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SAN DIEGO -- Seth�Smith hit a home run and scored three runs, Carlos�Quentin also homered and drove in three runs, and the San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Tuesday night. cheap jerseys . Smith had three hits as the Padres finished with a season-high 16 one night after managing just one hit in a 1-0 win over the Reds. Ian�Kennedy (6-9) pitched six strong innings, giving up one run and seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts to get his first win in nearly a month. Kennedy, who improved to 4-1 in his career against the Reds, was 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in his last four starts in June. Quentins two-run homer in the four-run, seventh inning was the key blow when the Padres extended their lead to 7-1. Mike�Leake, vying for his career-best fourth straight win, allowed three runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings. In each of his previous two starts, Leake (6-7) gave up one run and four hits in eight innings. San Diego had its highest scoring total since an 11-1 win over the Cubs on May 23. Chase�Headley put the Padres ahead 3-1 with an RBI single in the sixth to drive in Smith, who had doubled to right field. Smith hit his ninth homer of the season leading off the first to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. It matched their hit total from the previous night and was San Diegos first homer since Tommy�Medica had one on June 24. Quentin also doubled in the first inning, but was doubled off second base when he sprinted for third base on an infield pop up after forgetting the number of outs. After totalling just five runs in their previous five games, the Padres extended the lead to 2-0 when Kennedy got San Diegos third straight single. The Reds pulled to 2-1 in the fifth inning when Todd�Fraziers two-out, broken-bat single to centre drove in Zack�Cozart. That snapped the Padres scoreless innings streak at 21. NOTES: Padres SS Everth�Cabrera was a late scratch with a strained left hamstring. Hell be re-evaluated Friday, but could be headed to the DL. ... RHP Andrew�Cashner (sore right shoulder) will resume throwing on Wednesday after getting the OK from the teams medical staff. ... 2B Jedd�Gyorko (plantar fasciitis) had his cast removed on Tuesday. ... Reds 1B Joey�Votto was lifted for pinch-runner on Tuesday, an indication his left knee remains tender. "He is not running at full speed," manager Bryan�Price said. ... Reds RHP Johnny�Cueto (8-5, 1.88) faces Padres RHP Tyson�Ross (6-8, 3.18) in Wednesday afternoons series finale.cheap nfl jerseys . Sean�Monahan scored two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Flames snapped a two-game losing skid with a 2-1 victory over the Oilers in a game between two of the NHLs current lesser lights. cheap jerseys from china . Entering the day in second place behind overnight leader Vincenzo Nibali, the 41-year-old Horner pulled away from the Giro dItalia champion over the final meters of the uphill ascent to turn a three-second deficit into a three-second lead with just two days to go.SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jay�Harrison scored with 41.2 seconds remaining in overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes won for the first time since the Olympic break, 3-2 over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. Jiri�Tlusty and Elias�Lindholm also scored for the Hurricanes, who lost the first four games since the Olympics before capping their five-game road trip with a win. Carolina also lost its final game before the break and has fallen to 13th place in the Eastern Conference � six points out of the final playoff spot. Anton�Khudobin made 35 saves to earn the win just hours after signing a two-year, $4.5 million contract extension. Marty Havlat and Brent�Burns scored for the Sharks, who lost in their first home game since Feb. 7. Alex�Stalock made 32 saves in his first back-to-back starts of the season. Both teams had chances early in overtime before the Hurricanes capitalized in the final minute on a scramble in front of Stalock. Lindholm took possession of a blocked shot and slid a backhand pass through the crease to Harrison, who knocked in the winner for Carolinas fourth straight victory in this series. The Hurricanes tied the game early in the second period when Eric�Staal found Lindholm alone in the slot with a pass from behind the net for a one-timer. The Sharks kept the puckk in Carolinas defensive zone for much of the second half of the period but couldnt generate many quality scoring chances, and the game remained tied heading into the third. wholesale nfl jerseys. Carolina struck first when Tlusty took a pass from Alexander�Semin, split defenceman Jason�Demers and Scott�Hannan and skated in alone on Stalock before beating him with a backhand shot. Scoring first has been a good omen this season for the Hurricanes, who have won more than three-quarters of their games after getting the opening goal. But this lead was short-lived when Khudobin allowed a big rebound on a shot by Tyler�Kennedy. Havlat knocked it in while falling to the ice for the equalizer. The Sharks took advantage of another misplay from Khudobin to take the lead with 28 seconds left in the period. James�Sheppard took the puck away from the goalie behind the net and sent a backhand pass in the slot to Raffi�Torres, who teed up Burns for his first goal in 20 games to make it 2-1. NOTES: Carolina D Andrej�Sekera had two assists and has points in all five games since the Olympic break. ... The Hurricanes were without D Justin�Faulk, who suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday in Anaheim. ... The Sharks honoured their four Olympians with a video board tribute in the first period. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

TORONTO - For the fourth time on this home stand the Blue Jays enjoyed a lead of at least three runs. Justin Upton Authentic . They lost, overall a fourth in a row, while dropping their record to 1-3 in those games in which the offence has gotten off to a hot start. Brandon�Morrow and the newly-recalled Chad�Jenkins were the culprits in a disastrous third inning which saw the Red Sox score six times to erase a 3-0 deficit en route to a 7-6 victory. "I came in with one goal and that was to pitch late in the game and keep us in it," said Morrow. "I let down the team in a big way today." Morrow flirted with disaster from the get-go, walking two Red Sox in each of the first two innings only to escape with double play ground outs. After two quick outs in the third, it all unraveled as Morrow walked four-straight hitters to force in Bostons first run. Manager John Gibbons had Morrow on a short leash and promptly called for the newly-recalled Chad�Jenkins, who immediately gave up back to back home runs, a grand slam to A.J.�Pierzynski and a solo shot to Will�Middlebrooks. "He just didnt throw strikes, its pretty simple," said Gibbons of Morrow. "Its a simple solution. Weve been walking way too many guys all year. I mean everybody. Thats unlike us. Weve got some strike throwers." The afternoons eight walks ran the pitching staffs season total to 99, second-most in all of baseball. After Morrows brief outing, which felt much longer than its 2 2/3 innings would indicate, Torontos starters have given the club 127 2/3 innings of work, an average of just less than 5 1/3 innings per game. The four clubs which trail the Blue Jays are nipping at Torontos heels and each has played fewer games. Gibbons, with 138 games left to play, isnt about to panic despite his clubs obvious weakness, a starting rotation which was thought to be a problem when everyone reported to Dunedin more than two months ago. The skipper closed ranks. "You know what, I mean this is a team," said Gibbons. "Its not hitters against pitchers. Its 25 guys. Im not going to get caught up in all this � weve been struggling in certain areas. Its no secret. But were going to get better." Theyre going to have to get better. Much better, in fact, with the schedule about to bombard them with 20 consecutive games starting Tuesday until the next off day on Monday, May 19. You dont want your best left-handed reliever pitching the seventh inning when youre trailing by four runs, for example, as Brett�Cecil had to on Saturday. Back to Morrow, who has pitched six innings only once this year, reached five innings twice and on two occasions hasnt made it to the end of the fourth. Hes had issues controlling his fastball dating back to spring training. Most of his fastballs on Saturday were up. "Its embarrassing to not be able to command your fastball," said Morrow. "I had decent command of the other stuff. I threw my curveball for strikes, threw the split for strikes for the most part. I was just wild with the fastball, mainly arm side and up. Thats number one which I have to do. Command the fastball to be successful." Pitching coach Pete�Walker was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes during a mound visit with Morrow. Home plate umpire Jeff Kelloggs strike zone was small but it went both ways. "He voiced his frustration a little bit out there," said Gibbons. "Nothing wrong with that." Morrow wasnt looking for excuses. "A lot of my pitches didnt miss by just a fraction of an inch," said Morrow. "I was all over the place for a lot of it. Its not a good feeling when you can take the blame for the game and place it squarely on your shoulders." The offence mounted a comeback, scoring twice off Junichi�Tazawa in the eighth and once, on a solo home run by Jose�Bautista, off Boston closer Koji�Uehara in the ninth. The Jays had the tying run at second and the winning run at first when Edwin�Encarnacion lined out to centerfield to end the game. Toronto will turn to R.A.�Dickey on Sunday as the Blue Jays look to avoid a Red Sox sweep. The man with the unpredictable pitch is tasked with bringing some predictability to the starting rotation. Abraham Almonte Authentic .53 ERA in those games. On Tuesday night, he pitched seven solid innings and finally got his first victory as the Royals beat the Houston Astros 4-2. "Im just really proud for him because that was like his fifth time hes gone for his first win and hes had an opportunity to win ballgames two or three times and we couldnt hold it for him," Royals manager Ned Yost said. Cameron Maybin Blue Jersey . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end.PITTSBURGH -- For his first start with the Pirates, Edinson�Volquez beat Adam�Wainwright. Thatll do nicely as an early return on that off-season contract he signed with the Pirates. Tony�Sanchez hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Sunday. Singed to a one-year, $5 million contract as a free agent in December, Volquez was sharp in his first start for the Pirates as he gave up one run and three hits in 5 2-3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts. That came after Volquez pitched two scoreless innings of relief Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. "What you saw was fastball command with downhill angle, big-time spin and tilt on the breaking ball, a good changeup and getting ahead with good pitches," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He pitched a gem." Volquez got a standing ovation when he walked off the mound. "I think I did a great job and the fans appreciated what I did," Volquez said. "I just wanted to keep making another good pitch, keep the ball down and get them to hit the ball on the ground. All my pitches were there." Sanchezs double to deep centre field with two outs came off Wainwright (1-1) and snapped a 1-1 tie. "Im still nervous playing up here," Sanchez said. "My heart is racing. My head is spinning. It feels like the game is going 1,000 mph. So, its nice to be able to get some big hits." The hit by the rookie reserve catcher scored Pedro�Alvarez, who led off the inning with a walk, and was Sanchezs second winning hit of the week as he singled home the winning run in the 16th inning of Wednesday nights victory over the Chicago Cubs. "I cant let what happen in the seventh inning happen, especially in a close game, a rivalry game like this," Wainwright said. "I walked the leadoff man then left a ball out over the plate with two outs and Sanchez took a good swing at it. You cant do that.&qquot; Tony�Watson (1-0) retired all four batters he faced, striking out three, and ran his string of consecutive scoreless innings to 24, dating to last season. Wil Myers Blue Jersey. Jason�Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth to convert his first save. St. Louis managed just three hits. Singed to a one-year, $5 million contract as a free agent in December, Volquez was sharp in his first start for the Pirates as he gave up one run and three hits in 5 2-3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts. That came after Volquez pitched two scoreless innings of relief Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. Volquezs 5.71 ERA last season with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers was the highest among the 81 pitchers who qualified for the ERA title. He also allowed 15 runs in 13 innings in exhibition games this spring. Wainwright went seven innings and allowed two runs and five hits after pitching seven scoreless innings in his first start of the season at Cincinnati in Mondays opener. He struck out seven and walked two. The Pirates opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Andrew�McCutchen doubled with one out and scored on Neil�Walkers two-out double. An RBI triple by the Cardinals Jon�Jay in the sixth tied the score at 1-1 and chased Volquez. NOTES: St. Louis CF Peter�Bourjos, who is off to a 0-for-13 start with his new team, got the day off. Jay started in his place. The Cardinals acquired Bourjos from the Los Angeles Angels in an off-season trade. ... RHP Jameson�Taillon, Pittsburghs top pitching prospect, will undergo Tommy John surgery by David Altcheck in New York and hell miss 12 to 18 months. ... The Cardinals play their home opener Monday against the Cincinnati Reds with RHP Michael�Wacha (0-0, 0.00) facing LHP Tony�Cingrani (0-0, 0.00). ... The Pirates are off Monday then open a three-game series Tuesday night at Chicago with RHP Charlie�Morton (0-0, 0.00) pitching against Cubs RHP Edwin�Jackson (0-0, 1.29). cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Reds closer Aroldis�Chapman threw 25 pitches during batting practice on Tuesday, passing the final test before he can begin a rehabilitation stint in the minors. Mike Schmidt Phillies Jersey . Chapman likely will pitch at Class A Dayton on Thursday in his first time in a game since suffering a head injury. Hes hoping to be activated after four or five appearances in the minors. "It went very good," Chapman said, with trainer Tomas Vera translating. "All my pitches were the way I wanted." The left-hander was hit on the forehead by a line drive during a spring training game in Arizona on March 19. He had a plate inserted above his left eye and nose to help fractures heal. Chapman was one of eight Reds who opened the season on the disabled list, the most in the majors. Jonathan�Broxton is closing games in his absence. Chapman has thrown batting practice without a protective screen. He said theres no concern when he sees a batter hit one of his pitches. "I feel normal," he said. "I feel the way I was before I got hit with the ball." Manager Bryan�Price thinks Chapman needs only a few games in the minors to get ready for his return. Chapman suggested four or five would be sufficient. Chapman threw the equivalent of one inning to Reds hitters, working more on his changeup and slider. "I know I have the fastball," he said. "Im feeling I have the fastball. Im working with the breaking pitches." Outfielder Roger�Bernadina saw a couple of fastballs at the outset from Chapman and couldnt connect. "I didnt see the first two," Bernadina said. Tug McGraw Phillies Jersey . The Blue Jackets entered this series against the Metropolitan Division champions as heavy underdogs, but they sit tied with the Penguins at two wins apiece. Columbus has arrived at this point with a pair of overtime victories, including a 4-3 triumph in Wednesdays Game 4 clash at Nationwide Arena that gave the franchise its first home playoff win. Roy Halladay Phillies Jersey . Stairs, who holds the major-league record with 23 pinch-hit home runs, was a disappointment for the Nationals. The 43-year-old batted just .154 with two RBIs in 56 games. He was 6 for 39 as a pinch hitter. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Derek�Fisher works his way around the perimeter, hoisting jumpers in a solitary shooting drill at the Los Angeles Lakers quiet training complex. Ah, the joys of a simple day job. The NBA players union president is out of his suits and back in shorts after the leagues brutal labour negotiations, focusing on another season with the Lakers. "Im grateful for the experience, but hopefully next week well be back to basketball," Fisher said Friday during a pause in his workout. "It was an exhausting ordeal, but Im still in a good space and looking forward to working with Coach Brown." That would be new Lakers coach Mike Brown, who finally can make some concrete plans more than six months after succeeding 11-time NBA champion Phil Jackson. General manager Mitch Kupchak also is back at work on the truncated off-season, trying to find any way to cram additional depth into the NBAs largest payroll. The Lakers are in transition after getting swept out of the second round of last years playoffs by the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks, abruptly ending Los Angeles quest for a threepeat. Yet theres also ample continuity around Kobe�Bryant: Almost every significant player on last seasons roster is returning, and the Lakers dont have room to add much more, with Kupchak saying theyll be "very limited" in free agency. "We believe this team, as structured, can contend," Kupchak said. "And on the flip side, well continue to look at all opportunities to improve the team. That could be very minor ... but who knows what the future will hold?" Brown realizes hell have almost no time to install his new systems with the Lakers before they open the season on Christmas against Derrick�Rose and the Chicago Bulls. He gave a DVD to all of his players with a detailed explanation of his defensive strategies before the lockout, but knows theyll need time to grasp its intricacies. "I enjoy practice. I like to practice a lot, and long," Brown said. "We wont have a lot of days, but everybody is going to have the same amount of days. We have to make sure we dont overdo it. ... Ive just got to make sure I dont blow my head off my shoulders with excitement and anticipation about going on the floor." The longtime Cleveland Cavaliers coach developed his philosophy as an assistant under Rick Carlisle at Indiana and Gregg Popovich at San Antonio, so it wont be entirely foreign to his players -- particularly Metta�World�Peace, who was Ron Artest when he played for Brown with the Pacers. Cliff Lee Phillies Jersey. Theres another question for the season: What should Brown call the erstwhile Artest, who changed his name in September? "I might call him Metta, or just Met," Brown said with a laugh. "You definitely dont want to call him Peace, because he might think thats grounds to leave practice." Kupchak said he would like to keep backup shooting guard Shannon�Brown, but realizes Brown could get a larger, longer contract with another team as a free agent. The GM will search for another ball-handling guard to take Browns spot, hoping to find a talented veteran who will accept a modest contract for a shot at a ring. "When your payroll is as high as ours, its not like you can snap your fingers and reduce it quickly," said Kupchak, who already had US$85 million committed to eight players for this season before the labour woes. "We dont feel like anybody on our team is dramatically overpaid ... but were going to be very limited in what we can do with this team in free agency." The Lakers will start trickling into the gym over the next week while teams wait for permission to start training camp on Dec. 9. Darius�Morris, the rookie second-round draft pick out of Michigan, also was at the Lakers complex with Fisher on Friday. After months of working out "any time I could, in just about any gym that was available," Fisher realizes hes not leaving behind tension by returning to the Lakers from his union duties. The 37-year-old point guard was unexceptional on both ends of the court last season, scoring just 6.8 points per game -- his lowest average in 11 years -- and struggling with perimeter defence. Fisher has started every game in each of his last four seasons since returning to the Lakers, but when Brown was asked Friday if Fisher is his starting point guard, the coach replied: "Possibly." Kupchak still admires Fishers tenacity with the union. "Im not sure many past players association presidents have gone through what hes been through," Kupchak said. "I think it might set him up for something beyond basketball. Ten or 15 years from now, my guess is hell look back on it as a great experience. ... I dont think hes ever going to be out of shape. I think mentally, hes relieved and in a better frame of mind." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

