white - files into the building, the two coaches will meet at centre court. Theyll shake hands, exchange a few words then return to their respective benches in the hopes of sending the other home for an early summer vacation. They havent spoken since finding out that the Raptors and Nets would face off in round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs, which isnt to say theres a lack of mutual respect between the two. On the contrary, theres actually a whole lot of it. Friendship is for the offseason, Casey always boasts. Until then, these former colleagues have a job to do, and theyre in each others way. Theyve traveled down dissimilar paths to get to this point. Casey, who celebrated his 57th birthday on Thursday, has been coaching in the NBA for over two decades. After serving as a long-time assistant under George Karl in Seattle, he spent a couple seasons as the head man with the Timberwolves, where he coached Nets veteran and future hall of famer Kevin Garnett. In 2011, his third season as Rick Carlisles lead assistant in Dallas, Casey helped guide the experienced Mavericks to an unexpected championship, with Kidd starting at point guard. Kidd, now 41, was in season 17 of his illustrious 19-year career. He was a retired NBA player for 10 days before becoming a head coach this past summer. "First of all, I texted him and [asked] him if hes lost his mind," Casey joked, asked about Kidds move to the bench earlier this season. The Nets controversial decision to hand the reins over to Kidd, fresh off his final campaign in New York, was met with more criticism than any coaching hire in recent memory. When his first season as a bench boss got off to a rocky start many called for his head, but he had a steadfast supporter in Casey, who knew it was only a matter of time before Kidd and his veteran Nets team rocketed back to top of the East. "Hes going to be a good coach because he was a computer on the floor and he just has to transfer that to his players," Casey said ahead of a late November meeting between the two teams. The Nets were 3-10 going into that game. "It takes time." "Hes one of the toughest minded guys Ive been around and Ive coached, and Ive been around some strong minded guys, but he was definitely one of them," Casey added prior to their next meeting, two months later. The Nets, 10-21 on Jan. 1, had won five in a row before losing in Toronto that night. "I knew mentally he was going to stay strong and stay into it and it would be a matter of time." Brooklyn would go on to finish the campaign with the second best record among Eastern Conference teams in 2014 and Kidd became a two-time Coach of the Month winner. As Casey met with the media Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before Game 1, the Raptors coach was caught off guard when one reporter pointed out that he and Kidd would be sharing their playoff head coaching debuts. "I never thought about that," he said in earnest, but hes not the least bit surprised to see his counterpart in the position that hes in. "Jason was always a step ahead of the curve," said Casey, the Easts Coach of the Month for December. "I think point guards are coaches on the floor, they should be. Theyve gone through their whole career figuring out things on the fly, on the court. So I think thats the difference in Jason. Jason has been a thinker his whole career and hes doing a good job with Brooklyn." For these old friends, this series should turn into something of a chess match. The Nets rookie coach has a veteran-laden roster at his disposal. A big factor in his teams 2014 reversal of fortunes has been Kidds commitment to a small lineup, starting a couple of point guards in the backcourt and using Paul Pierce as their mobile, perimeter-oriented power forward. "I think they established an identity, much like we did," Casey told TSN.ca in an exclusive conversation Friday. "I think putting Pierce at the four position was a huge turnaround for them. Solidifying the smaller lineup really helped them." Casey has the benefit of a versatile roster. With Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, the Raptors can go against the grain and put pressure on the visiting Nets with a size and strength advantage or they can match-up using their own version of the small lineup. "Philosophy is personnel driven," Casey wisely pointed out. With Johnson and Patrick Patterson - two versatile forwards who can rebound and also step out and defend on the perimeter - Torontos coach is confident his team can utilize both their small and big units with success in this series. "Its going to be huge," he said of that versatility. "If we stay big weve got to really pound the boards and take advantage of it if they stay small but at the same time theyre such a lethal three-point shooting team. Its hard for our bigs, with our mentality to get out and guard the three-point line in those situations so were going to have to figure that out as far as when we do go small, who has the advantage. If we have an advantage on the boards or inside well try to do that but if were getting killed with three-point shooting then well have to make some adjustments." Caseys quiet confidence and poise has rubbed off on