TORONTO – He hasnt played since breaking a bone in his right hand in a fight on Nov. Steven Adams Jersey . 11, but Connor McDavid showed up for Hockey Canadas World Junior selection camp with his game face on. You dont reach the level hes at (16 goals, 35 assists in 18 games with the Erie Otters this season) at the age hes at (17) without being intense. That intensity was evident early in the camps first on-ice workout Thursday evening at the MasterCard Centre. McDavid, taking part in a full practice for the first time since having his cast removed Tuesday, mishandled the puck on consecutive plays in the same drill. He was clearly frustrated. He apologized, said Guelph Storm right winger Robby Fabbri, who was on McDavid’s line during much of the practice. Everyone makes mistakes, but he doesnt make too many of them. I just gave him a pat and told him to relax. You apologize to your teammates when you make a mistake, McDavid said. I messed up there and twice in a row with Robby so I felt bad about it. Hes a good friend of mine and he came over and told me not to worry about it. A little later in the practice the team was put through a shot-blocking drill. The assistant coaches fired foam pucks at players from a few feet away. McDavid, who has not yet been cleared for contact, wanted to be part of it. But after McDavid blocked his first shot head coach Benoit Groulx intervened asking the favourite to go first in the next NHL Draft to sit out the drill. I told him, You know what? I dont want my face on TV tomorrow [because you got hurt] for this reason so get out of there! Groulx said with a chuckle. I just went once, so I guess 1-for-1 so that makes me 100 per cent, McDavid said with a wry grin. Earlier in the practice, McDavid wired a slap shot past Jets goalie prospect Eric Comrie high on the glove side. It was a thing of beauty. McDavid was, of course, nonplussed when asked about it afterwards. I was taking slap-shots with my cast on so I think you guys are making too big of a deal about it. I’ve been skating for three weeks. Ive been skating fully for three weeks so this is kind of just another day. McDavid suggested his recent layoff from game action may actually be a blessing when it comes to the World Juniors, because hell be fresher than others. My legs have felt probably better than they did before I got hurt, he noted. There is a reason McDavids every move was and will continue to be under the microscope. Hes seen as the next big star in hockey: a generational talent, who can change a franchises fortunes. And for Canada he is someone, who will figure prominently in the quest to end a five-year gold medal drought. You can tell the legs are there, no problem, said Groulx. It was good to see him. Just having him on the ice was good for everyone. The Canadian bench boss, an assistant on Brent Sutters staff a year ago, says Hockey Canada is going to be very cautious when it comes to the emerging superstar. We want to be patient with him in order to have him at 100 per cent. We don’t want to put Connor McDavid on the ice at 75 per cent. We are going to have to wait and see to how he reacts to practicing. The hope is that McDavid will be able to play in at least one of the teams three pre-tournament games: Dec. 19 against Russia in Toronto, Dec. 21 against Sweden in Ottawa or on Dec. 23 against Switzerland in Montreal. McDavid, for his part, seemed supremely confident that he will be ready for the tournament opener on Boxing Day. Playing mostly on the wing, McDavid, a natural centre, had just four points in seven games last year when he became just the sixth 16-year-old to crack Canadas World Junior roster. This year hes poised to be a leader on the squad. It’s a big opportunity and perhaps the final one on this stage for a player, who appears destined to make the NHL early in his career. And the fact the event will take place on home soil makes it all the more special. Everyones excited, McDavid said when asked specifically about the added pressure of playing in Montreal and Toronto. Were not feeling too much pressure now. Being at home, its a blessing, honestly, its an opportunity that not a whole lot of people get to do. On Wednesday, Scott Salmond, Hockey Canadas vice-president of hockey operations, declared that he felt like Canada was an underdog at the event during an interview with QMI News Agency. But McDavid has high expectations. I dont see any reason why we cant [win] it all, he said. Paul George Jersey .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 20th consecutive win across all competitions by cruising to a 4-1 victory at Almeria on Friday. Doug McDermott Jersey . The NFL says Wednesday that the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions at Wembley on Oct. 26 will start at 1:30 p. http://www.authenticthunderauthority.com/gary-payton-thunder-jersey-c-11/ . They named Mark Washington as their defensive co-ordinator on Thursday and appear to be closing in on an offensive co-ordinator.DAVIE, Fla. -- New Miami Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey stepped to the microphone and apologized for his hoarse voice, explaining he wore it down in recent days trying to build a winner. Hickey then introduced a succession of big acquisitions in the first 24 hours of free agency -- 316-pound left tackle Branden Albert, 300-pound defensive tackle Earl Mitchell and 305-pound defensive tackle Randy Starks. All signed Wednesday. Starks remained with the Dolphins after a brief stint as a free agent, signing a $12 million, two-year contract. He spent the past six seasons with the Dolphins, with only one playoff game during that time. "The moves we made so far just show were close to doing something special here, and trying to bring in some people to help us get over the hump," he said. The return of Starks, a two-time Pro Bowl player, and the addition of Mitchell compensate for the loss of defensive tackle Paul Soliai, who joined the Atlanta Falcons after seven years with Miami. "Pauls a good player," Starks said. "He has been here a long time. Hell be well missed, but we have people who can step up." Hickeys shopping will continue, with additional offensive linemen, a tight end and a linebacker the most pressing needs. The Dolphins are trying to end a 13-year drought without a post-season victory, and theyre eager to put in the past their bullying scandal that involved tackle Jonathan Martin. The acquisition of Albert was a step in that direction. Hell take over the position manned at the start of last season by Martin, who was traded late Tuesday to the San Francisco 49ers for an undisclosed draft choice. "Im going to be here to play left tackle and makee a difference," Albert said. Ray Allen Jersey. "Thats the reason Im here. I feel like its a team I can help the most and make my legacy even better." Albert signed a $47 million, five-year deal that includes $26 million guaranteed. Dolphins officials, accompanied by a couple of players, treated Albert to dinner Tuesday night to celebrate the agreement. "Probably the happiest person at the dining room table was Ryan Tannehill," Hickey said. "He was really excited to have a player of his calibre on our team." Albert will protect the blind side for Tannehill, who was sacked a franchise-record 58 times last year. Mitchell was also part of the dinner celebration after agreeing to a $16 million, four-year deal. Like Albert and Starks, Mitchell envisions better days ahead for the Dolphins. "Im coming to produce and definitely trying to help this team reach new heights," Mitchell said. "Thats my reason for being here. Im trying to get us to a Super Bowl." Mitchell blossomed in his fourth NFL season with the Houston Texans last year, when he became a starter and won raves for the way he clogged the middle. He has been playing defence only since his junior year at the University of Arizona, and he and Hickey both said hes still improving. Alberts reputation has also been on the rise, and he made the Pro Bowl last year with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has had a home the past three offseasons 45 minutes from the Dolphins complex and will now move north, eager to go to work with his new team. "I live in downtown Miami, but I probably wont anymore because of the commute," he said with a smile. "Ive got to find a place close to the facility." Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
MINNEAPOLIS - Corey Kluber continues to dominate hitters when the Cleveland Indians need him most. Kyle Palmieri Jersey . Kluber struck out a career-high 14 hitters for the second straight start and the Indians didnt lose any ground in the playoff chase Sunday with a 7-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley each had three hits for the Indians, who have won five of six. Cleveland is 3 1-2 games behind the second Wild Card spot, and is home to the Royals for three-plus games beginning Monday. In addition to Mondays regularly scheduled game, the teams must complete the Aug. 31 game in Kansas City that was suspended in the middle of the 10th inning due to rain with Cleveland up 4-2. "We know whats at stake," Bourn said. Chris Herrmann and Danny Santana drove in the Minnesota runs. The chance to score was rare against Kluber (17-9), who allowed seven hits in eight innings to win his fourth straight start. "Hes got electric stuff," said Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. "Hes a big swing-and-miss type guy, pretty much all cutters and sliders the whole time. When hes got that working, its pretty good." Kluber, who set his career high by striking out 14 Astros in seven innings Tuesday, struck out at least two batters in each of the first six innings Sunday — and 13 straight innings overall. The major league leader with 258 strikeouts, Kluber now has 10 outings of at least 10 strikeouts this season, the most for Cleveland since Sam McDowell in 1970. "Being a horse out there, throwing eight strong, throwing 120 pitches, thats the type of stuff you look for from the ace of your staff," Bourn said. The back-to-back 14-strikeout performances by Kluber are the first in baseball since Randy Johnson did it for Arizona on Aug. 15 and 20, 2004. "When the years over thats the kind of stuff that youll take a second to look at and appreciate, but the important thing right now is that we got the win," Kluber said. Manager Terry Francona was most impressed that Kluber understood the need to go deep into the game to ensure relievers like Scott Atchison and Bryan Shaw and closer Cody Allen had another day of rest. "That helps us; that gives us a better chance," Francona said. A trio of Twins miscues helped give the Indians a 5-1 lead in the fifth. With runners on first and second, Brantley hit a potential inning-ending double play ball to Dozier. His throw to shortstop Danny Santana at second was off the mark for an error and Santanas relay to first ended up the Twins dugout for another error, allowing Bourn to score. Jose Ramirez scored on a balk by Anthony Swarzak (3-2) before Brantley scored on a sacrifice fly. Making his second straight start in place of the injured Tommy Milone, Swarzak allowed five runs — three earned — 4 1-3 innings. Down 1-0 in the third, Ramirez singled home a run and Brantley doubled in another for a 2-1 Cleveland lead. RECORD NUMBER OF KS Cleveland pitchers have struck out 1,391 hitters this year, breaking the mark of 1,379 set last season. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: 2B Jason Kipnis was the teams designated hitter Sunday — batting a season-low seventh in the order — after missing two games with a sore right hamstring. Twins: Team trainers said SS Eduardo Escobar, out since jamming his right shoulder last Tuesday, was available to pinch run, but manager Ron Gardenhire was leery of having Escobar sliding. Escobar slides head first. ... CF Aaron Hicks missed his second straight game with a stiff back and upset Gardenhire by not reporting to the ballpark until about two hours before game time. UP NEXT Indians: After the teams finish their Aug. 31 suspended game, Carlos Carrasco (8-5, 2.65) is to start Mondays full game at home against Kansas Citys Danny Duffy (8-11, 2.42). Twins: Ricky Nolasco (5-11, 5.34) gets the ball Monday when the Twins open a three-game home series with Arizona. Hes scheduled to face Josh Collmenter (10-8, 3.60). Phil Kessel Team USA Hockey Jersey . Today, well look at five frontcourt players today, here from the Bay Area. 1. AMIR JOHNSON (Raptors): I cant figure out what the issue or problem is, but based upon what Im seeing, hes not right. Blake Wheeler Jersey . Alen, 28, hit .315 with five home runs, 59 RBI and a career-high nine stolen bases for the Goldeyes last season. He is the longest serving catcher in Goldeyes history, having already spent five seasons with the organization. http://www.hockeyauthenticusaonline.us/James-van-Riemsdyk-Jersey/ . New Zealand brushed aside England 26-7 to win the event and reclaim top spot in the overall standings. The All Blacks, the defending World Series champions, won their third tournament this season in style, running four tries past England to claim their 11th Cup championship in Hong Kong and first since 2011.The Stanley Cup Final returns to Hollywood tonight as the Los Angeles Kings host the New York Rangers in Game 2. Listen to the Rangers vs. Kings live on TSN Radio starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also stream the post-game press conferences live on TSN.ca after the game. The Kings look to take a 2-0 series advantage to New York, having won seven of their last 10 games on the road. Game 1 was decided by Justin Williams overtime winner, the 32-year-old once again coming up clutch. Williams has notched 20 points in playoff 22 games, including two goals and three assists in three Game 7 victories. The winger believes that his team is fortunate to be up in the series. "Certainly not our best game by any standards especially ours. But we were able to get it done and thats the most important thing," he said followingg Game 1s 3-2 triumph. Kyle Palmieri Team USA Hockey Jersey. Los Angeles is expected to make at least one line-up change for Game 2, with coach Darryl Sutter saying veteran defenceman Robyn Regehr will probably play. The Rangers will look to bounce back after losing a Game 1 despite taking an early advantage. The Blueshirts scored twice in 82 seconds in the first period of Wednesdays series opener including a short-handed marker for Carl Hagelin. Coach Alain Vigneault stressed after Game 1 that it would take a 20-man effort to beat the Kings, not just the star players or special teams. "One thing is real evident to me, and it should be to our whole group, is were not going to beat this team if we do not all bring our A game," he said Thursday. "It is that strong of an opponent that were playing against." 