BRASILIA, Brazil - After being touted as one of the World Cups entertainers, it was a gritty performance which got France through to the quarterfinals in a 2-0 victory over Nigeria on Monday. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Frances forward line had made headlines with eight goals in its opening two group games, but there was little flair on display in a hard-fought contest against the African champions. France needed a late header from midfielder Paul Pogba and an injury-time own goal from defender Joseph Yobo to overcome a robust Nigeria. The reward is a quarterfinal against Germany on Friday at Rio de Janeiros Maracana stadium, following the Germans 2-1 victory over Algeria. Pogbas goal in the 79th minute followed Nigerias best spell of the match and came soon after France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had made a crucial save to deny Peter Odemwingie. "Were not the prettiest or the best, but we can do good things," France coach Didier Deschamps said after the game. "The deliverance came late. There was a lot of tension because we were up against a very athletic side and there were a lot of challenges." Nigeria, which had a goal ruled out for offside in the 19th minute after Emmanuel Emenike poked home Ahmed Musas cross from the left, wasted a lot of second-half possession. Four years ago, France crashed out of the group stage, shamed a nation by going on strike and was jeered by its own fans and lambasted by politicians in the fallout from an embarrassing tournament. Its very different situation now. "Im proud of my players because were coming back from very far. I think weve given a lot of pleasure back to our fans," Deschamps said. "I think there were 5,000 here and millions back home who will feel proud." Pogbas crucial goal came after Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama had just made a superb save to tip over Karim Benzemas header. But he he flapped at the ball from the ensuing corner and Pogba pounced in the 79th minute for his first World Cup goal. That atoned for placing a volley too close to Enyeama in a scrappy first half. Scoring such a crucial goal will boost his confidence heading into the last eight game. "We have four days left to prepare for another battle," Deschamps said. Yobo, who announced his international retirement after the game, turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time under pressure from France substitute Antoine Griezmann. At the final whistle, Frances relieved players danced in front of their fans as dreams of a repeat run to the final � just like in 2006 � moved a step closer. "We had the whole country behind us," Pogba said. "Its one of the proudest moments of my life." France started slowly and finished strongly in the second round match. "Ive yet to see a team play well over the whole 90 minutes," Deschamps said. "Nigeria dropped off a bit and that allowed us to get on top." After Griezmann came on, Benzema finally came alive in the 70th, opening up the defence after a clever one-two with the France substitute. After Enyeama blocked Benzemas initial shot, his follow-up effort was hacked clear by Victor Moses. Video technology confirmed that the ball had not crossed the line. France failed to show the attacking flair of previous games, with Giroud skewing a shot wide early on. He also appeared to elbow John Obi Mikel in an off-the ball incident, having done the same in last weeks 0-0 draw with Ecuador after coming on as a second-half substitute. "The referee saw it and didnt even give him a warning. Not a yellow card, nothing," Mikel said. "The intention was there." Keshi was highly critical of American referee Mark Geigers handling of the game. "The ref is a human being, but a lot of mistakes were questionable," he said. "Giroud elbow, Pogba foot up ... he decides what happens on the field. Im not happy with the ref." Two chances were missed late in the half. Full-back Mathieu Debuchy smacked a shot wide and into the back of a steward, and Emenike saw his sharp drive from the edge of the area palmed away by Lloris. With Nigeria starting to dominate possession, Deschamps made a key change in the 62nd, taking Giroud off and bringing on Griezmann, freeing Benzema to play through the middle. Nigeria continued to push forward and centre half Laurent Kocielny cut out Musas dangerous cross from the right. But toward the end, it was all France as Griezmann boosted the attack. He almost made it 2-0 in the 85th that Enyeama tipped over brilliantly. Instead, it fell to Yobo to inadvertently add Frances second goal. ___ Lineups: France: Hugo Lloris; Mathieu Debuchy, Raphael Varane, Laurent Koscielny, Patrice Evra; Paul Pogba, Yohan Cabaye, Blaise Matuidi; Mathieu Valbuena (Moussa Sissoko, 94th), Olivier Giroud (Antoine Griezmann, 62nd), Karim Benzema. Nigeria: Vincent Enyeama; Efe Ambrose, Kenneth Omeruo, Joseph Yobo, Juwon Oshaniwa; Ogenyi Onazi (Ruben Gabriel, 59th), John Obi Mikel; Ahmed Musa, Peter Odemwingie, Victor Moses (Uche Nwofor, 89th); Emmanuel Emenike. Cheap Jerseys From China ." Hextall was promoted to general manager by the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday to replace Paul Holmgren, who was elevated to president. Wholesale Jerseys . -- Tyreke�Evans is still making the adjustment from point guard to small forward for the Sacramento Kings.KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- Riley Kieser had two goals and an assist as the Edmonton Oil Kings won their ninth in a row, toppling the host Kamloops Blazers 4-1 on Wednesday in Western Hockey League action. Henrik Samuelsson and Edgars Kulda also scored for the Oil Kings (38-13-1). Matt Bellerive supplied the scoring for the Blazers (11-38-5), who are on a seven-game skid. Bolton Pouliot turned away 34-of-37 shots for Kamloops. The Oil Kings went 1 for 5 on the power play, and also scored twice shorthanded, while the Blazers failed to find the back of the net on eight chances with the man advantage. --- TIGERS 3 WHEAT KINGS 2 BRANDON -- Trevor Cox scored twice, including the winner 19 seconds into the third period, as Medicine Hat slipped past the Wheat Kings. Cole Sanford had a goal and two assists for the Tigers (31-19-3) while Curtis Valk chipped in with two assists. Jayce Hawryluk and Richard Nejezchleb scored for Brandon (27-20-6). Medicine Hats Marek Langhamer made 21 saves for the win, including a Ryley Lindgren penalty shot at 17:02 of the second period. Jordan Papirny stopped 26 shots for the Wheat Kings. --- BLADES 6 HURRICANES 3 LETHBRIDGE, Alta.-- Troy Tremblay made 48 saves and Saskatoon scored four times in the third period en route to doubling up the Hurricanes. Mitch Lipon, Dylan Busenius, Ryan Graham and Brett Stovin scored in the third for the Blades (15-37-4), who halted a four-game skid, while Cory Millette and Austin Adamson had the others. Jamal Watson had a pair of goals for Lethbridge (11-39-5) and Tyler Bell scored once. Jonny Hogue turned away 32-of-37 shots for the Hurricanes. --- ROCKETS 4 REBELS 3 CRANBROOK, B.C. -- Jackson Whistle made 32 ssaves as Kelowna held off Red Deer and its attempt for a third-period comeback. Wholesale NFL Jerseys. . Tyrell Goulbourne, Kris Schmidli, Marek Tvrdon and Austin Glover all scored in the first period for the Rockets (43-7-3) before giving up three goals in the final 20 minutes. Aspen Sterzer scored twice for the Rebels (27-23-4), who dropped their fourth game in a row, and Evan Polei had the other. Red Deers Taz Burman allowed two goals on Red Deers first three shots and was pulled at 1:34 of the opening period. Patrik Bartosak stopped 36-of-38 shots in relief. --- THUNDERBIRDS 4 CHIEFS 0 SPOKANE, Wash. -- Taran Kozun stopped 29 shots for his third shutout of the season as Seattle blanked the Chiefs. Justin Hickman scored three times for the Thunderbirds (34-16-5) and Alexander Delnov added the other. Spokanes (31-17-5) Jeremy McIntosh and Dominic Zwerger were each minus-2 while Mike Aviani failed to record a point for the eighth straight game, which is his longest scoring drought of the season. Garret Hughson turned away 29-of-33 shots for the Chiefs. --- HITMEN 7 ROYALS 6 (OT) VICTORIA -- Pavel Padakin scored twice, including the winner, and added an assist as Calgary came from behind to edge the Royals in overtime. Brady Brassart scored once and set up two more for the Hitmen (33-15-6), who trailed 6-3 early in the third period, while Adam Tambellini, Jaynen Rissling, Chase Lang and Mike Winther added the others. Ben Walker had a pair of goals for Victoria (35-16-4) and Steven Hodges, Logan Fisher, Austin Carroll and Axel Blomqvist each scored once. Calgarys Mack Shields made 34 saves for the win as Coleman Vollrath stopped 28-of-35 shots for the Royals.cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