his team all season but those characteristics have never been more important than they are now. By now youve heard of their inexperience, Caseys embraced it because, what choice does he have? They cant pretend like theyve been somewhere they havent, they wont pretend to be something theyre not. If you want to count them out because of it, Casey understands, but he doesnt advise it. "I dont want to diminish [experience], its very important," he said. "In any walk of life its important if youre going to do a job at a high level to have as much experience as you can possibly have. We are who we are, we cant change it. The way our guys get experience is to go through this. But at the end of the day you still have to go out and play the game. Theres been a lot of young teams that beat older teams in the history of the game and were ready for that challenge. I think were better with a chip on our shoulder, being the desperate team. I think we struggle when were the favourite so I like that part about it. I dont even talk about it to our players, about experience. Hey, they dont know any better, so lets go play the game." X_Plr Shoes NZ . -- One shot came out of bottom of a cactus, the other from the base of a desert bush with rocks scattered around it. Adidas Falcon New Zealand . Jeter doubled high off the left-field wall and scored on Jacoby Ellsburys first hit in pinstripes in the fifth. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) pitched 6 1-3 sharp innings in the Yankees 112th opener in New York. In what manager Joe Girardi said would be a season-long lovefest for Jeter, the shortstop was cheered every step of the way by an adoring crowd of 48, 142 -- even when his double-play grounder back to Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2) scored Solarte in the third inning for the first run. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-alphabounce-cheap-nz.html . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. NMD Shoes Wholesale . The International Ice Hockey Federation says Pavlovs avoided a two-year sanction because he acted "without significant negligence in failing to verify the safety of the supplements he was taking. Originals Stan Smith NZ . - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come.There are certain things were not used to seeing in professional sports, and a humbled, humiliated New England Patriots team is certainly one of them. There was almost a surreal quality to watching the Patriots getting pounded by Kansas City on Monday night, since New England has for so long been a team that defies whats on paper and just finds a way to get it done. In fact, thats how the Brady-Belichick era was born back in 2001 when New England was coming off a 5-11 season, began the season 0-2 and had its starting quarterback in Drew Bledsoe knocked out, forcing an apparently talent-poor team to rely on sixth-round backup, Tom Brady. What happened next defied all logic as New England won the Super Bowl, its first of three in four seasons, thus ushering in a period of dominance over the AFC East which continues to this day. Since then, the Patriots success has been built on several key principles: - That New England does not need a star-studded cast to win - That it can turn over a good portion of its roster year after year without missing a beat - And that the combination of Brady and Belichick can overcome whatever weaknesses exist on the roster Here are the problems with that right now. Turning over a roster from year to year or being unwilling to pay for top-level offensive talent means relying heavily on the draft or free agents who fly under the radar of other teams. That was a Belichick specialty for years when the teams front office was equipped with such people as Thomas Dimitroff and Scott Pioli, both of whom now work in the front office of the Atlanta Falcons. New England has used a high peercentage of its recent draft picks on defence, apparently believing that Brady is good enough on his own to make mediocre talent superior.dddddddddddd Similarly, most of their highest paid players, besides Brady, play on defence. New Englands dominance and ability to get away with weaknesses on its roster is in part a function of playing in the AFC East where Buffalo, Miami and the Jets have made simply being competent enough to get to the top of the division. And then there is Brady who is still a very, very good NFL quarterback but is at the age where many of the all-time greats have begun a steep decline. Sure the talent around him isnt what it once was but its been a few years since he had Randy Moss to throw to and somehow the Patriots never looked this bad. Brady looks uncomfortable and yet the coaches he has surrounding him in Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are the same ones who helped his offence become the highest of all time back in 2007. Brady right now has the lowest completion percentage for pass attempts of over 10 yards of anyone in the NFL right now and the highest off-target percentage in the entire league. His completion percentage last season was his lowest since 2003 and is worse this season. On a good team, surrounded by elite talent, Tom Brady could still be a winner. There have been many seasons of late when people were ready to write-off New England, only to see them show up in the AFC Championship Game once again. But if Belichick can get this group that far this season, it may indeed be time to crown him the greatest NFL coach of all time. ' ' '
