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Watch Virgo Super Kings play Capricorn Commanders in the Masters T20, live on Sky Sports digital platforms. Maurice Cheeks Jersey . Taking place in the UAE, the tournament sees six teams, named after signs of the zodiac and made up of former international players, compete for the trophy, with the final taking place on Saturday, February 13.Sundays match between Graeme Smiths Super Kings and Paul Collingwoods Commanders is crucial, with the winner advancing to the semi-final stages and the loser knocked out.For more on how the competition works and the stellar team line-ups, click here.This game has now finished.Sunday, 7 FebruaryLibra Legends v Leo Lions, Sharjah, 3.30pmThursday 11 FebruarySemi-final 1 (1st place v 4th place), Dubai, 3.30pmFriday 12 FebruarySemi-final 2 (2nd place v 3rd place), Dubai, 3.30pmSaturday 13 FebruaryFinal, Dubai, 3.30pmUK and ROI residents can watch live streams from the Masters Champions League on Sky Sports digital platforms where you can also keep up-to-date with all the latest news throughout the tournament.* Available on Sky Sports Xtra only Also See: Fixtures/results Live cricket on Sky Get Sky Sports Cricket videos JJ Redick Jersey . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. Moses Malone Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. http://www.official76ersproshop.com/kids-charles-barkley-76ers-jersey/ . The lawyers filed a 33-page amended complaint Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, expanding on the suit originally filed Oct. 3 in New York Supreme Court. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last week refused to compel Selig to testify in the grievance, and Rodriguez then walked out of the hearing without testifying. (STATS) -- It took 10 years for Youngstown State to get back to the FCS playoffs. The four-time national championship program is making up for lost time.Youngstown State rolled up 520 offensive yards Saturday while stunning No. 3 seed Jacksonville State 40-24 on the road in the second round.The Penguins (10-3) will host Wofford (10-3), which beat No. 6 seed The Citadel 17-3, in the quarterfinals next Saturday. The Missouri Valley Football Conference squad already has a home win over a Southern Conference team in this years playoffs -- 38-24 over Samford.Youngstown State, whose national titles were all in the 1990s, is making its first playoff appearance since 2006, but the 12th all-time, and the Penguins are 27-7 overall. Jacksonville State (10-2), the Ohio Valley Conference champion, was the national runner-up last year.Jody Webb rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Hunter Wells passed for 290 yards and a touchdown on only 10 completions and Zak Kennedy kicked four field goals.We had a lot of respect for Jacksonville State and knew we were going to have to come into their place and play a really good football team, YSU second-year coach Bo Pelini said.The Penguins scored on thheir first three possessions and never trailed in the first-ever meeting between the two programs, but Jacksonville State pulled within 27-24 on Josh Clemons 2-yard touchdown run with 4:07 left in the third quarter. Philadelphia 76ers Jerseys. he Penguins answered quickly on their next drive to push the lead back to double digits for good. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against JSU opened the drive, then Wells connected on a 38-yard pass to Damoun Patterson to the Gamecocks 8, and running back Martin Ruiz finished it off from there with a touchdown run up the middle for a 34-24 lead.Kennedy kicked his final two field goals in the fourth quarter to provide the extra cushion.We gave up too many explosive plays, which is uncharacteristic of us, especially in the passing game, said Jacksonville State coach John Grass. It was just one of those days.Gamecocks quarterback Eli Jenkins tied the school record by playing in his 53rd career game. While he rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, he completed a mere 6 of 26 passes for 140 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys CanadaCheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
HOUSTON -- After quarterback Brock Osweiler threw two first-half interceptions, the Houston Texans benched him for backup Tom Savage midway through the second quarter in the Texans 21-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cheap Nike Air Max 95 Black .Osweilers interceptions came on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, and he finished 6-of-11 for 48 yards and two interceptions in five drives. He had a passer rating of 26.1. Savage played well in relief of Osweiler, finishing 23-of-36 for 260 yards without throwing a touchdown or an interception in less than three quarters of work.Texans coach Bill OBrien said he felt the decision he made to bench Osweiler was in the best interest of the team.I just felt like that was the best decision at that point in time for the team, OBrien said. We dont make decisions on how much a guy gets paid. We make decisions on whats the best way to win a game. That was the decision we made today and I thought today, it worked out OK.Osweiler said though he was happy the Texans came back to win, he was of course disappointed to be pulled from the game.As a competitor, any time you dont play well, you get pulled out of a game, of course theres disappointment, Osweiler said. Thats a natural human reaction. Also theres disappointment because you want to be your best for your teammates.So youre disappointed because you feel like you let them down, but then at the same time youre happy because this football team found a way to win. Tom had a huge day.OBrien would not disclose who will start for the Texans on Saturday against the Bengals, saying, Weve got a short week and well make decisions on anybody, any starter that we have. We make decisions on that every week.We run a very competitive program no matter what people on the outside see or think, whatever, OBrien said. We run a very competitive program here and we try to compete on the practice field and reward guys that earn it on the practice field. Thats what well continue to do here.Texans owner Bob McNair recognized after the game the significance of the decision made by OBrien.Im just glad I wasnt the one that had to make that decision, McNair said to the Houston Chronicle. I mean, that was a gutsy call. Give coach credit, he made a change and it was for the good of the team. We benefited from it. Now we have three good quarterbacks and we are proud of all of them.This season, Osweiler has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,704 yards. He has thrown 14 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 14 games.Savage had not taken a snap in a regular-season NFL game in more than two years. He said he was prepared to come into the game, saying, I wouldnt be suited up if I wasnt mentally ready to go out there. Thats what this team deserves. They deserve someone to go in there and perform. And when they called my name, thats what I tried to do.Fans booed Osweiler off the field and there were loud cheers when Savage entered the game.Osweiler said regardless of the decision that is made about who will start on Sunday, he will prepare this week like he will be the starter.I think Coach OBrien, the staff, obviously Rick Smith and everybody else Im sure will have a conversation, Osweiler said. My job is just to be ready to play and to prepare like Im going to play and if I start I start and Im going to give this team everything I have performance-wise, and if Im the backup Im going to be there to support Tom.Im going to coach him and do everything he asks of me, and ultimately I just want to be a great teammate and I want to do whatever it takes for this football team to win games. Cheap Wholesale Nike Air Max 95 .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. Cheap Nike Air Max 95 All Blue . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. http://www.wholesaleairmax95cheap.com/cheap-nike-air-max-95-all-black/ .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee defensive back Malik Foreman has been suspended from the 15th-ranked Volunteers game with Ohio on Saturday due to a violation of team rules.The school announced Foremans suspension shortly before Saturdays kickoff.Foreman, a senior from Kingsport, Tennessee, had started each of Tennessees first two games at nickel back. He has five tackles. Cheap Nike Air Max 95 Red. Tennessee also is playing without three injured starters: linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr., defensive end LaTroy Lewis and wide receiver Josh Smith.---AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
FRANKFURT, Germany -- German footballer Marco Russ has thanked Eintracht Frankfurt for extending his contract by two years while he undergoes cancer treatment. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Robert-Golden-Jersey/ .The 31-year-old defender Marco Russ praised the Bundesliga clubs trust in my current situation.Frankfurt says Russ signed the new deal to 2019 before Saturdays win over Bayer Leverkusen.Russ was diagnosed with testicular cancer after a tumor was found before the relegation playoff games against Nuremberg in May. He underwent surgery immediately, followed by chemotherapy.Frankfurt says Russ hopes to return to training early next year.http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Mike-Webster-Jersey/ . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Ryan-Shazier-Jersey/ . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-John-Stallworth-Jersey/ . Self was acquired from the Buffalo Bandits in a trade for Alex Hill midway through last season, and made his debut in Rochester on March 16, 2013. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Love is in the air at the Olympic diving pool.He Zi of China received a silver medal in womens 3-meter springboard Sunday before accepting something else -- an engagement ring.Hes boyfriend and fellow diver Qin Kai surprised her with a marriage proposal as she stepped off the medal podium. A serious-looking Qin got down on bended knee and appeared to speak at length to He before opening a small box.Qin took out the ring and after she solemnly nodded yes, Qin slipped it on her finger. He clapped her right hand over her eyes and Qin presented her a red rose encased in glass.The crowd cheered its approval. The other divers stopped what they were doing and watched in amazement.Oh, Im so happy for him, said American Abby Johnston, who finished 12th and last in the competition.Qin thrust both arms triumphantly as they left the podium.The couples teammate, Shi Tingmao, won her second gold in Rio, adding the individual 3-meter title to her earlier victory in synchronized springboard. Shi totaled 406.05 points.SShi and He were tied after two rounds before Shi took the lead for good on her third dive. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Carnell-Lake-Jersey/. He finished second at 387.90. Tania Cagnotto of Italy earned bronze at 372.80.He carried the red rose container to the medalists news conference along with her silver medal. She said the couple has been dating for six years and Qins proposal was a surprise.He said a lot of things, He said, describing Qins speech. He made a lot of promises, but the most important thing is this is the guy I can trust for the rest of my life.Shi was excited for 25-year-old He and 30-year-old Qin, who earned bronze in mens 3-meter synchro in Rio.Both of them have gone through a lot, she said. Its a great moment. Qin said it best, `This is the way its supposed to be.Being Italian, Cagnotto knows a thing or two about amore.I was really happy for those two, she said. Its a really great moment to ask her to marry him. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
Brisbane are standing firm behind one of their players after they were the victim of yet another NRL extortion attempt. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Greg-Zuerlein-Jersey/.Several media outlets have been offered a video which alleges to show a Broncos player sniffing a substance off the back of a toilet seat in a Sydney pub.Those who have seen the footage say the person is seen very briefly and is unable to be identified because of the quality of the footage.The player has denied the claim and club officials say it is impossible to prove it is him or that any drug use has even occurred, even though it is implied.The Seven Network reported they had been offered the footage for $50,000 while News Corp said it had been given an asking price of $70,000.The club became aware of the allegation a week ago and officials would not comment, believing it is a non-story and their player is innocent of all accusations.It came in the same week a sex tape featuring Parramatta five-eighth Corey Norman was shopped around for $150,000.The NRL integrity unit is aware of the tape but no formal investigation has been launched.Following their 30-10 win over South Sydney at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, coach Wayne Bennett refused to be drawn on the saga, saying: I dont know a great deal about it.When asked if the club was investigating, he said: No, not to my knowledge. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Andrew-Whitworth-Jersey/ .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Gerald-Everett-Jersey/ . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Rodger-Saffold-Jersey/ . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Brisbane coach Wayne Bennetts years of experience tell him form and fitness are all that matter going into a NRL finals campaign.Fortunately for the seven-time premiership coach, he feels both those elements are present in his Broncos outfit heading into this years playoffs.The Broncos are still a chance for a top-four finish after their convincing victory last weekend over ladder leaders Melbourne.A win over the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night and then a North Queensland loss to Gold Coast on Saturday would lift the 2015 grand finalists into fourth spot.But Bennett says a top-four finish matters less than how his team are travelling going into September.The important thing about finals, because Ive been in a few series, is that youre virtually injury-free and playing good football at that time of the year, Bennett said.You can be top of the league and you can be playing terrible and you probably know youre not going to get where you want to go deep down.If your forms good, regardless of where you finish, I just think you can still have a chance.Were both of those at the moment. Our forms good and were virtually injury-free.Bennett confirmed on Wednesday hooker Andrew McCullough would play despite missing Mondays training session with an ankle injury.The Roosters head north aiminng to end a disappointing campaign on a high. http://www.ramsrookiestore.com/Rams-Kurt-Warner-Jersey/. .Trent Robinsons men are gunning for a third win from four starts to end the year but will be without Boyd Cordner and Sio Siua Taukeiaho.Ryan Matterson and Isaac Liu come into the starting line-up while Mitchell Frei is on the bench along with potential NRL debutant Nat Butcher.Despite a campaign which has left the Roosters languishing in 15th, Bennett is wary of his opponents after a 32-16 loss in July to the Tricolours.They towelled us up about six weeks ago down there - made us look pretty ordinary.Theyre a good football team still and theyve had some good results since then against the Cowboys and a few other top sides.Weve got our hands full, Bennett said.BRISBANE v ROOSTERS - Key match stats:* Broncos captain Corey Parker will play his 345th NRL match on Thursday and possibly his final one at Suncorp Stadium* Former Bronco Dale Copley came back to haunt his old club five weeks ago, scoring twice and setting up another in the Roosters 32-16 victory in Sydney* Roosters star Blake Ferguson has seven tries in seven matches against the Broncos including two in last years preliminary final defeat Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