WASHINGTON -- Every point matters more than ever to Alex�Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, who are part of a logjam in the Eastern Conference -- and on the outside of the playoff race, looking in, at the moment. Dave Winfield Blue Jersey . So blowing two-goal leads, as the Capitals tend to do, and losing key players such as centre Nicklas�Backstrom to injury are not exactly what they want. All of those bad things happened to the Capitals in a 5-4 shootout loss Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, who came back after Ovechkin scored two early power-play goals. "Obviously, you miss Backy, but every team has guys that go out," said Capitals coach Adam�Oates, who would only say that Backstrom has an upper-body injury. "Youve got 19 other guys that have got to do the job. Weve got plenty of guys that can do the job." Also "being evaluated," as Oates put it, after the game was defenceman Jack�Hillen, who was involved in a scary moment halfway through overtime, colliding with Ovechkin at centre ice. Hillens helmet slammed into Ovechkins chest, and the game was put on hold for a bit. Ovechkin got the wind knocked out of him and took a knee, but returned to the game. Hillen got the worst of the impact and remained face-down on the ice while a trainer checked on him. Washington is ninth in the East, one spot out of the playoffs based on tiebreakers, even though it is one of four teams with 80 points, alongside No. 7 Columbus, No. 8 Detroit and No. 10 Toronto. The Capitals have nine games left, starting Saturday at home against Boston. So among the Capitals, there was a mix of relief at the idea of picking up one point against Los Angeles -- and disappointment at failing to get two after leading 2-0 thanks to Ovechkin before the game was 7 1/2 minutes old, and then being ahead 3-1 entering the third period. "Theres no excuse. We have to find a way to win when we are up two goals," Washington forward Marcus�Johansson said. "It hurts a lot. You never know when it comes down to it -- in or out (of the playoffs) by one point." Anze�Kopitar and Jeff�Carter scored in the shootout for the Kings, and goalie Jonathan�Quick caught Eric�Fehrs attempt after rookie forward Evgeny�Kuznetsov whiffed on Washingtons opening shot. Kuznetsov had tied the wild, back-and-forth game with 41.5 seconds left in regulation on his first NHL goal, a short-hander that came when he reached in to knock home a loose puck after it trickled through Quicks pads on Ovechkins shot. Plenty of fans thought Ovechkin was responsible for his third goal of the night, and they tossed their hats onto the ice. But his total stayed at a league-leading 48. While Kuznetsovs goal got the crowd excited, in the end, the Kings wound up winning their seventh consecutive road game and their fourth game in a row overall. They began Tuesday sixth in the West, and their playoff status is looking a lot more secure than Washingtons. Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter wasnt pleased with the way his team started Tuesday. But he liked the way his players turned things around. "We just kind of hung in there," Sutter said. Mike�Richards, Dwight�King, Marian�Gaborik and Dustin�Brown scored for the Kings in regulation. The most important goal might have been Kings, which came 45 seconds into the third period and pulled Los Angeles within 3-2. "The boys stuck together, stuck with it," Kings defenceman Drew�Doughty said. "We knew the whole time we were going to get back in that game." NOTES: LW Dustin�Penner netted his first goal for the Capitals since arriving from Anaheim at the trade deadline. ... The Kings have seven victories in a row over Washington. ... Midway through the second period, Capitals F Troy�Brouwer and Kings D Willie�Mitchell were both called for penalties after a skirmish in front of Quicks net. Brouwer stayed down on the ice for a bit, then was helped up and led to the locker room. It wasnt immediately clear what was wrong. ... The Kings record is eight straight road wins, in the 1974-75 season. Chase Headley Blue Jersey . Now he can be had by any team willing to pay his salary. According to a report from ESPN, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shopping the veteran CB and plan on releasing him Wednesday if they cant find a trade partner. Cameron Maybin Blue Jersey . Olivieri, at city hall to help kick off ticket sales for the Aug. 5-24 event to be held in four Canadian cities, said Wednesday that Canada has a new generation of talent on the rise that can make its name just as Sinclair did at the same event in 2002 in Edmonton.SURPRISE, Ariz. -- When a grounder ricocheted off Prince�Fielders mitt during his first workout with the Texas Rangers, he quickly held it up and proclaimed with a smile, "Its new." So much is new this spring for the All-Star slugger. Hes in Arizona for spring training, not Florida. He has a No. 84 on the back of his uniform, not No. 28. And he is on a new team. "It felt good. It was a lot of fun," Fielder said. "Nice easy day, I had a lot of fun meeting my new teammates. So yeah, Im excited." Fielder joined other veteran Rangers players on the field for more than an hour Wednesday, taking grounders and some batting practice on the day before the first official full-squad workout. It was also the first day in camp for shortstop Elvis�Andrus, who was also part of the session. After cutting off his dreadlocks during the off-season and going through some mixed martial arts workouts, Fielder appears trim. Asked he if had lost any weight, Fielder chuckled and said he didnt know for sure since he doesnt allow any scales in his house. "I feel great. Lost a couple of pounds cutting the hair, so that helps," he said. "I just want to be athletic and not carry around so much weight. ... I have no idea what it is, but I think I lost something. I definitely lost something." The Rangers acquired Fielder from Detroit in November in exchange for All-Star second baseman Ian�Kinsler. Fielder was only two seasons into a $214 million, nine-year contract he signed with the Tigers before the 2012 season, when the Rangers also interested in him. Texas manager Ron Washington reiterated his plan to have Fielder batting third, after Andrus and before Adrian�Beltre, who led the American League with 199 hits last season. "Prince�Fielder, hes always been the protectoor, now Im going to make him the protectee," Washington said. Dave Winfield Authentic. The past three years, Fielder batted behind that seasons MVP -- Ryan�Braun in Milwaukee in 2011 and Miguel�Cabrera the last two years with the Tigers. Beltre has said it is Fielders turn to be an MVP. "Nice, that sounds good," Fielder said. "Im not going to argue that. I hope that happens." Fielder was the only player at first base Wednesday, while there were multiple players at the rest of the infield spots. He took grounders and made some throws, extending a segment by going "one more, one more" after a wide throw to second base that he didnt want to be his last. He seemed at ease with the ongoing banter initiated mainly by third baseman Beltre and Andrus. When middle infielders worked on turning double plays, Beltre came to the other side of the diamond and rotated with Fielder taking throws. Beltre told the middle infielders, "We got it, dont worry about it" after Fielder made a nifty pick of a throw in the dirt. "Everybodys laid back, they work hard," Fielder said. "Thats all you ask for, good people who work hard and everybody wants to have fun, which is a big deal when you have to be together with people for so long." Before talking to reporters for about 10 minutes, Fielder changed from his uniform to a black T-shirt with Mickey Mouses face on it. On the back was the No. 28, the number he wore through his 1,322 career major league games so far, with Milwaukee (2005-11) and Detroit (2012-13). "I just want Prince to be Prince. I dont want him to come here and try to think hes got to take us on his shoulder," Washington said. "I just want him to do what he does and let everyone else do what they do, and everything will work out." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

MEXICO CITY -- Serena Williams has pulled out of next weeks Monterrey Open because of an ankle injury. nfl jerseys china . Tournament organizers said Saturday they were told of the withdrawal by the WTA. They said Williams turned down a wild-card invitation because she hurt her ankle during a recent practice. Williams played the Fed Cup this month and won two matches when the United States defeated Belarus. Williams withdrew from the Brisbane International in early January with an injured left ankle, but went on to reach the round of 16 at the Australian Open. cheap nfl jerseys . He leaves as a potential first overall pick, and one of the most dynamic, breath-taking players in college football history. cheap jerseys from china . Mata had already been dropped from Spains squad once this season and with the country blessed with so many playmakers, he was in real danger of being overlooked for the trip to Brazil to defend their title.SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Kansas City Royals right-hander Luke�Hochevar will have Tommy John surgery that will sideline the pitcher for the season. Hochevar felt a twinge in his elbow on the next-to-last pitch of a scoreless two-inning outing Monday against the Chicago White Sox. An MRI on Tuesday revealed a major tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. The severity of the injury was confirmed Thursday by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. "What I didnt want to hear," Hochevar said Friday. Hochevar missed nearly three months in 2010 with a sprained right elbow, making just 17 starts that season. "I knew this day was coming," Hochevar said. "After the first time I hurt it, I knew it was coming. Im extremely thankful it held up for four years." The 30-year-old Hochevar went 5-2 with a 1.92 ERA and two saves in 58 relief appearances last season. He held opponents to a .169 batting average, which ranked third among AL relievers with at least 60 innings. Hochevar switched to the bullpen last year after going 38-59 with a 5.44 ERA in 128 career starts. Hochevar was the first player picked in the 2006 draft. He will make $5.21 million this year and is eligible for free agency after this season. "We wouldnt rule Luke out for the future," Royyals general manager Dayton Moore said. cheap jerseys. "Well hopefully be able to keep him in the organization going forward." Free agency, however, was not on Hochevars mind with surgery pending to replace the ligament in his elbow. "That is irrelevant right now," Hochevar said. "That will all fall into play if Im healthy and I can pitch." Manager Ned Yost said Hochevar decided to have surgery in the next weeks instead of instead of rest and rehab for two months. "This thing is going to blow," Yost said of Hochevars ligament. "It is going to go, sooner or later." The Royals won 86 games last year, their most victories since the 1989 club went 92-70. Kansas City hasnt been in the playoffs since winning the 1985 World Series. "The toughest part about it is were primed this year to win," Hochevar said. "You want to be part of that dog pile in September. The way the teams shaping up, were going to win. Thats not a doubt from every standpoint." "I want to be a part of it. It is just not going to happen," he said. Right-handers Kelvin�Herrera and Aaron�Crow and left-hander Tim�Collins will likely be the primary setup men for closer Greg�Holland in Hochevars absence. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. Tony Gwynn Authentic .J. -- Cristiano Ronaldo was among Portugals starting 11 against Ireland in the teams final friendly Tuesday before heading to Brazil for the World Cup. Ronaldo apparently is recovered enough from tendinitis in his left knee and a thigh injury. Ronaldo last played in the Champions League final for Real Madrid on May 24 against Atletico Madrid, scoring the final goal on a penalty kick in the 120th minute of a 4-1 victory. Portugal played two matches without its lead striker, drawing 0-0 with Greece and defeating Mexico, 1-0. The Portuguese open the World Cup on June 16 against Germany, and also will face the United States and Ghana in Group G. Everth Cabrera Authentic . The All-Star point guard, sidelined for the past six months with a knee injury, was set to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup for Sunday nights home game against the Phoenix Suns, weeks earlier than expected.Cameron Maybin Blue Jersey . The third-year pro went shot for shot with Knicks star Carmelo�Anthony down the stretch before nailing the most important one of the night.SYDNEY, N.S. -- Raphael Corriveau scored a hat trick as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles snapped Halifaxs nine-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the Mooseheads in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play Friday. Corriveau scored the first two goals of the game for Cape Breton (14-11-3) while Cameron Darcy capped the scoring with the game winner 11:37 into the third. Luca Ciampini, Jonathan Drouin and Max Lindsay scored for the Mooseheads (21-9-0). Screaming Eagles goaltender Alex Bureau finished with 28 saves, while Zachary Fucale stopped 27 shots for Halifax. HUSKIES 5 ISLANDERS 2 CHARLOTTETOWN -- Rouyn-Noranda scored three unanswered goals in the third period to beat the Islanders. Maxime St-Cyr scored twice for the Huskies (16-9-3), and Marcus Power, Julien Nantel and Jean-Sebastien Dea added singles. Alexandre Goulet scored both goals for Charlottetown (13-12-4). Alexandre Belanger stopped 26 shots for Rouyn-Noranda. Antoine Bibeau allowed four goals on 37 shots for the Islanders. FOREURS 5 SEA DOGS 3 SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Val-dOr overwhelmed the Sea Dogs with four unanswered goals to end the game. Anthony Beauregard, Phil Pietroniro, Anthony Mantha, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Guillaume Gelinas scored for the Foreurs (17-11-0), while Keven Bouchard needed to make just 18 saves. Kelly Bent, Mackenzie Brown and Matthew Highmore replied for Saint John (7-19-3). The loss spoiled a big effort from Sea Dogs goalie Antoine Landry. He finished with 42 saves and was electric in the first when he shut the door despite his team being outshot 15-2. PHOENIX 3 TIGRES 2 SHERBROOKE, Que. -- Jean-Francois Plante scored in overtime to lift the Phoenix past Victoriaville. Alexandre Sillls and Nathan Glass also scored for Sherbrooke (10-15-2), who opened the scoring with a pair of quick goals in the third period. Dave Winfield Blue Jersey. Gabriel Gagne and Matthew Boudreau, who forced extra time with a goal at 19:27 on the power play, replied for the Tigres (11-13-3). Francis Desrosiers stopped 28 shots for the Phoenix, while his Tigres counterpart Brandon Whitney made 30 saves. SAGUENEENS 3 OCEANIC 1 RIMOUSKI, Que. -- Chicoutimis offence exploded in the second period with three unanswered goals to beat the Oceanic. Nicolas Roy, Sebastien Sylvestre and William Gignac scored for the Sagueneens (15-15-0). Dominic Beauchemin had the lone Rimouski (16-8-4) goal in the first period. Chicoutimi Domenic Graham made 29 saves, while Zachary Fortin stopped 27 shots for the Oceanic. OLYMPIQUES 6 DRAKKAR 3 GATINEAU, Que. -- Emile Poirier scored twice, including one shorthanded, as the Olympiques doubled Baie-Comeau. Martin Reway also had two goals while Taylor Burke and Alex Dostie added singles for Gatineau (20-9-0). Valentin Zykov, Bokondji Imama and Denis Gorbunov scored for the Drakkar (18-6-4). Olympiques goaltender Robert Steeves stopped 29 shots. At the other end of the ice, Philippe Cadorette allowed five goals on 22 shots. VOLTIGEURS 3 ARMADA 2 (OT) DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. -- Frederick Gaudreau scored in overtime to lift the Voltigeurs past league-leading Blainville-Boisbriand. Guillaume Gauthier and Olivier Caouette also had goals for Drummondville (16-10-2). Frederic Bergeron and Philippe Sanche each scored in the second period for the Armada (20-3-4). Louis-Philip Guindon stopped 16 shots for Drummondville, while the Armadas Etienne Marcoux made 28 saves. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