GLENDALE, Ariz. - For nearly five weeks, Carson Palmer couldnt throw the ball.That dead nerve in his shoulder finally came alive late in the week, and with almost no practice he threw two touchdown passes a€” one to Michael Floyd, the other to Larry Fitzgerald a€” to lead the Arizona Cardinals past the Washington Redskins 30-20 on Sunday.Im not going to say I wasnt nervous or wasnt a little on edge, Palmer said, just going into a game and really only have a quarter or maybe a half of a practice over the last five weeks.That bit of practice came last Friday, and Palmer knew he was close to coming back.You could see it in his eyes, Fitzgerald said.Coach Bruce Arians said Palmer showed some rust, but he came in and did a heck of a job for us.With the victory and Seattles loss to Dallas, Arizona (4-1) is alone atop the NFC West.The Redskins (1-5) committed four fourth-quarter turnovers, losing their fourth straight and 13th in the last 14 games.I told our team this game is not that hard to figure out, Washington coach Jay Gruden said. The team that makes plays usually wins. The team that doesnt turn the ball over usually wins. We are not doing anything. It is a broken record every time I stand up here.Fitzgerald caught six passes for a season-high 98 yards and his first touchdown of the year for the Cardinals, who bounced back from a 41-20 drubbing at Denver.Kirk Cousins was 24 of 38 for 354 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson, but threw three fourth-quarter interceptions for the Redskins.The turnovers were costly, Cousins said. They just didnt give us a chance to stay on the field.Palmer had not played since damaging a nerve in his throwing shoulder in the season-opening win over San Diego. He returned to Denver after Fridays practice for a second treatment session, and was not announced as the starter Sunday until just before kickoff.Palmer was 28 of 44 for 250 yards with no interceptions. The Cardinals have not thrown an INT this season.Trailing 23-13, Washington needed just 86 seconds to go 64 yards, scoring on a five-yard TD catch by Pierre Garcon with 2:16 to play. But the onside kick was recovered by Arizonas Sam Acho.The Redskins had one more chance, getting the ball back at their 14-yard line with 29 seconds to go. On the next play, Cousins threw the ball right to Arizonas Rashad Johnson, who made his second interception of the day and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown with 18 seconds left.A 36-yard pass interference penalty on Washington rookie cornerback Bashaud Breeland was the big play in an eight-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that ended when Palmer threw short to Fitzgerald, who dragged a would-be tackler the final five yards on a 24-yard touchdown reception to put the Cardinals up 14-7 with 31 seconds left in the first half.It was the most Fitzgerald had been featured all season. He entered the game with only 13 catches.Throughout the course of the week I definitely was much more heavily involved in the game plan. I knew I would get my opportunities, Fitzgerald said.The TD catch was the 88th of his career, moving him into 12th on the all-time list.But a 33-yard pass-and-run play from Cousins to Roy Helu Jr. helped the Redskins go 55 yards in 29 seconds. Kai Forbaths 43-yard field goal with 2 seconds left sliced the Arizona lead to 14-13 at halftime.Jacksons first of two big gains came when he beat Patrick Peterson for a 64-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter.On Washingtons next possession, the Redskins converted on a fourth-and-inches play from their own 47, then Cousins threw short to Jackson, who evaded tacklers for 42 yards and probably would have scored a touchdown had he not banged into teammate Chris Chester. Arizonas defence held and Forbaths 28-yard field goal put Washington up 10-7.NOTES: Outgoing Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly, wearing a Redskins hat, sat for part of the game with Washington owner Daniel Snyder. ... Redskins starting CB David Amerson left in the first half with a concussion. ... Arizona was penalized a season-high 14 times for 108 yards. ... Arizona rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro is 14 for 14 on field goals. ... Washingtons Brian Orakpo dropped a sure interception early in fourth quarter. ... Arizona was without DT Calais Campbell, who injured his knee on a chop block by Denvers Julius Thomas. ... Arizonas Alex Okafor, starting after last weeks injury to Matt Shaughnessy, had two sacks.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFLCheap College Jerseys 2020 . In their first meeting for six years, the Frenchmen dropped serve twice in the first set, but Giquel broke Simon two more times in the second. Gicquel moves on to face sixth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, who advanced with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win against wild card Pierre-Hugues Herbert, despite the Frenchmans 23 aces. NCAA Jerseys From China .Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have been neck and neck all season, with 17 points separating the rivals and double points on offer for the race.Tensions between them have spilled over during the campaign and the pairs fragile relationship was evident during Thursdays pre-race news conference, when Rosberg goaded Hamilton by advising him to race cleanly. https://www.ncaajerseys2020.com/ . A spokeswoman for the NLRB says its "a very incremental move" and does not necessarily indicate the board is close to a finding in the case. NFL owners filed an unfair labour charge against the players union in February, arguing that the union was not negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in good faith. Cheap NCAA Jerseys Authentic . - Wesley Matthews got a chance to practice his bow-and-arrow 3-point celebration on Sunday night. Fake College Jerseys . The match, billed as a "next-gen" encounter between two of the sports rising stars, lasted two and a half hours. The loss kept Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., from reaching a third fourth-round spot in Melbourne over the past four years.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis each scored a pair of goals and the New York Rangers held off a late comeback attempt from the Washington Capitals to record a 4-2 win, their season-high seventh in a row. Nash added an assist on St. Louis second of the night, which came on a 5-on-3 with 3:48 remaining after Washington nearly overcame a 3-0 deficit on third- period goals by Evggeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin.dddddddddddd Derek Brassard and Mats Zuccarello added two assists and Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves for the red-hot Rangers, with 19 of those stops coming in the final period. Braden Holtby turned aside 23 shots in the loss, the Capitals first in regulation since Dec. 2. Washington entered the Metropolitan Division matchup 7-0-2 in its last nine games. ' ' '
The Canadiens and Ducks win; notes on Max Pacioretty, Nathan Beaulieu, Daniel Briere, John Gibson, Devante Smith-Pelly, Jarret Stoll and more. MAKE IT SEVEN Facing elimination, the Montreal Canadiens came out of the gate quickly to take an early lead, got a few bounces and 26 saves from Carey Price on the way to a 4-0 win, tying the series at three games apiece. Montreals big scorers came to play, as LW Max Pacioretty scored once and added an assist. It was Paciorettys second goal of the playoffs, his first of this series. Pacioretty struggled early in the series, but has been better (43 5-on-5 shot attempts for, 41 against) over the past three games. Paciorettys assist game on the first of Thomas Vaneks two goals. A couple of additions to the Habs lineup paid off in limited roles for Game Six. Veteran C Daniel Briere, a healthy scratch in Game Five, was on for nine shot attempts for and four against, anchoring the fourth line with Dale Weise and Brandon Prust. Rookie D Nathan Beaulieu, in for Douglas Murray, chipped in an assist and was one for 58.3% of 5-on-5 shot attempts when he was on the ice. Canadiens D Josh Gorges, charged with protecting the lead, played a game-high 26:19, and was on the ice for 25.0% of 5-on-5 shot attempts. With Gorges off the ice, the Canadiens held 64.3% of the shot attempts at even strength. That the series is going seven games doesnt come as a major surprise -- over the past decade, the Canadiens and Bruins have gone seven games in a playoff series in 2011, 2008 and 2004 -- but with a couple of missed opportunities earlier in the series (ie. Lost lead in Game Two, OT loss in Game Four), the Canadiens needed a really big performance to take this particular series to Game Seven. The Bruins have been the better team ove the course of this season and carried play more consistently over the course of this series, but that doesnt much matter now. Wednesday night will bring a winner-take-all Game Seven between these arch-rivals, with a trip to the Eastern Conference Final awaiting the winner. DUCKS FLYING HIGH For the first time in the Freeway Series, the home team came out on top, and the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 win in Game Five gave them a 3-2 series lead over the Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks turning to rookie G John Gibson, in their time of need, has altered the series and Gibson turned aside 39 of 42 Kings shots in Game Five to earn the win. In five regular season and playoff games with the Ducks this season, Gibson has stopped 150 of 157 shots (.955 SV%). This wouldnt be the first time that a rookie goaltender made a name for himself in the NHL playoffs, but Gibsons performance in the last two games has already tipped the series in Anaheims favour. Ducks LW Devante Smith-Pelly is taking a liking to his role on the number one line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Smith-Pelly scored a pair of goals and led the Ducks with six shot attempts and seven hits. Once the Ducks jumped out to a 4-1 lead, they went into a defensive shell as the Kings mounted a comeback attempt. LW Marian Gaborik scored a pair of goals, giving him a