HOUSTON -- Cuban shortstop Anibal Sierra will receive a $1. Cheap Retro 13 Jordans For Sale .5 million signing bonus as part of his minor league contract with the Houston Astros.The 22-year-old played for Avispas de Santiago from 2012-14 in Cuba. He appeared in 91 games, playing 47 games at second base and 26 games at shortstop.Anibal is an athletic shortstop who can hit and play multiple positions, and possesses the intelligence, work ethic, and baseball instincts to succeed at the highest levels, Astros international director Oz Ocampo said.Sierras deal, which was announced Saturday, calls for him to receive the bonus within five days of the deals approval by the commissioners office.Anibal stood out to me after my first look in November 2015 in the Dominican Republic, Astros senior scouting adviser Charlie Gonzalez said.Earlier this month, the Astros agreed to a a $47.5 million, five-year contract with Cuban infielder Yuliesky Gurriel. Cheap Air Jordan 13 Retro All White . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Cheap Air Jordan 13 Shoes . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. http://www.cheapretrojordans13.com/cheap-air-jordan-13-retro-black/ . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. League of Legends Lee Sang-hyeok, known as Faker, is one of the greatest athletes in sports today.If you want to be a stickler over competitive video games versus traditional sports and debate over the word athlete, fine. Faker, 20, from South Korea, is one of the best competitors in the world today. Really, if we want to make it even more simple: Lee Faker Sang-hyeok is one of the best people at his job in the world today.However you want to categorize Faker in the world of sports, hes special. Generational talents, regardless of what competition you talk about, dont come by very often. In the world of video games, the South Korean phenom with such nicknames as God and The Unkillable Demon King might be the greatest of all time.Last Friday night, inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, Faker delivered another of his iconic performances in front of a sold-out crowd of thousands. It was the semifinal of the 2016 League of Legends World Championship, and Faker, the defending champion with his team SK Telecom T1, faced off with their greatest rival for the past two years, fellow South Korean club ROX Tigers, who came in second place last year behind SKT.The series was ripped out of every Hollywood sports movie youve ever watched. Stoic, bulletproof Faker was the villain. The ROX Tigers were the lovable group of misfits who had overcome adversity the past two years to reach the top. The teams star player, Song Smeb Kyung-ho, came into the World Championship as the competitor chosen to usurp Faker as the best in the world. In the domestic league of South Korea, SKT had failed to pull off an unprecedented four-peat due to a loss in a semifinals; instead, the Tigers won their first major championship by beating SKTs semifinals opponent.Fridays World Championship semifinal had higher stakes for the Tigers. They had failed time and time again for two straight years to defeat SKT T1 in a major playoff match, and this could have been their final chance to take them out with this particular roster. ROX threw everything and the kitchen sink at the defending world champion, even deploying trick strategies that could be equated to a Statue of Liberty play in American football or the Flying V formation in The Mighty Ducks. Although the Tigers pushed Faker to the brink using these crowd-pleasing strategies, even up 2-1 in a best-of-five series, they werent capable of putting him away.SKT T1 rebounded, inserting veteran member, two-time world champion and Fakers right-hand man, Bae Bengi Seong-woong, into the lineup for the final two games. Although the crowd backed the Tigers, urging on the underdog to dethrone its personal white whale -- chants of LETS GO TI-GERS! with rhythmic thunderous clapping raining down from the rafters to the ground floor -- it wasnt enough. Faker and SK Telecom T1 won, and the Tigers sat at their desks, hands in faces, wondering how, after all the planning, after all the tireless work and after throwing everything they had at their enemy, how they didnt couldnt defeat him. The core of the Tigers stayed intact during last years offseason while receiving bigger offers from foreign clubs. Why did they stay together? They were best friends, more family than teammates, and they wanted to overcome SKT T1 once and for all.In his signature red jacket, Faker faced the press after the matchup, calling it one of the most difficult series he had ever played in. Im not really affected by long series, but I did get a little hungry after Game 4, so I had a chocolate bar and was all good, he admitted with a grin, his every word being scribbled down by the worldwide media covering the event. Every simple quote or throwaway line is magnified when coming from God himself.The difference between the Tigers and Faker is that while the Tigers, one of the best teams to ever play professionally in League of Legends, dreamed of victory, living for the moment they could win it all, Faker doesnt dream.He either believes he is not good enough to win, or he will win. And more often than not, including this years World Championships, he not only believes he can win it all -- he knows, without an inkling of doubt, hell win.To understand the legend behind the name, you have to look to the past.The first spark of greatnessIts the spring of 2013. Fakers stardom is more of a hope than a reality. Faker is a highly touted prospect signed by SK Telecom T1, Koreas most respected esports organization, and makes his debut in the countrys premier tournament League Champions Korea.In his first professional game, Faker plays against South Koreas best mid laner in Kang Ambition Chan-yong of CJ Entus Blaze, one of the tournaments favorites. In the 7th minute, Faker secured his first kill as a pro, pouncing on Ambition with the champion Nidalee to solo-kill the South Korean All-Star. SKT T1 would go on to win the game thanks to Fakers immaculate 6/0/7 kills/deaths/assists debut.I had a lot of preparation with Nidalee before the game, so I chose her, Faker said afterward. At the moment of the solo kill, I felt like Ambition had made a mistake, and thats when I went in and got the kill. After that, I just kept on throwing spears and the game was over.Ambition and Faker will once again meet more than three years after that fateful solo kill in the middle in the 2016 Summoners Cup Finals. Since the mistake that was seen as a passing-of-the-torch moment between the worlds best mid laner at the time and Faker, the one to take the crown, Ambition has changed everything but his ID. Hes a grizzled veteran now on the youthful Samsung Galaxy roster that has a 17-year-old rookie starter in the form of Park Ruler Jae-hyuk. Hes also changed positions from mid lane to the jungle, meaning that in the final it will be Ambitions job to protect his mid laner, Lee Crown Min-ho, from meeting the same fate he did in 2013 against Faker.Like the Tigers, this could be Ambitions best (and last) chance of getting revenge on Faker and winning a world championship.For Faker, also like with the Tigers, he doesnt mind being the bad guy. Hes going for the jugular, and a third world title.Faker turns international superstarBack to 2013. A few months after his debut as a profeessional, Faker is in his first major finals. Cheap Air Jordan 13 Retro Blue. Hes made the final of the summer season of Champions against the feared KT Bullets roster that played the perfect all-for-one team style. Its a clash between Faker and SKTs individual raw brilliance versus the Bullets and their tenacious objective-focused play that ground teams to the bone.After falling down 0-2 in the series, SKT T1 made a spirited comeback and tied up the series with one game remaining. In the last game, per South Koreas rules at the time, both teams were able to blind-draft whichever five champions they wanted in their composition with no pick or ban phase. Faker and KTBs mid laner Yoo Ryu Sang-ook both pick the assassin Zed in the middle lane.At the end of the match, Fakers Zed pulls off the greatest individual outplay in League of Legends history against Ryu, capping off his first championship victory and launching him into superstardom across the globe following the clip going viral online.When asked about that key play, Faker said, [That] moment itself wasnt actually significant to the outcome of the game, so all I was thinking about was [beating KT] and winning the final. After the final, I found out the clip went viral and I got really famous from it, so I was really happy. But I thought it was a bit of luck, as well.Faker becomes two-time world championIn the fall of 2013, Faker wins his first World Championship Summoners Cup on SKT T1 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. A month after the clip that went viral to make him a superstar, Faker journeyed abroad for the first time to make himself known in the Western market. SKT T1 went 15-3 throughout the competition en route to the title, and it swept the final against Chinas Royal Club in one of the most lopsided major finals in League history.What was that first World Championship final like for him? Honestly I cant really remember because we had a pretty easy win. The only thing I remember is the stage [at Staples Center]. The crowd was cheering really loud, thats it. [To compare] I still remember how I felt when I won the summer split [against KTB], though.Two years later in Germany, Faker wins his second world title with SKT T1. This time, SKT defeats fellow South Koreans the ROX Tigers in the final. SKT T1 ends up with a record of 15-1 for the entire campaign, and its only loss is the third set of the series against the Tigers.I dont particularly remember the champions I picked, he said. The only memory I have about that moment was that me and my teammates did great.The man with no rivalCurrently, there is no rival for Faker. Smeb, who doesnt even play the mid lane position, was positioned to overcome Faker as the worlds best player, having won two straight domestic MVP awards, but he couldnt come up big when it mattered the most. In last weekends semifinal against SKT, Smeb wasnt the same dominant figure he was when facing other teams in the competition.When Fakers back is pushed against the wall, he shows why he is the greatest. Theres almost no suspense. No matter how far someone bends his arm, he finds a way out, repositioning himself and making sure it never breaks. The only team to ever truly beat Faker is the Samsung White club of 2014. The team repeatedly bested SKT T1 and Faker in the middle and late months of 2014, and its victories over Faker in quarterfinals of the spring and summer domestic leagues forced SKT into a last-chance gauntlet to qualify for the 2014 Worlds. Faker failed in the qualifier, and White eventually went on to win the world championship. The one World Championship that was held in his home country of South Korea where he is so revered, Faker didnt make it. Instead, he stewed over his loss, promising he would practice enough to make sure this feeling of defeat would never overcome him again.In the offseason before the 2015 campaign, Samsung White disbanded, the teams players all taking large contracts in China to play in its domestic league. Faker was allegedly offered over $2 million per year to leave SKT T1 and join the Chinese circuit, but he declined, staying with SKT T1. The decision would work out in the end results-wise, at least, with Faker winning his second world title in 2015 while none of the Samsung White players in China made it past the quarterfinal stage.With or without a rival, Faker keeps pushing himself. For many, having someone greater than yourself is what pushes you to be the best. For Faker, mastery of the game, and seeing how far he can go as an individual, with no other human as a measure, is his mindset.In the world of sports, there are stories that transcend the playing field. The Chicago Cubs versus the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, a matchup between two clubs with a combined drought of 176 years since winning a title; the No. 1 pick in this years NHL draft, American Auston Matthews, who scored four goals in his first game as a professional on the Toronto Maple Leafs; Norwegian chess world champion, Magnus Carlsen, who at 25 years old will look for his third championship this November against Sergey Karjakin of Russia; 22-year-old baseball wunderkind Shohei Otani, who is currently playing for Japans championship as not only one of the best pitchers in the league but also as one of its best hitters.Basketball, football, curling, everywhere you look, at one point or another in time, there are stories that transcend sports interest and break through to the mainstream. The 20-year-old video gaming prodigy is on the verge of breaking through that barrier.So come Saturday, regardless if youre a diehard League of Legends fan, a casual watcher, or never heard of esports in your life, do yourself a favor: find a way to watch Faker go for his third world championship. You might not understand the game in full or the nuances that make him great, but from the reaction of the crowd, to how he moves his character, to how his eyes and fingers dart around endlessly like he is performing a life-or-death surgery, you might start to understand his determination.His brilliance.His all-time greatness. 