he failed to compete on Tuesday just the same, ch from corse178's blog
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. Howard Wilson Jersey . -- When Michael (Pinball) Clemons speaks, the Toronto Argonauts listen. The clubs former head coach and current vice-chair delivered an animated 10-minute address to the team following Fridays practice as the Argonauts prepare to host the Edmonton Eskimos. Toronto (4-2) enters Sundays game tops in the CFL East Division and riding a three-game winning streak, while Edmonton (1-5) limps into Rogers Centre in the West basement. Its not the first time Clemons, a star Toronto running back on the field and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame off it, has spoken to the Argonauts while a member of the clubs front office. He stood up in front of the team during a losing streak last season and again prior to the Argonauts victory in the 100th Grey Cup. So why have Pinball attend an already spirited practice ahead of a mid-August game against a team tied for last in the league? "I was fortunate to have a surprise visitor and hes always welcome," Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich said coyly before adding: "Pinball played here, coached here and hes a lifetime Argo -- and then also the best speaker Ive ever been around. Hes one of us and the players feel like hes one of them, and he is. "To have such a dynamic speaker who they feel is part of the family, its just another voice." Argonauts defensive tackle Kalif Mitchell is in his first season with Toronto but sees the value in what Clemons has to offer. "It gives us a perspective of somebody whos not playing, but played the game and also understands how the game should be played," Mitchell said. "He gives it to us raw. He never gives it to us sugarcoated." One treat for the Argonauts so far in 2013 has been the play of veteran quarterback Ricky Ray. The 33-year-old former Eskimos pivot, who has missed one game with a knee injury, is third in CFL passing with 1,355 yards and second in touchdowns with 11, to go along with zero interceptions. But while Ray has completed 34-of-38 passes for 438 yards with five TDs in his last two starts, he and his teammates are taking nothing for granted against the Eskimos. "The challenge when youre playing well and winning football games is to not let up and start going through the motions and think that were playing good right now and well show up for gametime," said Ray, who joined Toronto after a trade with Edmonton before last season. "Weve still got to do the things that have gotten us to this point, which is practise hard, study, and pay attention to all those little details." With a game against the Calgary Stampeders (5-1 heading into Saturdays game against the B.C. Lions) on deck next week, the Argos could be excused for looking past an Edmonton team that will be minus last seasons outstanding defensive player J.C. Sherritt, who is out indefinitely after thumb surgery. But the Eskimos come in off their bye week following close losses of five points to the Montreal Alouettes and one point to Hamilton Tiger-Cats. "We respect all of our opponents not matter what their record is. We just make sure that when we go out we carry ourselves to a certain expectation and a certain standard," Mitchell said. "Every game, no matter what the records or where youve been, the score starts 0-0." Edmontons offence, although last in the CFL, has produced 25.6 points per game in its three previous outings. "Its just about us just going out and playing football. Theres a lot of noise and stuff thats going to surround a 1-5 team. We just have to go play football," Edmonton head coach Kavis Reed said this week. "Theres no extra stress that we can add to ourselves. Thats not good for this football team. We have to be focused on execution and thats simply it." While the Eskimos are without their heart and soul on defence, the Argnonauts have done well to plug holes on an offence that has seen injuries at all of the skill positions. Ray missed one game with a knee injury, starting running back Chad Kackert is out long term with a knee injury of his own and receiver Dontrelle Inman has been out with a leg injury. Inman has been taking first-team reps this week at practice and Milanovich said hes "hopeful" he will be good to go against Edmonton. Inmans impending return makes for a complicated situation at receiver because of the strong play of rookie John Chiles, who caught two TDs in Torontos victory over Montreal last week. In the backfield, the Argos could have a different starting running back for the third time in four games. After Kackert went down, Curtis Steele played well but picked up a groin injury in last weeks victory over Montreal. If Steele cant go or is limited on Sunday, former NFLer Quinn Porter will likely come off the practice roster. Torontos depth on offence, which includes backup quarterback Zach Collaros three-touchdown debut in place of the injured Ray in Week 5, has been impressive in the early going of 2013. "Well never make excuses. We believe in the guys that are here," Milanovich said. "Weve been very fortunate that the guys that have got their chance have played well." Britton Colquitt Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Seth DeValve Jersey . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-jim-brown-jersey .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Eddie Alvarez didnt know what hit him.The crowd at Madison Square Garden yelled and cheered as Alvarez absorbed blow after blow with a stunned look on his face. Conor McGregor verbally lashed out as only he can do, and all of a sudden the main event of UFC 205 became a reality -- and Alvarez clearly wasnt ready.Thanks to his unique ability to sell fights with his mouth by going deep inside the head of his opponents, its not out of the question to believe a fight against the UFC featherweight champion McGregor begins at the moment the contract is signed. If you consider Tuesdays wild UFC 205 news conference in New York as a de facto first round of McGregors main event against the lightweight champion Alvarez, it would be difficult to score it as anything other than a clear victory for the Irish superstar.McGregor (20-3) seemed right at home as the centerpiece of the UFCs long-awaited debut in New York City and produced some of his finest work in terms of talking trash toward anyone who got in his way, from Alvarez (28-4), to Nov. 12 undercard fighters Donald Cerrone and Jeremy Stephens.There are those, of course, who will tell that you that prefight talk is just that -- words to market a fight. Just like theres an argument to be made that Alvarez, a street-tough veteran of 32 fights in promotions all over the globe (and the epitome of a Philadelphia fighter), has been around enough fight banter before to be affected.But Alvarez, 32, who upset Rafael dos Anjos in July to win the title, certainly lacks experience in a setting exactly like the one he found himself on Tuesday -- on a main event stage this large against an opponent this skilled in the art of mental warfare.In that regard, Alvarez looked largely unprepared to deal with the psychological storm that comes with standing across from McGregor, whose history of getting inside the mind of opponents is hard to overlook, dating back to his UFC debut in 2013. From wearing down Jose Aldo to outright breaking Dustin Poirier and forcing him to fight off emotions, McGregor, 28, is a proven master of manipulation through equal methods of intimidation and infuriation.An outright comparison to a young Muhammad Ali in this case wouldnt be hyperbole as McGregors colorful public act isnt just a show designed to drive up his bottom line through entertainment. Its a calculated target for the emotional weak spot of his opponents.Alvarez might not be subject to fear of McGregors power or reckless confidence or even his uncanny ability for precise predictions through his alter ego Mystic Mac, but its worthy of consideration whether Alvarez, the champion of the larger weight class between the two, is vulnerable to something different altogether -- overconfidence -- with McGregors clown prince routine acting as fuel.On July 7, at the postfight news conference after his title victory, Alvarez talked about the number of lightweight elites he has beaten in the UFC, from Gilbert Melendez to Anthony Pettis and dos Anjos, before mentioning his preferred choice for his first title defense.I would ask Dana White, please to give me an easier fight like Conor McGregor, Alvarez said. I deserve that. I have been fighting the best guys, so I wouuld like a gimme fight. Jamie Collins Jersey. .Alvarez was just as confident on Tuesday.This guy has eight minutes of fight in him. Thats it, Alvarez said. He quits after eight minutes each fight. Hes not a championship fighter. He has never been. And he has never, ever fought anyone in UFC like me, ever.The basis for Alvarezs stance, outside of natural confidence in himself, is that McGregors run to stardom has been largely hand-picked, which he explained at length in July during a UFC 201 Q&A session.McGregor fans are a bit swayed, you guys are a bit biased, Alvarez said. Youre not seeing what I see as a fighter. What Im seeing is not the right style matchups. Hes fighting the perfect style matchups for himself. Hes not fighting the guys who will threaten the way I can.When you mix his wrestling ability with McGregors vulnerability on the ground, theres some credence to Alvarezs words. However, as McGregor argued on Tuesday, theres just as easily a case to be made for the opposite, with Alvarezs weakness meshing perfectly with McGregors greatest strength.Like I said, hes chinny. He has a chin, McGregor said. He gets cracked, he gets dropped, and it has happened throughout his career. Hes a weathered fighter. Hes on his way out and hes very, very lucky to be in the position that he is in. One round is all it will take me to knock him out.Either way, Alvarez failed to come away from their first public appearance looking victorious -- a notion that was hammered home by the final question of the news conference, as a fan disguised as a media member badly trolled the lightweight champion before berating him with expletives.Instead of firing a witty or explosive comeback, Alvarez seemed confused, repeatedly asking, Whats your question? as McGregor joined the crowd in celebrating with delight.His question is why are you talking s---? Thats his question, McGregor interrupted. Why the f--- you up here talking s---? Say it like it is, youre blessed. Youre blessed that I chose you. Youre blessed that I chose to whoop your ass next. Say it like it f---ing is.Its true that Alvarez wouldve never had a prayer by attempting to out-Conor his opponent in a verbal joust of one-liners, but he failed to compete on Tuesday just the same, choosing to laugh off or ignore insults at one turn, only to be overwhelmed at the next.Meanwhile, McGregor had his way with conducting the cheers from an adoring and rowdy crowd. Its quite possible that none of this will matter once the two fighters square off at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, what is being billed as the biggest card in the companys 23-year history, but McGregor will do his best to take advantage of every situation, with Tuesday just a simple demonstration of that fact.McGregor appeared the more comfortable, brash and calculated of the two on Tuesday, ready to step inside the Octagon at the worlds most famous arena confident in his history of subliminally cracking the armor of his opponent long before the fight has officially begun. In many cases, McGregors opponents have been the last to know that it already has. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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