CHARLOTTE, N. Miami Marlins Gear .C. -- Carl Edwards said NASCAR is taking the wrong approach in its effort to draw more fans to the race track. If NASCAR really wants to create better competition and higher interest in the sport, Edwards said it needs to focus on changing the setup of the cars and not the championship format. NASCAR will announce its Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format on Thursday. It is expected to be to a 16-driver field whittled down through eliminations to four drivers and a winner-take-all season finale; it would be the fourth significant change to either the points or championship format since the Chase debuted in 2004. Edwards said drivers are already doing everything they can to win and the proposed changes that NASCAR chairman Brian France laid out two weeks ago wont change that. "I dont think you can take the top 15 guys in this sport and make them race any harder for wins. I dont think you can," Edwards said Tuesday. Its a sentiment shared by 2012 champion Brad Keselowski, who initially showed public support of the new format but is now reserving judgment until he sees exactly what NASCAR wants to do. France has been adamant he wants drivers to race at 100 per cent at all times and to value winning, and he preached most of last season that the frantic, door-banging battle to the checkered flag at California between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano is the kind of racing he wants to see. "From a drivers perspective, theres nothing left," Keselowski said Wednesday. "Theres no set of rules to make me race harder than I do." Keselowski passed on a chance to move Kyle Busch out of the lead at Watkins Glen last August in what could have been a last-ditch effort to win the race. That victory would have likely ensured Keselowski a spot in the Chase; instead, he failed to qualify and was unable to defend his championship. Keselowski also doesnt think any changes will hurt six-time champion Jimmie Johnson. "No matter what format you put out there, hes the favourite," Keselowski said. "Until thats not the case, I dont see how theres any format that could be wrote, unless its the slowest guy wins, and I dont think theyre going to do that." Edwards said taking away the downforce on cars and making the tires softer is a good place to start. He said it would go a long way toward increasing competitive racing at the front of the pack. "No matter what format we race under I cant just try harder and go up and race with the guy or pass him," Edwards said. "I think the thing we have to focus on as a sport is making sure the cars can race one another. ... Right now, if Im staring at the guy in the front window it doesnt matter if (Im racing) for a billion dollars and 10 championships -- if I cant catch him, I cant catch him." Its not necessarily that Edwards is against the format. But he said if Frances proposals -- with the emphasis on winning races to get into the Chase for the Championship -- come to fruition, it will change the way drivers approach the season. "Things will get really, really interesting around Richmond. That will be insane," Edwards said. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he wasnt excited about the proposed changes at first, but has begun to warm to the idea. "Lets change it all. Im all for it," Earnhardt said. "A lot of times we change things for the fans, and I think the drivers are going to enjoy some of this stuff as much as the fans are." Team owner Richard Petty said proposed changes are a "PR deal" by NASCAR designed to drum up more interest in the sport. He still thinks the best drivers will come out on top regardless of the format. "They just want to shake things up," Petty said. NASCAR is essentially borrowing a page from other major sports such as the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball where teams -- or in this case, drivers -- are eliminated from playoff contention while the season climaxes with one championship event at the end of the year. Earnhardt Jr. called it a "bold, aggressive" move by NASCAR. "When you look at other forms of sport, theres an elimination factor in the playoffs that we dont have," Earnhardt said. "We, as drivers, dont feel the intensity of an elimination factor being over our shoulders every race. I feel like weve had it easy in that regard where we just tally up points. Coming down to Homestead with four guys (racing for the championship), thats crazy -- but its exciting." However, driver Ryan Newman doesnt necessarily agree with the elimination-style system. "I dont think we can take everything the NFL or NBA is doing and say, We need to do it like this because theyre doing it like that and its working," Newman said. "This is still stock car racing. This is NASCAR. A certain per cent of change is good, but we do not need to copy the playoff system." Adam Conley Jersey . -- Michael Bennett gambled last off-season that playing on a one-year deal in Seattle would pay off in the future with the long-term contract he always wanted. Brian Anderson Jersey . 1-9 on TSN. With more than 65 hours of exclusive live coverage, TSN delivers all the action beginning with Draw 1 on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Top choice Odell Beckham Jr., and three other draft picks have signed with the New York Giants on Monday. That leaves only one unsigned player for the Giants from this months selections, defensive tackle Jay Bromley, taken in the third round. In addition to Beckham, a wide receiver drafted 12th overall, centre Weston Richburg (second round), linebacker Devon Kennard (fifth round) and cornerback Bennett Jackson (sixth round) signed with the team Monday. Beckham joins another LSU receiver, Rueben Randle, in New Yorks passing attack, which lost veteran Hakeem Nicks in free agency. Beckham set an LSU record with 2,315 all-purpose yards in 22013, completing his career with 15 touchdowns and 4,118 all-purpose yards, which ranks No. Jordan Holloway Jersey. 5 in school history. "He has great speed. Hes polished. He has great hands and played at the top level." Giants coach Tom Coughlin said when the team drafted Beckham. "Hes someone we could count on putting the ball in the end zone and we can also feature him in the kicking game as well." Richburg was a four-year starter at Colorado State who made 50 consecutive starts, a school record. He was first-team All-Mountain West in 2013. On Friday, the Giants signed fourth-round running back Andre Williams and fifth-round safety Nat Berhe. ' ' '

Germanys Felix Loch successfully defended his gold medal in mens luge on Sunday at the Sanki Sliding Center in Sochi. Tim Tebow Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51.613. "Im really overwhelmed. We have worked very very hard over the summer," Loch said. "[Coach] Georg Hackl and I are a superb team. He helps me a lot." "We experimented a lot over the summer and it paid off." Russias Albert Demchenko was unable to catch the defending Olympic champion, but snagged a silver medal with a time of 3:28.002. Italys Armin Zoeggeler became the most decorated mens luge athlete of all time with a bronze medal-winning time of 3:28.797 for his sixth medal in as many Olympic appearances. Zoeggeler eclipsed Lochs coach, Hackl, for the all-time mark with two gold, one silver, and three bronze over the Italians career. Canadas top slider was Calgarys Sam Edney, who finished in 11th with a combined time of 3:29.777. Edney will return to the luge track as part of the Canadian team relay squad, with competition beginning in that event on Thursday. Olympic rookies Mitchel Malyk and John Fennell, both 18-year-olds from Calgary, finished 26th and 27th overall, respectively. "I cant complain, its my first Olympics, its a new experience," Fennell said. "The amount of people that showed up for the race was unthinkable. Dae-Sung Koo Jersey . Browns owner Jimmy Haslam announced the move with Young on Monday during a speech at a Pro Football Hall of Fame luncheon. Rick Aguilera Jersey . Nick Young scored 17 points for Los Angeles, which lost five of its last seven before trouncing the Pelicans, who beat them handily last week in New Orleans. Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry scored 15 points apiece for the Lakers, who led by 20 points in the first half before coasting to their 12th win in their last 13 regular-season meetings with New Orleans. TORONTO -- With their lead atop the American League East on shaky ground after a disappointing road trip, the Toronto Blue Jays wanted to set the tone early for a nine-game homestand with a strong effort against New York on Monday night. Adam Lind provided the power and rookie starter Marcus Stroman had the best start of his young career as the Blue Jays dumped the Yankees 8-3 at Rogers Centre. Stroman, making his fifth start for Toronto, allowed one earned run and three hits over a career-high eight innings. "Shoot, it was a fantastic job," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "We needed that. We needed shutdown innings early on to give us a chance to get on the board. Pretty impressive." Toronto (43-35) opened the scoring with a single run in the first inning and Lind belted a three-run shot off New York starter Chase Whitley in the Blue Jays six-run second. That was more than enough offence for Stroman (4-2), who tied a career high with seven strikeouts. "I felt my change-up was a big pitch today," he said. "Even though I didnt use it much, when I did use it, it was pretty crucial. I was just down in the zone today. Me and (catcher Dioner Navarro) got on a pretty good roll." Stromans lone blemish was a solo shot by Mark Teixeira, who hit his 13th homer of the season in the fourth inning to put New York (39-36) on the board. The Yankees fell into third place with the loss, 2 1/2 games behind Toronto. The Baltimore Orioles remained in second place, 1 1/2 games back, after a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Torontos offensive outburst was most welcome for a team that was coming off a disappointing 3-7 road trip and had been held to three runs or less in 11 of its last 16 games. The Blue Jays also had to make lineup adjustments with Jose Bautista out for at least a few days with a left hamstring strain and Brett Lawrie on the disabled list with a broken finger. Lind, who has been nursing a sore foot of late, helped fill the void by driving in four runs and scoring twice in the opener of the three-game set. "Lind is a big part of this offence," Gibbons said. "He kills right-handers." Edwin Encarnacion had three hits and Melky Cabrera had two hits and scored twice as Toronto outhit New York 13-6. Anthony Gose chipped in with a pair oof hits and made an excellent running catch against the wall in right field in the sixth inning. Nolan Ryan Jersey. "The defence behind me was unbelievable," Stroman said. "Eddie made two great plays, Gose with an unbelievable play. Stuff like that kind of picks you up and gives you much more confidence going into the next couple innings." Whitley (3-1), meanwhile, allowed eight earned runs, 11 hits and three walks while striking out a pair. "It seemed like when he made a mistake, they hit it hard and when he made a good pitch, they seemed to find a hole with it," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "It was the combination of that. It was a tough start for him." Toronto reliever Chad Jenkins relieved Stroman and gave up two runs over two-thirds of an inning. With two runners in scoring position, Aaron Loup got Brian Roberts to fly out to end the game. Notes: Announced attendance was 31,554 and the game took two hours 45 minutes to play. ... Whitleys earned-run average rose to 4.07 from 2.56 while Stromans fell to 4.25 from 5.14. ... Steve Tolleson replaced Francisco at third base in the seventh inning. ... Both Bautista and Lawrie were hurt Sunday in Cincinnati. Bautista said theres a chance he could play at some point in this series but Lawrie, from Langley, B.C., will likely be out for three to six weeks. ... Bautista has been named captain of the American League Home Run Derby team for the July 14 event during all-star week at Minnesotas Target Field. Colorados Troy Tulowitzki will captain the National League side. ... Toronto recalled Gose and fellow outfielder Kevin Pillar from triple-A Buffalo on Monday and optioned catcher Erik Kratz to the Bisons. ... Left-hander Mark Buehrle (10-4, 2.32) is scheduled to start Tuesday against New York right-hander David Phelps (3-4, 4.13). ... Following the series against the Yankees, the Blue Jays will continue their nine-game homestand with a four-game series against the White Sox. Toronto will get an off-day Monday before a two-game mini-series against the Milwaukee Brewers. ... Cabrera has had at least one hit in his last 20 games against the Yankees. He has reached base safely in all 22 career games against his former club. ... Yangervis Solarte ended an 0-for-28 skid with an RBI single in the ninth. ' ' '

PORTLAND, Ore. Carlos Beltran Jersey . - LaMarcus Aldridge said an overtime thriller over Golden State was good preparation for the looming post-season. "It definitely shows what were going to see in the playoffs," Portlands All-Star forward said, "where every possession counts and every basket counts." Aldridge had 26 points, including the go-ahead basket in the waning moments of overtime, and the Trail Blazers emerged with a 119-117 victory over the Warriors on Sunday night. The win, which featured 16 lead changes and nine ties, assured the Blazers of no less than the fifth seed in the playoffs. It also assured a post-season matchup against Houston, sitting in fourth in the Western Conference. With a win in one of their two remaining games, the Rockets can clinch home-court advantage. Portlands win came despite the best efforts of Golden States Stephen Curry, who had a season-high 47 points. It was the third time this season Curry has eclipsed 40 points, and sixth time in his career. The Warriors sit behind Portland in the standings with two games to go. Golden State will need to win one of its last two games to clinch the sixth seed. "This is kind of what you expect from two playoff teams," Curry said. "From start to finish it definitely had that playoff feel." Aldridges jumper with 39.9 seconds to go gave the Blazers a 118-117 lead. Damian Lillard added a free throw for Portland before Andre Iguodala missed a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left and Wesley Matthews grabbed the rebound for the Blazers. Matthews added 24 points for Portland, which has won four straight and eight of its past nine games. The Blazers wrap up the regular season on Wednesday against the Clippers. Draymond Green hit a 3-pointer for Golden State to tie it late in the fourth quarter and Matthews missed a corner 3 as time ran out to send the game into overtime. Currys 3 gave Golden State a 111-110 lead in OT. After Matthews scored on a bank shot and free throw, Klay Thompsons 3 gave the Warriors back the lead. Matthews and Thompson exchanged 3s before Aldridges jumper gave the Blazers the lead and the Warriors couldnt answer. Thompson finished with 25 points. "I told the guys before the game, I thought this would be a great tuneup for the playoffs," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "This wasnt a playoff game and it wasnt necessarily a playoff atmosphere, but I felt like both teams really wanted the game and you were going to see a lot of effort from both teams. Its heightened in the playoffs, but I felt this was good preparation for us." Warriors centre Andrew Bogut did not play in overtime and after the game the team said he was undergoing a rib X-ray. His status for Monday nights game at home against Minnesota was not immediately known. Portland activated backup forward Joel Freeland, who has been out since Feb. 11 with a sprained MCL in his right knee, but he did not play. Spanish forward Victor Claver was moved to the inactive list with Freelands return. Iguodalas dunk pulled the Warriors to a 46-44 lead in the first half before Curry hit a 3-pointer. Lillard fouled Curry from 3-point range at the buzzer and Curry made all three free throws to put Golden State up 52-44 at the break. The Warriors ended the half on a 14-2 run. Curry led all players with 21 points. Portland rallied early in the final quarter, taking an 87-77 lead on Lillards 3-pointer. But Currys 3-pointer and a jumper pulled the Warriors within 95-93 with 6:01 left. Iguodalas basket tied it at 95 with 4:54 to go. The two teams wrestled the rest of regulation. Thompsons long jumper gave Golden State a 102-101 edge with 41.9 seconds to go before Aldridge made a pair of free throws. Curry drove for a layup but missed and Matthews made free throws to give the Blazers a 105-102 lead, but Greens step-back 3-pointer tied it at 105 with 3.6 seconds left. Matthews 3 missed as time ran out. "I think this was a big test," Matthews said. "This is as close to the playoffs as weve seen." Notes: Curry extended his NBA-leading streak of 68 straight games with a 3-pointer. He is now fifth for the longest streak all time, matching Reggie Miller. ... Greens game-tying 3 at the end of regulation was his only basket of the game. ... Both Thompson and David Lee fouled out of the game for the Warriors. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys . -- Kyle Busch edged teammate Joey Logano at the Bristol Motor Speedway finish line Friday night to become the all-time winningest driver in Nationwide Series. Wholesale Royals Jerseys . Heather, the first Gaiter to win the award, set a Canadian Inter-university Sport record with 3,132 passing yards in eight league games, an average of 391.5 yards per game. That beat the mark of 3,047 set only one week earlier by Westerns Will Finch, a Hec Crighton finalist.PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers turned the worst start in team history into a playoff berth. They forced Game 7 after a 3-2 series deficit. The Flyers simply ran out of comebacks. Just as it has in every season since winning it all in 1975, Philadelphia heads home without a Stanley Cup. The New York Rangers eliminated the Flyers with a 2-1 win in Game 7 in the first round on Wednesday, extending their championship drought to 38 seasons, the sixth-longest streak in the NHL. There was one sliver of consolation Thursday when team captain Claude Giroux was selected as a Hart Trophy finalist, the leagues MVP award. Giroux matched a career high with 28 goals and finished third in the NHL scoring race (86 points), helping the Flyers rally from a 3-9-0 start. Hes the fifth Flyer to be a finalist, joining Bobby Clarke, Eric Lindros (who both won), and goalies Pelle Lindbergh and Bernie Parent. Individual award nominations are nice, and this one was sweet for Giroux after Team Canada bypassed him for the Olympics. But they simply dont compare to the thrill of hoisting the Stanley Cup. "We do have to be proud of what we did," Giroux said. "Last place and being able to come back and get everybody back on the same page. We had a lot of fun doing it. But right now, it stings a lot we cant be in the second round." Giroux had his chance in 2010 when the Flyers reached Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals. But since that tantalizing run, theyve shown few signs of establishing themselves as a perennial contender. As they rallied from the bottom of the East all the way to the playoffs, the Flyers found two key cogs to their future are already in place: Coach Craig Berube and goalie Steve Mason. General manager Paul Holmgren made the right call when he fired Peter Laviolette after an 0-3 start and promoted the coach known as "Chief." After a small adjustment period, he had the Flyers playing as one of the top teams in the conference, leading to a 42-30-10 (94 points) finish. Jake Newberry Jersey. "We were stuck in a hole for a while and they battled out of it," Berube said. "They stuck together and went to a Game 7." Mason, the NHLs rookie of the year in 2008-09, pushed aside the doubts that lingered from Columbus that he could become a No. 1 goalie and blossomed into their goalie of the future. His mix of sensational saves and easygoing personality helped the Flyers start to erase the memories of Ilya Bryzgalov from their consciousness. "This teams a lot of fun to play with and Im looking forward to growing them in the future," Mason said. Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek form a nice offensive nucleus. Veteran defenceman Kimmo Timonen may decide to retire, though of the rest of the D was a sore point for the Flyers, especially in the post-season when Mason faced tough shot after tough shot with little break. The Flyers might not have made the playoffs without Mason. They might have beat the Rangers with even a solid defensive effort. "At no given time were we feeling we were out of the series, or out of it this season, for that matter," Mason said. This year, the Flyers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Broad Street Bullies team that left a lasting mark on the league, but has done nothing to get them closer to holding that third championship parade down Philadelphia. The Flyers havent advanced past the second round since the surprising Stanley Cup finals run in 2010. But a year after missing the playoffs, the Flyers at least stabilized themselves and proved that an addition or two on the blue line can push them deeper into the post-season. "Game 7. Lose 2-1. Cant get closer than that," Giroux said. "For a young team, I think its great. Its only going to make us stronger." ' ' '

ORLANDO, Fla. NCAA Jerseys For Sale . - A study on Major League Soccers hiring practices shows a decline in overall gender diversity but says the league maintains high marks for racial and gender diversity inside its central office.The report released Tuesday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave MLS its second straight B+ grade for racial hiring practices. The leagues overall gender hiring grade was a C+, down from a B in 2013. MLS joins the NFL and Major League Baseball with overall gender grades below a B.Study author Richard Lapchick said this is a pivotal moment for MLS to further embrace diversity.It seems to be a breakthrough time for MLS in popularity with its teams, coming off the recent World Cup, Lapchick said. The league office has always had a strong posture on hiring practices. Particularly at this time when the public is paying more attention with whats going on with MLS, its an opportunity for them and their leadership to make sure their league and team offices look more like America.The most diversity in MLS continues to be inside the league office, where it received grades of A+ in racial hiring and an A- in gender hiring.A total of 48 of 123 league office employees (39 per cent) are racial minorities. Women account for 46 league office professional employee positions (37 per cent).The results at the team level are less favourable. Racial diversity among general managers received an F and among head coaches a C+.All general managers are white men. Chivas USA, which folded after the season, and FC Dallas were the only MLS franchises led by head coaches who are minorities.Gender hiring for team senior administration received an F as well, with women holding only 42 of the 215 positions (19.5 per cent).Lapchick praised the leadership efforts of MLS Commissioner Don Garber at the league office but called this years results at the team level alarming.It is the most distressing part of the report, Lapchick said. And it comes in a year when were finally discussing issues about women in sports. Its a good that the league office has a significant percentage of women of colour, but it needs to be extended to the team level and professional hiring practices there. Authentic NCAA Jerseys . Which is to say, the top of this years draft class is not as dynamic or exciting as the 2013 class of Nate MacKinnon, Sasha Barkov, Jonathan Drouin and Seth Jones and its not as strikingly promising as the highly-anticipated 2015 slate of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. Cheap NCAA Jerseys China . -- One shot came out of bottom of a cactus, the other from the base of a desert bush with rocks scattered around it.BOSTON -- Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish is scheduled for neck surgery on Tuesday. The Red Sox say Kalish will undergo cervical fusion surgery in Los Angeles. Dr. Robert Watkins will perform the operation. Its the latest blow in a series of injuries for the 25-year-old Kaliish, who did not play this season. College Football Jerseys. He missed much of last year recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, and then had right shoulder surgery in January. Kalish is a .243 hitter with four homers and 29 RBIs in parts of two seasons with Boston. ' ' '

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Crystal Palace earned only its second away victory in the English Premier League when substitute Dwight Gayle scored in injury time to beat Aston Villa 1-0 on Thursday. Andrew Chafin Jersey . Gayle, sent on with about 25 minutes to go, attacked from the left side, dribbled around Fabian Delph and unloaded into the top corner, stunning everyone. Villa made most of the running but struggled to put a threatening shot on target, while Palace was scary on the counter. Villa, walking off to boos, slumped to a fourth straight defeat. Stitched Diamondbacks Jerseys . So far, so good: Gonzalez has allowed one run through 12 innings this season. His second start came Tuesday night, when he gave up only three singles over six innings to lead the Nationals to a 5-0 victory over the Miami Marlins. Chad Moeller Jersey . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62.CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Bengals released linebacker James Harrison on Thursday, leaving the former Defensive Player of the Year looking for his third team in three seasons. The 35-year-old linebacker helped the Steelers win a pair of Super Bowls and was the leagues top defensive player in 2008. He left Pittsburgh when the two sides couldnt agree on a restructured deal. Harrison went down the Ohio River to AFC North rival Cincinnati, where he got a two-year contract. The Bengals envisioned him using his pass-rushing ability to become a difference-maker on a defence that was already one of the leagues best. He wound up with a limited role for the first half of the season as he got acclimated. Harrison was limited to 14 or fewer plays in five of the first seven games, making the transition from Pittsburghs 3-4 alignment to a 4-3 in Cincinnati. His role expanded as the season went along and injuries limited the defence. Harrison played in 15 games, starting 10, and finished 12th on the team in tackles. He had two sacks and one interception. "It was great for our coaches, players and fans to have James on our team last year," coach Marviin Lewis said. Ildemaro Vargas Jersey. "Hes a player everyone looks up to because of his ability, his accomplishments and his drive to be the best. He helped us win a division title with his play and with the example he set. "Its time for us to go a different direction now, with some younger guys, but we will all still reap benefits from having had James with us as a Bengal last year." Linebacker Vontaze Burfict credited Harrison with helping him develop into a Pro Bowl player last season. Cincinnatis defence finished third in the NFL and was the key to the Bengals reaching the playoffs for an unprecedented third straight season. The Bengals lost to San Diego in the opening round, leaving them 0-5 in the playoffs under Lewis. They havent won a playoff game since 1990, matching the sixth-longest streak of playoff futility in NFL history. Harrison tweeted: "Many thanks to all the Bengals fans for your support over the last year -- I had a great time in Cincinnati." Harrison is the second veteran in three days that was released by the team. Center Kyle Cook, who started all last season, was released on Tuesday. ' ' '

ORLANDO, Fla. Brooklyn Nets Shirts . - Jay Monahan was promoted to deputy commissioner of the PGA Tour on Tuesday, the first indication of a possible successor to Tim Finchem. Finchem was the last person to hold that position until he was appointed PGA Tour commissioner in 1994. "This step is being taken to further strengthen our organizational structure, enhance our management co-ordination and ultimately to continue to deliver on three key pieces of our core business — driving benefits to our players, growing the charity support in the communities where we play and doing our part in golf to help grow and protect this great game," Finchem said in a statement. "Jays new role in this key leadership position will help continue our momentum." Finchem, who completes 20 years as commissioner on June 1, signed a four-year extension through 2016. That would make him the longest-serving commissioner since the tour broke away from the PGA of America in 1969. He will be 69. Monahan played college golf at Trinity, and he earned a masters degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He previously worked for EMC in sponsorship and branding, at IMG as head of the Deutsche Bank Championship and as an executive vice-president at Fenway Sports Groups. He joined the tour in 2008 as director of The Players Championship and most recently was promoted to chief marketing officer, placing him in charge of corporate marketing and sponsor relations, one of the most critical positions on tour. His appointment as deputy commissioner takes effect April 1. Finchem agreed to his most recent four-year extension in 2012 after one of the more challenging economic periods of the tour. He made it through a recession by keeping tournaments fully sponsored, and even while Tiger Woods was struggling through a collapse in his personal life and with leg injuries, Finchem negotiated a nine-year television deal with NBC Sports and CBS Sports. But he suggested two years ago he probably wouldnt stay after 2016. "I never rule out possibilities," Finchem said in January 2012. "But the likelihood is this will probably be it for me. Theres other things I want to do." Nets Jerseys China . "This isnt really the week you want to lose Chris Greaves," fellow lineman Glenn January said Wednesday after practice. Greaves is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury in last weeks 36-28 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. Brooklyn Nets Gear . The 49ers announced the deal Tuesday. San Francisco selected Lloyd in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- John Isner held off an upset bid by Dudi Sela of Israel on Thursday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the Delray Beach Open after No. 3 seed Kei Nishikori of Japan exited the tournament because of a left hip injury. The second-seeded Isner squandered four match points in the third set after leading 4-1, but the 6-foot-10 American rallied from a 5-2 deficit to prevail in the tiebreaker for a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory that earned him a spot in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. "More times than not, when Im up 4-1, I close it out," said Isner, who is 5-0 in his three-set matches this season but is playing in his first tournament since exiting the Australian Open with an ankle injury last month. "It definitely didnt need to go to 5-5 when I was up 4-1. I put a lot of stress on myself when I do that." The world No. 13 will face American qualifier Rhyne Williams on Friday night. Williams ousted wild-card Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-2 in Thursdays nightcap to reach his second ATP quarterfinal. Nishikoris bid to win his second consecutive ATP title came to an abrupt halt Thursday afternoonn when the top-ranked Asian was forced to retire during the first set of his second-round match because of a left hip flexor injury. Nets Jerseys 2019. Nishikori was trailing Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 4-2 when he decided to stop the match. He said that he experienced discomfort for the first time during his first-round win Tuesday in which he stretched his win-loss record this season to 12-2. "I tried to play, but if youre not 100 per cent, its tough," said Nishikori, who is ranked No. 15 in the world and was coming off a win in Memphis last week. "I couldnt do anything today. Its going to take some time to recover. Its shocking this happened, especially since Ive been playing well." Gabashvili advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday and will face No. 7 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia, who defeated American wild-card Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-4. Samuel Groth and Max Mirnyi advanced to the doubles semifinals with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win against Americans Sekou Bangoura and Vahid Mirzadeh. Harrison and fellow American Jack Sock filled out the final spot in the doubles semifinals with a 6-4, 7-5 win against Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky. ' ' '

SURPRISE, Ariz. Vapormax Outlet Italia . -- 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," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. "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. Air Max 270 Offerte . "Its way better than running gassers, thats for sure," the inside linebacker said Monday, when the Chargers started their third and final week of organized team activities, which are practices in shorts, jerseys and helmets. Ultra Boost False . Harrison Barnes had 15 points and Reggie Bullock scored 11 for the Tar Heels (17-3, 4-1 ACC), who took the court for the first time without starter Dexter Strickland. The junior guard tore his right ACL last Thursday at Virginia Tech and will miss the rest of the season.WORCESTER, Mass. -- Winger Daniil Tarasov scored the only goal that Worcester would need, cashing in on a power-play at 19:54 of the opening period, as the Sharks went on to beat the St. Johns IceCaps 3-0 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Tarasov scored for Worcester (3-4-0) while Patrice Cormier was off for tripping Sena Acolatsee and Curt Gogal scored their first goals of the season in the third period, with Gogols coming shorthanded into an empty net. Balenciaga Offerte. Worcesters Troy Grosenick stopped 27 shots for the shutout. Eddie Pasquale turned back 29 shots for the IceCaps (5-6-1) St. Johns was 0 for 5 with the man advantage, and Worcester 1 for 3. ' ' '

HARRISON, N. Marcus Pettersson Jersey .J. -- The New York Red Bulls have re-signed defender Roy Miller and goalkeeper Luis Robles. The Major League Soccer team announced the signings Monday without disclosing terms. Robles was the only Red Bull to play every minute this past season. The 29-year-old recorded 11 shutouts and a 1.21 goals against average in helping New York win its first Supporters Shield. He was tied for first in the league in wins (17), third in saves (103) and fourth in shutouts. Miller is the longest continuously tenured Red Bull, with the club since January 2010. He appeared in 17 games and had one assist before injuring his Achilles tendon in late August, which sidelined him for most of the remainder of the season. Nick Bjugstad Jersey . After Andrew Romine served up two monster home runs in the inning, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he thought Romine was one of the bright spots on the night, showing just how bad the series opener against the last-place Minnesota Twins went for the Tigers. Luc Robitaille Jersey .com) - The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Seth Curry on Tuesday.Canadian freestyle skiers and medal hopefuls Alex Bilodeau and World Cup champion Mikaël Kingsbury have qualified for the finals of mens moguls on Monday morning. Bilodeau and Kingsbury finished first and second place in qualifying Monday morning, earning scores of 24.70 and 23.81, respectively. Other results Two other Canadians were competing. Philippe Marquis came in sixth with Marc-Antoine Gagnon just ahead of him in fifth, so both will move on. Russian skier Alexandr Smyshlyaev came in third with a score of 23.52. The top 10 finishers were guaranteed a chance to move on. Anyone outside the top 10 can still qualify by skiing again. The finals are scheduled to happen around 1 p.m. eastern time. Canadian-born Australian skier Dale Begg-Smith, who finished second to Bilodeau in Vancouver, did not crack the top 10 and must ski again to qualify for the finals. Bilodeau and Kingsbury are a big part of why Canada has come to dominate the moguls hill in recent years. Theyve taken turns aatop the World Cup standings for much of the past four years. Peter Mahovlich Jersey. The 21-year-old Kingsbury is the reigning world champion, but the 26-year-old Bilodeau comes to Sochi having won each of the last three events. "I feel great. Ive worked hard," Bilodeau said. "The work is done and Im just trying to enjoy the moment. Its my last Olympic experience and its so fun. Each time Im here I feel like I want to be here forever." Worlds best Bilodeau is skiing well but Kingsbury seems to be peaking and isnt shying away from lofty expectations. "I think I can win any event if I ski at my best, so I will focus to do the best run of my life for the job that I need to do," he said. Medals on the mens side would bookend a magical stretch at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park for Canada. Sisters Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe took gold and silver in the womens final on Saturday night, clasping hands and fighting back tears as their parents screamed from the stands.  ' ' '

MINSK, Belarus - Canadian captain Kevin Bieksa paid the price in the form of a chipped tooth and stitches on the inside of his mouth. Nuggets Jerseys 2019 . After Canada held on to beat the Czech Republic 4-3 on Monday at the world hockey championship, it was worth it. Bieksa took Jan Kovars stick to the mouth, a penalty that gave Canada a five-minute man advantage it scored twice on. When the Czechs scored twice in the third period to make things interesting, those power-play goals loomed large. "If you look at it, its the difference in the game," coach Dave Tippett said. Canadas power play was 1-for-11 in the tournament before Nathan MacKinnon and Morgan Rielly scored 17 seconds apart to build a three-goal lead. Even though Jiri Novotny and Tomas Hertl cut the advantage to one late, it was enough of a cushion to allow Canada to survive for a second straight victory. Still flush in his face from stopping 31 shots, goaltender James Reimer joked he and his teammates just wanted to keep it close and entertain the fans at Chizhovka-Arena. But he expected the Czechs to make a push. "Theyre a good team," Reimer said, pausing to catch his breath. "And obviously theyre playing desperate. ... You know they werent going to roll over, you knew they were going to come hard." That was thanks in part to what Tippett called "unforced errors" by his players. "Theyre going to get their pressure just because theyre good players, but then adding fuel to the fire, thats when youre really in trouble," Tippett said. "There was two or three times in that third period where we had a good chance to clear it, make a good, solid, simple play and we forced pucks that got turned over and then it comes right back at you." Even though it got nerve-wracking late, Canada had some breathing room. Goals by Joel Ward — his third of the tournament — and assistant captain Kyle Turris helped the Canadians rebound from giving up the first goal for a third straight game before the power play finally clicked. That wasnt just a coincidence. Tippett made some personnel switches on the power-play units, putting Alex Burrows, Ward and Turris on the ice to see what would change. "Less skill and more work," he said. Work behind the net put Bieksa in position to draw the game-altering slashing penalty 15:01 into the second period on Kovar, who got an automatic game misconduct. Czech coach Vladimir Ruzicka was surprised it was called slashing and not high-sticking after checking it out on video. No matter the penalty, Bieksa required medical attention on the bench while the game was delayed as workers brushed his blood off the ice. The 32-year-old Vancouver Canucks defenceman remained in the contest, to the surprise of no one. "Give credit to him: Just spat out some blood and was ready to go on the next shift," winger Matt Read said. "Hes a warrior, hes our leader and its good to see that." Bieksa was unable to talk to reporters afterwards because he required stitches that made it difficult for him to speak. His teammates spoke for him, most notably on the five-minute major power play. "Thats a huge aspect of the game," Read said. "A guy sacrificing his body, unfortunately, but if you dont come out with at least one goal, you know youre on your heels and it gives them all the momentum." Instead, Canada had all of it until midway through the third when the Czech Republic turned up the heat. The pro-Czech crowd of 6,317 came to life, but two late penalties — to Jaromir Jagr and Jiri Hudler — ended the chances of a comeback. The win gave Canada seven points atop Group A. Its next game is Thursday against Denmark. Before then, Tippett hopes to work on some things and use the third period as a teaching tool. "Those are all good things — not good things for our team, but learning experiences for our team that we have to make sure we can get through situations like that," he said. Just minutes after holding on, Canadas players recognized the value of getting tested in a game they looked to have total control of. "Its something were going to learn from moving forward that you cant take it easy going into the third, no matter what kind of lead you have," Turris said. "Were gaining experience as we go." NOTES — Former Calgary Flames forward Roman Cervenka opened the scoring for the Czech Republic, cashing in on a two-on-one rush with Vladimir Sobotka. ... Canada chased Czech starter Jakub Kovar after Riellys goal, the fourth on 13 shots. Alexander Salak got a roughing penalty for punching Burrows just seconds after he entered the game, then stopped the seven shots he saw the rest of the way. Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Nuggets Jerseys 2020 .28 for a combined time of 1:14.70, also an Olympic record. Lee won the gold medal, defending her title from the Vancouver Games. Denver Nuggets Store . Fans can also watch the game on the newly launched TSN GO (currently available to Bell TV and Rogers customers), which gives TSN subscribers the freedom to live stream the networks programming from their smartphones, tablets, and computers at no additional charge – just as they would watch Canadas Sports Leader on TV at home. The following week, MLS ON TSN is at BMO Field in Toronto to deliver live coverage of TFCs home opener vs. D.C. United on Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p. CHICAGO -- It didnt matter much to Anthony Rizzo that the Chicago Cubs finally swept a series. Winning three straight? Thats what registered with him. Rizzo hit a tiebreaking homer, Travis Wood went deep and drove in three runs, and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 7-4 Thursday night to complete the three-game sweep. Rizzos solo drive off Vic Black (1-1) with one out in the seventh gave the Chicago a lead after they wasted a four-run lead. Andrew Browns two-run shot tied it 4-all in the top half. Junior Lake added a two-run triple in the eighth, and the Cubs came away with their first series sweep since they took three at San Francisco last July 26-28. "I know we won three games in a row, whether its a sweep or not," Rizzo said. "Its just nice to win ... especially in a series where we played good baseball." Wood delivered in a big way at the plate and was in line for the win before New York rallied from a 4-0 deficit. He hit a two-run homer in the second off Jacob deGrom after Luis Valbuena was ruled safe at home on a sacrifice fly to left following a replay review on what would have been the third out to give Chicago a 3-0 lead. And Wood drove in another run with a fielders choice grounder in the fourth. "I feel like were commanded to hit in this league, so you want to try to be as best as you can," said Wood, who has two homers this season and eight in his career. The Mets scored two while chasing Wood in the sixth and tied it in the seventh when Brown, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, connected off Justin Grimm. Rizzo, however, put the Cubs back on top with a long drive to right-centre on a 3-1 pitch for his team-leading 11th homer. Grimm (2-2) got the win. Pedro Strop stranded two runners in the eighth before Lake made it a three-run game in the bottom half. Neil Ramirez then converted his first save opportunity, retiring the side in the ninth, and the Cubs swept three from New York at Wrigley Field for the first time since April 2004. The Mets went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners after leaving 10 onn in each of the previous two games. Custom Denver Nuggets Jerseys. It added up to a sweep by a team with the worst record in the National League. "When they all got big league uniforms on, theyre major leaguers," New York manager Terry Collins said. "Theyre trying to beat you just as much as youre trying to beat them. Once in a while they play good, you dont play good, youre gonna get your butt kicked. Thats the way it is, thats just the way it is around here." They wasted several opportunities against Wood, who gave up two runs and five hits in five-plus innings. He tied a season high with five walks but kept pitching out of trouble until the Mets knocked him out in the sixth. He left with a run in after giving up a leadoff walk to Brown and back-to-back singles by Wilmer Flores and Ruben Tejada. Young added an RBI single off Brian Schlitter with two out, cutting it to 4-2, before Curtis Granderson popped out to end the rally. DeGrom gave up four runs and five hits over five innings and remained winless in five starts for New York. NOTES: The Cubs observed a moment of silence before the game for Don Zimmer, who managed the 1989 team to the NL East crown. Zimmer spent 66 years in pro baseball and was still working as a senior adviser for the Tampa Bay Rays before he died Wednesday at 83. He had been in a Florida rehab centre since heart surgery in mid-April. "I lived in St. Petersburg for 12 years, so I saw Don a lot," Collins said. "Its a sad day for baseball. One of the truly iconic baseball personalities in the game. I grew up a Dodgers fan and this guy was one of the great Dodgers. If it wasnt for Pee Wee (Reese) he would have had a tremendous career." ... Mets prized pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard left Thursdays start for Triple-A Las Vegas after experiencing discomfort in his left shoulder following a tag play at the plate. New York said he had precautionary X-rays and the results are pending. It was his first start after returning from the DL because of a mild strain in his right elbow. ... Chicago took Indiana C-OF Kyle Schwarber with the fourth pick in the draft. ' ' '

Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork. Nike NBA Jerseys 2020 .com) - Brad Richards scored twice to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday in a rematch of last seasons Western Conference Finals. Daniel Carcillo and Brandon Saad also lit the lamp and Kris Versteeg supplied two assists for the Blackhawks, who have won three straight and six of their last seven games Corey Crawford turned aside 19 shots in his 14th consecutive start. Jordan Nolan had the lone goal for the Kings, who eliminated the Blackhawks in a spirited seven-game series en route to their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. Jonathan Quick made 21 stops in defeat. The Blackhawks wasted no time getting on the board as Carcillo batted a shot out of mid-air for an early lead just 1:52 into the contest. After Quick played the puck into traffic behind the net, Richards took a quick pass from Versteeg and increased Chicagos lead to 2-0 on a wrister with 2:01 to play in the first. Nolan redirected Jake Muzzins shot from the top of the left circle to cut the deficit in half 5:53 into the middle stanza. Chicago regained its two-goal lead just over two minutes later. Michal Rozsival received a pass in the slot from Versteeg and dished the puck over to Richards, who tapped it in from the side of the net for his second of the game. Saad scored on an empty net with 1:49 to play and Crawford stopped four shots in the third to preserve the win. Game Notes Richards fired a game-high five shots on net ... Chicago will return home to host the Blues on Wednesday after finishing 5-1-0 on its annual six-game circus road trip ... The Kings will face the Bruins at home on Tuesday. Nike Baseball Jerseys . The defending champions sent their preliminary list to FIFA on Tuesday, with coach Vicente del Bosque to announce the final 23-man squad on May 25. Costa is set to lead the attack in his native Brazil, with Atletico Madrid teammate David Villa and Chelseas Fernando Torres also included, while David de Gea replaces injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes. MLB Jerseys . As for regular Olympic spectators, theyre being warned that most travel insurance policies wont cover acts of terrorism or war. The Games in southern Russia, which run from Feb. 7-23, are being staged amid unprecedented security and under global warnings of danger.ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Calvin Johnson is expected to return this week as the Detroit Lions enter a critical stretch of the season.Johnson said Wednesday he is back to his normal practice routine and will play Sunday when Detroit (6-2) hosts the Miami Dolphins (5-3) at Ford Field.Feeling good, Johnson said. Extremely motivated, especially with where we are as a team right now. Weve got Miami coming to our house so (lets) go ahead and get off to a good start in the third quarter of the season.Johnson sat out three games with an ankle injury while Detroit carried on and went 3-0 in his absence, albeit with less-than impressive offensive numbers.The Lions have not gained more than 400 yards since getting 417 in a Week 1 win over the New York Giants.But Johnsons return brings renewed hope with Detroit holding a one-game lead over Green Bay (5-3) in the NFC North.It changes (our offence), obviously, quarterback Matthew Stafford said. Maybe not so much in the plays we run but in how defences treat us. ... Were dangerous in the pass game when hes out there, so teams are probably worried about defending him scoring an 80-yard touchdown first.Golden Tate emerged as a reliable No. 1 target with Johnson sidelined, grabbing at least seven receptions in each of the past four games. Extra reps for he and rookie wideout Corey Fuller over the past month could pay dividends during the second half of the season.Golden had a big opportunity this year with Calvin and a bunch of other guys going down to step up, Stafford said. He grabbed that role and played extremely well for us. ... With the addition of him and hopefully getting Calvin back and some of the otther guys at some point, (the offence) could be dangerous. Authentic MLB Jerseys. Detroit has also been without tight ends Joseph Fauria, Brandon Pettigrew and rookie Eric Ebron, all three of whom did not play against Atlanta. Running back Reggie Bush was also unavailable against the Falcons, but said Wednesday he will be back for the Miami game.Detroits rushing offence is second-worst in the NFL and in need of a spark entering a key three-game stretch against Miami, at Arizona (7-1) and at New England (7-2). Bush said everyone must do a better job in the backfield, but a healthy Calvin Johnson should help too.Hes a running backs best friend, Bush said. Having him out there, even if hes just a decoy its great for the run game. I think thats going to have an (impact).Miami is one of the hottest teams in the NFL having won four of its past five games, including a 37-0 home win against San Diego last week.Weve got a lot of work cut out for us because were playing a team thats playing extremely well on both sides of the ball, coach Jim Caldwell said. This one presents every challenge that we could possibly think of.The Lions started 6-3 last year, but dropped six of their last seven games to miss the playoffs. Bush said its important to keep that in mind as the Lions prepare for three straight games against teams with a winning record.They dont give out any awards after the first half of the season, Bush said. If anybody should learn from last year its us. We shouldnt be looking ahead, we shouldnt be talking about the playoffs. We should be looking at this game and thats it.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '

CHICAGO - Jake Allen made 21 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Chicago Wolves blanked the visiting Abbotsford Heat 2-0 on Sunday in American Hockey League action. Air Force 1 Wholesale . Evan Oberg opened the scoring for the Wolves (31-17-6) 9:27 into the first period and Ty Rattie added an insurance goal at 12:17 of the third while Abbotsfords Shane OBrien was serving a double minor for high sticking. Josh Jooris and Blair Jones led all Heat (33-17-5) skaters with four shots apiece on Allen while aaron Dell stopped 19-of-21 shots in defeat. Chicago went 2 for 7 on the power play while Abbotsford failed to score on five chances with the man advantage. Air Force 1 Fake .J. - Several people have collapsed in an overcrowded New Jersey train station while waiting in long lines to get to the Super Bowl. Air Force 1 Store . This game was inside. Adrian Peterson was missing. The stage was set for another step toward the playoffs.The puck drops for the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship on Boxing Day and while its still 112 days away, Canadas challenge remains the same - figuring out which players may or not be available to Team Canada because of potential spots available on NHL rosters. The challenge was certainly there during the gold medal years, but the spoils of victory demonstrated the enormous depth of talent Team Canada could draw upon. Now going five years without a gold medal - not to mention two consecutive years without any medal at all, five countries winning gold in the past six years and this years tournament on home ice - Hockey Canadas challenge isnt any easier. And the expectations remain as high as ever. Starting today and at the start of each month going into the 2015 tournament, TSN will examine candidates for Team Canada leading up to the selection camp in December. A roster of 13 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders will be tabled, along with other potential players who could challenge. And this list will certainly change as the season unfolds. The September edition allows us to look at all candidates prior to NHL training camp. For the initial roster, Jonathan Drouin is not listed because the belief that hell be in the NHL on Oct. 8 is very strong. Who are the other players Canada may be missing? As always, the players are ones that can have a significant impact on the team. Its one thing to understand who may be unavailable, but the challenge is actually identifying the players who can fill the void. First-overall NHL draft pick Aaron Ekblad will almost certainly be unavailable. Think back to the 2014 Mens Olympic Team when head coach Mike Babcock wanted balance between the left and right shots on the blue line. With the absence of Ekblad, that leaves one right shot defenceman - Madison Bowey - on the roster. Chris Bigras was on the World Junior Team last winter, but with the quality of players on the left side he may have to demonstrate a strong ability to play the right side. Jeremy Roy is a draft eligible player for next June - and is a very good player at that. His maturity is excellent and he may be able to challenge for a spot. Given that hes a right-handed shot, it could give this years team the balance theyre looking for. At forward, the potential for missing players is always at the top end of the lineup in terms of skill and impact. Possible returnees Sam Reinhart and Curtis Lazar lead the group and Max Domi was close to starting with the Phoenix Coyotes last season. Replacing Sam and Curtis is a significant challenge, because their impact has a wide-ranging effect. They can play all situations in the game, are versatile and can move throughout the lineup. Theyre also game changers and either one of them could be team captain. Meanwhile, Jake Virtanen is coming off shoulder surgery and his health may be a key factor in stepping into the void. He fits the bill of being a top-end talent with the skill to impact a game. The triccky part of the evaluation is identifying those players who can play outside their natural positions and contribute. Air Force 1 Cheap. Centre Robbi Fabbri had a fantastic playoff for the Guelph Storm and would be a leading candidate to step into a vacancy because hes shown a capability to play to his strengths - down the middle or on the wing. On the left side, Anthony Duclair is a tremendously talented player and when looking to replace a guy like Max Domi, it appears to be seamless with respect to his skill. Keep in mind that Sam Bennett and Connor McDavid have played alongside one another with great success, so this may be a natural fit. Brendan Lemieux brings a different element, but his ability to rise to the occasion in important games could see him fit in a different way - perhaps coming in from the bottom part of the roster as others push up. Canadas depth is strong, but replacing key performers is never easy. The expectations arent lower, but the task for the Team Canadas personnel is to form a team that meets those expectations - regardless of whos available or not. CRAIG BUTTONS PROJECTED TEAM CANADA - SEPTEMBER Forwards LEFT WING CENTRE RIGHT WING Max Domi (London) Connor McDavid (Erie) Sam Reinhart (Kootenay) Sam Bennett (Kingston) Nic Petan (Portland) Curtis Lazar (Edmonton) Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa) Bo Horvat (London) Jason Dickinson (Guelph) Morgan Klimchuk (Regina) Frederik Gauthier (Rimouski) Nick Baptiste (Sudbury) Nick Ritchie (Peterborough Defence LEFT RIGHT Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert) Aaron Ekblad (Barrie) Haydn Fleury (Red Deer) Madison Bowey (Kelowna) Samuel Morin (Rimouski) Darnell Nurse (Sault Ste. Marie) Shea Theodore (Seattle) Goaltenders Zach Fucale (Halifax) Philpiie Desrosiers (Rimouski) Names in bold are projected NHLers for the 2014-15 season. OTHER CANDIDATES Forwards LEFT WING CENTRE RIGHT WING Anthony Duclair (Quebec) Brayden Point (Moose Jaw) Jake Virtanen (Calgary) + Brendan Lemieux (Barrie) Robby Fabbri (Guelph) Jeremy Gregoire (Baie-Comeau) Defence LEFT RIGHT Dillon Heatherington (Swift Current) Chris Bigras (Owen Sound) Travis Sanheim (Calgary) Jeremy Roy (Sherbrooke) Goaltenders Eric Comrie (Tri-City) Mason McDonald (Charlottetown) + : Jake Virtanen is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery in May and is expected to return to action in October/November. ' ' '

TORONTO - Following the final game in each of his first four NBA seasons, DeMar DeRozan has stood in front of the media contingent at the Raptors annual post-mortem gathering, vowing to work tirelessly on his game during the summer and return a more well-rounded player come the fall. Nike Air Max 90 Fake Kaufen . One of his most glaring weaknesses as a young guard in the league was his playmaking ability. As a 19-year-old rookie in 2009-10, DeRozan averaged less than one assist per game. Among NBA guards that logged at least 20 minutes per outing that season, DeRozan assisted on the lowest percentage of his teammates field goals (just under 5 per cent, tied with Orlandos Mickael Pietrus, per NBA.com/stats). Hes come a long way since then, making good on his yearly end-of-season promise. DeRozans four assists in Sundays win over the Magic raised his season total to 205, a new career-high, besting last years mark with 26 games left to play. "I want to make my teammates better," said the Raptors guard, who continues to evolve as a distributer, averaging a career-best 3.8 dimes this season. "It just comes with experience and understanding. Its something that I really enjoy doing, getting my teammates involved, looking for them." The 24-year-olds assist numbers have increased in each of his five seasons and his assist percentage this year (18.6) is more than three-times higher than it was in his rookie campaign (4.9). DeRozan had recorded five or more assists in just five of his first 222 games as an NBA player, his first three years in the league. Since then hes accomplished that feat 28 times in 136 contests, including 15 during his 2013-14 breakout season. "Thats huge," Dwane Casey said of his leading scorers improved court vision. "Now hes drawing so much attention from the other teams as far as double teaming, guys helping, theyre sinking in and hes making teams pay for it."  "Hes one of the best wings right now in the league as far as passing the ball out [of the double team] and hes doing a great job of it," Casey continued. "So thats a big step in his growth process. Its good to see and the more attention he gets the more hes going to have to rely on that part of his game." A first-time all-star this season, DeRozan has had to adjust to the defensive attention hes getting now that he finds himself on the top of the oppositions scouting report. Theres nowhere left to hide, not after the trade of top dog Rudy Gay, but DeRozan has embraced the responsibility. "The game definitely does slow down," he noted. "You understand every defence. Theres not too many defences I havent seen yet and just watching film and understanding how teams play key players, especially key scorers, once you understand that a lot of things come a lot easier." As a team, the Raptors are just 14-17 when DeRozan scores 20 or more points, however theyre 18-8 when he tallies at least four assists. Nike Air Max 90 Kaufen . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night. Schuhe Auf Rechnung Bestellen . -- The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets will forever be tied together for making the same spectacular misjudgment on budding NBA sensation Jeremy Lin.MINSK, Belarus - Cody Hodgson was in the right place at the right time for his hat trick in Canadas 6-1 drubbing of Denmark on Thursday. In the big picture of his career, Hodgson is also right where he wants to be at the age of 24 and is showing it at the world hockey championship. "Just feeling more comfortable," Hodgson said at Chizhovka Arena after his three-goal performance. "I enjoy playing this game, I love playing hockey and when youre healthy and able to do everything you feel like you can do and your body translates what your mind wants, its fun." Hodgson is healthy again after being bothered by back injuries earlier in his career and then wrist and thumb problems this past season. In leading the way past Denmark, the Buffalo Sabres forward showed glimpses of the player scouts projected hed become as the 10th pick in the 2008 draft. "Earlier in his career, (for) young players its hard to jump in, especially with high expectations," coach Dave Tippett said. "And then he had some injury issues, I think it was some back issues, that really probably hurt his development. Youre starting to see a player now - even (if) he got lots of opportunity in Buffalo this year, put up some points - come here (and) hes playing on a line with some good players and (being) opportunistic." Hodgson scored Canadas first two goals against Denmark, and Matt Read scored twice to break the game open. Jonathan Huberdeau had his first of the tournament before Hodgson finished off the hat trick on the power play. "Sometimes youve got to get lucky to score, but Ill take em," Hodgson said. Tippetts word - opportunistic - might be better. Hodgsons first goal came about when he poked the puck past Danish defender and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Lauridsen, and his second came after a giveaway wound up right on his stick between the circles. It took skill to finish those plays. "Those first two goals were good shots," Tippett said. "Their goaltenders out and square, but when you shoot it quick like that, it makes it hard on the goaltender. Thats who Cody is: Hes a guy that weve got him in a situation where hes going to get some opportunities with the players hes playing with, and its great to see him capitalize on some of those opportunities." Hodgson just happened to pick a game with five Vancouver Canucks on the ice to shine. While the former Canucks draft pick was the star of the game, Nicklas Jensen scored Denmarks only goal, and Jannik Hansen made sure to give Hodgson a friendly bump while he was giving interviews afterward. Traded to Buffalo in exchange for Zack KKassian at the 2012 trade deadline, Hodgson had nothing but good things to say about his time in Vancouver. Schuhe Günstig Kaufen. He still trains with Chris Tanev and felt fortunate to see a bunch of former teammates when the Sabres were in town this past season. Hodgson had a career high 44 points in 72 games after putting up 34 in the lockout-shortened 2013 NHL season. Those 34 points and his potential earned him a US$25.5-million, six-year contract that also saddled him with even higher expectations. Sabres fans had plenty to smile about Thursday at the world championship, not only with Hodgsons hat trick but a strong game from Zemgus Girgensons as Ted Nolans Latvian team beat the United States 6-5 at Minsk Arena. While the U.S. is struggling in Group B, Hodgson helped Canada to its third victory in four games. Up next is Italy on Friday before Sundays showdown with Sweden. Tippett said Thursday evening he didnt know which goaltender would start against Italy. Ben Scrivens stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced in beating Denmark, while James Reimer has 57 saves on 63 shots over two starts. Beyond a scoring explosion of four goals in under 10 minutes keyed by Reads first goal midway through the third, Canada showed some more improvements in routing Denmark. For the first time in four games, it did not give up a goal on the penalty kill, and Read even scored short-handed. "Weve been focusing on it the last two days, our penalty kill," Read said. "A lot of teams they rely on their good power play, they know how to move the puck very well and if our penalty kill does our job and we break even on the night not allowing a goal or getting a goal, thats a plus for us." A minus is the four penalties Canada took that wouldve been more costly had this been an elimination game against a stronger opponent. "I think (weve) just got to play more (a) intelligent (game)," Huberdeau said. "Its some bad penalties. I had a bad penalty, so I think its (important) to keep skating and when you have the puck you wont take any penalties." Despite the penalties, Canada had no trouble rolling over Denmark. But Hodgson hopes he and his teammates are just warming up offensively. "It doesnt matter what we did now," he said. "Its what happens in the medal rounds, thats when the serious hockey begins." Notes: Danish captain Morten Green was honoured before puck drop for playing in his 257th career international game. This broke a record for Denmarks national team previously held by Jesper Damgaard. ... Canada won 62.3 per cent of its faceoffs and outshot Denmark 46-30. Danish goaltender Patrick Galbraith made 40 saves. ' ' '

PHILADELPHIA -- Jordan Zimmermann and a pair of defensive gems were enough to keep Washingtons post-season hopes flickering. Miami Marlins Store . Zimmermann became the National Leagues first 16-game winner, pitching seven solid innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night. Zimmermann (16-8) struck out five, walked one and allowed two runs in winning his fourth straight start. Ryan Zimmermans solo shot off Phillies reliever Zach Miner in the seventh inning tied the game at 2. Jake Diekman (1-4) walked the leadoff batter in the eighth, then allowed pinch-runner Jeff Kobernus to score on a fielders choice for the winning run. The Nationals sat outfielder Bryce Harper to rest his ailing hip. They are still barely alive behind Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot "We dont think were out of it yet," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. The Phillies wasted a chance to tie the game in the eighth with runners on first and third and one out. Craig Stammen struck out Darin Ruf and the ball scooted away from catcher Jhonatan Solano on strike three. Chase Utley was tagged out on a mad dash for home by a lunging Solano for the strike em out-tag em out double play. "It was a great play. Thats how we won the game," Stammen said. Zimmermann got out of his own jam in the seventh thanks to a fantastic defensive play. Cesar Hernandez hit a grounder into the hole that second baseman Steve Lombardozzi fielded and one-hopped to Zimmerman at the bag for the third out to prevent the tying run from scoring. "I knew I had to scoop it and keep my feet on the bag at the same time," the pitcher said. Rafael Soriano worked the ninth for his 38th save. Phillies starter Roy Halladay survived a miserable first inning to end up allowing three hits over six innings. Four months after right shoulder surgery, this certainly wasnt vintage Halladay. He walked five and hit two batters. He laboured through a 29-pitch first inning. But the two-time Cy Young Award winner struck out five after fanning four combined in his last two starts. He settled down after he hit or walked five of the first 10 batters he faced. And he kept the Phillies in the game. "It took me a little bit to find the right balance, mechanically," Halladay said. "Thats going to be a little bit of a battle at times." Labouring to hit 90 mph with his fastball, Halladay allowed the first three batters of the game to reach, then gave up a sacrifice fly. Wilson Ramos hit into a double play to end the rally and keep Halladay in the game. He caught another break in the sixth. After retiring the first two batters, Halladay loaded the bases with two outs. Johnson decided to leave Zimmermann in the game, instead of pinch-hitting for his starter after 77 pitches. Zimmermann was retired and Halladay walked off to an ovation. "I was feeling sorry for him the first couple of innings," Johnson said. "Then I started to hate him as he went along." Halladay left with a 2-1 lead thanks to Hernandezs two-run double in the second inning. "His innings got better with the lead," Phillies interim manager Ryne Sandberg said. "The Nationals at-bats started to change a little bit." Clearly struggling with his velocity, Halladay went with the soft stuff for most of his final four innings, and had the most effective of his three outings since returning from a rehab assignment. He is a free agent at the end of the season and wants to prove to the Phillies, or any team, that he can still be a reliable starter. Hell have three or four more starts in the final month to prove he can come close to his former All-Star form. "I think if put in the work and put in the time, I can have those results," he said. NOTES: The Nationals will start RHP Tanner Roark on Saturday against Miami, meaning RHP Stephen Strasburg will likely go Sunday on six days rest. Roark had been pitching in long relief. ... Halladay made his 100th start for the Phillies. ... Denard Spans leadoff single extended his hitting streak to 17 games, the longest for the Nationals this season. Moises Alou Jersey .com) - Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is active for Sundays matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Henderson Alvarez Jersey .Hammel pitched inside more and it helped him get into the seventh inning as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 3-2 on Friday night.Canada has won their fourth medal of the Sochi Games, a silver in the figure skating team event. Kevin Reynolds started the second day of the team event finishing second in the mens free skate before Kaetlyn Osmondd finished fifth in the ladies free skate. Al Leiter Jersey. With the team guaranteed to finish second, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir wrapped up the event finishing second in pairs. More details to follow. ' ' '

GENEVA -- Goals by Roberto Soldado and Jesus Navas helped world champion Spain to come from behind twice and draw 2-2 against Chile in a friendly on Tuesday. Hal Mcrae Jersey . Chile applied pressure in midfield right from the beginning, challenging aggressively and continually surging forward. Eduardo Vargas beat the offside trap and fired home a stinging shot for Chiles opening goal in the fifth minute. Soldado met an overhead cross by Pedro Hernandez to equalize with a header in the 38th minute. Vargas doubled his tally in the 44th after racing through, leaving Spanish defenders Alvaro Arbeloa and Raul Albiol behind. Navas levelled in injury time, finishing off a three-man move after Alvaro Negredo picked out Pedro, who steered an inviting ball across the goalmouth. Bronson Arroyo Jersey . - Kentucky freshmen Stanley Boom Williams, Dorian Baker, Drew Barker and Tymere Dubose have been charged with disorderly conduct for their involvement with air pistol shots being fired near a residence hall on the South campus Sunday night. Jesse Winker Jersey . A last-minute leveler ensured the two-time defending champion remained nine points ahead of Roma, which drew 0-0 at bitter rival Lazio in the capital derby. BERLIN -- Encouraged by others who have come out as gay, retired footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger is hoping going public will help make it easier for other sporting stars to do the same. Homosexuality is seen as a major taboo in some sports, while not so much in others. Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, both openly gay, are two of the greatest tennis players in history. But big-time professional football, and the four major sports in the United States, are quite a different story -- at least for now. "(There is) a long way to go because we fear a reaction and we dont know what will happen. I cant imagine playing football and doing this at the same time," Hitzlsperger said in an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Thursday. Hitzlsperger, no longer active but still regarded as the biggest name in football to say he is gay, spent years playing professionally in England, Germany and Italy. He also represented Germany at the 2006 World Cup. His decision to go public was hailed overwhelmingly as a positive step in the German media as well as in England, reflecting the way attitudes have changed. British tabloid The Sun labeled him a "Winner" in a side-by-side cover photo with Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, who was called the "Loser" for wearing an outfit resembling a suicide bomber for a costume party. In Germany, Hitzlsperger has been commended for his courage. The countrys mass circulation daily Bild led with "Respect!" on its front page, a day after Hitzlsperger made his announcement in an interview with German newspaper Die Zeit. "Hopefully, by talking about it, it encourages some others, because they see they can still be professional football players, they can play at the highest level, and be gay," Hitzlsperger said in a video on his website. "Its not a contradiction, as Ive proved." Using anti-gay slurs and jokes on the sports field has been widely accepted as part of playing hard for years, so much so that in 1999 former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler made lewd anti-gay gestures during a game toward Graeme Le Saux, who was playing for Chelsea. Le Saux, who is straight, was labeled a homosexual by many simply because he used to read the left-leaning Guardian newspaper. On Thursday,, in the wake of Hitzlspergers announcement, Fowler took to Twitter to express regret and apologize for his actions of nearly 15 years ago. Jake Beckley Jersey. "Getting a bit of stick for something that happened when I was a kid, naive and immature..Ive apologised to (at)graemelesaux14, he accepted," wrote Fowler, who has retired from football and become a television commentator. "Obviously embarrassed looking back, but sadly cannot change what happened, you learn from mistakes growing up, and that I have." Jason Collins, a former NBA player, came out last year and was regarded as the first active openly gay player in one of the big American sports. Like Hitzlsperger, Collins announcement was met mainly with praise, rather than abuse. Arjen Robben, the Dutchman who was a key player in leading the Netherlands to the World Cup final in 2010, downplayed stereotypes that athletes are scared to come out because they fear reprisals from teammates in the locker room. "Hes gay, and?" Robben said at a Bayern Munich practice session in Doha, Qatar. "I think its quite normal and natural. I can also say here, Im heterosexual. I dont see a problem." FIFA, the governing body of football around the world, acknowledged that there is still work to be done within the game itself. "Unfortunately, prejudices still exist within football," FIFA said in a statement. "FIFA is working hard to tackle these and hopes Thomass statements will encourage greater respect and understanding in football and beyond." Last February, American player Robbie Rogers declared he was gay as he announced his retirement. Rogers, now 26, has returned to action with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Former English player Justin Fashanu, who played for Norwich and Nottingham Forest, was the first football player to say openly that he was gay, in 1990. He committed suicide eight years later at age 37. Swedish defender Anton Hysen came out in 2011. "I dont know if football is such a homophobic environment. People just speculate this would be the case," Hitzlsperger told the BBC. "Since we havent seen a gay footballer in the Premier League or the Bundesliga, its hard to say that this would happen. We would have to wait and see." ' ' '

@bardown pic. Replica Yeezy .twitter.com/xBTpoAKLJk — Daryl Zerr (@darylzerr) May 29, 2014 @BarDown I give to you the @SquirrelsNCHL aka the Fighting Squirels... Yes those are numbers on the socks pic.twitter.com/tvzfRETOdI — Winnipeg Whiteout (@WPG_Whiteout) May 29, 2014 @BarDown Team Cookie Monsters! pic.twitter.com/KM6lW2Czsz — Kris Kinash (@KrisKinash) May 29, 2014 @BarDown here is my beer league team jersey. Called the Fake Chows...what do ya think? pic.twitter.com/m7O1FDy2Ye — Chad Scharff (@ChadScharff) May 29, 2014 Summer Ball Hockey team: The Lenny and Carls @BarDown pic.twitter.com/eSvv57Kju8 — Zack Schipper (@ZackSchipper) May 29, 2014 @BarDown pic.twitter.com/Fwxmqr1j6D — Cleats (@Cleats31) May 29, 2014 @BarDown #jagrbombs pic.twitter.com/B2fRtK3ahh — CoLo88 (@Colo1288) May 29, 2014 @BarDown The Eh Team pic.twitter.com/hfWfBt6y0J — The Eh Team (@peskyehteam) May 29, 2014 @BarDown How about these beauties? pic.twitter.com/URor7sLnBC — TJ Smith (@TJSmith803) May 29, 2014 @BarDown My beer league teams jerseys are the bomb pic.twitter.com/dP6k1AHjTy — Adam Cote (@AdamC66) May 29, 2014 Yeezy 700 Outlet . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Cheap Yeezy From China . As deep as their roster is, they need their superstar. Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 on Monday.RENTON, Wash. -- Wide receiver Percy Harvin is returning to practice for the Seattle Seahawks after missing the first seven weeks of the regular season following hip surgery. The Seahawks made the announcement on Monday. The team is not scheduled to practice until Tuesday following last Thursdays win over Arizona. Harvin has been on the physically unable to perform list all season after surgery too repair the labrum in his hip in early August. Yeezy Shoes. Seattle now has three weeks to add Harvin to the active roster. He could play as soon as next Monday at St. Louis and the latest Harvin could return would be Week 11 against Minnesota. Seattle traded a trio of draft picks, including its first round pick in the 2013 draft, to the Vikings in exchange for the speedy Harvin. ' ' '

BAD GASTEIN, Austria -- Sara Errani made a successful transition from grass to clay with a straight-sets win over Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic at the Gastein Ladies on Tuesday, three days after winning the doubles title at Wimbledon with fellow Italian Roberta Vinci. Byron Scott Lakers Jersey . The 14th-ranked Errani, who was seeded second, saved five of six break points against her serve to defeat Siniakova 6-3, 6-2. Errani, who next plays Paula Ormaechea of Argentina, is the highest ranked player left in the event after top-seeded Flavia Pennetta pulled out injured on Monday. Earlier, defending champion Yvonne Meusburger edged Tereza Smitkova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (9), 4-6, 7-5 to reach the second round. The sixth-seeded Austrian won four straight games from 5-3 down in the final set to close out the victory. The 99th-ranked Smitkova led 30-0 while serving for the match at 5-4 but failed to score another point in the game. Also, No. 3 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain defeated Laura Siegemund of Germany 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4; No. 4 and 2009 champion Andrea Petkovic of Germany beat Jana Cepelova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (8), 7-5; No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine downed Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria 6-1, 6-4; and No. 7 Camila Giorgi of Italy defeated last years finalist, Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-3. Anthony Davis Lakers Jersey . He spent the rest of the game making up for lost playing time. Green scored a career-high 36 points, including eight in overtime, and the Phoenix Suns beat Denver 112-107 on Tuesday night to hand the Nuggets their fifth consecutive loss. Kostas Antetokounmpo Jersey . According to USA Today the Finns have tapped forwards Jarkko Immonen and Sakari Salminen to replace injured forwards Mikko Koivu and Valtteri Filppula at the Sochi Games.MIAMI - San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt will go on either the seven-day or 15-day disabled list because of a concussion. Belt was struck by a ball in the face while fielding during batting practice Saturday. Tests Sunday confirmed the concussion, manager Bruce Bochhy said. Jared Dudley Lakers Jersey. Infielder Adam Duvall will likely be recalled from Triple-A Fresno, Bochy said. Belt was to fly with the Giants to Philadelphia, where they begin a four-game series Monday. He missed 50 games because of a broken left thumb before returning July 5. ' ' '

TSN football analyst Chris Schultz is back with his Week 3 selections in the NFL in Risky Business. Yeezy 700 Sale . With a record of 12-20, Week 3 starts off with the Thursday nighter between the Buccaneers and Falcons plus Schultz has his pick for the Super Bowl rematch between the Broncos and Seahawks. Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-6.5) The Bucs could be without three starting defensive lineman when they face Matt Ryan in Atlanta. Adrian Clayborn is out for year, Gerald McCoy has a broken hand and Michael Johnson (ankle) is on a short week. Plus middle linebacker Mason Foster has a shoulder problem. The Falcons must improve the run defence as Cincinnati ran for 171 last time out but the Bucs right now with limited offensive line personel are not a dominant run team. One fact I will remember as the weeks go on for Falcon Football: the Falcons have experienced seven straight road losses including five last year. Next outdoor road game is at the Giants on Oct. 5. Finally for Atlanta, Devin Hester has been rejuvenated this year as a kick returner and receiver. Should be a lot of points but a home, short week and the Bucs coming off a loss to Rams rookie Austin Davis? Atlanta covers 6.5. Washington at Philadelphia (-6.5) Eagles win but because it is divisional I dont like the points. What a big opportunity for Kirk Cousins. Another mans adversity is truly a chance of a lifetime for the next player. Theres a lot of talk that Cousins fits what Jay Gruden wants to do on offence and this game - if Washington wins - may crystallize that fact as true. Tackling is so important in this one for both teams but especially for Washington. The combination of McCoy and Sproles is as good as it gets especially on screen passes. Cousins gets the reps at practice with RG3 out, and that could make a big difference. Washington. Houston (-2.5) at NY Giants Really surprised it is only 2.5 for Houston. The Texans have allowed only 6 and 14 points this season and are averaging 40 rushes a game led by Arian Foster. Ryan Fitzpatrick is doing exactly what he is supposed to do, avoid mistakes. No interceptions in two games and a 68 per cent completion success rate. Houston is very good on third down, while the Giants are next to last in third down efficiency. Houston. Minnesota at New Orleans (-9.5) I could not see the Saints going 0-2 last week but they did in losing to Cleveland 26-24. Now I cant see them going 0-3. If last year becomes this year the Saints should roll at home. Last year New Orleans lost five consecutive games outdoors, but were 8-0 at home and scored less than 30 points only twice. The Patriots held Minnesota to seven points right in Minnesota and the Saints have a lot of pressure to improve defensively fast. Nine-and-a-half is a lot but New Orleans has to win and will want to dominate throughout. Saints cover. Tennessee at Cincinnati (-7) The Bengals have been impressive. Two impressive wins over Baltimore and Atlanta makes for the first 2-0 start for them in eight years. To hold the Falcons to 10 points, and three points in the first 51 minutes is a special accomplishment. The big unknown is the health reality of AJ Green at receiver. Even if he plays, will he have the same burst as before and the same leaping ability? Another key will be if the Bengals get off to a quick start it will force Jake Locker to win the game. In Week 1 he was up to the challenge, Week 2 not as much. This is a good pass offence in Cincinnati against a good pass defence in Tennessee, but then that means more Giovani Bernard. Bengals. Baltimore (-1) at Cleveland Im not a Browns believer just yet. Very impressive win for them against New Orleans and after two games it is Brian Hoyer who has yet to throw an interception after 139 passes. After all the Manziel/Hoyer talk this is Hoyers team. For Baltimore the competitive style of Steve Smith makes the Ravens a focused and better team. Both teams are very confident but history says Ravens over Browns in Cleveland by three points. Ravens. Green Bay at Detroit (-1.5) The Packers have played two very good defences in Seattle and the Jets. Detroit up front is good but their back four is a concern. This game for me has the two best quarterback-to-receiver combinations in one game. First Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson is good for 19 yards per catch, on average. Then Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson in Green Bay is good for 16 yards per catch. But Detroit was shut down by Carolina last week 24-7 so even though they are immensely talented that Lion offence can be dominated. There should be a lot of points in this game and as much as playing in Ford Field enhances the chances for the Lions, the Packers can use it to their advantage too. Packers. Indianapolis (-7) at Jacksonville The one aspect of football the Colts do not have is pass rush. It was so obvious against Philadelphia as Nick Foles had all day to find receivers and make plays. The Eagles also did a good "A Gap" blitz job on Andrew Luck over and over again. Will Jacksonville try to duplicate? The Colts have played two great offences in Philadelphia and Denver, allowing 30 and 31 points respectively. This week will be a lot easier and Jacksonville will be without Marcedes Lewis at tight end. Last year the Colts ourscored the Jags 64-13 over two games, and this is a must-win for the Colts to avoid 0-3. Colts by 10 to cover. Oakland at New England (-14) The Raiders have scored 14 against the Jets and 14 against the Texans. As an offence Derek Carr is learning on the go in his rookie year. The other concern is that Oakland against Houston had three yards, the Texans had 150. The Patriots ran the football extremely well and Oakland has allowed on average 200 rushing yards in two games. Its west to east for the Raiders and they have to deal with a home opener in New England. Patriots dominate by 17 and cover. San Francisco (-3) at Arizona There is no doubt that the Arizona Cardinals have closed the gap of respectability between themselves and Seattle and San Francisco. But history is on the side of the 49ers. Only one time has Arizona beaten San Francisco in the last 10 head-to-head games and three of the last four have been by double digits. But I like the look in the eye of Colin Kaepernick after throwing critical game-determining interceptions in the 28-20 loss to the Bears. I anticipate he will come back and play a lot better this week. The Cardinals are sitting fat and happy at 2-0 and are the NFC West division leaders. Not the 49ers, they are frustrated and urgent which is a good preparation mind set here in Week 3. The Bears, believe it or not, shut down the 49ers run game in the second half last week. That will be a point of pride for San Francisco this week. Overall if San Francisco beat Chicago last week I think Arizona wins. But they didnt so 49ers by 4. San Francisco. San Diego at Buffalo (-2) Have to admit, it was an impressive win by the Bills over Miami, 29-10. And now it is California-comfortable San Diego travelling to Buffalos uncomfortable Ralph Wilson Stadium, west to east and a 1pm eastern kickoff. The Bills special teams blocked a punt and produced five field goals and returned a kick for a touchdown, an amazing day. How did San Diego beat the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks? Lots of reasons but the biggest one to me was the Chargers had the ball for 42 minutes and 15 seconds last week, tougher to do on the road. Everything fell into place for San Diego last week, will not be so easy this week. Buffalo covers the 2, Bills. Dallas (-1) at St. Louis Both teams rebounded from exceptionally poor performances in Week 1 to great games in Week 2. After 167 yards by DeMarco Murray the Cowboys know the pass run ration should be 2 to 1 over the length of a game, that was proven last week. For the Rams, Austin Davis has been a pure surprise at quarterback. So far in two games he has completed 73 per cent of his passes and he started the season as the teams third-best quarterback. I have to go with the NFLs top rusher over a third-game starter. Cowboys. Denver at Seattle (-4.5) The worst thing that could have happened for Denver was to have Seattle play this game after a loss. San Diego ran 75 plays to Seattles 40 and 35 more plays for an opponent is a staggeringly high number. Similar for Denver as it was Kansas City that ran 75 plays to 46 for Denver and late in the game KC could have tied it up. Denver is a better team than the one that lost by 35 in the Super Bowl, but Seattle at home coming off a loss I think is too much for even Denver to handle again. Sattle re-establishes NFL superiority. Seattle. Kansas City at Miami (-4.5) The Dolphins were beat by the Bills due to a blocked field punt and a kick return for a touchdown. It should not happen again. For KC they had 28 first downs to Denvers 19 and could have beaten Denver in Denver. They have big-time injuries to Jamaal Charles on offence and Eric Berry on defence, but the key issue for the Chiefs will be pass protection and pass rush. Field goal game is a logical conclusion. Chiefs. Pittsburgh at Carolina (-3.5) Carolina on defence has picked up from where they left off from last year, as one of the best. And they may have the best middle linebacker in all of football in Luke Kuechly. Last week he had 11 tackles and one of the best pass defending middle linebackers in all of football. On offence Cam Newton is a younger Ben Roethlisberger, last week seven different receivers caught passes. The Steelers are coming off Thursday night football so they had 10 days in between games but will need a big game from LeVeon Bell. Kuechly will be waiting. Ill take defence over offence on Sunday Night Football. Carolina. Chicago at NY Jets (-2.5) Geno Smith has been impressive. Considering this is only his second season he is way ahead of where he was at this time last year. For the Bears, to be down 17 at one point and come back and win by eight was impressive. Alshon Jeffery will be healthier but the Bears have starters out at cornerback, safety and maybe defensive tackle. Just like the game against the 49ers, there will be too much perimeter talent for the Jets to handle for four quarters. Bears. Sneakers Sale . Wheeler scored two goals, including the winner, as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4 on Friday in a game that featured a seven-goal first period. Air Jordan 1 Sale .com) - Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending May 11.Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The following is a list of inactive players for tonights game. ATLANTA FALCONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS, 8:30 PM (ET) Atlanta - None Green Bay - LB Carl Bradford, DT Bruce Gaston, C Garth Gerhart, WR Jeff Janis, LB Jamari Lattimore, TE Justin Perillo, QB Scott Tolzien ' ' '

CLEVELAND -- Anthony Bennetts rough rookie season hit a new bump. Lakers Jerseys 2020 . The Cavaliers first-year forward will miss at least three weeks with a strained left knee, the latest setback for the No. 1 overall pick who has been a major disappointment for Cleveland. Bennett underwent an MRI on Sunday that showed a strain to his left patellar tendon. He played eight minutes in Saturdays home loss to the New York Knicks. The injury is another obstacle for Bennett, who has shown some improvement lately and signs of developing into a rotational player. "Hes been coming along," Cavs coach Mike Brown said following practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "Hes had some pretty good games for us on both ends of the floor. So its tough with the amount of time left in the season, but its part of this." The Cavs expected to endure some growing pains with Bennett, who played just one season at UNLV. The Canadian came into training camp overweight after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder and then it was learned he suffers from asthma, seasonal allergies and sleep apnea. Bennett has appeared lost at times on the floor, and it hasnt helped that hes put added pressure on himself trying to live up to being the top pick. Through it all, Bennett has continued to work hard and there have been flashes of the 6-foot-8, 260-pounders immense talent and potential. The Cavs will likely take a cautious approach with Bennett, and unless they move themselves into playoff position, its possible his season could be over. Bennetts averaging only 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13 minutes per game. Also, Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving was sick and missed practice Monday. Hes not expected to miss any time and should be able to travel with the team, which begins a crucial three-game road trip on Wednesday in Phoenix. The Cavs are running out of time to get back into the playoff mix. They enter the week tied with the Knicks in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, 3 1-2 games behind Atlanta for the eighth post-season spot. After facing the Suns, the Cavs will visit Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers. Next week, the Cavs travel to Miami, Oklahoma City and Houston. The good news is that theyre getting healthier. Centre Anderson Varejao returned to the lineup Saturday after missing 12 games with a back issue and his minutes will likely increase over the next few games, Brown said. The Cavs will also have swingman C.J. Miles back in their rotation after he missed nine games with a sprained ankle. Owner Dan Gilbert vowed his team would be back in the playoffs for the first time since 2010, but that pledge wont happen if the Cavs dont start stringing wins together. On their last West Coast trip, they went 3-2 and played with confidence that carried them for several weeks. "We need to play well, obviously with where were sitting," Brown said. "Im looking forward to it and I think the guys are, too. Hopefully well do what were capable of and come back feeling good about ourselves." Vlade Divac Jersey . General manager David Poile called signing Ribeiro a great opportunity to add a talented, experienced and creative centre Tuesday when he introduced the veteran at a news conference. Ribeiros contract is worth $1.05 million after being bought out of the final three years of a $22 million contract by the Coyotes recently. Adrian Dantley Jersey . The 23-year-old Poland international is back as first choice at Arsenal after losing his regular spot in the team on occasions over the last three seasons.The Montreal Alouettes have parted ways with Arland Bruce III. The veteran wide receiver, who has played 12 seasons in the CFL, spent last year with the Als after stints with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and B.C. Lions. In his only season with Montreal, Bruce caught 64 passes for 851 yard and five touchdowns. According to TSNs Farhan Lalji, Bruce suggested he may retire. The 36-year-old Bruce made headlines earlier this month when he went to his Instagram account to make anti-gay remarks in regards to Missouri defensive end Michael Sams announcement that he is gay. The team fined Bruce for his comments. "Our organization supports all types of diversity," said Alouettes general manager Jim Popp at the time. "Every individual is unique and free to make his or her own choices. We evaluate players, coaches and support staff based on their skill set and not by gender, collour, religion or sexual orientation. Adrian Dantley Lakers Jersey. The Montreal Alouettes have a simple criteria to determine who can be a member of our organization. We seek individuals who will make a positive contribution to our team goals and to the Montreal community." Though the comments certainly didnt endear Bruce to Als management, they werent cited as a reason for his release. Bruces high salary considerations and the fact that Montreal and new head coach Tom Higgins would like to start two Canadians at wide receiver this year were the two main factors in his release. "The Alouettes would like to thank Arland for his hard work and contributions last season," Popp said in a statement on Wednesday evening. "Through the challenges we faced, he played multiple roles on game day and came to work every day with the determination to win. We wish Arland the best in his future endeavours." ' ' '

The Toronto Maple Leafs "stumbled on" Connor Brown a few years ago and are pleased with their discovery. Fake Nike Air Max Replica . The Erie Otters captain was named the Ontario Hockey Leagues most outstanding player for 2013-14 on Tuesday. Brown led the league in scoring and set a franchise record with 45 goals and 83 assists in 68 games. Chosen near the bottom of both his OHL and NHL drafts, the 20-year-old Toronto forward has played himself into a strong pro prospect. He was the 251st pick out of 301 players four years ago in the OHL draft. The Leafs chose him in the sixth round, 156th overall, in 2012. His buddy Matt Finn, captain of the Guelph Storm and a fellow Leafs prospect, recently said "With Connor, its always been about proving people wrong." But Brown says his motivation is more about the pursuit of his dream than spite. "I definitely dont think much has come easy, being late picks in both drafts," he acknowledged during a conference call. "Its just more incentive to work hard. "I think I wanted to work hard not to prove people wrong, but I know I needed to work harder to have a shot at signing an NHL contract and having a shot at making the NHL one day." Brown has signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Leafs. He caught their eye in 2011 when scouts went to Erie, Pa., to evaluate Leafs prospect Sondre Olden. "Each time we went down to watch this Maple Leaf pick, wed stumble on Connor Brown," Leafs director of player Jim Hughes said. "Erie was having a difficult year and the scores, the deficits, never changed Connors desire, never changed his moods during the course of the game. "He was always focused and it didnt matter if he was winning 5-1 or losing 5-1, his personality never changed. He always played for the love of the game. He always played with passion. We obviously have big plans for Connor moving forward." Brown led Erie to the best season in its 18-year history with 52 wins and 106 points. The Otters lost this years Western Conference final to Guelph in five games. Brown had eight goals and 10 assists in 14 playoff games. The five-foot-11 170-pound right-winger is currently practising with Torontos American Hockey League team -- the Marlies -- at the MasterCard Centre. He intends to spend most of the summer there building strength and working on his skating skills with former Canadian pairs figure skater Barb Underhill. Hughes says Brown needs time to develop "man-strength." "Come September, I think my game and my physical state, I think Ill be ready to play with better and stronger players," Brown said. Brown is the first Otter to win the OHL scoring title and the second to earn the Red Tilson Trophy as league MVP after Brad Boyes in both 2001 and 2002. The trophy is named in honour of Albert (Red) Tilson, who was a former Oshawa General killed in action during the Second World War. Brown led the league in power-play points with 54 and carried a plus-minus of plus-44 through the regular season. In a poll of Western Conference coaches, he was voted the best in a shootout, second in penalty killing and third in the smartest player category. "Whoever is preparing to play hockey anywhere, will not outwork Connor Brown and his will to prepare," Otters general manager Sherry Bassin said. "Whatever work ethic is necessary, whatever that measurement is, hell do more." Media members vote on the award and Brown was the clear winner with 321 points tabulated from 80 ballots. Oshawa Generals centre Scott Laughton was the runner-up with 120 points and top NHL draft prospect Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs was third with 68. Previous winners include New York Islanders forward John Tavares (Oshawa, 2007), Nashville Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis (Windsor, 2011) and Florida Panthers defenceman Brian Campbell (Ottawa, 1999). Vincent Trochek, the centre who won the award last year with the Plymouth Whalers, split this past season between the Panthers and their AHL team in San Antonio, Texas. Brown is the OHLs candidate for the Canadian Hockey Leagues player of the year. Hell be up against Sam Reinhart of the Western Hockey Leagues Kootenay Ice and Anthony Mantha of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues Val-dOr Foreurs. The winner will be announced May 24 during the MasterCard Memorial Cup in London, Ont. Wholesale Nike Air Max From China . - Defensive end-linebacker Mike Neal apparently is returning to the Packers. Discount Nike Air Max Wholesale . -- Adrian Peterson remained in a walking boot to treat a high ankle sprain on his left leg on Wednesday, and coach Leslie Frazier said he will not play on Sunday against Atlanta if he cant hit the practice field in the next two days.NEW YORK, N.Y. - John Wall is fast and flashy, a showman who practices 360-degree layups and then pulls them off in games.And when he gets pushed, he pushes back.Wall had 24 points and 11 assists, eluding the Knicks all day until getting knocked to the floor by a flagrant foul that sparked an altercation, and the Washington Wizards beat New York 102-91 on Thursday.Wall toyed with the Knicks for 3 1/2 quarters, highlighted by his spinning layup, before Quincy Acy knocked him down with a forearm shove with 5:31 to play. Wall got up and pushed Acy, who responded with what appeared to be a punch that hit Wall behind the neck. Acy was ejected in the Christmas Day dust-up, and Wall received a technical foul.Im just a feisty guy that likes to compete, Wall said. And I want to win games.Washington won this one easily, leading by as many as 22 and never trailing. Bradley Beal added 17 points for the Wizards, who had their top five of Wall, Beal, Paul Pierce, Nene and Marcin Gortat in the starting lineup for the first time this season.We came out with a lot of energy, ready to go from the start, Beal said, and its just going to continue to get better and better as the season goes on.Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points for the Knicks, who fell to 5-26 and have the most losses in the NBA. They have dropped six straight and 16 of 17.The fans are dying. Were dying. Were out there not producing, Anthony said.Wall was dazzling in what could be a warmup for a trip to Madison Square Garden for the February All-Star game. He was the leading vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards when the first returns of fan balloting were released earlier Thursday.He might expand that lead after a national TV audience got to see him make 10 of 17 shots, the prettiest his layup where he spun completely around in the air before scooping it in.Acy found a way to slow him down, though he denied he threw a punch or did much else to warrant punishment.I mean, its jusst a foul and he got up and reacted, Acy said. Cheap Nike Air Max Outlet. Wall largely shrugged it off after the game.Like we always say: If you dont like physicality, go play golf, Pierce said.The Wizards avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season. They have won five in a row against the hapless Knicks, who had Amare Stoudemire back in the lineup after he missed two games. J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert remained out.New York fell to 22-28 in a league-high 50 Christmas appearances.Knicks President Phil Jackson tried to tell Knicks fans better times were ahead with a couple of holiday Twitter postings, in which he wrote, Please be assured your hopes and wishes are getting through to Santa. He will bring you a better 2015 than 14.Maybe, but first Washington added to this years misery.After a pregame moment of silence for Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, the police officers who were shot to death Saturday, the Wizards made their first four attempts and raced to an 11-2 lead.TIP-INSWizards: The Wizards are 15-7 on Christmas. It was their first time playing on the holiday since a loss to Cleveland in 2008. ... Washington is 10-3 in December.Knicks: Madison Square Gardens Garden of Dreams Foundation gave the Curtis family of South Salem, New York, a new car Thursday morning. Knicks centre Samuel Dalembert presented the 2015 Kia Soul to the family, which has struggled since Maria Curtis was involved in a car accident last spring, leaving her without transportation to take her three sons to music classes. The Garden of Dreams is also paying the insurance for the first two years.PRACTICE MAKES PERFECTWalls spinning shot wasnt just something he made up: Its something I practice all the time, so its pretty fun, he said. I was happy to pull it off. In the Garden, cant get no better.UP NEXTWizards: Host Boston on Saturday.Knicks: Visit Sacramento on Saturday.___Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney ' ' '

Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork. Air Max 270 Economiche .com) - Linebacker Junior Seau, pass rusher Charles Haley, running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Tim Brown and guard Will Shields are among the newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The class of 2015 was announced Saturday night, with eight ticketed for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. Bill Polian, Ron Wolf and center Mick Tingelhoff were also elected. Seau, who committed suicide in 2012, was one of the best linebackers of his era and earned election in his first year of eligibility. He played two decades with three teams and made 12 Pro Bowls. The 1992 defensive player of the year registered 56 1/2 sacks during his career and helped lead San Diego to its lone Super Bowl appearance in franchise history following the 1994 season. Haley, who played defensive end and linebacker, is the only player in NFL history to play on five Super Bowl title teams during his 12-year career from 1986-99, which included a two-year retirement, with San Francisco and Dallas. The five-time Pro Bowl pick finished with 100 1/2 career sacks and was a member of 10 division championship teams. He was in his 11th year of eligibility. Nicknamed The Bus, Bettis was one of the leagues most powerful running backs with six Pro Bowl selections. He ran for over 1,000 yards eight times and ranked fifth all-time in career rushing yards with 13,662 at the time of his retirement. He retired after helping Pittsburgh win Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan following the 2005 season. The 1993 offensive rookie of the year with the Rams, Bettis was in his fifth year of eligibility. Brown, a finalist for the sixth time in as many years of eligibility, was the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and a star receiver/kick returner with the Raiders and Buccaneers from 1988-2004. He set Raiders franchise records for receptions, receiving yards and punt return yards. His 14,934 receiving yards at the time of his retirement were second-most in NFL history. Shields, in his fourth year of eligibility and a finalist, never missed a game during his 14 years with Kansas City from 1993-2006. His 224 games, including 223 starts, are franchise records. He earned 12 straight Pro Bowl berths and helped the Chiefs to four division titles with two other playoff appearances. Polian and Wolf, the architects of Super Bowl teams, were voted in as contributors. Polian spent 32 seasons in the NFL during which time he developed a reputation for constructing franchises into strong playoff teams. The Buffalo Bills earned three straight Super Bowl berths in the early 1990s with Polian as general manager. He was also the GM of the expansion Carolina Panthers, building a roster that reached the NFC title game in the franchises second year of existence. Polian then moved on to become president and general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, who made two Super Bowl appearances and won a title during his tenure. Wolf began his pro football career as a scout for the Raiders in 1963 and spent 23 seasons with the franchise in the personnel department, helping the club to nine division titles during his tenure from 1963-74 and 79-89. He was the general manager of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-79 and was also the GM of the Packers from 1991-2001, helping restore Green Bays glory with Super Bowl appearances in 1996 and 97 and one title. Tingelhoff, the only seniors nominee among this years finalists, never missed a game in 17 seasons with the Vikings from 1962-78. A six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time First-Team All-Pro, Tingelhoff started all 240 games he played and appeared in 19 postseason games, including four Super Bowls. The class will be inducted on Aug. 8. Among the players and coaches who did not make the cut Saturday were kicker Morten Andersen, coach Don Coryell, running back Terrell Davis, coach Tony Dungy, linebacker/defensive end Kevin Greene, wide receiver Marvin Harrison, coach Jimmy Johnson, safety John Lynch, tackle Orlando Pace and quarterback Kurt Warner. Air Max 95 In Offerta . Rockhold." Known as an aggressive striker, Belfort (23-10) instead paced himself as the engaged in the early going and showed restraint by not overcommitting against the larger Rockhold (10-2). But when the opportunity presented itself, Belfort delivered an incredible spinning heel kick that landed flush on Rockholds chin and sent him toppling to the floor. Air Max 720 Scontate Outlet . A fully booked flight forced me to leave two hours later.  After a nice meal in which I studied the stats of the Argo win, I prepared to leave the restaurant. As I was gathering my things to leave many large individuals began to walk up and wait for tables.TORONTO - Kyle Lowry laid flat in the centre of the key, hands on his head as he stared straight up at the top of the Air Canada Centre, likely seeing nothing at all, having just missed the biggest shot of his eight-year career. Although, technically it was not a shot. With their season on the line, the ball was in Lowrys hands, deservedly so. The clock showed 6.2 seconds as the Raptors inbounded, trailing by only one in the dying moments of a deciding Game 7. Jason Kidd and his Nets team had little doubt the ball would find Lowry. The star point guard caught the pass, with Deron Williams draped all over him, and went straight toward the rim as Kevin Garnett came over to trap. Lowry split the two defenders and floated a shot up at the basket just as Paul Pierce entered the fray in time to block it. As the buzzer sounded, putting an end to Torontos magical season, Lowry - the teams heart and soul - fell to the court. What was going through his head? "Whats not?" he shot back. DeMar DeRozan was the first one to come over. Crouching over the sprawled out Lowry, DeRozan offered up some words of encouragement. "He said, If anyone is taking that shot, Im living and dying with you taking it and trying to get that shot off," Lowry recounted after the Raptors heartbreaking 104-103 Game 7 loss. "It was one of those things, a brotherly moment." DeRozan helped the point guard up and the Raptors two best players walked off the court - Lowry with his jersey over his face - to a rousing ovation from their appreciative fans. "It was big time," Amir Johnson said of the scene. "Just them showing their appreciation, how well we did this season and how hard we worked. So it was a sad moment but bittersweet, I guess." The Raptors couldnt hide their disappointment after falling just short of advancing to the Conference Semifinals Sunday afternoon, it was written all over their faces, but they have no reason to hang their heads. The sellout ACC crowd stood and chanted in salute of their team, the game - however frustrating - served as a good reminder of why. With five minutes left, the Raptors appeared dead in the water. Frustrated and coming undone in the moment, down 10, their season was on life support but, like hes done so many times before, Dr. Lowry refused to let them die. Lowry scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the final quarter and the Raptors came storming back. That resiliency has been their most admirable quality all year. They had led the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring differential, earning 11 comeback wins, eight more than the season prior. "Were going to fight until our last breath," said DeRozan after scoring 18 points, playing with the flu, as Casey revealed following the game. "Were going to leave it out there, every single thing we have there on the court. Air Max 90 Scontate Uomo. " "We battled," added Johnson, who recorded his first playoff double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. "I would go to war with these guys any day and they showed a lot of pride and a lot of heart tonight. We just ran out of time." Lowry and his unwavering resolve have a lot to do with the teams late-game tenacity and so, with their season in the balance, they had no qualms with letting him decide their fate. "That young man did everything he could to get to the basket," Casey said of Lowry on the final possession. It was what they had drew up, Lowry going to the rim, though it was a slight variation of what was intended, with poor spacing that ultimately led to the blocked shot. "He tried to will his way to get that extra point." One point separated the teams Sunday and after 11 meetings - in the regular season and playoffs - Toronto and Brooklyn each scored 1,070 points. The series was as close as they come. "We were right there," Casey pointed out, and if a few calls from another highly critiqued officiating crew went their way they may have pulled it out. But in the end, the Nets were the better team Sunday and that was the case, more often than not, throughout the series. Joe Johnson - the best player on either side over the seven-game span - proved un-guardable again, scoring half of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, while the Raptors youth and inexperience continued to rear its head. Although Terrence Ross turned in his best game of the series, securing the steal that made Torontos final possession possible, the bar had been set low. Fellow sophomore Jonas Valanciunas scored just three points to go along with five rebounds in one of the quietest outings of his brief career. As a team, the Raptors wanted to go further, they believed they were ready and came just one play short of proving it. Even after the loss, with their season now over, the progress theyve made does not go to waste. Three of their starters had never appeared in a playoff game. Only four players on their roster had ever experienced a Game 7, no one has emerged victorious from one. This experience is invaluable and can only serve them well, both individually and as a collective, going forward. "Im proud of our guys," Casey said. "Nobody gave them a snowballs chance in you know where to be here. They competed all year. This group has a lot of stuff in front of them, a lot of basketball in front of them. The organization is in a great spot." "This playoff run is nothing but positive for these young men and anyone that thinks any different doesnt know basketball." ' ' '