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Women to watch at the U. Cory James Jersey .S. Open, which begins Monday:SERENA WILLIAMSSeeded: 1Age: 34Country: United States2016 Match Record: 33-52016 Singles Titles: 2Career Singles Titles: 71Major Titles: 22 -- U.S. Open (99, `02, `08, `12, `13, `14), Wimbledon (02, `03, `09, `10, `12, `15, `16), Australian Open (03, `05, `07, `09, `10, `15), French Open (02, `13, `15)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-Lost in Semifinals, `14-Won Championship, `13-W, `12-W, `11-Lost in FinalTopspin: A year ago, came within two victories of first calendar-year Grand Slam since Steffi Grafs in 1988, but lost to Roberta Vinci in U.S. Open semifinals. ... Part of Williams years wait for her 22nd major singles title, which she got at Wimbledon last month, equaling Grafs Open-era record. Now seeks No. 23 at Flushing Meadows. ... Can become first woman with seven U.S. Open titles in professional era. ... Will tie Grafs record of 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in WTA rankings, but could drop from top spot after U.S. Open.---ANGELIQUE KERBERSeeded: 2Age: 28Country: Germany2016 Match Record: 47-142016 Singles Titles: 2Career Singles Titles: 9Major Titles: 1 -- Australian Open (16)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-3rd, `14-3rd, `13-4th, `12-4th, `11-SFTopspin: Could have overtaken Serena Williams at No. 1 in the rankings by winning title on hard courts in Cincinnati this month, but lost in the final. Has another chance to move up to No. 1 for first time, depending on U.S. Open results. ... Very first Grand Slam semifinal appearance came at Flushing Meadows five years ago. ... Beat Williams in Australian Open final in January, then lost to her in Wimbledon final in July. ... Won silver medal at Rio Olympics.---GARBINE MUGURUZASeeded: 3Age: 22Country: Spain2016 Match Record: 28-132016 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 3Major Titles: 1 -- French Open (16)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-2nd, `14-1st, `13-Did Not Play, `12-1st, `11-DNPTopspin: Won first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in June, beating Serena Williams in the final. ... One of three players who could take over from Williams at No. 1 after the U.S. Open. ... Has a 1/3 career record in New York, but her flat strokes and fearless style should work on the Flushing Meadows hard courts.---VENUS WILLIAMSSeeded: 6Age: 36Country: United States2016 Match Record: 21-112016 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 49Major Titles: 7 -- U.S. Open (00, `01), Wimbledon (00, `01, `05, `07, `08)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-QF, `14-3rd, `13-2nd, `12-2nd, `11-2ndTopspin: Bowed out of Rio Olympics in first round of singles and doubles, but stuck around for mixed doubles and wound up earning a silver medal with Rajeev Ram. ... Experienced something of a renaissance at Wimbledon, making it to the semifinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2010 U.S. Open. ... Last year at Flushing Meadows, made it to the quarterfinals before losing to her younger sister Serena.---MADISON KEYSSeeded: 8Age: 21Country: United States2016 Match Record: 34-112016 Singles Titles: 1Career Singles Titles: 2Major Titles: 0 -- Best: SF, Australian Open (15)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-4th, `14-2nd, `13-1st, `12-DNP, `11-2ndTopspin: Coming off a semifinal run at the Rio Olympics and now settled into the top 10. ... Her power-based game, built around a big serve and forehand, would seem to be better suited to the U.S. Opens hard courts than her results have shown. ... Pulled out of the Connecticut Open tuneup tournament the week before Flushing Meadows with a bad neck.---PETRA KVITOVASeeded: 14Age: 26Country: Czech Republic2016 Match Record: 25-17 (playing in Connecticut Open)2016 Singles Titles: 0Career Singles Titles: 17Major Titles: 2 -- Wimbledon (11, `14)Last 5 U.S. Opens: `15-QF, `14-3rd, `13-3rd, `12-4th, `11-1stTopspin: The U.S. Open is the only Grand Slam tournament where she hasnt reached the semifinals. ... Won a bronze medal in singles at the Rio Olympics, looking quite comfortable on a slow hard court.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Obi Melifonwu Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Justin Ellis Jersey . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. http://www.officialauthenticraidersstore.com/authentic-george-blanda-jersey.html . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. Derek Carr had a shot at sealing up the MVP award Thursday night and failed. Had Carr put up big numbers in a win over the Chiefs on national television and pushed the Raiders to 11-2 and atop an extremely tough division, he becomes a huge betting favorite. Carr didnt get much help from his receivers, and it sure was cold at Arrowhead, but when you average 2.9 yards per pass attempt, something has gone wrong.Carr left the MVP race wide open with a quarter of the season to go, and there are plenty of plausible candidates. Tom Brady could sneak back in if the Patriots win out to go 14-2. Russell Wilson might even have a shot. Von Miller is the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year and could threaten for MVP if he goes on a tear. Dak Prescott has some support.With all that being said, its fair to say Ezekiel Elliott could be the toughest competition for Carr, even if the Cowboys are likely to give Elliott a reduced workload over the final two weeks of the season if they clinch the top seed in the NFC. He has put up big numbers, and has been a big part of the finishing blow the Dallas offense has managed to achieve over and over.But I want to use Elliotts candidacy to throw another name out there.I dont think he has a serious shot of winning the MVP award, but he probably deserves some consideration, and the reasons why some might reject his candidacy might also be reason to review your thoughts on Elliott. I dont think you can vote for Elliott as MVP if hes not even the best running back in football, and theres a reasonable case to be made that the best running back in football this season is David Johnson.The Johnson vs. Elliott debateThis is easy, right? Elliott has run the ball 263 times for 1,285 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Johnson has run the ball 228 times for 1,005 yards and 11 scores. Elliott has run for 280 more yards while averaging nearly a half-yard more per carry. Johnson has been solid, but Dallas rookie sensation has been more productive and more efficient as a rusher. Problem solved.Wait, why did I even write this article?Well, theres another thing these two players have to do: catch the football. This is 2016, after all, when teams throw the ball more than ever before. While some teams have a third-down back whose role is primarily to serve as a receiver, both Dallas and Arizona use their stud starters as receiving backs, too. The numbers there? Elliott has caught 28 passes for 322 yards and a touchdown, a chunk of which came on a single screen pass on which an untouched Elliott scampered 83 yards to the house.Johnsons receiving numbers are on another level. He has caught 64 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns, which would a respectable level of output even without considering the second-year mans rushing statistics. The difference between Johnson and Elliott as receivers is roughly about the difference in production between Brandon Marshall and Malcolm Mitchell this season.Whats even more impressive about Johnson is the way hes gaining those receiving yards. Most backs pick up a fair chunk of their yardage on screens, which can at times be something closer to delayed runs: Youre not beating anybody in coverage, and you have offensive linemen out in front of you to help create running lanes after the catch. The yards still count, but the degree of difficulty is lower.More than perhaps any other back in the league, the Cardinals basically just use Johnson as a regular old wide receiver a fair amount of the time. Atlanta does this with both Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, and other teams will line up receiving backs like Theo Riddick or Dion Lewis in the slot, but Johnson moves around the formation and runs route combinations alongside Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd like hes a wideout. Bruce Arians has no qualms about believing he has a mismatch with Johnson against just about any other player on the defensive side.The typical receiving back will accrue about 35 percent of his receiving yardage on screens. For Zeke, that number is up to 74.8 percent, which is the highest in the league among backs with 200 receiving yards or more. Outside of screen passes, he has 13 catches for 81 yards. Johnson, meanwhile, has used screens to get to 22.2 percent of his receiving yards this year. On passes that arent screens, he has 51 catches for 548 yards and three scores. No other back in the league is within 200 yards of DJ as a receiver on non-screens.Including screens, other receiving yardage and those rushing statistics, heres what Elliott and Johnson have done from scrimmage this season, respectively:On virtually the same number of touches, Johnson has outgained Elliott by 102 yards while scoring two more touchdowns and fumbling less frequently. If you want to argue about each players respective context within his team, well, Johnson is responsible for a higher percentage of his teams output, too:Im defining touchdowns as passing and rrushing scores here, and Johnson has 15 of Arizonas 32 scores this season. Jared Cook Jersey. Thats not unprecedented, but it is impressive; just one back in the past five seasons, Jamaal Charles in 2013, has scored more than 45 percent of his teams touchdowns in a particular year. (The record, as far as I can tell, is Emmitt Smith taking 15 of Dallas 26 offensive scores in 1996 to the house, for a 57.6 percent clip.) Nobody would argue that it has been the better unit of the pair, but you could argue Johnson has been more important to the Cardinals offense than Elliott has been to his.And of course, the qualitative element in play here is the supporting cast. Elliott plays behind the best offensive line in football, a unit so effective I nominated it for MVP several weeks ago. He has a budding superstar quarterback in Prescott, who leads the league in QBR. Elliott makes his quarterback and offensive line better, but they also make it far easier for him to do his thing, too.Lets compare that to the group Johnson plays with. His quarterback is Carson Palmer, who was an MVP candidate last year but has slipped significantly in 2016; his completion percentage and yards per attempt have dropped while his interception rate and sack rate have risen. Johnsons offensive line also has hardly been helpful. Arizona lost veteran guard Evan Mathis for the season after four games and star left tackle Jared Veldheer after eight. Center A.Q. Shipley is one of the worst starting pivots in football, and the Cards are down to disappointing right tackle D.J. Humphries as their left tackle. The right side of the line is John Wetzel and Ulrick John, a pair of undrafted free agents who bounced around practice squads before starting their first games with the Cardinals this season. Not exactly Zack Martin and Doug Free.So heres the question: If Johnson has been more productive in a far more difficult situation, how has he not been the better running back?Its hard to find an argument for Elliott. If you count the plays when Johnson was targeted but did not catch the ball as plays generating zero yards, the average Elliott play has gone for 5.43 yards per attempt, while Johnsons plays have generated 5.27 yards per effort. While Elliott has spent plenty of his debut season in garbage time, it has mostly been in running situations where teams are gearing up to stop him. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have been able to get Johnson the ball against teams that are in soft coverages late in blowouts, although thats also not a huge facet of what Johnson has done, either -- 119 of Johnsons 704 yards have come with Arizona down 14 points or more.Instead, the obvious reason why people are considering Elliott as an MVP candidate without mentioning Johnson is the fact that Dallas is one of the surprises of the season at 11-1, while Arizona has been an enormous disappointment at 5-6-1. The offense has driven most of the difference between the two, as the Cardinals have allowed 23 more points than the Cowboys while Dallas has outscored Arizona by 57 points. The Cardinals defense has been much better by DVOA, but most MVP voters arent consulting advanced statistics as part of their vote.Again, though, where is the evidence that the enormous difference between the Dallas offense and Arizona attack is due to Elliott being a much better player than Johnson? You would probably take the Cardinals receiving corps over that of Dallas, especially when healthy, but theres a huge, obvious swath of difference in output between these two teams at offensive line and quarterback. Arent they far more likely to be the parties most responsible for the offensive gap between the Cowboys and Cardinals, given that Elliott and Johnson have been about as productive as one another?I should make this point clear: If I had a vote, to be honest, I wouldnt pick either Elliott or Johnson.Theyre both phenomenal players and have been excellent this season, but for a running back to win the MVP award over a quarterback, he has to either set records or single-handedly propel a team beyond its wildest expectations. Adrian Peterson did that in 2012, when he ran for 2,097 yards as the focal point of a Vikings team with Christian Ponder at quarterback and Michael Jenkins and Jerome Simpson as his starting wideouts for half the year.Between these two, Johnson is the one carrying his team, although he isnt getting it very far. I can understand being reticent to vote for the leading offensive weapon on a sub-.500 team as the leagues most valuable player, but I think its fair to say Johnson has either been the leagues best running back or someone very close to that honor in 2016. And if we have to ask whether Elliott is even the best player at his own position, chances are hes not the best one at any position this season. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho is confident Leicester will slip up in the Premier League title race and believes City can catch them. Cheap New Balance Running Shoes . Ahead of Man Citys clash with Norwich, live on Sky Sports 1 HD, they find themselves in fourth place, 10 points adrift of leaders Leicester City, albeit with a game in hand.Fernandinho thinks the gap to the league leaders is one they can chase down and has questioned whether Claudio Ranieris men can handle the pressure of being the ones to catch. He said: I still believe in the title. We are 10 points behind the leaders and the last 10 games will be interesting for us. Leicester will now start to play with some pressure on them and its not easy to play as a favourite. The title race is still open because I believe they will drop points. The title race is still open.Man City have endured an inconsistent season of results in the Premier League. They have the best record in the Premier League against sides in the current bottom half of the table, but they are fourth worst when facing teams in the top half and they havent won back-to-back games since October.However, their title bid could be boosted by the return to fitness of injured stars Kevin De Bruyne, Samir Nasri and Fabian Delph - a theory which Fernandinho agrees with. Ed Chamberlin is joined by Paul Merson to discuss this weekends Premier League fixtures When asked if City have under-performed this season, he replied: I think we have, but weve had a lot of problems, especially with injured players. The Premier League is tough. The way we like to play is difficult when you cant rotate the team.Watch the full interview on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News HQ from 12pm. Also See: Redknapps title race view Mahrez: No pressure on us Leicester adapt as pace setters Mersons predicitons New Balance Running Shoes Outlet . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. New Balance Running Shoes For Sale . LOUIS -- Alexander Steen scored a power-play goal with 59. http://www.cheapnewbalance.com/ . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Mike Perkins has spent countless hours filming Jacksonville Jaguars practices from a scissor lift about 50 feet in the air.It was uncomfortable, even downright scary, at times. Strong wind, sideways rain, nearby lightning, Perkins has experienced all of it.So when Perkins, the teams director of football technology, had the opportunity to move away from the sometimes-dangerous lifts for good, he didnt hesitate.Now, the Jags are one of at least 10 NFL teams that have partially or completely eliminated scissor lifts and switched to mobile mast cams, which have high-definition cameras atop high-reaching poles and are controlled remotely from the ground.The stations look like the front of a boat, including comfy bench seats, and have protective canopies, color monitors and the capability to run for several days on a single charge.The biggest thing was the liability, said Perkins, who spent 18 years as Jacksonvilles video director. Every day you worry, at least from my standpoint. You worry about bad weather. You worry about something happening. And then the whole thing at Notre Dame, that really hit home.A 20-year-old student was killed at Notre Dame in 2010 when the hydraulic scissor lift he was filming football practice on tumbled to the ground because of high wind. Less than an hour before his death, Sullivan tweeted about the terrifying weather conditions and wrote I guess Ive lived long enough.Several universities, including Notre Dame, stopped using the lifts in the wake of Declan Sullivans death. Florida and others built expensive, permanent towers around practice fields. The Gators spent nearly $700,000 to build six towers.NFL teams were slower to react.I cant believe it took this long, Perkins said.A company called 8K Solutions in Titusville, about two hours south of Jacksonville, has seemingly perfected the mast cams. The Jaguars used them at the Senior Bowl in January, where a number of other NFL teams took notice.Jacksonviille purchased three units, which list around $75,000 each, and ditched their scissor lifts. New Balance Shoes Store. Atlanta, Baltimore, Buffalo, Dallas, Houston, New England, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Tennessee also started using them.Were trying to go to the next level, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. Its safety and convenience.The Falcons switched to mast cams right before training camp. Tampa Bay is the latest NFL team to try them out. The Jaguars got the Buccaneers one unit in anticipation of two joint practices in Jacksonville this week. The Bucs will use them Wednesday and Thursday at Jacksonvilles practice fields.You can throw them on the back of a trailer and take them to a high school or move them anywhere on the field, Perkins said. You can do just about anything with them. Our guys, we love them. Theyre different if youre used to shooting a camera. But I could literally put my 9-year-old in one and he could learn it faster than I could because all these kids are gamers and its literally a video game.Its a robotic camera with a control board and a joystick.For now, the Jaguars are still shooting practice video on digital memory cards and then uploading them inside the football facility. When they begin construction on an indoor practice facility, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017, they will have cables running from the video room to select spots around the indoor facility and around the teams three outdoor practice fields.Youll just take the trailer, hook it up and have live feeds in the video room, Perkins said. Well be controlling the camera from inside, so there wont be any video people on the field. The big thing is the liability from being in the lifts is gone. 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While you may be an avid fan of a particular NHL team -- and keep up to date on all the news and rumors regarding that franchise -- there are 29 others playing in 2016-17. Cheap Salomon Shoes Store .As a fantasy owner, it can be a bit daunting to keep tabs on everything.Thats where the Fantasy 30 comes in, a rundown of the most fantasy-relevant updates on every team.The season opened in wild fashion on Opening Night, with a record-setting debut for Auston Matthews, and a flurry of goals by the ascendant Oilers. But theres much more going on, so lets get right to our updates from every team:Anaheim Ducks: While restricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm remain unsigned, the Ducks are required, however briefly, to fill significant holes in their lineup. To start, 31-year-old Mason Raymond benefits from Rakells absence with a top-six role alongside new center Antoine Vermette and Corey Perry, while defenseman Sami Vatanen is tasked with anchoring the Ducks top power play, in place of Lindholm. Of note, Anaheim is reportedly nearer to sealing a deal with Rakell than Lindholm.Arizona Coyotes: If you enjoyed Wednesdays youth-fueled season debut by the Maple Leafs, the Coyotes should be fun to watch as well. Flush with young talent, Arizona is opening 2016-17 with several promising rookies, including forwards Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak, as well as defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The forward duo of Strome and Dvorak will appeal to fantasy owners in particular, especially in dynasty leagues.Boston Bruins: Fortunately for the Bruins, center Patrice Bergeron may only miss one game -- Thursdays tilt with Columbus -- with his minor lower-body injury. Daily fantasy devotees should know that Boston newbie David Backes is tapped to fill in as top center alongside Brad Marchand in the meanwhile.Buffalo Sabres: This isnt the start the Sabres had in mind. Already missing Kyle Okposo, the club now has to manage without another top-six forward -- and for a significant period. Franchise center Jack Eichel had to be helped off the ice after suffering a high ankle sprain during Wednesdays practice. Such an injury can knock a player out an average of four to six weeks (if not longer), so the club will need a replacement for that time. At this point, 24-year-old Johan Larsson is the favorite to fill in behind center Ryan OReilly.Calgary Flames: Itll be interesting to see how long Kris Versteeg endures on a No. 1 forward line with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau; that trio didnt fare well in Wednesdays opening 7-4 loss to the Edmonton Oilers (zero points, and a combined minus-seven). However, considering Versteeg had been a Flame for mere hours, and Gaudreau just rejoined the team with a new contract, we dont imagine coach Glen Gulutzan -- himself new to Calgarys bench -- is ready to pull the chute just yet. Fantasy owners keen on Versteeg as a long-shot asset should remain patient.Carolina Hurricanes: Sophomore Jaccob Slavin is poised to launch 2016-17 in a prominent position on the Hurricanes blue line. Booted to the top pair alongside No. 1 defenseman Justin Faulk, the 22-year-old should also see valuable minutes with the man advantage. Slavin amassed 20 points in 63 games in his rookie season.Chicago Blackhawks: The Patrick Kane/Artemi Panarin reunion might be short-lived. Tossed back together for Wednesdays opener against the Blues, the forward trio of Kane, Panarin, and Artem Anisimov combined for zero points and a minus-six in the 5-2 loss. Knowing that Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville was already eyeing a more balanced approach to scoring out of the gates, this line could be split up shortly.Colorado Avalanche: Prospect forward Mikko Rantanen is pegged to kick off 2016-17 with the Avalanche. A threat to crack Colorados top-six -- sooner or later -- the 10th-overall selection from 2015 collected 24 goals and 36 assists in 52 AHL contests this past season. Fantasy owners should keep a close eye on the 19-year-olds progress.Columbus Blue Jackets: The young lad chosen third overall in the 2016 draft will kick off his 2016-17 campaign in the QMJHL. Opting instead to recall Alexander Wennberg from the AHL, the Blue Jackets have sent forward Pierre-Luc Dubois back to Cape Breton. The 18-year-olds keeper-league owners should take comfort in Dubois projected brilliant future altogether, but its unlikely well see much of him in a Columbus sweater this season.Dallas Stars: Star forward Tyler Seguin (fractured heel) is still expected to suit up for Thursdays inaugural match versus the Ducks. Coach Lindy Ruff suggested as much earlier this week, and we havent heard otherwise since. Look for Seguin to center a line with Jamie Benn and Patrick Eaves, and for the onslaught of offense to commence right where it left out last season.Detroit Red Wings: With veteran Niklas Kronwall out, fellow defenseman Brendan Smith is set to enjoy minutes on the Red Wings second power-play unit, if only for a limited span. But were far more keen on what Mike Green might make of his inflated special-teams responsibilities with Kronwall on the shelf. A former productive powerhouse with the Capitals, Green was far from impotent this past season, notching 35 points in 74 games with the Wings.Edmonton Oilers: We may see rookie Jesse Puljujarvi cement himself a spot aside top-six center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the not-too-distant future. In earlier perceived danger of leading off in the AHL, the 18-year-old instead made most of opening night, scoring a goal while skating nearly 13 minutes -- almost a third of which was spent on the power play -- in a 7-4 win over the Flames. Promising stuff.Florida Panthers: The altogether devastating loss of forward Jonathan Huberdeau for three to four months (lacerated leg) dynamites an enormous hole aside Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr on the Panthers top forward unit. It will initially be filled by AHL regular Jonathan Marchessault. If Marchessault can stick it out in that high-profile role, he would undoubtedly serve as an intriguing dark-horse fantasy asset.Los Angeles Kings: The early diagnosis of Jonathan Quicks lower-body (knee) injury, sustained in Wednesdays opener against the Sharks, isnt good. While we await specific results of comprehensive tests run by team doctors, Los Angeles GM Dean Lombardi immediately suggested his No. 1 goaltender could be out a while. This unfortunate turn immediately boosts Jeff Zatkoff into the No. 1 slot, while veteran Peter Budaj is the likely AHL recall candidate to substitute in as backup. If weak at the goaltending position, its suggested you consider Zatkoff for your own fantasy squad. The former Penguin was competent in 2015-16 as third-stringer behind Marc-Andre Fleury and rookie sensation Matt Murray, and the Kings are stingy on defense overall.Montreal Canadiens: Not to minimize the seriousness of any infectious disease, but