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LONDON -- Underwhelming up front and uneasy at the back -- but England still signed off with a victory at Wembley Stadium before the World Cup. Brooklyn Nets Jerseys . Only one forward contributed a goal in the 3-0 victory over Peru on Friday, with Daniel Sturridges deft strike in the first half breaking the dreary deadlock. But coach Roy Hodgson was still encouraged that his players managed to successfully exploit Perus inability to defend set pieces to extend their lead in the second half. From two corners in a five-minute span, Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka both netted in Englands first friendly since the 23-man World Cup squad was named. "It didnt look as if it would be too comfortable in the first half, but as soon as Daniel scored that wonderful goal the game wasnt in doubt," Hodgson said. "To do it in front of 85,000 people was a great send-off, the atmosphere was a vote of confidence. "When you play against teams with 10 men behind the ball you have to be patient but I had no doubt we would win." England heads over the weekend to Miami to play friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before flying onto Brazil. In the Florida sun, it will be Wayne Rooney in particular with a lot to prove after the striker failed to come close to scoring in north London. "We think we know where he is, how his fitness is being maintained or progressing," Hodgson said. "His attitude and commitment are first-class, even in a game of this nature. He has two more weeks to keep that going." Although England was in control in the first half, there were anxious moments due to sloppiness that provided openings for the ineffective Peruvians, who didnt qualify for Brazil. When Rooney conceded possession early on, Jean Deza was able to unleash a dipping shot that Joe Hart saved, one of several openings for the winger on his debut. And in the second half, defender Glen Johnson gave the ball away too easily inside his own half, allowing Andre Carrillo to break forward and release Deza to shoot. Peru goalkeeper Raul Fernandez at first had little to do, with the hosts taking until the 19th minute to come close to finding the target, with Sturridge dragging a shot wide. The match was so dreary that England fans made paper airplanes out of the cardboard used for a pre-match mosaic. But Sturridge produced a goal out of nowhere with Englands meaningful effort in the 32nd. A throw-in from Glen Johnson reached his Liverpool teammate, who placed the ball high into the net beyond Fernandez. That aside, throughout the first half Fernandez didnt have a save to make, while Hart was called into action just before the break, coming off his line to deny Luis Ramirez with his left boot. This wasnt the rousing send-off England fans had hoped for, with the creativity missing and anxious moments. But the pair of goals from defenders added gloss to the win. Cahill first met Jagielkas corner in the crowded penalty area, planting a header into the net in the 65th. Then Fernandez raced off the line to catch Leighton Baines corner but dropped the ball, which fell onto Cahills head and dropped for Jagielka to dispatch into the net. The victory was secure, but it will be far tougher on June 14 for the World Cup opener against Italy. "There wasnt the match sharpness as much as we would have liked," Sturridge said. "But it was great to be out there and we are happy with the result." DAngelo Russell Jersey . The 26-year-old Sobotka injured his left leg playing for the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. The Blues said he would not recover from the injury in time for the Olympic tournament. Sean Kilpatrick Jersey . - Jesse Shynkaruk scored a hat trick as the Moose Jaw Warriors snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders in Western Hockey League action on Saturday. http://www.nbanetsauthority.com/trevor-booker-nets-jersey-c-25/ . Coaches are now allowed to challenge both called and potential defensive pass interference fouls under certain conditions.TORONTO - As many of his teammates departed for warm, sunny destinations over the Olympic break, David Clarkson decided to spend the majority of his time at home in Toronto, working to get himself in a position to finish what otherwise has been a forgettable season on the right foot. "Just at home with my daughter dressing up as a princess and bossing me around but I was home with the family, went away quickly, but was mainly just home with my wife and daughter," said Clarkson. Having already missed 21 of 60 games this season being in and out of the lineup due to two suspensions and two different injuries (foot and elbow), additional time off was the last thing Clarkson felt he needed. "I think Ive had enough of a break this year," he laughed, "but Im ready to go here to finish this season the right way." Instead of time off, Clarkson dedicated himself to a workout schedule in an effort to sustain the improvement in his play in the week leading up to the Olympic break. "Especially with the year, the way its gone for me, when you go through a tough time, sometimes youve got to dig deep and find a way to get back to work and try to stay healthy." So far, Clarksons off-ice work over the break has paid off, at least in the eyes of his head coach. "He worked out and maintained a high level of conditioning and its shown here during this mini camp," Randy Carlyle praised, singling Clarkson out after putting his team through another high tempo practice with a heavy emphasis on battle drills designed to ensure the team hits the ground running when they resume their schedule on Thursday night against the New York Islanders. Reunited with Nazem Kadri and Joffrey Lupul on a line in the second last game before the Olympic break in Tampa Bay, Carlyle was impressed with the trios performance against the Lightning and the following game against the Vancouver Canucks. The three had played together most recently for a couple of games at the end of November before various injuries and suspensions kept them apart. Jarrett Allen Jersey. "We think the combination of Kadri, Lupul and Clarkson have been a real strong force for us over the last little while and theres no reason to change that," said Carlyle. "We think they should be challenging the Bozak, Kessel and van Riemsdyk lines for minutes, offensive minutes." Likely more of a challenge than an expectation given the tear that the JVR-Bozak-Kessel unit was on heading into the break, an element of consistent production from that group would be welcomed to take some of the onus off the top line. Clarkson seems to be pleased with the chemistry developing among his linemates so far. "I think playing with those two, we made a lot of good plays," he said. "We were in the other teams zone, we were doing a lot and I think it was the healthiest Ive felt since coming back off the elbow (injury)." Signing a seven-year, $36.75 million deal to play in his hometown last summer, the expectations were high, probably too high to legitimately expect them to be met. At that price, production is expected in the range of 20 to 30 goals and 55-65 points. But Clarkson is not a player who will consistently reach those targets. He knows the criticism has been abundant. "In sports, I think you have to blank some stuff out whether its what people are saying or whats going on," said Clarkson. "As a player you go through ups and downs and its how you come out of it and how you handle it. You work hard through those times to get stronger and better." Finally healthy, a strong performance down the stretch could go a long way in helping to silence some of his critics and erase the disappointment of the first three quarters of the season. It promises to be tough, hard sprint to the finish and its type of hockey Clarkson wouldnt want any other way. "This is playoff hockey," he said, "the rest of the season is what its all about." Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
HOUSTON -- A pair of Red Sox from Texas sure made things tough on the Houston Astros in their return to the Lone Star state. Scooter Gennett Jersey . Clay Buchholz allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 12 in his fifth career shutout in Bostons 11-0 win over Houston on Sunday. Brock Holt had a career-best five hits, including a leadoff homer, to help the Red Sox to their fourth victory in five games heading into the All-Star break. Buchholz went to high school 90 minutes from Houston in Lumberton, Texas, and Holt grew up in Stephenville, which is about 80 miles from Fort Worth. "I definitely had a lot of people out here to watch the game, so that makes it even better," Buchholz said. "Obviously, a win to end the first half is a good thing, too." All of the hits Buchholz (4-5) allowed were singles, and he didnt walk a batter in his first shutout since June 2, 2013, against the Yankees. Chris Carter extended his career-high hitting streak to nine games with a single with one out in the fourth. Buchholz sailed through the rest of the game, retiring his last 17 batters. "The change-up was best that it has been all year," Buchholz said. "The cutter had good bite to it. Whenever youve got four or five pitches working, its hard for a hitter to sit on any one of them." Holt, who played at Rice, launched a 92 mph fastball from Brad Peacock (3-6) into the seats in right field to give Boston an early lead. Hes the first Boston player to collect five hits in a nine-inning game since Victor Martinez on June 1, 2010. Holt smiled when told that a television shot of his mother showed her tearing up after his homer. "You dont expect to have weekends like this, so for all the family and friends to be in to see it was pretty special," Holt said. "It doesnt surprise me that (mom) was crying. Shes probably about to cry right now when I say goodbye." Peacock couldnt locate his pitches and was done after getting just one out, forcing Houston to use five relievers to finish the game. Peacock was unhappy about being pulled so early, but manager Bo Porter wanted to make a change before things got out of hand. "Its not like he had command of the strike zone," Porter said. "At that point, you say to yourself: Are you going to wait until it is 4 or 5 to nothing or are you going to try to give us a chance? I felt like we had a better chance to get another guy in there at that point." Rookie Christian Vazquez had two hits and two RBIs to help the Red Sox score a season-high 11 runs. Holt hit Bostons first leadoff homer of this season. Dustin Pedroia singled before David Ortiz drew a walk. Porter had seen enough and pulled Peacock after he plunked Daniel Nava on his 27th pitch. Xander Bogaerts walked to start the second and advanced to second on a passed ball. Stephen Drews single sent Bogaerts to third and he scored when Vazquez grounded into a double play to make it 2-0. Holt and Pedroia then hit back-to-back singles, but Anthony Bass retired Ortiz to limit the damage. Mike Napoli singled with no outs in the third before Nava reached on an error by first baseman Jon Singleton. An RBI single to centre field by Jackie Bradley Jr. pushed the lead to 3-0 before a sacrifice fly by Bogaerts scored another run. The bases were loaded with two outs in the fifth when Josh Zeid replaced Darin Downs and was greeted with an RBI single by Vazquez. A throwing error by Jose Altuve on the play allowed a second run to score and extend the lead to 6-0. An error and a single by Drew left runners at the corners with one out in the seventh. The Red Sox made it 7-0 on a sacrifice fly by Vazquez. Holt singled before Pedroia walked, and Ortiz drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to eight runs. Boston tacked on three more in the ninth inning. NOTES: Carter, who is normally the designated hitter, played left field for the first time since last season. That allowed George Springer to be the designated hitter because of soreness in his right knee. ... The Astros 40 wins at the break are the most they have had in the first half since winning 44 in 2009. Eric Thames Jersey .Y. - OK, it is done. Milwaukee Brewers Jerseys . -- Jonas Hiller is cautiously confident he has kicked his vertigo. http://www.baseballbrewersofficial.com/stephen-vogt-jersey-c-22/ . Former two-time Olympic gold medallist Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine in both her "A" and "B" samples, the German Olympic Committee said.TORONTO - As was the case in the Grey Cup last year, the Saskatchewan Roughriders had their way with Hamilton in the season opener last weekend, and now the team is tasked with taking on the Toronto Argonauts this Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre. You can catch the action live on TSN at 3pm et/Noon pt. You can also listen to the game on NewsTalk 1010. Last November the Roughriders barely got their hands dirty as they mangled Hamilton in the title game, 45-23, and on Sunday night the reigning champs experienced similar success in the rematch as they cruised to a 31-10 home win. There were many aspects of the game in which Saskatchewan excelled, but the most notable area was with its pressure on quarterback Zach Collaros. Under heavy rain, Collaros had limited time to gain his footing and find open receivers, but to be sacked 10 times is still incredible. Leading the way for the Riders was defensive end Ricky Foley, who made a total of six tackles, three of those on Collaros in the backfield. Last season, Saskatchewan ranked third in the league in sacks with 57, so they are already off to a tremendous start in that department. It should also be noted that Hamilton was the weakest club in the league in terms of holding off would-be sackers, allowing 65 takedowns of signal-callers. For his efforts, Foley was named the Defensive and Canadian Player of the Week for Week 1. Because of the constant hitting under less than ideal conditions, the Tiger-Cats fumbled four times and lost possession twice. On the offensive