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CARSON, Calif. Willie Roaf Jersey . -- Canadian international forward Rob Friend has signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. The six-foot-five, 205-pounder from Kelowna, B.C., arrived from Germanys TSV 1860 Munich. The 32-year-old Friend has spent his entire club career in Europe, with stops in Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. "The addition of Rob Friend to our roster brings a different dimension to our attack," Galaxy GM and head coach Bruce Arena said in a statement. "Rob is a veteran player with a scoring pedigree and we are excited to bolster our roster by bringing him to L.A." Originally selected by the Chicago Fire in the fourth round of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Friend went to Europe to play for Moss and then Molde in Norway. In June 2006, Friend signed with Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie. He split the season with Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo. Friend moved to Germany for the 2007-08 campaign, scoring 18 goals in 33 league games for Borussia Moenchengladbach while helping them win promotion to the German Bundesliga. He was sold to Hertha Berlin before the 2010-11 season, joining Eintracht Frankfurt before switching to TSV 1860. Friend also scored twice in 32 appearances for the Canadian national team. Corey White Jersey .C. -- Bobcats centre Al�Jefferson says hell play in Game 3 Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Ramon Humber Jersey. -- Reginas Mark McMorris is taking home a silver medal and a fractured rib from Saturdays slopestyle event at the Winter X Games.With the Los Angeles Kings on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 series lead over the New York Rangers, the debate has begun as to whom should win the Conn Smythe Trophy for this years playoffs. Unlike in 2012 when the Kings last won the Cup, there is no obvious choice for the most valuable player in the playoffs. That year, goaltender Jonathan�Quick posted a 16-4 record with a .946 save percentage, 1.41 goals-against-average and three shutouts en route to winning the award. Quick is again a candidate to win this year, however he may not be the favourite. In 24 playoff games, Quick has a 15-9 record, a .910 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average. He also has two shutouts in the playoffs, including one against the Rangers in Game 3. The Kings have used a high-scoring offence to get within a game of winning the Stanley Cup this season. Their 84 goals in the playoffs are 24 more than the next-best Rangers. Leading the way on offence is Anze�Kopitar, who leads in scoring with 26 points in 24 playoff games. Kopitars 21 assists in this years run sits second in Kings history, behind only Wayne�Gretzkys 25 helpers in 1993. However, Kopitar has just five goals, while nine of his assists have come on Marion Gaborik goals. Gaborik, acquired by the Kings on trade deadline day from the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the playoffs in goals with 13. His finest game of the playoffs ccame in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks, when he scored with seven seconds left in regulation to tie the game and scored again in overtime to take the series opener.Pierre Thomas Jersey. "Mr. Game 7," Justin�Williams, also has an overtime winner on his playoff resume this year. Williams scored to lift the Kings over the Rangers in Game 1 -- one of eight goals hes scored in the playoffs. An emotional leader for the team, Williams is tied for second in playoff scoring with 24 points and leads the team with a plus-14 rating. He also has six points through three Stanley Cup Final games. Tied with Williams at 24 points is forward Jeff�Carter, who played a similar role to Gaborik in 2012 after being acquired mid-season from the Blue Jackets. Carter has 10 goals in these playoffs, including a team-high four on the power play. However, hurting Carters campaign is his plus-five rating. If any defenceman is to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Kings, it would likely be Drew�Doughty, who leads the Kings blue line with 17 points and has been their top defenceman throughout the playoffs, averaging over 28 minutes of ice-time per game. With multiple options available, the Conn Smythe Trophy debate may come down to the Kings final victory. Until then, who do you believe will be named the most valuable player should the Kings defeat the Rangers? As always, its Your! Call. ' ' '

MILWAUKEE -- Kyle�Lohse pumped his right first waiting in the on-deck circle as Jean�Seguras three-run homer cleared the left-field fence in the second inning. Vince Wilfork Jersey . It sure felt good for Milwaukees veteran right-hander to get some early run support in Miller Park from a lineup off to a middling start at the plate at home. Lohse allowed five hits and no walks in seven innings, Khris�Davis added a solo shot in the fourth and the Brewers improved to a big league-best 16-6 with a 5-2 win Wednesday night over the San Diego Padres. "You get some runs on the board, it is big for us to go out and shut down the next inning to keep the other team down and keep the momentum going," Lohse said. Francisco�Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save, his 313th over 12 full big league seasons. Brewers batters backed up another good outing by the pitching staff with nine hits at home, where the team had been averaging just two runs and six hits entering the night. After four straight one-run games, going 3-1, the Brewers got a relative breather. "Its always nice coming in to the last inning with Frankie coming out there and he doesnt have to be perfect," manager Ron Roenicke said. "If youre two runs up with your closer coming in you feel really good about a ball game." Roenicke said before the game it was only a matter of time before his squad broke out of its hitting slump at home -- and his players backed him up with four runs and five hits in the first two innings. Tyson�Ross (2-3) allowed a season-high five earned runs in six innings, regressing after striking out nine and shutting out the Giants over eight innings in his previous start last week. He had little to celebrate Wednesday, a day after he turned 27. Milwaukee was aggressive from the outset and made solid contact early in counts. Ryan�Braun doubled home a run in the first on a 1-1 pitch, the same count on which eighth-place hitter Segura hit a 385-foot homer off the green facade over the left-field wall. "He just couldnt get ahead of hitters and put them away," Padres manager Bud Black said of Ross. "They jumped out on some balls that were out of over the plate. The big blow was the home run." Getting the 24-year-old Segura going will help whats already a potent Brewers lineup. Segura, who was dropped from second to eighth in the order after starting the season hitting .232, hit his first homer since July 30, spanning 269 plate appearances. Segura said being dropped in the order was tough, but he feels hes making progress with the bat. Still, the Brewers are 10 games over .500 even with Segura still finding his way. "Were doing some great things on the field, pitching, bullpen," Segura said. "Were going in the right direction." San Diego took a 1-0 lead in the first off of Seth�Smiths sacrifice fly, but was otherwise limited until pinch-hitter Nick�Hundleys RBI single with two outs in the seventh. Lohse, in his 14th season in the majors, was changing speeds and mixing his curve effectively with a slider and fastball. "He used both sides of the plate extremely well. It was a veteran pitcher making pitches," Black said. "It was really Pitching 101." NOTES: A fan sitting in the front row next to the Brewers dugout left with an ice pack on her right wrist after apparently being hit by a bat that flew out of the hands of Padres pinch-hitter Yasmani�Grandal in the seventh on a strikeout. ... Black said RHP Josh�Johnson is scheduled for elbow ligament-replacement surgery for the second time in his career and will miss the entire season. Johnson was placed on the DL before the season began. ... Brewers RHP Brandon�Kintzler (rotator cuff) had a 40-pitch bullpen session Wednesday and appears on track to return from the DL on Friday. The setup man has been sidelined since April 9. ... The Padres will start LHP Eric�Stults (1-2) when they begin a three-game series in Washington on Thursday. ... The Brewers are off Thursday and plan to start RHP Matt�Garza (0-2) at home against the Cubs on Friday. Patrick Chung Patriots Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley�Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. James Develin Jersey . Pro Bowl centre Maurkice�Pouncey ripped up his right knee and linebacker Larry�Foote ruptured his biceps during Pittsburghs 16-9 home loss to Tennessee, likely sidelining both players for the rest of the season. BORMIO, Italy -- Aiming for back-to-back victories, Canadas Erik Guay simply wants to maintain his form for Sundays World Cup downhill on the physically demanding Stelvio course. The Bode Miller-led U.S. speed team, by contrast, is still looking for its first podium finish of the season -- with the Sochi Olympics only 41 days away. And if the final training session in Bormio was any indication, things havent changed much since last weekend, when Guay won the Val Gardena downhill and Miller finished fifth. Guay, from Mont-Tremblant, Que., also led training Saturday and Miller was fifth again. "I feel like my racing is in a really good spot -- better than its ever been," Guay said. "And I know the reason as well, so thats pretty exciting." Guay won the Val Gardena downhill last weekend but has never finished better than fourth in Bormio. "Some years I come here and Im intimidated by the course and I dont feel quite up to it," he said. "This year Im excited about it and Im looking forward to the challenge tomorrow." While Guay would not reveal the "reason" for his speed, he did attribute some of his success to his personal coach, his younger brother Stefan Guay, a former World Cup racer. "To start working well with a coach typically takes two years, sometimes three," Guay said. "Stef now in his second season, I find hes getting confident and better every time. So that instills a lot of confidence in myself." The Stelvio is known for its knee-jarring bumps and shadows, making it a serious physical test. And this year, theres an added wrinkle with recent snowfall providing changing conditions all the way down. "Up top its quite soft and then toward the middle it gets a little bit firmer and more choppy and then toward the bottom its standard Bormio -- rock hard, fast, rattly," Guay said. "So its got a little bit of everything and it takes a fine touch to adjust on the way down. But its a fun course." Miller is still working on his downhill form after a year off to recover from left knee microfracture surgery, but hes comforted by top 10 results in both super-G and downhill last weekend, plus past success in Bormio. Tom Brady Patriots Jersey. He swept the gold medals in super-G and downhill at the 2005 world championships here and also won the World Cup downhill in 2007. "It hasnt been the season that I had hoped but Ive been making progress all year," Miller said. "I look forward to hills that are a little bit tougher and a little more challenging and this one definitely is that." While Miller finished second to Ted Ligety in a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, this month, no U.S. man has reached the podium in a speed race this season. "Its definitely been a bit of a slow start but weve definitely been building -- slowly," said Marco Sullivan, the veteran skier from Squaw Valley, California. "We have four or five guys who are consistently in the points, its just a matter of moving into that top 10." Its been a sharp change from this point last season, when Sullivan had finished third in the season-opening downhill in Lake Louise, Alberta; Steven Nyman had won the Val Gardena downhill; and Ligety had placed fourth in two super-Gs. Could it be that the Americans are pacing themselves to peak in Sochi? "I dont think thats it," Sullivan said. "I dont really know what to attribute it to but no one is going slow on purpose. Were all trying to go fast each week." One of the problems has been the race conditions. "The first couple of races were cold and icy and we hadnt trained on that," U.S. mens head coach Sasha Rearick said. "Now weve had the chance to do that." Errors have also played a role, with both Ligety and Nyman failing to finish races in Val Gardena. But there are signs of a turnaround, with Miller, Sullivan and Travis Ganong -- another Squaw Valley native -- combining to set the fastest time in every section in Fridays opening training session, when Miller was second. "Its kind of a cool stat," Nyman said. "But its just putting it all together and I think thats kind of the big thing right now." ' ' '

DETROIT -- After scoring 39 goals in their first eight games, the San Jose Sharks proved they can play pretty well defensively, too. Bobby Cox Jersey . Logan�Couture scored in the shootout and San Jose beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Monday night. The Sharks (8-0-1) are the NHLs last team without a regulation loss. "We scored a lot of goals in our first eight games. Were not going to keep scoring like that," Couture said. Each goalie got a shutout for not allowing a goal in 65 minutes. Antti�Niemi -- who got his 24th career shutout -- made 24 saves for San Jose and Jimmy�Howard, who earned his 17th shutout, stopped 27 shots. "Not much space out there. It was very playoff like," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "Both teams a prevent-type game. ... It was a chess match, theres no doubt about it. Even on the power play and penalty kills, the teams didnt get a lot of looks." Howard praised the way his team played without the puck. "I thought we did a good job on their top guys. We didnt give them a lot of room and space. Another thing that was a positive was we didnt give up a lot of odd-man rushes," Howard said. "Thats been an Achilles heel of late for us. We did a great job of keeping the third man high in the offensive zone, making them come 200 feet. We didnt turn pucks over. Its a good sign." It was Niemis third shutout against Detroit. He also stopped Todd�Bertuzzi on Detroits final shootout attempt with a spectacular pad save. It was the first game of a four-game Eastern road swing for San Jose. Detroits Brendan�Smith hit the outside of the goal post with 4:57 remaining in regulation. Niemi made an outstanding save on Daniel�Alfredssons shot from the bottom of the right circle 7:31 into the second period. San Jose outshot Detroit 7-4 in a scoreless opening period, in which the Red Wings killed off two penalties. "There was two pretty good teams there tonight. I thought our young D played pretty good. There wasnt much in the way of scoring chances either way," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Both teams played real tight. I thought it was a good game. Just no room for either team. I think both teams checked really well. Not a lot of freedom for guys." NOTES: After the game, the Sharks acquired forward Mike�Brown from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round section in the 2014 draft. ... Detroit D Niklas�Kronwall missed his second game with a concussion suffered on Thursday night in Colorado. It was on a hit from behind by Cody�McLeod, who was suspended for five games on Monday by the NHL. Kronwalls defence partner, Jonathan�Ericsson, also didnt play because his wife went into labour on Sunday night. D Xavier�Ouellet was recalled from the Wings AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. ... San Jose recalled forwards Freddie�Hamilton and John�McCarthy from its AHL affiliate in Worcester. The team also assigned F Matt�Pelech to the same team. ... Red Wings G Jonas�Gustavsson is the NHLs First Star for last week. Gustavsson posted a 3-0-0 record with a 1.67 goals-against average and .953 save percentage in three Detroit wins. ... Sharks LW Patrick�Marleau was the leagues Third Star with three goals and six points. ... Tampa Bay Lightning GM, Canadian Olympic GM and former Red Wings Hall of Fame player Steve�Yzerman was at the game. Bobby Cox Authentic Jersey . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike�Cammalleri and Lee�Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Craig Kimbrel Braves Jersey . -- Canadian Erik�Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday.SAO PAULO, Brazil -- FIFA said Wednesday it is not considering changing kickoff times or adding mandatory cooling breaks during World Cup matches, despite being sued by Brazils players union because of health concerns. FIFA said it spent nearly two years analyzing starting times for the tournament in Brazil and always took into consideration the players health. The players federation filed a lawsuit this week to change kickoff times of the 24 matches scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), saying players would be at risk because of intense heat and humidity in some venues. It said FIFA, at least, must introduce two-minute water breaks in each half during those matches. The players federation is asking for a temporary injunction against FIFA but theres no timetable on a ruling. "FIFAs medical team is always monitoring carefully all venues during any FIFA competition to protect the players health," footballs governing body said in a statement. "Cooling breaks will be considered on a match-by-match basis for the 64 matches. Official and mandatory cooling breaks will not be pre-established. Rather, climate conditions will be evaluated prior to each match by the FIFA venue medical officer." There were similar health concerns during the 1994 World Cup in the United states, when temperatures reached the mid-30s (Celsius) in some of the games. Extreme heat is also a problem for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with FIFA considering moving the tournament to winter to avoid the hot weather in the Gulf nation. FIFA said it already made the schedule changes it felt were needed in the Brazilian cities with the highest temperatures. It will be winter in Brazil during the World Cup, but it may be hot and humid in many of the 12 host cities, especially in the northeastern and northern regions. "One coore aspect in defining the kickoff times was the very thorough analysis of the historical climate data in all venues," FIFA said. Brandon Beachy Authentic Jersey. "Therefore, the venues with the highest average temperatures such as Manaus, Cuiaba and Fortaleza do not have any matches with 1 p.m. kickoff times during group stage." Seven matches had their kickoff times altered by FIFA last year. The players federation, known as Fenapaf, wants the changes based on local labour regulations and a study conducted by renowned Brazilian sports doctor Turibio Leite. The study was requested by Fenapaf and FIFPro, the international players union. "We have been trying to discuss this with FIFA for nearly two years and they wont even sit down to talk to us," federation president Rinaldo Martorelli told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "The only alternative was to seek legal action. We really hope that they make the changes in kickoff times, but if that doesnt happen, they need to at least make the cooling breaks mandatory." FIFPro did meet with FIFA last year to discuss the issue, although no direct action was taken at the time. FIFA said that defining the World Cup match schedule is a "complex process" that involves "detailed assessments" from experts in several areas, with players health the "highest priority." It said other considerations include travel logistics and the global television market. FIFPro last year accused FIFA of considering "the demands of TV companies of greater importance than the health and safety of the players." FIFA officially approved referees to implement cooling breaks in 2013, though water breaks were made during the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Argentina beat Nigeria in grueling conditions at the Birds Nest. ' ' '

STUTTGART, Germany -- Germany will be without defensive midfielder Lars Bender for its friendly against Chile on Wednesday, and striker Miroslav Klose is trying to overcome injury. Owen Daniels Jersey . Klose has a bruised pelvic bone and abdominal muscle problems but team doctors are trying to get him fit in time for the match. Bender has a hamstring injury. Germany is already without half-dozen players, due to injury or bad form. Germany coach Joachim Loew has invited four newcomers -- striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga, midfielders Matthias Ginter and Andre Hahn, and defender Shkodran Mustafi. Loew said captain Philipp Lahm will be playing in midfield, a role he has been filling at Bayern Munich, with Kevin Grosskreutz likely to play at right back in his return to the national team after three years. Justin Tucker Elite Jersey . They won gold today in the womens bobsled competition at the Sochi Games. The Canadian duo finished with a four-run time of three minutes 50. Brandon Williams Elite Jersey . -- Canadian Kevin Pangos had 18 points, Drew Barham matched his career high with 17 points off the bench, and Gonzaga beat Pacific 70-53 on Thursday night to clinch the outright West Coast Conference regular season title.The NHLs Mar. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates. Keep it Kul? With the Toronto Maple Leafs having cleared a bit of cap room by dealing Mark�Fraser to the Oilers on Friday, reports are now shifting towards their willingness to move a bigger roster piece. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported on Insider Trading Friday night that the Leafs have informed teams that theyre willing to move Nikolai�Kulemin. Dreger notes, however, that this isnt simply getting rid of salary to make some room for the return of Dave�Bolland. The Leafs would need a substantial return, including a player and not just a draft pick. No offers have been tabled yet that make sense for the Leafs, according to Dreger. A Leg Up Kevin Allen of USA Today posted a list of the 10 most intriguing potential trade targets to watch before the deadline and while the list was populated with the usual collection of potentially-available names � Matt�Moulson, Dan�Girardi, Ales�Hemskky and so on � he did bring up another interesting possibility. Ray Lewis Jersey. Tucked away as an honourable mention, Allen suggests that David�Legwand would be a fit for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Legwand does have a no-trade clause, as Allen notes, but could he be persuaded to leave Nashville for the first time since he is in the last year of his contract? The 33-year-old has never seen a Conference Final and with Pascal�Dupuis out for the year with a torn ACL, the Pens may have both the cash and the need for a player like Legwand. Captain for Hire? Friday was a busy day in the rumor mill for New York Rangers captain Ryan�Callahan, with talk of a potential swap with St. Louis front and centre. With reports that at least one team has been given permission to speak with Callahans agent, the possibility of the 28-year-old getting dealt before Mar. 5 seems to be increasing. The key motivator behind the rumours appears to be Callahans expectations for his next contract. Dreger commented that �unless his contract demands soften, theres a 100 per cent chance that hes getting traded by the New York Rangers. Theyre not paying him what hes asking. ' ' '

The New York Islanders made a surprise move, re-uniting a pair of linemates with big free agent contracts. Rashad Johnson Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Islanders getting Mikhail�Grabovski and Nikolai�Kulemin. The Islanders Get: C Mikhail�Grabovski and LW Nikolai�Kulemin. Grabovski, 30, has been a productive centre, scoring 160 points in 261 games over the past four seasons, which ranks 98th among NHL forwards. While that alone is a decent indication of Grabovskis ability to contribute as a second-line centre, hes put up terrific relative possession numbers in four of the last five seasons, the only exception being in 2012-2013 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, when he was effectively buried in a defensive role. That led to his being bought out by the Maple Leafs in one of the more ridiculous decisions in the history of NHL contract buyouts. One year after he was bought out by the Maple Leafs and could only drum up enough interest to secure a one-year, $3-million deal as a free agent, Grabovski signed for four years and $20-million with the Isles. Going to the Islanders should offer Grabovski an opportunity to get favourable matchups, with zone starts tilted towards the offensive zone and softer opposition while opponents send their best at John�Tavares line and the Islanders put Frans�Nielsens line out for the toughest defensive assignments. Grabovski has scored 20 or more goals three times and topped 50 points twice. His career points per game of 0.59 works out to 48 points over an 82-game schedule, so maybe something around a 50-point season is the best-case scenario, but if Grabovski can put up between 40 and 50 points with typically strong possession stats over the course of his contract, he will be a solid addition for the Islanders. Grabovskis departure from Washington leaves a hole at second-line centre, one that still needs to be filled, unless Marcus�Johansson or Evgeny�Kuznetsov fit into that spot. Kulemin is a 27-year-old winger who scored 30 goals and 57 points riding shotgun with Grabovski for the Maple Leafs in 2010-2011, but has failed to generate much offence since, scoring 23 goals and 71 points in 188 games. But, to be fair, Kulemin has been stuck in a defensive role for the past couple seasons, with primarily defensive zone starts against quality opposition. While Kulemin hasnt scored a bunch in the NHL, particularly recently, hes produced enough to believe that there is more offence to be uncovered. He has 11 points in 20 games for Russia at the past two World Championships and 38 points in 36 KHL games while playing alongside Evgeni�Malkin, so its not like Kulemin cant find his way around the offensive zone, but he likely needs a centre that will be the creator offensively. With the expectation that Kulemin will skate with Grabovski, he too should benefit from more offensive zone starts and favourable matchups. Maybe that results in Kulemin scoring 35-to-40 points (that 57-point season in 2010-2011 sure appears to be an aberration) and if that comes with solid two-way play then, even at his lofty price, Kulemin can be a worthy acquisition for the Isles. Toronto didnt seem to be in position to pay Kulemin, and they shouldnt have, based on how he was being used. Wingers that are deployed like Kulemin dont tend to get paid. Kulemins contract also runs for four years, paying him $16.75-million, which is a lot given his recent production, but if he gets more of an offensive opportunity, Kulemin has a decent shot at producing enough offensively to justify that price, which is fair for a second-line winger. All in all, this is an aggressive move by the Islanders and suddenly gives them terrific depth up front. So much that they likely need to find room on the wing for young guns like Brock�Nelson and Ryan�Strome, but its an enviable problem to have so much talent that some of your centres need to find room to play on the wing. Their defence can still get better, but these signings put the Islanders into the mix among playoff contenders for next season. 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. Chandler Catanzaro Cardinals Jersey . Bryan Murray made an announcement after the GMs meetings - and as was reported by Pierre LeBrun a couple of weeks ago - that Jason�Spezza wants a trade out of Ottawa. Whats the latest on that? Pierre LeBrun: Yes, he made it public. Kurt Warner Cardinals Jersey . The Maple Leafs are three points behind Columbus for the last playoff spot in the East with only three games left on their schedule. You can listen to the game live on TSN 1050 starting at 7:30pm et/4:30 pm pt.MILWAUKEE -- Ryan�Zimmermans two-run home run in the 16th inning lifted the Washington Nationals to a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. Zimmerman hit a 2-0 pitch off Mike�Fiers (0-1) over the wall in left field to score Adam�LaRoche for the Nationals fourth consecutive win. Tyler�Clippard (5-2) pitched a scoreless 15th for the win. Rafael�Soriano pitched the 16th for his 18th save. With one out in the 16th, LaRoche hit a sharp single that bounced off the wall in right field. Zimmerman then hit his third home run of the year to give the Nationals the lead in a game that took 5 hours, 22 minutes. The Brewers threatened in the 13th, 14th and 15th innings, but couldnt score. Lyle�Overbay was stranded on third base in the 13th when Carlos�Gomez hit a soft liner to shortstop to end the inning. In the 14th, Denard�Span kept the Nationals alive with a leaping catch at the wall to rob Elian�Herrera of an extra-base hit that likely would have scored Khris�Davis from first and won the game for Milwaukee. Gomez popped out to end the 15th with Scooter Gennnett on second. Nationals manager Matt Williams intentionally walked Jonathan�Lucroy in both the 13th and 15th innings to face Gomez, and the move worked both times to end threats. Washington had a chance to score in the 14th, putting runners on first and second with one out. Fiers got Danny�Espinosa, who is 5 for 57 with runnerrs in scoring position, to fly out and Jose�Lobaton grounded out to end the inning. Patrick Peterson Jersey. The Nationals were down to their final five outs when Anthony�Rendon hit his 12th homer of the year, a solo shot, to right-centre off Will�Smith with one out in the eighth to tie the score at 2. Thats when the bullpens took over. Neither team could get a runner in scoring position after Rendons homer until the Brewers fruitless rally in the 13th. The Brewers, who came into the series second in the NL in runs, lost 3-0 on Monday night. Milwaukee starter Yovani�Gallardo allowed one run, four hits and two walks with five strikeouts, leaving after throwing 104 pitches in six innings. In his last four starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Washington starter Jordan�Zimmermann pitched six innings, allowing two runs, six hits and two walks while striking out nine. In his last three starts, he is 0-2 with a no-decision despite having a 2.14 ERA in those games. NOTES: Nats OF Bryce�Harper (left thumb) went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs in his second rehab start for Potomac against Salem. He fielded one ground ball single while playing centre field. C Wilson�Ramos (wrist) also played in the game and went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. . A foul tip from Gomez became lodged in the grill of Lobatons mask in the second inning. Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher had to pull it from the mask. Gomez struck out on the next pitch. ' ' '

TORONTO -- Former Ottawa Senators all-star defenceman and World Cup of Hockey gold medallist Wade�Redden retired Thursday after a 14-year NHL career.Mithch Moreland Texas Rangers Jersey . Redden played a total of 1,023 regular-season games with Ottawa, the New York Rangers, St. Louis and Boston. He finished with 457 points (109 goals, 348 assists) and a plus-160 rating over his career. "I would first and foremost like to thank my family and friends for their unconditional love and support," Redden said in a statement released by the NHL Players Association. "I would also like to thank my teammates, coaches and staff for all the great memories created throughout the years. To the fans, I appreciate all your support throughout my career. "Playing in the National Hockey League has been a dream come true and I feel very proud and privileged to have played more than 1,000 games in 14 NHL seasons." Redden also had 49 points (13-36) in 106 career playoff games. The native of Lloydminster, Sask., was drafted second overall by the New York Islanders in the 1995 draft but never played for the team. He was dealt to the Senators along with goaltender Damian�Rhodes for goalie Don Beaupre, forward Martin�Straka and the rights to defenceman Bryan�Berard on Jan, 23, 1996. Redden played in all 82 games as a rookie with Ottawa in the 1996-97 season, scoring six goals and adding 24 assists. In 2001-02, he had 34 points, a plus-22 rating and played in the all-star game. The following season, Redden had 45 points and averaged a career-high in ice-time at 25:24. In 2003-04, he set a career-high in goals with 17 and was selected to his second career all-star game but did not play due to an illness. He was a key part of Ottawas run to the Stanley Cup final in 2007. After playing the first 11 seasons of his NHL career in the nations capital, the New York Rangers signed Redden to a US$39-million, six-year contract on July 1, 2008. Reddens play began to decline after signing the contract, and the Rangers placed him on waivers before the 2010-11 season in an effort to fit under the salary cap. Redden never played another game for the team, spending two seasons with their AHL affiliate before the Rangers used a compliance buyout on his contract. Redden made a return to the NHL for the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, signing a $800,000, one-year deal with St. Louis. He was traded to Boston at the trade deadline and played five playoff games for the Bruins as they advanced to the Stanley Cup final. Redden represented Canada several times and was a member of the 2004 team that won the last World Cup of Hockey. He also played for Canada at the 2006 Turin Olympics. He won gold with Canada at the 1995 and 1996 world junior hockey championships and silver at the 2005 world hockey championship. Nolan Ryan Texas Rangers Jersey . Jarome�Iginla and Zdeno�Chara each had two goals, Tuukka�Rask made 25 saves and the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 Saturday. Yu Darvish Texas Rangers Jersey . Pro Bowl centre Maurkice�Pouncey ripped up his right knee and linebacker Larry�Foote ruptured his biceps during Pittsburghs 16-9 home loss to Tennessee, likely sidelining both players for the rest of the season.DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - Having acclimated to the Florida humidity, top seed John Isner captured a 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow American Ryan Sweeting on Wednesday to move into the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. The 11th-ranked Isner struggled through his first round win over wildcard Jesse Levine on Tuesday because of the humidity, but was in better shape playing Sweeting. "Whenever, in the past, when Ive played tournaments in humidity Ive always struggled because I hadnt acclimated yet," Isner said. "But tonight I felt so much better than I did yesterday. "Im still not all the way there. I could feel better out there but it was so much better." Isners quarterfinal opponent will be Australian Bernard Tomic, who had a 6-1, 7-5 win over American qualifier Tim Smyczek. Qualifier Marinko Matosevic made it two Australians in the last eight by upsetting sixth-seeded Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. It is the first time Matosevic has made an ATP quarterfinal, and he will take on 2010 tournament champion Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who defeated Belgiums Steve Darcis 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-3. The 173rd-ranked Matosevic had 11 aces and won five of eight break points. "It was a tough match and Im happy to get through and make my first quarterfinal," said Matosevic. "I knew his game pretty well and he reaches a lot of balls, so I just hadd to keep staying aggressive. Russell Wilson Authentic Jersey. I played the big points well." The 26-year-old has spent most of his career playing on the Challenger circuit. Bogomolov had the best season of his career in 2011, starting the year at No. 166 and finishing at No. 34. Fellow players voted him the years most improved player, but he struggled throughout the match, including in his victorious first set. Gulbis reached his first quarterfinal of the season. The Latvian won 40 of 45 points on his first serve and fired 10 aces. "Today was tough because I couldnt get my timing right in the first set," said Gulbis, who said the wind made it difficult. "From one side it was much easier to get your serve going than the other side. "I didnt play my best tennis today but Im happy I won the match because I was fighting." Isner broke Sweetings serve twice in the match � in the second game of the first set and the fifth game of the second set � which was all he needed to take the win. Sweeting was unable to capitalize on five break points when Isner kicked his potent serve into overdrive to save the points. "A lot of times for me to be successful Im going to have to have my serve and I did today when I needed it," Isner said. "I served well, went for my second serve, wasnt going for broke, but I hit my spots and it got me out of a couple of jams." ' ' '

MALMO, Sweden - Saku Maenalanen had two goals and an assist to power Finland past Norway 5-1 on Friday in preliminary round action at the world junior hockey tournament. Andre Ellington Authentic Jersey . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Joachim Svendsen made 43 saves. Finland led the Group B contest 1-0 after the first period and 3-0 heading into the third. Lehkonen had the lone goal of the opening period, scoring on the power play at 19:13. Maenalanen scored both of his goals in the second, at 2:57 and 14:19, respectively, before Nikko put Finland ahead 4-0 at 15:18. Tyrann Mathieu Jersey . And it showed Thursday night. The Canadiens, playing in their second game in as many days, however, got a good performance in the end from their backup goaltender as he filled in for an injured Olympic gold medallist . Frostee Rucker Jersey .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley�Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. NORMAN, Okla. -- Tony Jefferson was starting to think his performance was too good to be true. Fortunately for Oklahoma, it was entirely for real. Jefferson fueled a second-quarter scoring surge with interceptions on three straight drives, and the second-ranked Sooners geared up for their rivalry game against Texas next week by beating Ball State 62-6 on Saturday night. "It was kind of weird. It just kept happening over and over again," Jefferson said. Thats what Ball State had to be thinking, too, as Oklahoma (4-0) made each turnover costly by cashing in for seven points again and again. By the time they were done with the turnover-fed 5 1/2-minute binge, a four-point lead had grown to 32. Landry Jones threw for 425 yards and five touchdowns -- including scores of 64 yards to Ryan Broyles and 56 yards to Jaz Reynolds a minute apart in the third quarter -- and then Jeffersons mind strayed toward the looming game next Saturday in Dallas against No. 17 Texas. The Longhorns also remained unbeaten with a 37-14 win at Iowa State. "I started thinking, All right, now its time to move on. Were up big. Weve got a big game next week," said Jefferson, the Sooners starting nickelback. Ball State (3-2) didnt stand much of a chance after recovering an onside kick to open the game, then going three-and-out, particularly once Jefferson got involved. Keith Wenning had gone 176 straight passes without an interception but then threw three to Jefferson in a span of four attempts. On Ball States first play after Dominique Whaleys 25-yard TD run, Sooners defensive end Frank Alexander tipped Wennings pass high into the air, and Jefferson leaped to grab the ball. That set up Kenny Stills 7-yard touchdown catch from Jones two plays later. Jefferson ended Ball States next drive by tipping Wennings overthrown pass with his right hand and then corralling it along the Cardinals sideline. Roy Finch picked up 47 yards on a swing pass, and Whaley then punched it in with a 1-yard score on his fourth straight carry. And Jefferson wasnt done yet. He tracked down another batted ball -- this time by R.J. Washington -- for his third interception in a span of six offensive snaps by the Cardinals. Broyles scored two plays later on a 27-yard touchdown catch from Jones, capping the Sooners sudden scoring spurt and make it 38-6. It was the second straight week the Sooners had an unimpressive start before taking control with 28 straight points in the second quarter, this time courtesy of Jefferson. "Hes got a real knack for the ball, obviously," defensive co-ordinator Brent VVenables said. Frostee Rucker Cardinals Jersey. "We all know that. Hes got good instincts, good anticipation and thats why he so valuable down close to the line of scrimmage. "That position gets a lot of opportunities but it takes the right guy to capitalize in those situations. Tony, hes a ball magnet." Jefferson even had a shot at picking off a pass on four straight drives, when Wennings throw clipped off Toreial Gibsons hands and then off of Jeffersons before falling incomplete. Jefferson said he dropped it because he was already thinking about making a spin move and running in for a touchdown. "(Jefferson) was just in the right place at the right time," said Wenning, who was trying to throw away the interception that didnt get tipped at the line. "Hes a good player, so he made a couple plays." Tom Wort picked up where Jefferson left off, recovering Wennings fumble and running it back 22 yards for a score that made it 59-6 with 11:34 left in the third quarter. That capped a 68-second span with three Oklahoma touchdowns, after the Sooners had already scored a pair of touchdowns 49 seconds apart twice in the first half. Wenning, coming off a career-best 324-yard outing against Army last week, managed just 84 yards on 12-for-31 passing. The Cardinals were outgained 655-214. "You have to have a short memory," Wenning said. "Obviously this game hurts, but youve got to forget about it and move on." The most trying times for the Sooners came early in the second quarter, just before the scoring onslaught. Ball State got within 10-6 after a 15-play, 7-minute drive that finished with Steven Schotts second field goal of the game. Then Brennan Clay and Whaley, Oklahomas top two running backs, both got dinged up within three plays. While one group of trainers was helping Clay across the field, another group was helping Whaley remove his jersey so they could tend to his right shoulder. He returned six plays after Clay left with a sprained shoulder, going for a 10-yard pickup before his 25-yard score around the left side. Whaley finished with 109 yards on 15 carries, with most of the damage coming in the first half. Clay did not return but coach Stoops expects him to play next week. Broyles caught four passes to move to 304 career receptions, one more than the previous Big 12 record set by Texas Tech running back Taurean Henderson (2002-05). He is 12 catches behind the NCAA career record held by Purdues Taylor Stubblefield (2001-04). Broyles had 109 yards receiving with two touchdowns. Reynolds had 141 yards on five catches. ' ' '

GLENDALE, Ariz. Tedy Bruschi Patriots Jersey . -- Coming off a four-game losing streak, the Toronto Maple Leafs put an emphasis on getting off to better starts. Theyve been doing just that and its led to their longest win streak in seven years. Jonathan�Bernier stopped 39 shots and the Maple Leafs used a fast start to kick off another big scoring night, beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 Monday for their first five-game winning streak since 2007. "It feel great and feels great for a goalie too," Bernier said of getting off to fast starts. "Thats our main focus; we know if we score the first goal in this league, you have a good chance to win." With Bernier making some tough saves early, Toronto jumped out to a 3-0 lead by early in the second period. The Maple Leafs withstood a flurry of shots by Phoenix, thanks to some tough saves by Bernier and some near-misses by the Coyotes, and pulled away to win five straight games for the first time since Jan. 27-Feb. 6, 2007. Phil�Kessel had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to six games. Jake�Gardiner and Nazem�Kadri also had a goal and an assist, and Carl�Gunnarsson scored his first goal in nearly a year. Buoyed by their fast starts, the Maple Leafs have scored 20 goals during their winning streak. "We feel this group can continue to grow and play to a higher level -- enough talking about it," Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. "Action speaks louder than words and we have to continue to challenge this group to play better and become a playoff team." The Coyotes had plenty of chances. Most of them were turned away by Bernier, a few by the goal posts and numerous others just missed the mark, leading to a frustrating loss. Phoenix matched a team record by scoring a power-play goal in eight straight games when Mike�Ribeiro scored early in the third period and Antoine�Vermette added a short-handed goal. "Its disappointing," Vermette said. "We felt out there we had a lot of great scoring chances and we had a good night, but it went to them." The Maple Leafs followed their four-game losing streak by pouring in goals during a four-game winning streak. Toronto kept it rolling against the Coyotes, scoring two goals in 2:02 late in the first period. After both teams traded good scoring chances, Gardiner scored by gathering a loose puck out front and beating Mike�Smith from close range. Phoenix defenceman Zbynek�Michalek went to the penalty box for sending the puck over the glass in his own end and then Kessel capitalized on the ensuing power play, scoring his 24th of the season with help from a screen by James�van�Riemsdyk out front. Gunnarsson made it 3-0 with his first goal since Jan. 24, 2013, controlling a pass from Dion�Phaneuf with his foot and beating Smith to the stick side. The first two periods were filled with near-misses for the Coyotes: Lauri�Korpikoski hit the crossbar in the first period, Oliver�Ekman-Larsson the post in the second and Shane�Doan couldnt corral a stretch pass for a breakaway. Phoenix had numerous other shots just miss the goal and Bernier made some spectacular saves, including a sliding stop on a one-time by Ekman-Larsson on a power play. The Coyotes had 27 shots on goal and 16 other shots through the first two periods. "Their goalie was playing well," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "I think he was fortunate to have a few pucks hit the crossbar and things like that, but when youre having a night we were, those bounces go the other way." They finally broke through on a power play early in the third period, when Keith�Yandle found Ribeiro at the side of the net and he knocked it in past Bernier. The Coyotes had a slew of penalties after that and Kadri cashed in on the third one with his first goal in 12 games to put the Maple Leafs up 4-1. Vermette scored Phoenixs first short-handed goal of the season after that, but the Coyotes couldnt get anything past Bernier, who is 3-0 against Phoenix. Notes: Coyotes C Martin�Hanzal, tied for the team lead with 14 goals, did not play and is listed day to day with a lower-body injury. ... Kessel and Coyotes RW David�Moss, who are cousins, played against each other in the NHL for the eighth time. ... Toronto won at Phoenix for the first time since 2003, a span of four games. ... Yandle extended his points streak to four games with his assist on Ribeiros goal. Patrick Chung Jersey . Play hard, play tough and play rough. The philosophy has been a lesson in frustration for opponents. Jamie Collins Patriots Jersey .Va. -- Drew�Brees stood on the sideline throughout the Saints first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday, resting a strained abdominal muscle on his left side and likely watching with envy as his backups cashed in on the big-play potential of rookie receiver Brandin Cooks.LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The last time Anderson Silva clowned around in the octagon, Chris Weidman dropped him on his back and took away his UFC middleweight title. Although Silva is serious about getting his belt back in the main event at UFC 168 on Saturday night, the Brazilian wont say whether hell drop the carefree style that has defined his career. At UFC 162 last July, Silva (33-5) was pretending to be hurt when Weidman (10-0) actually cold-cocked him for a stunning victory. The result upended the MMA hierarchy, catapulting Long Islands Weidman to stardom and ending Silvas near seven-year title reign. "Maybe I have the chance to change things," Silva said at his gym in Torrance, Calif., this month. Silva believes he can reverse the result in the rematch, but he wont swear off the taunting and goofiness that has become his signature alongside his unmatched striking abilities. In fact, Silva doesnt even see his style as anything less than serious. "When I go inside the ropes for a fight, I dont joke," said the fighter known for standing with hands on hips and chin protruding, daring opponents to hit him. "I train hard mentally for this fight," Silva added. "I watched the last fight, and I see my technique, and I talk to my friends and coach. I dont train too much. My mental (approach), I change. It was bad." The 38-year-old Silvas attempt to right a late-career mistake is the most intriguing aspect of the UFCs traditional year-end show at the MGM Grand Garden, but its hardly the only attraction on a stacked pay-per-view card. Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will be nothing but serious when she returns to the cage after a 10-month absence for a rematch with Miesha Tate, her despised rival. Veteran heavyweights Josh Barnett and Travis Browne also meet on the main card. While Rousey (7-0) is one of the UFCs biggest stars, she already beat Tate (13-4) with her signature armbar in the Strikeforce promotion lasst year. Shane Vereen Patriots Jersey. All eyes in Vegas will be focused on Silva, an even bigger star who put his career at a crossroads with his loss to Weidman, a formidable wrestler who proved his striking skills with that left hook to Silvas head. Yet Ed Soares, Silvas longtime manager, doesnt expect Silva to fight stiffly or formally in the rematch. "Why would he change? He wouldnt change," Soares said. "Its him. Its like asking Kobe not to shoot a certain way." Under normal circumstances, the method of Weidmans victory � a second-round knockout of a long-reigning champ � would have cemented the Hofstra alumnus as a major star. And while Weidman has grown in stature, Silvas silly mistake got even more attention than the man who forced it. Yet Silva isnt among those discounting Weidmans achievement and expecting Silva to resume his spot on top of the middleweight division. "Chris is the champion, and people need to respect that," Silva said. "Hes a good man. Has a great family. Hes a great champion." Silva trained at his gym in an industrial corner of Torrance. Although tucked into a quiet office park behind a refinery next to auto body shops and a telescope manufacturer, Silvas American home base can be spotted by the Bentley out front next to the big photos of himself. After two years of training in his self-created American base, Silva clearly has a comfortable life. He could walk away from a victory at UFC 168 with his legacy secure and enough money to watch his children grow up in style. Silva doesnt appear to be thinking about retirement, repeatedly mentioning he has eight fights left on his UFC contract. Yet he also recognizes the dangers of his chosen sport when asked whether he would allow any of his children to follow his path into MMA. "I dont like the idea of my sons fighting," Silva said. "Its too much danger. I dont have the heart for this. Im an old man." ' ' '

SANTIAGO, Chile -- Arturo Vidal made his much-awaited return from injury as Chile beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in its final World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday.Julius Thomas Blue Jersey . Vidal, who underwent knee surgery just a month ago, made an unexpected appearance as a 76th-minute substitute, and immediately made an impact. Two minutes after coming on, the Juventus midfielder made a fine pass to Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez. Sanchez lobbed the ball to striker Eduardo Vargas, who headed in the first goal of the match. Sanchez made another inch-perfect pass four minutes later that Mauricio Pinilla sent into the net to seal the win at the Elias Figueroa Stadium in the port city of Valparaiso. "The decision to let him play was agreed with both the medical team and Arturo. It was important to let him play some minutes and we got a chance to see him again," Chiles coach Jorge Sampaoli said after the match. "Arturo had a very short recovery and he came were we need him to, thanks to his boldness," Sampaoli said. He always wanted to play this game, and although we had some doubts, he cleared them all. Tomorrow hell have to get into the rhythm of things so he can be in the opener...It no longer depends on his knee, but on the level for competition." Vidal underwent knee surgery on May 7 and had been in doubt for Chiles World Cup opener against Australia on June 13. Chile also faces defending champion Spain and 2010 finalist Netherlands in Group B. Throughout the match, midfielder Jorge Valdivia orchestrated Chiles attack and created good scoring opportunities that were denied by superb saves by goalkeeper Roy Carroll. Chile continued to struggle to find a way past a defiant Northern Ireland defence until Sanchez, Vidal and Vargas showed the class which Chile will rely upon at the World Cup, which kicks off on June 12. Von Miller Jersey . The Denver Nuggets played as though they were already relaxing on a tropical beach. Love started practicing early for All-Star festivities, making six of 11 shots from 3-point range and totalling 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Timberwolves to a 117-90 victory over the Nuggets on Wednesday night. Rahim Moore Jersey . Booth, 28, has missed the last four games with a lower body injury and has appeared in 11 of 16 games for the Canucks this season, recording one goal and two assists.SMITHS FALLS, Ont. - Greg Balsdon has earned his way to the Brier after winning the Travelers Tankard Ontario mens curling championship on Sunday afternoon. Balsdon, who was representing Glendale Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, upset reigning eight-time provincial champion Glenn Howard 6-5 in the final. Balsdon will now represent Ontario at the Canadian mens curling championship, which will take place from Mar. 1-9 in Kamloops, B.C. Howard, who was playing forr Penetanguishene Curling Club, held a 5-3 advantage after eight ends. Derek Wolfe Orange Jersey. Balsdon�stole two points in the ninth and then clinched the victory with one more in the 10th. Howard advanced to his ninth straight final after defeating�Balsdon on Saturday 8-4 in eight ends. Balsdon�toppled Bryan Cochrane of Nepeans City View Curling Club in the semifinal 9-6 in nine ends Sunday morning to force a rematch with Howard in the final. ' ' '

KEARNS, Utah -- Canadian Valerie Maltais less than a tenth of a second away from starting the World Cup season with a win Saturday. Luis Sardinas Authentic Jersey . The native of La Baie, Que., was edged by defending world champion Katherine Reutter in the first 1,500-metre race of the World Cup short track season at the Utah Olympic Oval. Reutter slipped past Maltais, finishing in two minutes 24.433 seconds. The Canadian finished with a time of 2:24.519. South Koreas Lee Eun-byul took the bronze. American J.R. Celski was disqualified in the mens 1,000 final, his first World Cup race after taking a year off. He impeded South Koreas Noh Jinkyu as he was trying to move up from third to second. South Koreas Kwak Yoon-gy won, finishing in 1:25.996. Noh took silver and Francois-Louis Tremblay of Alma, Que., was third. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Que., won the 1,500 mens final in 2:16.630, edging South Koreas Lee Ho-suk (2:16.842) and Lee Jung-su (2:17.021). Nolan Ryan Jersey . The Nets continued their winning ways Tuesday by sweeping a back-to-back set for the first time this season, beating the Orlando Magic 101-90 a night after routing the crosstown rival New York Knicks. Shin-Soo Choo Authentic Jersey .C. -- J.B.�Holmes was a 3-foot putt away from winning the Wells Fargo Championship when he backed away to size up the situation.ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Rams offensive guard Harvey�Dahl will be sidelined at least a few weeks with an MCL injury to his left knee. Dahl was hurt in the third quarter of Monday nights loss to Seattle. He started the first eight games. Quarterback Kellen�Clemens (shoulder) was limited and five others did not prractice Wednesday: running backs Zac�Stacy and Daryl�Richardson, offensive tackle Jake�Long (knee), centre Scott�Wells (thigh) and wide receiver Austin�Pettis (thigh). Derek Holland Authentic Jersey. Clemens said he just had general soreness. Fisher expects all to play this week against Tennessee. ' ' '

KEARNS, Utah -- Canadian Valerie Maltais less than a tenth of a second away from starting the World Cup season with a win Saturday. Luis Sardinas Authentic Jersey . The native of La Baie, Que., was edged by defending world champion Katherine Reutter in the first 1,500-metre race of the World Cup short track season at the Utah Olympic Oval. Reutter slipped past Maltais, finishing in two minutes 24.433 seconds. The Canadian finished with a time of 2:24.519. South Koreas Lee Eun-byul took the bronze. American J.R. Celski was disqualified in the mens 1,000 final, his first World Cup race after taking a year off. He impeded South Koreas Noh Jinkyu as he was trying to move up from third to second. South Koreas Kwak Yoon-gy won, finishing in 1:25.996. Noh took silver and Francois-Louis Tremblay of Alma, Que., was third. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Charles Hamelin of Ste-Julie, Que., won the 1,500 mens final in 2:16.630, edging South Koreas Lee Ho-suk (2:16.842) and Lee Jung-su (2:17.021). Nolan Ryan Jersey . The Nets continued their winning ways Tuesday by sweeping a back-to-back set for the first time this season, beating the Orlando Magic 101-90 a night after routing the crosstown rival New York Knicks. Shin-Soo Choo Authentic Jersey .C. -- J.B.�Holmes was a 3-foot putt away from winning the Wells Fargo Championship when he backed away to size up the situation.ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Rams offensive guard Harvey�Dahl will be sidelined at least a few weeks with an MCL injury to his left knee. Dahl was hurt in the third quarter of Monday nights loss to Seattle. He started the first eight games. Quarterback Kellen�Clemens (shoulder) was limited and five others did not prractice Wednesday: running backs Zac�Stacy and Daryl�Richardson, offensive tackle Jake�Long (knee), centre Scott�Wells (thigh) and wide receiver Austin�Pettis (thigh). Derek Holland Authentic Jersey. Clemens said he just had general soreness. Fisher expects all to play this week against Tennessee. ' ' '

HOUSTON -- Less than a month ago, the Montreal Impact were sitting comfortably in playoff position looking like a team destined to make the post-season.Andrew Luck Colts Jersey . Following Friday nights 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, Montreal is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether. Ricardo Clark scored in the sixth minute and the Dynamo defeated Montreal 1-0 to extend the Impacts winless streak to four games. The loss stings even more for Montreal (13-10-7, 46 points), who fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference, as Houston (13-10-8, 47 points) jumped past the Impact into third place. The Dynamo are now unbeaten in their last four games. With four games left, including one game in hand on almost every team in the Eastern Conference, the Impact have time to right the ship, but Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins says there has to be a sense of urgency. "I certainly hope the guys know what this means now," Perkins said. "We are close to falling out of the pot now. We got to pick ourselves up and get back to it." Clark gave Houston an early lead going back to his right in the middle of the field and sending a blast that both Clark and Perkins said grazed off of Matteo Ferrari and inside the near post from 25 yards out. Davy Arnaud said the Impact knew the game would be tough, but the goal made it that much tougher. Montreal head coach Marco Schallibaum said giving up a goal in the first six minutes changed the game plan. "We were too shy (in the first half)," Schallibaum said. "We let Houston dominate in the first half and do what they wanted. The second half was OK. It looked like we might get one point here, but the luck was not on our side." Montreal had two chances midway through the second half to tie the game, with the first chance in the 68th minute coming with controversy. With Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall off his line, Arnaud sent a blast from 14 yards out in the middle that was blocked by Houston defender Bobby Boswell, who was moving his body to avoid being hit in the front. The ball appeared to hit him in the left elbow. Schallibaum and Arnaud both said the play should have been a penalty as Boswell committed a handball, but referee Drew Fischer did not blow his whistle even as the Impact cried out for a penalty kick. "For me, its a penalty," Arnaud said. "I think when everyone reacts like that, its pretty clear. For me its a penalty. Things happen quickly. Maybe he didnt see it." Montreal had another chance to tie it a couple minutes later, but Andrew Wenger sent a shot from the penalty area wide left. "I thought we more than deserved to get the equalizers," said Impact midfielder Justin Mapp said. "I thought we were just as good as them on the night. (Its) very frustrating because we know how tight the races are. They were close to us, now (they are) ahead of us." Perkins echoed Mapps thoughts. "I think we played well to at least get a point," Perkins said. "Little mistakes, little decisions come back and bite us in the end. We need to be able to get a point on the road this late in the season." In less than four weeks, the Impact have gone from a 4-2 win at New England and sitting atop the East to dropping three of their last four. The Impact play two of the last four games at home, and will be looking for a better outcome from their next match, Oct. 12 against New England. "We know we go back home for a big game," Arnaud said. "As much as we dont want to put this behind us, we need to. We are still in a good position. We have a game in hand on a lot of teams, but now going back home, we know we need to get three points." Mapp added: "Each game will have to be like a playoff game. Two games remaining at home, and at this point they are must-win. No other way around it. We have to protect our home field the next two games." Vontae Davis Jersey . -- Ernie�Els hardly ever catches a break at the Match Play Championship. Bjoern Werner Colts Jersey . Kitna told The Dallas Morning News (http://dallasne.ws/1aaJ38v ) of his plans Wednesday. Kitna retired after the 2011 season, his 15th in the league, and was coaching football at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash.PHOENIX -- Larry�Fitzgerald says he has restructured his contract with the Arizona Cardinals, reducing a big salary-cap hit from his old deal and creating room for signing other players. Fitzgerald announced the move on Tuesday via his Twitter account. The receiver says the move was made to help the Cardinals "get better for 2014." Under his old deal, Fitzgerald would have earned $12.75 million next season and counted a whopping $18 million on the cap. The restructured contract came as no surprise. Fitzgerald said in a radio interview in New York last week that he understood the need to restructure his deal. "When those discussions come I will do what I need to do," Fitzgerald told Arizona Sports 98.7 in an interview at the Super Bowls "radio row." "I have a great relationship with (general manager) Steve Keim, he drafted me in Arizona. I understand his vision and what he is trying to do and the direction he is taking this ballclub. I understand at 30 years old there are things that need to change. Thats part of football, thats part of being an older veteran." Fitzgerald said he knew Patrick�Petersons "deal is coming up and he needs to be compensated as the best corner in the game, which I feel he is." Fitzgeraald also mentioned defensive linemen Darnell�Dockett and Frostee�Rucker. Ahmad Bradshaw Womens Jersey. "There are a lot of guys that deserve to be compensated for their play," he said in the radio interview, "and I understand that." Fitzgerald is on his third contract in his 10 NFL seasons, all with the Cardinals. Last season, he made his eighth Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald holds every Cardinals career receiving record. He caught 82 passes, most on the team, for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. In his career, Fitzgerald has 846 catches for 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns. He has not missed a game since the 2007 season. The Cardinals, coming off a 10-6 season in their first year with Keim as GM and Bruce Arians as coach, had several players on one-year contracts, including inside linebacker Karlos�Dansby, who resurrected his career with a big season, leading the team in tackles. Azcentral.com reported that the restructuring was a simple swap of bonus money for salary, saving the team about $10 million on the coming seasons cap. Cardinals President Michael Bidwill expressed confidence last week that the restructuring would get done. Keim has repeatedly said the team has no intention of trading Fitzgerald and wants him to retire a Cardinal. ' ' '

HOUSTON -- Less than a month ago, the Montreal Impact were sitting comfortably in playoff position looking like a team destined to make the post-season.Andrew Luck Colts Jersey . Following Friday nights 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo, Montreal is in jeopardy of missing the playoffs altogether. Ricardo Clark scored in the sixth minute and the Dynamo defeated Montreal 1-0 to extend the Impacts winless streak to four games. The loss stings even more for Montreal (13-10-7, 46 points), who fell to fourth in the Eastern Conference, as Houston (13-10-8, 47 points) jumped past the Impact into third place. The Dynamo are now unbeaten in their last four games. With four games left, including one game in hand on almost every team in the Eastern Conference, the Impact have time to right the ship, but Montreal goalkeeper Troy Perkins says there has to be a sense of urgency. "I certainly hope the guys know what this means now," Perkins said. "We are close to falling out of the pot now. We got to pick ourselves up and get back to it." Clark gave Houston an early lead going back to his right in the middle of the field and sending a blast that both Clark and Perkins said grazed off of Matteo Ferrari and inside the near post from 25 yards out. Davy Arnaud said the Impact knew the game would be tough, but the goal made it that much tougher. Montreal head coach Marco Schallibaum said giving up a goal in the first six minutes changed the game plan. "We were too shy (in the first half)," Schallibaum said. "We let Houston dominate in the first half and do what they wanted. The second half was OK. It looked like we might get one point here, but the luck was not on our side." Montreal had two chances midway through the second half to tie the game, with the first chance in the 68th minute coming with controversy. With Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall off his line, Arnaud sent a blast from 14 yards out in the middle that was blocked by Houston defender Bobby Boswell, who was moving his body to avoid being hit in the front. The ball appeared to hit him in the left elbow. Schallibaum and Arnaud both said the play should have been a penalty as Boswell committed a handball, but referee Drew Fischer did not blow his whistle even as the Impact cried out for a penalty kick. "For me, its a penalty," Arnaud said. "I think when everyone reacts like that, its pretty clear. For me its a penalty. Things happen quickly. Maybe he didnt see it." Montreal had another chance to tie it a couple minutes later, but Andrew Wenger sent a shot from the penalty area wide left. "I thought we more than deserved to get the equalizers," said Impact midfielder Justin Mapp said. "I thought we were just as good as them on the night. (Its) very frustrating because we know how tight the races are. They were close to us, now (they are) ahead of us." Perkins echoed Mapps thoughts. "I think we played well to at least get a point," Perkins said. "Little mistakes, little decisions come back and bite us in the end. We need to be able to get a point on the road this late in the season." In less than four weeks, the Impact have gone from a 4-2 win at New England and sitting atop the East to dropping three of their last four. The Impact play two of the last four games at home, and will be looking for a better outcome from their next match, Oct. 12 against New England. "We know we go back home for a big game," Arnaud said. "As much as we dont want to put this behind us, we need to. We are still in a good position. We have a game in hand on a lot of teams, but now going back home, we know we need to get three points." Mapp added: "Each game will have to be like a playoff game. Two games remaining at home, and at this point they are must-win. No other way around it. We have to protect our home field the next two games." Vontae Davis Jersey . -- Ernie�Els hardly ever catches a break at the Match Play Championship. Bjoern Werner Colts Jersey . Kitna told The Dallas Morning News (http://dallasne.ws/1aaJ38v ) of his plans Wednesday. Kitna retired after the 2011 season, his 15th in the league, and was coaching football at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash.PHOENIX -- Larry�Fitzgerald says he has restructured his contract with the Arizona Cardinals, reducing a big salary-cap hit from his old deal and creating room for signing other players. Fitzgerald announced the move on Tuesday via his Twitter account. The receiver says the move was made to help the Cardinals "get better for 2014." Under his old deal, Fitzgerald would have earned $12.75 million next season and counted a whopping $18 million on the cap. The restructured contract came as no surprise. Fitzgerald said in a radio interview in New York last week that he understood the need to restructure his deal. "When those discussions come I will do what I need to do," Fitzgerald told Arizona Sports 98.7 in an interview at the Super Bowls "radio row." "I have a great relationship with (general manager) Steve Keim, he drafted me in Arizona. I understand his vision and what he is trying to do and the direction he is taking this ballclub. I understand at 30 years old there are things that need to change. Thats part of football, thats part of being an older veteran." Fitzgerald said he knew Patrick�Petersons "deal is coming up and he needs to be compensated as the best corner in the game, which I feel he is." Fitzgeraald also mentioned defensive linemen Darnell�Dockett and Frostee�Rucker. Ahmad Bradshaw Womens Jersey. "There are a lot of guys that deserve to be compensated for their play," he said in the radio interview, "and I understand that." Fitzgerald is on his third contract in his 10 NFL seasons, all with the Cardinals. Last season, he made his eighth Pro Bowl. Fitzgerald holds every Cardinals career receiving record. He caught 82 passes, most on the team, for 954 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. In his career, Fitzgerald has 846 catches for 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns. He has not missed a game since the 2007 season. The Cardinals, coming off a 10-6 season in their first year with Keim as GM and Bruce Arians as coach, had several players on one-year contracts, including inside linebacker Karlos�Dansby, who resurrected his career with a big season, leading the team in tackles. Azcentral.com reported that the restructuring was a simple swap of bonus money for salary, saving the team about $10 million on the coming seasons cap. Cardinals President Michael Bidwill expressed confidence last week that the restructuring would get done. Keim has repeatedly said the team has no intention of trading Fitzgerald and wants him to retire a Cardinal. ' ' '

Irving, TX (SportsNetwork. Cary Williams Eagles Jersey .com) - Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Brian�Waters will miss the remainder of the season with a triceps injury. Waters suffered the injury in Sundays loss to the Detroit Lions. The 36-year old also sustained knee and rib injuries against Detroit. The North Texas product is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. Wilbert Montgomery Eagles Jersey . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. Nate Allen Eagles Jersey .C. -- Al�Jefferson thinks hes finally figured out the NBA game.TORONTO -- Another light-heavyweight has been forced off the UFC 133 card due to injury. The UFC says Antonio Rogerio Nogueria has had to pull out of his Aug. 6 fight in Philadelphia against Rich Franklin. The bout will not replaced. The middleweight matchup between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama becomes the new co-maain event while the bout between welterweights Dennis Hallman and Brian Ebersole has been moved to the main card. Randall Cunningham Authentic Jersey. Light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones and fellow 205-pounders Phil (Mr. Wonderful) Davis and Vladimir (The Janitor) Matyushenko have already dropped off the card due to injury. ' ' '

LINZ, Austria -- Ana Ivanovic started her quest for a third Generali Ladies title by defeating Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-2, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday. Jonathan Ogden Jersey . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. "She made me work hard, especially in the second set." Ivanovic next plays another former French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Earlier, Camila Giorgi of Italy upset last years finalist Julia Goerges of Germany 6-2, 6-3. The 105th-ranked Giorgi, who won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw, avoided break points and converted the second match point on her serve. "It was a good match," said the Italian, who broke Goerges three times. "I feel well on these hardcourts and I will try to keep going." In the second round, Giorgi faces fifth-seeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who rallied to beat 17-year-old Donna Vekic of Croatia 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Also, seeded players Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain and Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia reached the second round. No. 4 Suarez Navarro defeated Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3, and No. 7 Cibulkova came from behind to beat Annika Beck of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Cibulkova next plays Katarzyna Piter of Poland, who defeated Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Andrea Petkovic of Germany led 5-2 in the second set against Yvonne Meusburger of Austria but was broken twice while serving for the match before wrapping up a 6-3, 7-5 victory. Jimmy Smith Elite Jersey . There is also the Genoa derby on Sunday, while second-place Roma hosts Parma looking to take advantage of any more slip-ups from Juventus. Here are five things to know about the Italian league ahead of this weekends matches: LLORENTE ON SONGThe last time Juventus hosted Inter Milan the visitors ended the Bianconeris impressive streak of 49 games unbeaten with a 3-1 victory.Jacoby Jones Elite Jersey . Bautista led off the 10th inning with his second homer of the game, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night.REGINA -- Dwayne Jarretts CFL career has ended before it began. The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Thursday that Jarrett has retired. The former USC star, the Pac-12s all-time leader in TD catches, signed with the CFL club last month. The six-foot-four, 219-pound Jarrett had 41 TD grabs during his college career at USC. Jarrett was a three-year starter with the Trojans and twice was a consensus All-Americann, registering 216 catches for 3,128 yards before skipping his senior season to enter the 2007 NFL draft. Justin Forsett Jersey. Jarrett was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the Carolina Panthers and remained with the club through the opening three games of the 2010 campaign. The 25-year-old appeared in 32 career NFL games, starting three, and had 35 receptions for 428 yards and one touchdown. ' ' '

On the fifth and final day, after a big rally in Louisville, we drove through southern Indiana and into southern Illinois. All along the way, people were standing in UGG Boots uk sale fields and along the road waving our signs. We passed a big combine all decked out in an American flag and a Clinton-Gore poster. By the time we got to Illinois, we were late, as we were every day, because of all the unscheduled stops. We didnt need any more of them, but a small group was standing at a crossroads holding a big sign that said Give us eight minutes and well give you eight years! We stopped. The last rally UGG Boots uk on sale of the evening was one of the most remarkable of the campaign. When we pulled into Vandalia, thousands of people holding UGG Boots uk outlet candles had filled the square around the old state Capitol Building where Abraham Lincoln had served a term in the legislature before the seat of government was moved to Springfield. It was very late when we finally pulled into St. Louis for another short night.

The bus tour was a smashing success. It took us, and the national media, to places in the American heartland UGG Boots uk cheap too often overlooked. America saw us reaching out to the people we had promised to represent in Washington, which made it harder for the Republicans to paint us as cultural and political radicals. And Al, Tipper, Hillary, and I had gotten to know one another in a way that would UGG Boots uk online have been impossible without those long hours on the bus.

The next month we did four more bus tours, this time shorter ones of one or two days. The second tour took us up the Mississippi River, from St. Louis to Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twains hometown, to Davenport, Iowa, up through Wisconsin, and all the way to Minneapolis, where Walter Mondale held a crowd of ten thousand for two hours by giving them regular updates on our progress.

The most memorable moment of the second bus tour came in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where, after a meeting on biotechnology and a tour of the Quaker Oats packaging plant, we held a rally in the UGG boots outlet store parking lot. The crowd was large and enthusiastic, except for a loud group of opponents holding pro-life signs and jeering at me from the back. After the speeches, I got off the stage and began working the crowd. I was surprised UGG boots outlet online to see a white woman wearing a pro-choice button and holding a black baby in her arms. When I asked her whose child it was, she beamed and said, Shes my baby. Her name is Jamiya. The woman told me that the child was born HIV-positive in Florida, and she had adopted her, even though she was a divorce struggling to raise two children on her own. Ill never forget that woman holding Jamiya and proudly proclaiming, Shes my baby. She, too, was pro-life, just the kind of person I was trying to give a better shot at the American dream.

Later in the month, we did a one-day tour of UGG boots outlet clearance Californias San Joaquin Valley, and two-day trips through Texas and what wed missed of Ohio and Pennsylvania, ending up in western New York. In September we bused through south Georgia. In October we UGG boots outlet uk did two days in Michigan and, in one hectic day, made ten towns in North Carolina.

I had never seen anything like the sustained enthusiasm the bus trips engendered. Of course, part of it was that people in small towns werent accustomed to seeing presidential candidates up closeplaces like Coatesville, Pennsylvania; Centralia, Illinois; Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; Walnut Grove, California; Tyler, Texas; Valdosta, Georgia; and Elon, North Carolina. But mostly it was the connection UGG Boots uk our bus made between the people and the campaign. It represented both the common touch and forward progress. In 1992, Americans were worried but still hopeful. We spoke to their fears and validated their enduring optimism. Al and I developed a good routine. At each stop, he would list all of Americas problems and say, Everything that should be down is up, and everything that should be up is down. Then he would introduce me and Id tell people what we intended to do to fix it. I loved those bus tours. We motored through sixteen states and in November won thirteen of them.

After the first bus tour, one national poll showed me with a two-to-one lead over President Bush, but I didnt take it too seriously because he hadnt really started to UGG Boots Clearance campaign. He began in the last week of July, with a series of attacks. He said that my plan to trim defense increases would cost a million jobs; that my health-care plan would be a government-run program with the compassion of the KGB; that I wanted the largest tax increase in history; and that he would set a better moral tone as President than I would. His aide Mary Matalin edged out Dan Quayle in the race for the campaigns pit bull, calling me a sniveling hypocrite. Later in the campaign, with UGG Boots Clearance for women Bush sinking, a lot of his careerist appointees started leaking to the press that it was anybodys fault but theirs. Some of them were even critical of the President. Not Mary. She stood by her man to the end. Ironically, Mary Matalin and James Carville were engaged and soon would be married. Although they were from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they UGG boots outlet online were equally aggressive true believers whose love added spice to their lives, and whose politics enlivened both the Bush campaign and mine.

In the second week of August, President Bush persuaded James Baker to resign as secretary of state and return to the White House to oversee his campaign. I thought Baker UGG boots outlet had done a good job at State, except on Bosnia, where I felt the administration should have opposed the ethnic cleansing more vigorously. And I knew he was a good politician who would make the Bush campaign more effective.

Our campaign needed to be more effective, too. We had won the nomination by organizing around the primary schedule. Now that the convention was behind us, we needed much better coordination among all the forces, with a single strategic UGG boots outlet center. James Carville took it on. He needed an assistant. Because Paul Begalas wife, Diane, was expecting their first child, he couldnt come to Little Rock full-time, so reluctantly, I gave up George Stephanopoulos from the campaign plane. George had demonstrated a keen understanding of how the twenty-four-hour news cycle worked, and now knew we could fight bad press as well as enjoy the good stories. He was the best choice.

James put all the elements of the campaignpolitics, press, and researchinto a big open space in the old newsroom of the Arkansas Gazette building. It broke down barriers and built a sense of camaraderie. Hillary said it was like a war room, and UGG Boots Clearance uk the name stuck. Carville put a sign on the wall as a constant reminder of what the campaign was about. It had just three lines:

Change vs. More of the Same

The Economy, stupid

Dont forget health care

Carville also captured his main battle tactic in a slogan he had printed on a T-shirt: Speed Kills . . . Bush. The War Room held meetings every day at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to assess Stan Greenbergs womens UGGS on sale cheap overnight polls, Frank Greers latest ads, the news, and the attacks from Bush, and to formulate responses to the attacks and unfolding events. Meanwhile, young volunteers worked around the clock, pulling in whatever information they could get from our satellite dish, tracking the news and the opposition on their computers. Its all routine stuff now, but then it was new, and our use womens tall UGGS on sale of technology was essential to the campaigns ability to meet Carvilles goal of being focused and fast.

Once we knew what we wanted to say, we got the message out, not only to the media but to our rapid-response teams in every state, whose job it was to transmit it to our supporters and local news outlets. We sent pins with Rapid-Response Team on them to those who agreed to do daily duty. By the end of the campaign, thousands of people were wearing them.

By the time I got my morning briefing from Carville, Stephanopoulos, and whoever else needed to be on ladies UGGS on sale call that day, they could lay out exactly where we were and what we needed to do. If I disagreed, we argued. If there was a close policy or strategic call, I made it. UGG boots outlet clearance But mostly I just listened in amazement. Sometimes I complained about what wasnt going well, like speeches I thought were long on rhetoric and short on argument and substance, or the backbreaking schedule that was more my fault than theirs. Because of allergies and exhaustion, I griped too much in the mornings. Luckily, Carville and I were on the same wavelength, and he always knew when I was serious and when I was just blowing off steam. I think the others on call came to understand it too.

The Republicans held their convention in Houston in the third week of August. Normally, the opposition goes underground during the other partys convention. Though I would follow the usual practice and keep a low profile, our rapid-response operation would be out in force. It had to be. The Republicans had Uggs outlet no choice but to throw the kitchen sink at me. They were way behind, and their slash-and-burn approach had worked in every election since 1968, except for President Carters two-point victory in the aftermath of Watergate. We were determined to use the rapid-response team to turn the Republican attacks back on them.

On August 17, as their convention opened, I still had a twenty-point lead, and we rained on their parade a little when eighteen corporate chief executives endorsed me. It was a good story, but it didnt divert the Republicans womens UGGS on sale from their game plan. They started off by calling me a skirt chaser and a draft dodger, and accused Hillary of wanting to destroy the American family by allowing children to sue their parents whenever they disagreed with parental disciplinary decisions. Marilyn Quayle, the vice presidents wife, was particularly critical of Hillarys alleged assault on family values. The criticisms were based on a kids UGGS on sale wildly distorted reading of an article Hillary had written when she was in law school, arguing that, in circumstances of abuse or severe neglect, minor children had legal rights independent of their parents. Almost all Ugg boots clearance Americans would agree with a fair reading of her words, but, of course, since so few people had seen her article, hardly anyone who heard the charges knew whether they were true or not.

The main attraction on the Republicans opening night was Pat Buchanan, who sent the delegates into a frenzy with his attacks on me. My favorite lines included his assertion that, while President Bush had presided over the liberation of Eastern Europe, UGGS on sale womens my foreign policy experience was pretty much confined to having had breakfast once at the International House of Pancakes and his characterization of the Democratic convention as radicals and liberals . . . dressed up as moderates and centrists in the greatest single exhibition of cross-dressing in American political history. The polls showed Buchanan hadnt helped Bush, but I disagreed. His job was to stop the hemorrhaging on the right by telling conservatives who wanted change that they couldnt vote for me, and he did it well.