BOSTON -- Avery�Bradley has agreed to a $32 million, four-year deal to remain with the Boston Celtics. Carlos Lee Authentic Jersey . Agent Mitchell�Butler confirms the deal Wednesday for Bradley, the No. 19 pick in the 2010 draft. Bradley averaged a career-best 14.9 points in 60 games last season as the starting point guard while Rajon�Rondo was recovering from a torn knee ligament. Bradley can play either guard spot and is a strong defender. The Celtics extended a qualifying offer to Bradley on Monday, making him a restricted free agent and allowing them to match any offer he received from another team. Roy Oswalt Jersey . Johns IceCaps dominated the Portland Pirates 5-1 on Wednesday in American Hockey League play. Nolan Ryan Authentic Jersey . The agreement Thursday was for $5,000 above the midpoint between the $2.4 million he had asked for and the $1.6 million the Indians had offered when the sides exchanged arbitration figures last month.VAL DISERE, France -- Canadas Julien Cousineau put the finishing touches on a long and difficult road back from injury in Sundays World Cup slalom qualifying for his first second run -- and secured his first top-30 finish -- since 2011. The 32-year-old from Lachute, Que., attacked from the back to jump from 56th to ninth after the first run and then finish 18th overall, with his teammate Mike Janyk of Whistler, B.C., close behind him in 21st. Cousineaus standout performance represented a huge personal victory after two difficult years in which he first battled back from injury and then was unable to qualify for a second run in a World Cup race. "Its been a long time. Its good for my head and its good for the team," said Cousineau, who clocked a two-run combined time of one minute 46.30 seconds. "I just skied like Ive been doing all summer and ended up with a great time. "Its fun to finally be able to show what Ive been doing in training instead of just talking about it." Starting 56th on a course that was deteriorating as the race went on, Cousineau finished in the top 10 in his first run. "I didnt think it was that good. It felt rough and I was fighting all the way down," Cousineau said of his first run. "When I crossed the line aand saw the position I was like, Wow. Jose Altuve Jersey. I was pretty excited. A lot of stress lifted with that. "I havent made a second run since December 21 in 2011. I hurt my knee after that." Janyk needed a top-12 result to earn a spot at the Sochi Games, but struggled with a stomach bug. "I was pretty green this morning," said Janyk, who had a two-run combined time of 1:46.49 and was the second-fastest racer in the top section of the second run. "In my runs I had no power at the bottom. "First run I was touch and go but made it down. Second run I found some energy. There were good top sections on both runs but for me personally it was a mixed bag." With Austrian superstar Marcel Hirscher failing to qualify for the second run, veteran Mario Matt, also of Austria, took the win in 1:44.59. Swedens Mattias Hargin was second (1:45.12) and Italys Patrick Thaler was third (1:45.37). Calgarys Brad Spence was 36th after the first run -- less than four-tenths of a second out of qualifying for the second run -- as he continues his comeback from a long-term injury. Torontos Phil Brown, and Paul Stutz, of Banff, Alta., did not finish their first runs. Stutz, in particular, looked set for a good race after he was 20th in the top split. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

In 1904, James E. Houston Astros Jerseys . Bennett patented a new proposal for catchers apparatus that would replace the glove and helmet altogether with big wire cage through which the pitched ball would pass through, hitting a padded mattress on the chest. It didnt catch on: Johnny Bench could hold seven baseballs in one hand: There are 35 of these beauties. Check out the rest of the list on Buzzfeed. J.R. Richard Jersey .C. -- If this was Jabari Parkers last home game at Duke, what a farewell it was. Jose Altuve Jersey . Johnson spent the last five seasons with Pittsburgh after being taken in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. He played in 52 games with 26 starts, totalling 22 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown. CHICAGO -- Luol�Deng understands it might not mean much if the Chicago Bulls are still banged up once the playoffs roll around. Even so, he has a good feeling as the post-season approaches. "I think we learned so much from last year," he said. "I think as a group, were more confident this year." A run to the Eastern Conference finals whetted their appetite. Now, theyre looking for more, but theres still work to be done before they can really get down to business. Games like this are just another step, another obstacle, and they keep finding ways to clear them. Deng scored 20 points, Joakim�Noah added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Chicago beat the Detroit Pistons 83-71 on Friday night. The Bulls scored the final eight points after the Pistons closed within four with just under 5 minutes left and came away with their 14th straight win against Detroit. In the process, they improved their league-best record to 42-11, even though star Derrick�Rose and Richard�Hamilton remained sidelined by injuries. Deng came through again after scoring 22 in in a lopsided win over Atlanta on Wednesday and Noah was his usual relentless self, helping Chicago win again despite all its bumps and bruises. Rose missed his ninth straight game because of a right groin injury, but the Bulls improved to 14-5 without the defending league MVP. Hamilton has barely been able to get on the court because of a variety of injuries after signing with Chicago. He was hoping to return from a sprained right shoulder against his former team, but he sat out this 13th consecutive game after participating in the morning shootaround and going through warmups. Whether he or Rose plays Sunday at Oklahoma City remains to be seen, although coach Tom Thibodeau said Hamilton is "real close." "I just thought another day would be good," he said. "I talked to him before the game. I was not quite comfortable with him playing yet." The Pistons were hardly a picture of health with Rodney�Stuckey (sore left hamstring) and Ben�Gordon (sore right groin). Austin�Daye started at shooting guard and finished with 11 points. Brandon�Knight scored 16 points, and Tayshaun�Prince had 14 after tying a season high with 29 in an 87-75 win over Clevelaand on Wednesday. Jason Castro Astros Jersey. Greg�Monroe added 14 points and 10 rebounds, but the Pistons remained winless against the Bulls since beating them at the Palace of Auburn Hills in December 2008. They were dominated 53-37 on the boards and got outscored 38-24 in the paint. They shot just under 37 per cent for the game. They didnt even attempt a free throw until Jason�Maxiell made 1 of 2 midway through the third, and they were 6 of 7 for the game. All that helps explain why they managed just 10 points in two of the four quarters and failed to crack 80 for the fourth time in five games. "It just came down to a lot of offensive rebounds for them," Knight said. "They were able to finish off possessions." The Bulls appeared to be in good shape after an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter made it 73-61, but the Pistons werent finished. They cut it to 75-71 on Knights jumper with 4:50 left, but didnt score again after that. Chicagos C.J.�Watson then hit two free throws, and Noah fed Boozer for a basket after rebounding a missed 3 by Kyle�Korver, making it an eight-point game with just under four minutes left. A tip-in and dunk by Noah over the final 1:15 rounded out the scoring and preserved the win for the Bulls. "He was tipping everything in, blocking shots, rebounding, running the court hard, making plays for everybody," Carlos�Boozer said. Notes: Thibodeau dismissed an ESPN.com report that hes "dismayed" the Bulls havent given him a contract extension. "I dont know where thats coming from," he said. "Im not worried about any of that stuff. Im under contract. Im fine with everything here." The Bulls hold an option on him for next year, and they probably would like to keep him, considering what hes accomplished in two seasons. ... Pistons coach Lawrence Frank couldnt resist taking a playful jab at the Bulls when asked before the game about Stuckey and Gordon. "Theyre both day-by-day," he said. "What has Derrick�Rose been a game time decision for two weeks?" Stuckey was injured in the first quarter against Cleveland on Wednesday. Gordon missed his second straight game. ... The Bulls have won 12 straight at home against the Pistons since a loss on Feb. 24, 2006. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

As their principal league rival came to terms with their seven-year MLS itch by splashing their loadsamoney cash and monopolizing the headlines, that likely even NYC FC owner Sheik Mansour has been paying attention to, the Montreal Impact have gone about their off season with a minimum of �fuss. Carlos Lee Jersey . Last fall as local media awaited news on if Sch�llibaum would return, finally on December 18th a plume of Stade Saputo white smoke arrived in the form of a solitary press release stating the Impact were placing their 2014 Trust in Frank. That very same evening at a swanky downtown hotel, the Impact hosted 500 of their favourite supporters at their inaugural Members Council. Introduced to the faithful, Klopas was sat at the head table sharing a stage with the IMFC podium - Joey Saputo, Nick de Santis and Richard Legendre. Klopas slipped out of town the following day - only though after some Christmas shopping with his wife; a tradition for the couple which dates back to the ex-Fire coachs playing days. The Impacts third head coach would remain in Chicago until a week into the New Year. Upon officially taking up the reigns as head coach and director of player personnel the first point of business for Klopas was the following weekends combine. The opening of training camp was a fortnight away.� As the days ebbed away speculation mounted on what the club would do to plug significant roster gaps. Most prominently this came in the shape of a retired Nesta plus the Impact were in need of replacing their captain who had been acquired in December by Barrack Obamas local club. Then throw in the Impacts need to sign a free scoring supporting cast member for Di Vaio, a player they cant expect to repeat his MVP type season. But the only news for local media to sink their teeth into at this time came from city hall as the Mayor proclaimed he would attend March the 22nd home opener. Then just as the Toronto FC plush red carpet was� about to extend itself from Drakes downtown condo to a certain part of North London, training camp a mere 10 days away, the Impact were finally able to announce a player signing. Not a marquee signing most hoped for, instead it was the re-upping of the first player to pen an Impact MLS deal, Nelson Rivas. Having missed last terms entire regular season, the Columbian has the perfect motivation to return the faith shown in him by the club. Aside from calling up three Academy Players plus including four Super Draft picks, Rivas was the only senior player added to the squad of 21 Klopas inherited for when camp opened January 27th. A 28-player squad that was still without Adrian Lopez who was still home in Spain continuing the rehab of a late summer shattered ACL. The FA Cup winner is not expected in Montreal before Easter. It would be a full fortnight into camp before another playing signing was announced when just on Monday the Impact confirmed Andr�s Romero would return on loan from his Brazilian side. Romero had certainly impressed in early 2013 but as the season wore on the 24-year-old Argentine became the brunt for much supporter frustration. His form taking the most significant of dips, one we now know is strongly attributed to his wife having to return home to Argentina in preparation for the addition of welcoming twins to the Romero household. The Impacts wait for a new player signing finally ended this morning when announcing the signature of 21-year-old centre forward, Santiago Gonzalez. The Uruguayan, a so termed �Discovery Signing becomes the fifth South American footballer to join the club. And with it, there goes the neighbourhood and the myth the Impact only sign over-aged Italians. A few hours later Toronto introduced Inter Milans Champions League winning goalkeeper and Harry Redknapp castaway, Julio Cesar on a season-long loan. The man Felipe Scolari will pin his goalkeeping faith on during this summers World Cup is expected to man the posts for a team that leaked goals in 2013 until returning home for his nations tilt at securing a sixth world crown. Toronto FCs shiny looking new squad currently comes resplendent with more DPs on their roster than even the LA Galaxy are permitted. Dont, though, expect the Impact to up its DP quota anytime soon. Following yesterdays final training session ahead of the clubs departure late this afternoon to Orlando in defence of its Disney World Pro Soccer Classic title, De Santis poured extremely cold water on speculation linking the Impact to Valencias Pablo Piatti and SS Lazios Stefano Mauri. Having added a summer signing DP in each of its two MLS seasons to date, dont be surprised if the Impact continue that trend following this summers World Cup Finals. The Impact are set to get their pre-season and their Disney defence underway February 19th when they take on Fluminense FCs Under-23 team. � Rounding out the Impacts group is two significant pre-season matches against the very best in all of MLS last season. A Supporter Shield wielding New York Red Bulls and an MLS Cup Champion, Sporting KC. With Toronto FC paired in a much weaker group which contains Orlando City SC, Columbus and Philadelphia, anything less than an appearance in March 1sts Disney final will likely be deemed as failure. With the Impact starting their 2014 season down in Dallas the night of March 8th, how appetizing is the prospect of a Disney final return and testing themselves against their neighbours, the club which has made most noise this off-season. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca@TheSoccerNoel Beginning with March 8ths game in Dallas, you can listen to all 34 Impact regular season games home and away this season on TSN690 � online at www.TSN690.ca Houston Astros Jerseys . Convincing evidence came in the way the Blue Devils kept their focus in a win over Georgia Tech. Jabari Parker had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. Carlos Lee Astros Jersey .C. -- Tony Stewart has driven a sprint car again, roughly 10 months after the accident that sidelined the three-time NASCAR champion with a broken leg.SEATTLE -- The Mariners have declined 2014 options on outfielder Franklin�Gutierrez and left-hander Joe�Saunders. Gutierrez and Saunders each get $500,000 buyouts. Both players originally signed deals with $7.5 million options, and Saunders price escalated to $7.9 million based on 32 starts and 180 innings pitched. The pair became free agents. Gutierrez appeared in just 173 of the teams 486 games over the past three seasons with six sepaarate trips to the disabled list. Nolan Ryan Jersey. In 41 games last season he batted .248 with seven doubles and 10 home runs. Saunders went 11-16 with a 5.26 ERA in 32 starts last season with the Mariners. Pryor appeared in just seven games last season before being placed on the disabled list in April with a tear in his right latissimus dorsi muscle. Seattle also reinstated right-hander Stephen�Pryor from the 60-day disabled list. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

Winnipeg Goldeyes manager Rick Forney announced today that right-handed pitcher Jason Jarvis has been placed on irrevocable waivers for the purpose of granting his release. Tyson Ross Authentic . Jarvis, 26, went 1-3 with a 9.95 ERA in four starts with the Goldeyes this season. He was acquired from the Sioux City Explorers late last season. The Goldeyes now have 21 players on their active roster, including 11 pitchers and 10 position players. Rollie Fingers Blue Jersey . The Browns have relaxed their media limitations to see rookie quarterback Johnny�Manziel practice. Rollie Fingers Authentic . The Astros took two of three after losing 15 straight series to the Rangers. Houston overcame a four-run deficit to win. Dexter�Fowler singled with one out in the ninth, Jason�Castro drew a walk and Dominguez hit a long fly ball off Nick Martinez (0-1).(SportsNetwork.com) - The disappointing Ottawa Senators hope to record consecutive wins for the first time since early November, as they visit the Boston Bruins on Friday for the opener of a home-and-home series. The Senators halted a three-game slide just before the Christmas break, shocking the Pittsburgh Penguins in Mondays rout at Canadian Tire Centre. The Penguins had won seven in a row heading into the meeting, but left Ottawa with a 5-0 loss. Erik�Karlsson collected a goal and two assists and Craig�Anderson posted a 27- save shutout, as Ottawa slammed the visiting Pens. Bobby�Ryan, Kyle�Turris, Zack�Smith and Cory�Conacher each lit the lamp once in the blowout. "Everybody came to play," Anderson said. "We grinded it out and we made it hard on them. We did the things we need to do to give ourselves a chance to win the game." Sens forward Mika�Zibanejad missed Mondays game with an upper-body injury, but he could be back for this evenings tilt in Beantown. Zibanejad has eight goals and seven assists in 29 games for Ottawa this season. Ottawa will try to build off Mondays triumph by recording consecutive wins tonight for the first time since a three-game run from Nov. 5-9. Paul MacLeans club has battled inconsistency all season long and the Sens enter this home-and-home set in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, trailing first-place Boston by 15 points. The Sens did manage to record a win in their only meeting with Boston this season, as the Bruins fell 4-2 at Ottawa on Nov. Abraham Almonte Authentic. 15. Jason�Spezza tallied a goal and an assist for Ottawa and Anderson stopped 30 shots for the win. It marked the second straight win for the Sens over Boston following a five- game slide in the series. The Bruins still have claimed 13 of the past 16 meetings overall and have won six of the last eight encounters at TD Garden. Boston, which will make the return trip to Ottawa on Saturday, is aiming for a third straight win tonight after outscoring the opposition by a 10-3 margin over its last two outings. After downing the visiting Sabres by a 4-1 count last Saturday, the Bs posted a 6-2 triumph Monday night in Nashville. Jarome�Iginla scored twice as Boston used a terrific special teams effort to subdue the Predators in Music City. Boston went 3-for-3 on the power play en route to winning for the seventh time in its last nine games. Reilly�Smith and Carl�Soderberg each recorded a goal and two assists for the Bruins, while Tuukka�Rask stopped 32 shots for the victory. The win was the 400th in Claude Julien career as a head coach. Julien has recorded 281 of those victories with the Bruins. "You hope as a coach that theres lots more ahead for you," Julien said. Boston is 15-3-2 as the host this season and has won seven straight on home ice. The Senators are 7-7-3 as the visiting team and have dropped three in a row on the road. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

CHICAGO -- Luol�Deng and the Chicago Bulls found a way to win, so this ugly game looked just fine to them. Chris Sale Authentic . Deng scored 21 points and the Bulls overcame a rough shooting night to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 86-81 on Monday for their fifth straight victory. "As I told our guys, it got choppy, particularly in the second quarter, and they do that to you. Theyre very good defensively," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I thought in the second half we did a better job of getting the ball to the second side, which you have to do." Carlos�Boozer had 12 points and 17 rebounds for Chicago, which is on its longest winning streak since taking eight in a row from Feb. 20-March 7, 2012. Jimmy�Butler had 14 points and Derrick�Rose finished with 12. Dengs 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds remaining gave the Bulls an 85-81 lead. Gerald�Henderson then missed for the Bobcats, and Rose had a free throw to help Chicago wrap it up. The Bulls went 26 for 31 at the foul line, compared to 8 for 16 for the Bobcats. "We fought hard. Obviously, the difference in the game was the difference in free throws," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. "You come here and theyre a great team, theyre well prepared. You cant get outscored by 18 at the free-throw line. Thats the game in a nutshell." Rose, who hit a career-high six 3-pointers in the Bulls 110-94 win Saturday over Indiana, went 4 for 13 from the field. The Bulls shot 27 of 75 (36 per cent) overall. "Well take it," said Rose, who played 31 minutes in his second game back after missing Chicagos win at Toronto on Friday with a sore right hamstring. Butler missed part of the game with a right toe injury but came back with 6:35 left in the fourth. Charlotte was looking for its fourth consecutive road victory and third in four games overall, but it was unable to take advantage of the Bulls poor shooting. Once again, the Bobcats struggled from the floor despite a strong effort in the paint. The Bobcats were shooting a league-worst 40.2 per cent from the field coming into the day, and they were 28th from 3-point range at 29.3 per cent. On Monday, they shot 36.3 per cent despite outscoring the Bulls 38-28 in the paint. "We played hard the whole game," said Henderson, who made two free throws with 51.3 seconds left to cut the Bulls lead to one. "We came out a little sluggish. We played them hard. We just didnt come up with the plays at the end of the game, defensively." Jeffery Taylor led Charlotte with a career-high 20 points and Henderson had 16 in a game that featured two of the leagues top defensive teams. Entering Monday, the Bulls were third in opponents scoring at 90.0 points per game, while the Bobcats were fourth at 93.6. "Theyre great defensively," Thibodeau said. "Steves a hell of a coach. Hes doing an unbelievable job. Im happy for him that hes finally gotten an opportunity and the job that hes doing." That defence helped Charlotte stay in the game without one of its best scorers. Bobcats centre Al�Jefferson missed his third consecutive game with a bone bruise in his right ankle. Clifford said he hopes Jefferson can play Wednesday against Brooklyn, but he will more likely play Friday against Phoenix. Jefferson, who signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract with the Bobcats in July, has played in three of Charlottes 11 games and is averaging 15 points and 8.7 rebounds. Without him, Charlotte had a chance to win in the final minutes in Chicago, but couldnt find a way past the Bulls. "It was a long summer. We havent played in a while, all together. I think were starting to get a rhythm," Deng said. "Our offence, it still can get a lot better." NOTES: It was the Bulls last home game before they host New Orleans on Dec. 2. Their next six are away from Chicago as they go on their annual circus trip. ... Clifford and Thibodeau were on the New York Knicks coaching staff from 2001-2003 and in Houston from 2003-2007. ... Charlotte plays five of its next six at home. ... Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Houston Rockets centre Yao�Ming, Bulls Hall of Famer Scottie�Pippen and NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver were in attendance. Luke Appling White Jersey. -- Reginas Mark McMorris is taking home a silver medal and a fractured rib from Saturdays slopestyle event at the Winter X Games. Luis Aparicio Authentic . Bortles, one of three quarterbacks vying to be the first taken in the NFL Draft in May alongside Bridgewater and Johnny�Manziel, helped his cause by impressing scouts with a clean performance at the UCF Pro Day Wednesday, according to reports. STILLWATER, Okla. -- Brady Heslip scored a season-high 20 points to help Baylor beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 76-70 on Saturday and end a five-game losing streak. Rico Gathers scored 14 points, Gary Franklin scored all 11 of his points in the second half and Cory Jefferson had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Baylor (14-7, 2-6 Big 12), which greatly improved its fading NCAA tournament hopes. The Bears had scored fewer than 70 points in four straight games, but shot 52 per cent from the field and outrebounded the Cowboys 32-26. Markel Brown scored 24 points and made 6 of 8 3-pointers, LeBryan Nash scored 19 points for Oklahoma State (16-5, 4-4), which lost to rival Oklahoma 88-76 on Monday night. Marcus Smart added 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Cowboys, but he made just 3 of 14 field goals. Oklahoma State had rallied from a nine-point deficit to take the lead in the final five minutes before Franklin, who had scored just two points all game, drained three contested 3-pointers in just under three minutes to put Baylor in control. After the third triple, Royce ONeal stole the ball and took it in for a dunk to give Baylor a 74-67 edge with 37 seconds to play. Baylor led 21-15 in the first half before Brown hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Cowboys a jolt. Kamari Murphy, who averages 5.8 points per game, scored three baskets in 2:20 to help the Cowboys tie the score at 27. Gatthers converted a 3-point play, then dunked to give Baylor a 32-29 edge. Tyler Flowers Authentic. Oklahoma State had a chance to take the lead at halftime, but Smart was called for his second foul on a post-up with 3.9 seconds left in the first half, and Baylor led 32-31 at the break. Oklahoma State shot 52 per cent in the first half but was outrebounded 17-12, missed four of nine free throws and committed nine turnovers. The Cowboys finally took the lead on a pair of free throws by Brian Williams in the opening minutes of the second half, but Baylor gained it right back on a 3-point play by Austin. Smart bounced the ball off a players back while inbounding, caught it, then scored and was fouled. The free throw gave the Cowboys a 41-40 lead. Baylor responded with a 6-0 run, including two baskets by Jefferson, to take a 46-41 lead, and the Bears extended that edge to 55-46 on a baseline jumper by Jefferson with just over 10 minutes to play. Oklahoma State continued to battle. Smart stole the ball and went for a layup, but Baylors 6-foot-8, 270-pound Gathers hit him hard on the way to the hoop and was called for a Flagrant 1 foul. Smart made both free throws with 7:09 remaining to cut the Bears lead to two, then on the extra possession, Smart found Brown on a lob for a two-handed dunk to tie the score at 57. Smart finally gave the Cowboys a 64-63 lead on two free throws with just over four minutes to play. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

BALTIMORE -- The Washington Nationals made themselves right at home at Camden Yards in an interleague duel between crosstown rivals and division leaders.Alexei Ramirez White Jersey . Doug�Fister allowed two runs over seven innings and Washington hit three solo homers in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. The Nationals usually win with pitching, and Fister was more than efficient. But on this night Washington beat the hard-hitting Orioles at their own game, using home runs by Wilson�Ramos, Ian�Desmond and Jayson�Werth to win this matchup between teams located 40 miles apart on I-295. "This is a good ballpark to hit home runs in," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "All you need to do is look at the other dugout to see that." Fister (8-2) scattered seven hits, walked two and struck out three. He is 8-1 in his last 11 starts and 52-52 for his career, the first time the right-hander has been at .500 since 6-6 in 2010. "He was pretty good," said Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph, who hit into two double plays. "He sinks the ball so well and hes got that curveball, he didnt bust it out until the second or third time around. And hes got a good enough slider to hit one off the barrel." Fister has earned the right to be considered the ace of a staff that includes Stephen�Strasburg, Gio�Gonzalez and Jordan�Zimmermann. But, Williams said, "Everybody has pitched very well. To throw labels on guys isnt fair. They have all pitched very well; sometimes it just doesnt come out as a win." Each team has one win in the rain-shortened, home-and-home showdown that concludes Thursday night. Baltimore is 7-2 in its last nine games and Washington has won eight of 10 overall. "Were getting some momentum together and thats kind of where were at right now," Fister said. "Thats good going into the break." Manny�Machado went 3 for 4 with a homer for the Orioles and Chris�Davis had two hits and an RBI. Machado is 12 for 21 in four games since returning from a five-game suspension. "I feel fine at the plate, seeing the ball well," Machado said. "Im just trying to keep this going." Orioles starter Bud�Norris (7-6) gave up five runs and six hits in four-plus innings in his first appearance since June 21. He won four straight starts before going on the disabled list with a right groin strain. "As much as you do side work and (simulated) games and stuff like that, theres no substitute for the adrenaline and the challenge of facing major league hitters," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. "Especially ones as good as Washington has. So it will get better. Weve seen what hes capable of." It was Norris shortest outing of the year, and the five runs and two home runs he allowed matched season highs. "I felt pretty good," he insisted. "Got a little achy there at the end, but Im happy with the results and its kind of out of my head now. Ill get a couple more bullpens in and just go from there and into the break and feel good going into the second half." Washington jumped on Norris for two first-inning runs. After Anthony�Rendon and Werth hit successive doubles, Adam�LaRoche delivered an RBI single. Davis singled in a run in the bottom half, and Ramos made it 3-1 in the second with a shot to left. Desmond hit his 16th home run in the fourth, a drive that landed in the front row of the bleachers in centre field. Machado got the run back in the home half with his ninth home run, the fifth in eight games. LaRoche added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Werth homered off Brad�Brach in the seventh. The Nationals played their 13th consecutive errorless game, matching their longest streak since coming to Washington from Montreal in 2005. Rendon made several sparkling plays at third base and started a 5-4-3 double play in the sixth after Baltimore put runners at the corners with one out and the score 5-2. "Their third baseman had a great night," Showalter said. "We could have got back in it a little bit but they didnt let us defensively." NOTES: Wei-Yin�Chen (0-2, 7.71 ERA vs the Nationals) faces Gonzalez in the series finale Thursday night. ... Ramos extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. ... Washingtons Danny�Espinosa went 0 for 3 and is mired in an 0-for-22 skid. His teammate, Bryce�Harper, went 0 for 4 and is 4 for 28 since coming off the DL following left thumb surgery. Ozzie Guillen White Jersey . An excellent start from Drew�Hutchison and the return of Jose�Bautista helped provide a little breathing room in the divisional race while ending a three-game losing skid at the same time. Luis Aparicio Authentic . - Former NFL safety Darren�Sharper pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he drugged and raped two women he met at a West Hollywood night club, while the emergence of a new accuser in Florida left him under investigation in five states.ALAMEDA, Calif. - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad�Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. The veteran backup is certainly qualified to speak on the topic, having received a crash course on it over the past 15 months. Jennings will make his second start of the season Sunday against the New York Giants while Darren�McFadden rests his sore hamstring. He also started six games for Jacksonville in 2012 while Maurice�Jones-Drew was sidelined with a foot injury. The message Jennings delivered? Dont wait or its too late. "When I was in high school I kept a quote: When opportunity presents itself, its too late to prepare for it," Jennings said. "So every day be prepared to be that guy." Thats been the case for Jennings, who has been a jack-of-all-trades in his first season with the Raiders. Besides filling in for McFadden, hes blocked two punts and recovered an onside kick on special teams this season. Despite his part-time status, Jennings is also the only Oakland player to catch more than six passes in a game this season. He had eight against Washington on Sept. 29 after McFadden left that game injured, then grabbed another seven in last weeks 49-20 loss to Philadelphia. When McFadden got hurt last week against Philadelphia, Jennings responded with his first 100-yard game in nearly three years. "It just goes back to the mental preparation and trying to put yourself in the game," Jennings said. "You never know when youre going to get called, you really dont. I dont think thats coined as much as its really said and its kind of passed over. Alexei Ramirez Authentic. But you dont know, you never know. So make sure youre ready." Jennings game against the Eagles marked just the second time this season that an Oakland running back has topped the century mark. McFadden ran for 129 yards against Jacksonville in Week 2 but has been mostly ineffective and is averaging just 3.6 yards a carry. Quarterback Terrelle�Pryor, who has a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season, has given the ground game a lift. He leads the team with 485 yards rushing and is the primary reason the Raiders have the fourth-ranked running offence. Jennings would be content with anything as long as Oakland wins. The Raiders (3-5) play four of their next five games on the road and are just 7-25 in November since 2005. McFadden didnt accompany the team on its trip to New York. Neither did right tackle Matt�McCants, who has a foot injury. McCants injury means second-round pick Menelik�Watson will make his first start in New York, one week after making his NFL debut. Hell also be the third different starting right tackle Oakland has used this season. "Obviously, hes gotten limited exposure but we have confidence in him," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Friday. "Really, thats what your job is. When youre called upon to go in and do a job, you have to go in and do the job. Thats the way of the National Football League." Rookie nickelback D.J. Hayden will also be held out of the game. Oaklands first-round draft pick injured a groin muscle earlier this week and has been held out of practice each of the past two days. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. Justin Morneau Authentic . This week, they discuss standout moments from the NHL and NBA Drafts, the Coyotes speaking frankly and FIFAs famous foam. Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star: My thumb is up to the NBA. Heres why. The NBA draft is a show about possibilities, and thats fun. Then, Thursday night, midway through the first round, Adam Silver stopped the proceedings to tell a story about a prospect named Isaiah Austin, whose career ended last week after he was diagnosed with a disease called Marfan Syndrome. Then Silver stepped up to make Austin a ceremonial pick on behalf of the entire Association. They took a moment about the cruel end of possibility, and the NBA made it beautiful. Best moment in draft history, hands down. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Don Maloney, general manager of the newly named Arizona Coyotes - and yeah, that sounds weird - for his unusual honesty in explaining why the club has chosen to buy out top-line centre, Mike Ribeiro. Normally youd get a little �blah blah blah� from an NHL GM on why a player was being let go. But Maloney was more than clear here: he said the team didnt want to put up with Ribeiros behavioral issues, could not tolerate them going forward and could not have him part of the team anymore. The Coyotes, who couldnt afford lunch a year or two ago let alone buying someone out, will be paying Ribeiro $2 million a year for the next six years just to go away. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is up to one of the great sporting advances of the past decade. Baseballs expanded replay? Advanced stats? Heck, no. Im talking about the so-called felony foam world cup referees have been spraying on the field to mark the spot for free kicks and, more importantly, delineate where defenders can set their wall. This low-tech marvel, which looks like shaving cream and dissipates in a minute, eliminates time wasting and the inevitable cheating by defenders who try to creep closer to the spot. While baseball needed a replay room in New York, FIFA found an inexpensive way to literally lay down the law. The gimmick belongs in the sports hall of foam. Sorry. Dave Naylor, TSN: My thumb is up to the sons of athletes who chose their own path to make a name for themselves. Im refering to the selection of Elfrid Payton Jr. in this weeks NBA Draft, going 10th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. Payton is the son of CFL Hall-of-Famer Elfrid Payton - better known as SWAC to some - who played for five CFL teams including Baltimore, Montreal and Winnipeg. Like recent NHL draft picks Darnell Nurse and Seth Jones - whose fathers played in the CFL and NBA respectively - Payton put his good athletic genes to use in another sport. Its always a nice story to see a young athlete follow in his fathers footsteps. But its a little more interesting to see them go their own way. Chris Young White Jersey . -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a case for saving coach Greg Schianos job with a strong second-half turnaround. Paul Molitor Authentic . - Phil Macks penalty kick with no time remaining completed a remarkable comeback Sunday as Canada defeated Samoa 22-19 to finish third at the USA Sevens � its best ever finish at an IRB Sevens rugby event.LAPEENRANTA, Finland - Canadian head coach Kevin�Dineen knew it would be a stiff challenge to get his team back on track after a crushing semifinal loss at the world under-18 hockey championship. His team rose to the occasion Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Sweden in the bronze-medal game. "The sting from yesterday is not something we hid from or pretend didnt happen," Dineen said. "We accepted it and moved on. I think we take satisfaction that we worked hard and that things worked out today." A day earlier, Canada erased a three-goal deficit before dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to the Czech Republic. The loss prevented the 2013 champions from returning to the gold-medal game. Determined to come home with a medal, the Canadians started off slowly Sunday before finding their form in the third-place game. Brendan Perlini, Lawson Crouse and Travis Konecny scored and goalie Mason McDonald made 38 saves. "We were not going to miss an opportunity to represent our country well," Dineen said. "The unity that this group has shown to come together in this short little timeframe, I think there was a lot of encouragement within our group and a lot of very quick chemistry that made yessterday very disappointing. Chris Young Authentic. "But even so, I think we got great satisfaction from todays win." Swedens Henrik Tornqvist opened the scoring with a short-handed goal midway through the first period. Perlini answered with a power-play goal at the 17:02 mark. Crouse put Canada ahead at 11:57 of the second period and Konecny provided an insurance goal with less than five minutes to play in the third. "Weve spent five weeks together and weve done a lot of work," Dineen said. "Things didnt end the way we wanted to but on the flip side of that, that time could come down to the game today. They played extremely hard. "Theres one thing that we certainly wont fault them (for) � we had great effort throughout this whole tournament." Linus Soderstrom made 23 saves as Sweden settled for a fourth-place finish. "There was no guarantee how it was going to end," Dineen said. "But in saying that, I think we all walk out of here � and I hope the boys do as well � (feeling) that theyre a little wiser about the game and a little better for the experience." The United States won gold later in the day with a 5-2 victory over the Czechs. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

Masters Champion Trevor�Immelman will join Americans Matt�Kuchar and Gary�Woodland as part of Team World in the inaugural Canada Cup Match to take place at Ashburn Golf Club � New Course in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Monday, June 30, 2014. Satchel Paige Authentic Jersey . �The Canada Cup is part of GOLFest Nova Scotia, a week-long celebration of national pride and all things golf in Canada that will also feature a Web.com Tour event, the Nova Scotia Open, from June 29 to July 6.�Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Immelman has eleven worldwide victories. He is a two-time champion on the PGA TOUR, three-time champion on the European Tour and five-time champion on the Sunshine Tour (South Africa). In 2013, Immelman won the first event of the Web.com Tour Finals at the Hotel Fitness Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana.� �No stranger to international team competition, Immelman represented the International Team in the 2005 and 2007 Presidents Cup. In fact, Immelman was paired with Canada Cup competitor Mike�Weir for three out of four team matches in 2005. Immelman also won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup (now ISPS HANDA World Cup) with fellow South African Rory�Sabbatini in 2003, a feat his team World partners, Matt�Kuchar and Gary�Woodland, also accomplished in 2011. ������������������������������������������������������� "I am excited to represent the World alongside Matt and Gary as we compete against Team Canada in what will be a special day for golf in Canada and around the world. I know Canadians are very passionate and supportive of their country when it comes to sports. The Canada Cup is a unique format that I am sure will create a fun and entertaining environment for all. I look forward to sharing this experience with all the players and spectators as I visit Halifax, Nova Scotia for the first time in June," said Immelman. �From a young age, golf has always been in Immelmans blood. With the guidance of his older brother Mark, Immelman began playing golf at the age of five. By age twelve he was a scratch golfer. Immelmans father, Johan is a former commissioner of the Sunshine Tour and Mark is currently the golf coach at Columbus (Georgia) State University and a part-time announcer on Sirius/XM PGA TOUR Radio Network. �"Trevor is a great player who has won one of most prestigious tournaments in all of golf. The Canada Cup is going to be a great experience for golf fans and the battle for international bragging rights is going to be entertaining and hard fought. Mike, Graham and I are excited to welcome Matt, Gary and Trevor to Halifax and we cannot wait to get the Canadian crowds behind us cheering for Team Canada," said Hearn�The six PGA TOUR players participating in the 2014 Canada Cup have won a combined 20 PGA TOUR events and earned a total of $84,561,059 in career money. Nick Swisher Authentic Jersey . LOUIS -- Walking Billy�Hamilton to start the ninth inning was a bad sign for Trevor�Rosenthal. Satchel Paige Indians Jersey . -- The new starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs is a former first-round draft pick on a one-year deal whose career thus far has been a disappointment. NEW YORK -- The Wizards made the right call when they put the ball in Bradley�Beals hands for a last shot Monday night. The Knicks decision to not take a timeout after Beal scored didnt work out so well. Beals driving layup with 6 seconds remaining lifted the Wizards to a 102-101 win when New York didnt use one of its three remaining timeouts and Carmelo�Anthonys attempted a 3-pointer bounced off the rim as time expired. "I probably should have taken a timeout there at the end, but you know Beno (Udrih) grabbed it and the ball is in Melos hands before I could even react and I should have reacted a lot sooner once the ball went through the bucket," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "So, thats on me." Beal led the Wizards with 21 points, including their final seven as Washington erased a six-point fourth-quarter deficit. "I knew in the huddle that if I came off the pick and roll, they were probably going to double me," Beal said. "My first instinct was to reject the screen and go baseline if I had it. There was absolutely nobody even paying attention, so I just drove it in there." After Beal scored, the Knicks inbounded the ball to Anthony and he dribbled up court before unleashing his game-winning attempt. "Thats a tough way to lose a game," Anthony said. "If he (Woodson) said its his fault theres no need for me to make excuses or talk about it. As players, we have to be smarter. We knew we had timeouts. I was just trying to get a shot." Martell�Webster added 30 points, John�Wall had 20 and Trevor�Ariza had 10 points for the Wizards. Anthony finished with 32 for the Knicks. The victory snapped the Wizards 10-game losing streak at Madison Square Garden. The last Washington win in New York came on Dec. 6, 2006 "Its a great overall win for us," Beal said. "We havent won here since 2006. Thats a big accomplishment for us hhow we stuck through adversity. Justin Masterson Indians Jersey. . As a team, everybody stepped up." The Knicks led 100-97 after Andrea�Bargnani hit two free throws with 1:07 left. But, Beal hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 45 seconds left. Udrih put the Knicks back in front by making one of two free throws with 24 seconds left. After a Wizards timeout, Beal ran down the clock before driving past Udrih and hitting the game-winning shot. The curious decision by the Knicks followed. "Well its easy to stop playing, make a basket, anticipate a timeout, start walking to the bench, and now all of a sudden you got one of the best players in the league come at you full bore," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "Even after the ball went in, we stayed up. I think we had two guys flying at Carmelo at the end." The Wizards led 53-42 at halftime and increased their lead to 59-44 on Arizas short jumper with 9:12 left in the third quarter. The Knicks then went on a 12-0 run, highlighted by consecutive 3-pointers by J.R.�Smith and capped by Anthonys layup. New York went ahead 66-64 on Anthonys jumper with 3:06 left in the quarter and increased it to a game-high at 77-71 on another jumper from Anthony with 33 seconds left before settling for a 77-75 lead after three quarters. After shooting just 15-47 (31.9 per cent) in the first half, the Knicks went 13-19 (68.4 per cent) in the third quarter. Smith finished with 18 points. Tim�Hardaway Jr. scored 14, Bargnani had 13 and Udrih with 12. NOTES: Pablo�Prigioni was taken out of the game with 9:49 left in the third quarter with a hairline fracture of his right toe. He is expected to be out at least two weeks. He was replaced by Udrih. . Smith returned to the starting lineup after sitting the entire fourth quarter in Saturday nights Knicks win over Atlanta. . Wittman and Woodson were teammates at Indiana University in 1979-80. 00:03ET 17-12-13 cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

Every night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, TSN hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie�McLennan breaks down each goalies performance. Jake McGee Blue Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Henrk Lundqvist, New York Rangers (4) - He was very sharp early on. He was being targeted on blocker side and made it look easy. The glove hand was real good as he made big saves on Pacioretty and Prust. He set them both up for the play by giving it and taking it away. He was not overly busy or pressed on second shots and it helped having a 7-spot to defend. Carey�Price, Montreal Canadiens (2) - It wasnt his day. He was hung out to dry by defensive miscues, looked a bit unsettled and scrambled more than he usually has. He was lifted after the second period to get him out of the nightmare that was going on in front of him. He didnt have much of a chance on the two backdoor goals. A breakaway goal and a poor post play read on the fourth goal ended his day. Peter�Budaj, Montreal Canadiens (1) - See the Carey�Price breakdown. It was a garage sale in the third period as the Rangers continued to push and take advantage of the front of the net. He did his best to stop the bleeding, but was victimized for three power play goals. In the end, he gave Price 20 minutes off from the Habs awful day. Matt Moore Authentic . But in the aftermath a 115-91 pounding of the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey insisted it was still invaluable for evaluating the depth of his team early in the season. Wade Davis Blue Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres are shuffling their roster by promoting forward Phil Varone from their AHL affiliate in Rochester.The Calgary Stampeders have signed import defensive back Keon Raymond to a two-year contract extension. Raymond, 31, started 15 regular-season games for the Stamps in 2013, racking up 51 tackles. He also returned two kickoffs for 79 yards including a 61-yarder. �Keon is a reliable and versatile player who has been a key member of our defence for many seasons,� said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. �Hes an important part of the Stampeders both on and off the field and Im pleased that he has chosen to sign an extension to remain in Calgary.� In 88 career reguular-season games for Calgary, Raymond has recorded 250 tackles and eight sacks with 15 interceptions. Evan Longoria Blue Jersey. He has five career touchdowns � three on interceptions and two on fumble returns. �Ive been so blessed for the time I have spent in Calgary so far and Im happy to continue my career with the Stampeders,� said Raymond. �I have the best teammates I could ever hope for and the support of Stampeders fans is always tremendous. Calgary is home for me and my family and Im looking forward to the new season and another opportunity to get to the Grey Cup.� cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

ANAHEIM, Calif. adidas zx flux dames . -- Yoenis�Cespedes and the Boston Red Sox rebounded from an exhausting 19-inning loss with an energizing victory. Cespedes hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, Rubby�De�La�Rosa pitched five-hit ball into the eighth and the Red Sox won their first series in three weeks with a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The teams had to go right back to work about 12 hours after a 6 1/2-hour epic won 5-4 by the Angels on Albert�Pujols homer well after midnight. Most position players were exhausted, and neither team scored in the first seven innings on a hot day at Angel Stadium. Cespedes broke it open with his first homer for his new team, driving a pitch from Joe�Smith (4-1) into the Boston bullpen in left. The Cuban slugger went 1 for 7 in the marathon, and the former Oakland All-Star was 0 for 3 in the series finale before he hurt Smith and the Angels again with his first homer in eight games for the defending World Series champions. "I knew I hit it well, but I didnt know it was going to be a home run," Cespedes said through a translator. "(The power drought) doesnt bother me or make me worry. Im just putting good swings on the ball." Smith has been outstanding for the Angels, but Cespedes has either scored or driven in seven of the 14 runs he has allowed this season. Smith hadnt allowed a run in 23 straight appearances over 23 2-3 innings before Cespedes connected to cap a rally started by first baseman Efren�Navarros error. Smith said he missed his location on the fateful slider by "a lot. About 428 feet, I think. ... Every time I miss, hes on it. Thats what good hitters do. I missed and he got me. Well battle again in about a week." Mike�Trout hit his 27th homer in the eighth for the Angels, matching his total from last season. Both teams needed strong starts, and both pitchers came through. Hector�Santiago threw six scoreless innings of two-hit ball for the Angels, allowing just one runner to reach third. De La Rosa (4-4) was even better in his first victory in four starts. With Dan Butler making his major league debut at catcher, De La Rosa had eight strikeouts and blanked the Angels until Trouts homer on his 110th pitch. "I had a rhythm, and I was really confident," De La Rosa said. Koji�Uehara pitched the ninth for his 25th save, striking out pinch-hitter Josh�Hamilton with a runner on as Boston took two of three from the powerful Angels. GET SOME SLEEP De La Rosa got more rest than his teammates because he left the ballpark while the 19-inning game was still going. He didnt put it on television at the hotel, either: "I fell asleep." STRUGGLING The Angels (68-49) still have the majors second-best record despite losing five of six, but their .223 batting average since the All-Star break is the ALs worst. "Theres some improvement that we need from players," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "A lot of this is cyclical. We have a lot of guys that are obviously struggling right now, and we need to just keep pushing forward. We need some hits to fall in. Weve just been grinding." TRAINERS ROOM Red Sox: Kelly�Johnson made his Boston debut, playing first base. The former Yankees third baseman was activated from the disabled list on Thursday. Angels: Left-hander Tyler�Skaggs has elected to undergo Tommy John surgery, likely sidelining him until 2016. ON DECK Red Sox: Joe�Kelly (0-0, 1.29) opens an interleague series in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Angels: Struggling C.J.�Wilson (8-8, 4.82) will start Tuesday against Philadelphia because Matt�Shoemaker had to pitch three hitless innings of relief Saturday. adidas zx flux kopen . Kane returned to score a goal and added an assist, leading the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. nike air max thea kopen . A week after collecting the Professional Footballers Association trophy, the Uruguay international won the 2014 vote by the Football Writers Association on Monday.ERIE, Pa. - Robby Fabbri scored three times and added an assist as the Guelph Storm crushed the host Erie Otters 7-1 on Monday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. Scott Kosmachuk had a goal and two assists for the Storm, who lead the Western Conference final 3-0, while Kerby Rychel and Brock McGinn had a goal and an assist apiece. Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for Guelph and Matt Finn tacked on two assists. Connor Brown scorred the lone goal for the Otters, who will try to avoid elimination when they host Game 4 on Tuesday. adidas zx 750 kopen. . Justin Nichols made 23 saves for the Storm. Devin Williams stopped 22-of-27 shots for Erie in 42:04 of action before giving way to Oscar Dansk, who allowed two goals on 14 shots in relief. The Storm went 3 for 13 on the power play while the Otters scored once on six chances with the man advantage. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

Then Manny Malhotra sticked Crosby in his "Tanner Glasses" right off a face-offSidney did get some payback, and perhaps earned himself the nickname of "Sid Vicious" by giving Jay Harrison what can only be described as a "Rock Bottom"So, overall a good, bad and ugly night for Sid. Everth Cabrera Blue Jersey . We are impressed with his wrestling moves though. We can only hope for a "people elbow" next. Wil Myers Authentic . The new Romo deal, which is being reported by the Dallas Morning News, will save the team another $10 million. According to the report, the new deal drops Romos salary-cap figure from $21.Everth Cabrera Authentic . 10 San Diego State to a 73-64 win over UNLV on Wednesday night. TORONTO -- Drinking and driving charges against Toronto Raptors centre Jonas�Valanciunas have been dropped. "We are delighted that the crown agreed to review the case and agreed with us that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction," Valanciunass lawyer Alan Gold said in an email. Valanciunas was arrested in April in Wasaga Beach, Ont., and charged with having greater than 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The arrest came just before the Raptors started a first--round playoff season against the Brooklyn Nets. Dave Winfield Blue Jersey. Ontario Provincial Police made the arrest following a report that a vehicle went through a drive-thru with open beer bottles visible. Police say officers located the vehicle at a home, where they arrested Valanciunas, alleging he was under the influence of alcohol while driving. Valanciunas did not miss any game time in the playoffs despite the arrest. He averaged 10.9 points and 9.7 rebounds in seven games against the Nets.cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