playoff-leading eight goals, and had seven shots on goal. Not surprisingly, the Kings top line of Gaborik, Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar carried play, all three on the ice for better than 70% of 5-on-5 shot attempts. Unheralded Kings C Jarret Stoll has been having a tremendous series. In five games, hes been on the ice for 65.8% (79 for, 41 against) of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. Hes gone without a point in the past eight games, but the puck is spending a lot of time in Anaheims zone when Stoll is on the ice. Also, in Game Five, Kings D Drew Doughty had 13 shot attempts, including a deflection in the final minute that was kicked aside by Gibson. Kings C Mike Richards played 9:50, second-lowest on the team (ahead of only Jordan Nolan) and didnt take a shift in the final 10 minutes. In 250 regular season and playoff games over the past three seasons with Los Angeles, prior to Game Five, Richards had played more than 10 minutes in 249 of those games. The Kings may hold an edge in territorial play in this series, but theyre now facing a deficit and have to win back-to-back games against the Ducks. Finding a way to get Gibson off his game has to be the priority because, right now, the kid is playing well enough to leave Los Angeles royally disappointed. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Yeezy 350 Bianche Italia . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. Scarpe Nmd Nere Outlet . Cornet won six straight games to rally from a 2-0 deficit and take the first set. The 25th-ranked Frenchwoman broke back twice in the second set before Bacsinszky saved a match point at 5-4. http://www.scarpenmdscontate.it/scarpe-nmd-r1-outlet.html .m. on Friday. Granger was acquired from the Indiana Pacers last Thursday for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen, but never played a minute for Philadelphia. The 76ers also received a 2015 second-round draft pick in the deal. Scarpe Nmd Bianche Ingrosso Uomo .J. -- Tom Coughlin doesnt have many options at halfback for the winless New York Giants. Nmd Human Race Italia . Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist and Anaheim used a four-goal first period to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.AUSTIN, Texas - Race by race and point by point, Lewis Hamilton is tightening his grip on the Formula One world championship and squeezing out Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.But not so far as to eliminate his rival as a title threat. Not yet.Hamilton won the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, moving 24 points clear of Rosberg with just two races left. It was Hamiltons second win in Texas in three years, his 10th on the season and fifth in a row.This whole season has been incredible, Hamilton said after playfully taking former world champion Mario Andrettis black Stetson cowboy hat on the winners podium. I pushed as hard as I could.Mercedes had another 1-2 finish in a dominating season that has pushed Hamilton and Rosberg well clear of the pack in the title chase. Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo was third for his eighth podium finish on the season.Rosberg could still find a way to steal the title from Hamilton. Formula One moves to Brazil next weekend and the final race in Abu Dhabi will be worth double points in a rule change this season.Full attack, Rosberg said. Well try to be on the pole and win (in Brazil). Theres a lot of points to be had.Hamilton said aggressive driving got him this far and he wont try to dial it back over the final two races.Were hunting for those points. So far, Ive done what Ive needed to do. I should continue to do the same, Hamilton said.Hamiltons victory also was career win No. 32, which passed Nigel Mansell for the most Formula One victories by a British driver. Hamilton won the world title in 2008 with McLaren.The Mercedes drivers have waged a season-long duel for the title, a tense back-and-forth that has strained their long friendship, and Sundays race was more of the same.Rosberg started from pole position and Hamilton chased him for 23 laps, steadily keeping up the pressure and slowing gaining on him. Hamilton finally made his move on lap 24, squeezing inside Rosbergs left on the tight 12th turn out of the long straightaway.It was the same spot and a similar move to Hamiltons pass of Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel that propelled him to the victory here in 2012.There wasnt a place in the race where I didnt think I would catchh him, Hamilton said.dddddddddddd Its such a great feeling to have a race like that.Dropped into second, Rosberg couldnt keep up and Hamilton put more time between their cars with every lap. Hamilton had the more muscular car through the weeks practice sessions, but lost the pole position because of braking problems that dogged his session.After taking the lead, Hamilton quickly built a gap of more than 2.5 seconds. Rosberg tried to claw back but didnt have enough race left to do it. By the final laps, the biggest challenge for Hamilton was not getting caught up or wrecked by other drivers battling for final position.I knew there was a chance he would try. I went halfway defensive, on