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Mitglied TORONTO -- When the darkness threatened to envelop Clara Hughes, the six-time Olympian sought solace on her bike. Blake Bortles Jersey . Hughes climbed on her bike again Friday for what she called the most important ride of her life. The retired athlete, who is known almost as much as a tireless advocate for mental health awareness as she is an Olympic champion, set off on Claras Big Ride -- a 110-day journey around Canada to promote conversation about mental health. "This is bigger than anything Ive ever done or ever will do," Hughes said. "And the best part about it is its not about me. Im using the bike as a vehicle to bring the mental health conversation and then using every community event that we visit, every school, to really elevate the people in the community, the students to give them a voice, give them the platform. "Its so different from sport because this is not about me. It is actually what motivates me to do this." The 41-year-old Hughes, who has been vocal about her battle with depression, won Olympic medals in both cycling and long-track speedskating, and when she retired from competitive sports after the 2012 London Olympics and suddenly found herself with more time on her hands, a cross-country bike ride seemed the perfect vehicle for her cause. "Over the years, Ive done a lot of bike touring as well as my racing, and theres a curiosity when you roll into town and roll out of town. Where have you come from? Where are you going?" Hughes said. "And I wanted it to be epic. I felt like we need something epic for people to really connect to, and riding across and around Canada is epic. "This is a massive country and I just feel like maybe we can show also the importance of movement, of being active, whatever it is. Going for a walk, riding your bike. Thats a big part of my mental health practice, so I also wanted to show that." The Winnipeg native, accompanied by her husband Peter Guzman, will cover 12,000 kilometres and visit 95 communities, eventually reaching Ottawa on July 1, Canada Day. Hughes, the spokesperson for Bell Lets Talk, set off from a lunchtime ceremony at Maple Leaf Square, wearing blue cycling suit, black tuque, and her trademark megawatt smile. "Today, I woke up and thought Its game time. Lets go. And Im ready. And this is the best day of my life, that I get to start this journey. I cant wait for this to unfold," Hughes said. Hughes slipped into severe depression after winning two bronze cycling medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and for nearly a year she hid her sombre secret behind her wide smile. She initially thought it was simply post-Olympic letdown, and believed shed get over it. But she found herself sleeping away the days, and crying uncontrollably when she was awake. She gained between 15 and 20 pounds. More than a decade later, Hughes has become one of the most vocal advocates for erasing the stigma around mental illness as the spokesperson for Bell Lets Talk Day. "I do feel theres a shift (in the discussion around mental illness)," she said. "Has it changed? No. The shift has started to happen in the last number of years and I think the (Lets Talk) campaign is a big part of it. And thats why I had the idea of when I finally did quit, I had all this time on my hands. . . what more can I do? And thats where this ride kind of stemmed from." Hughes and her husband plan to cover about 150 kilometres a day. Theyll be accompanied by a Greyhound bus carrying support staff and supplies. A rotating group of cyclists will ride with them. There were about 100 that set off from Toronto to Hamilton for Day 1 on Friday. "I think its going to be really different," Hughes said, comparing her Big Ride to her days of competing. "Its funny, the other day I woke up and had a big cinnamon roll and coffee for breakfast, and I was just like: I would never do this if I was getting ready for a race. "Get to relax a little more. And theres no finish line, Im not sprinting, theres no race. The race is just getting the message to as many people, connecting to as many people, and I really like that. Because I dont have to go hard either. So its different in terms of intensity as well, obviously. "And Im loving life after sport. Im a proud recreational athlete, and this is part of my recreation is riding my bike." Asked about her own health, Hughes said shes "doing very well" but admitted it was a big transition into life after sport. "One of the things even doing this ride whenever I have something big in my life, I worry about after, because thats when things start getting dark and difficult," she said. Hughes speaks regularly with a psychologist shes worked with since her last year training in Calgary, and will have that outlet during the ride if she needs it. Shes although thankful for the support of her husband. "Hes trained for many Olympics kind of in the shadows but with me, hes been a force behind me," she said. "But this is the first time weve done everything together and spent so much time together, and its going really well. Hes so excited. Hes the kind of person who never ever quits what he starts. So even if disaster strikes and whatever, and this ride doesnt finish, Peter will be out there on his own, finishing in Ottawa on Canada Day, so Ive got great partners." Mental health issues in sport made headlines again this week when Terry Trafford, a 20-year-old from Toronto and a forward for the Ontario Hockey Leagues Saginaw Spirit, committed suicide. Hughes spoke about meeting Olympic speedskating champion Stefan Groothuis last month at the Sochi Olympics. The Dutch gold medallist was on the brink of suicide a year ago. "Hes been talking about what that was like to go through that dark period and depression and to come back, and to say This gold medal represents that there is light to go to. Dont give up. "So there are so many athletes that are starting to come out and talk about their experience with mental illness, and the stress, anxiety. . .Athletes are not immune to it, but also athletes are not superhuman and need support. I always tell that to athletes, make sure youre getting the help you need." Along with her two Olympic bronze medals in cycling, Hughes won four winter Olympic medals in speedskating -- one gold, one silver, and two bronze. Her six medals ties her with speedskater Cindy Klassen as the most decorated Canadian Olympians. Allen Hurns Jaguars Jersey . -- For one night, Nick Calathes provided a big reason to believe the Memphis Grizzlies might be able to withstand the loss of Mike Conley on a short-term basis. Chris Ivory Jersey . Raymond, 31, started 15 regular-season games for the Stamps in 2013, racking up 51 tackles. He also returned two kickoffs for 79 yards including a 61-yarder.It appears fans are up to their usual tricks at the Super Bowl this year. This time it’s Seattle Seahawks fans – or someone with an interest in the New England Patriots showing up tired for Sunday’s game – that have been pulling fire alarms at the Patriots’ hotel, according to a report. ESPN reports fire alarms have gone off in the Patriots’ hotel two of the three nights the teeam has stayed there. Jaguars Jerseys. For their part however, the Patriots aren’t going to use the fire alarms as an excuse – if they’re hearing them at all. I slept right through it. I slept great last night. Im glad I didnt hear it. said tight end Rob Gronkowski of Tuesday’s fire alarm. I must be sleeping through it. I slept great, echoed quarterback Tom Brady. 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Mitglied One quarter of the way through the NHL season, its time for an early look at the awards races, along with some advanced stats leaders and trailers. Thurman Thomas Authentic Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. HART TROPHY Winner: Alexander Steen, LW, St. LouisRunners-up: Alex Ovechkin, RW, Washington; Sidney Crosby, C, PittsburghComment: A career low-percentage finisher (9.8% career shooting percentage), Alexander Steen has been a strong two-way player for much of his time in St. Louis, generating more than three shots per game and playing tough minutes for the last three-plus seasons but, suddenly, this year, he has started scoring at an outrageous rate (17 G, 9 A in 20 GP), thanks both to a career-high 23.3% shooting percentage and career-high 3.65 shots on goal per game. While the shots per game could be sustainable, as his line with David Backes and, often, T.J. Oshie, is one of the leagues best, but when Steens shooting percentage starts to fall, hes unlikely to hold off challengers. Ovechkin recaptured some of his lost lustre last season when he led the league with 32 goals in 48 games (a 55-goal pace in an 82-game season), but hes on fire this season, with 17 goals and 24 points in 19 games. While Ovechin is scoring on a career-high 15.5% of his shots, thats not nearly so far from his career average (12.3%) and his 5.79 shots on goal per game represent the second-best rate of his career. When Ovechkin is generating that many chances, the goals, and points, will follow. Early in the year, this looked like it would be a runaway for Crosby, who is finally healthy and appeared to be at the peak of his powers. A funny thing happened on the way to that coronation, however, as Crosby has endured a bit of a slump. Now, its only a superstar slump, which means nine points in the last 13 games, so its not like hes completely dropped off the map, but when he had 17 points in the first eight games and gave every indication that he would run away with the Hart and Art Ross trophies. NORRIS TROPHYWinner: Erik Karlsson, OttawaRunners-up: P.K. Subban, Montreal; Alex Pietrangelo, St. LouisComment: It has been a trying season for the Ottawa Senators, but Karlsson has been great, scoring a point per game and logging more than 27 minutes of ice time. Not surprisingly, Karlssons top challenger is last years winner, Subban, who has 19 points in 22 games and, despite a manufactured controversy surrounding his ice time, has played a career-high 24:54 per game. This race is a long way from settled, but its kind of cool to have the last two winners off to strong starts again this season. Theres still plenty of time for other defencemen to climb into the conversation. Alex Pietrangelo is playing as well as he ever had, with more offensive production in the early going. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Duncan Keith are a couple more early contenders to consider. VEZINA TROPHYWinner: Tuukka Rask, BostonRunners-up: Josh Harding, Minnesota; Carey Price, MontrealComment: If not for Tuesdays loss in Montreal, the award would go to Harding, but he surrendered three goals in a little more than 33 minutes, opening the door just a crack for Tuukka Rask to take the lead. With a .946 save percentage in 18 games, Rask is not only handling a heavy workload, but hes playing better than ever before, and thats saying something because from 2009-2010 through 2012-2013, he had the best save percentage among goaltenders with at least 100 games played. Thats not to suggest that Hardings year hasnt been incredible -- hes allowed 23 goals against in 18 games (1.38 GAA) -- but hes just a hair behind Rask today. As for other contenders, Price gets the nod over Kari Lehtonen, who missed time with injury, and Torontos duo of Jonathan Bernier and James Reimer, largely because Price has handled the starters workload. CALDER TROPHYWinner: Tomas Hertl, LW, San JoseRunners-up: Seth Jones, D, Nashville; Torey Krug, D, BostonComment: Hertl, the 20-year-old Czech winger burst onto the scene with six goals in his first three games, then went through a bout of mediocrity, scoring four points in the next 11 games, but hes picked up again and with 12 goals and 18 points in 21 games, hes having a lot of success on Joe Thorntons wing. Hes on a 47-goal pace and, sure its not likely to continue, but thats where we are through the first quarter of the season. Jones has been handling a heavy workload, 24 minutes per game, and is facing tough matchups as he frequently pairs with Shea Weber on the Predators top pair. He may not score enough to hold voter interest (see Jonas Brodin last season), but Jones appears to be on the fast track to stardom. A defenceman who may score enough, Krug, is quarterbacking the Bruins power play and has scored half of his 12 points with the man advantage, but he holds his own at even strength to rank ahead of Calgarys Sean Monahan and Detroits Danny DeKeyser. Some rookies that didnt start the year in the NHL, including the Rangers Chris Kreider and the Kings Tyler Toffoli, are close for consideration already, despite playing fewer games. SELKE AWARDWinner: Patrice Bergeron, C, BostonRunners-up: David Backes, C, St. Louis; Dave Bolland, C, TorontoComment: Some things dont change and both Bergeron and Backes have continued in their roles, taking on the toughest matchups for their respective teams, while still controlling puck possession. Keeping the puck away from other teams best players is a great way to defend, by the way, and the continued excellence of Bergeron and Backes in their roles makes for a great competition. If not for suffering his ankle tendon injury, Torontos Dave Bolland would be a challenger because, in addition to tough matchups, Bolland has started a lot of shifts in the defensive zone (a product of the Maple Leafs territorial play). Some others of note early in this season: Vancouvers Chris Higgins, Ottawas Kyle Turris and Columbus Brandon Dubinsky. JACK ADAMS AWARDWinner: Patrick Roy, ColoradoRunners-up: Dave Tippett, Phoenix; Mike Yeo, MinnesotaComment: Always a difficult call because there are many great candidates and we dont know how much of a teams performace is necessarily coaching-related, but Roys start with the Avalanche is too strong to ignore. Fortunately, hes a Hall of Famer goaltender, so no one will be ignoring anything that happens with the Avalanche. Tippett is in contention every year and even if the Coyotes arent the buckled-down defensive team that hes favoured in past seasons, theyve also lost just four games in regulation through the first 21. The reason for including Yeo is a nod towards the Wilds change in style of play towards a stronger puck-possession game, going from below average last season to among the league leaders in Fenwick Close, a metric for possession when the game is most closely contested (ie. within one goal in the first two periods and tied in the third period and overtime). For a team to make such a shift has to come, in some manner, from the coaching staff and how they want their team to approach the game. Jon Cooper and Barry Trotz are deserving candidates as well. For those that have been reading my work for a while, its no secret that I like digging into the advanced stats at www.behindthenet.ca, www.extraskater.com and stats.hockeyanalysis.com, so here are just a couple of interesting stats leaders/trailers at this point in the season (minimum 12 games played). All of these stats are linked via www.extraskater.com. First up, penalty differential, from Extra Skater. RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. DRAWN TAKEN PEN. DIFF/GM 1. T.J. Galiardi Calgary LW 16 6 0.48 2. Matt Duchene Colorado C 11 2 0.47 3. Viktor Stalberg Nashville LW 8 2 0.40 4. Logan Couture San Jose C 8 0 0.38 5. Scott Hartnell Philadelphia LW 11 5 0.38 4. Alexander Steen St. Louis LW 12 5 0.35 7. Teemu Selanne Anaheim RW 7 1 0.33 8. Andrew Shaw Chicago RW 12 5 0.32 9. Devin Setoguchi Winnipeg RW 9 2 0.32 10. Mark Scheifele Winnipeg C 9 2 0.32 And the trailers... RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. DRAWN TAKEN PEN. DIFF/GP 526. Tom Wilson Washington RW 9 18 -0.39 527. Radko Gudas Tampa Bay D 10 19 -0.39 528. Trevor Daley Dallas D 1 9 -0.40 529. Kimmo Timonen Philadelphia D 0 8 -0.40 530. Grant Clitsome Winnipeg D 0 8 -0.42 531. Mike Fisher Nashville C 0 6 -0.43 532. Chris Neil Ottawa RW 5 14 -0.43 533. Henrik Tallinder Buffalo D 0 8 -0.44 534. Jonathan Ericsson Detroit D 0 6 -0.50 535. Dave Bolland Toronto C 1 9 -0.53 Next, a look at 5-on-5 shot attempt ratio (aka Corsi%). Naturally, its much better for your team to have more shots at the opponents goal than on your own, so better to be on the plus side of 50% instead of below. Those Kings arent bad, not bad at all. From Extra Skater. RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. CORSI% 1. Justin Williams Los Angeles RW 65.2% 2. Jake Muzzin Los Angeles D 65.0% 3. Dustin Brown Los Angeles LW 63.7% 4. Anze Kopitar Los Angeles C 63.5% 5. Loui Eriksson Boston RW 62.9% 6. Mikko Koivu Minnesota C 61.4% 7. Andrew Shaw Chicago RW 60.7% 8. Jonathan Toews Chicago C 60.7% 9. Zach Parise Minnesota LW 60.5% 10. Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis RW 60.3% And the trailers... RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. CORSI% 526. Rasmus Ristolainen Buffalo D 38.9% 527. Brian McGrattan Calgary LW 38.7% 528. Trevor Smith Toronto C 38.4% 529. Mikhail Grigorenko Buffalo C 37.8% 530. Marc-Andre Cliche Colorado RW 37.7% 531. Mike Weber Buffalo D 37.5% 532. Tom Sestito Vancouver LW 37.4% 533. Mike Brown San Jose RW 36.7% 534. Cody McCormick Buffalo LW 36.3% 535. Jay Rosehill Philadelphia LW 35.1% Next up, a measure for quality of competition, via Extra Skater, reveals which players are taking on the toughest matchups. RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. QUALCOMP 1. Henrik Zetterberg Detroit LW 30.8 2. Pavel Datsyuk Detroit C 30.8 3. Dion Phaneuf Toronto D 30.7 4. Logan Couture San Jose C 30.7 5. Patrick Marleau San Jose LW 30.7 6. Jonathan Toews Chicago C 30.6 7. Chris Kunitz Pittsburgh LW 30.6 8. Carl Gunnarsson Toronto D 30.5 9. Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh C 30.5 10. Bryan Little Winnipeg C 30.4 And the trailers, who are being utilized very strategically, to avoid bad matchups. RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. QUALCOMP 526. Brett Sutter Carolina LW 25.7 527. Krystofer Barch Florida RW 25.7 528. Marc-Andre Cliche Colorado RW 25.7 529. Zenon Konopka Minnesota C 25.5 530. Jay Rosehill Philadelphia LW 25.5 531. Cody McLeod Colorado LW 25.5 532. Aaron Volpatti Washington LW 25.3 533. Paul Bissonnette Phoenix LW 25.3 534. Patrick Bordeleau Colorado LW 25.0 535. Colton Orr Toronto RW 25.0 Another statistic relevant to a players output is zone starts. Those that start more shifts in the offensive zone are more likely to generate shots on goal (and points) because of that relatively advantageous location. In some cases, its merely playing to an individual players strengths as an offensive or defensive player, but it might also reflect a coachs level of trust in that player since theres greater risk if something goes wrong in the defensive zone. These per Extra Skater. RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. O-ZONE% 1. Jordan Nolan Los Angeles RW 73.1% 2. Bryan Bickell Chicago LW 72.7% 3. Michal Rozsival Chicago D 71.4% 4. Brad Richards N.Y. Rangers C 71.1% 5. Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis RW 69.3% 6. Patrick Kane Chicago RW 69.1% 7. Nail Yakupov Edmonton RW 68.9% 8. Alec Martinez Los Angeles D 68.6% 9. Brandon Pirri Chicago C 68.3% 10. Ryan Callahan N.Y. Rangers RW 67.2% And the trailers... RANK PLAYER TEAM POS. O-ZONE% 526. Ben Smith Chicago RW 29.9% 527. Brian Boyle N.Y. Rangers C 28.9% 528. Tom Sestito Vancouver LW 28.8% 529. Paul Gaustad Nashville C 28.4% 530. Zenon Konopka Minnesota C 27.7% 531. Marcus Kruger Chicago C 27.3% 532. Brandon Bollig Chicago LW 24.8% 533. Adam Hall Philadelphia C 22.6% 534. Boyd Gordon Edmonton C 19.0% 535. Jay Rosehill Philadelphia LW 14.3% 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. Thurman Thomas Jersey . -- Two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana agreed Tuesday to a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles as he tries to come back from the second major operation on his left shoulder. Jim Kelly Bills Jersey .Y. -- Cory Schneider has to make the most of his opportunities to guard the New Jersey Devils net to earn more playing time.GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan has what the team believes is a form of Rocky Mountain Fever and is responding to medication. Doan has missed the past six games after becoming ill with what had been an unknown illness. Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said on Friday that it looked like some form of Rocky Mountain Fever,, a bacterial disease that affects the lining of blood cells. Bruce Smith Bills Jersey. Doan rejoined the Coyotes in time to watch their game against Carolina on Saturday and skated lightly Thursday. There is no timetable for his return, but he isnt likely to play until after the Coyotes current four-game road trip that ends in Buffalo on Monday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied NEW YORK -- Jason Collins hasnt even worn his No. Bruce Matthews Titans Jersey . 98 jersey in a game yet, and already its a big seller. Collins had four of the top five selling jersey items Wednesday on NBAStore.com, the day the NBAs first openly gay player was to wear the jersey in a game for the first time at Portland. His home and road replica jerseys, the womens replica road jersey and the mens T-shirt with number on it were top in their categories. A LeBron James item led the fifth category. A league spokesperson says Collins items were No. 1 in those four categories. He wore No. 46 on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers because his preferred number wasnt available yet. Collins picked No. 98 in tribute to Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 in a gay hate crime. The league doesnt provide the number of jerseys sold. Brian Orakpo Womens Jersey . The Calgary Stampeders announced both moves on Wednesday. Parker played 17 regular season games with the Stampeders in 2013, setting career-highs in catches (21) and yards (217). Tennessee Titans Hoodie . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will take aim at their first five-game winning streak in nearly seven years when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes for Mondays clash at Jobing.com Arena. Toronto has recorded a season-high four straight wins on the heels of a four- game slide, but the Maple Leafs havent claimed five consecutive victories since Jan. 27-Feb. 6, 2007. The Leafs have notched four or more goals in each of their past three wins and recorded a 5-3 decision in Saturdays home test against the rival Montreal Canadiens. James van Riemsdyk scored the game-winning goal in the third period before Joffrey Lupul sealed the win with an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Lupul, Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel all posted a goal and an assist, while Cody Franson also scored for the Maple Leafs. Kessel has recorded a point in five straight games, logging three goals and seven helpers during the tear. Jonathan Bernier stopped 30 shots in the win, which helped Toronto pull within four points of the Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division. The top three teams in each division receive an automatic berth in the playoffs. "Obviously the magnitude of this game was huge," said Toronto forward Nazem Kadri. "For us to chase that top spot in the division is still a realistic goal for us. We knew we had to come out and play against a very good team." Toronto is currently in postseason position as it holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Delanie Walker Womens Jersey. The Leafs made the playoffs last spring to end a club- record postseason drought of seven seasons. The Leafs are kicking off a four-game road trip tonight and are just 8-10-4 as the guest this season. Toronto has lost three straight and four of its past five tilts in Phoenix, but the Leafs have won seven of 13 overall meetings in the series. The Coyotes have won two straight heading to Mondays tilt, giving the club consecutive wins for the first time since Dec. 10-12. Phoenix hasnt won three in a row since a five-game run from Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Phoenix has notched both of its recent wins on home ice and will cap a three- game stay in the desert tonight. The Coyotes picked up a 3-2 win over New Jersey on Saturday. Martin Hanzal tallied a goal and an assist to lead the way on offense, while Mike Smith made 32 saves in the victory. Jordan Szwarz and Jeff Halpern also scored for Phoenix and Keith Yandle supplied two helpers in the Coyotes second straight win after a four-game slump. "It is a great night for me. Our line has been playing well recently. It was nice to get rewarded early and get a goal for our team," Szwarz said. Phoenix improved to 14-7-3 as the home team this season. The Coyotes will begin a three-game road trip Wednesday night in Calgary. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied TORONTO -- Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey knows his starters can not play the entire game. James Johnson Jersey . But after Sundays loss to the Denver Nuggets, he probably wishes they could. The Nuggets reserves came off the bench to outscore their Raptors counterparts 72-16 as Denver pulled away in the fourth quarter for a comfortable 112-98 win before 16,290 fans at Air Canada Centre. "Our bench has got to give us something," Casey told reporters after Toronto (6-10) lost its third straight. "Our guys (starters) cant play for 48 (minutes), so weve got to get production from our bench. "The guys coming in have got to develop a toughness, a resilience of getting stops. And, it starts on the defensive end. In the second half, they shot it well but we didnt make them feel us." The 72 bench points conceded is the worst in Raptors history, exceeding the 69 points surrendered to the Chicago Bulls in a loss on Jan. 25, 2006. Diminutive guard Nate Robinson led the way for Denver (10-6) with 23 points off the bench. The 5-foot-9 veteran hit five three-pointers on the afternoon, including back-to-back shots from beyond the arc with just over two minutes to go, as the Nuggets coasted to their sixth straight win. In addition to Robinsons team-high 23 points, three other Denver players had double-digit point totals off the bench, including Timofey Mozgov with 16, Darrell Arthur with 14 and Jordan Hamilton with 10. Rudy Gay led the way for the Raptors with 23 points. Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Finishing 1-3 on their longest home stand of the season, the Raptors now head out West for the next week, visiting the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. "Personally, Im frustrated. Period," said Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 17 points. "Weve just got to figure it out and turn it around on the road. "Its correctable but we shouldnt have to keep doing the same thing over and over before we realize that we are doing something wrong. We have to understand what were doing out the gate and correct it." Casey shuffled his line-up, inserting Tyler Hansbrough into the starting rotation in place of a struggling Amir Johnson. And, the initial results were positive, as the Raptors came out flying, opening up a 15-point lead eight minutes into the first quarter on the strength of a swarming defence and some deadly accurate field goal shooting. DeRozan hit his first four shots and Lowry sunk his initial two attempts from beyond the three-point arc. But the Nuggets went on a 13-4 run over the final 3:56 of the first quarter to cut the lead to 31-25. Denver led 47-45 at the half and had a 76-72 lead after a see-saw third quarter that featured four lead changes. In addition to lamenting his bench being outplayed, Casey also said the Raptors didnt pass the ball enough. "We had only 18 assists, they had 29," he said. "And, thats where it starts in the offensive end. "We talked about the defensive end but the offensive end, weve got to start trusting the pass." Gay said despite three straight losses, the Raptors are not getting down on themselves. "If we want to win, we have to make the right adjustments," he said. "Lets not get crazy," Gay said when asked if there might need to be some dramatic shake-up with the team. "They hit some tough shots and we made them hit some tough shots. We made them move the ball around, which is our defensive principle. We cant look at ourselves like we are just terrible. "We made some strides today but we can be better." Vince Carter Raptors Jersey .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Tracy Mcgrady Raptors Jersey . As they are wont to do, the Spurs made things real easy. The Spurs signed Parker to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, ensuring that the six-time All-Star point guard will be in the fold whether Duncan and Ginobili are able to continue their careers or not.BALTIMORE -- The Orioles have obtained outfielder David Lough from the Kansas City Royals for infielder Danny Valencia. As a rookie this year, the 27-year-old Lough batted .286 with five homers and 33 RBIs in 96 games. He played all three outfield positions. He was originally selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 2012,, playing 20 games and batting . Jonas Valanciunas Raptors Jersey. 237. Valencia hit .304 in 170 plate appearances for Baltimore. He bounced between the big league team and the minor leagues for much of the season. Valencias .553 slugging percentage was the fifth-highest in the AL among players with at least 150 at-bats. He batted .371 with 14 doubles and four homers against left-handers. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork. Leonard Floyd Jersey .com) - Despite being selected to his first All- Star Game, Sergei Bobrovsky wont get to be part of the fun in his own home city. On Thursday, the Blue Jackets revealed that their starting goaltender was felled by a lower-body injury during Wednesdays 4-0 loss in Winnipeg and, as a result, wont partake in the festivities this weekend. There is not timetable for his return. Bobrovsky holds a 16-15-2 record, 2.85 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and one shutout in 33 games this season. He was named the NHLs Third Star of the Month for December after going 9-1-1 with a 2.13 GAA, .937 save percentage in 11 appearances. Dan Hampton Bears Jersey . The group of Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Sergei Fedorov, & Slava Kozlov were a dominant force for The Wings at one point in the 90s. Richard Dent Jersey . -- Center Max Unger and tight end Zach Miller are both probable for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday against the New York Giants and Percy Harvins recovery continues to be slow. BALTIMORE -- As poorly as they played for the first seven innings, it seemed hard to imagine the Baltimore Orioles would be celebrating an uplifting victory well after midnight. Then again, strange things happen when the Chicago White Sox are involved. Nelson Cruz hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth inning and David Lough scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the 12th to give the Orioles a 5-4 victory Wednesday night. Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who won two of three from Chicago -- twice in their last at-bat. "Its big," Lough said. "Thats our second walk-off win against these guys. Theyre a good team. Give credit to them and their pitching staff for holding us." The Orioles didnt get a runner past first base against White Sox starter Hector Noesi until the seventh inning and trailed 4-0 entering the eighth. Noesi was pulled after giving up two straight singles, and Scott Downs walked Chris Davis to load the bases with two outs. Chicago manager Robin Ventura summoned Javy Guerra, the fourth pitcher of the inning, to face Cruz. On a 2-1 pitch, Cruz launched an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the wall in right field. It was his 24th home run, the second grand slam of the season and eighth of his career. "I had the chance to do some damage in a couple of at-bats before then, but I grounded into a double play twice," Cruz said. "It feels good to get the home run to tie the game." Said Lough: "Thats a big-time clutch hit right there, as big as it gets. Thats who we want at the plate, because he leads this team. You see what hes capable of doing and the numbers hes put up. Hes a special player." Neither team threatened before the grounds crew came with the tarp as soon as the ninth inning ended. Rain delayed the start of the 10th for 69 minutes. Nick Hundley opened the bottom of the 12th with a walk off Daniel Webb (4-2) and Lough entered as a pinch-runner. Lough took third on a single by Markakis and scored easily when Webb uncorked a pitch that got past catcher Tyler Flowers. "Its tough to lose like that," Ventura said. "Hector threw a great game, but we couldnt hold onto it. Weve got to be able to be better at the end. Tom Waddle Womens Jersey. " Tommy Hunter (2-1) got the final out in the Chicago 12th to earn the win. "It didnt look like it was a 4-4 game or it ended up being 5-4 in the first seven innings," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Eight innings. Whatever it was. It seems like yesterday. It was yesterday." Jose Abreu hit his 23rd home run for the White Sox, Adam Eaton tied a career high with four hits and Flowers drove in two runs. Abreu has four homers and 10 RBIs during his current 10-game hitting streak. None of it mattered. "The way we played, we should have (won), but the baseball gods must be upset with us in some way, shape, or form," Eaton said. Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander left the mound in danger of absorbing his ninth loss, but Cruzs slam took Jimenez off the hook. Until Cruz connected, Noesi and the White Sox dominated. Abreu provided Chicago a 1-0 lead by hitting the first pitch of the fourth inning into the seats in left. In the fifth, Alejandro De Aza drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple by Eaton. The Orioles pulled the infield in, and that resulted in Eaton being thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third. Flowers hit a two-run single in the seventh to make it 4-0. That seemingly provided a bit of breathing room for the White Sox, whose previous seven games were decided by two runs or fewer. Unfortunately for Chicago, the lead didnt hold up. "That was my fault, I put this game on myself," Guerra said. "I have to be better in that situation, no matter what. I need to understand the situation. I feel bad for the team in general because I know I let everyone down." NOTES: Baltimore is off Thursday. Chicago sends Scott Carroll to the mound in the opener of a four-game series against host Toronto. ... Orioles RHP Bud Norris (strained groin) was supposed to pitch in Fridays split doubleheader against Tampa Bay. Chris Tillman will start instead, and Norris might not pitch again until Tuesday. He was expected to have an MRI on Thursday, Showalter said. ... Eaton has reached base in 20 straight games and owns a career-best 12-game hitting streak. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied The four-team FXFLs first season is over, and the developmental leagues founder is eager to get started on Year 2. Larry Fitzgerald Jersey .I think we had a great first season, given the accelerated timeframe we operated under, says Brian Woods, commissioner of the league. We are very pleased at the response from the public. This model has proven itself. We believe we have something that works, with utilization of minor league baseball parks and the sponsorships weve created.Two of the FXFLs four franchises, the Brooklyn Bolts and Omaha Mammoths, drew decent-sized crowds to such stadiums. The Boston Brawlers didnt fare quite so well, and the Blacktips were a road-only team.Woods also was satisfied with the media reach the league had through regional sports networks and ESPN3. There were 80 million households who get those regional channels, and ESPN3 is available in about 90 million households.Most of the leagues players were cut by NFL teams before the season, and a handful wound up on NFL rosters or practice squads even as the FXFL was playing its short season. That, after all, was the idea in the first place.At the end of the day, we are a developmental league, Woods says. If some players needed current game film, they got it. There is real merit to having a developmental league.So much so that Woods envisions a bigger league in 2015, with more affiliations with minor league baseball teams and stadia. Hes targeting such cities as Memphis, Austin, Oklahoma City and somewhere in Florida. Woods also expects Brooklyn and Omaha to return.I want it to be a manageable expansion, ensure the product on the field will remain solid and something the fans will have an interest in, he says.OUT OF THIN AIR: Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Jared Odrick prepared for Sundays game at mile-high Denver with a hunting trip to Utah.Odrick and a friend shot coyote and hiked last weekend in the mountains near Randolph, which is at 6,300 feet — higher than Denver.Ive played in altitude before, Odrick said. It can be different if you want it to be. Its just another thing to overcome.Odricks mini-vacation was possible because the Dolphins had last weekend off following a Thursday night win over the Bills.CHAMPS TAKE: Although the only football Champ Bailey plays now is fantasy, he still has a scouts eye on the game he played for 15 seasons. He has faith in his former team getting right back on the Super Bowl Express.The Broncos (7-3) have lost two of their last three in large part because their makeshift offensive line cant keep Peyton Manning upright or jumpstart the ground game.Bailey, who officially retired this week, starting the countdown to his likely Hall of Fame speech, said angst-ridden Broncos fans should relax.Well, I think up front, theyre going to find something theyre comfortable with. They have to. Obviously, theyve made some changes. But theyll be good, Bailey said. I know the defence looks better than what we had last year. So, thats really the key: Dont turn the ball over, and get turnovers. They do that, they win. Too much talent not to.Theres never a good time for a slump, but better now than later, Bailey said.Its happened at the right time, not in the playoffs, Bailey said. This league, its about as tight as it gets. I swear, six or seven weeks ago, youre talking about Seattle is the best thing you ever seen. Now, what do you think?New England was in trouble then, too.Exactly: Whats wrong with Brady? They cant keep plugging guys in, Bailey said. Its week to week. Cant get too high or too low — on anybody, I dont care who they are.Therefore, Bailey still likes Denvers chances to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, warts and all.Very good chances, Bailey said. There are a lot of teams with good chances, but if theyre playing the best they can play, they can win it, easily.PREPPING FOR SPEED: Tennessee defensive co-ordinator Ray Horton has never coached against Philadelphia with coach Chip Kellys fast-paced offence. So he tried something a little different to help prep the Titans for visiting the Eagles on Sunday.He went to the tape. No, not the coaches version with all the breaks between plays edited out. He showed them a copy of the TV broadcast, complete with Troy Aikman, from the Eagles 53-20 loss at Green Bay last week.So they get the tempo and how fast everything goes, Horton said. I think if you havent seen it, and I havent seen it in person, I think our guys now have an idea of what it is because theyve seen it actually like they were there just watching it on TV. They wont be surprised or shocked. I dont think they will be. I think we have a great game plan in how were going to do it and what we do and well be ready to go.Defensive coaches will watch a copy of the TV broadcast to pick up a quarterbacks cadence. But with the Eagles, Horton didnt care about the words, simply the speed and tempo that offence runs so none of the Titans are caught off-guard by just how quickly Philadelphia moves.But you still have to experience how fast it is, Horton said.ELI-TIKI TIFF: Eli Manning didnt like it a couple of years ago when former teammate Tiki Barber took a shot at him over his leadership abilities. And he didnt like it when Barber said in a recent radio interview that coach Tom Coughlin should be fired.Thats very nice of him, Manning said. Its good to hear from Ol Tiki.The Giants (3-7) have lost five straight games and are in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season.Manning said he didnt hear all of Barbers comments but got the gist of what he was saying, noting everyone has the right to his opinion.The 33-year-old Manning said the comment wont affect the players or the coaches.Well, I think it depends on kind of what your opinion of the player is, Manning said. I think that can make a big difference in how you react to it.Barber has fallen into disfavour with Giants fans for saying that Mannings leadership was somewhat comical. Barber later added that Coughlins tough coaching style led to his decision to retire, which he announced in the middle of the 2006 season.The Giants and Manning won Super Bowls after the 2007 and 11 seasons.___AP Pro Football Writers Barry Wilner, Teresa M. Walker and Arnie Stapleton, and Sports Writers Tom Canavan and Steven Wine contributed to this notebook.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL David Johnson Jersey . -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday. Markus Golden Jersey . Speaking with TSN 1050 following Brendan Shanahans introductory press conference, the Leafs GM also addressed the clubs perceived leadership issues and the type of working relationship that can be expected within Torontos front office.TORONTO - Edmonton welterweight Ryan (The Real Deal) Ford has been suspended for six months for stepping into the cage with a broken arm to face Jake Shields on a World Series of Fighting card last month.Pat Reid, executive director of the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, said Ford got the ban for lying about his health on his statutory declaration to a commissioner of oaths.Ford (22-5) took the main event fight to Shields (30-7) in the early going but lost via submission at four minutes 29 seconds of the first round aat the Edmonton Expo Centre on Oct. David Johnson Womens Jersey. 11.After the fight, Ford released a video, which he said was made Oct. 2, acknowledging he had broken his ulna — one of the two long bones in the forearm — two days earlier in training.He said he fought with the injury because he needed the paycheque.Fighters had to go through pre-fight blood work, MRIs and eye examination before going through physical testing in front of a doctor and an exercise physiologist.Ford had to do 10 knuckle push-ups among the tests.Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied SANTA CLARA, Calif. Detroit Lions Hats . - Aldon Smith wore a big grin beneath his facemask, even when linebackers coach Jim Leavitt good-naturedly let him have it after the ball didnt wind up in his hands during one drill.Aldon! You wont be able to sleep tonight! Leavitt hollered as Aaron Lynch patted his teammate on the helmet.At his best, Smith is one of the NFLs most menacing sack masters who instil fear into opposing quarterbacks.After nine games on the sideline and 14 missed the past two seasons, its unclear how long it might take for the San Francisco star to regain his fearsome top form on one of the leagues stingiest defences.Smith believes he will be back doing his thing in a hurry following a nine-game suspension by the league for violations of the NFLs substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies.You keep hearing your name, youre like Oh, man, obviously Im missed out there, Smith said. It just put that much more in my drive when I was preparing, whether if it was with my working out or whatever I was doing to mentally be prepared to come back. Its just something I put in the back of my head.Smith is set to make his 2014 debut Sunday at the New York Giants in some capacity, though even coach Jim Harbaugh is unsure exactly what the linebacker will bring.Thats a good question. He did participate in training camp 11 weeks ago, Harbaugh said Wednesday. I would refer back to last year, he missed five weeks and was able to come back and play snaps his first week back. So, good question. Well see, take it day by day.The addition of Smith means a lot during a tough week when linebacker Patrick Willis was lost for the season to an injured left toe that will require surgery.Smith has been attending meetings and working out at team headquarters, but wasnt allowed to practice during his suspension.The Giants are preparing for Smith to make plays.We know that he has been in the building and worked in the conditioning area. I would expect hes a player who has been in on all the meetings and conditioned himself very, very well, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.Im sure that theyre just not going to throw him out there in his first game back, but I would imagine that he would have a fixed amount of plays and he may very well be in there as part of the third-down package.Smith is enjoying all of the little things about being part of a team again — including his high-energy position coach, Leavitt.Geez, you guys look good! Our numbers are growing, Leavitt cheered. Quick feet, Aldon!Quarterback Colin Kaepernick looked forward to seeing No. 99 across the way on the practice field, and in uniform come Sunday.A big lift. Hes a freak of nature on the field, Kaepernick said. Hes a huge component to our defence, so very happy to have him back.The 25-year-old Smith, one of the NFLs top pass rushers, last fall underwent treatment at an inpatient facility following his DUI arrest on Sept. 20, 2013. Last November, he pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a June 2012 party at his home.In the spring, the 49ers picked up his 2015 contract option despite his legal troubles. Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport. Police said Smith was randomly selected for a secondary screening and became unco-operative with the process, telling a TSA agent that he had a bomb. No charges were filed.Theres the joy of being around the team and training and meeting and you miss the joy of practice, Harbaugh said.Linebacker Michael Wilhoite figures Smith is ready to wreak havoc.Hes been here but hes been quiet. Hes done what he needs to do and goes home, Wilhoite said. When you take nine games away from a guy, thats like taking away your job for nine of the 12 months.Smith has enjoyed doing community service and spending time with family and his young son.For those wondering whether he can stay on the right path now, Smith plans to do his part to earn back the trust of his teammates, coaches and fans.Im not going to sit here and give you some crazy answer, Smith said. Time will show.Notes: LB NaVorro Bowman was scheduled for an MRI on his surgically repaired left knee to better determine whether he will soon return to practice and perhaps play down the stretch this season.___AP freelance writer Rick Eymer contributed to this report.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Golden Tate Youth Jersey .C. - The Panthers will be without starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei for Saturday nights NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a broken bone in his foot. Detroit Lions T-shirts . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers winger skated with extras and goalies today.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula have a strong desire to see the Bills stay in Buffalo, and arent ruling out making a bid to buy the NFL franchise. In saying theyre following the Bills sale process, the Pegulas declined to go into further detail of their intentions, in a prepared statement released by Sabres vice-president Michael Gilbert on Friday. "Like everyone else in this community, they have a strong desire to have the Buffalo Bills remain a centerpiece of this region," Gilbert said. "Accordingly, they have been following the developments involving the sale of the Bills." Out of respect for the sale process, Gilbert said the owners will not be issuing any further comments. The statement was released in response to numerous reports of the Pegulas having serious interest in purchasing the Bills, who are on the market after the teams owner and founder Ralph Wilson died in March. The latest development came on Thursday, when a person familiar with the sale process told The Associated Press the Pegulas were among prospective buyers who received a non-disclosure agreement and background on the Bills from a law firm representing Wilsons estate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the sale process has not been made public. Filling out the non-disclosure agreement would be the next step in providing interested groups full access to the Bills financial data in order to begin formulating bids. The Bills were last valued by Forbes to be worth $870 million. But theirr sale price could go much higher because NFL teams rarely go on the market. Barry Sanders Jersey. The Pegulas made their fortune in the natural gas industry, after Terry Pegula sold off many of his companys assets for $4.7 billion to Royal Dutch Shell in 2010. His net worth was last estimated by Forbes to be $3.3 billion, but that figure could rise after his company reached a deal to sell off 75,000 acres of land in Ohio and West Virginia to Oklahoma-based American Energy Partners last week. Pegula has spent the past four years going on a major spending spree focusing on two of his passions: hockey and Penn State, his alma mater. In 2010, he donated more than $100 million to Penn State to build a hockey arena and establish a Division I program. In February 2011, he purchased the Sabres, the team he became a fan of in the 1970s. The Pegulas have since shown a commitment to helping spur Buffalos economy by building a $172 million hockey/entertainment complex called HarborCenter across from the Sabres downtown arena. The Bills long-term future in western New York remains a question mark. Though their lease essentially ties them to playing at their current home through the 2019 season, there are concerns the Bills could eventually relocate under a new owner. Toronto and Los Angeles are considered potential landing spots. People familiar with the sale have previously said an ownership candidate could be identified by the end of July, and the sale approved by NFL owners as early as the leagues meetings in October. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied SALT LAKE CITY -- Marc Gasol saw the doubt in the eyes of the Utah players and, with help from Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, he knew just when to pounce. Dwayne Allen Colts Jersey . After all, the Memphis Grizzlies were in the same position a few years ago as a young team that didnt know how to finish games. Randolph had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and his two free throws with 11 seconds remaining clinched the Grizzlies 91-87 come-from-behind win over the reeling Jazz on Wednesday night. "We were at that stage not too long ago. We would play a good game for 36 minutes or more and then a veteran team would execute, get stops and take the win away from us," said Gasol, who had 18 points. Conley scored 19 points for the Grizzlies, who won for the fifth time in six games and are a season-best 15 games over .500. "When the game is coming down to the end as a young team, you tend to try and make the right play and over-think things. We could see that in them and we tried to take advantage," Conley said. Derrick Favours had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Gordon Hayward scored 18 points and Richard Jefferson added 15 for the Jazz, who are 1-5 in their last six home games. Though Memphis is the team in a tight playoff race, the Jazz made the extra effort for steals and dived for loose balls and led for most of the contest while playing their starters extended minutes. "They played so hard and they had extra energy and they had us on our heels most of the game, but we felt like we were supposed to win," said Randolph, who had his 400th career double-double. The Grizzlies, however, made the key plays down the stretch and sank their final 13 free throws to secure the victory. Jefferson made a 3-pointer and then added a fast-break layup to give Utah its largest lead, 65-49, midway through the third quarter. The Grizzlies clawed back and by the time Mike Miller hit a rare 3-pointer for Memphis, the lead was down to 78-75 with 7:08 to play. Favours dunked to put the Jazz up 84-77, but the Grizzlies clamped down and went to work. Miller hit another 3 in the midst of 12 straight Memphis points and Gasols layup capped the run to put the Grizzlies up 89-84 with 59 seconds left in the game. Memphis forced six fourth-quarter turnovers and outscored the gasping Jazz 29-16 in the final frame. "I know what its like when you are a young team that was up 16 and then you look up and youre down one. That rim sure gets tighter," Randolph said. Trey Burke, who had 11 points and 10 assists, cut the lead to 89-87 with 15 seconds left but couldnt convert on a 3-pointer in the closing moments to extend the game. The Grizzlies have the third-best record in the NBA, 26-9, since Gasol returned from a left knee sprain on Jan. 14. They also have the leagues best defence in that stretch, allowing just 90.2 points per game. As good as they defend in the half court, the chink in the Grizzlies armour is transition defence. The opportunistic Jazz pushed the ball in the first half and the Jazz big men challenged their more accomplished counterparts by going strong to the basket and banging for rebound position. Enes Kanter had 11 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, but couldnt make his jumpers when Gasol sagged off him. The Grizzlies are among five teams, including Portland, Golden State, Dallas and Phoenix, who are within two games of each other and fighting for the final four playoff berths in the West with three weeks left in the regular season. "We know how important each of these games are for us. We stuck with it and in the fourth quarter, we got stops and played together," Gasol said. The Grizzlies, who kicked off a five-game road trip, are 15-4 in their last 19 against fellow West teams and completed their first season sweep of the Jazz in nine years. NOTES: Grizzlies guard Tony Allen missed Mondays game with a stomach illness but played in this game, going scoreless in 10 minutes. The Jazz were without guard Alec Burks (ankle). ... The Jazz almost made it through the entire third quarter without committing a foul, but gave up a three-point play to Gasol with 14 seconds remaining. ... Hayward lost his shoe as he was fouled going to the hoop in the fourth quarter. Colts Jerseys . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams. Frank Gore Jersey . Tensions rose in the first period when Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik hit Bruins forward Loui Eriksson with what appeared to be a clean hit. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Two-time defending champion and top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-4, 7-6 (1) Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Copa Claro clay-court tournament. Ferrer has won 20 times on the ATP tour and is a strong favourite to make it three straight in the Argentine capital. Fourth-seeded Nicolas Almagro also reached the quarterfinals, defeating fellow Spaniard Danieel Gimeno-Traver 1-6, 7-5, 6-4. Reggie Wayne Colts Jersey. Almagro has won all of his 12 ATP titles on clay -- six in Latin America -- and could face Ferrer in the semifinals. Eighth-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France joined Almagro and Ferrer in the quarters, defeating Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3). Second-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy reached the final eight on Wednesday, as did No. 3 Tommy Robredo of Spain. 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Mitglied AMSTERDAM - Ajax hammered APOEL Nicosia 4-0 on Wednesday to advance to the Europa League by finishing third in Group F of the Champions League. Demaryius Thomas Broncos Jersey .Both sides had failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League before the match at Amsterdam Arena. Barcelona topped the group by beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at Camp Nou.Denmark midfielder Lasse Schone scored either side of halftime, with his first coming from the penalty spot, and Davy Klaassen headed the third after a mazy run by teenage winger Ricardo Kishna in the 53rd.Poland striker Arkadiusz Milik made it 4-0 in the 74th to give Ajax its first Champions League win of the season and hand the Cypriots their second straight 4-0 defeat.We had trouble breaking them down in the first half, Schone said. Luckily we scored just before the break and played out the second half very well.APOEL defended staunchly in the first half, hoping to score on the break to secure the win it needed to advance to the Europa League.But Schone finally broke the resistance, scoring a penalty with the last touch of the half after Marios Antoniades had brought down Milik.Schone doubled the lead in the 50th, firing home after Milik had a shot blocked.Three minutes later Kishna weaved past APOELs crumbling defence and crossed from the left for Klaassens header. Milik finally got on the score sheet with his first Champions League goal after a Klaassen pass split the defence again. Paxton Lynch Jersey ... maybe even more than that. Maybe all season I have to take a few blows. Demaryius Thomas Authentic Jersey . Chelsea ripped apart Hull inside 25 minutes at Stamford Bridge, with the early goals from Oscar and Frank Lampard securing a 2-0 victory. While Lampard had earlier missed a penalty, Roberto Soldado had no such trouble from the spot for Tottenham, scoring on his debut to clinch a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets top cornerback will start the season as a spectator. Dee Milliner was ruled out for the regular-season opener against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday with a high ankle sprain. Coach Rex Ryan made the announcement, which was expected, after practice Friday. That means Antonio Allen, a converted safety, and career backup Darrin Walls will be the Jets starting cornerbacks for the game at MetLife Stadium. Safety Josh Bush (quadriceps) and linebacker Ikemefuna Enemkpali (foot) were also ruled out for the game against the Raiders. "I feel good about all three of them," Ryan said. "Hopefully they can play next week (at Green Bay), but for this week, all three of those guys are out." Milliner injured his left ankle on Aug. 10 during training camp and hasnt practiced since. He said earlier this week that the ankle is giving him very little pain, and he appeared to be walking without any noticeable limitations. But he has yet to make cuts on the field, something hell need to do before he gets into a game. Allen was listed as probable after suffering a concussion in the Jets preseason game against the Giants on Aug. 22. He has been practicing fully all week, and is set to make his first NFL start at cornerback after being ssolely a safety in his first two seasons. Peyton Manning Broncos Jersey. "He seems to be coming along pretty good," Ryan said of Allens development at cornerback. "But were going to find out on Sunday because theres nowhere to hide when youre out on that field." Ryan is confident Allen, who switched to cornerback during training camp after Milliner and a few others at the position were hurt, will be able to make the transition because he has "unusual ball skills." "He can flat go up and catch it," Ryan said of the 6-foot-1 Allen. "So, if youre going to plan on running jump balls all day long, I like our chances. Is he still going to be a little bit of a work-in-progress? Sure. Hes probably not as good now as hes going to be in the next couple of weeks, three weeks or four weeks down the road. But, for right now, hes doing a good job for us." Walls has started four of his 27 career NFL games over three seasons with the Jets and Atlanta Falcons and has one interception. "I think Darrin Walls is a much better player now than he was last year," Ryan said. "I dont think its even close." Backup linebacker Nick Bellore, a key special teams contributor, is listed as probable after dealing with a calf injury and will play. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Mitglied BALTIMORE - Some people like to mark their birthday with a cake and candles. Derrick Henry Womens Jersey . Nelson Cruz has a different approach. Cruz hit his 26th home run on his 34th birthday, and the Baltimore Orioles breezed past the skidding Texas Rangers 8-3 Tuesday night. "A homer and a victory. That was a nice day," Cruz said. "I like to celebrate with homers." In five career games on his birthday, Cruz is 7 for 19 with two long balls. On this night, his third home run in seven games left him only seven short of his career high of 33, set in 2009 with Texas. Cruz needs one more homer to match his total from last year with the Rangers, a season cut short by a 50-game suspension as part of the Biogenesis performance-enhancing drug scandal. None of that really matters to Cruz. After signing a one-year, $8 million contract with Baltimore during the off-season, he is focused on helping the Orioles earn a post-season berth for the second time in three years. "Its been a blessing. Im happy with the situation that we are as a team," he said. "Thats more important to me. The numbers, at the end of the season were going to look at it. But right now we focus on winning games, and thats what were doing." Steve Pearce and Caleb Joseph also went deep for the Orioles, who are assured of at least a split of the four-game series after winning the first two. Pearce and Cruz delivered solo shots in the first inning and Joseph connected with a man on in the second. It was the third homer in two nights for Pearce. T.J. McFarland (1-1) allowed two runs in a career-high five innings to win his second career start compared to 51 relief appearances. "He pitched as well as we thought he could," manager Buck Showalter said. "He makes our bullpen better, but its nice to know that you have that type of option down there with a guy if you can get the proper rest." Rangers rookie Nick Martinez (1-6) gave up eight runs, six earned, and seven hits in five innings. The right-hander is 0-5 with an 8.10 ERA in seven starts since earning his lone career win at Detroit on May 24. "I feel like I pitched better than what it showed," Martinez said. The Rangers (37-46) have lost 11 of 13 overall to fall nine games under .500 for the first time since they were 9-18 on April 29, 2008. Texas has dropped seven straight on the road, its longest such skid in six seasons. Shortstop Elvis Andrus, who made a key error, said: "As a player I always get mad when Im not enjoying the game, and thats exactly whats happening right now." For the second game in a row, Baltimore homered twice in the first inning. Pearce hit a liner in front of the left-field foul pole that glanced off the glove of Shin-Soo Choo and dropped over the wall. One out later, Cruz smacked a 1-1 pitch over the centre-field wall. Texas pulled even in the second when Adam Rosales hit a two-run double in his first at-bat of the season. In the bottom half, Joseph drove a 3-1 pitch into the front row of the left-field seats for a 4-2 lead. The three homers allowed by Martinez were a career high. The Orioles used three hits, a walk and an error to pull away with a four-run fourth. With the bases loaded, Andrus fumbled Josephs potential double-play grounder to allow a run to score. Nick Markakis followed with an RBI double and Pearce added a sacrifice fly. "It was an easy ground ball," Andrus said. "No excuse about it." Chris Gimenez hit a run-scoring grounder off Ryan Webb in the Texas sixth. But the Rangers went quietly after that in their ninth loss in 10 games against Baltimore, dating to last year. NOTES: Texas designated LHP Joe Saunders for assignment and recalled RHP Miles Mikolas from Triple-A Round Rock. Mikolas will make his first major league start on Wednesday. Nick Tepesch, who was slated to start Wednesday, was pushed back to Friday against the Mets. ... The Orioles activated OF Nolan Reimould (spine) from the 60-day DL and designated him for assignment. The oft-injured Reimold, 30, has played in 56 games since the start of the 2012 season. ... Texas Roughned Odor had two hits to snap a 4-for-29 skid. Warren Moon Titans Jersey . Seth Smith hit a towering drive for a tying homer leading off the eighth and Chris Denorfia singled home two runs to give the Padres a 3-1 victory against the rival Dodgers in baseballs North American opener Sunday night. DeMarco Murray Titans Jersey . I kind of got a taste of being able to pick a suit with the draft lottery, I went with the bow tie.NEW YORK – On this day, at least, it was the King and not the Kings standing at the very top of the castle. Henrik Lundqvist did all he could to keep the Cup from seeing the light of day on Wednesday night, stopping nearly every piece of rubber flung his way in a do-or-die tilt for the Rangers at MSG. Vowing to raise the level of his performance just a day earlier, Lundqvist did that and more, turning aside 40 of 41 shots in a 2-1 Game 4 win. “It was pretty self-explanatory out there,” said Dan Girardi. “He was the King tonight for us, making huge saves when he had to.” Girardis unfortunate broken stick catapulted the Kings to their only goal on Lundqvist, a breakaway marker from Dustin Brown midway through the middle period. It was from that point on that the 32-year-old simply took over, preserving the Rangers one-goal lead amidst an avalanche of incredible pressure from an L.A. squad intent on capturing the Cup for the second time in three years. New York was outshot 15-1 in the final period and an unimaginable 26-3 over the final 31-plus minutes of regulation, completely dominated by the Cup-hungry Kings. Lundqvist turned every shot aside though, rising to every challenge his rivals could muster. “Goaltender was real good,” said head coach Alain Vigneault with a smile, asked how the Rangers managed to preserve a 2-0 lead after failing to do so in Games 1 and 2. “He had to make some huge saves in the second and the third. He got and we got a few bounces. You need those. Maybe the luck is changing a little bit.” Believing the breaks had been against them in the opening three games, the Rangers saw that luck turn in their favour in remarkable fashion on this night. On not one, but two occasions did a puck sneak through the pads of Lundqvist and land squarely on the goal-line, kept at bay by morsels of snow before a Ranger could calmly swat it away – first Anton Stralman midway through the first frame and later Derek Stepan in the dying moments of regulation. “Dont fool yourself either,” said Stepan. “Hank stood on his head. He made some big saves at big times for us. Those are the big plays we need at certain moments to keep the momentum or shift the momentum. DeMarco Murray Womens Jersey. Hank stood tall and hes a big part of why were going back to L.A.” Lundqvist and the Rangers are now 11-2 in their last 13 games when facing elimination, the King entering the night with a .957 save percentage in such situations. “When everything is on the line, you just have to challenge yourself the right way, I guess, as a team and personally,” said Lundqvist, who allowed 11 goals in the first three games against the Kings. “You have to go out there and leave everything out there and be extremely focused. One mistake and the season is over. Youre definitely aware of that. When you go out to these types of games where you know everything can be over after this period or after the next two periods.” Despite relentless waves of pressure over the final period and a half the Kings believed they could do more to disrupt the Rangers Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender. “I think we can do a better job getting to him,” said Anze Kopitar, one of only three Kings without a shot on goal. “I think [there were] a couple of times where we didnt make it tough on him. The pucks were sitting there. But the pucks hes gonna see, hes gonna stop. Thats just how it is.” Despite owning the back half of Wednesdays game, L.A. is now forced to make the long flight back west in hopes of procuring the Cup on home ice. It was two years earlier in the 2012 Final that they raced out to a 3-0 series lead only to drop Games 4 and 5 to the Devils before finally emerging with the first Cup in franchise history at Staples Center in Game 6. “Were going back home, thats where we won it last time, hopefully we can do the same thing again,” said Drew Doughty. The Rangers, meanwhile, were searching for just one win, viewing Game 4 as a best-of-one they had no choice but to capture. Rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the second round against the Penguins, their focus now shifts to bringing the series back to the Garden for Game 6 and hopefully beyond. “Well, we went into this game with the approach that we wanted to win at home in front of our fans,” said Lundqvist. “That was our approach. We got that accomplished. 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