EDMONTON - The Calgary Flames havent had much go right this season, but everything certainly came together for one night on Saturday. cheap nfl jerseys . Curtis�Glencross had a hat trick and Matt�Stajan had a goal and three assists as the Flames scored four goals in a 3:05 span of the second period to come away with a�massive 8-1 victory over the rival Edmonton Oilers. "What a great game," said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. "We wanted to redeem ourselves from (Friday) nights game. I could see that the boys were not very impressed with the performance from last night. We just worked very simple, we were very effective and we scored some great goals." Mike�Cammalleri, Mark�Giordano, Paul�Byron and Kevin�Westgarth also scored for the Flames (29-35-7) who have won four of their last six and sit 26th overall in the NHL. Nobody was expecting that kind of offensive explosion, however. "Its been a challenge for us to produce offence this year," Cammalleri said. "Its nice to see pucks go in like they did. You dont expect to score eight goals every night, but its nice to get that feeling where you feel like the puck is going to go in the net for us." It was an emotional game for Stajan, who pointed up to the sky after scoring on a penalty shot in honour of his newborn son, who died earlier this month. "That one means a lot," he said. "Its been obviously not easy and that one was for the little guy. It felt good and it gave us some puck-luck after too. Well move on now and Ill remember that one forever." Jeff�Petry replied for the Oilers (25-38-9), who have lost two in a row and remain in second last place in the league. "Its pretty obvious how bad we played tonight. We are obviously very frustrated with how we played this game," said Oilers winger David�Perron. "It is pretty embarrassing. We all know how bad it was and that the fans werent happy. If I was sitting in the stands, I would have been doing the same thing they were doing." Oilers head coach Dallas�Eakins agreed that the fans were within their rights to voice their disproval to the team. "That was probably the longest last 15 minutes of a game that I have ever been involved with," he said. "I apologize to the fans who were here tonight and had to watch it. It was painful on the bench and Im sure it was painful in the stands. We hope it is just a blip on the radar because we have been playing pretty well lately. "I understand the frustration tonight. Especially losing to Calgary. No disrespect to Calgary, they are working hard and have had a tough year as well. But that is our rival, so it stings even worse." The Oilers started the scoring with a power-play goal four-and-a-half minutes in as Petry sent a long slapshot from the point through a sea of legs and past a screened Karri�Ramo in his return to the Calgary net for the first time in seven weeks. Calgary tied the game four minutes later as Giordano got all of a shot from the top of the face-off circle, sending a bullet off the crossbar and into the Oiler net behind Edmonton starter Viktor�Fasth. The Flames went up 2-1 four minutes into the second period as Mikael�Backlund sent a cross-ice pass to Cammalleri, who was able to pick the corner with a quick shot before Fasth could get across the net. It was Cammalleris 23rd of the season. The floodgates opened from there. A minute later, Calgary had a two-goal advantage. Stajan was awarded a penalty shot after a rather suspect slashing call on a breakaway from Edmonton defender Mark�Fraser. Stajan made the most of the one-on-one opportunity, beating Fasth glove-side with a backhand shot. The Flames scored their third goal in a 1:47 span as Cammalleri stopped short on a quick breakout and allowed two Edmonton defenders to go sliding past before feeding the puck to Byron at the side of the net for his sixth of the season. Just 1:18 later the Flames made it four goals in just over three minutes as Glencross tucked a shot over Fasths shoulder. Ben�Scrivens replaced Fasth, who allowed five goals on 16 shots. Late in the second period, Oiler Taylor�Hall threw a water bottle in frustration while sitting on the Oiler bench that ended up spraying the coaching staff, earning a terse scolding from head coach Dallas�Eakins. "That stuff happens," Hall said. "Dallas and I have a great relationship. At times we all get a little frustrated with how things are going and sometimes you need to take a step back and realize that frustration isnt going to accomplish anything. "I dont expect anything more. We are all good." Calgary made it 6-1 five minutes into the third period as a Glencross shot hit the stick of Edmontons Justin�Schultz and went through Scrivens legs. The Flames then struck again 37 seconds later as a Tyler�Wotherspoon shot that was going wide was batted out of the air and in by Westgarth at the side of the net. The frustration continued for Edmonton as a jersey was thrown on the ice soon afterwards, prompting Scrivens to hook it up with his stick and fling it back into the crowd. "I always feel like as a fan, you pay your money and you get to do whatever you want," Scrivens explained. "If you want to boo me, jeer me, call me every name, you are entitled to that. You could spit on me for all I care, if I deserve it. But when I see a jersey thrown on the ice� Im from here. You are not just disrespecting the guys in this room, you are disrespecting guys who wore this jersey before us. All of the great guys who have pulled this sweater over their heads, Gretzky, Messier, they all took great pride wearing that jersey. "That logo is a sacred thing for us. It is disheartening for me to see our fans treat it that way." Calgary made it 8-1 with just under seven minutes to play as Glencross recorded his hat trick goal on a long shot through traffic for his 10th goal of the season. The Flames return home for a three-game set, starting with the San Jose Sharks on Monday. The Oilers play the fourth game of a six-game homestand on Tuesday, also against the Sharks. wholesale jerseys . 1 and No. 2 in womens golf at the World Ladies Championship. Park closed with a 6-under 67 for a five-shot victory over Suzann Pettersen in a Ladies European Tour event. jersyes nfl wholesale . Tanaka has certainly lived up to the hype this season, going 10-1 with an American League-best 2.02 ERA. The Japanese right-hander went the distance to win his fourth straight start on Wednesday in Seattle, as he held the Mariners to a pair of runs and six hits.Rob�Blake remembers what it was like to get the call from Hockey Canada to play in the world championship the day after his season with the Los Angeles Kings ended. Blake donned the red-and-white Maple Leaf five times at the tournament over his career, winning gold twice. This spring hell be making those calls as Canadas general manager for the world championship that takes place in May in Minsk, Belarus. Because its an Olympic year, Blake and his staff -- Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers, Brad Treliving of the Phoenix Coyotes and Brad Pascall of Hockey Canada -- might have some different challenges convincing players to commit. But the 44-year-old Kings assistant GM knows what to sell. "I cant stress how important the opportunity to win is," Blake said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I convey to them what the world championships is all about. ... You look at your career and it goes by pretty fast. Theres not a lot of opportunities you have to win something." Blake represented Canada at the world championship in 1998, months after playing in the Nagano Olympics. "Being in that position and having won a couple of those tournaments, you can relate those stories to (potential players)," Blake said. Canada, like many other teams at the world championship, is expected to have a young roster in Minsk because its an Olympic year. Not only does that likely rule out the players who won gold in Sochi (Corey�Perry was the only 2010 Olympian to play at the worlds), but Treliving said there are other complications. "Its a little bit unique in the sense not only from an Olympic year and the guys that went over and played, but even from the NHL schedule and the compactness of the NHL schedule, for everybody, including those who didnt go over and play," he said in a phone interview. Four years ago, Canadas group at the world championships included 18-year-old Evander�Kane, 19-year-olds Matt�Duchene and John�Tavares and 20-year-old Steven�Stamkos. Expect similar youth this time around. "I think its going to be very similar to the teams in the past," Blake said. "The young guys are the ones that make an easy commitment. They dont have the family commitment, the kids commitment and different things that as you get older you might have involved in this type of decision. I think, typically, younger guys are the ones and then you surround them with the right veterans and you can have some success." One thing Blake, Hextall and Treliving have in common is theyre all general managers of their organizations AHL affiliate, giving them some experience with younger players. Blake is in his first season as Kings assistant GM, replacing Hextall, who took the same job in Philadelphia. Treliving is in his seventh season as the Coyotes assistant GM. "Blakeys been around the game a long time," Hextall said. "Hes a very patient guy, hes methodical and hes very sharp. I know he had a hand in a world championship team in the past, so Im sure that little bit of experience helps him." Along with Pascall, Hockey Canadas vice president of hockey operations and national teams, those men will have conference calls over the next few weeks to discuss putting together a coaching staaff and then a projected roster. cheap jerseys from china. That process has already begun. "I think youve got to look at teams that are not likely to make the playoffs and see whats available and at least get your mind going and start thinking about line combinations and checkers and energy guys and scorers," Hextall said in a phone interview. "Its never too early to start thinking." The immediate next step for the management team is to zero in on coaches. Ralph Krueger, who served as a coaching consultant in Sochi, and Kevin�Dineen, who coached the womens team to gold and will be behind the bench for the mens under-18 world championships next month, have been speculated as possible options. Either would fit with what Blake said in general terms hes looking for. "I think part of that staff should have some experience overseas, whether it be coaching over there, coaching an international tournament at some time or being involved on a staff," he said. "Its a different tournament, its not the same as over here. I think some of that experience in scheduling wise, knowing some of the teams and tendencies of those countries and obviously with the setup and that all being different than North America, its nice to have somebody with some experience on that." Part of this tournament is getting experience, for the players, coaches and members of the management staff. Blake, Hextall and Treliving are all legitimate candidates for head GM jobs in the not-too-distant future. Experience already gained in NHL front offices is key now. "I think you learn, its one thing to build a team over a long haul and what you have to do is use everything youve learned over the long haul to try and put a team together for the short term," said Hextall, who played in the 1987 Canada Cup and the 1992 world championship. "I think its more lessons Ive learned from NHL experience that Ill be able to lend a hand in trying to help Blake and Brad build this team." Getting this job also raises the possibility that Blake could be GM of Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics, if NHL players participate. Steve�Yzerman has already said its time for someone else to fill that role after winning back-to-back gold medals. "Thats a long ways down the line," Blake said. This tournament is not a long ways down the line, as Canada opens play May 9 against France. Blake already has some preliminary lists of potential players and will go through the process in the next few weeks of scouting and evaluating for those spots. Hell get some help in that regard not only from Hextall, Treliving and Pascall, but former NHL defenceman Steve�Staios, who is the teams director of player development. Staios is then expected to assist the coaching staff on and off the ice in Minsk, perhaps similar to what Kruegers job was in the Olympics. Everything worked for Canada there, and even though the worlds in an Olympic year tend to be something of an afterthought, theyre far from that for those in charge of trying to win gold. "Any time you go and compete as Team Canada, the expectation is to win," Treliving said. "Obviously thats the expectation, thats the challenge for us and the goal for us putting this team together." cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '

MIAMI -- Strange as it sounds, missing shots worked wonders for the Miami Heat. Carlton Fisk Authentic . And after the Brooklyn Nets went nearly 2 minutes -- a basketball eternity -- without the ball down the stretch, the two-time defending NBA champions would soon find themselves two wins from another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. LeBron�James scored 22 points, Chris�Bosh added 18 and the Heat pulled away late to beat the Nets 94-82 on Thursday night, taking a 2-0 lead in the East semifinals. "To be able to get some stops like that at the end, and then execute, its something thats critical in this series," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Dwyane�Wade had 14 and Ray�Allen scored 13 for the Heat, who tied a franchise record with their eighth straight playoff victory. Theyll go for No. 9 on Saturday night, when the best-of-seven series shifts to Brooklyn for Game 3. For the second straight game, Miami had five players in double figures. "Thats what our team is all about," James said. "We dont really care who scores." Mirza�Teletovic set a Nets playoff record with six 3-pointers, on his way to a 20-point night off the bench. Shaun�Livingston scored 15, and Paul�Pierce and Joe�Johnson each added 13 more for the Nets. Deron�Williams was 0 for 9 from the field, the worst shooting night of his career. "That one hurt," Nets coach Jason�Kidd said. "We were right there. We gave ourselves, on the road, an opportunity against the world champs. We let the game slip away. That one possession when they got four offensive rebounds, it didnt lose the game for us." It was three rebounds, but no matter. It was still a backbreaker for the Nets. Teletovic scored inside with 3:39 left to get Brooklyn within eight. For the next 100 seconds, Miami kept possession. James missed a 3-pointer, and Allen -- who led Miami with eight rebounds -- manoeuvred his way around four Nets to grab the rebound. James missed again, and Wade grabbed that board. James missed a layup, but Bosh controlled that board. And finally, almost mercifully, Wade found James for a layup with 1:59 remaining. The lead was 10, the outcome decided. "That was a killer," Johnson said. Wade had just six points in the games first 37 minutes, then eight more in the next three, setting the tone for a grind-it-out fourth quarter from Miami. "Youve got to do the little things until you get your opportunity," said Wade, who finished with seven rebounds and seven assists. "Thats what I was able to do." The Heat led 79-77 when Brooklyns Marcus�Thornton missed a 3-pointer with 6:21 left -- which, had it gone down, would have had the Heat facing a fourth-quarter deficit for the first time in these playoffs. But it missed. And thats when the Heat found separation for the first time all night, at the most critical point. James was in trouble with less than 4 seconds on the shot clock and still found a way to get a bounce pass out to Mario�Chalmers in the left corner for a 3-pointer. James passed on the fadeaway, deciding it would be a bad shot, and made the decision to send the ball to Chalmers. "Just get it there," James said he was thinking. He got the pass there, Chalmers made the shot, and after a stop on the ensuing Brooklyn trip, Allen hit from the same spot as Chalmers for an 85-77 lead. "As the game wore on we started picking up the pace," Allen said. "We started to getting how we play basketball." Teletovic kept the Nets afloat. He made his first four 3-pointers, needing less than six minutes to do so after checking in for the first time late in the opening quarter. He had 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc by halftime alone, a boost that Brooklyn definitely needed. And his shots came at big times. Of Teletovics five 3s in the first half, three broke ties. His sixth 3 of the game, late in the third, tied the game at 61. But in the end, Miami was too much. "This series is far from over," Johnson said. NOTES: Trying to save a loose ball in the third quarter, James leaped over a row of people sitting along one sideline, then ran about 10 more rows deep into the stands. ... Mason�Plumlee had three first-half fouls for the Nets, matching the entire Heat total. Brooklyn didnt take any free throws until the third quarter. ... Miami went scoreless for the games first 3:32, its longest drought to open a home game since Feb. 26, 2005 -- 443 contests ago. ... Nets F Kevin�Garnett, who went scoreless in Game 1, had four points but led everyone with 12 rebounds. Paul Konerko White Jersey . -- Dwight�Howard vs. Avisail Garcia Authentic . - Wednesdays lightweight bout between Canadian Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K.Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Memphis says it has punished 12 football players involved in an ugly brawl with BYU following the Miami Beach Bowl last month. The university said Tuesday the 12 players were issued stern and appropriate penalties for their roles in the fight, including suspensions ranging from a single half to two games, but did not name individual players. It said individual suspensions would be announced in conjunction with the first game next season. Memphis said in its statement that the programs worked together on the matter and that players from both teams would participate in a conference call where formal apologies will be issued. BYU did not announce any punishments, saying in a statement it was handling the matter internally. We are grateful for the cooperation and communication that has taken place between BYU and the University of Memphis in an effort to live up to the high ideals of sportsmanship to which we both aspire, the school said in an email to SportsNetwork.com. BYU also has completed a thorough review of the incident. The determined disciplinary measures are being handled internally. Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen said the university holds its students to the highest standards of sportsmanship and personal conduct. The actions of a few members of our football program in Miami were completely unacceptable, he said. I can assure our community, fans and stakkeholders that we have and will continue to hold our young men and women accountable and will use this unfortunate incident as a teaching tool for all our student- athletes moving forward. Melky Cabrera Authentic. Memphis issued its penalties following a review by the university and American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco. The penalties included mandatory anger-management counseling and community service hours and additional team-regulated punishments to be decided by head coach Justin Fuente and his staff. After Memphis beat BYU 55-48 in double-overtime on Dec. 22, a large on-field melee erupted in which players from both teams exchanged punches, leaving some bloodied. The brawl appeared to start with Memphis defensive lineman Martin Ifedi and BYU offensive lineman Tejan Koroma, but many other players were involved. In a blow captured live on the TV broadcast, BYU defensive back Kai Nacua punched Memphis tight end Alan Cross from behind as Cross was being held by one of his coaches. Nacua was bleeding from a cut below his left eye. Elsewhere, Memphis offensive lineman Chase Johnson was seen swinging his helmet at a BYU player and Cougars linebacker Harvey Langi appeared to throw several rapid punches at an opponent. Fuente said after the game, Its not who we are. Its not what we want to represent. I hope it doesnt take away from an incredible football game on both sides. cheap jerseys from china cheap jerseys ' ' '