missing a game or two with the flu doesnt compare with losing months to a serious knee injury. So both Canadiens fans, and those with invested fantasy interest in Carey Price, can probably chill out some. Right now, Montreals elite netminder is only expected to miss a game or two.Minnesota Wild: A fresh beginning might be all thats warranted in re-igniting Teemu Pulkkinens re-start to his NHL career. Claimed off waivers by the Wild (from the Red Wings), the 24-year-old is slated to see valuable power-play minutes alongside the likes of Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund. If all goes well, it might not belong before he earns his way up the lineup altogether. Mind you, Pulkkinen remains a borderline subject for in only the deepest fantasy leagues for now.Nashville Predators: While he hasnt attracted the same degree of attention as some other rookies to start this season, Kevin Fiala is in position to make a substantive mark. The 20-year-old, armed with six games experience at the NHL level, is projected to begin the season on a dangerous top line with Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg. Make sure the former 11th-overall draft pick (2014) remains on your fantasy radar.New Jersey Devils: Unpredictably cast out on waivers this week by the Islanders, P.A. Parenteau finds himself suiting up for the Devils on opening night. Slotted in as a bottom-six forward to start, the 33-year-old veteran -- who was a strong candidate to skate alongside center John Tavares in Brooklyn -- stands a solid chance of moving up the lineup, particularly if Devante Smith-Pelly doesnt cut it on the top trio with Taylor Hall and Adam Henrique.New York Islanders: The deletion of Parenteau from the Isles roster results in a gaping hole on the Islanders top line flanking John Tavares and winger Andrew Ladd. Head coach Jack Capuano intends to fill it for now with veteran Jason Chimera. If -- and this is a big if -- the 37-year-old manages to secure this gig for an extended period, he could be a serviceable asset in deeper fantasy leagues. Chimera scored 20 goals and 20 assists with Washington this past season.New York Rangers: The Rangers are cracking 2016-17 open with two untested rookies in their top-six corps of forwards. Last week we told you about Pavel Buchnevich fighting -- and since winning -- a job with the NHL club. He has since reportedly nailed down a second-line gig alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Now were looking at Jimmy Vesey to make a splash on a line with Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. Both Vesey and Buchnevich are worth adding for now and the future.Ottawa Senators: The Senators dont appear in much hurry to rush Curtis Lazar back to the bigs. Battered by mononucleosis throughout training camp, the 21-year-old was shipped off to Binghamton (AHL) to get back into competitive shape. You can be in practice shape but until you get into game shape you cant have the success that you probably need, Sens GM Pierre Dorian said Tuesday. We want to make sure that Curtis isnt put in a position where hes not going to be at a (disadvantage). The takeaway from this, fantasy-wise, is that Lazar should be game-ready if/when he is recalled to fill in for an injured top-six forward.Philadelphia Flyers: Joining defenseman Ivan Provorov on the Flyers opening day roster, fellow rookie Travis Konecny is also poised to make some noise out of the gates. After collecting 101 points in 60 games split between Sarnia and Ottawa in the OHL this past season, the 19-year-old winger is pegged to skate on a top-six line with Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek.Pittsburgh Penguins: Theres reason to be cautiously optimistic about the health of Sidney Crosby. While the Penguins star will miss Thursdays opener with a concussion, he has been skating and taking part in (non-contact) practice. That activity offers some promise that the game wont be without one of its best for long.San Jose Sharks: Nothing earth-shaking here, but Mikkel Boedker appears to be fitting in well enough with his new club in San Jose, as noted by Sharks blog Feat the Fin following Wednesdays inaugural 2-1 win over the Kings: Great games from the Sharks free-agent signings, David Schlemko and Mikkel Boedker. Boedker used his speed well and looks to be a seamless fit alongside Logan Couture and Joonas Donskoi. Such a prominent role will translate into tangible points for the 26-year-old before long, perhaps resulting in his first (long overdue) 60-point season.St. Louis Blues: So far, so good, as far as the Blues power play is concerned. With David Backes and Troy Brouwer playing elsewhere, the newly refurbished top unit followed up a red-hot preseason by going 3-for-5 in Wednesdays meaningful 5-2 victory against the Blackhawks. Food for fantasy thought, considering Paul Stastny -- a member of that unit along with Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Steen, Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo -- is owned in only 60 percent of ESPN leagues.Tampa Bay Lightning: As anticipated, alls well with Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning in Tampa Bay. After agreeing to a three-year deal, the 23-year-old forward is set to take his spot on a line with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn opening night. Look for Kucherov to at least equal this past seasons output of 30 goals and 36 assists in 77 games, but bear in mind that he was even more productive in the playoffs.Toronto Maple Leafs: While Auston Matthews four-goal NHL debut is (deservedly) dominating headlines, and fogging up Torontos atmosphere above the ACC with a long-lost sense of optimism, the reality is the Leafs lost to the Senators in Wednesdays opener. Starting netminder Frederik Andersen deserves a good dose of blame, as the former Ducks goalie wasnt good enough, according to what Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the media afterwards. And Andersen hasnt been good enough in limited action leading up to the regular season, either. So while Andersen will be allowed time to shake off the rust brought on by a largely inactive autumn (including an upper-body injury), and a longer leash extended by a new five-year deal in Toronto, his coach wont put up with substandard performances from the 27-year-old night after night. That means we could see more of former Kings backup Jhonas Enroth soon.Vancouver Canucks: Theres been plenty of talk that backup netminder Jacob Markstrom could eventually take over as starter for veteran Ryan Miller before 2016-17 is through. Sure. But realize that the Canucks would have to play above and beyond the general consensus of expectation for either goaltender to merit fantasy consideration in most leagues. And thats not knocking Markstrom or Miller as individual competitors, just that the Canucks as a whole are considered a club in transition.Washington Capitals: We could witness a breakout performance from one particular young forward with the Capitals in 2016-17. Not only is Andre Burakovsky slated to compete as a top-six winger flanking Nicklas Backstrom and Marcus Johansson, but rumblings from Washingtons management suggest they have exceptionally high expectations of the 21-year-old. As a fantasy owner, youve been forewarned.Winnipeg Jets: The demotion of Ondrej Pavelec to the minors means Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson are left to battle it out for starts in Winnipeg. Fantasy owners willing to gamble on one half of the timeshare should know that Hellebuyck is believed to have the early edge, albeit slightly. Cheap Salomon Shoes Free Shipping . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Wholesale Salomon Shoes . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. http://www.cheapsalomonshoes.com/ . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt would like a unique birthday gift this year.A win over Ohio State might be more cherished than any present.The second-ranked Buckeyes will visit Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday night in a Big Ten showdown, when the eighth-ranked Badgers hope they can make Watts weekend extra special.A Big Ten game in prime time, I know theyre going to be juiced up, Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said.Just like on Oct. 16, 2010 , when Wisconsin handed then-No. 1 Ohio State its first loss of the season, 31-18. It was Watts birthday weekend, and he was sitting in the stands as a spectator watching older brother J.J. Watt get two sacks for the Badgers.A lot of people say it was the loudest they have ever heard the stadium, T.J. Watt said.Watt is following in the pass-rushing footsteps of his older brother and Houston Texans star, though he hasnt needed much advice.Just kind of lets me do my own thing right now, the younger Watt said.Whatever hes doing is working since Watt has 5 1/2 sacks in Wisconsins five games.The Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0) will be the biggest test yet for the defensive-minded Badgers (4-1, 1-1).Ohio State is ranked fifth in total offense (537.6 yards per game) and third in scoring offense (53.2 points). The Buckeyes run for 323.6 yards per game, third-best in the country .Wisconsin is allowing just 90.4 yards per game, the sixth-best run defense in the nation.This could be an old-fashioned Big Ten brawl in the trenches.Itll come down to whether or not we can run the ball, protect, and if we can stop their run game, Ohio State offensive lineman Pat Elflein said. Those are always fun games to play in.Some notes and other things to watch on Saturday night:BUCKEYES PASS: Ohio State hopes to get its passing game going again after it sputtered in last weeks 38-17 win over Indiana. Barrett was just 9 of 21 for 93 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. Coach Urban Meyer cited communication, in part, as an issue. Barrett was focused this week on getting all 11 players on the offense in sync for every play.TUCK AND RUN: If he gets into trouble thoughh, Barrett can tuck the ball away and run. Cheap Salomon Shoes Outlet. He had 137 yards and a score on a career-high 26 carries, which might be too many for the teams best player. But Barrett is a unique run-pass threat who should cause fits for the Badgers.Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst likened Barretts importance to the Buckeyes to that of a point guard on a basketball team. Everything goes through him, and hes got poise, Chryst said.ON THE LINEBACKERS: Wisconsin will be without top outside linebacker Vince Biegel again because of a foot injury. But replacement Garrett Dooley played well in his place, opposite Watt, in Wisconsins 14-7 loss to Michigan two weeks ago. Inside linebackers Jack Cichy and T.J. Edwards are also playing well, and the defensive line has shown that it can control the line of scrimmage. The Badgers remain strong defensively even at less than full strength.CLEMENT TIME?: Senior running back Corey Clement is Wisconsins best breakaway threat, though hes waiting for his breakout game this year. Clement did have 111 yards on 21 carries against Akron before getting hurt. Hes averaging 3.9 yards a carry, 2 yards less than his career average. To have a chance at an upset, the Badgers will need to play ball-control, as well as get big plays out of Clement and the running game to take pressure off freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook.NIGHT OUT: Barrett thinks the Wisconsin tradition of playing the song Jump Around between the third and fourth quarters is pretty cool. Wait until he sees it in person. A juiced-up student section leads the celebration, when fans in the creaky stadium sway to the hip-hop anthem. Ohio State is used to playing in hostile road environments, though Camp Randall at night should be a unique experience.Its going to be loud, Meyer said. Its going to be really loud.---AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio contributed to this story.---Online:College Football: http://collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys CanadaWholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
ATLANTA -- Nationals manager Dusty Baker liked what he saw in three innings from starter Joe Ross. Wholesale Nike SB Shoes .We were contemplating taking him another inning but said, `Thats enough this first time out, Baker said. Its a welcomed sight to see him back.Ross returned from a 66-game absence with right shoulder inflammation to give Washingtons rotation a boost in a rain-shorted 6-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.The game was official with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Two delays totaled 2 hours, 57 minutes.Washington has dropped two straight and needs any combination of six Nationals wins and six New York Mets losses to earn its third NL East title in five years.Adonis Garcia drove in three runs and Matt Wisler pitched five-plus innings for the Braves.Ross (7-5) was on a pitch count as he allowed one run and six hits and struck out five. Baker said the day before that he didnt expect Ross to go longer than three innings.After a 1-hour, 7-minute delay in the top of the sixth, the Braves scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 on Garcias two-run single and Freddie Freemans RBI double.Wisler (7-12) allowed two runs, five hits and struck out two in 5 2/3 innings. He faced a limited lineup as Baker gave sluggers Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon the day off and used Ryan Zimmerman as a pinch-hitter.In his first start since July 2, Ross trailed 1-0 in the second on Jace Petersons RBI single. He gave up three singles to begin the third, but retired the next three batters to escape the jam.Pitched myself into a jam and was able to work out of it in the third, Ross said. Felt good, and thats the main thing I was concerned with today. I could have kept pitching, but probably best to keep it to three innings.Reynaldo Lopez took over in the fourth and trailed 3-0 on Dansby Swansons RBI double and Garcias RBI single.Washington made it 3-2 in the sixth. Trea Turner tripled and Jayson Werth doubled off Wisler. After the first delay ended, Bryce Harpers single off Ian Krol scored Werth.Wisler is 3-3 with a 4.83 in five career starts and one relief appearance against Washington.The Nationals went 15-4 against Atlanta this season and 36-13 in the series since June 21, 2014. They played their last game at Turner Field with the NL-worst Braves moving to a new ballpark next year.Weve struggled against these guys for a couple of years now, Wisler said. To win a series is good for us. If we take that into New York, maybe we can take a series again there.STILL STREAKINGIn 13 games against Atlanta, Turner hit .475 with five doubles, two triples, six homers, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases and 20 runs scored. ... Freeman went 2 for 3 and has a 22-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 38 straight games. Both are career highs and rank first in the majors among active streaks. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 1 for 3 and leads the majors with 88 hits since the All-Star break.SWOON STOPSHarper ended a stretch of 26 plate appearances without a hit, though he did have nine walks over the span. He had two hits in 29 at-bats over his previous 10 games.UP NEXTWashington RHP A.J. Cole (1-2) is scheduled to make his sixth start and first in his career against Miami. Braves RHP Aaron Blair (0-6) is set to start at New York. The rookie has an 8.23 ERA in 12 starts and is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in three starts against the Mets. Wholesale Nike SB Shoes Free Shipping . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. Cheap Nike SB Shoes Authentic . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. http://www.cheapnikesb.com/ . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. The New Days dream of becoming the longest-reigning tag-team champions in WWE history became a reality on Monday night, despite a series of hurdles which threatened to trip them up in the 11th hour.Forced to retain their titles in a pair of exciting triple-threat title matches that bookended the episode, The New Day eclipsed Demolitions record of 478 days in almost improbable fashion. Both matches had a pay-per-view feel as The Powers of Positivity overcame an early party foul against Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon, which led to a second match -- against four of the brands top stars, no less -- as payback.Interestingly enough, The New Day doesnt have a match scheduled for Sundays Roadblock: End of the Line PPV. But their struggle to overcome served as the canvas on which Raw, which emanated from Philadelphia, used to tell its biggest stories.Moments after The New Day defeated the teams of Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho in the main event, Reigns was the last man standing in the ring just days before his main event on Sunday against Owens for the WWE Universal championship.Reigns, the WWEs United States champion, interrupted an argument between former best friends Owens and Jericho to spear Owens before standing over his fallen body holding both title belts. The moment elicited a chorus of boos from the same crowd which famously did the same to Reigns after he won the 2015 Royal Rumble in predictable fashion.The predictable booking unfortunately followed Reigns into Raw this week, as the crowd also booed his rescue of former Shield teammate Rollins earlier in the night from a beatdown at the hands of Owens and Jericho.What we do know entering Sunday is that Reigns will meet Owens, and Jericho will face Rollins. But the status of the friendship between Owens and Jericho remains uncertain after Mondays drama, which saw their brief (and somewhat acrimonious) reunion spoiled when Owens accidentally broke up Jerichos pin attempt following a shove from Rollins.#PopUpCODEBREAKER!! But @WWERollins throws @FightOwensFight into the pin attempt to break it up! #RAW #TagTeamTitles pic.twitter.com/QA3NDRohGP- WWE (@WWE) December 13, 2016Mondays Raw wasnt quite up to the level of the resurgence seen over the past two weeks. In fact, the brands hottest storyline between Raw womens champion Sasha Banks and Charlotte was reduced to a mere video package recapping their recent history.There were as many hits as misses (see more below), which is likely a more realistic scenario as far as consistency is concerned moving forward, as Raw continues to tinker with how to properly book three hours of content during this current brand split. But the episode succeeded in proving more entertaining than it made sense at times.Sami Zayn secured the rematch against Braun Strowman on Sundays card that he has coveted for weeks thanks, to a well-written shouting match between himself and Raw general manager Mick Foley, in which Foley bluffed trading Zayn to SmackDown as a means to summon the fire within him. Every aspect of the multiple interactions between Zayn and Foley clicked on a high level.WWE also committed more time and energy to actual story lines within its cruiserweight division than has been seen up to this point. Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins told a meaningful story to set up their triple threat match with cruiserweight champion Rich Swann on Sunday, and newcomer Jack Gallagher was given a strong push when he interrupted Ariya Daivaris match against Lince Dorado, leading to a brawl outside the ring.Raw remains headed in the right direction entering the final PPV card of 2016, and thats a better position than it has been in for months.Hits and missesThe New Days triple-threat match against the teams of Karl Anderson/Luke Gallows and Cesaro/Sheamus was a tremendous way to open Mondays show, and nearly as good as the 40-minute main event. Both matches featured well-booked spots and believable near-falls. But the highlight of the opener may have been Cesaro taking out all four of his competitors in succession (both inside and out of the ring), which included an homage to Rey Mysterio Jr.s 619 finishing move, creatively dubbed Swiss-1-9 by announcers Michael Cole and Corey Graves.It was fun to see WWE continue its long-standing tradition of having every formal eventt -- from parties and ceremonies to weddings and contract signings -- end in absolute chaos, as Stephanie McMahon angrily halted The New Days celebration. Discount Nike SB Shoes. But the highlight of Mondays shindig may have been an earlier shot of the festivities which featured an exuberant Bob Backlund creepily toasting some local enhancement talent:THE PARTY IS ON in #TheNewDays locker room as they are victorious on #RAW! @TrueKofi @XavierWoodsPhD @WWEBigE pic.twitter.com/RvGQvQNsj6- WWE (@WWE) December 13, 2016While WWE ultimately failed to follow through with a trade between Raw and SmackDown, which has been teased on both shows in recent months, it may be time for a minor transaction or two to spice things up. Raw talent like Zayn and Strowman could see themselves worked into title opportunities quicker on the SmackDown side, as could Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler should they make the move to Raw.Rollins is an amazing talent and one of WWEs most valuable superstars as a whole. But his face turn over the past six months simply isnt working, and its time the company responds. Rollins struggled through hosting duties of his own talking segment, The Rollins Report, on Monday, which simply isnt the best use of his skill set. And while it was nice to see Rollins call out Triple H for the second straight week, its a notion thats about four months too late, as Raws most gaping plot hole continues to remain unfilled. A mini-Shield reunion has been teased in recent weeks between Rollins and Reigns, which can only help both characters, but a continued turn to the dark side would truly be best for business for all parties.As evidenced by his brief backstage interview with Charly Caruso, Swann can really work on the microphone. His Oh Charly, baby girl shtick is just as infectious as his dance moves. More face time, please.While keeping Bayley busy with a makeshift feud while Sasha Banks and Charlotte continue their memorable feud is important, this current program with Alicia Fox isnt working. Bayleys character simply doesnt have the depth to believably fall into an accidental love triangle between Fox and Cedric Alexander (which was halfheartedly teased). If the WWE does end up pulling the trigger on a trade between brands, getting Bayley an upgrade from the deeper SmackDown roster would be a welcome change.Its always a gray area when babyfaces not named Stone Cold Steve Austin act like unrepentant heels. And while Big Cass rightfully sought storyline retribution on Rusev for the severe beating that was administered last week against tag-team partner Enzo Amore, the big man failed to justify Amores actions of entering a married womans hotel room. Big Cass will seek retribution against Rusev on Sundays pre-show, yet Im not sure Rusev and wife Lana admitting that they set Amore up completely absolves the Skywalker Smack-Talker from his moral transgressions.Move of the nightThere were many spots in the well-booked main event that competed for top honors on Mondays show, including a six-man double powerbomb/superplex combo, a pop-up Codebreaker from Jericho and Owens and a throwback Lionsault from Jericho featuring full extension. But Xavier Woods reminded us of just how great a worker he is (which often gets overshadowed by his abilities as a mouthpiece) by landing a springboard elbow drop three-quarters across the ring onto Reigns..@XavierWoodsPhD ACROSS THE RING onto @WWERomanReigns!! ONE TWO NOOO!! #TagTeamTitles #RAW pic.twitter.com/9StMezJxak- WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 13, 2016Line of the nightIm going to tell you what I want. I want you to remember this moment in time! Remember how angry you feel, how bitter you feel. Remember that, this side of rage that quells inside of you. I want you to be able to bottle it and duplicate it on Sunday night, because youre going to need every bit of it when you face Braun Strowman at Roadblock. There was never a trade! I wouldnt trade Sami Zayn from Monday Night Raw. Not for anyone. I believe in you, I always have. I just questioned whether a guy as nice as you, a credit to WWE, had a soul to get nasty enough, mean enough to survive a monster like Strowman. And the answer you gave me is yes. -- Mick Foley Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
One summers day, some 34 years ago, seven-year-old Mike Hussey was at home in the beachside Perth suburb of Mullaloo doing what he always did on a morning in the last week of December: watching the Boxing Day Test on TV. Blank Jersey . After seeing his hero Allan Border take Australia to the brink of a famous victory, only to fall an agonising three runs short, Hussey went out into his backyard and did something that few Australian cricketers have done before or since: he changed hands, permanently.Hussey is naturally right-handed. He writes right-handed, plays tennis right-handed, brushes his teeth right-handed, picks up a spoon right-handed, and throws and bowls with his right arm. When he first picked up a cricket bat, he picked it up right-handed. But on that fateful sunny morning he decided to try batting left-handed, like Border, and ended up sticking with it for the rest of his life.In so doing, Hussey may well have inadvertently bequeathed himself a natural technical advantage, for if there is one thing that the two main schools of batsmanship that exist in Australia - the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) school and the native autodidactic school headed by Sir Donald Bradman and Greg Chappell - agree on, it is this: a grip with a firm top hand and loose bottom hand is optimal for good batsmanship.Logically it is easier for a batsman who holds the bat with his naturally stronger hand as the top hand (and his naturally weaker hand as the bottom hand) to grip it with a firm top hand and a loose bottom hand. When Hussey switched to batting left-handed, his naturally stronger right hand became his top hand. That wasnt what motivated his change - he did it purely because he wanted to be like Allan Border - and even when he became a world-class batsman, Hussey was generally not conscious of the dominance of one hand over another, except when batting at the death of a one-day or T20 game. It was then, he told the Cricket Monthly, that he took the firm top-hand, loose bottom-hand grip to its logical apotheosis:At the end of a one-day game or a T20 game, when youre looking to basically hit sixes every ball… I made a conscious effort to really loosen the grip of my bottom hand. So Id basically just rest the bottom hand [on the bat] on one finger - my index finger - because I was finding that when I was looking to slog, even though my bottom left hand was my less [naturally] dominant hand, it was gripping the bat too hard and taking control of the bat too quickly and affecting my swing. I wasnt hitting through the line of the ball as well as I would have liked.Greg Chappell, Cricket Australias first full-time national talent manager, has a clear vision for how Australia can continue to nurture its distinctive style of cricket - aggressive, attacking and winning. A firm-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip - a trait that Bradman himself believed to be of supreme importance when playing a forward defensive shot - is part of that vision. It is, says Chappell in a recent interview with the Cricket Monthly, essential for good batsmanship.Firstly, he explains, such a grip enables a batsman to obtain the optimal bat swing - a pendular motion that maximises his chances of hitting the ball in the middle of the sweet spot. A batsman with that grip initiates the movement of his bat with his top hand and relegates his bottom hand to a secondary role in the initiation [process] as the fulcrum. This naturally encourages him to pick up his bat so that, in his backswing, it is pointing between first slip and gully. His bat will then naturally and automatically drop back down onto the line of the ball when he is executing a straight-bat shot. The bat will be on line [with the ball] from the top of the backswing all the way through the intended shot.Secondly, a firm-top-hand-loose bottom-hand grip helps a batsman to stay balanced, with his weight on the balls of his feet like a champion boxer ready to throw (or ride) a punch, able to move forward or back into the optimal position to play the ball and synchronise the movements of his entire body.The MCC agrees with Chappell insofar as both its instructional books constantly emphasise the importance of playing with a strong top hand, a high front elbow and a loose bottom hand, especially when executing forward defensives and front-foot drives. The problem is that the MCCs two specific written injunctions regarding how to pick up and grip a bat make it inherently difficult for batsmen to use a strong-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip. The MCC instructs batsmen to pick up the bat so that the back [knuckle-side] of [their top] left hand, if the bat is held upright, is fac[ing] somewhere between mid-off and extra cover and the hands form, with the thumb and first finger of each, two aligned Vs whose central line runs half-way between the outer edge of the bat and the splice.Pick up a bat with that MCC-prescribed grip and attempt to play a straight drive, off drive or cover drive. You will find that that grip encourages you to push through the shot with a firm bottom hand that shuts your bat face towards the on side. That is certainly what a young Chappell - saddled with the MCC grip taught to him at the age of five by a local youth coach with a very English pedagogy - found. Even after making his Sheffield Shield debut at the age of 18, he scored about three-quarters of his runs through the on side, a limitation so acute that it was the subject of much sledging from his opponents (and team-mates). Chappell recalls, in his 2011 autobiography Fierce Focus, that his own captain at South Australia, Les Favell, said to him, I hope you wont lose sight of the fact that there are two sides of the wicket.The firm bottom-hand tendency created by this grip is exacerbated by the explicit written instructions issued by the MCC to kids in Cricket - How to Play: pick up a bat as if you are gripping an axe with two hands to chop some wood that is lying on the ground. This instruction would - according to sports scientists David Mann, Oliver Runswick and Peter Allen - typically encourage kids to pick up a bat with their dominant hand as the bottom hand on the handle. Logically, this would make them more likely to play with a strong bottom hand.In England, the influence of the MCCs coaching scriptures has always been strong. This can be seen in the faithful reproduction of the MCCs two injunctions regarding a batsmans grip in coaching manuals authored by the likes of Geoff Boycott and Robin Smith. In Australia, the influence has generally been much weaker. Seven of Australias top 15 Test run scorers - Neil Harvey, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Justin Langer, Mark Taylor, Mike Hussey and Adam Gilchrist - have gripped a cricket bat with their naturally dominant hand as their top hand, suggesting either a blissful ignorance or a deliberate contravention of the MCCs two injunctions.Bradman certainly didnt use the MCC-prescribed grip. Instead, as he wrote in The Art of Cricket, he gripped the bat in a manner that felt comfortable and natural to him, forming with the thumb and first finger of each hand two aligned Vs whose central line ran through the splice line of the bat. This meant that when he played a forward defensive, the back of his top hand faced him (and its palm faced the bowler). This neutral grip made it easier to hold the bat with a firm, controlling top hand and a loose bottom hand. As Bradman explained, it curbs any tendency to follow through [with a strong bottom hand when playing the forward defensive].And it was Bradman who, on a balmy, almost cloudless December morning in 1967, advised a 19-year-old Chappell to ditch the MCC grip in favour of the Bradman grip. Chappell heeded the advice for the rest of his long and illustrious career, during which he became renowned throughout the cricket world for his piercing straight drives and cover drives. That advice, acknowledged Chappell in Fierce Focus, transformed my game.The Cricket Monthly spoke to seven cricketers of varying ages, three of whom - 68-year-old Chappell, 27-year-old Tim Buszard and 23-year-old Kevin Tissera - are bottom-hand natural, and four of whom - 45-year-old Justin Langer, 41-year-old Hussey, 34-year-old Ed Cowan and 20-year-old Matt Renshaw - are top-hand natural.For want of a well-established term, this article will refer to batsmen who grip a bat with their naturally dominant hand as their top hand as top-hand natural and those who grip a bat with their naturally dominant hand as their bottom hand as bottom-hand natural.None of those interviewed - not even Renshaw and Buszard, whose dads are cricket coaches - can recall being expressly directed on how to pick up and grip a bat when they first encountered one. Their earliest cricketing memories are of playing in their backyard, local park and/or beaches with their dads, siblings and mates, using whatever materials were available. For Hussey, those materials initially consisted of nothing more than a couple of big sticks as bats and some little rocks as balls.I certainly dont remember [being directed how to pick up and grip a cricket bat], says Langer. It was just a natural instinct [to pick up the bat left-handed]. I cant remember anyone coming out and saying, You should be a left-hander or a right-hander.Like many Australian cricketers, Cowan learnt the game in his backyard and at the local park - conveniently located across the road from his family home - with his dad and two older brothers, and didnt encounter formal coaches until he was about 14. He is completely right-handed, but he bats left-handed and has always done so. As an uncoached kid he wasnt conscious of the technicalities of holding a bat; however, as a teenager, he met the late Peter Roebuck, whose coaching and mentorship would have a profound and positive impact on him.Roebuck firmly believed in having a strong top hand and theorised that batsmen who bat with their naturally dominant hand as their top hand have accidentally gained an advantage for themselves. He expressed that belief and theory not only in his unequivocal columns in the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald but in his coaching sessions with the teenage Cowan, consistently letting [him] know that he had an advantage he should be using. Cowan recalls: Probably at 14, I realised it felt like I had an advantage because it was easier to craft a technique with my top hand being my [naturally] dominant hand.Langer became aware earlier because, somewhat unusually for an Australian cricketer, he was exposed to coaching at a young age. When I was… maybe eight or nine years old, he recalls, my dad brought my first cricket coach around to the backyard and he taught me the basics of the game - his name was Bryn Martin and I still remember him. He used to come on Sunday mornings, talk about the basics and particularly about having a tight-top-hand-and-loose-bottom-hand grip, doing most of my batting through my top hand. That made perfect sense to Langer, who soon realised that that grip came more naturally to him because his naturally dominant right hand was his top hand on the bat.Renshaw, Queenslands rising star, thinks that his small size and consequent lack of physical strength as a junior naturally encouraged him to play with a strong-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip because he couldnt really play the big shots… with that bottom hand. He wasnt conscious of top-hand versus bottom-hand dominance as a kid, but is now of the opinion that his top-hand dominance definitely helps him to hit straight.It should be noted that, although it is easier for top-hand natural batsmen to have a strong-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip, numerous great bottom-hand natural Australian Test batsmen - such as Bradman, Steve Waugh and Chappell - have possessed that grip too. Chappell is a right-hander through and through and batted right-handed with his naturally stronger right hand as his bottom hand, but, he explains: I know in my batting my top hand [which was my naturally weaker left hand] was my dominant hand. We were fortunate that our father understood [the importance of having a dominant top hand and a very light bottom hand] and drilled that into us from a very early age.Although, in Australia at least, top-hand natural batsmen are nothing new - Neil Harvey played his first Test, against India at the Adelaide Oval, in January 1948 - it appears that more and more of them are appearing at Test level across the globe. Sports scientists, led by Dr Florian Loffing at the University of Kassel in Germany, recently discovered, after examining every Test cricketer with a batting average of at least 30, that the proportion of them who are top-hand natural has been growing steadily over time: 0% of those who made their Test debut in the 1880s were top-hand natural; for those who made their Test debut this decade, the figure is 33%.The issue was highlighted by a recent research article in Sports Medicine by Mann, Runswick and Allen. They studied a sample of 43 professional batsmen (who had played first-class and/or international cricket) and 93 amateur batsmen (with less than five years experience) and found that 40% of those professional batsmen batted with their naturally dominant hand as their top hand, whereas only 9% of the amateur batsmen did so.Some media reports seemed to suggest that the article concluded that there is a universally right batting grip (namely, the top-hand natural grip) and a universally wrong batting grip (namely, the bottom-hand natural grip). However, the research itself did not say that. Mann, a capable Australian club cricketer, told the Cricket Monthly that he would be quite horrified if the research was misinterpreted to suggest that there is a universally right and wrong batting stance. My background is fully in skill acquisition, and I would be the strongest advocate of not using a one-size fits all [technique]. I very much advocate needing to embrace what a players own technique is, and to not change technique.That being said, Mann believes that their research suggests that there is actually an advantage to batting reverse-stance [that is, being top-hand natural] and it does provide a better chance of becoming a professional batsman. That hypothesis is supported by Chappells postulation that there is a very good chance that top-hand natural batsmen have a natural technical advantage, because its probably more likely that they are going to use their top hand in adopting a firm-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip.Natural-hand dominance is unquestionably a salient factor in batsmanship. However, it is only one part of a much larger story. Every single cricketer and coach interviewed for this article underlined that batting is, in Chappells words, a whole body exercise. Human beings, he explains, are a lever system. The bat is the last lever in the chain. The legs set up the lever system and what you want is a chain reaction where everything happens efficiently and effectively at the right time.Trent Woodhill is a sports science graduate of the University of New South Wales and one of the most respected batting coaches in Australia, currently working with Melbourne Stars, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and David Warner. He expands the analysis of natural-side dominance to encompass the batsmans entire body, believing that most batsmen have a leg and a hip that they are naturally more comfortable hitting off. As a coach, he always tries to work out where [an individual batsmans natural] dominance lies so that he can help the batsman find the technique thats best for him.Woodhill points out that Virat Kohli is, like Steve Waugh, a bottom-hand natural right-handed batsman who naturally prefers hitting off his back leg. This enables him to play outrageous shots, such as a back-foot square drive off a near yorker just outside off stump, directing the ball behind point with minimal foot movement. As long as he transfers his weight through his dominant [back] foot, Woodhill says, he can move his feet as little or as often as he likes.By contrast Ricky Ponting, a bottom-hand natural right-handed batsman who naturally prefers hitting the ball off his front leg, just in front of his left knee, could never play the squarish, back-foot drives and cuts that come so naturally to Kohli and Steve Waugh. But he could play other shots that they couldnt, such as the front-foot drive on the up through the covers, and his vicious trademark pull shot against balls that many other batsmen found too full to pull.A batsmans naturally dominant hitting leg is not necessarily his naturally favoured kicking leg. Warner, Langer and Cowan kick a football with their right foot but are more comfortable hitting the ball off their back - left - foot. By contrast, Steve Smith, Hussey and Renshaw favour kicking a football with, and hitting a ball off, the same leg: their right.Langer explains that he felt comfortable pushing off his dominant [right kicking] leg to get back to play his favourite cut and pull shots. Cowan thinks that his current-day preference for hitting off his back left foot is just a product of first-class cricket. Even though Im a front-foot player… [in that] I tell myself to go forward when the ball is released, I think thats so I can push back and play off my back [foot]. He adds that his ten-year-old uncoached self would have favoured hitting off his front foot.This logic of interconnectedness applies with equal force to the hands themselves. Ian Renshaw, an expert in human movement and skill acquisition at Queensland University of Technology, who has worked extensively with CA as a consultant (and also happens to be Matt Renshaws father), told the Cricket Monthly that the batsmans two hands work as a unit. Its not helpful to look at it as the hands working separately because they dont. Richard Clifton - Glenn Maxwells personal coach - concurs: the hands have to work together as one unit.The clearest illustration of this is the straight drive for four or six. As Bradman explained in The Art of Cricket, there should be a complete follow through with the bottom hand snapping through fully to finish off the full-blooded drive so that, when the stroke is completed, the toe of the bat is pointing at the wicketkeepers head. Ian Renshaw calls this the Bradman finish.Perhaps the finest exemplar of the Bradman finish today is Maxwell, who routinely drives fast bowlers for flat, straight sixes because, as Clifton explains, his top hand pushes through and his bottom hand rips through, giving him both accuracy and power. Maxwell is, like Bradman, bottom-hand natural, which gives him an advantage over top-hand natural batsmen in this particular area - when playing front-foot drives, he finds it easier to rip his naturally stronger bottom hand through to achieve the Bradman finish.Even the most ardent proponents of the strong-top-hand-loose-bottom-hand grip agree that the bottom hand comes into play for certain shots. As Bradman put it, the left-hand [that is, the top hand] position must remain firm irrespective of the attempted stroke, but the strength of the bottom hand should vary depending on the shot being played. For example, the forward defensive should be played with a loose bottom hand, whereas the pull shot requires the bottom hand to predominate to complete the follow-through.All four of the top-hand natural batsmen interviewed for this piece - Langer, Hussey, Cowan and Matt Renshaw - recall having good forward defensives as kids. Hussey was not great at whipping balls off his pads, and his sweep, pull and hook shots were not dominant. Langer explains that, as a kid, I wasnt a powerful hitter through the leg side because I wasnt as strong with my bottom hand but I used to use [my loose bottom hand] to control the ball through the leg side, to hit areas and gaps. So instead of hitting a lot of balls through midwicket, I used to get a lot of balls down to fine leg. Even as a world-class Test batsman, who by the end of his career swept everything against spin, Langer found that, instead of a hard sweep in front of square leg, his sweep shot was more a lap shot hit behind square leg. I tend to just caress it through the leg side, Langer explains, because I was more top-hand dominant.Interestingly, despite being a top-hand natural batsman Cowan found that, as a kid, the shot that he played most easily and consistently was the bottom hand-dependent work off his pads. I think, he says, that thats a left-handed batsman thing - junior right-arm bowlers tend to bowl a lot of balls at junior left-handed batsmens pads - rather than [a] top- or bottom-hand [thing].Cowan and Langer have always favoured pulling and cutting, shots that require their naturally weaker bottom hand to snap through. There are clear environmental and physiological reasons for that - because Cowan and Langer were small for their age, they tended to receive a lot of short balls and had to find a way to counter that; and since they were both naturally more comfortable hitting the ball off their back foot, the pull and hook shots became the natural solutions to that challenge.Neither Cowan nor Matt Renshaw swept much when they were kids, and Renshaw found it difficult to whip balls off his pads. Even today, Renshaw reckons that his reverse sweep and his switch hit, which derive their power from his naturally stronger top hand, are better than his conventional sweep.On a sunny Melbourne afternoon in early March, I chatted with the Victorian batsman Peter Handscomb over a coffee on Chapel Street. As we were wrapping up, he shared his thoughts on the next stage of battings evolution - future generations of batsmen will routinely practise batting both left- and right-handed, and then, come game time, select whichever hand is optimal for a particular bowler.Two weeks later, in Australias opening game of the World T20 campaign, Handscombs friend and Victoria team-mate Maxwell confronted a left-arm orthodox spinner, Mitchell Santner, bowling around the wicket on a slow, gripping pitch in Dharamsala. For the first three deliveries of the 15th over, Maxwell took guard right-handed, then switched to left-handed at around the time Santner jumped into his delivery stride. The left-handed Maxwell worked the first ball with a straight bat through midwicket for two, blocked the second ball (a yorker on off stump) and mishit a sweep off the third ball (a leg-stump full toss) to backward square leg for a single.On air, Michael Slater was left scratching his head (What is going on? Aw, again, well, as I said, I reckon he makes batting hard), but his fellow commentator Tom Moody pointed out that there was an undeniable method to this seeming madness. Maxwells thinking, Im assuming, that hes trying to hit with the spin… Matt Renshaw didnt watch the game live, but when I explained the match scenario and pitch conditions, he was quick to say: That wouldve been probably one of the best options at the time for him.Thirty-four years earlier, when confronted in the Ranji Trophy by a left-arm orthodox spinner turning it square on a raging turner, Sunil Gavaskar switched to batting left-handed (while continuing to bat right-handed against the other bowlers). Incredibly, he compiled a patient, unbeaten 18 to secure a draw.Unlike Gavaskar, though, Maxwell only batted left-handed for three balls. A week later, Woodhill - who works with Handscomb and Maxwell at Melbourne Stars - prophesied that, sooner or later there will be that unique player… who will come out and bat left-handed when the left-arm spinners on and then when the offspinner comes on, hell bat right-handed.Fast forward another three weeks and the scientist David Mann told me of his slightly different, but related, theorem:Wherever possible, its good to actually be able to bat both ways for as long as possible. I mean, at some point you probably do need to specialise. But my initial observation in this whole area was actually of David Warner. So we used to play indoor cricket together when he was young and we would bat together… and he could bat equally well right- or left-handed. Even at that stage [when Warner was about 13 or 14 years old], it wasnt clear which he would actually end up preferring to do.At least four current elite batsmen in Australia - Warner, Finch, Matt Renshaw and Maxwell - routinely practise batting the other way round. None of the 12 cricketers and coaches interviewed for this piece said they had noticed any Australian kids regularly practising batting both left- and right-handed. However, Hussey observed that thanks to batsmen like Warner and Maxwell, I probably have noticed kids more often turn around and muck around with batting both left- and right-handed.In Woodhills opinion, one factor hindering the evolutionary step of batsmen regularly practising left- and right-handed is current protective equipment: Right-handed gloves are so different to left-handed gloves, they just havent got the same protection. And same with the thigh pads as well - small inner [back] thigh pad and a larger [front] one. So until gear is developed to be able to do both, theres a physical risk involved [in batting the other way round]. It came as little surprise when Clifton subsequently said that, as a teenager, Maxwell owned a left-handed thigh pad.Both Matt Renshaw and Woodhill believe that, at some point in the future, batsmen will regularly switch hands. Indeed, from a broader historical perspective, its surprising that it hasnt happened already. Highly proficient switch hitters have been part of Major League Baseball since at least the late 19th century, and prior to the 1990s, many of Australias finest batsmen, from Victor Richardson to Harvey to Norm ONeill to Bill Lawry to Ian Chappell to Greg Chappell to Border to Brad Hodge, spent their winters playing high-level baseball.If the latest generation of Australian batsmen has a standard-bearer, it is the 20-year-old Renshaw, the fifth highest run scorer in last summers Shield, runner-up for the Shield Player of the Season award, and the youngest batsman picked in this winters Australia A squad. The left-handed Renshaw is, in many senses, a classical opener. He is patient and enjoys batting for long periods. He doesnt hold a Big Bash contract, is yet to make his List A debut for Queensland, and his season strike rate of 40.95 was the lowest of last summers top ten Shield run scorers. Those facts are fairly well known.What is less well known is that Renshaw has switch hit a six at Lords, a shot that came as little surprise to those who know that he has been practising batting right-handed since he was a boy. I cant really remember whether it was [my idea] or Dads, he says. I can just remember watching people play reverse sweeps and I thought that would be pretty cool. And so I started trying to bat right-handed. He has had both the switch hit and the reverse sweep in his armoury since he was a teenager. Of the two, he is more comfortable playing the reverse sweep because when you go for the switch hit, you have to swap everything and the bowler can change where he is going to bowl it. Hell only play the higher risk switch hit if there is a good reason to do so. He did it at Lords because it was an offspinner [bowling] to a short boundary on the off side.Renshaw is yet to see any batsman do what Handscomb predicted that the next generation would do - change hands during a game to suit the bowler theyre facing - but says, without skipping a beat, Ive definitely talked about it with Dad. Luca Antonelli Jersey . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Alessandro Guarnone Jersey . Now, correct me if Im wrong but I saw one official distinctly pointing at the net indicating a good goal but after an inconclusive review they overturned the goal. Shouldnt the ruling on the ice (good goal) stand after an inconclusive review? Why was this overturned? James Veaudry Pembroke, ON -- Hey Kerry, Youll get a lot of these, but why was the Montreal goal against Nashville Saturday night overturned? Eller puts the puck on net and the on ice ruling from the ref behind the net is a Montreal goal. http://www.authenticshopacmilan.com/c-11-andrea-poli-ac-milan-fc-jersey.aspx . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Top-ranked Alabama has never lost an opener under Nick Saban. And the Crimson Tides last two national championships, including a season ago, started at the home of the NFLs Dallas Cowboys.Maybe Crimson Tide fans should go ahead and make plans for Tampa in January for the next College Football Playoff title game. Many of them probably already have even before the start of Sabans 10th season.Alabama opens Saturday night at AT&T Stadium against 20th-ranked Southern California, which is facing an SEC team for the first time in 10 years.It is the seventh of Sabans openers to be played in a neutral site against team from another Power Five conference -- the Tide have won all of those first six at least double figures. That includes beating Michigan in 2012 and Wisconsin last September in the stadium where they also won the CFP semifinal in the Cotton Bowl last New Years Eve.Well, Id rather play here in Tuscaloosa, Saban said this week on campus. The issue is getting people to play you in Tuscaloosa that are quality opponents, and then when you do home-and-home. That means next year wed have to play in California. So next year we wouldnt make any money, this year we would. This is a business decision but its also a program decision in the tremendous amount of exposure, when you play a quality opponent like USC.The Tide have won four national titles under Saban. The first was in 2008, when the Trojans won their last Pac-12 title.USC has seven wins in its history against No. 1 teams, but the last was in 1984.What an unbelievable opportunity. You look at the sacrifices this team made, the things its gone through to get here, and you cant help being excited about it, said Clay Helton, who goes into his first game of his first season as the Trojans permanent coach. Thats why you come to SC. If you dont like the challenge, you dont take the job.Some other things to know when Alabama and USC go head-to-head for the first time since 1985:NEW QBS: USCs Max Browne has won the job to replace Cody Kessler but has attempted only 19 passes in nine gaames. Jose Mauri Jersey. . Alabamas starter is a mystery, either junior Cooper Bateman or redshirt freshman Blake Barnett. If Saban has picked a guy, he isnt saying -- just like the past two years when Blake Sims and then Jake Coker claimed the jobs through game performances.KIFFINS OLD TEAM: Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is plenty familiar with the Trojans, having coached 19 members of the USC team. Hes a former USC head coach and assistant. It wont be about me, just like it wasnt about me when we were at Tennessee, Kiffin said early in preseason camp. Its not about coach when we go to LSU. Its about our players playing really well. All we can do is put our players in the best position to win.NEW BUT FAMILIAR: New Trojans head coach Clay Helton has been on their staff since 2010. There is also a new offensive coordinator (Tee Martin) and new defensive coordinator (Clancy Pendergast), and like Helton, neither are strangers at USC. Martin has been on staff there since 2012, and Pendergast was previously the Trojans defensive coordinator in 2013, before returning to the NFL the past two seasons.PROLIFIC RECEIVERS: If the quarterbacks are unproven, their top targets are pretty obvious. USCs Browne has JuJu Smith-Schuster, who flirted with 1,500 receiving yards and has impressed Saban all the way around. A bigtime guy, the coach said. Kind of a Dez Bryant-type of receiver, and hes certainly going to be a challenge for us to guard. Alabama counters with Calvin Ridley, who emerged as one of the SECs best as a freshman. Ridley is also taking over returning punts.OPENING STREAKS: The Crimson Tides streak of season-opening wins is even longer than Sabans tenure. They have won their last 14 openers overall, which is three fewer than USCs streak of 17 consecutive seasons with a win in the first game.---AP Sports Writers John Zenor and Greg Beacham contributed to this report.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '