miao1234's blog

INDIANAPOLIS -- Johnny Manziel shed the Hollywood image Friday -- maybe for good. Nike Flyknit Trainer+ For Sale . The brash-talking, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Texas A&M entered and exited the Lucas Oil Stadium media room through a back door. He ignored the television screens around him, monitors that provided live coverage of his media availability and that had been showing his college football highlights prior to his arrival. And it seemed Johnny Football had suddenly transformed himself into Johnny Business. "This is a job now. There are guys families, coaches families and jobs and all kinds of things on the line," he said in a stern, deliberate voice at the NFLs scouting combine. "For me, it wont be a hard thing to kick. Im extremely focused on whatever organization Ill be at and really pouring my heart out trying to be football 24-7 with that team." What he has to prove now is that he means every word. Since bursting onto the national stage in his Heisman-winning freshmen season, Manziel has been living large. Hes been courtside at NBA games, played golf at Pebble Beach, partied in Cabo and become a feature attraction for memorabilia hounds. Hes participated in dunk contests, publicly complained about life in College Station, Texas, developed a friendship with Tom Brady and never been shy about -- anything. But in Indianapolis, none of that stuff means a thing. Here, scouts and NFL front-office executives are treating Manziel as just another draft hopeful in the standard blue-and-green warm-up suit. Theyll see how he runs, how he tests and perhaps most important, how he answers questions. Most teams want to know whether this 21-year-old, fun-loving football star is mature enough to handle millions of dollars and live up to the tag of franchise quarterback. Fridays media availability may have been a good start. Rather than showcasing his bravado, Manziel, at times, sounded almost apologetic for some of the things hes said and done recently. "The main thing I wanted to portray that was more in the subplots of the article," he said, when asked about a story in which he seemed to warn Houston about bypassing him with the No. 1 overall pick, "was that whatever team I do end up with, whenever I do get to that team, whenever I am in that organization, each one of those guys is now my teammate, my brother and if Im on the field with those guys, Im going to try to be the best football player I can be." Other times, he sounded almost defiant. "I knew who I was meeting with, but Im not sure of his official title. Something along the lines of just a counselor," he said when pressed about reports he was being treated for alcoholism and anger management while at Texas A&M. When it became clear the 2012 Heisman winner measured in at 5-foot-11 3/4 inches, 207 pounds, shorter and lighter than his listed college measurements of 6-1 and 210, and shorter and lighter than many NFL teams seek in a starting quarterback, he wouldnt confirm the measurements. Instead, he explained that he more heart and passion for this sport than anyone in the draft. Not all the news was bad for Manziel. Though he stands about five inches shorter than Blake Bortles, another quarterback vying to wind up in Houston, Manziel came in with bigger hands -- a potentially big advantage on draft weekend. "I think it (hand size) is something that is highly underrated," said Arizona coach Bruce Arians, who has tutored Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck among others. "It depends on where you play. If you play in Lucas Oil, not too bad. Now, if you play in Green Bay and you struggle with controlling a football when its cold and wet, thats a problem. That goes into the evaluation process hard." Theres little doubt about Manziels skills. In 2012, he broke the SECs single-season record for total offense (5,116 yards), became the fifth player in FBS history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in one season and then set an all-bowl rushing record for a quarterback (229 yards). After his jet-setting offseason and an NCAA investigation into autographs on memorabilia, critics contended a distracted Manziel regressed. But he actually threw for more yards (4,116), more touchdowns (37) and wound up with a better passing efficiency (172.9) in 2013 than he did in 2012. The Texas native believes he will only continue to get better on a bigger stage. But what scouts and team executives must determine between now and Mays draft is whether Johnny Football is for real or whether this personality change is just one more part of his ongoing act. "Im from a small town of Kerrville, Texas, 20,000 people. That gets lost when people make me out to be a big Hollywood guy," Manziel said. "Sometimes you get caught up in certain things, but at the same time its about continuing to learn and continuing to adapt to everything thats going on in my life. Im not saying its always easy, but continuing to be who Ive always been is a big thing for me." Mens adidas ZX Flux Italia Independent Shoes Spink/Black/White .ca. Hi Kerry, Bruins fan here, so probably biased. In the game on Wednesday against Detroit, there was a definite loss of sight of the puck on the Wings second goal. Mens adidas ZX Flux Shoes NZ Pink/Bright Red/Gold/Black Firework Prints Online . The Minnesota manager was chosen along with Clevelands Terry Francona as coaches to join AL manager John Farrell of Boston in the July 15 All-Star game at Target Field.NEW YORK -- After an hour-long spin on the Madison Square Garden ice, New York Rangers forward Rick Nash is ready to practice with his teammates and could rejoin the lineup soon. Nash skated for the fourth straight day on Tuesday and remained symptom-free fromm a concussion sustained Oct. Womens Nike Air Max 2016 Cheap Deep Grey/White/Pink/Orange Shoes On Sale. 8 at San Jose. He still needs work on his conditioning before he can play in a game, but Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said before his club hosted the New Jersey Devils that Nash would practice on Wednesday. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
DETROIT -- Tommy Milone pitched five innings Tuesday night and walked away with a complete-game victory. Zx Flux Adidas Ocean . Not bad at all. Milone settled down after a slow start and Brandon Moss hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Justin Verlander, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a game cut short by rain. Seth Smith hit a leadoff homer in the sixth, and Oakland had the bases loaded with no one out when the tarp was pulled on the field due to the weather. It was called after an 80-minute delay. Milone (10-9) allowed three runs in the first, and then pitched four scoreless innings. The left-hander improved to 2-2 with a 4.97 ERA in his last six starts. "Ive had some five-inning complete games in the minors, but Ive never had one in the majors," Milone said. "That was a nice break." Oakland manager Bob Melvin thought about going to closer Grant Balfour when the rain picked up in the fifth inning. But Milone retired the top of Detroits lineup in order. "I was thinking about that, because it was really starting to rain hard, and I knew the forecast wasnt good," he said. "I was going to go to the bullpen pretty quickly if Tommy got into trouble." Detroit dropped its second straight game, but the biggest concern was another sluggish outing for Verlander (12-10), who was charged with four runs, three earned, and four hits in five innings. The right-hander, who won the AL Cy Young Award and MVP honour in 2011, is 0-2 with a 5.00 ERA in his last four starts. But the Tigers have a comfortable lead in the AL Central and Verlander is hoping to use the next month to figure out whats wrong. "My deadline right now is the playoffs," he said. Verlander and Milone each got off to a slow start, combined for 78 pitches during a 45-minute first inning. Oakland pushed across two runs before Verlander recorded an out. Coco Crisp had a leadoff walked and Josh Donaldson singled. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Jed Lowries bloop double to right. Seth Smith had a two-out walk before Verlander retired Alberto Callaspo for the final out. The 44 pitches for Verlander were the most he had ever thrown in an inning. "Even in that inning, there were times that I felt like I had really good stuff, but I couldnt control it," Verlander said. "Id get in a rhythm for a couple pitches, and then get out of sync again." The game was tied before Milone got an out. With a steady rain beginning to fall, Detroits first four batters reached. Prince Fielder had a two-run single, and Miguel Cabrera came home when Omar Infantes routine grounder to second went under Callaspos glove for an error. Milone then shut down Detroit for the rest of the night. "I dont exactly know what changed, but something worked," he said. "I couldnt get comfortable in the first inning, especially from the stretch, but once I got back into the windup in the second, I was able to go after guys." Verlander ran into more trouble when Moss walked with two out in the third and hustled around to score on Yoenis Cespedes tying double down the left-field line on an 0-2 pitch. The Athletics struck again with two out in the fifth. Moss hit a drive to centre for his 22nd homer. "That was probably the hardest rain Ive ever pitched in," Verlander said. "I thought I could grip a changeup, but it came out flat and he crushed it." Bruce Rondon replaced Verlander in the sixth, and Smith hit his second pitch over the scoreboard in right-centre for a 6-3 lead. The next three batters reached on two singles and a walk, but then the rain became too heavy for play to continue. "That worked out really well for us, because we didnt have to use the bullpen," Melvin said. "We did a great job against Verlander -- we were patient and we were able to really boost his pitch count. We only got the two runs in the first, but we made him throw 40-some pitches, and thats probably why we were able to add on in the later innings." Rondon had been checked by trainer Kevin Rand earlier in the inning, and appeared to be favouring his right leg as he came off the field. NOTES: The Tigers activated C Alex Avila from the concussion disabled list and optioned C Bryan Holaday to Triple-A Toledo. ... Detroit had been hoping to get reliever Octavio Dotel (elbow) back by Sept. 1, but he had to leave Tuesdays rehab outing with Toledo after being hit by a comebacker from the first batter he faced. ... Melvin confirmed Bartolo Colon (groin) will start Thursday afternoon against Detroit. Brett Anderson (foot) is also close to returning from the disabled list, but will go to the bullpen when he is activated. Mens/Womens Shoes Army Green/Grey Adidas Ultra Boost . -- Kevin Martin hit a step-back jumper with 8. RSPN Mens Adidas ZX 5000 Shoes Dark Blue/White . Spezza was tasked with taking over for Alfredsson as captain, and Ryan with filling the void as a scoring winger. In the Senators first game against Alfredsson and the Detroit Red Wings, Spezza and Ryan fittingly spearheaded an impressive offensive display in a 6-1 blowout at Joe Louis Arena.Marco Di Vaio declared on Friday that his work in Montreal is "not yet finished," after announcing he will be staying with the club for the 2014 season. While Di Vaio was alluding to grand aspirations for next year with that comment in his press conference at Stade Saputo, it can also be applied to this season with the clubs current poor run of form leaving much work still to be done if they are to finish in the top five. Montreals results in recent weeks have been far from that of a playoff contender. They are winless in six and have lost three straight at home. They do however still control their destiny and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with two matches left to play. The Impacts final home game of the season on Saturday couldnt be bigger, up against a Philadelphia Union team that is tied with them on points and sitting just below them in the standings. Marco Schallibaums men have been short on preparation time for the Union match, only arriving back in Montreal on Thursday evening after a 1-0 loss away to defending champions LA Galaxy on Wednesday night. With an understrength squad, the Impact were unfortunate not to leave California with a point. The performance was certainly a major improvement on the display in the 1-0 loss at home to New England Revolution a few days earlier. The biggest concern for me last Saturday was not the result against the Revs, but the lackluster performance Montreal put in. They lacked urgency, cohesion and looked bereft of ideas in front of goal. They were unable to get the ball to Di Vaio in positions where he could make an impact, and the one chance that did fall the veterans way was well saved by New England goalkeeper Matt Reis. The only bright spot on that day was the performance of Argentine Designated Player Hernan Bernadello who was impressive in midfield. After home defeats against Columbus, Vancouver and New England, there can be no more slip ups. A win against Philadelphia on Saturday would allow the Impact to breathe a little easier. They ccould even secure their place in the postseason if they win and other results go their way. Adidas Superstar Foundation NZ Shoes For Mens/Womens Running White Ftw/Light Scarlet/Running White . The last thing the Impact will want, is to head into the derby match at Toronto FC on the final game of the season needing a win to ensure they make the postseason. The announcement of Di Vaios future has certainly lifted a cloud of uncertainty that has been hanging over the Impact for the last few weeks. The Italian forward has been outstanding in his first full season in MLS and is tied for the league lead with 19 goals alongside Chicagos Mike Magee. Its not just on matchday that Di Vaio has been an important figure. His leadership on and off the field has been superb. He is one of the fittest, hardest working players on the team and certainly didnt arrive in Montreal with an ego. His attitude is an example to the younger players within the squad. While the Impact wont have to replace Di Vaio next year, they will be losing fellow Italian Alessandro Nesta. The Impact have been lucky to have Nesta as part of their squad for the last 18 months, and as with Di Vaio, Nestas contribution to the Impact has touched many aspects of the club, way beyond his performances on the field.  Nesta has had an incredible career, and he will bring the curtain down on his playing days at the end of this season. Although the Impact wont be able to call upon the Italian next year, his influence will live on for a long time to come. You only need to look at the young defence Montreal fielded in LA on Wednesday to see the quality players that are coming through. Karl Ouimette, Wandrille Lefevre, Maxim Tissot started against the Galaxy, and all of them have benefitted from seeing Nesta up close in training every day during his time in Montreal, and also the teaching he has given them. Quite rightly, Montreal will take time pre-game on Saturday to honour the career of Nesta - a true legend of the game. Montreal Impact against Philadelphia Union is live on MLS on TSN on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET, 11:00 am PT on TSN2. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaAuthentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
ANAHEIM, Calif. Womens Doug Martin Jersey . -- Although Stephane Robidas isnt a flashy player, the sturdy defenceman could be exactly what the high-flying Anaheim Ducks need in their Stanley Cup chase. The Ducks acquired Robidas from the Dallas Stars on Tuesday for a conditional fourth-round pick in this years draft. The overall NHL leaders made three deals on the day before the leagues trade deadline, shaking up their roster with 20 games left in the regular season. Anaheim also sent backup goalie Viktor Fasth to Edmonton and shipped forward Dustin Penner to Washington. Although the 37-year-old Robidas wont return from a broken leg for at least two more weeks, the Ducks were eager to acquire a hard-nosed veteran with superior passing skills and a nasty edge to his game. Theyre all attributes Anaheim could use in its attempt to back up its outstanding regular season with playoff success. The Ducks lead the NHL with 91 points and three straight victories heading into Wednesdays game against Montreal, but theyve won just one playoff series since winning their franchises only Stanley Cup title in 2007. Robidas knew he probably didnt have a future with the Stars, who havent discussed a contract extension with him. When he heard Anaheim was interested, he jumped at the chance to play in the post-season for the first time since 2008, when Dallas eliminated the defending champion Ducks in the first round. "Were going for a Stanley Cup, and thats what Ive been waiting for for a long time," said Robidas, who is joining his fourth NHL club. "I think its a great opportunity for me, and Im just very excited for the chance the Ducks are giving me." Robidas hasnt played since breaking his leg against Chicago on Nov. 29 while crashing into the boards behind the net, but he has been participating extensively in practice. He had four goals and one assist in 24 games for the Stars this season. "Everything has been going really well," Robidas said of his recovery. "Ive just got a few little things I need to get a little more comfortable." Robidas should add experience and toughness to a defence that has spent the entire season without veteran Sheldon Souray, who got hurt in summer training. Robidas should be familiar to some Ducks fans from that 2008 playoff series in which Anaheims Todd Marchant accidentally broke Robidas nose with the puck -- and Robidas returned to the game shortly afterward. "Thats how I play," Robidas said. "Im not a finesse player. I know my role. I know what I need to do. I know how I need to play, and Im not going to change the way Ive been playing. Im going to be the same player, and I think thats why they came and they got me." Robidas is seventh in Dallas club history with 704 games played. He has 211 points in two stints with Dallas, his home for all but 45 NHL games since 2002. The draft pick acquired by the Stars becomes a third-rounder if the Ducks reach the Western Conference finals and Robidas plays in half their playoff games. Jameis Winston Buccaneers Jersey . Crawford led off the 10th inning with a game-ending drive into McCovey Cove to give the San Francisco Giants a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Vernon Hargreaves III Buccaneers Jersey . He failed, so for the third, he shortened up, trying to protect the plate. That ball ended up going out and, boy, did the Arizona Diamondbacks need it.The topics include the future of the Texas Rangers, the Braves handling of Dan Uggla, Steves playoff predictions and the future of some managers. 1. With the Texas Rangers missing out on the playoffs after losing a play-in-game against the Rays, do you think their World Series window closed?  The Texas Rangers went to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, coming up short both times. In 2012, they were a Wild Card entrant in the playoffs, but were eliminated by the Orioles. In 2013, they played a 163rd game to try and make the playoffs, but lost to the Rays who have since advanced to the ALDS against the Red Sox. It has been a great run. They have won 90 or more games over four consecutive years. With their elimination this year, it is not unfair to consider whether their window of winning a World Series might be closing. I dont believe that it is closing, though. In fact, I think they are far from it. This team will be competitive for years to come. Consider all that went wrong this year: Josh Hamilton signed with Angels in the offseason; they traded Michael Young to the Phillies; Starting pitchers Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Colby Lewis spent the season on the DL ;   Alexi Ogando, Michael Kirkman, Joakim Soria and even ace pitcher Yu Darvish missed time too; the Rangers used 11 different starting pitchers; AJ Pierszynski and Ian Kinsler spent time on the DL, as did Mitch Moreland and Lance Berkman and they lost Nelson Cruz to a 50-game suspension. How in the world did the Rangers win 91 games? If I had told you that so much would go wrong before the season, you might not think they would even finish over .500. Manager Ron Washington keeps the pedal to the metal. He is not the best in-game manager, but he keeps his team focus and motivated. They never feel like victims, even when so much goes wrong. This Rangers team isnt going anywhere. They have key, core members under contract for next year and beyond. SS Elvis Andrus and 2B Ian Kinsler are both locked up contractually for years to come and they have a blue chip young prospect in Jurickson Profar to bolster their depth. Adrian Beltre and Alex Rios will be back in the middle of the lineup, as well. With Yu Darvish leading the rotation that will include Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Martin Perez, their starting pitching will be very competitive. Closer Joe Nathan will be back, as well. On top of this, they have a well-stocked farm system to help feed the majors with more quality talent. The Rangers can use another bat in the lineup and maybe another starter, but I absolutely expect them to be back in 2014 with a very competitive team and a legitimate shot of getting back to the World Series. 2. After hitting .179 with 22 home runs this season, the Atlanta Braves left their highest paid player Dan Uggla off their NLDS playoff roster. Uggla has two years and $26 million left on his contract. Was the playoff omission the right move and is there a way for both sides to salvage this situation?  It is always difficult on a manager and general manager when a player in the midst of a mega-contract loses his skills and production.  During the regular season,  a manager will try all the tricks to try and get him going. The player will take extra batting practice. Then, he may get a few days off to clear his head and flush out all of the negative thoughts. The manager may move a struggling player around in the line-up, hoping to put him in a spot where he will get good pitches to hit. A player may also get examined by a doctor to see if there is any physical problem causing his struggles. Sometimes a player will accept a short trip to the minor leagues to get a fresh start and work on making adjustments. Organizations have to try and get a return on their investment. Players are not disposable. If a player has a big contract, you cant just release him. No one would ever flush $26M down the toilet. So the Atlanta Braves tried everything this year with Dan Uggla. He is hitting .179/.309/.362 with a career-worst 31.8 percent strikeout rate.  It was so bad this year that the Braves sent him to get LASIK eye surgery. The bigger problem is that he hit worse after the surgery. When it comes playoff time, it is not about contracts or feelings:  It is about winning. The Braves made the right decision leaving Uggla off of their playoff roster. He may be disappointed but thats just too bad. He should be offended by his performance not the team. Moving forward the only thing that will salvage the relationship between Uggla and the Braves is if he starts to hit.   If he doesnt hit, then the club will be faced with a final decision for Uggla and his career. Its that simple.  3. Now that the playoffs are set, which teams do you think will advance to the World Series and why? NLDS LA Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves This is an interesting match-up. It pits the team with the best starting pitching ERA in the Dodgers against the team with the best bullpen ERA in the Braves. Both offenses can score runs in bunches. The Braves are big swingers, proven by the facts that they led the NL in strikeouts and home runs. The Dodgers do it with a bit more contact. Give me the team with the better starting pitchers. Dodgers win in 5 games. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates have been an amazing story. They finally made the playoffs for the first time since 1992. They are made up of one superstar (Andrew McCutchen) and a bunch of gritty, tough baseball players. But after losing Game 1 by a score of 9-1, it feels like they dont belong. Cardinals win series 3-0.  ALDS Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays This is a great match-up with two AL East rivals. The Rays are one of the rare teams that can overcome multiple elimination games and still have a shot to win the next series. Their depth of starting pitching is a strength. They can win on any given night. That being said, the Red Sox can match them starter-for-starter, plus the Sox have a much more formidable offense. Sox win in 5 games. Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland As The Tigers have the names we all know. They have former MVP Miguel Cabrera and former Cy Young-winner Justin Verlander. The Tigers are led by a tough and gruff manager in Jim Leyland who desperately wants to win for owner Mike Illitch. The As are managed by the unassuming Bob Melvin and are a bunch of no- names. However, they can pitch and hit and catch the ball. This will be a closely played series with the Tigers winning in 5 games. NLCS St Louis Cardinals vs. LA Dodgers This will be a battle of the two best NL teams. Both teams have legitimate aces  in Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright. Both teams have the ability to mix and mmatch out of the bullpen. Mike Evans Buccaneers Jersey. . The Cardinals were the games best at hitting with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers can score in many different ways as well. They can slug the ball out of the ballpark or win the game with good base-running. The Dodgers will win this series in 7 games. ALCS Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox This is a battle of big arms and big bats. The teams were part of a big thre- team deal at the deadline that sent starter Jake Peavy to the Sox and shortstop Jose Iglesias to the Tigers. If the games turn into pitching duels, they match up well and, if it were a slugfest, they can stand toe-to-toe, as well. This will be a seven game series that can go either way. The Red Sox will prevail as the Tigers bullpen blows a game. Red Sox in 7 games.  World Series Boston Red Sox vs. LA Dodgers What an amazing match-up. These two teams helped set the course for each other to get to this point with their big trade a year ago. The Dodgers took Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto off the Sox hands, including about a quarter million dollars of their salaries. This allowed the Sox to quickly reconstruct their team. In the meantime, Crawford, Gonzalez and Punto found their games again and have been contributors to the Dodgers success. Both teams remade their bullpens over the course of the season. Both added starting pitchers, as well. Their managers and general managers have excelled all season long. The Red Sox win the series in 7 games.  Fair or Foul This is the time of year that managers can lose their jobs.   We all understand when we get hired in baseball that we will likely be fired someday, too. It is the nature of the beast. Every situation is different and unique to each organization. Sometimes a manager who has been with a club for a long time gets let go, regardless how much success he has had in the past. We saw that this season with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. He had managed the Phils for nine years. He won a World Series in 2009, but the team wasnt winning now and it just felt like it was time for a change. He didnt do anything wrong. He isnt a worse manager now than he was in 2009. It was just time. Dale Sveum was fired in Chicago. He had been hired to oversee the growth and development of young players in the majors. The Cubs are rebuilding and they wanted a development manager to teach their prospects how to win in the majors. They only won 61 and 66 games in his two years. There wasnt a lot of winning being taught or learned. Davey Johnson is stepping down in Washington from his role as manager, but that was predestined even before the season. He will serve as a consultant to the organization moving forward. Luckily for Johnson, this was predetermined because he would have been fired. The Nats underachieved significantly this year. Dusty Baker was fired on Friday despite leading the Reds to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and three of the last four years. Sure, they didnt advance beyond the League Division Series in any of those years, but it certainly wasnt because Dusty mismanaged the games. I mean, come on - He has led all three franchises he has managed to the playoffs. He is a two-time manager of the year while with the Giants. He finished second in the voting last season. It is pretty clear he is a quality manager, but the Reds want something more. Eric Wedge isnt returning to the Mariners despite the team actually wanting him to return. He cited a difference in the direction of the organization. It is a bit unclear what that means, as typically most organizations want to head in the direction of winning. I am kidding, of course. Often times, that is code for the team doesnt want to spend money on players and the manager thinks they should. There was plenty of speculation that Mike Scioscia was in jeopardy in Anaheim. Despite big off-season acquisitions and unfulfilled huge expectations, Scioscia remains with the Angels. He fits the Charlie Manuel mold. It was speculated that since the Rangers didnt make the playoffs after losing to the Rays in the tie-breaker game that Ron Washington was in trouble. He is similar to Dusty Baker. He made the playoffs in three of four years, twice advancing to the World Series. Fortunately, he hasnt lost his job.  It was unclear whether the Mets would ask Terry Collins back to manage for a fourth year, as this large market team hasnt been over .500 during his tenure. Collins is like Dale Sveum in results, but was able to keep his job where the Cub manager lost his. It is a bit odd that in one off-season we will be replacing five managers for such a wide variety of reasons. Yet we can fit many other managers into the same categories who kept their jobs. So why do some managers get fired while others dont when their results may be the same? It is all about time and place. Each team is in a certain time and place in its history. Where they are determines the expectations on the field and, therefore, the expectations for the manager. These expectations are the key to survival or termination. Some clubs are rebuilding. Within that definition of rebuilding, there are a variety of directions. A team may be disassembling and moving one step back to take two steps forward. Other teams are just going to give young prospects opportunities and hope they figure it out in the majors. Some clubs have already figured out which young players are ready to produce and are looking to add veterans to go with them. Teams that are believed to be pennant contenders automatically have a high level of expectations. The higher the expectations, the less margin for failure. The lower the expectations, the less distasteful losing may be. If the fans are disappointed, then a manager is in trouble. Here is the reality though: Good managers are made by good players. I am not saying all managers are created equal because they are not. I believe certain managers can impact certain individuals and teams in a more dramatic way than another. Tony LaRussa impacted the outcome of more games than any manager I have ever seen with his in-game decisions and moves. Jim Leylands players speak in "Leylandisms."  His words impact his guys. So a good manager makes a difference. But I also believe that each manager fired could still win a championship with the team that fired him if they game him more time and better players. Managers learn from their mistakes. They learn more about their players and how to best utilize them in situations to succeed. So I understand this is what we do in baseball. If we dont win, we fire the manager because you cant fire all of the players. I would sure love to see teams just ride it out with their leaders believing that, at some point, they will find the right formula. Change isnt always good or necessary! Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
Concordia defensive lineman Quinn Smith, a top prospect for next weeks CFL draft, admitted Thursday he tested positive for a banned substance. NFL Jerseys From China . Smith, who raised eyebrows at the CFL combine in March with his ability on both sides of the ball, confirmed in a statement he tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol prior to auditioning for league officials. Its the same substance Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for at the 88 Seoul Summer Games, which resulted in him being stripped of the 100-metre gold medal and suspended. "I accept full responsibility for the result of Stanozolol metabolite in my test," Smith said in the release. "I can assure you it was not my intention to use a banned substance or to try to beat the system. "I did not properly research the contents of supplements I obtained online and I will accept the consequences of my actions." Smith added he has asked that his B sample be tested and is awaiting those results. Prior to releasing his statement, Smith sent emails to all nine CFL teams informing them of the positive test and formally apologizing. "I have the deepest respect for the CFL, the CIS and Concordia University and am thankful for the opportunities they offer young people like myself," Smith said. "I have brought undue negative attention to these organizations and for this I am truly sorry. "I will have no further comments to offer publicly." The six-foot-two, 305-pound Smith, a Toronto native, was ranked fourth among the CFL scouting bureaus final top-15 prospects for Tuesday nights draft, heady stuff considering Smith wasnt rated on either the fall or winter lists. A big reason for Smiths meteoric rise was his performance at the combine, where he impressed as both an offensive and defensive lineman. That versatility had Smith being mentioned as a bona fide first-round prospect -- and possibly going first overall to the expansion Ottawa Redblacks -- in the 14 draft. On the first day of testing, Smith benched 225 pounds 28 times, had a 27.5-inch vertical jump and eight feet three inches in the broad jump. The next day, prior to the one-on-one drills, Smith posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.808 seconds, 7.56 seconds in the three-cone drill and 4.62 seconds in the shuttle. If Smiths B sample also tests positive, his college football career would be over. Smith still has two years of CIS eligibility remaining but as a first-time drug offender hed receive a two-year ban. But the positive test wont hamper his ability to play in the CFL as a rookie. Under the leagues drug policy, Smith will be deemed a first-time offender. He will automatically be subjected to mandatory testing and an assessment, followed by counselling. A second offence will trigger a three-game suspension. The agreement also calls for a one-year ban for a third offence and a lifetime suspension for a fourth positive test. "Its very disappointing that this player tested positive for a banned substance," Michael Copeland, the CFLs president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. "If he is drafted and signed by one of our teams, and the positive test is confirmed, he will immediately be subject to mandatory testing as governed by our drug policy. "While we never want to see a player test positive for a banned substance, it does demonstrate the benefit and effectiveness of testing prospects as they prepare for the CFL combine and draft." The CFLs drug policy is part of the leagues collective bargaining agreement with the CFL Players Association. The two sides are currently negotiating a new deal with the current one scheduled to expire May 31. The question remains, however, what impact the positive test will have on Smiths draft stock Tuesday night. Toronto Argonauts GM Jim Barker said for some teams, the news will impact their overall assessment of the former Concordia star. But Barker wouldnt say whether his opinions of Smith have changed as a result of his miscue. "It really depends on the team," said Barker, who has the sixth overall selection Tuesday. "The kid had no idea what he was taking contained a banned substance, all he thought he was doing was taking a supplement to try and make himself better. "Teams will take things different ways. To say whether its going to hurt his draft stock is speculation. It goes into the pool of knowledge that we have on every player. Its going to be viewed both ways by people. It adds intrigue to the draft, good, bad or indifferent." Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Can it be repeated? The Roughriders are fairly well positioned heading into the off-season. Yes, they have some big ticket free agents to deal with but ones they should be able to retain. Wholesale NFL China Jerseys . -- Jamaal Charles carried the Kansas City Chiefs straight into the playoffs with a record performance.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Trevor Cooney has hit shooting touch back -- just in the nick of time for top-ranked Syracuse. Cooney scored a career-high 33 points, matching a school record with nine 3-pointers, and the Orange beat Notre Dame 61-55 on Monday night in another matchup of former Big East foes. After struggling to a woeful 25.4 per cent (14 of 55) from behind the arc in his first seven Atlantic Coast Conference games, Cooney has hit 11 of 13 in the past two games and was the difference against the Irish as the Oranges front line faltered. "It feels good," Cooney said. "I kind of got going and guys just found me in good spots." Syracuse (22-0, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which moved to No. 1 this week after its scintillating 91-89 overtime victory over Duke on Saturday night and Arizonas loss to California, extended its school record for most consecutive wins to start a season. Notre Dame (12-11, 3-7) has lost seven of nine. Two days after one of the most emotional wins in Jim Boeheims 38 years as head coach, Syracuse played its first game as the nations top team since the 2011-12 season. Two years ago, the Orange were unbeaten and ranked No. 1 when they went to South Bend, and Notre Dame upset them 67-58. It was the eighth time Notre Dame had beaten a No. 1 team and turned out to be Syracuses lone loss of the regular season. "That was in the back of my mind," said C.J. Fair, who had a season-low six points on 2-of-13 shooting after scoring a career-high 28 against Duke. "I didnt want that to happen again." Cooney made sure there was no repeat, hitting five 3-pointers in the first half as the Orange gained a 13-point halftime advantage, then barely held the Irish at bay in the second half. "We put ourselves in position to make it interesting," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "We came into this game, and especially if you watch what they did to Duke, beating them up in the paint. You really try to take stuff away in the paint. I thought overall with the guys that destroy you in the paint we did a good job. But we couldnt do a good job on Cooney. Seven of the nine I think we challenged. He was just in one of those zones, and youve got to take your hat off." Cooney, 9 of 12 from long range, matched the rrecord set by Gerry McNamara in the 2004 NCAA tournament and equaled by Andy Rautins in 2008 and James Southerland in 2012. Cheap NFL Jerseys. . Jerami Grant and Fair, who combined for 54 points against Duke, combined for just 15, while Tyler Ennis found little room in the lane to penetrate and finished with six points and eight assists. Garrick Sherman led Notre Dame with 16 points, Steve Vasturia had 13, and Pat Connaughton 11, while Eric Atkins had nine on 3-of-10 shooting. Notre Dame closed within 38-32 on a 3-pointer from Atkins with 14:19 to play, but Syracuse responded with seven straight points. Grant slammed home a dunk after his block on Sherman and Fair followed with a slam off a Grant miss. Cooney completed the run with his seventh 3-pointer, which tied his personal best. The Irish have four long-range threats in Atkins, Connaughton, Vasturia, and Demetrius Jackson, who had combined for 127 3-pointers on the season entering the game, and Notre Dames long-range attack came alive in the second half after going 1 of 6 in the first 20 minutes. Two 3-pointers by Atkins, Vasturias three-point play and a slam dunk by Tom Knight moved the Irish back within 43-40 with 8:41 to go. Grant responded with a spinning drive through the lane and Cooney hit another 3. Grant then fed Cooney for a reverse layup and three-point play and Cooney hit his ninth 3 for a 54-44 lead with 4:14 to play. Notre Dame refused to wilt, pulling back to 54-49 on Connaughtons three-point play at 2:52. "Thats who this group is," Brey said. "We havent been able to get over the hump and win enough. Weve been down on the road just about every time, and we come back and give ourselves a chance. I love that about us. If we keep doing that enough, I think well get a couple of them." Grants layup off a feed from Ennis and two free throws by Ennis boosted the lead back to eight, and the Orange made it interesting when Ennis and Fair each missed the front end of 1-and-1s in the final minute. Atkins missed a floater and Connaughton was off on a 3-point attack in the final seconds. "I had a look and missed, which would have been a really big shot for us," Atkins said. "That was a huge play. But they played great. They made plays when they were needed." Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
(SportsNetwork. http://www.asicskayano-au.com/asics-onitsuka-tiger-mexico-66.html .com) - The Brooklyn Nets try to secure the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings and close a three-game homestand on a positive note when they host the rival New York Knicks Tuesday. You can catch all the action live on TSN2 at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Nets are 1 1/2 games ahead of Washington for the No. 5 spot with two games remaining, while the Wizards have just one game left. The Wizards hold the tiebreaker by virtue of a 3-0 mark against the Nets this season. After having a franchise-record 15-game home winning streak come to an end versus Atlanta on Friday, the Nets responded with Sundays 97-88 victory over Orlando at Barclays Center. Mirza Teletovic came off the bench and scored a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds, while Joe Johnson and Mason Plumlee netted 17 apiece. Plumlee also grabbed 11 rebounds for the Nets, winners in four of six games and owners of a 34-15 record since the start of January. "Weve got to try to fine-tune and keep this chemistry that we have going into the postseason," Johnson said. Deron Williams tallied 16 points in the win to help Brooklyn to a 28-12 record as the host. The Nets are 23-3 in their last 26 home games and 35-11 when holding teams under 100 points. In injury news for the Nets, guard Shaun Livingston (toe) is questionable Tuesday. Nets veteran forward Paul Pierce, the newest member of the 25,000-point club, had 10 points versus the Magic and is three shy of reaching 1,000 for a 15th straight season. He would become the only active player in the NBA and just the sixth player in league history to score 1,000 points in 15 or more consecutive seasons. The others were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes and Robert Parish. Brooklyn will close the regular season at Cleveland on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Knicks were hoping to reach the playoffs for a fourth straight season, but missed out on that chance. The Atlanta Hawks were able to sew up the eighth and final postseason spot in the East. New York has won two straight and five of seven games, and pulled off a 100-89 victory Sunday versus the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points and both Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith netted 17 in a losing cause. "We didnt get it done and being the coach, I just apologize to the fans because they paid their hard-earned money to come see us play and we didnt come into this season expecting this," Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. The Knicks will try to improve their 17-23 road record Tuesday and have won eight of the last 11 games as the visitor. New York will close the season Wednesday at home versus Toronto and recently defeated Brooklyn 110-81 on April 2 at MSG. Smith buried 6-of-12 3-pointers for 24 points and Anthony added 23 and 10 rebounds to lead the Knicks, who are 2-1 in the season series and have won 10 of the past 14 meetings with the Nets. The winner in this seasons series has scored 100-plus points, while the loser has failed to post more than 83. New York has won six of eight and nine of its last 12 at the Nets. http://www.asicskayano-au.com/ .S. Open. The fourth-seeded Russians rallied after losing the first set to beat Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday night. http://www.asicskayano-au.com/asics-gel-lyte-iii-for-sale/asics-gel-lyte-iii-white.html . Puig hit a three-run homer and threw out a runner at second base, leading Los Angeles over the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 Sunday.For answers to two of those three questions, click on the image below to get an in-depth breakdown of what the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championship meant for the future of global hockey. http://www.asicskayano-au.com/asics-gel-lyte-speed-for-sale.html. The third question was a trick question. Nobody likes the Blue Jackets. (Click For Larger Image) Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
San Diego, CA (SportsNetwork. DeAndre Levy Jersey .com) - Former San Diego Padres player Mark Kotsay has been named the clubs new hitting coach, manager Bud Black announced Monday. Kotsay, who retired from a 17-year major league career after the 2013 season, replaces Phil Plantier, dismissed shortly after the conclusion of this years campaign after the Padres ranked last in the majors in the majority of offensive categories. The soon-to-be 39-year-old Kotsay spent last season in San Diegos front office as a special assistant to the general manager. Kotsay recorded a lifetime .276 average with 127 home runs over 1,914 career games with seven different teams, which included stints with the Padres from 2001-03 and 2012-13. He batted .314 and finished fifth in the American League with 190 hits while with the Oakland Athletics in 2004. Were excited to bring Mark on board to our major league staff, said Black. Marks career as a player, teammate and team leader speaks for itself. His knowledge, work ethic, competiveness and personality will greatly impact our major league club, as well as our entire organization. The Padres finished 30th in the majors in runs scored (535), hits (1,199), batting average (.226), on-base percentage (.292) and slugging percentage (.342) in 2014. San Diego was shut out 19 times, was no-hit by San Franciscos Tim Lincecum in June and finished that month with a .171 batting average -- the lowest single-month mark by a team in the modern era. Calvin Johnson Jersey .com) - Jonathan Holmes scored 17 of his 19 points in a lopsided second half as No. DeAndre Levy Lions Jersey . Now the brothers from West Vancouver hope to be teammates for Canada at the world junior championship.The Edmonton Oilers traded for the rights to a free agent defenceman, and got him signed to a two-year deal, paying a premium for a shorter term contract. Numbers Game looks at the Oilers inking Nikita Nikitin. The Oilers Get: D Nikita Nikitin. Nikitin, 28, played a career-high 66 games last season, an indication that hes still trying to establish his place in the league. A couple of years ago, in 2011-2012, Nikitin contributed a career-best 32 points in 54 games for Columbus (after seven scoreless games with St. Louis to start the year), playing a career-high 23:12 per game for the season putting up strong relative possession numbers while facing high-quality opposition, while frequently paired with veteran Fedor Tyutin. Thats the Nikitin that the Oilers have to hope they are acquiring. In 2012-2013, Nikitins role was decreased somewhat, and while he still logged 21:12 per game, Nikitin was then surpassed on the depth chart last season by rookie Ryan Murray, leaving Nikitin to play 17:07 per game on the third pair. Playing on that third pair didnt bring ideal results, as Nikitin was a little below break-even in possession terms, but if there is reason to hold out hope for Nikitin, it may be that his with-or-without you numbers arent bad over the past three seasons. Among the 16 skaters with whom he played at least 300 5-on-5 minutes over those three seasons, Nikitin had better possession numbers apart than 11 of those skaters, but that relative effectiveness has decreased in the past two seasons, to the point that in 2013-2014, Nikitin had better possession stats apart from just three of the 13 skaters with whom he played more than 150 5-on-5 minutes. What this would seem to indicate is that Nikitin, who has good size, can skate and handle the puck a bit, isnt necessarily one to carry the play. He could be a useful complementary player and presumably Oilers Senior VP of Hockey Operations Scott Howson (who acquired Nikitin as GM in Columbus) is a fan, but there is risk in bringing in a player with falling possession numbers to a team that already ranked 28th in Fenwick Close (unblocked shot attempts during 5-on-5, score within one goal in first two periods and tied in third period). Its not aas though Nikitins play in the past couple seasons indicates that he would improve the results no matter with whom he is partnered and its reasonable to wonder if the Oilers have the right personnel to get positive results with Nikitin on the ice. Authentic Ziggy Ansah Jersey. . If the Jeff Petry and Martin Marincin pairing goes ahead, then perhaps Nikitin gets a chance alongside Andrew Ference. Maybe that somehow works out and allows the Oilers some time to develop their young defencemen. Its entirely possible that it wont work out, though, and the short-term nature of the contract suggests that both sides recognize that risk. Signed to a two-year, $9-million deal, Nikitin will be well-compensated, particularly if he cant stick in the Oilers top four, but the downside of a two-year deal is limited compared to the longer term that will be available to other free agent defencemen. The Blue Jackets Get: A fifth-round pick. Since the Blue Jackets werent going to bring Nikitin back, getting any asset in return is a plus. The fifth-round pick, 137th overall, belonged to Columbus originally and was traded to Edmonton last season to acquire D Nick Schultz. A fifth-round pick doesnt bring a lot of value, but its something. From 1990 through 2009, just under 15% of the picks between 121 and 150 played at least 100 NHL games, so there is a little better than a one-in-seven chance of netting an NHL player. While its reasonable for the Oilers to have hope Nikitin can perform in a top-four role, it could be telling that the Blue Jackets would let Nikitin depart as a free agent. Mabye they simply didnt want to pay that kind of money to a third pair defenceman, when they have younger, cheaper options (David Savard, Dalton Prout, Tim Erixon) available and thats fair, but current Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was the Blues Director of Scouting when St. Louis picked Nikitin in the fifth round in 2004. Lots can change over time and the Blue Jackets arent likely to regret letting Nikitin go, even if he works out well for the Oilers. 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. Cheap JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
DENVER - Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki were both throwing strikes. China Jerseys Cheap . Jimenez tossed five solid innings before leaving with a right calf cramp and Tulowitzki threw out two runners at home, helping the Colorado Rockies to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night. The only thing that put a crimp in Jimenezs solid outing was that cramp, which knocked him out of the game in the sixth. It was the result of too much baserunning. The struggling ace had a two-run single for his first hit of the season and later walked. All that exertion on the bases left him dehydrated. Jimenez (2-7) began feeling a little tightness in his push-off leg in the second inning, only to dismiss the discomfort. When it became more bothersome in the sixth, thats when he spoke up. He doesnt anticipate missing any time, saying after the game the cramp was already starting to feel a little better. "I ran too much," Jimenez said. "I was pitching good." The hard-throwing righty gave up three runs, scattered eight hits and struck out five. By this time last year, the all-star was 13-1 with a 1.15 earned-run average, numbers that had him mentioned as one of the best pitchers in the game. Jimenez has scuffled this year, and never more so than at home where he entered the contest with an 0-5 record and a 7.05 ERA. To finally win at home felt like a burden lifted. Its his first victory at Coors Field since Sept. 6, 2010, against Cincinnati. "It hasnt been easy at all, to get the first one. Its been an adventure," said Jimenez, whose team climbed back to .500 for the first time since May 25. "It feels really good." Jimenez was far from the only one tossing strikes. Tulowitzki threw out Miguel Cabrera at home in the fourth and then Jhonny Peralta two innings later. "Those throws were big," Jimenez said. "Tulo is capable of doing a lot of things like that. You just need to throw the ball to him and hell make things happen." Phil Coke (1-7) wrestled with his command and gave up a career-high seven walks in five innings. The lefty is still searching for his first win since April 14. "I didnt feel like I got beat up too bad," Coke said. "I felt like whenever I made a pitch that I thought would be in the realm of the strike zone ... it was a 50-50 chance of being called. But at the same time Ive got to be better than I was. "I was erratic at times and that makes it tougher on the umpire to call strikes, strikes and balls, balls," he said. "I just felt like I didnt quite have the command that Im known for." Chris Nelson hit a homer for a second straight night as the Rockies won their fourth straight. Once Jimenez went out, the Rockies used four relievers to get the ball to closer Huston Street in the ninth. Street gave up a two-out RBI single to Brennan Boesch before getting Cabrera to fly out for his 20th save. Cabrera has been no easy out at Coors Field, either, hitting .403 in the Mile High City. "It was a slider. I didnt hit it good," Cabrera explained. Trailing 4-1 in the sixth, the Tigers had a big inning brewing when Victor Martinez and Andy Dirks began with singles off Jimenez, who was then taken out. Peralta reached on an infield single to load the bases and Ryan Raburn hit a liner to the gap in right-centre. But Peralta was tagged out at home by Chris Iannetta on a perfect relay throw from Tulowitzki. "Great throw," Iannetta said. "A great, strong throw." Same goes for the laser Tulowitzki threw to get Cabrera, who briefly complained before retreating to the dugout. "I dont think (Cabrera) thought I tagged him. Id have to look at it to see if I got him definitively or not," Iannetta said. "Im pretty sure I did. The ball beat him by so much, kind of just did one of those swipe tags." Jimenez helped himself at the plate, dumping a 92 m.p.h. fastball from Coke into left-centre for a two-out, two-run single in the second. The base hit broke an 0-for-20 slide this season. It was also Jimenezs first multi-RBI game of his career. "I thought Ubaldo did a nice job," Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. "I was concerned with what we ended up dealing with -- all the baserunning he did. But well take that two-run single, thats for sure." Throughout his struggles this season, Jimenez has insisted his arm felt fine. He dealt with a cracked cuticle on his pitching thumb early in the year -- an injury that landed him on the disabled list -- but claimed there were no lingering issues. He said his biggest obstacle has been controlling a blazing fastball that dances all around. Against Detroit, he relied heavily on his slider and split-finger to set up his fastball, which consistently hovered between 93-to-95 m.p.h. "I dont think my command was that good tonight," Jimenez said. "I was throwing strikes, but missing a lot of pitches. I got the job done." NOTES: Tigers C Alex Avila wasnt in the starting lineup, but will catch Justin Verlander in the series finale Sunday. ... Despite boasting one of the best interleague marks since 2006, the Tigers fall to 1-4 this season. ... The Rockies are 6-3 on their 10-game homestand that concludes Sunday. ... Carlos Gonzalez and Ty Wigginton also drove in runs for Colorado. China Jerseys . Clevelands struggling offence, which scored 13 runs on an 0-6 road trip, finally broke loose. Brantley hit a leadoff homer in the fifth and added a two-run single in the sixth. Santana hit a solo homer in the second and had an RBI single in a five-run first, while Ryan Raburn and Yan Gomes each drove in two runs. China NFL Jerseys Wholesale . He didnt need a whole lot of experience to know what was coming this time.AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had enough responsibility trying to contain James Harden at the defensive end.That made the Detroit guards offensive contribution that much more impressive.Caldwell-Pope scored a season-high 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and the Pistons held off Harden and the Houston Rockets 114-101 on Saturday night. D.J. Augustin added 28 points and 12 assists for Detroit.I felt good, Caldwell-Pope said. I got myself going with my energy on the defensive end, ran the floor to get easy baskets and that opened up my outside shooting.Harden scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half, returning from a bruised left knee to help the Rockets nearly rally from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit.Houstons Josh Smith was booed throughout his return to the Palace, just more than a month after the Pistons waived the high-priced forward. He had seven points and seven rebounds, shooting only 3 of 11 from the field. Detroit snapped a four-game skid and ended Houstons four-game winning streak.We didnt defend the 3-point line and we didnt defend the paint. They just played a lot harder than we did, and we just let them kick our tails, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. We couldnt stop Augustin in any part of the floor. I tried a couple different lineups because I just wanted someone to get in front of him for a couple possessions.The Pistons played well initially after cutting Smith, winning seven straight, and fans gave him an unfriendly welcome in his return, booing him when he went to the scorers table to check in for the first time and also when he touched the ball.Detroit led 59-46 at halftime and 86-69 at the start of the fourth quarter.Harden led a 19-6 run to start the fourth, but Caldwell-Pope made enough big shots down the stretch to help the Pistoons hold on. China Jerseys Wholesale. The second-year guard capped the victory with a shot from well behind the 3-point line with 3.1 seconds remaining and the shot clock expiring.___BOUNCING BACKThe Pistons were coming off an embarrassing 20-point loss at Philadelphia, and they were sharp throughout against Houstons normally tough defence. Greg Monroe had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Andre Drummond had 11 and 16. Detroit won for the first time since losing point guard Brandon Jennings last weekend to a ruptured Achilles tendon.Augustin, the starting point guard with Jennings out, had one of his best games of the season.Yeah, I thought he was decent, coach Stan Van Gundy joked. No, he was tremendous. He really was. He was on the attack, right from the start of the game on, and thats big for us.DEFENSIVE PROBLEMSHouston was without star centre Dwight Howard, who has been sidelined because of swelling in his right knee. Harden left toward the end of the second quarter with his knee injury but came back and played almost the entire second half.No matter who was in, the Rockets couldnt slow down the Pistons.Terrible defence. They had 69 points in their last game against Philly and we let them have 60 at halftime, Harden said. Thats terrible. We didnt play at all until the fourth quarter, and that was too late.The Rockets lead the NBA in 3-pointers, but Detroit held its own from beyond the arc, going 10 of 25. Houston shot 11 of 32 on 3s.TIP-INSRockets: Donatas Motiejunas scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting. ... Harden had nine assists and seven rebounds.Pistons: Augustins 12 assists were his season high. ... Caldwell-Pope fell two points short of his career high in scoring. He made six 3-pointers.UP NEXTThe Rockets host Chicago on Wednesday night.The Pistons host Miami on Tuesday night. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Changes to the NHL Draft Lottery were voted in on Thursday by the leagues Board of Governors. Jim McMahon Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, the league still needs to confer with the National Hockey League Players Association before they become official. The league has proposed smoothing or compressing the odds among the 14 non-playoff teams for the 2015 draft and then increasing the number of selections determined by the lottery in 2016. The NHLs general managers met in New York during the Stanley Cup Final and at that time, Sabres general manager Tim Murray told LeBrun that potential new changes would not take effect in time for next years highly anticipated 2015 Draft that will feature Connor McDavid. Mike Ditka Bears Jersey . -- A horse with a humble pedigree. Gale Sayers Bears Jersey .ca MLB Power Rankings, ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants. The As have scored 296 runs -- most in baseball -- while allowing 181, the fewest in baseball.MILWAUKEE -- These days, theres no place like this Midwest outpost for NBA teams to end a long road trip on a high note. Blake Griffin dominated the paint with 20 points, Jamal Crawford scored 25 and the Clippers ended their nearly two-week journey away from Los Angeles with a 114-86 win Monday night over the Milwaukee Bucks. Forced to travel more than 11,000 miles through the air during the trip because the Staples Center was occupied by the Grammy Awards, Griffin looked right at home in Milwaukee. After Griffin capped off a decisive 21-2 run in the second quarter with a three-point play, about the only drama left was to count up how many dunks Lob Citys stars would throw down the rest of the night. "When we were flying yesterday, flying here, I remember guys saying they cant wait to get home, stuff like that," Griffin said. "But we knew we still had a game to play, some business to take care of." Los Angeles finished its trip 5-2, a franchise best for their annual Grammy sojourn. Darren Collison added 15 points and seven assists. Ersan Ilyasova had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, an NBA-worst 8-36. "Against a team like the Clippers, you have to be clicking on all cylinders," coach Larry Drew said. "Theyre playing extremely, extremely well. The low-post game has been really good." The 6-foot-10 Griffin alone was a handful in the second quarter. He backed down Ilyasova in the post, and then followed with a steal and breakaway dunk for a 49-36 lead with 3:32 left after Ilyasova mishandled a pass on the other end. "The defence is what gave us those 114 points. There in the second quarter, middle of the second quarter, we got stops," Griffin said. At one point in the run, Griffin got into a brief shoving match with Khris Middleton (14 points) in a scramble for a loose ball. Each player was assessed a technical fouls. The fray only seemed to rile up the Clippers big man, who finished 8 of 13 from the field. "I dont think (Blake) needs the anger to do it. He just does it," coach Doc Rivers said. "He has been our go-to guy down the stretcch. Authentic William Perry Jersey. ." Later, Bucks guard Luke Ridnour lost the ball on a drive into the lane and Los Angeles went on the break. Griffin in transition hit a layup around two defenders and got fouled for the three-point play to cap the big run. By that time it was 57-36 with 1:33 in the second quarter. At least the dedicated fans that stuck around were treated to free hot chocolate on the concourse, a team promotion to fill the arena while arctic cold gripped the region. The Clippers then led by as much as 39, and the lead fell below 20 just once in the second half. Milwaukee did play with more energy two nights after Drew closed the locker room and challenged players lackadaisical style in a 25-point loss to the Hawks. The Bucks just couldnt keep up with the faster and more athletic Clippers. Drew said his team simply missed shots during the decisive run -- including some good looks -- and couldnt answer the opponents momentum plays. "You just have to stay the course. When things happen, sometimes you have plays that are rather deflating," Caron Butler (11 points) said. "Take the ball out, continue to get out in transition, keep the momentum and try to play our style of basketball." Ilyasova was 6 of 22 from the field, and the Bucks shot just 38 per cent on the evening. Things looked promising early for Milwaukee, in desperate need of a spark to make something out of this wayward season. Middletons jumper with 9:58 in the second got the Bucks within 34-32. But as often has been the case this season, a spurt of turnovers and sloppy play spelled big trouble for Milwaukee. Notes: Rivers said guard Chris Paul (separated shoulder) was running and starting to shoot again, but there was otherwise no change in his timetable to return around the All-Star break next month. Asked if he played a role in deciding when Paul was ready, Rivers answered "I never have anything to do with that. Im not a real doctor, as you know. I thought you knew that." ... Bucks starting centre Larry Sanders and veteran guard O.J. Mayo each sat out a second game in a week due to flu-like symptoms. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
The Winnipeg Jets look to make up some ground in the Central Division tonight when they host the Colorado Avalanche at MTS Centre. Luuk de Jong Jersey . Viewers in the Jets region can watch the game on TSN Jets at 6:30pm ct/7:30pm et. The game is also avialable on TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg at 7pm ct. The Jets, who have lost two of three and seven of their last 11 games, began a three-game homestand on Tuesday with a 2-1 regulation loss against the St. Louis Blues. Kevin Shattenkirk scored the game-winner for the Blues on the power play with just 3:02 left in the third period. Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was sent off for hooking with 3:26 to play in the third period, and the Blues wasted little time in breaking a 1-1 deadlock. Derek Roy fed across to Shattenkirk at the left point, and his shot changed direction en route to the net and floated over Winnipeg netminder Ondrej Pavelec. "I thought the game was ... a chess match played game early," said Jets head coach Claude Noel. "They ended up scoring a seeing-eye, power-play goal, so what can you do?" Bryan Little scored the lone goal for the Jets, while Pavelec made 18 saves in a losing effort. Evander Kane missed his fourth straight game due to a lower-body injury on Tuesday and the young forward will miss another tilt on Thursday. Kane has seven goals and seven assists in 26 games this season. The loss was the fourth straight defeat on home ice for Winnipeg, which hasnt posted a win at MTS Centre since beating Philadelphia for a shootout decision on Nov. 15. The Jets are 7-7-3 on home ice in 2013-14 and will close their homestand in Saturdays matinee battle against Dallas. Colorado earned a 3-2 home regulation win against Winnipeg on Oct. 27. Varlamov made 23 saves for the victory and Al Montoya took the loss after allowed Paul Stastny to score the game-winner with 5:28 left in the third period. Despite the setback from earlier this season, the Jets franchise, which was formerly known as the Atlanta Thrashers, have claimed five of the past eight meetings in this series. The Avalanche hope to avoid their second three-game losing streak of the season tonight. The Avalanche have lost two straight games in regulation and another setback on Thursday would match the clubs worst skid of the season, an 0-3-0 stretch from Nov. 12-16. Colorado also has lost three of four to begin December and has been outscored by a 16-7 margin so far this month. Both of Colorados recent setbacks came by 3-1 scores, including Tuesdays loss against visiting Phoenix. Antoine Vermette notched a pair of goals to help the Coyotes take down Colorado at the Pepsi Center and the Avs fell to 10-5-0 as the home team this season. Semyon Varlamov made 22 saves for the Avalanche, whose lone offense came on a Patrick Bordeleau tally late in the second period. Varlamov is 0-2-0 with a lofty 5.61 goals against average in his last two starts, but he will get the call over Jean-Sebastien Giguere on Thursday. The Russian netminder is 5-3-0 with a 2.62 GAA in nine career outings against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise. Following Thursdays road tilt, the Avalanche will play two straight and three of their next four in Denver. Colorado is 10-4-0 away from the Mile High City this season. Ron Vlaar Netherland Jersey . Wait until next year comes around. Bruce Chen pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning and Kansas City beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday in the finale of the Royals best season in 24 years. Jetro Willems Jersey . In one of several tweets he sent Tuesday night, Incognito thanked his family and friends for their support. The tweets were the first from Incognito since Feb. 18, before he underwent unspecified treatment. A person familiar with Incognitos situation said the veteran lineman was exhausted after being "dragged through the mud" in recent months.BRISBANE, Australia -- Australia hooker Stephen Moore will be sidelined for the rest of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate and medial ligaments in his left knee during his first test as Wallabies rugby captain on Saturday. Moore needs a total knee reconstruction after suffering the injury while making a tackle in the 15th minute of Saturdays first test against France at Suncorp Stadium. Australia went on to win 50-23 as Moore, in his 92nd test, watched from the sideline. Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said Moores injury "leaves a bit of a void because we had put a lot of things in the pipeline." Lock Sam Carter, who suffered an ankle injury in the seventh minute of his debut test, will also miss the rest of the series. Carter played the full 80 minutes of the match, despite suffering a high ankle strain in the opening minutes. "That really gives you an idea how tough the bloke is," McKenzie said. "He showed great resilience and (the injury) didnt show up at all (in his play)." Flanker Michael Hooper, who replaced Moore as captain for the last 75 mintues of Saturdays match, is likkely to retain the role in next weekends second test at Melbourne. Arjen Robben Netherland Jersey. Hooper, at 22, became the youngest Wallabies captain in 67 years. If continues as captain for the remainder of the France series -- tests in Melbourne and Sydney over the next two weekends -- he may be accepting something of a poisoned chalice. Since McKenzie took over as coach, Rocky Elsom, James Horwill (three times), David Pocock, Will Genia (twice) and Ben Mowen have all had turns as Australia skipper, and in each case their captaincy was short-lived due to injury or loss of form. McKenzie stopped short of confirming Hooper as captain on Sunday but praised his leadership against France. "He has a style about (his leadership) that I respect," McKenzie said. "It didnt affect his playing, he played exceptionally well and thats part of it too. "I cant think of many players who play as consistently well as he does. I dont think Ive seen him have an off day. He fronts up and is in every game. "Hes a lead-by-example sort of guy and highly respected in the playing group - theyre all good attributes." Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Johnny Cueto Authentic Jersey . -- Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli were admitted to a Daytona Beach hospital Saturday night for further testing following a two-car accident right before the three-hour mark of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. IMSA officials said both drivers were awake and communicating, but gave no other information about their conditions. Gidley was driving for the pole-winning GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team. He had to be cut out of the No. 99 Corvette, which crumpled like an accordion when he plowed into the back of Malucellis Ferrari. The cars were heading into the kink in the infield portion of the track facing directly into the sun. Malucellis car had apparently lost power -- his team said he radioed he was pulling out of the way -- as the cars headed into a high-speed turn. At the same time, Gidley tried to lap a slower car. He pulled out to the left and tried to duck under the lapped car, apparently didnt see Malucelli off the pace, and drove directly into the Ferrari at nearly full speed. The race was red-flagged as emergency workers tended to both drivers. They were placed onto stretchers, loaded into ambulances and taken to Halifax Health Medical Center, located roughly a mile outside the race track. "This stuff, it happens, its racing. But you never expect it to be your car, your team," said Gidley teammate Darren Law. Olivier Beretta, Malucellis teammate on the Risi Competizione team, saw a replay of the accident and wondered if the glare played a role in the wreck. "Its difficult to say because its the sun going down, and in this corner you dont see very well," Beretta said. "I dont know. I honestly dont know. The most important thing right now is Matteo, the rest I dont care. Its just Matteo and the other driver." Many drivers inquired about Gidleys condition. Christian Fittipaldi passed by the accident scene before the race was stopped and was concerned for Gidleys well-being. "At that point, conditions were really hard. The sun was setting. There were two points on the track where you couldnt see anything," Fittipaldi said. "One was at start-finish and the other point was coming out of Turn 3 and coming out of the kink. I imagined there was a slow car ahead of him and he couldnt see." The clock ticked off roughly 90 minutes under combined red and yellow flag following the accident before racing resumed. The sun had gone down and the drivers had turned on their headlights by the time the field went green again. The bizarre accident was yet another disappointment for the GAINSCO team, which was the surprising pole winner Thursday despite limited preseason testing and a thin budget that has the organization planning to run only five of the 13 events in the in the inaugural United SportsCar Championship season. The odds were stacked against the GAINSCO team winning the race -- since 1994 only three pole winners have reached Victory Lane in the twice-around-the-clock endurance event -- but a strong showing would have sufficed. Although the team won the pole in 2007 and finished second in 2008, it has finished no better than seventh since and had DNFs in 2010 and was 89 laps off the pace in 2012. When racing did resume, the event got its feel good moment when Wayne Taylor came out of retirement to briefly get behind the wheel of the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette. The 58-year-old last raced in 2010, in this event, but was talked into driving one stint as an opportunity to join the lineup with sons with Ricky and Jordan. The opportunity came about when Ricky rejoined the team that won the Grand-AM driver championship last season with Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli. Wayne Taylor, despite his vocal reluctance to do much in the car, seemed to be on pace as he battled Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan. "My Dad just held Tony Kanaan off for two laps. I have a very cool Dad!" Jordan Taylor posted on Twitter. The plan had been for Ricky Taylor, who started the race, to turn the car over to his father. But the driver change came as the sun was setting, and the team decided at the last minute to instead have Angelelli drive second. "When I got out of the car, there was a big glare and he has had trouble with his eyes and his old age," Ricky Taylor said, laughing slightly. "We would like to put him in in the nighttime, and preferably under yellow, because hes also a little on the shorter side. He has a big insert in his seat and we have to get him snug in there tight. We have to loosen our belts up a lot." His sons said their father has been protesting competing in the event, but they believe hes secretly enjoying himself. "After the race he will look back on it and be very happy that we made it happen and that we got through it," Ricky Taylor said. "He is hating it. He doesnt enjoy driving anymore. He always wants to get out of the car. But every time he is finished driving, hes happy." Angel Pagan Giants Jersey .It managed to highlight the good and bad of a complicated MLS club which always has a lot more than meets the eye going on under the surface. Angel Pagan Jersey . The Impact recruited three new members to its management team: Marc Bourassa, Chief Revenue Officer; Hugues Léger, Chief Marketing Officer, and André Côté, Chief Strategic Officer. "We decided to add experience and depth to our administration," said Impact President Joey Saputo.The CFL and the CFL Players Association has just concluded two days of negotiations on the new CBA, former NFL receiver Chad Johnson is getting a look at Montreals spring camp, and the careers of a couple of big-name players are still up in the air. We are just under 80 days from kicking off the regular season in the CFL and these are just three of a handful of football stories that have been circulating around the country. So, just so sports fans can take a little break from the what the heck happened to my hockey team talk, lets take a look at some of the football topics that have managed to wedge their way into the odd sportscast.   Lets start in Montreal, where Alouettes GM Jim Popp is taking a look at former NFL Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson at the teams spring camp in Vero Beach, Florida. Johnson hasnt played since 2011, and is 36 years old, but he does have an impressive resume; six times voted to the Pro Bowl after racking up over 11,000 yards and scoring 67 touchdowns in 11 seasons in the NFL. Wally Buono and the Lions passed on him but Jim Popp wants to take a longer look, and on the surface, there really is nothing lost by the Als inviting him to a workout at their spring camp. Popp says Johnson wants to play football again, adding "he wants to play, he wasnt ready to stop and didnt like the way his career ended in the NFL, and this is not about money." The Als GM also said that the workout in Florida is basically around 25 per cent of the process. Obviously, he wants to evaluate where Johnson is at physically, but that is just one question that needs to be answered. The others include: Where is he mentally? Can he help the Als with what will be a new offensive system? There are work visas to be considered as well. Chad Johnson can obviously play the game, and according to Popp, who has seen video of the former Bengal working out, thinks he is still in great shape. However, a contract offer to Montreals main camp has not even been discussed and there are lots of questions to be answered before that occurs. The biggest question is really not whether Johnson can still run or whether he can still catch, he proved he could still do those things in his first workout, it is whether he is willing to completely commit to continuing his football career. We have seen it too many times, in fact it was happening back in the 80s and 90s as well. A former NFL starter thinks they can cruise into a CFL camp, show everyone how it is done, and play for fun for six months, only to find out quickly, that whether youre making $1 million or $100,000, the game of football requires an all-in philosophy. When Ricky Williams signed in Toronto, while serving a suspension in the NFL in 2006, there were some reports and speculation that Williams would dominate in the CFL, and rush for, well some even said, 3,000 yards without trying. Williams totals in 11 games with the Argos were 109 carries for 526 yards and two touchdowns, which is hardly tearing it up. Before some start making excuses for that lack of production, like its a different game, and he didnt get as much opportunity, simply look at his average: it was 4.8 yards/carry. Williams went back to the NFL in 2007 and, in 2009, rushed for over 1,000 yards in Miami, and has rushed for over 10,000 yards in the NFL. The point being, like Williams, Chad Johnson has been a good football player, but he can only help Montreal if he is willing to be all-in, and approach the CFL in a respectful and professional way. Its never wrong to take a look, but even Popp admitted that he is looking at much more than just whether or not he can still run routes, and catch the ball. CBA Talk Last week in Calgary, the CFL and the CFLPA met to begin discussions on a new CBA. Both sides are being careful not to leak any information as to how the meetings went. Its safe to say that both sides believe that the players should be making more money, but how they get there and how much more money is going to make these negotiations challenging for both sides. For example, the players making more money isnt as simple as the owners writing a bigger check, and allowing the teams GMs to spend that money where they please. If the players do get a much bigger piece of the financial pie the question is where should that money be spent? Should starting quarterbacks get a raise due to the degree of difficulty with the position? Should the entire roster get an across the board bump? Or would it be better for the league to raise the minimum wage, and how would the league even regulate that, when each owner and or GM will run their own teams the way they want?   The term revenue sharing has come up and apparently is going to be an issue that is on top of the agenda, but again - it isnt as simple as saying lets split revenues down the middle between the clubs and the players. The players will cite the fact that a new and lucrative TV contract has changed the financial landscape of the league, and they want, as the new head of the Players Association Scott Flory has said, "their fair share." On the surface that sounds reasonable, and again everyone believes that the players should be paid more. However, the new TV deal starts this year, and no club can honestly say right now what the revenues will look like at the end of this season and beyond. In fact, it makes you wonder if revenue sharing at this point is even a good idea for the Players when they dont know what, if any the revenues will be. All of which makes all of these negotiations clear as mud, but the bottom line is both sides know the players should get paid more, and it is safe to say, that in the end, that will happen. Under The Radar Now on to a couple of big-name players that are managing to stay well under the radar and whose futures are still very much up in the air. Willie McCovey Giants Jersey. The first is quarterback Kevin Glenn, who has both publicly and privately, asked to be traded from Ottawa, and who did not attend the teams spring camp in the United States. Glenn, who led the Stamps to the West Final and a Grey Cup over the last two seasons, is an interesting one for a couple of reasons. First, despite getting the majority of the snaps in Calgary, Glenn was the back-up to Drew Tate, and in fact last year as the team entered the playoffs, there was all kinds of debate and discussion by the teams fan base over whether or not it should be Glenn, or third string QB Bo Levi Mitchell to start in the playoffs. So he is still a back-up QB to most, yet Glenn has shown he has the skills to lead a team to the championship game. Its tough for management on any team to put a real value on what exactly they are getting when they talk trades for Kevin Glenn. Secondly, Glenn has chosen not to talk publicly, except to say that he wants out of Ottawa. Now you have to believe that he and his agent are trying to get the message out, behind closed doors, to any team that will listen that if acquired, Glenn will be a good teammate like he has been in his career to date. However, it will not be a newsflash to teams that Glenns agent is selling him as a team-first guy. One does have to wonder if those same teams are concerned that Glenn will only go to a camp if he is guaranteed the starting job, based on what he has said so far in public. Thats another reason why it will be tough on teams trying to assess what they would be willing to give up for Glenns services and what that might mean to their current rosters. The second player that has been under the radar of late has been free agent Keron Williams. Last year in BC, Williams was asked to move from rush end to defensive tackle and saw his sack totals go from 12 in 2012 to just four last year. Williams did not complain in the media about the move, and only he and the Lions coaching staff know if he said anything behind closed doors. Now whether he complained about it or not, the fact of the matter is, it is very difficult to move from the left to the right side of the formation, let alone move to a different position all together. Williams has been asked to do this twice by the Lions. As a member of the Als in 2008 and 2009, he played on the interior of the defensive line and dominated, accumulating a total of 18 sacks in two years. When he packed his bags and moved to BC, then head coach Wally Buono asked him to move to defensive end, a position that requires a completely different skill set, and in fact a different body type. Williams took a year to get used to his new position, which is completely understandable when you consider most players could not even do it. In his first year playing off the edge in 2010, Williams registered five sacks, but in the back half of the season, you could see he was going to be a force. In his last two full years as a rush end, he was arguably the premier pass rusher in the league and recorded a total of 23 sacks. Now Williams, who is just 29 years old, is likely waiting to see what happens to the salary cap as the CBA negotiations continue. It also goes without saying that most, if not all, the teams in the league have shown some level of interest in the free agent, and yet it has been all quiet on the Williams front. All of which leads to speculation that he is either going to wait and see if there is an NFL tryout possibility for as long as possible or stay in BC and he and the Lions have already come to some agreement. The only other scenario is that he is still testing the free agent market in the CFL. However, if thats the case, why wouldnt he and his agent want to, say, leak out the level of interest to create a bidding war for his services? Williams could not be reached for comment. The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced on Wednesday that starting quarterback and Grey Cup champion Darian Durant has agreed to a contract extension with the club, which is ahead of schedule. Durant said recently that he didnt think that the deal would get done until just before training camp, but clearly the Riders made their franchise player, "an offer he just couldnt refuse". Terms of the deal have not been released but, with what he has now accomplished and a playoff run last year that was as close to perfect as any quarterback has had in recent memory, Durant may not be the highest paid QB in the league, but it is not a stretch to think he will be close. It is a well-deserved extension. And finally, according to CTV reporter Heath Brown who was in attendance at a fan forum event in Calgary recently, Stampeders head coach John Hufnagel addressed the crowd and mentioned the organization has come to a "handshake agreement" with their star running back Jon Cornish on a contract extension. Cornish had as good as season as any player in the history of the game in 2013, a season where he was named the leagues Most Outstanding Player and the Most Outstanding Canadian. He also received the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy as Canadas top athlete, and most recently was named the Male Athlete of the Year by the Calgary Booster Club. Apparently, when asked after the event to further discuss the Cornish extension, Hufnagel refused to go there, which may have meant the coach regretted letting the big news slip out. However, whether he meant to or not, the news is huge for Stamps fans, as they will be able to continue to cheer for the most dominant running back in the CFL over the last two seasons. Okay, now back to the what happened to my NHL team discussions.                 Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 ... » »»

Archives

Sponsors

Advertisement

Sponsors

Google this