the pass, Rosberg said. Later I started to find better rhythm, but it was just way too late.Vettel, the defending race and world champion, started from pit lane after incurring a penalty for using his sixth engine of the season. He fought all the way back to finish seventh.Vettel has been surpassed within Red Bull this season by Ricciardo, who has won three times. Vettel is leaving Red Bull at the end of the season, but has yet to confirm where hell drive in 2015.Ricciardo was pleased to get another podium finish.As we know Mercedes is a bit out of reach so third, I think third is the best we could do today, Ricciardo said.The race started with just 18 cars, the smallest field in nearly a decade after financial problems forced teams Marussia and Caterham to drop out.Saturdays practice and qualifying was dominated by speculation that three more struggling teams, Lotus, Sauber and Sahara Force India, could stage a protest by either boycotting the race or pulling out after one lap. Neither threat materialized.The race went under safety car on the first lap when Force Indias Sergio Perez collided with Saubers Adrian Sutil, knocking both drivers out. The crash was a major blow for Sauber, which hoped to capitalize on Sutils first top-10 qualifying position of the season.He completely hit me. He ruined the race and I had to stop. My car was completely broken, Sutil said.Force India then lost its second car when Nico Hulkenberg retired in the 17th lap. ' ' '
Having already locked up their fifth consecutive series victory, the Toronto Blue Jays will try to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time since 2010 as the clubs conclude a three-game set tonight. The Blue Jays have slugged their way to a pair of victories to open this set, pushing their winning streak to an impressive eight straight games. Tuesdays 9-6 win gave Toronto a fifth straight series victory for the first time since Sept. 17-Oct. 3, 2010 and put the club in position to sweep Tampa Bay in a three-game set for the first time since Aug. 6-8, 2010 in Toronto. Toronto has homered in 10 straight games, with Edwin Encarnacion a big part of that surge. He went deep in last nights win to match a club record for the most homers in a month with 14. That equaled Jose Bautistas mark set in June of 2012. Juan Francisco and Adam Lind also homered, while Bautista went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Torontos 13th win in 15 games. "Everybodys having fun," Encarnacion said. "You can see it on their faces. Were playing great baseball." That also holds true for starter Mark Buehrle, who picked up his Major League- leading ninth win of the season last night. He gave up four runs -- three earned -- over 6 2/3 innings. Sean Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Wil Myers knocked in two runs for the Rays, who had won four in a row prior to this series. Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb came into Tuesdays start with a 21 2/2 scoreless- innings streak. He stretched that to a club-record 24 2/3 straight frames before the Blue Jays finally got to him for a total of six runs over his five- inning outing. "He was really good, moving along really nicely and all of a sudden they struck," Rays manager Joe Maddon said of Cobb. Now it will be Chris Archers turn to try and tame the Blue Jays offense and he comes in having not allowed a run in his past two outings. Archer hurled 5 2/3 frames of two-hit ball in a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on May 16, then did not factor into Fridays decision versus Boston despite six scoreless innings. Archer scattered four hits and five walks while matching a career high with 11 strikeouts and throwing a personal high 119 pitches. Walks have been a concern for the right-hander as he has issued 19 free passes over his last five outings, but still comes in 3-2 on the year with a 4.11 earned run average. Archer, 25, is 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in four previous meetings with the Blue Jays, beating them on April 3 after giving up two runs over six frames with seven strikeouts. The Blue Jays counter with Liam Hendriks, who made his Toronto and season debut with a 3-2 win over Oakland on Friday. The righty yielded one run on three hits and three walks, also fanning three in 5 2/3 frames. "I was given opportunities in Minnesota and I didnt capitalize on them," said the 25-year-old Hendriks, who played for the Twins from 2011-2013. "Now Ive got a different mindset coming into the season of just getting ready, getting aggressive and getting after guys early. "I think its paid dividends so far and hopefully I can continue this trend and stay up here all year." Hendriks, who was 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in nine games this year with Triple-A Buffalo before getting recalled, faced the Rays once before while with the Twins and did not get a decision, allowing four runs over 5 2/3 frames in the start. Vapormax Flyknit Pánská . PETERSBURG, Fla. Nike Vapormax Cz . Carey Price made 27 saves for Montreal (30-21-6) for his fourth shutout of the year and second in four games. David Desharnais added an empty netter for the Canadiens. Reto Berra stopped 25 shots for Calgary (21-28-7). http://www.vapormaxlevne.cz/ . -- Felix Girard scored on the power play in the third period to lift the Baie-Comeau Drakkar past the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Friday. Vapormax Boty Cz . According to a report from ESPN, sources said Manuels college coach Jimbo Fisher told teams he didnt think Manuel had the tools to be an NFL starter. Vapormax Off White Cena . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. MADRID, Spain -- Two goals by Ibai Gomez helped Athletic Bilbao come from behind to beat Valladolid 4-2 at the new San Mames stadium in the Spanish league Monday. Valladolid opened the scoring against the flow of play when Oscar Gonzalez struck the back of the net from what appeared to be an offside position in the 15th minute. But in an eventful last 25 minutes, Gomez pounced on Valladolid goalkeeper David Marino punched-out save to equalize in the 65th, before Oscar de Marcos addded another for Athletic 10 minutes later.dddddddddddd Gomez doubled his tally in the 82nd and Ander Herrera made it 4-1 four minutes later. "The squad is in good shape, finishing games and reaching 90 minutes well, which is very important," Gomez said. Valdet Rama pulled one back when he beat three Athletic defenders before shooting into goal in injury time. "Our rivals flattened us even though we spent 60 minutes defending well," Marino said. ' ' '
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Quarterback Cam Newton plans to take more ownership of the Carolina Panthers offence without his top four receivers from last season. Steve Smith, the franchises all-time leading receiver, was released and free agents Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn Jr. and Domenik Hixon signed with other teams, putting more pressure on Newton to take more of a leadership role entering his fourth season. "Im excited to take this challenge to be this teams leader," Newton said. "More has been given to me on my plate (and) be a leader of men." Newton spoke Tuesday at the team stadium during a break from off-season condition workouts, his first extensive interview since the Panthers lost to the San Francisco 49ers 23-10 in the NFC divisional playoffs in January. Newtons left foot remains in a walking boot after having ankle surgery on March 19. He said he was "surprised" when he learned the Panthers had released Smith, one of the teams most popular players. "If you were in the 704 (area code), you were caught by surprise," Newton said. "Everybody in the Carolinas was surprised, including myself." He said he still communicates with Smith, and hopes the 34-year-old receiver finds success with the Baltimore Ravens. But Newton emphasized the need to move forward as a team. He said hes excited about working with a "hungry" group of receivers that includes Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant and Tiquan Underwood. Its possible the Panthers will add a wide receiver or two in the NFL draft next month. "We have a lot of guys that are hungry and ready to prove something in this league," Newton said, "and thats what I want to do as well." Newton was selected to the Pro Bowl last season after leading the Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC South championship. But concerns linger over how long it will take Newton to develop chemistry with a new group of wide receivers, especially considering hes not expected to practice until training camp. But an upbeat Newton downplayed any concerns. "We will have plenty of time to develop chemistry with receivers," Newton said. "Just because its organized team functions doesnt mean that we cant (also) meet on our own." Newton has spent much of the off-season working on his college degree from Auburn, but returned Monday to Charlotte so hed have a chance to meet his new teammates. "The first time you interact with a person you can tell by two or three minutes if the relationship is going to work," Newton said. "With my talk with those guys it was great. Everybody is excited. Everybody is ready to accept the challenge. Everybody is trying to find and know their role so they can perfect it." Pro Bowl centre Ryan Kalil believes Newton will continue to develop into a great leader. "The guys who I have always looked up to are the guys who do it on a daily basis and lead by example," Kalil said. "Even though Cam is somebody who likes to get in front of the mike and think hes a lot more entertaining than he really is, he does a great job. He works hard day in and day out in the classroom and on the field." Newton said watching his teammates work out made him eager to get back. Hes never missed a game and its rare when hes skipped a practice -- or any type of event -- since joining the Panthers as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft. "I felt like that lost kid that was in detention and cant go to recess," said Newton, with a laugh. Newton isnt certain when hell start running again. He said the ankle had been bothering him for quite a long time, dating back to his national championship season at Auburn. "It wasnt 100 per cent for a long time," said the former Heisman Trophy winner. "I really didnt know what 100 per cent felt like." Newton said the surgery has afforded him a chance to step back and study more tape and reassess his play. "Its been more helpful for me, mentally," Newton said. "I am always the type of guy that always had to do stuff, workout, workout, workout -- no matter the time or the day. This injury has kind of settled me down, like, How can I get better?" Nike Vapormax Plus China . The biggest collapse in franchise history was a long time ago, and he was too busy trying to make sure it didnt happen again. Off White Vapormax Fake . -- Kole Calhoun homered and drove in three runs, Albert Pujols also went deep and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 8-4 Friday night. http://www.cheapvapormaxtrainers.com/cheap-vapormax-white.html . Many of those eyes are in the United States of America, a country that the sport has wanted on its side for some time. On Sunday the football Gods delivered once again, only this time it was time for good old USA to experience as much heartache as joy. Fake Off White Vapormax For Sale .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings. Nike Vapormax Plus Wholesale . The Ravens werent about to let it happen again. Carleton picked up its fourth straight national mens basketball title, and 10th in the last 12 years, with a 79-67 victory over its crosstown rival on Sunday.MILWAUKEE -- Kyle Lohse had the Chicago Cubs hitting harmless groundballs early in counts. He threw in the occasional fastball to keep batters off balance. The Cubs struggled at the plate with the Milwaukee Brewers veteran locked in with his slider and sinker. Lohse allowed just three hits in a complete game shutout, and Ryan Braun had a two-run homer in the first inning of a 9-0 rout against the Cubs on Sunday. Milwaukee pounded Cubs ace Jeff Samardzija (1-5) for eight earned runs in three innings, raising his ERA from 1.68 to 2.54. "I figured it would be low-scoring on both ends. I knew Kyle had a good chance of keeping them down and I didnt expect to get a lot of runs off Samardzija. Great offence," manager Ron Roenicke said. Braun homered to left on the first pitch he saw from Samardzija, and the Brewers rolled from there with Samardzija having trouble locating his fastball. Lyle Overbay broke the game open with a three-run double in the third. Even Lohse had success at the plate with an RBI single to drive in Overbay to make it 8-0 for the pitchers second run-scoring hit of the game. Lohse (7-1) needed just 93 pitches in tossing his eighth career shutout. "Its fun to go out there and help out, add on, but thats not my main job," Lohse said about his 2 for 3 day with the bat. "My main job was to go out there and get us deep in the game, and I take a little more pride in that." With Lohses pitch count at just 83 pitches after eight innings, Roenicke wasnt even thinking about pulling the veteran. "I didnt even go talk to him. When you see that kind of game and the pitch count that low, its impressive," the skipper said. One of the few highlights for Chicago was Brian Schlitters single to lead off the seventh for the relievers first major league hit. Otherwise it was a frustrating day for the last-place Cubs. They lost their 14th straight series on the road, a streak dating to last September. Samardzijas "command wasnt the bbest today, but it was just one of those days for him," manager Rick Renteria said.dddddddddddd "I think very rare." The eight earned runs allowed were as many as Samardzija had given up in his previous six starts. Scooter Gennett had two doubles off Samardzija before hitting his third homer of the year in the fifth off reliever Justin Grimm. Gennetts first double exemplified the Cubs afternoon. A high fly to shallow left-centre in the second fell in between backpedaling shortstop Starlin Castro and charging outfielder Junior Lake, who looked away in frustration as Gennett hustled into second. "You have to take advantage of mistakes against a good pitcher like that. When a team makes mistakes like that, you have to jump on it," Braun said. Two innings later, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was ejected by home plate umpire Jerry Meals for arguing a called third strike and Chicago trailing by eight. The left-handed slugger turned to face Meals and pointed angrily with his left arm at the ground before being sent back to the dugout by Renteria. "I said my peace and I definitely understand why I got ejected," Rizzo said. "Im going to move on." Braun hit his ninth homer of the year and second in three days. The Brewers hope it might be a sign that hes over the right oblique injury that sidelined him for two weeks in May. Notes: Chicago planned to give Luis Valbuena a couple days off as a precaution after Renteria said the infielder was "a little tired, a little sore" with what he described as an abdominal ailment. ... Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez (hamstring) went 0 for 2 and fielded a grounder in four innings in his first game of a two-day rehab stint at the teams Class A affiliate in Appleton. ... ... Chicago is off Monday and opens a three-game series Tuesday against the visiting New York Mets. RH Matt Garza (2-4) starts Monday when Milwaukee welcomes the Minnesota Twins for a two-game series. ' ' '