side of the ball for the Riders, quarterback Darian Durant orchestrated a decent effort, converting 15-of-22 passes for 136 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but the real story was new running back Anthony Allen. Saskatchewan figured to have a huge hole to fill in the backfield with the departure of Kory Sheets, the leagues second-leading rusher a year ago (1,598 yards), as he made the move back to the NFL to join the Oakland Raiders, but Allen seems to have turned more than a few heads with his hard-nosed play coming out of the gate. Allen carried the ball 27 times for a game-high 158 yards, dwarfing the efforts of the entire Tiger-Cats rushing attack which managed to produce a mere 42 net yards. Allen, who crossed the goal line on a one-yard run in the second quarter, also caught a two-yard pass for a major earlier in the meeting. Matt Garza Jersey. While the Roughriders were again whipping up on Hamilton, the Argonauts were the ones taking a beating at the hands of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the season opener last Thursday night, 45-21. On paper, Toronto should have easily handled the hosts, but thats why they actually play the game. Ricky Ray, the quarterback with the top efficiency rating in the league a year ago, threw touchdown passes to Jason Barnes and Jeremiah Johnson in the second and third quarters, respectively, but that was only after the hosts lit up the scoreboard with 24 unanswered points to begin the meeting. Ray completed 27-of-38 passes for 283 yards, with Chad Owens being his favorite target with eight catches for 78 yards. Owens also pitched in with three punt returns for another 85 yards, one of those stretching for 83 yards and a major in the fourth quarter. Owens, who is always a threat to break a big play, was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for the seventh time in his career. Even though the Argos came out on the losing end in the first game of the season, the teams management is keenly aware of the value that Owens brings to the field each and every week, which is why the mighty sprite was signed to a contract extension through the 2015 campaign. Not limited to keeping only the skill players happy, Toronto also extended center Jeff Keeping it was announced on Monday. While he certainly doesnt get the same amount of press as Owens, Keeping has still made a name for himself after he was not only named an East Division All-Star, but won the Leo Dandurand Memorial Trophy as the East Divisions Outstanding Offensive Lineman following the 2013 campaign. Unfortunately, the Toronto defense had no answers for the Blue Bombers, a team that last season won a total of just three times. Bombers quarterback Drew Willy threw for a career-high 308 yards and four touchdowns while being named the CFL Offensive Player of the Week. Winnipeg generated 459 yards of offense, and kept the Toronto defense on the field for more than 36 minutes. Toronto trails in the all-time series between these two clubs, 46-37-1, when speaking of regular-season meetings dating back to 1961. However, the Argos have won two of the last three meetings, including a 31-29 final in Regina last September. 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I spent the past weekend at the 2014 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston. Washington Capitals Jerseys . It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. While analytics if the focus of the conference, there are always some discussions that are more wide-ranging in nature, so Ill try to cover as much as I can, with this write-up providing a more general overview of the conference before I post the second part, which will focus more specifically on the hockey content. NBA COMMISSIONER ADAM SILVER NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was impressive in a one-on-one interview with Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell grilled Silver and, for the most part, he was forthcoming with his responses. Now, when Gladwell hammered away at the greed of some NBA owners, foremost among his concerns was the Dolans in New York, getting tax breaks as they arent required to pay property taxes on Madison Squate Garden, one of the most valuable pieces of land in Manhattan. For as much grief as Gladwell takes in some quarters for the pop science in his books, he was a great choice to interview Silver because he wasnt afraid to ask the commish difficult questions, yet did so, with follow-up queries, without the interview getting uncomfortable or contentious. Some of that goes to Silver, who was forthcoming in his responses or, when defending the tax positions of billionaire owners, was clearly speaking from the commissioner playbook. There are times its transparently difficult to defend the indefensible. BASKETBALL ANALYTICS Silver talked about the removing disincentive for teams to win and this was a big topic at the conference. It speaks to the situation in which the NBA finds itself this year, with a handful of teams competing for the title and perhaps twice as many aiming for a top lottery pick. Houston Rockets GM, and Conference Co-Chair, Daryl Morey plainly stated that the NBA has to find a way to eliminate tanking incentive. New Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive joked with Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, on a panel about Ownership Perspective, that Silver said the Celtics were tanking, to which Grousbeck quickly replied, "And what you are you doing?" The Kings are currently 23rd in the NBA standings, the Celtics 27th. Former Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo even caused a stir when he admitted to tanking. "I tried to tank a couple of years ago," he said on the In-Game Innovations panel. "It didnt work." Colangelo made it clear that he never told player or coaches not to do their best to win but, as anyone seeing how teams are constructed would understand, management can put together a roster that is less likely to win games. Former coach Stan Van Gundy is not a fan of the tanking. He ripped the Philadelphia 76ers, with Sixers GM Sam Hinkie in the audience, saying, "What the 76ers are doing is embarrassing. Cant put out that lineup and think they can win." Boston Celtics Assistant GM Mike Zarren, a panelist every year at the conference, has proposed a wheel format that would replace the current draft and its a fascinating theory, definitely one that would remove the incentive for tanking, but there are practical issues at play too. Silver loved the idea initially, but acknowledged that there will be some hurdles to overcome if that kind of solution is going to happen in reality. Silver also mentioned how NBA players have approached the league about a mid-season break for all, noting how All-Stars dont get a break and the grind of the season can be taxing on the leagues best players, logging more than 30 minutes a night, night after night. This was particularly interesting, given all the recent complaints in NHL circles about the Olympic break. The most shocking admission from Silver was that he acknowledged how gambling and point spreads increase interest in games that might otherwise be mismatches. This is no secret to the world at large, but the nature of all league commissioners has been to dismiss out of hand the benefits that the league might receive from gambling. When discussing how much teams ought to be spending on analytics, Colangelo put the range between $250,000 and $500,000 per year. When you consider the size of contracts in professional sports, its not unreasonable to think that an analytics department could lead to decisions that would save at least that much. One of the great developments in terms of NBA statistics is the emergence of SportVu data. Among the countless things tracked by the SportVu cameras, they can track how far a player has run -- Trail Blazers SF Nicolas Batum is up to nearly 160 miles for the season -- and Grantlands Zach Lowe, moderating the Basketball Analytics panel, wonders if that kind of data will really prove to have value in terms of injury prevention. The detail of this tracking data is so new that its difficult to know, but its easy enough to see how, someday, knowing the specifics as it relates to a players workload could result is more efficient usage in order to reduce the chances of injury. To counter, Van Gundy vehemently disagreed with playing time limits because he felt it was a lot of guesswork and cited the Washington Nationals decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg in 2012 as a random determination. "How did they come up with 160 innings," asked Van Gundy. "Why not 170?" Van Gundy insisted that professional sports come with a risk of injury and that not playing obviously reduces that risk, but only because no one will get hurt when they arent actually participating. As the old-school NBA guy, Van Gundy also insisted that there is no substitute for watching film, and that the only numbers he trusts are ones that his own people keep. The trouble with this approach, of course, is that if the only statistics that matter are kept by internal sources, then biases are more apt to creep in than if it is a league-wide measurement. No one pointed this out to Van Gundy, but it could also be said that the value of statistics isnt so much in learning more about your own team. It can certainly help, but helping to provide value and context for players throughout the league is where statistics can provide much more information. As ESPNs Director of Production Analytics Dean Oliver noted on another panel (re: college football playoffs), "A human can see a game better than the numbers can, but the numbers can see every game." While I use some of Van Gundys comments to echo a point made by Steve Kerr, the former Suns GM, who noted that getting buy-in from some coaches remains an issue, its not as if Van Gundy is a total dinosaur and its enitrely possible that a coach views the game differently than those tasked with building long-term. As Van Gundy stated, "When youre coaching, youre coaching to your personnel, not to an analytics philosophy," and theres some measure of truth in that, because theres no point in having an analytics stategy that doesnt fit your personnel. As part of the In-Game Innovations Panel, George Karl was quite progressive in his thinking, but acknowledged that he had a track record that allowed him more flexibility, contrasting with younger coaches who can get crucified (by media, fans) for trying to be innovative. Misaligned goals is a common problem for professional sports teams and its part of the reason that there was a panel at Sloan this year entitled Inside the War Room: Building Alignment from Front Office to Field. It featured Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and Heach Coach Mike Smith and its an issue that is pervasive when it comes to applying analytics to professional sports. Its one thing to have Mark Cuban as your owner and the organization falls in line because the owner takes a clear position and its another to have a general manager trying to keep his job and a head coach trying to keep his job and they arent necessarily pulling in the same direction to achieve their respective goals. Furthermore, as Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens noted, "We live in a day and age with so much more information," he said. "The challenge is communicating that information to the team." Stevens admitted that some players, like Rajon Rondo, would devour the analytics because thats the way hes wired ("He could be here," Stevens joked.), but that other players arent wired that way, so it falls on the coaches to try to get their point across in a way that will appeal to players on their terms. Its not easy to get players to buy into stats. On my flight home from Boston, I happened to read a feature on Tom Brady during which Brady made a couple of seemingly contradictory statements, one of which was, "I would say I perform at a much higher level as a player now than I did when we won Super Bowls." The other was: "Theres one stat that matters, and thats wins." When youre a player, wins are what matter; thats the objective. What analytics will tell us, though, is that Brady is precisely right that he is playing better now than he did when New England was winning Super Bowls, the last of which came after the 2004 season. That his team hasnt won the championship does not mean that Bradys individual performance has declined, a position that is taken altogether too often when evaluating the performance of individual players. A lot that is beyond the control of one individual goes into whether a team wins or loses a game, let alone a championship. As the Godfather of Analytics, Bill James offered a measured response for coaches, particularly as it applied to in-game innovation. James said that coaches are control freaks, but chaos can be useful, so the best coaches learn to appreciate the chaos. This was followed by Morey telling a story about when Jeff Van Gundy was the coach in Houston and Morey had printouts for all the plays that the Rockets would run, with measures for efficiency and Morey didnt recognize the code for the most effective play, so he asked Van Gundy. "Thats Random," said the coach, "when the (called) play breaks down." Sometimes all the analysis and planning goes out the window and you just have to let the players play. BASEBALL ANALYTICS Stepping aside from the NBA for a bit, it comes as no surprise that baseball would be well-represented at a sports analytics conference. After all, baseball brought us the aformentioned Mrl James and Moneyball -- the kind of objective analysis that is at the core of modern analytics. The baseball panel, which was likely the best panel of the conference -- at least the best I saw, using my Panel Analytics -- was moderated by MLB Networks Brian Kenny and that set the right tone. Kenny favours an analytical approach and the panel included Vince Gennaro, Bill Squadron, Rob Neyer, Nate Silver (of 538 fame) and Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow. To no ones surprise, a panel full of analytics-oriented people had an interesting conversation about advances in analytics. Even at a point when Kenny ventured towards the idea about whether there would be a way to actually measure chemistry, he did so with some obvious skepticism and I was in full agreement with Neyers point that there are plenty of teams with great chemistry that dont win and teams with horrible chemistry -- citing the Oakland As and New York Yankees of the 1970s -- that won a lot. My take is that chemistry is the kind of thing that gets awarded to winners after the fact. Sure, the Red Sox won the World Series because they had great clubhouse chemistry, but would that chemistry have been any different if they didnt win? Luhnow later said, "There is no correlation between being a nice guy or a good person and being a good baseball player." The character issue is a tricky one when it comes to sports. No one wants to work with someone that is a pain in the butt, but if that person can help you win, sometimes the decision isnt so easy. Neyer also noted how economics havent quite caught up with analytics. "Does anyone get paid for pitch-framing," he asked, addressing one of the hottest evolutions in defensive data -- the catcher who saves his team by drawing more called strikes. Neyer asked if anyone was paying for Jose Molina saving a team 20 runs with pitch framing and while the flat answer is no, there are some players that have major league jobs because they are adept at pitch framing. Of course, their value will be eliminated once the robot umpires take over but, in the mean time, its an area in which players can gain an edge. One of the ongoing memes between those in analytics and old-school people is the idea that the spreadsheet nerds need to watch the games. Of course, no one has ever suggested teams not watch games; the real value comes in using new data and applying it while watching games. For example, Luhnow said that the Astros incorporate information from their scouts in their "best in class" projection system. He also said that the Astros have five analysts with advanced degrees and they have all spent a lot of time in the clubhouse. Baseball isnt merely about analytics for teams, though since, with all teams using them, there are fewer advantages available; they also use them to increase fan interest. Squadron noted that predictive analytics can increase fan engagement, including for use in fantasy sports. Taking a page from Adam Silver, Ill also acknowledge that predictive analytics increase the engagement of the gambling audience too. One of the pieces of new technology that MLB Digital Media showcased, was this tracking technology that would provide data on the routes run by fielders to get to batted balls, designating a straight line as 100% efficient and comparing a fielders actual route taken. With more information, there will be better ways to evaluate fielders and provide a more comprehensive value to players overall. There is so much potential with the player tracking data in the sports that are willing to use it. MORE CONFERENCE NOTES New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft: "Statistical analysis in football primarily takes place in the offseason." Kraft also told a 2000 Draft Day story about how, in the fifth round, Bill Belichick was holding Tom Bradys name card and asking how the Patriots could pass him over, saying he provided too much value, but the Patriots had Drew Bledsoe, didnt need a quarterback, so they used their two fifth-round picks that year on TE Dave Stachelski (one catch for five yards in his career) and DT Jeff Marriott, who never played in the NFL, before relenting and letting Belichick have his guy in the sixth round. Both Kraft and Calgary Flames President Brian Burke (more on him in the hockey edition) talked about how important it was, in capped leagues, to get useful contributions from players on entry-level contracts. Former Bulls and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson: "(Rodman) had an engine that never stopped...but it took him to the bars after too." Jackson also said that the Bulls had to change the guards on Michael Jordan every practice, to build them back up, and cited Warriors PG Steph Curry as a current player that would thrive in his Triangle Offence. Dean Oliver, ESPNs Director of Production Analytics: "We dont under-estimate the intelligence of the sports fan." Some might argue the World Wide Leaders programming decisions, particularly with respect to this statement, but having a department of Production Analytics shows the kind of effort being made behind the scenes to get accurate and reliable information to the fan. Oliver was speaking on a Big Data panel with tennis great Mary-Jo Fernandez, who was emphatic in her desire to use data to provide better analysis for tennis viewers. Fernandez showed some interesting plot data on serves by Serena Williams and how when its compared to others, that Serenas dominance on the serve (and how she achieves it) can be presented in an easy-to-understand visual format. They also use heat maps showing where a player spends most of their time in the match. In the example Fernandez cited, Serena barely left the baseline the whole match. John Hollinger, who was hired away from ESPN, by the Memphis Grizzlies as their VP of Basketball Operations: "The most important part of basketball analytics is salary cap optimization." This goes back to the point about how much teams ought to be spending on analytics. In a capped league, especially, saving money on the cap affects future moves and what possibilities are open to teams. To think that analytics cant help that process is beyond my comprehension. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff echoed Hollingers sentiments, saying that you cant separate economics from analytics in sports. During a golf presentation, there was a an interesting measure of strokes gained and lost, per shot. Presented, in part, by swing coach Sean Foley, the data showed strokes gained and lost for every shot (eg. +0.3 strokes on the tee shot, +0.1 on approach, -0.2 first putt etc.) and it revealed that its the long game that makes the bigger difference on tour. Foley also used the data to help build up Justin Rose, who was beating himself up over what he thought was a struggling approach game, only to have Foley show him the stats that said Rose was gaining more strokes on his approach than anyone on tour at the time. On this years sports betting panel, moderator Jeff Ma expressed his doubts that The Sports Boss, panelist Patrick Donovan, was using a seriously analytical approach when he started talking about getting a feel for a teams emotional level. Any time youre at an analytics conference and someone heads down the road discussing emotion, psychology etc. there are going to be a certain number of eye rolls because no one knows how to quantify that information. My experience has been that kind of thing gets awarded retroactively (ie. winners are determined to have played harder, with more emotion, etc.) Las Vegas Hotel Superbook Manager Jay Kornegay: "You guys might be very disappointed if I told you how we came up with some of these lines." Kornegay said that they dont use a complicated computer algorithm to determine lines. They have a group of handicappers in-house and they come up with the line as a group but, basically, its on feel. As Kornegay noted, "We (bookmakers) get paid for being close." More Kornegay: The Super Bowl line is geared toward public money while the rest of the year is against the sharps. Check back soon for my piece on Hockey at the 2014 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference! 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. Dale Hunter Jersey . The alley-oop looked easy -- just like everything else after halftime for the Miami Heat. James scored 32 points, Wade added 22 points and eight assists, and the Heat trailed by 11 early in the second half before running away to a 107-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. T.J. Oshie Jersey . - Jordan Addesis shootout goal helped the Plymouth Whalers to a 3-2 win over the Sault Ste. http://www.thecapitalshockeystore.com/Capitals-Lucas-Johansen-Adidas-Jersey/ .J. - Several people have collapsed in an overcrowded New Jersey train station while waiting in long lines to get to the Super Bowl.DECATUR, Ala. -- A judge on Friday convicted Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in his Alabama hometown and imposed an 18-day jail term that could interrupt the players bid to restart his career. Municipal Judge Billy Cook convicted McClain on the misdemeanour counts after a non-jury trial that lasted about three hours. McClain was accused of yelling an obscenity at police trying to arrest him during a disturbance in a crowded city park in 2013. McClain wont have to report for his jail sentence until after an appeal is complete in state court. Cook also ordered McClain to pay $1,572 in fines and court costs. Its unclear how long an appeal might take. The judge signed a document stating McClain, 25, was free to leave the state while challenging the convviction. Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey. Defence attorney Harvey Steinberg said McClain would head to Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, Calif., within hours of the trial. "My attitude is I think I ran into the only person in the entire state of Alabama that would convict Rolando McClain based on this evidence," said Steinberg. "Unfortunately, it happened to be the judge." The former Alabama Crimson Tide star maintained his innocence and said police arrested the wrong person. Hes been arrested three times in Decatur since 2011. McClain tried to delay the trial so he could attend the start of NFL training camp this week, but a judge refused. The Cowboys acquired the rights to McClain from Baltimore on July 1. He was the eighth overall pick by Oakland in 2010 but hasnt played since 2012. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs were brimming with confidence entering Thursday nights game against New Jersey. Justin Falk Jersey .The Devils, however, were not. They were banged up, missing some key players and winless in their last five games. Yet it was New Jersey who outworked, outhustled and outplayed the Maple Leafs in a 5-3 victory at Air Canada Centre.My message was whatever we did today to prepare ourselves to play — dont do it again, Toronto head coach Randy Carlyle said after the loss.The Devils, who were without veteran forwards Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias, used a balanced scoring attack and shut down the Maple Leafs with their trademark trap-style game. Mike Cammalleri and Eric Gelinas scored on the power play for New Jersey (10-12-4) while Stephen Gionta, Steve Bernier and Adam Henrique had the other goals. Mike Santorelli, Nazem Kadri and Phil Kessel replied for the Maple Leafs (13-9-3), who suffered their first loss in regulation since a 9-2 rout to Nashville on Nov. 18. Toronto had earned nine of a possible 10 points over the five-game stretch.Toronto was coming off a 5-3 victory over Dallas, a scoreline that looked better than it was. The Maple Leafs won in sloppy fashion on Tuesday night and that wasnt going to work against a grinding team like the Devils.There was plenty of offence but this game was still a clunker with little pace, flow or rhythm.Ive used the expression before, winning is sometimes good deodorant for the stink thats getting into your game, said Toronto forward Peter Holland. I think tonight that stink was a little bit more prevalent. So we need to make sure that were tidying up a little bit.Both teams looked sluggish at the start. There were several missed passes and choppy neutral-zone play — it took nearly four minutes for the first shot on goal to be recorded.With Maple Leafs blue-liner Cody Franson off for interference, Gelinas scored his third goal of the season at 4:53. He fired a snapshot from the top of the face-off circle that handcuffed Toronto netminder Jonathan Bernier.Torontos first decent shift didnt come until midway through the first period as David Clarksons line provided some spark. Holland had a couple of decent chances that Devils netminder Cory Schneider turned aside.“We were going to have to play a real lunch-pail type game there tonight, said New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer. They have a ton of skill and we were going to have to find a way to slow them down. Bang them, good structure through the neutral zone, that was the gameplan and for the most (part) our guys executed it.The Leafs top line was quiet and Carlyle gave others a chance instead. Kessel and Tyler Bozak both had just 16 minutes of ice time on the night.I didnt think our top line was very good and the minutes showed that, Carlyle said.Toronto showed flashes of solid play early in the second period and was rewarded at 5:37. Santorelli tipped in a Joffrey Lupul floater from the high slot for his fourth goal of the season.The Devils answered a few minutes later. Bernier controlled the puck behind the Toronto net and made a nice pass to Gionta in front, who scored his first goal at 8:00.The Maple Leafs tied it while shorthanded when Kadri potted his own rebound at 11:14. It was his seventh goal of the season.Cammalleri restored New Jerseys lead at 16:48 with Lupul off after a boarding penalty. He scored his 11th goal by one-timing the puck after a shot from the point hit the back boards and came out by the side of the net.In the third period, Bernier gave the Devils a two-goal cushion at 6:12 with his second goal of the season. Henrique added an insurance goal, his seventh on the campaign, at 11:58.With the game essentially over and Toronto on a power play, Kessel potted his 13th goal at 19:25 after a scramble in front of the net.Plain and simple, I think we got outworked tonight ... they were physically involved in the game to a much higher level than we were, Carlyle said.Notes: The Maple Leafs continue their five-game homestand Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils play the same night against the visiting Washington Capitals. ... Jagr and defenceman Adam Larsson were scratched due to flu-like symptoms. Elias sat out with a groin injury. ... The Toronto scratches were forward Leo Komarov (concussion) and defenceman Roman Polak (knee). ... Announced attendance was 18,887.Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter. Rick Martin Jersey . Carreno Busta broke his opponent five times in the match, but also lost his serve three times in the second set before prevailing in the tiebreaker. Both players struggled with their first serve, as Carreno Busta landed just 51 per cent of his to 47 per cent for Kukushkin. Buffalo Sabres Jerseys . "It was a little weird looking over and seeing all the green uniforms," he said of his first game against the Boston Celtics. http://www.officialsabreshockeyauthentic.com/jacob-josefson-jersey/ .One day after winning her record 63rd World Cup race, Vonn posted to her Facebook account Tuesday that she was happy Woods surprised her by coming to the race, and that she felt terrible that his tooth got knocked out.New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Jaroslav Halaks 27 saves and a dominant second period kept the Islanders the toast of New York, as the current Metropolitan Division leaders dealt the crosstown rival Rangers a 3-0 defeat at Madison Square Garden. Anders Lee, Nikolay Kulemin and Frans Nielsen all lit the lamp during the middle session to help the Islanders close out a season-high seven-game road trip with five wins and remain ahead of Pittsburgh for the division lead. The Rangers entered Tuesdays anticipated showdown with victories in 13 of their previous 14 games, but couldnt maintain the momentum as Halak outplayed Henrik Lundqvist and the Isles finished with a 44-27 advantage in shots. Lundqvist was replaced by Cam Talbot at the start of the third period after stopping 29-of-32 chances. The Rangers star netminder was able to withstand an early barrage during the early stages of a second period in which the Islanders controlled from the opening whistle, but Lee finally broke the scoreless deadlock by backhanding through a rebound of Calvin de Haans long drive 8:49 into the stanza. The Islanders then struck twice more in the final 3 1/2 minutes of the frame, with Kulemin extending the lead to 2-0 by ripping a puck that fell to his feet over Lundqvists shoulder while stationed in the slot. AAn Islanders penalty late in the period provided the Rangers an opportunity to close the gap. Alexander Nylander Jersey. However, Nielsen blocked a pass in his own end on the man advantage, then raced up the right side and fired a wrister under Lundqvists arm for a short-handed tally 40.9 seconds prior to the intermission. Talbot made 12 saves in the third period, where Halak faced just six shots to polish off his sixth shutout of the season. Both teams had a few close calls before Lee ended the stalemate. The Islanders had a Matt Martin goal waved off 4:19 into the second period when teammate Casey Cizikas made contact with Lundqvist. The Rangers hit the post three times, including back-to-back attempts from Rick Nash and Derick Brassard just seconds apart, in the first. Game Notes Nielsens goal was the Islanders league-leading seventh in short-handed situations ... The Islanders have prevailed in five of their last six visits to MSG, including a 6-3 triumph on Oct. 14 behind Halaks 40 saves. Lundqvist stopped just 21-of-27 pucks in that matchup ... Rangers forward Martin St. Louis skated in his 1,100th career NHL game, while teammate Marc Staal played in No. 500 ... Islanders forward Mikhail Grabovski missed a second straight game due to a lower-body injury. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
NEW YORK -- Free-agent catcher Brian McCann and the New York Yankees are about to complete a five-year deal worth around $85 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday night. Ilya Samsonov Jersey . The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasnt finalized. The contract is expected to include a vesting option worth $15 million. The deals completion is pending a physical. In an already brisk off-season throughout the majors, the McCann move would be the first major addition for the Yankees since they missed the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years. They finished fourth in the AL East this year. The Yankees made finding a catcher a priority, and McCann was the best available. The seven-time All-Star played all nine of his big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, hitting at least 20 homers for a sixth straight season before choosing to test the market after the World Series. The 29-year-old McCann returned from off-season shoulder surgery in April and hit .256 with 57 RBIs in 356 at-bats for the NL East champions. The Braves will receive a compensatory pick between the first and second round of the June draft because McCann turned down their $14.1 million qualifying offer. The Yankees relied heavily on career backup Chris Stewart last year after Francisco Cervelli was injured, then suspended 50 games. They had let Gold Glove catcher Russell Martin leave as a free agent in a cost-cutting move before the 2013 season. McCann bats left-handed, always a bonus for power hitters at Yankee Stadium with the short right field fence. He is a career .277 hitter with 176 home runs and 661 RBIs. The Yankees still have their own free-agent business to deal with. Star second baseman Robinson Cano is on the market and seeking a contract worth up to $300 million, and the Yankees have said they wont go that high. New York hopes to get under the 2014 tax threshold of $189 million for 2014. Not including McCanns deal, New Yorks luxury tax payroll so far is $97.1 million for seven signed players next year. Several teams have been busy since the season ended. The Detroit Tigers sent first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler in a swap of All-Stars with rich contracts, and the St. Louis Cardinals traded former World Series MVP David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels. Philadelphia recently re-signed Carlos Ruiz, taking another top free-agent catcher off the market. Philipp Grubauer Jersey . "Win basketball games," Collins said. He will get at least a few more chances. Collins played the final minutes of a winning home debut with the Brooklyn Nets, who cooled off the Chicago Bulls with a 96-80 victory Monday night. Braden Holtby Jersey . At Manchester United, Ferguson developed Beckham into one of the worlds most recognizable sportsmen, but the midfielder left United in 2003 for Real Madrid under a cloud after his relationship with the manager broke down. http://www.thecapitalshockeystore.com/Capitals-Evgeny-Kuznetsov-Adidas-Jersey/ .C. Lions. The clubs former starting quarterback, assistant and head coach returned Thursday as its receivers coach.Huntington, WV (SportsNetwork.com) - With just one game remaining in the regular season, the 19th-ranked Marshall Thundering Herd will try to stay unbeaten as they host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in a Conference USA bout at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Western Kentucky sits on a 6-5 overall record, and although the Hilltoppers arent going to the Conference USA championship game in their first year as a member of the league, they are bowl eligible. Theyve won three games in a row, including a decisive 45-7 victory over UTSA last weekend. Marshall is one of two unbeaten teams in the nation (Florida State being the other), and already owns a spot in the C-USA championship game with an unblemished league mark. The Herd almost let it all slip away with a narrow 23-18 victory over UAB last weekend. Marshall leads the all-time series with Western Kentucky, 4-1. The last time these new conference rivals met, however, was back in 1996, when the Thundering Herd won, 37-3. Marshall owns a 3-0 advantage in Huntington. Western Kentucky has built a solid foundation this season around its offense, led by quarterback Brandon Doughty. The Hilltoppers enter this game against Marshall averaging 41.9 ppg, which means this could be the most offense Marshall faces all season long. In 11 games, Doughty has thrown for 3,853 yards (ranked second in the FBS - 20 yards behind the injured Connor Halliday of Washington State) with 36 touchdown passes, which is the most in the FBS nation. Last season for the Hilltoppers, the run game was essential. This year its more of a complementary aspect with Leon Allen, who has rushed 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns. Allen averages a respectable 113.9 rushing ypg, and has carried the ball 226 times this season. Doughty has done an excellent job spreading the ball around to various receivers. Jared Dangerfield leads the team with 56 receptions and 621 yards, adding in a team-high eight touchdown grabs. Willie McNeal (seven touchdowns), Taywan Taylor (six touchdowns) and Antwane Grant (five touchdowns) are all receiving threats for WKU. Offense has been plentiful for the Hilltoppers, but the downfall for the team has been on the defensive side. Western Kentucky allows 36.8 ppg and 483.1 offensive ypg to opponents this season through 11 contests, which has allowed teams like UAB (42 points), Florida Atlantic (45 points) and Louisiana Tech (59 points) to pick up crucial wins against the Hilltoppers. WKU has been especially bad against the run, allowing 224.1 rushing ypg to opponents. Nick Holt has been a threat defensively, racking up 93 tackles with seven tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. Dejon Brown is the next closest Hilltopper to Holt with 65 tackles on the year, and GeMonee Brown has a team-best eight tackles for loss. The Hilltoppers will need to force some Marshall turnovers in order to stay competitive in this one. Marshalls 23-point outing against UAB was by far the lowest total for the Herd this season, but a win is a win in coach Doc Hollidays eeyes. Justin Williams Jersey. Now the team must pick up its final one in the regular season against the high-scoring Hilltoppers this weekend at home. (Coach) Jeff Brohm has done a tremendous job - theyre bowl eligible for the first year in Conference USA, Holliday said. I think that is a tribute to him and what hes done. Their quarterback, Brandon Doughty, is a tremendous player whos thrown for a ton of yardage. ... Offensively, they score a lot of points, and defensively they are well-coached. They are going to come in here ready to play, and we have to make sure we are too. The Herd are led offensively by Rakeem Cato under center. Cato hasnt necessarily had the campaign many had expected from him, but with 28 touchdown passes, 2,897 yards and a 157.7 passer efficiency rating, he is one of the best leaders and field generals in all of college football. In the run game, a pleasant surprise has been the emergence of Devon Johnson. The tight end convert has carried the ball 184 times this season, and has gained an eye-popping 1,573 yards with 16 touchdowns. And he missed a game with a leg injury. He leads the team with 157.3 rushing ypg, and has helped the Herd score 44.9 ppg this season. Cato has a reliable set of weapons through the air, led by veteran pass catcher Tommy Shuler. Shuler has caught a team-best 57 passes this season for 737 yards and seven touchdowns, while talented freshman Angelo Jean-Louis has racked up 456 yards with five touchdowns in 11 games played. Tight End Eric Frohnapfel is second on the team with 30 receptions, adding 375 yards and a trio of scores to his resume. While Marshalls offense is crushing foes, the teams defense has been doing the same. The Herd are allowing just 16.5 ppg to opponents, including just 324.4 offensive ypg. Only twice this season has a challenger managed to accumulate more than 20 points against the Herd defense, with UABs 18 points being the third-highest total for an opponent this year. Linebacker Neville Hewitt leads Marshalls defense with 91 tackles, and also has registered 10 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks. The ability to get after opposing quarterbacks and running backs in the backfield has been apparent throughout the season for the Thundering Herd, who have three defensive players that all own tackles for loss totals in the double digits. In the secondary, players like Taj Letman (three interceptions), Darryl Roberts and Corey Tindal will need to be wide awake when going up against one of the nations leading passers. I spoke to Jimbo [Fisher, head coach at Florida State] the other day, and for them to win that many games is tremendous, Holliday said. If winning was easy, there would be a lot more people in this position than us and Florida State. At some point, you have to grind them out. Florida State has had to grind a bunch out, we had to grind one out Saturday and thats a tribute to all of these guys. At the end of the day, its about winning and losing, and in the last two years these guys have won 21 of them. 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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork. Terry OReilly Jersey .com) - Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick will likely return to the starting lineup Sunday against the New York Giants. Vick suffered a hamstring strain against the Giants on Oct. 6 and missed the past two games. He took the first-team reps at practice on Tuesday and the Philadelphia Inquirer cited a source as saying the veteran would get the nod Sunday, but his status will likely be evaluated as the week goes along. "Im optimistic about it," said Vick. "At some point this week Ill test it out, I just dont want to do it this early in the week." Eagles coach Chip Kelly has stated that the health of his quarterbacks would weigh heavily in his decision for the starting role. Vick said his health is improving each day, but he would not give a definitive answer whether or not he would suit up as the starter. "Its kind of sore, but its progressing every day," Vick added. "Im excited to have an opportunity to play this week with this group of guys." Nick Foles replaced Vick as the starter the past two games, but suffered a concussion in Sundays 17-3 loss to the Cowboys and must pass the mandatory concussion protocol in order to play. Matt Barkley took over for Foles against Dallas and threw a trio of interceptions. The rookie would be the starter Sunday if Foles and Vick are unable to play. Vick has thrown for 1,185 yards and has completed 53.8 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and two interceptions. The Eagles ground attack will get a boost if Vick plays. The 11-year veteran rushed for 307 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries before his injury. Adam Oates Jersey . Pearce had a career-high four hits and drove in two runs, and Wei-Yin Chen shut down Texas again as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night. Zdeno Chara Jersey .Jeff Green, playing in his second preseason game after missing the first four because of a calf strain, had 18 points. The Celtics (3-3) shot 47.2 per cent from the floor and made 15 of 37 3-point attempts. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/david-pastrnak-hockey-jersey/ . Hall had a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, had an assist in each of Edmontons next two games the capped the week with a goal and two assists in the Oilers 4-2 win over Anaheim on Sunday.The Alfred Hitchcock classic “Dial M For Murder” starring Grace Kelly, was released. Tony Bennetts “Rags To Riches” was the most played song in Jukeboxes in January 1954. The Canadian Prime Minister was Louis St. Laurent (pictured here on the left with previous PM Williiam Mackenzie King). Custom Boston Bruins Jerseys. View image | gettyimages.com And the Leafs top scorers on the team were Sid Smith and Harry Watson. The Leafs would go on to lose to the Bruins in the 1st round of the playoffs in 5 games. View image | gettyimages.com Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
WINNIPEG - Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane was being assessed by a doctor Wednesday after hurting his leg in practice. Dave Winfield Jersey . Kane got tangled up along the boards with Anthony Peluso, and Peluso appeared to fall on Kanes right leg. Kane was seen holding his leg in pain and he was helped off the ice. Coach Claude Noel described the injury as a "tweak," but said Kane is listed as day-to-day until they have him assessed and find out the seriousness. Kane has been one of the most energetic members of Winnipegs offence in their first seven games of the season, with three goals and two assists. The Jets (3-4-0) are at home this week to face the St. Louis Blues Friday. Randy Jones Jersey . Last year, Matt Kuchar closed with a 4-under 68 to beat Kevin Chappell by two strokes for his second win of the 2013 season and sixth of his career. Jhoulys Chacin Jersey . The question all fans want to know heading into this light heavyweight affair is will Rua display his true potential. Working with UFC welterweight fighter Demian Maias team in Sao Paulo Brazil and having training partners such as fellow UFC stand outs Fabio Maldonado and Daniel Sarafian, the 32-year old feels very well prepared for Friday nights encounter. http://www.baseballpadresofficial.com/brad-hand-jersey-c-29/ . Osmond, of Marystown, N.L., fell in the middle of her routine and placed fifth in the ladies free skate at Iceberg Skating Palace (110.73 points), but that was all the Canadians needed after a strong performance by Kevin Reynolds in the mens free earlier Sunday.TOKYO -- Naoya Inoue of Japan scored a sixth-round technical knockout of Adrian Hernandez of Mexico on Sunday to win the WBC light flyweight title. The 20-year-old Inoue landed a series of combinations and the bout was stopped 2 minutes, 54 seconds into the sixth round. Inoue, the first Japanese boxer to claim a world title in just his sixth professional fight, iimproved to 6-0 with five knockouts. Rickey Henderson Jersey. Hernandez dropped to 29-3-1 with 18 KOs. Also, WBC flyweight champion Akira Yaegashi successfully defended his title for the third time with a ninth-round knockout of eighth-ranked challenger Odilon Zaleta of Mexico. Yaegashi improved to 20-3 with 10 KOs while Zaleta dropped to 15-4 with eight KOs. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
SEATTLE - Right-handed pitchers Justin Germano and Mark Lowe and utility infielder Carlos Rivero have signed minor-league deals with the Seattle Mariners with invites to major league spring training. Davis Webb Jersey .Seattle announced the signings Thursday.Lowes signing is the most notable. He appeared in 162 games with Seattle between 2006-2010.Lowe was part of the trade that sent Cliff Lee to Texas during the 2010 season. He spent last season in the Cleveland organization, splitting his time between the Indians and Triple-A Columbus.Germano, a nine-year veteran, spent most of last season in the Texas organization pitching at Triple-A Round Rock.Rivero was claimed off waivers by Seattle on Nov. 3, but was non-tendered a month later. Rivero made his major league debut last season with Boston and currently leads the Venezuelan Winter League in home runs with 14. Mark Herzlich Jersey . The Philadelphia left fielder clubbed a tiebreaking, solo home run in the seventh inning, and the Phillies edged the Red Sox, 2-1, in the middle test of a three-game interleague series at Citizens Bank Park. New York Giants Jerseys . -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he isnt going to change what he does on the field. http://www.nygiantsfanatic.com/c-9-customized.aspx . The question all fans want to know heading into this light heavyweight affair is will Rua display his true potential. Working with UFC welterweight fighter Demian Maias team in Sao Paulo Brazil and having training partners such as fellow UFC stand outs Fabio Maldonado and Daniel Sarafian, the 32-year old feels very well prepared for Friday nights encounter.TSN Hockey Insiders Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger have the latest ahead of the NHL Draft on potential Jason Spezza trades, Dave Bolland heading to free agency, Joe Thornton and Ryan Kesler, and more. Thirteen years ago the Ottawa Senators drafted Jason Spezza. Now are they going to trade Spezza on Draft Day or perhaps even before? Bob McKenzie: They certainly hope so, and the talk has picked up the past 24-48 hours to the point now where there are four teams talking to the Senators about Spezza. Three of those teams are in the Western Conference and we know Anaheim and St. Louis are among that group. One mystery team in the Eastern Conference has entered the fray which makes things a little interesting. Keep in mind Spezza has a list of 10 teams that he cannot be traded to and there are four Eastern Conference teams that are on that list including Florida, Carolina, Columbus, and the New York Islanders. In a perfect world the Senators would like to have this done before or at the Draft; they would like to get a first-round pick in Fridays draft as part of the compensation for Spezza. David Bolland is set to become a free agent July 1 but Toronto has been looking at getting a deal done. Now they know exactly what he wants, is it too steep? Darren Dreger: He wants maximum value and as far as the Maple Leafs are concerned, yes its too steep. Its believed that hes asking for the maximum eight years to stay with the Leafs and at $4.9 million per year. Thats a tough hit. At 28-years-old, Bollands earned his right to unrestricted free agency. I believe the Leafs would be more comfortable in that 5-6 year range so its very likely Bolland is going to unrestricted free agency. Hes not healthy yet but hes well on his way and he hopes and believes hell be at 100% as early as training camp. Are the Edmonton Oilers in pursuit of a centre? Dreger: Yes, theyre looking for a centre and a defenceman and theyre very active. Theyre throwing out some considerable assets as well; we know that the Oilers third overall pick is very much in play. And Sam Gagners name seems to suurface annually at the draft, hes also trade bait for Edmonton. Andrew Adams Jersey. And the Oilers are still in the game for the first overall pick with Florida. Will Joe Thornton go anywhere? McKenzie: Not right now. Its a dicey situation, I think in a perfect world the San Jose Sharks would like to try and trade Thornton and begin a rebuilding process using the return as a centerpiece for it. But as of right now, Thornton has no intention of waiving his no-move clause to go anywhere. Theres no list whatsoever, and if there was a list I suspect it would include teams the Sharks probably wouldnt want to trade him to like the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, or Chicago Blackhawks. In the meantime Thornton, as the captain of the team, is meeting with the core group of players and trying to pick up the pieces and carry on but well see what happens. So no list for Thornton but there definitely is a list for Ryan Kesler… McKenzie: There is a list of six teams for Kesler and the two teams that seem to be the most interested in him right now are the Blackhawks and Ducks; thats not news. Theres nothing imminent on the Kesler front because I get the sense that Anaheim and Chicago believe theyre the only two teams in the running, therefore the offers arent good enough for what Vancouver wants to do. Vancouver isnt going to do this deal if they dont get the right amount, or at least not at the draft. And the other thing for the Canucks, like a lot of teams, theyre trying to move up and get the first overall pick. Right now Panthers GM Dale Tallon has three legitimate offers, which is up from one. But dont confuse legitimate offers with a deal that he would absolutely make right now. Right now its more likely hell be using the first overall pick to make a selection than trading it. Is Dan Boyle about to get a lot of legitimate offers? Dreger: It was a brisk day in the Boyle camp, at least eight teams have made contact with Boyles representatives, and many of those teams will meet with his representatives on Thursday and that of course includes the Maple Leafs. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
Aberdeen, Scotland (SportsNetwork. Santiago Casilla Jersey .com) - Scottish Premier League leaders Aberdeen needed two goals in the final four minutes to salvage a 3-3 home draw against Dundee on Saturday. The visitors scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half before adding a third goal shortly after the break to take a 3-1 lead. But Aberdeen rallied in the closing minutes of the contest, and after Jonathan Hayes converted a penalty kick to reduce the deficit to 3-2, Ryan Jack notched the equalizer to snatch a point for his side. The result sees second-place Celtic move to within two points of Aberdeen after the defending champions downed Hamilton, 2-0, earlier in the day. It took just six minutes for the hosts to seize the lead as Adam Rooneys cross was finished off at close range by David Goodwillie. Gary Irvine pulled Dundee level in the 37th minute when he weaved his way into the box and smashed a shot past goalkeeper Scott Brown, while Greg Stewart made it 2-1 to the visitors a few minutes later when he scored after exchanging passes with Luka Tankulic. Rooney saw his attempt at an equalizer denied by the post, and Gary Harkins made it 3-1 when he collected a loose ball inside the box and beat Brown. A foul inside the area on Dundees Kostadin Gadzhalov handed Hayes the chance to score from the penalty spot, and he just managed to squeeze his effort past goalkeeper Scott Bain. Jack then provided the dramatic equalizer in stoppage time when a cross from Shaleum Logan was flicked on with Jack providing the final touch from close range. St Mirren climbed off the bottom of the league with a 2-1 win at Ross County in a battle of the bottom two sides as Stephen Mallan scored the winner in the 86th minute despite playing the second half with 10 men. St Johnstone got goals from David Mackay and Steven Anderson in a 2-0 win over Partick Thistle, while inclement weather caused the game between Dundee United and Inverness as well as Motherwells match with Kilmarnock to be postponed. Rickey Henderson Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Rollie Fingers Jersey . It was considered unlikely that Rielly would be loaned to Canada for the tournament, which begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden, though a stretch of three straight games in the press box made it something of a debate. http://www.authenticbaseshopathletics.com/Jed-Lowrie-Jersey/ . Hes the same player he always was, only now his efforts are being rewarded. The rookie manager has made a habit of heaping praise on others when things are going well, and accepting criticism when they arent. But in the case of Hurtado, its what the coach is NOT saying that may be the secret to a superb run of form.Former BC Lions offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine may be headed to the collegiate ranks. According to a report in the Vancouver Province, Simon Fraser University has offered Chapdelaine their head coaching position. Chapdelaine is an SFU alumnus annd former slotback on the Clan. Matt Joyce Jersey. He was believed to be the leading candidate for the Montreal Alouettes offensive coordinator vacancy. Simon Fraser plays in the NCAA as part of the Division 2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
SOCHI, Russia -- Greg Westlake scored the games only goal while Corbin Watson made seven saves for his second straight shutout Tuesday as Canada defeated the Czech Republic 1-0 in sledge hockey at the Sochi Paralympics. Matt Harvey Jersey . Westlake broke the scoreless tie at 7:33 of the second period, ripping a shot upstairs from in tight for his second goal of the tournament. Canada had a number of chances to extend the lead but was forced to hang on late as the Czechs made one final push in the dying seconds. "Theyre a big team. Theyre physical," said Westlake. "Theyve got a lot of men on their team. "Its a lot of cycling against the Czechs. They have a big goalie so you have to pick your spots. If youre not shooting the puck well its going to be a low-scoring game." Canada has surrendered just one goal on 18 shots through three round-robin victories while outscoring its opponents 15-1. "It was a fun game to play and it was a necessary game to play because we get better and we needed a team to push us going into the medal round," said Westlake. Czech goalie Michal Vapenka stopped 17 shots in defeat as his team was eliminated from the competition. "We had some scoring chances, there was just no finish," said Canadian head coach Mike Mondin. "The kid in net is a good goalie. "Hes a big guy so theyre trying to go high and we shot a lot of them over the net." Canada clinched first place in its pool and will take on the United States in one of Thursdays semifinals. The Americans, who won gold four years ago in Vancouver, dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to the host Russians earlier Tuesday to finish second in their group. Russia will meet Norway in the other semifinal. Canada won Paralympic gold back in 2006 but had a disappointing fourth-place finish in 2010. Elsewhere on Tuesday, biathlete Mark Arendz battled pouring rain and dense fog to win a bronze medal in the mens 12.5-kilometre standing category. Its the second medal of the Games for the native of Hartsville, P.E.I., who captured silver earlier in the week. He finished in 30 minutes 31 seconds. Russias Azat Karachurin won gold in 29:30.0 while Norways Nils-Erik Ulset captured silver. "To get a medal is awesome and that was the goal," said Arendz. "There were mistakes out there both in shooting and on the course so it was not a perfect race, but any time you are on the podium I have to be happy because this is strong field." Arendzs medal was Canadas seventh so far in the competition (one goal, two silver, four bronze). Host Russia continues to lead with a whopping 34 medals, 23 ahead of second-place Ukraine. Canada and the United States are tied in third. Arendz, who shot 19-of-20, said the poor visibility made the race extra challenging. "It was the same conditions for everyone," he said. "I wasnt perfect in shooting so I know there are still mistakes that need to be cleaned up." In para-alpine skiing, Braydon Luscombe of Duncan, B.C., was the top-placing Canadian, finishing second in the standing division with a time of 52.17 seconds. Josh Dueck of Kimberley, B.C., placed fifth in the sitting category in 59.93 seconds. Standing athlete Kirk Schornstein of Spruce Grove, Alta., was 17th and Mac Marcouxopf Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and guide Robin Femy of Mont-Tremblant, Que., did not finish their run in the visually impaired category. Sit-skiers Caleb Brousseau of Terrace, B.C., Calgarys Kurt Oatway and standing athlete Matt Hallat of Coquitlam, B.C., also did not finish. In the womens slalom, standing skier Calgarys Alexandra Starker was the top-placing Canadian in 1:06.59. Torontos Erin Latimer was eighth. In wheelchair curling, Canada improved to 5-1 and moved into a first-place tie with Russia with an 8-5 victory over China. Darryl Strawberry Jersey . According to the sportsbook BoDog, the Stampeders are 8/5 favourites to take home the Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on November 24. Dwight Gooden Jersey .Y. - Through three quarters, the Brooklyn Nets could not shake the NBAs worst team. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/mookie-wilson-mets-jersey/ . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario.CHICAGO -- Chad Henne did all he could to keep the starting quarterback job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. First-round pick Blake Bortles was about as good. Henne passed for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Bortles threw for 160 in relief before backup quarterback Jordan Palmer rallied the Chicago Bears to a 20-19 preseason victory over the Jaguars on Thursday night. Palmer, trying to beat out Jimmy Clausen for the No. 2 job, led Chicago to two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Senorise Perry scored on a 5-yard run with 50 seconds left, and C.J. Wilson intercepted a pass to seal the win after Henne and Bortles picked the Bears apart. Jared Allen made his first appearance for Chicago after signing in the off-season and finished with one tackle for a loss on an otherwise quiet night. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end sat out last weeks opening win over Philadelphia after he missed practices because his wife had a baby. Henne showed mobility in the pocket and completed 12 of 17 passes before leaving with a 13-7 lead in the second quarter. "We feel very strongly about Chad," coach Gus Bradley said. But he also plans to give Bortles some snaps with the first team, possibly in the coming week. The rookie looked sharp again after an impressive showing last week in a victory over Tampa Bay. The No. 3 pick in the draft, Bortles went 11 for 17, but the Jaguars came away with the loss. Chicagos Jay Cutler completed 7 of 9 passes for 79 yards and called it a night after throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall early in the second quarter. Clausen got the first call after Cutler left the game, with Palmer serving as the second man in relief in a flip from the preseason opener. But Clausen struggled through some headset problems after a strong performance last week. The former Notre Dame star and Carolina Panther went 11 of 15 for 94 yards. He also had a pass intercepted by Josh Evans early in the third quarter off linebacker Telvin Smiths deflection after the headset went out on him. "There were three to five plays where it just became confusion and he really didnt get us into the best plays," coach Marc Trestman said. "He was trying to make something good out of a bad situation, and there wasnt any way I could help him. That group oof I would say up to a half a dozen plays when Jimmy was in there, it was very difficult to evaluate. Juan Lagares Jersey. " Palmer started the fourth quarter and threw for 73 yards, completing 6 of 9 passes. "This is a competition and coaches have done a phenomenal job of making it very fair, evaluating us every day and so when you get to the preseason, you wait until your turn and then you go in there and try to make the most of it," Palmer said. Martellus Bennett had a 25-yard catch after being suspended by the team last week for an altercation in practice with cornerback Kyle Fuller, who left this game after injuring his ankle on the opening possession. Jacksonvilles Toby Gerhart ran for 19 yards in his first appearance with the Jaguars. The former Minnesota Vikings backup had missed nearly two weeks because of a hip flexor injury. Marqise Lee caught four passes for 27 yards and a touchdown after struggling against Tampa Bay. Mercedes Lewis had 46 yards on three receptions. The Jaguars scored on all three first-quarter possessions while grabbing a 13-0 lead, with Josh Scobee kicking a pair of field goals and Henne hitting Lee with a 6-yard touchdown pass. The TD came after Chicagos Eric Weems fumbled away a kickoff. The Bears cut it to 13-7 early in the second quarter, when Cutler hit Marshall with a 4-yarder to cap a 10-play drive. But a 43-yard field goal by Scobee late in the half made it 16-7. "Definitely the first couple of drives we wanted to get the tempo going," Henne said. "The way we did that was first and second down. We moved the chains and got some explosive plays out of it as well." Notes: Trestman said he has no issue with Marshall serving as an analyst for Showtimes "Inside the NFL" show. "I trust Brandon," he said. "He asked me about it. I trust him to make a decision that was in the best interest of the team first, and I know Brandon. I know hell do that." ... Trestman had few details on CB Kyle Fuller (ankle) and backup TE Zach Miller (foot) after they left the game with injuries. He did say the bruised knee that kept DE Willie Young out of the game is not serious. ... Jaguars RT Austin Pasztor (broken hand) and backup C Luke Bowanko (sprained ankle) left the game. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
SURREY, B. C. J. Fiedorowicz Jersey .C. -- Steve Myddelton does not bleed Calgary Stampeders red anymore. After four-plus seasons with the Stamps, it took only one trip across the Rocky Mountains for the offensive lineman to gain a whole new perspective on his CFL career. "My outlook is very different from what it has been for the last five years -- Ill tell you that much," said Myddelton after his first workout Monday with the B.C. Lions after the club returned to practice after a bye week. The Lions acquired Myddelton, a 27-year-old Barrie, Ont., native who is in the fifth year of a CFL career spent entirely with the Stampeders, for a conditional 2014 draft choice. Myddeltons first game with his new team will could come at home Saturday, against his old team. B.C. traded for the guard last week in a bid to acquire depth after promising rookie Kirby Fabien was lost for the season with a knee injury that required reconstructive surgery. Myddelton was one of two new faces in the B.C. fold Monday. The Lions also added defensive back Cameron Chism, a former Indianapolis Colt, to their practice roster. While Chism will likely have to wait a while for his turn, Myddelton is expected to draw into the lineup right away, although coach Mike Benevides was not offering confirmation. "Im really excited to be here," said Myddelton. "I cant wait to play against Calgary. "Theyre playing really good football right now. The Lions are obviously one of the premier teams in the league year in and year out. Its always an exciting matchup, and Im excited to be on the other side of the ball for it." But Myddelton, a St. Francis Xavier University alumnus who was drafted by Calgary in the fourth round (30th overall) in 2009, holds no ill feelings against his former club after Stampeders general manager and coach John Hufnagel decided to move him to a West Division rival. "Theyre a classy organization," said Myddelton. "Hes a classy guy." Now, Myddelton finds himself in the position of providing injury insurance after he battled injuries of his own. He lost his starting job with the Stamps after missing most of last season with a knee injury that required surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. "I hurt myself two years ago but only missed four games towards the end of the season," he said. "I came back last year and was starting again, and then I blew my ACL out in practice and missed the remainder of the season, and this year there wasnt really a spot for me." Myddeltons ordeal was compounded by the fact he is in the last year of his contract and slated to become a free agent at the end of this season. "I think all these things came into play," he said. "So it was hard the first few games of the season, realizing where I sat and what was happening. So it was nice to have something finalized and know that I have a home here for the rest of the season." He is grateful for an opportunity to help a Lions offensive line that is also grappling with centre Angus Reids back injury, which has placed him on the nine-game injured reserve list. Veteran guard Dean Valli, who has helped the Lions get through Fabiens injury by starting in his place, is playing on a rebuilt knee. "I have sympathy, really, for the guys whove gone down," said Myddelton. "Its a hard thing to deal with. But I also know that they can come back from it, because here I am less than a year later. Its not the end of anything. Also, it provided me with the opportunity to be here in the first place. So Im taking that (opportunity) for what it is and trying to do my best while Im here." Benevides is glad to have more depth on the offensive line as his club prepares to face the Stamps, whom he rates as the team to beat in the West after their win over the previously unbeaten Saskatchewan Roughriders last weekend. Although offensive linemen often toil anonymously, the Lions coach is already quite familiar with Myddelton and likes what he has seen. "I know (Myddelton) from prepping against him, and I know this: Hes an extremely intelligent player," said Benevides. "Hes a tough guy, hes a guy thats played and had some starts. Right now, hes a very good lineman, who has experience, whos been in the league now five years, that can step in. And, right now, if he stepped in right away, hed have an understanding." Chism, a 23-year-old Washington, D.C., native, who spent part of 2012 with Indianapolis before being released, was also brought in for depth purposes. He signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent after starting 32 of his 44 games at Maryland, where he returned two interceptions for touchdowns. But he was released in September and did not receive another NFL opportunity this year. "Hes a guy thats been on the radar a little bit," said Benevides. Notes--The Lions knew of Chism from his days at Maryland and the fact he attended the same Forestville, Md., high school as B.C. defensive backs coach Mark Washington. a Lions slotback Nick Moore is expected to return to the lineup after missing the win over Winnipeg with an ankle injury. a B.C. defensive end Julius Williams has a chance to play after missing most of the season with a knee injury. J.J. Watt Jersey . City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. Whitney Mercilus 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. http://www.thetexansfootballpro.us/texans-ryan-griffin-super-bowl-jersey-authentic/ . -- LeGarrette Blount made one last big splash into a soggy end zone.COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Vincente Sanchez scored in the 20th minute, leading the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night. Sanchez, who sat out the second half with a sore left knee, curled a shot between two defenders to record his team-leading fifth goal. The goal gave Colorado (4-2-2) its first lead before the 60th minute this season. "There were a lot of people out in front," Sanchez said. "I had no choice but to put the ball on the back post." Clint Irwin posted his third shutout. "Just a complete game by everyone,&quuot; Colorado coach Pablo Mastroeni said. Derek Newton Jersey. . "The whole back wall did a good job of keeping the ball in front of them." Robbie Keane missed wide of the right post on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute for Los Angeles (2-2-2), which had its four-game unbeaten streak snapped. "We missed a penalty kick," Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said. "You cant do that." Landon Donovan failed to become the career MLS scoring leader, remaining tied with Jeff Cunningham with 134 goals. Hes scoreless in all six league games hes played this season. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was carted to the locker room with a leg injury in the second quarter of the teams NFC North-deciding game against the Detroit Lions. Levine Toilolo Jersey . Rodgers, a leading MVP candidate, injured his left calf while throwing a touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with just under three minutes remaining in the first half. He was carted to the locker room after walking to the sideline and is questionable to return. Matt Flynn is playing in his place. Rodgers started the game 6-of-9 for 97 yards and a touchdown. He entered the game as probable with a calf injury. He was not on the sideline for the start of the second half. Matt Ryan Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. LaRoy Reynolds Jersey . - The New Orleans Saints have re-signed receiver Joseph Morgan for one year and have agreed to a four-year deal with free agent fullback Erik Lorig. http://www.falconsapparelsshop.com/keanu-neal-falcons-jersey-c-22/ .com) - Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos had an arthroscopic procedure performed on his right elbow last week, the teams official site reported Wednesday.DENVER - Jarome Iginla felt a little more youthful on his 37th birthday even as he became the old man of the Colorado Avalanche. Hes energized by the challenge of not only trying to keep up with the likes of speedy forward Nathan MacKinnon, who is half Iginlas age, but also of helping this rising squad take another step in its growth. "I dont want to be arrogant, but I still believe I can be very good," said Iginla, who celebrated his birthday Tuesday by signing a three-year, $16 million deal with Colorado. "And this is a dynamic group. I think they work hard and theyre committed, and theyre just going to keep getting better and better." The Avs are coming off a season in which they tied a franchise record with 52 wins in Patrick Roys first year behind the bench and returned to the post-season for the first time since 2009-10. Among their top priorities in the off-season? Adding some grizzled veterans to the squad. First, the team picked up veteran forward Daniel Briere from Montreal for right wing P.A. Parenteau and a fifth-round pick in next years draft. Then, Colorado acquired defenceman Brad Stuart from the San Jose Sharks for a second-round pick in 2016 and a sixth-rounder in 2017. On Tuesday afternoon, shortly after losing fan favourite Paul Stastny in free agency — he signed a four-year, $28 million deal with division rival St. Louis — the Avs worked out a deal with Iginla. It wasnt a laborious task, especially given the friendship between Iginla and Avalanche Hall of Famer turned executive Joe Sakic. The two have been tight since their days with Team Canada and when Sakic made his pitch, Iginla intently listened. Then again, one of Iginlas kids is named Joe at least in part because of Sakic. "(Sakic) is a winner so it definitely had something to do with this," Iginla said. Iginla has played in 1,310 regular season games with Calgary, Pittsburgh and Boston. He had 30 goals in 78 games for the Bruins last season. "Jaromes track record speaks for itself," Sakic said. "He is one of the top goal scorers of all time, as well as a great leader. His additiion will bolster our offence. Brett Favre Jersey. " As for being the elder statesman of the team, Iginla just laughed. "I feel good," said Iginla, whos earned two Olympic gold medals with Canada. "As far as my game dropping off, I dont think it will. ... I dont come here expecting to do less." He joins a team that captured a surprise Central Division crown. The turnaround of the Avalanche led to quite a few post-season awards, too, with Roy taking home coach of the year, MacKinnon being named the top rookie and Ryan OReilly capturing the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly play. Semyon Varlamov also was a finalist for outstanding goaltender, which went to Tuukka Rask of Boston. Sakic was hoping to return the nucleus for another run, but wasnt about to break the bank to make that happen. Sakic said two weeks ago the team had a salary structure in place, setting the financial bar in deals with Varlamov, Matt Duchene and captain Gabriel Landeskog. These days, Sakic is attempting to work out a long-term deal with OReilly, a restricted free agent who led the team with a career-high 28 goals in 2013-14. In the meantime, Sakic orchestrated a deal to add the 34-year-old Stuart in order to bring more tenacity to the Avalanches blue line. He was third on the Sharks in blocked shots (114) and hits (122) last season. Stuart may be called upon to mentor defenceman Nick Holden, who signed a three-year extension that runs through the 2017-18 season. Briere is another scorer who could help offset the loss of Stastny. Iginla likes the additions of Stuart and Briere. "Its kind of neat to join a new team, but also having other guys in the same boat and get to come in together," Iginla said. "Thats pretty cool." One of the enduring images in Avalanche history is Sakic passing the Stanley Cup over to Ray Bourque for him to hoist after their win in 2001. See Landeskog doing the same for Iginla one day? "Thats a hope," Iginla said. "These guys, theyre driven. I think there are lots of good things already happening." ___ AP Hockey Writer Larry Lage contributed. Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '
The Buffalo Sabres could be adding some Hall of Fame credentials to its coaching staff. Travis Sanheim Jersey . Source tell Bucky Gleason of The Buffalo News that the Sabres have reached an agreement to bring in Bryan Trottier as an assistant on Ted Nolans coaching staff. While the team has not confirmed the news, sources tell the Buffalo paper that an announcement could come next week. Trottier has won seven Stanley Cups - six as a player with the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins as well as one as a member of the Colorado Avalanche coaching staff. Andrew MacDonald Jersey . 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. Samuel Morin Jersey . Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Allen Craig on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee contusion on Sunday. http://www.nhlflyersproauthentic.com/shayne-gostisbehere-hockey-jersey/ . The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career.The Toronto Maple Leafs made quite a splash with the hiring of an Assistant General Manager Tuesday. That might sound ludicrous, considering hes an Assistant General Manager, but it really is a pretty big deal. By hiring Kyle Dubas, a 28-year-old who has been the GM of the Ontario Hockey Leagues Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the past three seasons, the Leafs are bringing in a new voice. I dont know Dubas. I met him at this years Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston, enjoyed talking hockey with him for a little while and we were both wowed by the advances in baseball tracking technology. I came away impressed and sure that he would be in the NHL before long. That he landed an NHL job this summer comes as no surprise. Landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, however -- a franchise that has eschewed the use of analytics -- was a legitimate shock. When the Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan to be the clubs new president this spring, there was a lot of talk of a culture change but, as the offseason progressed, it didnt appear that any grand change was taking place. They had fired three assistant coaches, but had the same GM, head coach and front office. If assistant coaches were dictating the culture of the franchise, that would be a first, so it didnt look like the culture change was forthcoming. Enter Dubas, and exit veteran hockey execs Claude Loiselle and Dave Poulin, who were let go. That is the start of a culture change and one of the best parts of it is that Dubas isnt one to get caught up in a buzz phrase like "culture change." He recognizes that winning does a lot to change a teams culture but, for fans and media, having a new voice in the board room -- one that has different ideas than those that have been in place for a while -- does mark a change in the Leafs culture. While teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings have found value in using advanced statistics, the Maple Leafs have been resistant. If those teams, likely the two best teams in the league over the past five seasons, were using analytics, why would any team not at least ensure that they were up to speed on the latest concepts? Never mind any team, why would the most valuable franchise in the sport, not spend a relative pittance to make sure that they knew and could comprehend the data? Upon hiring Dubas, Shanahan said that he perceived some problems in the Toronto front office. "I believe we have people in our organization who have maybe been afraid of certain words and certain information," said Shanahan. "Once you speak with Kyle, I think he makes it seem much more logical and easy to apply." This, I agree with. Dubas helps crack through old-school hockey minds because he can speak their language. Hes a bright guy with a hockey history and that allows him to communicate on the level of people who arent necessarily inclined to look at some of the more modern statistical advances, whether that means Corsi, zone starts, zone entries, whatever. And, ultimately, its not about the statistics, its about using them to help make better organizational decisions. "Im not going to rush in tomorrow and try to tell everybody how it is," Dubas told the Globe and Mails James Mirtle. "Thats not really the way I am." From my brief conversation with Dubas at the Sloan Conference, he noted that the Greyhounds possession numbers skyrocketed under head coach Sheldon Keefe, going from 47% to 57%, using their own manually-calculated metrics (because, unlike the NHL, the OHL doesnt have a stats feed of every event that happens in every game). Getting the information, and applying it to how a team should play, is a textbook example of how to use statistics as part of a teams overall strategy. The Greyhounds valued puck possession, coached their players to value puck possession and became a much better team as a result. On other topics, we talked about employing four forwards on the ice at times. He said the Greyhounds were experimenting with it, adding a top-line forward when the other team put their fourth line on the ice, figuring that there was a potential mismatch available, with minimal downside because other teams fourth lines werent necessarily a big threat. Merely thinking that little bit outside the box qualifies as creative in hockey circles and its the open-minded approach to try it that makes Dubas such an intriguing hire. Hes not stuck on the same old, same old because thats the wway it has always been done. Colin McDonald Jersey. While Dubas has been painted as a stats guy in some corners, there were soldiers at the ready to make sure the world knew he was not just some nerd (as if they could help a hockey team). Player agent Todd Reynolds, whose firm, Uptown Sports Management, hired Dubas as a player agent when he was 21, told TSNs Jonas Siegel, "I dont think its all about analytics like people have wanted to make it out to be today. Hes not a computer nerd. Hes not sitting there crunching numbers and bringing sheets of paper into the GMs office with recommendations. Hes much more complete than that." Some people are really concerned that you dont think too highly of Dubas use of analytics. These are deeply-held notions in the hockey world, that stats guys must sit in front of a computer and print out sheets of recommendations without watching the games and applying that analysis. Keep in mind, there may not be anyone doing more watching of the games than guys involved in analytics, who are constantly finding new ways to look at the sport. This isnt a bad thing, particularly in a sport that, relatively, has been in the statistical stone age. So, why is Dubas considered a stats guy? Because that is a point of differentiation. He has scouted players, been an agent and a junior hockey GM, so he has made his hockey bones, but hes 28-years-old, so he hasnt necessarily seen as much hockey as veteran NHL executives. But, if you are looking for a difference -- beyond merely age -- that helps Dubas stand out, it is that he understands modern analytic concepts and there wasnt a lot of evidence, through many radio interviews last season, that Loiselle, Poulin or Nonis had a firm grasp on those matters. Shanahan, describing the interview process with Dubas, said, "I was learning things I didnt know and just wanted to learn more." This is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, a Hall of Famer who scored 656 career goals (ranking 13th all-time), who was not only learning about hockey from a 28-year-old who never played in the league but, much more importantly for the Maple Leafs, he was actually open to the idea! That the Maple Leafs havent seriously applied analytics to their management is one thing. Its another matter entirely to have effectively taken this approach without a real understanding of how analytics apply to the modern NHL game. Even Dubas acknowledged that this was an area in which Nonis was learning. What does it mean for the future of the Maple Leafs? Dubas is a 28-year-old Assistant GM, coming into a team that, barring trades, largely has its roster set for the 2014-2015 season, so its not like immediate results can or should be pinned on his hiring, but this is about changing the long-term direction of the franchise and doing so in a progressive way. Dubas presents a voice that should be different and, for a team that has reached the playoffs once in the past nine seasons, new voices need to be heard. Dubas has Shanahans ear and that should have some influence in the decisions that the Maple Leafs make going forward. While that could make for some uncomfortable times for GM Dave Nonis, considering this franchises track record, no one in the Leafs organization ought to feel too comfortable. Getting better is the goal, right? "I havent run the team in Sault St. Marie based solely on statistics," said Dubas. "Its been a good size part of what weve integrated in, but the rest of it is just hockey. Its evaluating players, scouting reports, dealing with the personalities on the team, trying to hire the best scouts and people. And certainly the analytics, Ive found it to be a major help to me personally in the way that I view the game and just create a better level of certainty to decisions." Thats what any team should be striving to achieve in their use of statistics and analytics. Stats arent everything. No one is suggesting to use statistics on their own, without anything else. You can still watch the games. Use the stats as a tool for evaluation and make better decisions. There probably arent a lot of analytics about hiring a 28-year-old Assistant GM, small samples and all that, but this decision by the Maple Leafs was smart. If theyre not careful, that could become a thing. 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 NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '