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NEW ORLEANS - Something about Terrence�Ross in the spotlight still seems unnatural, though he has proven that hes worthy of the attention. Cairo Santos Jersey . On Saturday night hell only take up a third of it when he aims to defend his Slam Dunk title in the new-look contest, taking place at New Orleans Smoothie King Center. A year ago, Ross defeated reigning champion and little-known Jazz forward Jeremy�Evans in a fan vote, breathing some new life into a floundering competition. But does he see himself as the defending champ? "I only do that just because thats what everybody calls me or they always ask me if Im going to defend my championship," said the Raptors modest and soft-spoken sophomore, who was reluctant to re-enter the contest this season, though he felt obligated to. "I have to. I just feel like if you win a championship you have to defend it." This year hell share the court with a few more familiar faces. For the first time in 26 years, the Slam Dunk contest will feature three All-Stars, two of which compete on a team with Ross as the event takes on a controversial new format. Teaming up with a couple of Eastern Conference All-Stars in Paul�George and John�Wall, Ross squad will oppose All-Star Swiss Army knife Damian�Lillard and the Wests Harrison�Barnes and Ben�McLemore. The contests first round, a 90-second freestyle showcase, will force the teams to work together and assist on each others dunks. Ross met with his teammates Thursday evening to rehearse and formulate a strategy. All three say theyre ready to go. "We got our game plan ready," said the Pacers George, an All-Star starter. "Were all going to have fun with it, were all going to be a part of one anothers dunks so itll be a fun game." In the second round the East dunkers will go head-to-head with the competitors from the West until a team of three is crowned champion. Fans will then vote for the "Dunker of the Night" from the winning team. Intended to spice up an event thats lost its luster, the twist is one that may take some getting used to, one that not everyone is on board with. The participants, as you would expect, have high hopes for the new format. "I personally like [the new format]," Ross said. "A lot of people dont like it but after they see whats going to happen, how the dunks are going to turn out everybodys going to like it." "I think it makes it more fun," Lillard agreed. "Its a little bit less pressure on each individual dunker, its a little more of a group thing and a team thing." However, not everyone is so optimistic. "I just feel like the dunk contest from back in the day has always been pretty simple and thats what made it good," said All-Star forward Blake�Griffin, who won the 2011 competition after jumping over the hood of a Kia. "So I dont know how I feel about putting in a lot of extra stuff. I think it should just be get out there and let them dunk. I think theyve made it a little too rigid. Just kind of make it more free and let guys have more fun with it and I think theyll get better results out of it." Whether you love it, hate it, sit somewhere in between or are reserving judgment, the NBA will take another stab at reinventing an event that is still haunted by the memory of Vince�Carters iconic performance in 2000. 14 years after that fateful night in Oakland, Carters show-stopping dunks remain a hot topic of conversation at All-Star weekend. At the time it was exactly what the dunk-off needed, problem is Carter set the bar too high. "It was almost like he made it feel like it wasnt a dunk contest," said Ross, who was just nine years old when he watched Carter make history. "It was kind of like a clinic or like a tutorial, how he just went out there and every dunk he did was like first try, done, 50. It was unreal to see because you havent seen anybody shut down a dunk contest since." No one has topped it and perhaps no one ever will. All the format changes in the world wont change that but an infusion of young talent and star power could. With Ross, the defending champ, facing off against three brand-name players, theres more excitement going into this weekends event than there has been in years past. Still, everyone is clamouring to see a certain MVP throw his hat in the ring. "LeBron (James) would make the Dunk Contest so much more exciting," Ross admitted. "He would have people hanging from the ceiling just to try to get in and watch it. The atmosphere would probably be unreal and thats something I would like to experience. If he ever does it I would sign up again for it. Hopefully one day he does it." He has a Dunk Contest trophy on his shelf and a 51-point game on his resume, yet Ross is still getting comfortable with the attention. It took him a little while to allow his excitement to build up and come out but with a new format and fresh competition, the 23-year-old finally has his game face on. Better late than never. "Thats even more incentive for me to go in now and try to do it again," he said. "Its like a new contest." Len Dawson Jersey . Ekblad led all defencemen with 23 goals and finished tied for fifth in scoring among blue-liners with 53 points in 58. Marcus Allen Jersey . The Desert Foxes took part in the 2010 World Cup and failed to advance past the group stage, and the African side figures to have a tough time reaching the last 16 this time around as well. Belgiums last appearance on the big stage was the 2002 tournament when the team reached the second round before bowing out to eventual champions Brazil.MALMO, Sweden -- Brent Sutter seemed to be in a nasty mood at practice the morning after Canadas biggest win so far at the world junior hockey championship. The veteran coach was barking orders and slamming his stick at missed plays on Wednesday, as if his team had lost the night before instead of pulling out a 3-2 victory over the defending champion United States to take first place in its preliminary round group. But the shouting had a tactical side. He didnt want his team feeling too good about themselves heading into the single-game knockout part of the tournament. Canada plays its quarter-final on Thursday against the Swiss, who finished fourth in the other group but who have shown they can pull off upsets against teams that take them lightly. On paper, its a game Canada should win handily, but that may be what Finland thought when they lost to the Swiss in a shootout in their final round robin game. "Theyre a disciplined hockey team," said Sutter. "Theyve kept games close. "Theyre in this position for a reason. Theyre a very structured team. Youve got to be disciplined in your game when you play them. You cant get frustrated." Canada beat the Swiss 4-1 in an exhibition game Dec. 23, profiting from five power plays to build a 2-0 first period lead. At one point, there were four Swiss players in the penalty box. Despite the loss, the Swiss came out of the game feeling good about their chances. "We know their players now," said Swiss goalie Melvin Nyffeler. "Theyve got a pretty good power play. "Last game we lost because they had so many power plays. Now were looking forward to playing them and lets see. In hockey, anythings possible. We have a chance against anybody." Canada went into its showdown with the Americans needing to win in regulation time to take over first place. They did it with a two-goal third period and some brilliant saves from Zach Fucale. But a day later, Sutter made sure to remind them they havent won anything yet. As well as Canada played against the Americans, he said "I dont want to see it slip. "When you get to this point, every game is like a Game 7. We have to make sure our emotions are in control and our details are good. It doesnt matter who your opponent is, you have to be at the top of your game. Weve got to practice like its for keeps. You cant just turn a switch on." Finishing first was a bonus on paper as it gave Canada a quarter-final against Switzerland and, if they win that, a semifinal against either the Czech Republic or Finland. The Americans now must face Russia in the quarter-finals and, if they manage a win, play the winner of Sweden-Slovakia in the semis. Sutter understands what it takes to win tournaments. He guided Canadian teams to gold medals at the 2005 and 206 world juniors without losing a game. His record at the tournament is 15-0-1. Canada improved from game to game as it built a 3-0-1 record in the preliminary round, and the coaching staff was active. Through three pre-tournament exhibitions and four round robin games, lines have been juggled and re-juggled. Centres play on the wings aand move back to centre. Cairo Santos Red Jersey. In Curtis Lazars case, you play left wing, right wing and centre in the same tournament. "Youve got to think the game well, have a good hockey IQ, and make sure you have a third guy high all the time," Lazar said Wednesday. "Im just trying to better myself so I can be prepared for all these situations." Sutter said there isnt time in a tournament to build chemistry on the ice. Players have to adapt immediately or changes will be made. Nine of the 13 forwards are centres on their club teams, so five have to play on the wings. "Its a matter of finding what theyre most comfortable with when theyre playing wing," said Sutter. "They cant all play centre, so who they can play with as pairs and threesomes to feel comfortable? "Its been a revolving door. Theres not really a plan in place. You just have a feel for your team. If somethings not working, youve got to change. You dont have time to let it progress over a month. If somethings not working or someones not playing well, you have to change it up quickly." There were two moves of note against the U.S., moving Lazar off left wing to the right side, and switching Frederik Gauthier from the wing to centre, where the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect used his considerable size to win some key defensive zone faceoffs. Sutter had particular praise for Lazar, who has scored in consecutive games while still playing well defensively. "We started him on left wing because thats where he finished the game before, but we talked after the first period," he said. "He was having a bit of difficulty at that position, so I moved him back to right wing and he got his game back to where it was before. "Hes most comfortable on right wing or centre ice. Hes been one of our best forwards, if not our best, so we have to make sure hes feeling comfortable." He had similar praise for 18-year-old Sam Reinhart, a centre who has played mostly right wing. "He plays 5-on-5, power plays, penalty killing, 5-on-3," he said. "He and Curtis, as far as forwards go, have been very adaptable and have been our most complete players in that they can be put into any situation." At practice, Reinhart skated with centre Bo Horvat and captain Scott Laughton, while Lazar was with centre Nic Petan and 16-year-old Connor McDavid. Gauthier centred Kerby Rychel and Josh Anderson, while Jonathan Drouin was between Taylor Leier and Anthony Mantha. Charles Hudon missed practice to treat a shoulder injured in Canadas 5-3 win over Slovakia on Saturday. "It doesnt really matter where we play because were all pretty different," said Laughton, a centre playing on left wing. "We all dont really know each other. "Right now, weve got four complete lines that can work and all have size, so I think were pretty set on the lines right now." Petan and Rychel both signed entry-level NHL contracts this week -- Petan with the Winnipeg Jets and Rychel with Columbus. "I was pretty cool," the diminutive Petan said. "It was a good New Years present." cheap jerseys ' ' '

Swansea, Wales (SportsNetwork. Brandin Cooks Jersey .com) -- Swansea City announced Friday that it has signed Jay Fulton from Scottish side Falkirk on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Fulton becomes the fourth Swansea arrival during the January transfer window, joining David Ngog, Adam King and Raheem Hanley in making the move to the Liberty Stadium. Despite his young age, Fulton has already made over 100 appearances for Falkirk. The 19-year-old joins Swansea for an undisclosed amount. Junior Galette Jersey . Johnson spent the last five seasons with Pittsburgh after being taken in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He played in 52 games with 26 starts, totalling 22 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown. Cameron Jordan Womens Jersey . Wigginton, 36, was released by the St. Louis Cardinals in July after hitting .158 in 57 at-bats. Hes a career .261 hitter with 169 home runs. Marlins third basemen totalled three homers and 44 RBIs in 2013, worst in the majors in both categories.ATLANTA -- When Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed found out a neighbouring community had made a generous offer to help finance a new Braves stadium, he balked and said the city simply couldnt compete. Reeds decision comes a few months after the mayor faced tough criticism for pushing through a plan to use public money to support a new NFL stadium downtown. And it underscores the challenges facing cash-strapped communities nationwide as they weigh the risks and rewards of using public money to help finance major sports venues. "The bottom line is that the city was presented with a choice, and that choice was encumbering between $150 million to $250 million in debt and not having money to do anything else," Reed said, referring to the citys share of costs for desired improvements at Turner Field. Instead, the mayor announced Tuesday that Turner Field would be demolished when the Braves leave in 2017, making way for a new large-scale development. Reed has said the city couldnt match Cobb Countys offer of $450 million in public support to the Braves, though the team disputes that figure. When faced with the question of how much to contribute to stadium construction or refurbishment, local leaders have to weigh the state of their communitys finances. In Atlantas case, Reed said the city has a $900 million backlog in infrastructure projects. There have been instances of communities not putting up public money, but those are the exception, said Judith Grant Long, an associate professor of urban planning at Harvard University. Most notable is the current home of the San Francisco Giants, which was the first privately financed major league stadium in decades. On the other end of the spectrum, Long pointed to the $975 million Minnesota Vikings stadium project. There, the public contribution has been estimated at $498 million. "The impact of the recent recession on state and local tax revenues, and consequently fiscal management, should influence thinking about all new capital projects and the role of public debt," Long said. The new 42,000-seat Braves stadium would be located about 10 miles north of downtown and cost $672 million to build. Reed has said he was informed of the $450 million in public financing during a meeting with the team, but the Braves said the costs havent been finalized and "reports of this figure are erroneous." Cobb County appears to have at least three financing options that would not involve raising taxes on residents, including a hotel/motel tax that brought in $10 million in revenue last year, a community improvement district that pools money from area businesses for infrastructure projects and a budget surplus. The proposal does include options for commercial development, including restaurants, retail, hotel and entertainment facilities that would surround the stadium and also woould boost revenues. Drew Brees Womens Jersey. Details on the public funding are expected to be released in the next few weeks. In defending his decision, Reed argued the Braves situation was much different than the citys plan to contribute at least $200 million in public funding to support a new $1.2 billion, retractable-roof stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. Reed said the Falcons deal will use the citys hotel/motel tax for improvements to state-owned property where the NFL stadium will be built. There was no such funding mechanism for the Braves, so any contributions would have forced the city to take on significant debt, Reed said. "It doesnt mean I dont want the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta," Reed said. "Were not going to put the city on its back financially." Reed touted the publics relatively small share of costs for the NFL stadium. Long said that was lower than the average of about 70 per cent in public money for stadium projects. William Perry, executive director of the government watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, was a vocal critic of the mayor for not seeking more public input on the Falcons stadium deal. He said this week that the mayor appeared to be applying inconsistent logic by fighting for the Falcons but letting the Braves leave. Braves executives said the decision to leave Turner Field was based on several factors, including $150 million needed to replace seats and pay for other upgrades as well as another $200 million to improve the fan experience. The team cited a lack of mass transit options in the area, too few parking spaces and limited freeway access. "Our new location will give us the opportunity to develop the surrounding area of the new ballpark, transforming it into a mixed use, 365-day destination and creating an enhanced atmosphere for our fans during Braves games," the team said in a statement. Studies have shown stadium projects create only modest increases in overall tax revenue and job creation, Long said, although more teams are taking a role in developing lodging, entertainment and retail around the venues. "In part, this is evidence of a trend where teams are more interested in development around the stadium as part of their evolving business model," Long said, adding that it can also help with gaining approval. "However, these urban development benefits ... are slow to materialize." For Cobb County, the benefits of the project are clearly worth any risk. "This makes Cobbs marketability so much stronger, and it helps us become more than a suburban community," said Brooks Mathis, an executive with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce who helped negotiate the deal. "We are going to see huge benefits for many, many years to come especially having such a wonderful organization like the Braves be a part of our community." cheap jerseys ' ' '

Flames visit Preds in battle between low-scoring teams (SportsNetwork. Jay Novacek Womens Jersey .com) - The Calgary Flames were again involved in a game in which a team was held scoreless, only this time they came out on the winning side. For one night, continued scoring issues didnt cost the Flames and theyll aim to make it back-to-back wins on Tuesday night when they visit the Nashville Predators. Calgary went into Mondays encounter with the Carolina Hurricanes having been outscored 13-1 over a three-game slide and 26-6 over their previous eight games, a span in which it had been shut out five times while going 1-7-0. The Flames finally found a way to get around those scoring woes by keeping the Hurricanes off the board in a 2-0 win. Karri�Ramo stopped all 23 shots he faced for his first NHL shutout. Ramo played 48 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2006-09 and then spent the next four seasons in Russia before the Flames took a chance on the 27- year-old Finn in the offseason. He posted 18 whitewashes for Avangard Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League. Mikael�Backlund and Sean�Monahan scored the goals as the Flames won despite Mike�Cammalleri sitting out with a concussion suffered in Saturdays loss to Pittsburgh. "It was probably our best team effort of the season," Calgary head coach Bob Hartley said. "Its a feel-good story, thats for sure. We had an answer for their pressure. We were on our toes, had great support. Guys were going short (shifts), so we had plenty of energy. We were on a mission." Monahan tied Cammalleri for the team lead in goals with 13 as he has three tallies in his past seven games for the struggling offense. The Predators themselves failed to find any offense on Sunday night versus the Minnesota Wild, falling in defeat 4-0. They were shut out for an NHL-leading seventh time this season, but for the first time since Nov. 28. Marek�Mazanec made 19 saves, yielding two goals in the first period and another two in the third as the Preds fell to 1-2-1 on a five-game homestand and 3-7-4 in their past 14. "They came out with a lot of juice and got us on our heels in the first," said Nashville coach Barry Trotz. The Predators and Flames are meeting for the first time this season and Nashville has claimed five of the past seven encounters overall. Calgary has lost four straight in Nashville. Sens, Wild collide in Minnesota (SportsNetwork.com) - There is still plenty of hockey left to be played, but that doesnt mean the Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild arent keep an eye on the standings. The two clubs look to extend recent surges on Tuesday night with a meeting in Minnesota. The Senators are 5-0-1 in their last six games, climbing to within two points of the final two postseason spots in the Eastern Conference, while the Wild own a four-point lead for eighth place in the Western Conference thanks to a victory in five of their last six. Ottawa wraps a four-game road trip tonight and rebounded from an overtime loss in Colorado to beat the Nashville Predators 2-1 in a shootout on Saturday. Both Mika�Zibanejad and Jason�Spezza scored for the Sens in the tiebreaker, while Craig�Anderson stopped both skaters he faced. Kyle�Turris scored in regulation while Anderson stopped 32 shots through overtime. "You dont want to fall behind. We know were in a lump of a group of teams, but with the games-in-hand and the not-games-in-hand I think its too early to be looking at where you sit," said Spezza. Anderson has not lost in regulation since Dec. 19, going 6-0-2 since. However, he has allowed three goals or more in five of those eight games. Minnesota, meanwhile, has found success despite not having forwards Zach�Parise (lower body) and Mikko�Koivu (ankle surgery) as well as goaltender Josh�Harding (illness) out of the lineup. The Wild also rebounded from a loss to Colorado, besting the hosting Nashville Predators 4-0 on Sunday. Darcy�Kuemper made 23 saves for his first career NHL shutout, while Dany�Heatley, Jason�Zucker, Matt�Cooke and Marco�Scandella all had goals. Charlie�Coyle, skating on a line with Heatley and Zucker, notched a pair of assists. "I think its also the first time weve had a couple of guys weve played steady together for more than a game or two," Heatley said. "Like I said, that chemistrys a big deal and its going good right now." Kuemper only had to make five saves in the opening period, but turned aside nine in each of the final two frames to finish off the shutout. He will get the call in net again tonight as he faces the Senators for the first time. Ottawa is 8-3-0 with a tie all-time versus Minnesota and had won six straight in the series before a 4-3 home loss on Nov. 20. Koivu had the winner, Heatley finished with a goal and an assist and Harding made 34 saves. Turris, Zibanejad and Milan�Michalek scored for the Senators, while Anderson made 21 saves. Sens backup Robin�Lehner is slated to get the start tonight and has never faced the Wild. He has given up five goals in each of his last two starts overall, the most recent on Dec. 27. Ottawa has won three straight on the road in this series and is 4-1-0 with a tie all-time in Minnesota. The Senators announced on Monday that general manager Bryan Murray signed a two-year contract extension and was also named the president of hockey operations. Upon the conclusion of the extension in 2016, Murray will stay on with the team in an advisory role. The 71-year-old Murray has been with the franchise since June 2004 when he was named the teams head coach, then took over the general managers duties on June 18, 2007. Oilers look to halt struggles against Stars (SportsNetwork.com) - A stunning collapse cost the Dallas Stars a chance at snapping their five-game losing streak last time out. The Edmonton Oilers couldnt capitalize on a shocking goal to beat one of the NHLs top teams. The Stars and Oilers both aim to halt their recent struggles on Tuesday night with a meeting in Dallas. The Oilers visited the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday and lost a 5-3 decision despite a gift goal in the second period. During a delayed penalty call, Blackhawks goaltender Antti�Raanta skated off for an extra attacker as Patrick�Kane passed the puck to the point in the Oilers zone. However, there was not Blackhawk there and the puck traveled all the way into the Chicago net, with Boyd�Gordon getting credited with a goal despite not even being on the ice. That strange tally tied the game at 2-2 with 8:31 left in the second period, but Chicagos Marian�Hossa scored during the 5-on-3 power play just 29 seconds later and Jonathan�Toews added another Blackhawks goal before the end of the period. Ales�Hemsky had one goal and an assist for the Oilers, while Devan�Dubnyk was beaten five times on 41 shots. "We made it pretty easy on them. Against a team like that, theyre going to make you pay," said Edmonton forward Taylor�Hall, who scored his 18th goal of the season to make it 4-3 in the third period before Chicago again answered. The Stars and Oilers have split two meetings this season, with each club winning on the road. Dallas has won seven of nine and 12 of the last 15 meetings overall. Edmonton has won back-to-back road games in this series, but has still lost 10 of its last 13 in Dallas. Just minutes away from a victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday, the Stars instead watched as the Isles scored three times over the games final 4:16 to hand Dallas a 4-2 setback. It was the Stars sixth defeat in a row, all in regulation. Ray�Whitney and Sergei�Gonchar scored in the first period to stake Dallas to a 2-0 lead and Dan�Ellis made 27 saves. "When youre struggling as a group, instead of finding ways to win you find ways to lose, and thats kind of where were at right now," said Whitney. The Stars have lost six in a row in regulation for the first time since Dec. 5-15, 1995 and have fallen eight points back of the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Dallas will now try to avoid losing seven straight for the first time since an 0-5-2 rut from March 17-30, 2009 and will do so against an Edmonton club that is 2-4-2 in its last eight games. Ilya�Bryzgalov will start tonight for the Oilers and is 13-8-2 with a 2.26 goals against average in 29 games (26 starts) versus the Stars. He made 28 saves in a 3-2 shootout win in Dallas on Dec. 1. Kari�Lehtonen is likely to start for the Stars and owns a 10-3-1 lifetime mark versus the Oilers with a 2.06 GAA. He shut the club out for the first time in his career with a 3-0 road decision on Nov. 13, then stopped 30 saves in the loss to Bryzgalov. Former Oilers captain and current Stars forward Shawn�Horcoff faces his old club for the third time. He totaled 162 goals, 285 assists and 447 points in 796 games with Edmonton to begin his career and has no points in the two meetings this season. Jay Novacek Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Robert Newhouse Jersey . -- Josh�Smith saved his only 3-pointers for when the Detroit Pistons needed them most.MADRID, Spain -- Alfredo Di Stefano, the player Real Madrid has hailed as the most important component in its mid-20th century ascent to becoming a global football powerhouse, has died. He was 88. Real Madrid said in a statement that Di Stefano, its honorary president, died on Monday afternoon at Gregorio Maranon hospital, two days after a heart attack. Di Stefano turned 88 on Friday. The following day, he had a heart attack on a street near Madrids Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Paramedics were able to resuscitate him after 18 minutes, but he spent the following days in a coma. Renowned for his speed, versatility and strategic grasp of the game, he helped Madrid attain five straight European Champions Cups and was voted European player of the year in 1957 and 59. In a career spanning five clubs in three countries -- Argentina, Colombia and Spain -- from 1945-1966, Di Stefano scored 789 goals in 1,090 matches. In the process he claimed top-scorer status once in the Argentine league, twice in Colombias league and five times in Spain. Only Raul Gonzalez has scored more goals for Real Madrid than Di Stefano, who is often recognized as the clubs first "galactico." However, as FIFA acknowledges on its official website, "statistics will show that Alfredo Di Stefano is one of the worlds greatest ever goal scorers, but the bare facts only tell part of the story." FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Di Stefano "was my favourite player." French great Michel Platini, now president of the footballs European governing body, said Di Stefano was "superb technically, possessed outstanding speed, and was a splendid goal scorer." "Together with his gifted teammates, he helped invent modern football." Those who Di Stefano recall a straight-talking character who believed success on the field came through physical effort and dedication. "I dont want to be idolized, I just want to play. And to do that you have to run and sweat," he said. His modesty in the face of overwhelming sporting success won him the admiration of many. "I think he was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, football player ever," England great Bobby Charlton said. Born July 4, 1926, in the Barracas suburb of Buenos Aires, near the port where British sailors introduced football to Argentina, Di Stefano learned the game in what he called "the academy of the streets." "In our neighbourhood we used to hold major football sessions that went on until it got dark, with everyone playing against each other," he said. "Pope Francis and I went to the same school," Di Stefano said when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pontiff, adding the two likely played together as children. Di Stefanos father, Alfredo, the son of an immigrant from the Italian island of Capri, was a loyal fan of River Plate. De Stefanos mother, Eulalia Laulhe Gilmont, was of French and Irish ancestry. Having trialed successfully for River Plate, he turned professional in 1945, joining Colombias Millonarios six years later. He won six league titles for the two clubs. His turn of speed soon had fans chanting, "Help, here comes the jet-propelled blonde arrow," ("Saeta Rubia," in Spanish) a nickname Di Stefano retained all his life. He played in SSpain for the first time in 1952 and dazzled the crowd at a tournament commemorating Real Madrids 50th anniversary, a fateful encounter. Cole Beasley Jersey. Barcelona signed Di Stefano in 1953 after agreeing a transfer with River Plate, but the move was thrown into doubt when Madrid also negotiated his transfer -- with Millonarios. Although the Spanish federation authorized Di Stefano to play half of his four-year contract with each club, Barcelona opted out, alleging pressure from the Madrid-based ruling military dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco. In his first season Di Stefano helped Madrid win its second league title, ending a 21-year drought. Within three years, he helped Madrid lift the inaugural European Cup by scoring in a 4-3 win over Frances Stade Reims. The arrival at Madrid of Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas in 1958 led to an attacking partnership of dynamic effectiveness which allowed the club to retain the European title through to 1960, a record yet to be beaten. Di Stefanos last final in 1960 saw possibly his finest match. Before 127,000 spectators, he scored three times in Madrids 7-3 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt. The same year, he helped Madrid win the inaugural Intercontinental Cup between European and South American champions with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Uruguays Penarol. He topped the Spanish leagues scoring standings in five of his 11 seasons with Madrid. He scored 49 times in 58 European matches, a record in the competition that stood for more than four decades. Di Stefano left Madrid in 1964 to join Barcelona-based Espanyol for a two-year spell before retiring at age 40. "Football brought me so many beautiful moments. It built my life," said Di Stefano, who also played for Argentina and Spain. But World Cup glory eluded him. Argentina didnt play in 1950 and 54, while Spain didnt qualify in 1958. Di Stefano carried an injury to Chile in 1962 and did not play. So, his only international success was a 1947 Copa America victory with Argentina. In 1963, Di Stefano was held captive by a guerrilla group during Madrids tour of Venezuela. He was taken at gunpoint from his hotel room by the publicity-seeking National Liberation Army Front and released unhurt two days later. As a coach, he led Boca Juniors and River Plate to Argentine league titles, and won the European Cup Winners Cup, the Spanish league title and the Copa del Rey with Valencia. He also managed Madrid between 1982 and 1984. Madrid appointed Di Stefano honorary president in 2000 and erected a statue in his honour in 2008. A diabetic, Di Stefano fought ill-health in old age and underwent a quadruple bypass with a pacemaker implanted in December 2005 after a heart attack. In May 2013 his children asked a court to rule him mentally incapable after he announced plans to marry a woman 50 years his junior. "I dont care that my children are against it," Di Stefano, then 86, said of his plans to marry 36-year-old Gina Gonzalez. His interest in football never diminished. At 86 he still maintained a regular column in Spanish sports newspaper Marca. In it, he revealed that he had missed Pope Francis appointment. "I must confess that while everyone else watched the white smoke live," he wrote. "I was, as always, watching a football game." cheap jerseys ' ' '

ALAMEDA, Calif. Steve Weatherford Elite Jersey . -- The Oakland Raiders have added another proven veteran to their rebuilding defence, signing free-agent cornerback Carlos�Rogers to a one-year contract on Monday. Rogers, 32, joins former San Francisco 49ers secondary mate Tarell�Brown on Oaklands overhauled defence. The Raiders have also brought in defensive linemen Justin�Tuck, LaMarr�Woodley and Antonio�Smith. All of those other players are at least 29 years old and have played in the Super Bowl in their careers as general manager Reggie McKenzie is counting on that experience to help end an 11-year playoff drought. "The Raiders have been one of the teams that have been more active in the off-season, trying to turn things around," Rogers said. "I see where this team is going and it wasnt hard to come here and finalize the deal." Oakland is coming off back-to-back four-win seasons and hasnt had a winning record since winning the 2002 AFC championship. After showing some promise early in the season, the Raiders defence wilted late and allowed the second-most points per game (28.3) in franchise history. Oakland has had two of the three highest scoring seasons allowed in coach Dennis Allens first two years with the franchise. That led to the big changes on defence this off-season. Rogers played an NFL-high 1,259 snaps as a slot cornerback in his three years in San Francisco, according to Pro Football Focus. He will likely play that role again in Oakland on the nickel defence and will also compete with last years first-round pick D.J. Hayden for a starting spot outside across from Brown. "We were a big part of the puzzle that turned San Franciscos defence around, so hopefully we can translate that over here and be even better," Rogers said. Rogers was let go earlier this off-season by the Niners in a cost-saving move. He said he holds no ill will to his former team but is looking forward to playing San Francisco this upcoming season. Rogers has started 116 games over nine seasons with Washington and San Francisco. He has 17 career interceptions and 109 passes defenced. His best year statistically came in his first season in San Francisco in 2011 when he had six interceptions and was picked for the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All Pro honours. That performance helped lead San Francisco back to the playoffs after eight straight years without a berth. Rogers played in three NFC title games in three seasons with the Niners and also lost the Super Bowl to Baltimore following the 2012 season. "I want to continue to win and I want to continue to be a big part of helping to turn this organization around, like I did in San Francisco and continue to win and try to get to that Super Bowl and win it," Rogers said. Odell Beckham Jr Jersey Store .Y. -- The NFL says the number of concussions in practices and games in the preseason and regular season dropped 13 per cent from 2012 to 2013. Odell Beckham Jr Elite Jersey . Johnson, 34, appeared in three games for the Baltimore Orioles last season after being acquired from the New York Yankees organization on Aug. 30. The six-foot-two, 210-pound native of Coon Rapids, Minn.The Denver Broncos finish the regular season on top of the TSN.ca NFL Power Rankings, after going back-and-forth with the second-ranked Seattle Seahawks over the last six weeks of the campaign. Making a big jump in the final rankings, the Green Bay Packers vaulted from 19 to nine after getting quarterback Aaron�Rodgers and wide receiver Randall�Cobb back in the lineup. The Packers defence remains questionable, especially while missing linebacker Clay�Matthews, but Rodgers gives them a chance in the postseason. A couple of also-rans, the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets, were mediocre, but more competitive than expected. As a result, the Titans moved up from 21 to 16 and the Jets from 24 to 18 in the final rankings. One of the seasons biggest surprises, the Kansas City Chiefs, lost five of seven doown the stretch and fell from six to 11 in the rankings. Odell Beckham Jr Mens Jersey. After coughing up their shot at the postseason, the Chicago Bears dropped from 11 to 17, and the Miami Dolphins, who came back to earth in the final two games, dropped from 13 to 21. All of this weeks rankings include mention of the teams preseason rankings and where some differences were observed from the preseason ranking to the final ranking. As mentioned, the Chiefs were the big surprise, up from 26 in the preseason, while the Houston Texans were the biggest disappointment, plummeting from a fourth-place ranking down to the bottom of the list by seasons end. 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 jerseys ' ' '

Coming off a breakout game versus the Wild, both Max�Pacioretty and David�Desharnais admitted the media criticism and scrutiny that was heaped upon them during their offensive slumps had affected their on-ice performance. Alshon Jeffery Orange Jersey . Speaking Wednesday on TSN 690, Pacioretty said he hopes the five-point performance the two close friends put up will help them to regain their confidence and lead to an increase in production. Pacioretty on his hat-trick, media criticism David�Desharnais on his up-and-down season Robbie Gould Orange Jersey . Canada had opened Day 2 at the tournament with a 24-0 loss to New Zealand in the Cup quarter-final before beating Samoa 27-0 to cruise into the Plate final. The loss in the Plate final means Canada finished sixth in the rugby sevens tournament. Dick Butkus Jersey . His agent told TSN that the deal is "virtually done" and will be official in the next day or two. The news comes with Torontos season opener set for this Saturday on the road against the Seattle Sounders (TSN, 4:30pm et/1:30pm pt).TORONTO -- Landry�Fields is about to put one of his other talents to the test. The Toronto Raptors swingman will be one of five participants on ABCs new show "Sing Your Face Off," talent competition featuring celebrities who are transformed and trained to perform as a legendary musical icon. The series premieres Saturday at 9 p.m. ET. The other four celebrities are Canadian rocker Sebastian Bach, comedian Jon Lovitz, and actresses CChina Anne McClain and Lisa Rinna. Lamarr Houston Blue Jersey. The five will take on the identities of a well-known performers, and the show will chronicle the hours in the makeup chair to the time spent with choreographers and vocal coaches. John Barrowman is the host. Debbie Gibson and Darrell Hammond are the primary judges, while guest judges will include David Allen Grier, RuPaul, Carnie Wilson, Richard Simmons, Tom Arnold, and Carmen Electra. cheap jerseys ' ' '

BARCELONA, Spain - Canadian Daniel Nestor and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic dropped a 6-3, 6-3 decision to Jesse Huta Galung of the Netherlands and Stephane Robert of France in the mens doubles final at the Barcelona Open on Sunday. Kenley Jansen Dodgers Jersey . Huta Galung and Robert surprised the fifth-seeded pair in 54 minutes for their first career ATP title as a duo. Nestor, who teamed with Zimonjic for victories here in 2009 and 2010, called the day "a disaster." "It was not a good match from start to finish," Nestor said. "We made too many mistakes, That gave them confidence as the match went on and they played well. "Today was our worst match of the year." Nestor, from Toronto, reached the Barcelona final last year with former partner Robert Lindstedt of Sweden. They were beaten by Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in three sets. In this years final, Nestor and Zimonjic lost serve three times in the opening set and never got on track against Huta Galung and Robert, who entered the main draw as lucky losers. "In general we had a good week here, we won a couple of matches that we were in a position to lose," Nestor said. "We came back in the semifinal which was certainly our best performance of the week. But then there was today ... it would have been great to win a fifth title here but it didnt happen." Nestor also won at Barcelona in 2004 and 2006 with former partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas. The Canadian has started the season with some impressive results with Zimonjic. They won at Sydney in January and reached the final in Dubai the following month. They are assured a seeding and a first-round bye in the Madrid Masters next month. The extra time off will also allow Nestor to cross the Atlantic for some time with his family before returning for the big push through the clay season. After Madrid, Nestor and Zimonjic plan to play at the Rome Masters and the French Open. Nestor has four career mens doubles titles at Roland Garros. The Canadian also missed a chance to take over sole ownership of third place in the list of post-1968 Open era doubles title leaders. He remains tied with Australian Todd Woodbridge with 83 victories, behind Americans Mike Bryan (100) and Bob Bryan (98). Hanley Ramirez Jersey . -- The basic role that Jonathan�Martin and Richie�Incognito shared as offensive linemen for the Miami Dolphins was protecting quarterback Ryan�Tannehill. Kirk Gibson Authentic Jersey .J. -- If people were looking for Richard�Sherman to get the weeklong hype for the Super Bowl started with another rant, the Seattle cornerback disappointed them.WASHINGTON -- Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan�Zimmerman is making progress in his recovery from a fractured right thumb, fielding groundballs and taking batting practice before a game against the Miami Marlins. Zimmerman said he felt good after Wednesdays workout. Hes been on the disabled list since April 13, one day after he injured his thumb diving back into second base on a pickoff. Manager Matt Williams called the workout "a stepping stone" for Zimmerman and did not reveal any timetable for a potential rehabilitation assignment. Kenley Jansen Authentic Jersey. He said the team wants to avoid any setbacks with the 29-year-old star. Zimmerman fielded grounders at first base and also been working in left field. Williams hasnt ruled out Zimmerman playing any of those positions. The Nationals have lost five of six and are hitting .195 during the slide. Left fielder Bryce�Harper is still on the disabled list because of a sprained left thumb. cheap jerseys ' ' '

DETROIT -- The offensively challenged and banged-up Detroit Red Wings proved to the defending Stanley Cup champions that theyre still tough to beat. Babe Herman Jersey . Darren�Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas�Gustavsson stopped Andrew�Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. "Were a little depleted, but we still have a great team and we showed that," said Patrick�Eaves, who had the second of his teams three goals in the shootout and a game-tying goal in the first period. "It was nice to get rewarded for playing well." The Blackhawks faced Detroit for the first time since beating the Red Wings in overtime in Game 7 of their second-round series last year to complete a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. They are only scheduled to play one more time in the regular season because the Red Wings were moved to the Eastern Conference this season as part of the NHLs realignment. "Any time you play the Red Wings, its going to be an intense game given the rivalry and whats happened in the past," Chicagos Patrick�Kane said. "Theyre playing through some injuries and havent had any luck as of late in that area, but its still a dangerous team. Sometimes you get these young guys that come up from the minors, they want to prove themselves and prove they belong." Chicago captain Jonathan�Toews scored on his teams first attempt in the shootout and Patrick�Sharp scored on the second before Kane was stopped with a chance to win a game the Blackhawks led 2-0 in the first period. "They played better as the game went along," Toews said. Gustavsson, playing for the injured Jimmy�Howard, made 31 saves in his first game in nearly a month. "It was a good test and I felt good," said Gustavsson, who has been on injured reserve three times this season with a groin injury. "I didnt feel any pain." Corey�Crawford gave up four goals on the first 17 shots he faced and finished with 27 saves for the Blackhawks. "We werent very good," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "They worked hard. They were a hard-working team." Chicago took a 2-0 lead when Marian�Hossa and Shaw scored 1:45 apart midway through the first period and it looked like the Red Wings were in trouble. Tomas�Tatar, though, scored less than a minute later and Eaves tied the game at 2 late in the opening period. "To make it 2-1 was a key in the game," Eaves said. Sharps slap shot just seconds into a power play early in the second put the Blackhawks ahead again, but Kyle�Quincey responded 1:17 later in the period with a game-tying goal. Detroits Gustav�Nyquist was set up perfectly in front of the net on a go-ahead goal off Henrik�Zetterbergs third assist of the night after Justin�Abdelkader hustled for loose puck in a corner. "Abby played hard and chased down the puck and set up Z," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. The Red Wings were without injured forwards Pavel�Datsyuk, Johan�Franzen, Daniel�Alfredsson and Joakim�Andersson. They did get defenceman Jonathan�Ericsson in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 23 when he broke ribs in a game against the New York Islanders. "Getting Big E back made a huge difference for us matchup-wise," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. NOTES: Datsyuk missed his eighth straight game with a lower-body injury, but has begun to skate again and said he will "for sure" play for Russia has its captain next month at the Winter Olympics. ... Crawford hadnt given up four goals since Dec. 5, 2013, since a 4-3 loss to Minnesota and had allowed five goals in two games earlier in the season. ... Chicago was 9-0-1 in its previous 10 regular season games in Detroit. ... Kane hasnt scored in 11 games, the longest streak without a goal since going 12 games without a goal during the 2008-09 season. ... Detroit plays March 16 at Chicago.Zack Greinke Jersey . Toews was drilled by Penguins defenceman Brooks�Orpik with 6:30 remaining in the second period on Sunday night. The two were going for a loose puck. Adrian Gonzalez Dodgers Jersey . The import DB was taken to a nearby hospital after catching his head awkwardly trying to tackle Winnipeg running back Will Ford in the first quarter of the game at the Rogers Centre.PRETORIA, South Africa - Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp argued fiercely in the turbulent weeks before he killed her, and the athletes girlfriend told him she was sometimes scared by his behaviour, which included jealous outbursts in front of other people, according to phone messages revealed at the Olympians murder trial on Monday. "Im scared of u sometimes and how u snap at me and of how u will react to me," Reeva Steenkamp texted Pistorius, in a message read out in court by police Capt. Francois Moller. In another message, Steenkamp wrote to the double-amputee runner: "I cant be attacked by outsiders for dating u AND be attacked by you, the one person I deserve protection from." The messages suggested both lovers were experiencing emotional insecurity, though the exchanges revealed in court reflected prosecutors efforts to portray Pistorius as an aggressor with a short fuse, matching earlier testimony from a former girlfriend who had said he sometimes shouted at her. In one message, the runner indicated Steenkamp had not told him the full story about smoking "weed," or using drugs, while she defended past conduct with the declaration: "I wasnt a stripper or a ho," a slang term for prostitute. The court adjourned with Moller expected to return to the witness box on Tuesday. He has not yet revealed if police recovered any phone messages or communications from the night of the killing on Feb. 14, 2013. Moller said that from Steenkamps phone he obtained more than 1,000 exchanges with Pistorius on WhatsApp and other phone messaging applications. Moller said he received as evidence two BlackBerry phones, two iPhones, two iPads and a Mac computer from Pistorius house the day after the shooting death of Steenkamp. The data on Steenkamps phone would print to more than 35,000 pages, said Moller. Of the fraction of exchanges between the couple, he said that about 90 per cent were what he called normal and "loving" exchanges. In Steenkamps message about being scared of the athlete, she also added: "You make me happy 90% of the time and I think we are amazing together." She goes on to talk about Pistorius snapping at her about chewing gum and talking in an accent, and then writes: "I just want to love and be loved. Be happy and make someone SO happy. Maybe we cant do that for each other. Cos right now I know u arent happpy and I am certainly very unhappy and sad. Brian Wilson Authentic Jersey. " The long message was sent after the two attended a friends engagement party and apparently left early because she said he got upset and jealous. As Moller read the message, Pistorius, who had been looking at a book of the compiled messages, closed his eyes. Tears fell to his lap. He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief and regained the composure he held through most of the day. The runner apologized for his behaviour in replies to Steenkamps message, according to the testimony. Moller also read messages exchanged after a shooting incident at Tashas restaurant in Johannesburg about a month before the fatal shooting. Boxer Kevin Lerena and Darren Fresco, a onetime friend of Pistorius, testified that the Olympian asked Fresco to take the blame for a shot that went off after the loaded gun was passed to Pistorius under the table. In the phone message exchange, the 27-year-old runner explained to 29-year-old Steenkamp: "Angel, please dont say a thing to anyone ... the guys promised not to say a thing," he wrote. She then replied: "I have no idea what youre talking about ;)" Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to a firearms charge related to that episode. Earlier Monday a neighbour testified that she heard gunshots as well as screams from both a man and a woman on the night that Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp. Anette Stipps testimony matched some evidence given by other witnesses who said they also heard a woman screaming around the time that Pistorius killed Steenkamp before dawn on Valentines Day last year. According to Pistorius, he thought Steenkamp was in bed when he fired his 9 mm pistol. He did not describe any woman screaming. The defence has countered that neighbours actually heard Pistorius screaming in a high-pitched voice after he shot Steenkamp. Pistorius has said he shot his girlfriend by mistake through a locked toilet door, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Stipp said she heard what she thought were gunshots on the night of the shooting, and then heard the "terrified, terrified" screams of a woman. Stipp recalled looking out from a balcony at two houses with lights on in the gated estate where her family and Pistorius lived. "There was definitely a female screaming for quite a period," Anette Stipp said. She said she also heard a mans voice. cheap jerseys ' ' '

HALIFAX -- Nikolaj Ehlers scored two goals and assisted on two more to lead the Halifax Mooseheads to their third straight win, 5-1 over the Charlottetown Islanders in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Wednesday. Derrick Thomas Red Jersey . Jacob Jacques, Andrew Ryan and Jonathan Drouin also scored for Halifax (37-18-3), who outshot the Islanders 40-26. Kevin Darveau stopped 25 shots. Bradley Kennedy had the lone goal for Charlottetown (18-33-5), which has nine losses in its last 10 games. Eric Brassard started in net for the Islanders, but was pulled after giving up three goals on 13 shots through the first period. Mason McDonald stopped 25 of 27 shots in relief. --- DRAKKAR 3 VOLTIGEURS 2 DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. -- Charles Hudon scored his 23rd goal of the season with 15 seconds left as the Drakkar broke a 2-2 tie to edge the Voltigeurs. Jeremy Gregoire had a goal and an assist and Valentin Zykov also scored for Baie-Comeau (40-14-4). Hudon chipped in with an assist on Gregoires goal for a two-point night. Christophe Lalancette had a goal and an assist and Charles-David Beaudoin also scored for Drummondville (34-20-3). Drakkar goalie Philippe Cadorette stopped 21 shots for the victory, while his Voltigeurs counterpart, Louis-Philip Guindon shouldered the loss after making 20 saves. --- OCEANIC 9 PHOENIX 3 RIMOUSKI, Que. -- Alexis Loseau scored four goals and assisted on two more, and Michael Joly had seven points on a goal and six assists to power the Oceanic over the Phoenix for their fifth win in a row. Peter Trainor had a goal and three assists, Patrik Zdrahal scored one and assisted on another, and Jan Kostalek and Samuel Courtemanche also scored for Rimouski (34-15-7), which outshot Sherbrooke 38-23. Jean-Francois Lavoie, Jeremy Roy and Chase Harwell scored for the Phoenix (15-34-7). Oceanic goalie Philippe Desrosier made 23 saves for his 22nd win of the season. Francis Derosiers started in net for Sherbrooke, giving up four goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Maxime Lagace, who stopped 17 of 22. --- TITAN 4 TIGRES 2 VICTORIAVILLE, Que. -- Jacob Brennan stopped 35 shots and the Titan got goals from four different skaters en route to a victory over the Tigres. Jake Primeau, Raphael Lafontaine, and Vytal Cote also scored for Acadie-Bathurst (17-34-6), and Alexandros Soumakis added an empty netter with 13 seconds to go as the Titan picked up their eighth win in 10 games. Philippe Hudon and Jan Mandat replied for Victoriaville (29-21-6), who outshot Acadie-Bathurst 37-22. Cameron Yardwood chipped in with two assists. Tigres goaltender Brandon Whitney made 18 saves in the losing effort. --- OLYMPIQUES 4 WILDCATS 3 GATINEAU, Que. -- Martin Reway had a short-handed goal and chipped in with an assist to lead Gatineau over Moncton. Elie Berube, Vincent Dunn, and Alexis Pepin also scored for the Olympiques (35-19-4), who snapped a two-game losing streak. J.C. Campagna and Ivan Barbashev each had a goal and an assist for the Wildcats (30-26-3), and Christophe Lalonde added a power-play goal with 18 seconds left in the game. Robert Steeves stopped 19 shots in the Gatineau victory, while Alex Dubeau took the loss for Moncton with 24 saves. --- FOREURS 3 HUSKIES 2 ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. -- Julien Gauthiers second-period goal held up as the winner and Antoine Bibeau made 31 saves as red-hot Val-dOr edged Rouyn-Noranda. Anthony Richard scored a power-play goal and Maxime Presseault also scored for the Foreurs (37-18-2), who have won six in a row. Marcus Power and Jason Fuchs replied for the Huskies (31-21-5), who failed to score on five opportunities with the man advantage. Rouyn-Norandas Alexandre Belanger made 25 saves in the losing effort. Cairo Santos Red Jersey . Salamida, 29, has played the last four seasons with the Goldeyes. Returning to the team halfway through last season, he went 7-1 with a 2. Dontari Poe Jersey . - Phil Macks penalty kick with no time remaining completed a remarkable comeback Sunday as Canada defeated Samoa 22-19 to finish third at the USA Sevens � its best ever finish at an IRB Sevens rugby event.With less than one week to go until the March 5 NHL trade deadline, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun has the latest on Ottawas Chris�Phillips, Vancouvers Ryan�Kesler, and the Rangers Ryan�Callahan and offers some insight on their situations and potential trade status. What are the chances that Chris�Phillips is still an Ottawa Senator after the trade deadline? Pierre LeBrun: Well theres still a chance, because the Senators are trying to sign him. They have already talked to him and they would like to do a one-year extension with him. If they get a yes on that extension, then he stays put, but if they cant get him signed it puts Ottawa in a tough spot because they are five points out - theyre not in a playoff spot right now. If the next couple of games dont go well, theyre even further apart from a playoff spot and I can tell you this, the Boston Bruins and Peter Chiarelli - who was formerly with the Ottawa Senators - knows Phillips and Boston would be all over him if hes put on the trade market by Ottawa. The next couple of games are huge in terms of his future and what the Senators do with him. Are there any new developments on the Ryan�Kesler trade front? LeBrun: Kesler is the biggest name on the market right now. He didnt officially ask for a trade - I think thats true - but everyone knows that from both his side and the Canucks side, a changee of scenery might be the best thing. Allen Bailey Red Jersey. I was told on Friday by a source, and this is now public, that the action has absolutely picked up and the phone is ringing off the hook in Vancouver. So many teams want to at least educate themselves about what it would cost to get in on the Ryan�Kesler market. And again, the Canucks are telling everyone "we dont have to move him before Wednesday." If they dont get their price met (which is very high) then they can wait until June to possibly trade him. The Flyers, Blue Jackets, Red Wings - of course hes from Michigan - the list goes on as theres so much interest in Kesler. How does Dan�Girardis six-year deal impact Ryan�Callahan with the New York Rangers? LeBrun: I do feel in my heart of hearts that it has an impact and thats where it starts with Callahan. I have this gut feeling that he might soften on these contract demands and if he does, I think he can re-sign with the Rangers. And thats because this team is on a roll, hes the captain, and he and Girardi are close so look for that to maybe have an impact. But certainly if he doesnt soften on his contract demands then the Rangers are going to trade him. One small note on Girardi, by the way - his no-movement clause, which is in his new extension, starts right away. He doesnt have to wait until July 1 when his new deal kicks in. cheap jerseys ' ' '

ALBUQUERQUE, N. Maury Wills Authentic Jersey .M. -- New Mexicos strategy was simple against No. 6 San Diego State: Get the ball to Cameron Bairstow. Bairstow scored 26 points on a series of jumpers, dunks and layups to lead the Lobos to a 58-44 victory over the Aztecs on Saturday night. "I said it before and I said it on national TV, Ive got the best power forward in the country playing for us in Cam Bairstow," New Mexico coach Craig Neal said. After failing to score above 20 points before this season, the senior Bairstow topped 20 for the 16th time this campaign. "Bairstow had his way," Aztecs coach Steve Fisher said. "Hes 11 for 18, 26 points. Hes good. Im up trying to beg for a call. Swimming in the post, swimming in the post. And I couldve gone swimming myself. He was just getting the ball and scoring with it." San Diego State (23-3, 12-2 Mountain West) entered the game hoping to deny Bairstow the ball. The strategy was unsuccessful. "We were just trying not to let him catch it deep," Aztecs forward J.J. OBrien said. "Not give him easy buckets. He likes to duck in, use his strength and get easy buckets. We were going to try and keep him out of the paint as well as we could." However, Bairstow had his way all game, scoring 10 in the first half then leading a second-half charge that stymied San Diego State. After the Aztecs opened the second half with a basket, New Mexico (21-5, 12-2) hammered out a 21-2 run over a span of almost 9 minutes to take a 50-26 lead. Bairstow started the run with two baskets, and ended up with 10 in the surge. "I just felt good with it," Bairstow said in explaining his success. "Looking at the scoreboard, I couldnt believe we were up 20. Obviously I was expecting a lot closer game." It was a game that the Lobos were determined to have, he said. "We knew what was on the line and what the game meant to us," Bairstow said. "We wanted to get out to a quick start and we managed to do that. Its not like this is a signature win thats going to win the conference. But it is one which puts us even with San Diego State." Neal credited the teams defensive effort, particularly on Aztecs leading scorer Xavier Thames, who averages 17 but shot 3 of 15 and finished with seven points. Winston Shepard led San Diego States effort with 10 points. "I thought the difference was our defence," Neal said. "We wanted to give them space. We wanted them to make jump shots over us. We no-helped Thames. So if he was on ballside or anywhere by the ball, we didnt want him to get it back. So I thought that was a big key to our game." Hanley Ramirez Dodgers Jersey . For now, Joe�Girardi and the rest of the New York Yankees are just thankful they have the Japanese right-hander pitching like one of the best in baseball. Babe Herman Dodgers Jersey . The Dutch were knocked from top spot despite winning two European Championship qualifiers, including an 11-0 victory over San Marino. Germany stays third and Uruguay rises to a best-ever fourth.TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 18-year-old centre Carter�Verhaeghe to a three-year entry-level contract. Verhaeghe, taken in the third round of last years draft (82nd overall), will join the Marlies of the AHL on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the season. His Leafs contract begins next year. The Waterdown, Ont., native led the OHLs Niagara IceDogs with 82 points (28 goals and 54 assists) in 65 games this season. In three OHL seasons he put up 50 goals and 92 assists. Adrian Gonzalez Jersey. Director of player development Jim Hughes at last summers prospects camp pegged Verhaeghe as a long-term project � someone who could be almost two years from reaching his full potential. "Where Verhaeghe is today and where hes going to be 18 months from now, well see a major transition in his game," Hughes said in July. "You can see the skill-sets and the poise with the puck and playmaking ability. He can buy time and space." cheap jerseys ' ' '

KANSAS CITY, Mo. Kyle Rudolph Purple Jersey . -- The Chiefs signed former Raiders defensive tackle Vance�Walker to a three-year deal Friday, filling one of their needs, and announced the signing of linebacker Frank�Zombo. Walker was a seventh-round pick of the Falcons in 2009, and provided valuable depth while appearing in 58 games for them over his first four seasons. He started 15 games for the Raiders last season, making 29 tackles and three sacks. Walker figures to replace Tyson�Jackson, who signed with Atlanta in free agency. "Were pleased that we were able to come to an agreement with both Frank and Vance," Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. "Frank was a key member of our defence and special teams units last season and were looking forward to having him back. "Vance is a big, physical player that we believe can come in and contribute for us up front." The Chiefs entered free agency with about $9.6 million in salary cap space, a paltry sum that doesnt include the nearly $5 million its expected to sign their own players. So they were unable to make serious offers at many of their own free agents who signed lucrative deals elsewhere. Instead, theyve been scouring the free-agent market for players they believe will fit into their system, fit into their budget and fill their most glaring holes. Walker, who had changed his Twitter avatar to the Chiefs logo on Friday, appears to fit that mould. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound veteran has enough athletic ability to play defensive end in the Chiefs 3-4 system, the same position Jackson held down, or provide depth across the line. The Chiefs werent the only one interested in him. The Packers were linked to Walker, and his agent Chad Speck had mentioned that Walker had planned to visit Seattle. Meanwhile, Zombo provides a reliable and versatile linebacker who can also contribute on special teams. He played in all 16 games for Kansas City a year ago, making five starts, and finished with 23 tackles and a pair of sacks. He also had an interception and forced a fumble. Josh Robinson Purple Jersey . A stick in the gut prevented him from getting off a clean drive, but it earned him the first penalty shot of his career. He converted, and Patrice�Bergeron also scored a short-handed goal on Thursday night as the Bruins opened the defence of their Eastern Conference championship with a 3-1 victory over the Lightning. Jerick McKinnon Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that.Canadas good run at Wimbledon continued on Wednesday with two victories on the doubles side of the draw. In mens doubles, Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil and American Jack Sock reached the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Croatian Mate Pavic and Andre Sa of Brazil. Torontos Daniel Nestor and French partner Krisstina Mladenovic advanced to the mixed doubles quarter-finals over Australians John Peers and Ashleigh Barty 7-6 (4), 6-3. Anthony Barr Jersey. Nestor and�partner Nenad Zimonjic have already advanced to the quarter-finals in the mens doubles draw. Doubles quarter-final action continues at Wimbledon on Thursday. cheap jerseys ' ' '

MIAMI - The Colorado Rockies erased a two-run deficit in the early innings Tuesday. Everson Griffen Purple Jersey . A second comeback bid fell short. Miami relievers retired three batters with the potential tying run in scoring position in the eighth inning, and the Marlins beat Colorado for the second night in a row, 4-3. A.J.�Ramos struck out Nolan�Arenado with runners at the corners to end the eighth, protecting a one-run lead. Steve�Cishek converted his 30th consecutive save opportunity and first of the year by pitching a perfect ninth. "We didnt get the big hit late," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Bottom line is we have to find a way to tie that game or take the lead." The Rockies trailed 4-2 before Michael�Cuddyer and Carlos�Gonzalez hit consecutive doubles to start the eighth. Troy�Tulowitzki flied out, and Justin�Morneau grounded out. Ramos came on to walk Wilin�Rosario, and then struck out Arenado looking. Nathan�Eovaldi pitched six innings and the Marlins made the most of five hits. Their 2-0 start hints at big improvement from last year, when they began 14-41 en route to a 100-loss season. For the Rockies, the 0-2 start seems like more of the same after they finished last in the NL West in 2013. Miamis rotation � the youngest in the majors � stifled the Rockies for the second game in a row. Eovaldi (1-0) allowed two runs and struck out six after Jose Fernandez limited Colorado to one run in the season opener. Eovaldi gave up six hits, walked one and reached 99 mph on the radar gun. The crowd of 15,906 made for a more subdued atmosphere than Mondays opener, which Miami won 10-1. Brett�Anderson (0-1) pitched six innings and allowed four runs, three earned. It was the left-handers first start with the Rockies after he was acquired in a trade with Oakland in December. Miami went ahead for good in Andersons final inning. Reed�Johnson pinch-hit for Eovaldi and led off with a double. He advanced on a groundout and scored when Stanton hit into a forceout. Stanton advanced on a throwing error by second baseman D.J.�LeMahieu, stole third and scored on Casey�McGehees two-out single. "There werent too many pitches that I would take back," Anderson said. "It didnt fall our way tonight. The outing, Ill take it. I felt I gave us a chance to win. We just came up a little short at the end." The Rockies tied the game in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Tulowitzki, a scratch single by Morneau and a sacrifice fly by Rosario. Newcomer Morneau had three hits. With the score 2-all, Anderson reached on a bloop double in the fifth for his first major league hit, but Eovaldi escaped by retiring Drew�Stubbs and Cuddyer. "I got to second and I didnt know what to do after that," Anderson joked. NOTES: Tulowitzki went into the hole at shortstop to rob Marcell�Ozuna of a hit on a grounder in the fifth. ... Rockies RHP Jordan�Lyles will be activated to start Wednesday in place of RHP Tyler�Chatwood, who is out with a left hamstring strain. RHP Henderson�Alvarez will make his first start for the Marlins since throwing a no-hitter on the final day of the 2013 regular season. ... LHP Franklin�Morales will start Thursday at Miami for the Rockies, and RHP Juan�Nicasio will start their home opener Friday against Arizona. Adrian Peterson Jersey . -- Jermaine Marshall scored eight of his 29 points in the second overtime and Jordan Bachynski blocked T. Greg Jennings Purple Jersey . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match.NEW YORK -- Road crowds and fourth-quarter deficits are suddenly no problem for the Toronto Raptors, who have turned from chokers to closers. "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. "Now, we dont let none of that get to us." Jonas�Valanciunas had 16 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, DeRozan scored 25 and the Raptors rallied for a 95-83 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. The Raptors trailed by 12 points in the third quarter but outscored the Knicks 29-12 in the fourth to take the opener of a home-and-home series. "Second half we picked it up defensively and offensively. We got the ball up the floor a little bit faster, picked up the pace in that third and fourth quarter, and really made a charge down the stretch," point guard Kyle�Lowry said. Lowry had 15 points and 11 assists for the Atlantic Division leaders, who host the Knicks on Saturday with a chance to extend their lead to five games over last seasons division champions. Andrea�Bargnani had 18 points and 12 rebounds against his former team. Beno�Udrih finished with 15 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who played again without Carmelo�Anthony because of a sprained left ankle. Anthony was hurt Monday and had hoped to play against Oklahoma City on Christmas, but instead might be out until the new year. Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Anthony likely wouldnt travel with the team to Toronto for the rematch. The Raptors won for the fifth time in their last six road games, this one adding to a recent stretch of impressive fourth-quarter performances. The Raptors started the fourth with an 11-0 run in an overtime victory at Dallas on Dec. 20, then outscored Oklahoma City 29-14 on Sunday while handing the Thunder their first home loss. Toronto shot 9 of 18 in the fourth quarter, held the Knicks to 5 of 19 and had a 16-9 rebounding advantage. "Fourth quarter we just couldnt get a win. We couldnt get stops. They played well down the stretch," said thee Knicks Amare Stoudemire, wearing a brace over what he said was a jammed right wrist from the previous game but adding he expected to play Saturday. Jarius Wright Jersey. . John�Salmons 3-pointer gave Toronto the lead for good with 8:07 left, and DeRozan followed with a jumper. After J.R.�Smiths basket, Salmons made another 3 before Valanciunas scored to make it 81-75. Valanciunas had a three-point play that made it 91-81 with 2:01 remaining. Despite the Knicks miserable 9-20 record, Woodson has continued to point their focus toward the division title. The Knicks thought for most of the game they would cut their deficit to two games, but instead headed north of the border down four. "Its just disappointing because I felt like we had the game in control for a big part of the game. And then kind of let it dwindle away fourth quarter, its pretty disheartening," centre Tyson�Chandler said. Despite playing without Anthony and point guard Raymond�Felton, the Knicks jumped out to a strong start. Toronto fought back to take a 37-36 lead with 3:17 to go in the second, but the Knicks outscored the Raptors 13-3 the rest of the half, with Smiths second 3-pointer during that span coming with 4.5 seconds left and giving New York a 49-40 lead. The Knicks extended it to 61-49 on Tim�Hardaway Jr.s 3-pointer with 7:17 remaining in the third, but the Raptors had it down to 71-66 by the end of the period before controlling the fourth. Smith had 17 points and Hardaway added 15. NOTES: Saturdays game is the last of 2013 for the Knicks, who are off until visiting San Antonio, Houston and Dallas from Jan. 2-5. ... Woodson wouldnt comment on an ESPN.com report that Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan met with the team Thursday and told players there were no trades or coaching changes forthcoming. Knicks forward Metta�World�Peace, who played despite a sore left knee, said he wasnt there and couldnt comment because he was an alien. "I was in another galaxy yesterday with my galactic friends," he said. ... Toronto and New York will have played eight times in 2013. The Raptors only faced Orlando once. cheap jerseys ' ' '

OTTAWA - The University of Ottawa suspended its mens varsity hockey program on Monday over allegations several players were involved in a sexual assault in Thunder Bay, Ont. Chris Doleman Purple Jersey . The alleged sexual assault is believed to have happened over the weekend of Feb. 1, when the hockey team was in Thunder Bay for two games against Lakehead University. The criminal investigation branch of the Thunder Bay Police Service is leading the investigation with help from Ottawa police. Ottawa police referred questions to their Thunder Bay counterparts. "This investigation is in its initial stages," Thunder Bay Police Service said in a statement. The force declined to release any further details about the alleged sexual assault. The University of Ottawa says it decided to suspend the hockey team after receiving information from a third party on Feb. 24 about an incident involving members of the team. The university contacted police the next day. No specific details were immediately available but the statement said the information included allegations of serious misconduct. The university has also launched an internal review. "The incident occurred several weeks ago," the school said in its statement. "The university is deeply concerned that senior management was only informed about these allegations on Feb. 24, and then by a third party. "This will be among the matters examined in the review. "The university has high expectations of all our students and staff. The alleged misconduct is not in keeping with the values that are at the heart of athletics and student life on campus." University spokesman Patrick Charette said the school is taking the allegations very seriously. "This is our top priority," he said. "As I indicated, we are launching an internal review that will look at all the questions. "This is serious. This is a serious allegation. You will also appreciate that there are all kinds of legal rights, including privacy rights of all innocent parties involved. This is why Im not going to comment any further." The team last played in Thunder Bay on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, winning both games. Head coach Real Paiement, who coached both Thunder Bay games, is listed as being on leave. The hockey teams suspension comes as the university deals with an unrelated matter involving a group of male students and their sexually graphic banter in an online conversation about a female student union leader. The male students threatened legal action against the student union leader, Anne-Marie Roy, who received an anonymous copy of the private Facebook conversation last month and decided to make it public. Roy says she spoke out because she wanted to draw attention to what she saw as a perpetuation of "rape culture." Four of the five men were elected student representatives and resigned over the weekend. They have also dropped their plans for legal action. Greg Jennings Purple Jersey . With the final four being arguably the four best � and most complete � teams from the regular season, picking a winner is not as easy as it sounds. Matt Asiata Purple Jersey . -- One of the byproducts of quarterback Matt McGloins rise to the top of Oaklands depth chart last week was the production of rookie tight end Mychal�Rivera.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Rockies put catcher Ramon�Hernandez on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a strained left hand that has bothered him for several days and made it difficult to grip a bat tightly. Colorado called up catcher Wil�Nieves from Triple-A Colorado Springs to take his spot. They also transferred infielder Hector�Gomez from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL with aa strained groin. Anthony Barr Purple Jersey. . Hernandez batted .215 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 27 games. He went on the DL before the start of a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds, his former team. The 34-year-old Nieves is playing for his fifth major league team, along with the Padres, Yankees, Nationals and Brewers. He batted .299 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 28 games at Triple-A. cheap jerseys ' ' '

SAN CANDIDO, Italy -- David Duncan of Canada claimed his first World Cup victory on Saturday, while womens world champion Fanny Smith took the overall lead of the skicross standings with her first win of the season. Carl Crawford Jersey . Duncans compatriot, Brady Leman, was third, behind Alex Fiva of Switzerland. Armin Niederer was fourth and maintained his lead in the skicross standings. Smith, of Switzerland, crossed the line ahead of Canadas Kelsey Serwa for her sixth World Cup success and moved ahead of Marielle Thompson in the standings. Anna Holmlund of Sweden was third. Smith was second in the opening event in Nakiska, Canada, and managed only seventh in Val Thorens, France, last week. Sandy Koufax Dodgers Jersey . Darvish is scheduled to make his season debut Sunday at Tampa Bay after getting through an extended bullpen session without any issues. Brian Wilson Dodgers Jersey . -- As usual, Aksel Lund Svindal was super fast on this hill.Josh�Hamilton shed no tears, used no prepared statement as he apologized and shared few details about his relapse with alcohol. Still, it was clear he was upset by what he had done. The Texas Rangers slugger and recovering drug addict said he had "three or four" drinks during dinner at a Dallas restaurant and bar Monday and continued drinking later that night. "Things happened that me, personally, Im not proud of after I drank, and they are personal and are being handled as that," he said Friday during a news conference at the ballpark called specifically to address the incident. "Knowing this was going to get out in social media, Twitter, people get excited. There was no pictures taken of me having a beer with somebody or anything like that, but I did take pictures with people." Hamilton didnt elaborate or give any real indication about what happened. Hamilton was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. The former No. 1 overall draft pick missed the entire 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons, but has become one of the best players in baseball on a team that has won the last two American League pennants. He was the AL MVP in 2010. The 30-year-old Hamilton said his latest actions "hurt a lot of people very close to me." He closed his eyes at one point and seemed to force a smile another time. He didnt take questions. Without being specific, Hamilton said he had a "weak moment" that stemmed from "personal reasons" involving a family member. He said he walked to a restaurant to have dinner and ended up "ordering a drink, and probably had three or four drinks" Hamilton said he did not take any drugs, and had no thoughts of doing so. He said he has been tested for drugs twice since Monday, part of his normal mandated routine. This is Hamiltons second known alcohol-related relapse in three years. Both came during the off-season, and this one has put on hold talks with the Rangers about a contract extension. In January 2009, he drank to excess in a bar in Tempe, Ariz. He apologized for that a few months later when a dozen or so pictures were posted online showing Hamilton taking shots off the bar, and dancing and hugging several young women. He said then that he had been sober since October 2005. Hamilton and general manager Jon Daniels said the outfielder will meet soon with Major League Baseball doctors and counsellors in New York for an evaluation in his continued recovery. "My life in general is based on making the right choices, everything as far as my recovery, as far as my baseball goes, its all based around my relationship with the Lord," Hamilton said. "And I look at it like that, you all know how hard I play on the field and I give it everything I absolutely have. When I dont do that off the field, I leave myself open foor a weak moment. Andre Ethier Jersey. ." After having a few drinks with dinner, Hamilton called Ian�Kinsler to come hang out with him. Hamilton said Kinsler didnt know he had been drinking, and that he never had a drink in front of his teammate, even when they left before the restaurant closed and went to another place nearby for 25-30 minutes. Then Kinsler drove him back to where he was staying not far away. Though Hamilton told Kinsler he was not going anywhere else, Hamilton said he later returned to the place they had left and had more drinks. Daniels was asked if he was concerned that the incident was more than just Hamilton having a few drinks. The GM referred to Hamilton saying that alcohol had led the outfielder to some things he wasnt proud of. "I dont know. I wasnt there," said Daniels, speaking on a conference call. "Thats how Josh wants to address those things right now." In Twitter posts Friday, Hamiltons wife, Katie, wrote: "Truly appreciate all the encouraging & supportive tweets weve been getting. God is Faithful and forgives- so thankful that you all are ... Showing us such love and encouragement during this time." When the Rangers acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds in December 2007, they were aware of Hamiltons off-the-field problems. He is tested for drug use three times a week and has had an accountability partner to support him in his recovery -- though that job is now vacant. Assistant hitting coach Johnny Narrons primary role was to support the former No. 1 overall draft pick, but Narron left the Rangers in November for Milwaukee. The Rangers announced last month that Hamiltons father-in-law had been hired as a staff special assistant to be the accountability partner, but Michael Dean Chadwick has since decided against accepting that position because of "family considerations." Daniels said the team was close to hiring someone for the job, a process that was already in the final stages before the latest incident. He said an announcement could come next week. But Daniels said such a person likely wouldnt have been with Hamilton during the off-season when he was home with his family, as was the case this week. Hamilton can become a free agent after this season and had been talking to the Rangers about a contract extension. "It would be nice if it was talking about a contract but well put that on the back burner for a while," Hamilton said before walking out of the room. Daniels concurred that he had agreed with Hamiltons agent, Mike Moye, that contract talks would be put on hold. Daniels said there was no timetable for resuming them. While Daniels said Hamiltons relapse created a number of emotions, including disappointment, the GM said the overriding concern was for Hamilton and his family. Hamilton and his wife have four daughters, the youngest born last summer. cheap jerseys' ' '

CHESTER, Pa. Anthony Fasano Red Jersey . -- It was Marco Di Vaios return that ended Montreal Impacts poor start to the season and a three-game losing streak. The squads leading goal scorer a year ago, Di Vaio was playing his first match of the season following a three-game carryover suspension from the 2013 playoffs. The Italian veteran scored a beauty in the second half on Saturday, salvaging a 1-1 draw for the 10-man Impact against the Philadelphia Union. "Were walking away from a difficult place to play with a point," said manager Frank Klopas. "The way we had to come back and fight, we were short-handed for a long period of time and I think its a very positive result. Its something we can build on." It was a cold, rainy, and windy day in Pennsylvania and Klopas made three changes to the squad that lost 2-0 to Seattle at home last week. Heath Pearce replaced Jeb Brovsky at left back while Andres Romero was preferred to Patrice Bernier in the midfield. Klopas stayed with the 4-2-3-1 formation but swapped Di Vaio for Andrew Wenger in the lone striker role. The Impact dodged a bullet in the 10th minute after Union midfielder Vincent Nogueira beat Hernan Bernardello on the touchline. The Frenchmans shot went just inches wide after a 50-yard run at goal from the right flank. But Nogueira would make up for that miss on the 35th minute. Taking a feed from striker Jack McInerney, he beat the Impact backline into the right channel and fired from the same angle, this time hitting the target and giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. "I thought we started the game strong, but we made a few errors that put us on the back foot in the first half," said Pearce, who was starting his first game for the Impact. "We didnt keep the ball as well as we could have in the first half and we obviously gave up a bad goal." The Impact had a great chance to level in the 68th minute, when Di Vaio found space on a counter attack. With an eye-opening and age-defying 70-yard run, he beat the Union defence but could only fire over the crossbar from inside the box. It looked to fall apart in the 76th minute when substitute Wenger was sent off with a straight red card. Referee Edvin Jurisevic wasted no time in making the decision after the striker was judged to have gone studs-first into a tackle on the goal scorer Nogueira. With ten minutes to play and a fourth consecutive loss looming, Di Vaio showed why he is so important. Down a man and playing on the counter, he found space on the left and inched toward goal with the Philadelphia defence stretched. Stepping to his right, he ripped a curling shot that beat Zac MacMath at the far-post and levelled the game at one. "When you have players like that, its just that one moment," Klopas said. "Those are guys that you never take off the field. They have some chances, and they might miss. But you saw him, he gets the ball and its one special play that he can pull off. Thats why there are guys that you dont take out, because they have one magic moment in them." The draw is Montreals first result of the season and moves the Impact to a 0-3-1 record ahead of next weeks home match against New York. "For us, its a big point," said Bernier, who entered in the second half. "After four games we have to come away with something. It shows great character to get the result after the red card, but we still have to look at the idea that were not right when were going eleven versus eleven. Over the last few minutes we showed character, we (defended) together, we got the goal, and we got a result away from home. Right now that point is big for us." Larry Johnson Red Jersey . -- Dwyane�Wade was a late scratch from the Miami Heats starting lineup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night because of nerve irritation in his left foot, leaving his status for the All-Star game in doubt. Dontari Poe Red Jersey . -- Josh�Smith saved his only 3-pointers for when the Detroit Pistons needed them most.Toronto Blue Jays infielder Edwin�Encarnacion is scheduled to join the Triple A Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday to begin his rehab stint. Encarnacion has been on the disabled list since suffering a strained right quadriceps on July 7. He began his rehab on Saturday for Single-A Dunedin and went 1-3. In 88 games, with the Blue Jays this season, Encarnacion has hit .. Josh Mauga Red Jersey. 77 with 21 doubles, 26 home runs and 70 RBI. His home run total is tied for 4th most in the American League even though he hasnt played since July 5. He homered 16 times in 30 games in May, setting the Blue Jays franchise record for home runs in any month. He has 221 career big league home runs with 42 homers coming for Toronto in 2012. cheap jerseys ' ' '

By the spring, the governor looked vulnerable in the next election and I began to think of a rematch. One day, I drove from Little Rock to Hot Springs to see Mother. About halfway there, I pulled into the parking lot of the gas station and store at Lonsdale. The man who owned it was active in local politics, and I UGG boots sale usa wanted to see what he thought about my chances. He was friendly but noncommittal. As I walked back to my car, I ran into an elderly man in overalls. He said, Arent you Bill Clinton? When I said I was and shook his hand, he couldnt wait to tell me he had voted against me. Im one of those who helped beat you. I cost you eleven votesme, my wife, my two boys and their wives, and five of my friends. We just leveled you. I asked him why and got the predictable reply: I had to. You raised my car tags. I pointed to a spot on the highway not far from where we were standing and said, Remember that ice storm we had when I took office? That piece of road over there buckled and cars were stuck in the UGG boots cheap ditch. I had to get the National Guard to pull them out. There were pictures of it in all the papers. Those roads had to be fixed. He replied, I dont care. I still didnt want to pay it. For some reason, after all hed said, I blurted out, Let me ask you something. If I ran for governor again, would you consider voting for me? He smiled and said, Sure I would. Were even now. I went right to the pay phone, called Hillary, told her UGG boots cheap online the story, and said I thought we could win.

I spent most of the rest of 1981 traveling and calling around the state. The Democrats wanted to beat Frank White, and most of my old supporters said theyd be with me if I ran. Two men with a deep love for our state and a passion for politics took a particular interest in helping me. Maurice Smith owned a 12,000-acre farm and the bank in his little hometown of Birdeye. He was about sixty years old, short and thin, with a craggy face and a deep, gravelly voice he used sparingly but to great effect. Maurice was smart as a whip and good as gold. He had been active UGG boots cheap womens in Arkansas politics a long timeand was a genuine progressive Democrat, a virtue his whole family shared. He didnt have a racist or an elitist bone in his body, and he had supported both my highway program and my education program. He wanted me to run again, and he was prepared to take the lead role in raising the funds necessary to win and in getting support from well-respected people who hadnt been involved before. His biggest coup was George Kell, Uggs clearance who had made the Hall of Fame playing baseball for the Detroit Tigers and was still the radio announcer for the Tiger games. Throughout his stellar baseball career, Kell had kept his home in Swifton, the small northeast Arkansas town where he grew up. He was a legend there and had lots of admirers all over the state. After we got acquainted, he agreed to serve as the campaign treasurer.

Maurices support gave my campaign instant credibility, which was important because no Arkansas governor had ever been elected, defeated, and elected again, though others had tried. But he gave me much more. He became my friend, confidant, and advisor. I trusted him completely. He was somewhere between a second father and an older brother Cheap UGGS with bow to me. For the rest of my time in Arkansas, he was involved in all my campaigns and the work of the governors UGG boots sale office. Because Maurice loved the give-and-take of politics, he was especially effective in pushing my programs in the legislature. He knew when to fight and when to deal. He kept me out of a lot of the trouble Id had in the first term. By the time I became President, Maurice was in ill health. We spent one happy evening on the third floor of the White House reminiscing about our times together.

I never met a single person who didnt like and respect Maurice Smith. A few weeks before he died, Hillary was back UGG boots sale womens in Arkansas and went to the hospital to see him. When she returned to the White House, she looked at me and said, I just love that man. In the last week of his life, we talked twice on the telephone. He told me he didnt think hed get out of the hospital this time and just wanted me to know Im proud of everything we did together and I love you. It was the only time he ever said that.

When Maurice died in late 1998, I UGG boots sale clearance went home to speak at his funeral, something I had to do too much of as President. On the way down to Arkansas, I thought of all he had done for me. He was finance chairman of all my campaigns, master of ceremonies at every inauguration, my chief of staff, a member of the university board of trustees, director of the Highway Department, chief lobbyist for UGG boots sale toddler legislation for the disabledthe favorite cause of his wife, Jane. But most of all, I thought of the day after I lost the 1980 election, when Hillary, Chelsea, and I were standing on the lawn of the Governors Mansion. As I slumped under the weight of my defeat, a small man put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said in that wonderful raspy voice, Thats all right. Well be back. I still miss Maurice Smith.

The other man in that category was L. W. Bill Clark, a man I barely knew before he sought me out in 1981 UGGS on sale bailey bow to discuss what Id have to do to regain the governors office. Bill was a strongly built man who loved a good political fight and had a keen understanding of human nature. He was from Fordyce in southeast Arkansas and owned a mill that shaped white oak lumber into staves for the casks that hold sherry and whiskey. He sold a lot of them in Spain. He also owned a couple of Burger King restaurants. One day in the early spring, he invited me to go to the races with him at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. I had been out of office only a couple of months, and Bill was surprised that so few people came up Cheap UGGS to our box to say hello. Instead of discouraging him, the cool treatment I got fired his competitive instincts. He decided he was going to get me back to the governors office come hell or high water. I went to his Hot Springs lake house several times in 1981 to talk politics and meet friends he was trying to recruit to help us. At those small dinners and parties, I met several people who agreed to take leading roles in the campaign in south Arkansas. Some of them had never supported me before, but Bill Clark brought them over. I owe Bill Clark a lot for all he did for me Cheap UGGS outlet over the next eleven years, to help me win elections and pass my legislative program. But mostly I owe him for believing Cheap UGGS for toddlers in me at a time when I wasnt always able to believe in myself.

While I was out on the hustings, Betsey Wright was working hard to get the mechanics in place. In the last several months of 1981, she, Hillary, and I talked to Dick Morris about how to launch my campaign, flying to New York at Dicks suggestion to meet with Tony Schwartz, a famous expert in political media, who rarely left his Manhattan apartment. I found Schwartz and his ideas about how to influence both the thoughts and feelings of voters fascinating. It was clear that if I wanted to win in 1982, just two years after being thrown out of office, I had to walk Cheap UGGS sale a fine line with Arkansans. I couldnt tell the voters theyd made a mistake in defeating me. On the other hand, if I wore the hair shirt too much, I would have a hard time convincing voters to give me another chance to serve. It was a problem we all thought hard about, as Betsey and I labored over the lists and devised strategies for the primary and general elections.

Meanwhile, as 1981 drew to a close, I took two very different trips that prepared me for the battle ahead. At the invitation of Governor Bob Graham, I went to Florida to address the state Democratic convention, which met in the Miami area every two years in December. I gave an impassioned plea for the Democrats to fight back in the UGG Boots uk cheap face of Republican attack ads. I said it was all well and good to let them strike the first blow, but if they hit us hard below the belt, we should take a meat ax and cut their hands off. It was a bit melodramatic, but the right wing had taken over the Republican Party and changed the UGG Boots uk online rules of political combat, while their hero, President Reagan, smiled and appeared to stay above it UGG Boots uk kids all. The Republicans thought they could win election wars indefinitely with their verbal assault weapons. Perhaps they could, but I for one was determined never to practice unilateral disarmament again.

The other trip I took was a pilgrimage with Hillary to the Holy Land, led by the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, W. O. Vaught. In 1980, at Hillarys urging, I had joined Immanuel and begun to sing in the choir. I hadnt been a regular UGGS on sale womens churchgoer since I left home for Georgetown in 1964, and Id stopped singing in the church choir a few years before then. Hillary knew that I missed going to church, and that I admired W. O. Vaught because he had forsaken the hellfire-and-brimstone preaching of his early ministry in favor of carefully teaching the Bible to his congregation. UGGS on sale cheap He believed that the Bible was the inerrant word of God but that few people understood its true meaning. He immersed himself in the study of the earliest available versions of the scriptures, and would give a series of sermons on one book of the Bible or an important scriptural subject before going on to something else. I looked forward to my Sundays in the choir loft of the church, looking at the back of Dr. Vaughts bald head and following along in my Bible, as he taught us through the Old and New Testaments.

Dr. Vaught had been going to the Holy Land since 1938, ten years before the state of Israel came into being. Hillarys parents came down from Park Ridge to stay with Chelsea so that we could join the group he led in December 1981. We spent much of our time in Jerusalem, retracing the steps Jesus walked and meeting local Christians. We saw the spot where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and the small cave UGG boots outlet uk where Christ is believed to have been buried and from which He arose. We also went to the Western Wall, holy to Jews, and to the UGG Boots uk Muslim holy sites, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, the point from which Muslims believe Mohammed rose to heaven and his rendezvous with Allah. We went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; to the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on water; to Jericho, possibly the worlds oldest city; and to Masada, where a band of Jewish warriors, the Maccabees, withstood a long, furious Roman assault until they were finally overcome and entered the pantheon of UGG Boots uk sale martyrs. Atop Masada, as we looked down on the valley below, Dr. Vaught reminded us that historys greatest armies, including those of Alexander the Great and Napoleon, had marched through it, and that the book of Revelation says that at the end of time, the valley will flow with blood.

That trip left a lasting mark on me. I returned home with a deeper appreciation of my own faith, a profound admiration for Israel, and for the first time, some understanding of Palestinian aspirations and grievances. It was the beginning of an obsession to see all the UGG Boots uk on sale children of Abraham reconciled on the holy ground in which our three faiths came to life.

Not long after I got home, Mother got married to Dick Kelley, a food broker she had known for years and had been seeing for a while. She had been single for more than seven years, and I was happy for her. Dick was a big, attractive guy who loved the races as much as she did. He also loved to travel and did a lot of it. He would take Mother all over the world. Thanks to Dick, she went to Las Vegas often but also got to Africa before I did. The Reverend John Miles married them in a sweet ceremony at Marge and Bill Mitchells place on Lake UGG Boots uk outlet Hamilton, which ended with Roger singing Billy Joels Just the Way You Are. I would come to love Dick Kelley and grow ever more grateful for the happiness he brought Mother, and me. He would become one of my favorite golf companions. Well into his eighties, when he played his handicap and I played mine, he beat me more than half the time.

In January 1982, golf was UGG boots outlet the last thing on my mind; it was time to start the campaign. Betsey had taken to Arkansas like a duck to water and had done a great job putting together an organization of my old supporters and new people who were disenchanted with Governor White. Our first big decision was how to begin. Dick Morris suggested that before I made a formal announcement I should go on television UGG boots outlet to acknowledge the mistakes that led to my defeat and ask for another chance. It was a risky idea, but the whole idea of running just two years after I had lost was risky. If I lost again, there would be no more comebacks, at least not for a long time.

We cut the ad in New York at Tony Schwartzs studio. I thought the only way it would work was if it contained both an honest acknowledgment of my past mistakes and the promise of the kind of positive leadership that had attracted popular support the first time I ran. The ad aired without prior notice on February 8. My face filled the screen UGG boots outlet store as I told the voters that since my defeat I had traveled the state talking with thousands of Arkansans; that they had told me Id done some good things UGG boots outlet online but made big mistakes, including raising the car-tag fees; and that our roads needed the money but I was wrong to raise it in a way that hurt so many people. I then said that when I was growing up, my daddy never had to whip me twice for the same thing; that the state needed leadership in education and economic development, areas in which I had done a good job; and that if theyd give me another chance, Id be a governor who had learned from defeat that UGG boots outlet clearance you cant lead without listening.

The ad generated a lot of conversation and seemed at least to have opened the minds of enough voters to give me a chance. On February 27, Chelseas birthday, I made my official announcement. Hillary gave me a picture of the three of us at the event, with the inscription Chelseas second birthday, Bills second chance.