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VANCOUVER -- The B. Dan Fouts Authentic Jersey .C. Lions signed defensive back Ryan Phillips to a contract extension that will keep him with the CFL club through the 2016 season. The nine-year veteran was a CFL all-star last year after recording 36 tackles and two interceptions over 18 regular-season games. "Ryan is one of the veteran players that were counting on to show our defence and our team the kind of commitment, teamwork and selflessness its going to take to be a champion," Lions GM Wally Buono said in a statement. "As a four-time CFL all-star, including last season, Ryan continues to play at a very high level and I believe his greatest season is yet to come." The Seattle native hasnt missed a regular-season game since entering the league in 2005. His mark of 162 consecutive games played is the longest active streak in the CFL. "I cannot say enough about Ryans leadership and accomplishments during his time as a Lion," said head coach Mike Benevides. "Hes been with us for the better part of a decade and we will be leaning on him not only as a key component of our defence, but also as part of our core leadership group." Phillips has appeared in 13 playoff games and won Grey Cups with the Lions in 2006 and 2011. "Signing this extension is very satisfying for me for a number of reasons," Phillips said. "Having an opportunity to play in front of my friends and family is very important to me and Im grateful to the Lions for making that happen for years to come. "Im also honoured to play alongside some of the best defensive players in the CFL such as Dante Marsh, Cord Parks, Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian. We have a great team here and more specifically we have great defensive players that are not concerned with personal recognition but instead, simply winning championships." Phillips is tied with former Lions great Norm Fieldgate with 388 career tackles and is second behind Larry Crawford with 666 interception return yards. Jason Verrett . The Bruins suffered their share of setbacks, a notable one just a week earlier. Once the Pac-12 tournament got rolling, the Bruins took off. Kellen Clemens Jersey . Sabathia did not get a decision on Monday against Tampa Bay, as he allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings. Hes 13-4 on the year to go along with a 3.42 ERA. Since winning six decisions over a nine-start stretch, Sabathia is 0-1 over his last two outings, but still has only allowed more than three runs once in his previous 10 trips to the hill.AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Fred Couples floats across Augusta National on a cloud of cool. At 52, he figures hes in on a free pass. Hes got aches and pains as old as the guy with whom he shares the top of the leaderboard. Better still, if Couples won the Masters again, 20 years after the first time he did it, he already knows exactly what hed do next. "Youd never see me again," he chuckled. "It would be a walkoff." Dont laugh. Couples green jacket in 1992 was almost as improbable. Not because he wasnt capable of sublime golf back then -- or now, for that matter -- but because of a single shot that set up the win by defying the laws of gravity. In the final round, Couples hit an 8-iron into the par-3 12th and tucked his chin into his chest as the shot rode a breeze and began drifting to the right. The ball hit the bank in front of the green and began sliding down the slippery slope toward Raes Creek and the watery grave that claimed every similar shot all weekend. Somehow, his stopped, nestled up against a few blades of grass. Couples chipped up to save par and wound up winning by two. He called it "the biggest break of my life." Yet Couples seemed almost as mystified by what happened Friday, when he fought off two early bogeys with seven birdies and carded a 67. That left him at 5-under for the tournament, tied with 35-year-old Jason Dufner. "I stand out there and say, What the hell? a lot," he laughed. "Or What do I have to lose here? Or Go for the flag on this shot." But the higher he climbed up the leaderboard, the more cautious Couples became -- or at least what passes as cautious for him. "Once you really get cruising around," he added, "then it becomes, Play a smart shot." Hes played hundreds of those over the course of 200 rounds here, enough to post 10 career top-10 finishes at the Masters but thats not all. A moment before he walked into the interview room, someone reminded Couples he owned the best scoring average of anyone with 100 rounds or more at the tournament, including Jack Nicklaus, who won here six times. Nicklaus was 46 when he won the last time, in 1986, and Couples was on just his fourth go-round. "I said, Well, I dont know the last year he played, but his scores kept going up a little bit and mine will be doing that shortly. But today," he added, brightening, "was not one of those days." Its only when Couple doffs his ballcap to reveal a full head of shaggy grey hair, or talks about gulping aspirins to quiet a chronically troublesome back, that you remember he cant do this forever, let alone string together four solid rounds at a major anymore. Kavell Conner. Last year, Couples was seventh heading into the weekend, then faded with 72-73 and wound up tied for 15th. A half-dozen years ago, he was second heading into the final round and shot 71, finishing in a tie for third. Couples strategy to conserve energy this time around was vintage Fred: He practiced less. He hit some balls on the range, played in the ceremonial par-3 tournament on Wednesday and planned to play the back nine before thunderstorms forced him to take the rest of the day off. Instead of feeling guilty, Couples took it as a good sign. He never needed an excuse to play hooky. "Basically, I feel like I played enough," he said. "I dont need to wear myself out." Even in his prime, Couples was that way. His swing is the same, too, long and graceful, with no wasted motion. He doesnt hit it as far as he used to -- the nickname "Boom Boom" fell away years ago-- but still plenty far. Then theres the temperament. Couples reminds rivals of the guy who just put down a cocktail on the patio, picked up his clubs and wandered into the middle of the tournament. "Hes amazing," said Sergio Garcia, whos part of a five-some trailing Couples and 35-year-old Jason Dufner by a stroke. "He always manages to do it somehow." Yet the only thing hard to believe is that Couples will be able to play the last two rounds as well as he did the first two. The prospect hardly rattles him. "I dont feel too much stress. Now, obviously theres stress out there and Im not -- what Im getting at is, when youre playing here, Im not going to let too many things bother me. Its so beautiful. You cant say its your favourite place and then break a club on the fourth hole on Saturday. ... And if I dont do well, you know, I leave here with the attitude of Ill come back next year and do well. "A lot of the tournaments I play in, at my age now -- not 20 years ago -- they are just golf tournaments. Its another week of golf. And for me to be tied at this moment, its a little shocking, but I played a really good round of golf today. "I have to do that tomorrow," Couples added, "or they will just fly by me." Catch him if you can. ' ' ' |
