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LIVERPOOL, England - A soccer coach accused of murdering an off-duty police officer has appeared in an English court. Troy Polamalu Grey Jersey .Christopher Spendlove was fired Monday as assistant coach of Oklahoma City Energy, which plays in the USL PRO league, after being charged by authorities in his native Liverpool.The 30-year-old Spendlove and 28-year-old Andrew Taylor are both accused of attacking officer Neil Doyle in Liverpool city centre early Friday. A post-mortem examination found that Doyle died from a fatal bleed around the brain.Spendlove and Taylor appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday to face murder and assault charges.Ahead of the hearing, Energy FC announced that Spendlove was dismissed given the seriousness of the charges. Authentic Joe Greene Steelers Jersey . And by all indications, the team is expected to select phenom Connor McDavid with their selection. The Buffalo Sabres, who were knocked down to the second overall pick after finishing with the worst regular season record, are expected to take the other generational player in Jack Eichel. Ben Roethlisberger Green Jersey. The alleged sexual assault is believed to have happened over the weekend of Feb. 1, when the hockey team was in Thunder Bay for two games against Lakehead University. The criminal investigation branch of the Thunder Bay Police Service is leading the investigation with help from Ottawa police. GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There he was, Julius Peppers -- the Green Bay Packers prized off-season acquisition -- taking runs at the quarterback and dropping back in coverage in a No. 56 jersey that looked a bit snug. It was just an off-season workout in late May, but boy did the addition of the 6-foot-7 Peppers look good to coach Mike McCarthy. "Just the way he moves -- he looks awesome in 56," McCarthy said. "Were a little worried about finding a shirt to fit him." Should be able to sew something together by September. Its not often that a team gets to add a 287-pound pass rusher whose 118 1/2 sacks rank him second in the NFL since entering the league in 2002. Making Peppers move from the NFC North rival Bears even more noteworthy is that he signed with a team that typically doesnt make splash in free agency. "I was a little shocked," linebacker Clay Matthews said. "But obviously ... Im happy to have him on this side of the ball." Green Bay won a third straight NFC North title last season despite a slew of injuries. The defence missed Matthews the most after the linebacker was sidelined much of the year with a broken right thumb. The Packers defence sagged in the second half, about the same time that quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a collarbone injury. So part of coach McCarthys plan for the off-season was to look for more impact players on defence, whether through moving pieces around and developing players or adding fresh bodies from free agency and the draft. Enter Peppers, a salary cap hit by Chicago in the off-season. The eight-time Pro Bowler, 34, signed a three-year deal with Green Bay after finishing with just seven sacks in 2013, his lowest total in four seasons with Chicago and the fewest for him since he had a career-low 2 1/2 with Carolina in 2007. Linebacker A.J. Hawk didnt think Peppers lost a step after watching him fly around on a warm spring day in Green Bay. "He runs like hes 18. If theres ever a genetic freak that was put on the planet, its Julius. Antonio Brown Pink Jersey. Hes just a specimen," Hawk said. So what was it about the subpar 2013 season then? "I felt fine last year," Peppers said. "Circumstances around me and the team, you know, led to certain things. But as far as me and how my body feels, I feel great." Getting a chance to play with Matthews, who is one of the leagues most dangerous pass rushers when healthy, was part of the appeal for Peppers in picking the Packers. Matthews -- who was flexing his right hand with a black armband during practice -- said his recovery is coming along fine, and that for now he "didnt see there being any hindrance toward beginning the season, toward camp." The ideal scenario for the Packers might be Matthews and Peppers bookending the line as pass rushers, with Peppers making what he indicated would be a smooth transition to more of an outside linebacker in the Packers 3-4 set. "Theyre not asking me to do very much different except for drop back a little bit," Peppers said. "Other than that, its pretty much almost the same as playing defensive end." As a newcomer, he might benefit from McCarthys emphasis this off-season to seemingly simplifying the defence a little. The mantra seems to be "more personnel, less scheme" to make more people available and add flexibility, following the injury-riddle 2013 season. The addition of Peppers, in effect, could fit well into that philosophy given his history as a hybrid defensive end-linebacker. The Packers also transitioned Mike Neal into a similar role last season with some success. "Weve learned some hard lessons here of late, the last couple years of maybe playing some players that probably werent quite ready because of the scheme of were playing of utilizing your best players, and thats a trap you just dont want to fall into as a coach," McCarthy said. "Everybody prepares this way. Were just tilting a little more that way than we have in the past." Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
PARIS -- Finally, the Tour de France is giving women a more visible role than just congratulating the male riders. Kyrie Irving Cavaliers Jersey . On July 27 cyclings best-known race will host "La Course by Le Tour de France" -- a one-day womens competition staged hours before Tour riders race on the same circuit to finish the three-week event on Paris Champs-Elysees. The International Cycling Union announced the innovation Saturday as part of its 2014 racing calendar. Tour organizers, the Amaury Sport Organization, say they aim to make the womens competition "one of the most decisive races of the season." Until now, the 110-year-old Tour has been almost exclusively a male preserve, with women sometimes employed as team staffers or on the winners podium handing out flowers. A number of womens races have collapsed in recent years and some competitors have criticized poor funding and promotion. A "Tour Feminin" event in France was staged in the past, but not since 2009. "Womens races have had financial difficulties -- little television exposure, little media fallout and, as a result, few sponsors," said UCI sport director Philippe Chevallier in a phone interview. "We are working hard so that will change," he said, acknowledging that "its a long-term job." A group of cyclists, including Olympic gold medallist and road race world champion Marianne Vos of the Netherlands and Olympian Emma Pooley of Britain, launched a petition last summer to push for a professional womens race in parallel to the Tour de France over the same distances. "There was a petition, which I found inappropriate by the way, during the Tour de France," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told The Associated Press by telephone. "After the Tour, in September, October, a delegation of (womens) champions came to see me, led by Marianne Vos," Prudhomme said. "What they asked us was for a bit of spotlight, they insisted upon the fact that womens cycling does not get enough media coverage and only this event -- and only organization ASO -- could help them to get more coverage for their race." Vos said she was "delighted" about the announcement of "La Course" event. "I am particularly happy to take part, especially thinking about the majestic finish on the Champs-Elysees," she was quoted as saying in a statement from Tour organizers. "The birth of this race is a revolutionary development in our sport. The Tour is the pinnacle of professional cycling ... (this) could open up a new era for womens cycling." In contrast, Prudhomme emphasized the challenge of running two races at the same time. "Its complicated. You have to do things step by step from a logistical point of view," and in terms of security, Prudhomme said. "Were totally incapable, logistically and technically, to run two events at the same time, whatever they may be. We dont know how to do it, (so) well have to wait to see what happens." Authentic Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey . A last-minute leveler ensured the two-time defending champion remained nine points ahead of Roma, which drew 0-0 at bitter rival Lazio in the capital derby. Authentic Steven Adams Thunder Jersey . The result was a game-winning, power-play goal. Chiasson snapped a third-period tie and lifted the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory on Monday night.CINCINNATI - Alfredo Simon usually takes a strike before taking a swing. The Cincinnati right-hander was more aggressive, and it paid off against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds starter doubled on the first pitch of his first at bat and then swung at the first pitch of his second plate appearance before slashing another two-bagger that drove in the go-ahead run of a 4-2 Reds win on Wednesday night. "Sometimes, (manager Bryan Price) tells me to take a strike, but sometimes, the fastball I get on the first pitch is the only chance I have to get a hit," said Simon, who was hitting .098 going into the game. Simon shook off a rough start but lasted seven innings, and Ryan Ludwick hit a solo home run to help the Reds win back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 27-28 against the Chicago Cubs. The Central Division-leading Cardinals hadnt sustained consecutive defeats since a four-game losing streak from Aug. 26-30. "He was a little erratic early, but he rallied," Price said of Simon. Simon (14-10) allowed five hits and two runs with three walks and five strikeouts for his second win in eight decisions over 11 starts since the All-Star break. "I gave up the two runs in the first inning, but I kept fighting," Simon said. "Everything was working." Sam LeCure and Ryan Dennick pitched the eighth, and Aroldis Chapman worked a perfect ninth for his 32nd save. Terry Lyons (0-4) took the loss after Cardinals starter John Lackey was ejected in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. Plate umpire Tom Hallion ejected Lackey four pitches into the third inning. "Lackey was warned to quit arguing balls and strikes, and he continued to argue," Hallion said. The ejection caught Lackey by surprise. "I didnt say any cuss words toward him," Lackey said. "He saw my mouth moving and threw me out. It was unexpected, for suree. Michael Jordan Bulls Jersey. Ive been thrown out a few times throwing balls at people, but never for something like this" With the game tied 2-2, Jay Bruce led off the Reds fourth inning with a bloop single. Simon, who entered with one career double, went the opposite way to drive in Bruce with the go-ahead run. Brandon Phillips added a bases-loaded, run-scoring single in the fifth to make it 4-2. Simon retired the first two batters of the game before the Cardinals scored two runs. Matt Holliday walked and scored from first on Matt Adams double. Oscar Taveras followed with a run-scoring single. Todd Frazier drove in Chris Heisey with a single in the first, and Ludwick tied it for the Reds in the second with his ninth homer and first since Aug. 17 — a 374-foot shot into the left-field seats. QUICK PITCH Lackey was ejected for the fourth time in his career and first since 2009 when he was with the Angels and was ejected two pitches into a game for throwing at Texas Ian Kinsler. DONE DEAL The Reds acquired from Milwaukee minor-league RHP Kevin Shackelford and RHP Barrett Astin on Wednesday as the two players to be named in the Aug. 31 trade that sent RHP Jonathan Broxton to the Brewers. TRAINERS ROOM Cardinals: Manager Mike Matheny got no argument from SS Jhonny Peralta when the veteran was given Wednesday off. Peralta missed just three of St. Louis first 145 games. "He wants to finish strong," Matheny said. "Hes answered the bell." Reds: RHP Pedro Villareals status remained day-to-day after he was hit in the right forearm by Hollidays sharp one-hopper in the ninth inning of Mondays 5-0 loss. UP NEXT Cardinals: Lance Lynn tries to improve to 4-0 in four 2014 starts against Cincinnati in Thursdays series finale. Reds: Johnny Cueto will look to avoid dropping to 0-3 in three starts this season against St. Louis. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
DENVER -- At long last, Brian Shaw is getting his first chance to coach an NBA team. Marco Reus Jersey . The former guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and Phil Jackson pupil has agreed to succeed George Karl as coach of the Denver Nuggets, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday night because the deal hadnt been officially announced. Still, it was the buzz of the basketball world. "I think the Nuggets are going to benefit from his tenure," Jackson tweeted. "So great to see Brian Shaw rewarded with this long overdue opportunity," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told The AP in a text. "Congrats to Brian and the Nuggets. Denver just got one of the best head coaches this league will see for years to come." The Denver Post first announced the agreement with Shaw, the Indiana Pacers assistant who told the newspaper hes been "prepared by the best of the best" for his first NBA head coaching job, adding "I feel like Ive waited and paid my dues." Shaw is a longtime assistant who has interviewed about a dozen times for head coaching positions but kept coming up short until Monday. He beat out Lionel Hollins, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach. The Nuggets called a news conference for Tuesday afternoon, where team president Josh Kroenke and newly hired general manager Tim Connelly will introduce their new coach. Shaw replaces Karl, who was ousted June 6 just weeks after winning the leagues Coach of the Year award. Shaw inherits a young team loaded with talent that won a franchise-record 57 games but lost Danilo Gallinari to a knee injury down the stretch and bowed out in the first round of the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. Gallinari recently underwent surgery and is expected back in December. The Nuggets have been a state of flux all summer after they were knocked off by the Golden State Warriors in six games in the first round of the playoffs. First, Masai Ujiri, who engineered the win-win trade of Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, left the Nuggets front office for the GM job in Toronto. Ujiri was the leagues Executive of the Year. Less than a week later, Kroenke fired Karl. Ujiris right-hand man, Pete DAllesandro, then took the Sacramento Kings GM job and took Denver executive Mike Bratz with him. Also, the Nuggets top perimeter defender, Andre Iguodala, decided to opt out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, although he could return to Denver on a five-year deal while the most he could get elsewhere is a four-year contract. Shaw, 47, owns five NBA championship rings as a player and assistant coach. A first-round draft pick by the Boston Celtics in 1988, Shaw played for eight teams in his 14 NBA seasons. As Vogels top assistant, Shaw drew praise for his work with rising star Paul George last season. The Pacers forward was an All-Star and helped lead Indiana to the Eastern Conference finals, where they took the eventual champion Miami Heat to seven games. Although he has deep roots with the triangle offence that Jackson featured with the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers, Shaw told the Denver Post he wont use that system with the Nuggets, who thrived in a fast-paced, free-flowing system under Karl. Shaw played at St. Marys and UC Santa Barbara before an NBA career that lasted from 1988 to 2003. He was a member of the Lakers three championship teams in the early 2000s and Jackson hired him as an assistant after he retired. He won two more titles with L.A. as an assistant coach and when Jackson retired from the Lakers in 2011, Kobe Bryant voiced his support for Shaw becoming Jacksons successor, but he was passed over for that promotion. Hendrik Bonmann Dortmund Jersey .C. -- Jackson Whistle made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Kelowna Rockets blanked the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-0 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Sebastian Rode Jersey . Torres tells Spanish daily AS "in football you never know where you will be inside one month. Im going to work hard, thats all you can do with this last part of the season so important. Monday, June 1 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 3:00AM Mike & Mike 9:00AM Jim Rome 12:00PM Dan Patrick 3:00PM Rich Eisen 4:00PM MLB: Toronto at Washington 7:00PM MLB: NY Yankees at Seattle 9:30PM FOX Sports Radio Tuesday, June 2 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 3:00AM Mike & Mike 9:00AM Jim Rome 12:00PM Dan Patrick 3:00PM Rich Eisen 3:45PM AHL Playoffs: Brand Rapids at Utica 7:00PM JT The Brick 8:00PM FOX Sports Radio Wednesday, June 3 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 3:00AM Mike & Mike 9:00AM Jim Rome 12:00PM Dan Patrick 3:00PM Whitecaps FC Pre-Game Show 5:00PM MLS: Whitecaps FC at Montreal Impact 7:00PM Whitecaps FC Post-Game Show 9:00PM FOX Sports Radio Thursday, June 4 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 3:00AM Mike & Mike 9:00AM Jim Rome 12:00PM Dan Patrick 3:00PM Rich Eisen 5:00PM NBA on ESPN Pre-Game Show 6:00PM NBA Finals: Game 1 9:00PM FOX Sports Radio Fridayy, June 5 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 3:00AM Mike & Mike 9:00AM Jim Rome 12:00PM Dan Patrick 3:00PM Rich Eisen 4:00PM MLB: Houston at Toronto 7:00PM MLB: Tampa Bay at Seattle 10:00PM FOX Sports Radio Saturday, June 6 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 4:00AM Raceline Radio 5:00AM Golf Talk Canada 6:30AM Life After The Game 7:00AM FOX Sports Radio 9:00AM Footy Soldiers 10:00AM Tasting Room Radio 11:00AM Stealth Classified 12:00PM MMA Report 1:00PM FOX Sports Radio 2:00PM Womens World Cup Pre-Game Show 3:00PM WWC: Canada vs. Marc Bartra Dortmund Shirts. China 5:00PM WWC Recap Show 6:00PM Vancouver Whitecaps FC Pre-Game Show 7:30PM MLS: Whitecaps FC at LA Galaxy 9:30PM Vancouver Whitecaps FC Post-Game Show 11:30PM FOX Sports Radio Sunday, June 7 TIME (PT) SHOW 12:00AM FOX Sports Radio 9:30AM MLB: Houston at Toronto 1:00PM MLB: Tampa Bay at Seattle 4:00PM Sunday Night Baseball: St. Louis at LA Dodgers 9:00PM Live Audio Wrestling 11:00PM FOX Sports Radio Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd was suspended Friday for two games after pleading guilty in a drunken driving case. Damon Severson Jersey . The NBA announced Kidd will miss the first two games of the season. The Nets open at Cleveland on Oct. 30 and host the defending champion Miami Heat on Nov. 1. Kidd pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour drunken driving charge after he crashed into a utility pole on eastern Long Island on July 15, 2012. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. He returned to court Monday after completing community service and his plea was reduced to a violation, driving while ability impaired. "I think we all knew that was going to come at some point," Kidd said Friday after practice at Duke University in Durham, N.C. "You have to be responsible and the league came down with the suspension, and I accept that. If a players out, guys have got to step up. ... My coaching staff is more than capable of stepping up." It hasnt been determined which of Kidds assistants will fill in during the suspension, he said. Kidd can return to the bench when the Nets travel to Orlando on Nov. 3. "The decision is consistent with what the league has done in the past," Nets general manager Billy King said in a statement. "And we look forward to Jason leading our team versus Orlando and the rest of the year." Kidd spoke to students at two Long Island high schools last week about the dangers of drunken driving. He also paid a $500 fine and his license was suspended for 90 days, according to a spokeswoman for Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. The 40-year-old Kidd retired as a player in May after a 19-year NBA career and was hired weeks later to coach the Nets -- the team he took to two NBA Finals when the franchise played in New Jersey. He helped the Dallas Mavericks win the 2011 title. P. A. Parenteau Jersey . That still leaves a big hole.You dont replace the leadership, defensive co-ordinator Billy Davis said. You just dont. Leadership is something that is earned over time. Kyle Palmieri Devils Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla.NEW YORK -- After further review, the play stands as called. Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong. NBA officials were already considering expanding referees instant replay options before two key plays in this post-season couldnt be changed even after refs saw them on the monitor. For now, the rules are clear about what referees can look at. But Commissioner Adam Silver said the league will "inevitably" reach a point where they can do more. "So far, in terms of all of our triggers, weve tried to maintain a line of what is clearly objectively ascertainable," Silver said Thursday. "You know, foot on the line or not, buzzer or not. My sense is where well end up is giving the referees more discretion over what they can look at once we go to replay." Silvers comments to a group of Associated Press Sports Editors came hours before Atlantas Jeff Teague tossed in a wild 3-pointer as he dribbled left with the shot clock winding down and the Hawks leading Indiana by six. When officials later reviewed the shot to see if Teague was behind the arc, it was clear he had first stepped out of bounds before shooting. As Indiana players screamed for the basket to be overturned, referee Tony Brothers explained that it couldnt be. The Golden State Warriors hung on for a 109-105 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of their series after a similar replay issue. When officials went to the monitor to review a ball out of bounds with 18.9 seconds left and Golden State leading by two, they could see that the Warriors Draymond Green had first fouled Chris Paul. However, because that wasnt reviewable, all they could rule was the ball had gone off of Paul. Silver said its confusing for viewers to see something obvious on replay, yet the officials appear to have "blinders" on and do nothing about it. "I think the most difficult area now, even for our fans to understand, is when an official can go to replay and everyone can see something that looks like a foul or wasnt a foul, but yet the official is restricted from being able to apply, in essence, his judgment on the play," Silver said. Jamie Langenbrunner Jersey. "And I think thats an area that I think inevitably were going to reach, where an official is going to need to have some more discretion." But senior vice-president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said its a bit of a "slippery slope" in determining how far officials can look backward before the play they are reviewing. "Those are things that when you start to have subjective calls and youre looking at a lot of things, and youre giving more discretion on what to look at, those are the problems and the issues that you try to figure out," VanDeWeghe said. "But like Adam said, giving the referees a little bit more discretion when theres something obvious that happens within the context of the foul, you want to get it right." Clippers coach Doc Rivers, a member of the leagues competition committee, said the committee talked about it last year. They apparently had the same concerns as VanDeWeghe. "Its a hard one. It really is," Rivers said. "We all want them to get everything right. But how far does that go when you start doing that? How far do you go on that? Did he step on the line? Well, maybe he fouled him. But there was a travel down there. Look, there. At some point, is it just on the ball? Is it off the ball? It can go a long way. Just think, right now were looking at one play and it takes five minutes. If you start doing that, it may take forever." The competition committee will meet again for two days in July to recommend any changes, which would have to be approved by owners. VanDeWeghe agreed with Silver that the NBA will use more replay. "Its always a balancing act at the end of the day because we want to get the calls right, want to have the players decide the game, get the calls right, but also we dont want to have a four-hour game, so were continually balancing it," VanDeWeghe said. "But if we can utilize replays more, if we can utilize data more, were going to do it to make our game better." AP Sports Writer Antonio Gonzalez in San Francisco contributed to this report. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
When youre typing the name Alex Rodriguez or A-Rod almost every day, it gets you to thinking about many things, including why there are so few nicknames in baseball anymore. Bruno Caboclo Jersey . There used to be a time when it seemed all the stars had a handle. There was Rocket Roger Clemens, Bill The Spaceman Lee, Randy Big Unit Johnson, and just Lefty for Steve Carlton to name just a few for pitchers. Then there were the stars and the baseball legends such as George Herman Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat, Stan the Man Musial, Hammerin Hank Aaron, the Kid Ken Griffey Jr. and that other Kid – late great Hall of Famer Gary Carter. You can come up with so many more yourselves. What surprised me, when I did a little digging, was the most popular nickname ever is Doc. Marlin Bressi did an article for Yahoo in 2011 detailing 81 different players with that nickname. I even managed to come up with a few more that werent on that list - Roy Doc Halladay, Ron Taylor known by all in these parts as Doc Taylor, because he actually is a practicing physician in Toronto. Another name I remembered from his brief stay with the Blue Jays was right hander Danny Darwin, who was known as Doctor Death, for not being afraid to throw high and tight on batters. And then there was the late Dock Ellis, who spelled his with the K. And the greatest Doc of them all was probably New York Mets star Dwight Gooden who short-circuited his outstanding pitching career by abusing drugs and alcohol. The Doc I really wanted to tell you about though, is Maurice Mike Doc Powers - a catcher who began his big league career in the late 1800s and played thru the early 1900s mainly for the Philadelphia As. I always thought the first and only baseball death, related to an on-field incident, involved shortstop Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians. On August 16 of 1920, Carl Mays - a hard-throwing, side-winding pitcher - hit Chapman in the head with a pitch. He collapsed and died in hospital 12 hours later. That incident led to the outlawing of the spit ball and a rule change whereby umpires would remove balls from games as soon as they became scuffed or scratched or anyway discoloured. I was surprised to find out Chapman may not have been the first to die because of something that happened in a Major League game. On April 12 of 1909, the Philadelphia As were playing their season opener at Shibe Park. It was quite a sight - the first stadium ever built entirely of concrete and steel, a state-of-the-art facility for its time. Mike Doc Powers was in the twilight of his career in 1909 at age 38. He was also a licenced, practicing physician. In the later years of his career Doc Powers was known as the Personal catcher of Future Hall of Famer Eddie Plank. Powers was also considered to be the unofficial pitching coach of the As and the right hand man to their legendary skipper Connie Mack.At some point early in this Opening Day game against the Red Sox, Powers made a Herculean effort to catch a foul pop and crashed hard into a wall. By the seventh inning he was doubled over in pain in the dugout. Doc Powers insisted, he should finish the game, which ended as an 8-1 victory for Philadelphia. After the game, Powers was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with gastritis and or Peritonitis. Two days later he was operated on for a twisted/strangulated intestine. A surgeon removed a section of the intestine. Unfortunately, gangrene had begun to set in and after two more operations Doc Powers died on April 26 of 1909. Powers, over the last two weeks of his life, was reluctant to blame his condition on baseball. He actually thought he became ill from eating a spoiled cheese sandwich during the game. Author Brian McKenna, who deeply researched this story, mentioned it could have been a pre-existing condition that just happened to surface on that day. Doc Powers funeral was on April 29 and the entire As and Washington Senators teams were on hand, along with players from four other teams. So popular was Powers that thousands of mourners had to be turned away. Two years later on July 1 of 1910, the As organized what might have been the very first benefit game. Eight thousand dollars was raised for Doc Powers children. I found another fascinating Doc as well. Doc Cramer played in the majors for 20 seasons up until 1948 and helped the Detroit Tigers win the 1945 World Series over the Chicago Cubs - the last time the Cubbies made it to the Fall Classic. Cramer finished with a .296 batting average and 2,705 hits. Thats the most hits for any player before 1975 who didnt wind up in the Hall of Fame. Jason Thompson Raptors Jersey . The 22-year-old Kreider was injured Friday night in New Yorks win at Columbus, but played in the next two games -- including Monday nights win over Phoenix. But the left winger, who has 17 goals and 37 points this season, was limited to about 10 minutes of ice time in each of the previous games. DeMarre Carroll Jersey .com) - John Wall supplied 24 points and 11 assists in leading the Washington Wizards to a 102-91 win over the New York Knicks on Christmas Day.The Montreal Impact achieved two very important objectives in 2013: they won the Canadian Championship, and they qualified for the MLS Playoffs. Unfortunately, the manner of their 3-0 playoff defeat to the Houston Dynamo left a very sour taste in the mouth. That ultimately saw the Marco Schallibaum era come to end, and the Swiss coach was replaced with former Chicago Fire coach, Frank Klopas. The move surprised some - the Impact were thought to be looking for a European to replace Schallibaum - but Montreal felt that Klopas has the right mix of MLS experience and understanding of the Impacts philosophy as a club to be the man to lead them over the next three years. Given the Impacts desire to embed their playing philosophy, I dont expect them to deviate from their preferred 1-4-2-3-1 formation. If that is the approach they continue to employ, this is how I expect them to line up: Goalkeeper - Troy Perkins Perkins is a steady, reliable MLS goalkeeper. He probably didnt get the credit he deserved last year - which may be down to the fact that he was playing in Montreal, rather than in an American MLS city - but he did lead the league in saves with 109. He will be hoping that he wont be as busy this season; a settled back four will have a big influence on whether or not that is the case. But even if the back four is breached, the Impact have a safe pair of gloves in goal in Perkins. Right Fullback - Hassoun Camara Camaras position in the team will be determined, I suspect, on the form and fitness of their central defenders. If Nelson Rivas can somehow manage to stay healthy for more than two weeks, he will partner Matteo Ferrari. If not, then Wandrille Lefevre will get the chance to impress beside Ferrari. If Lefevres form dips, expect to see Camara or new signing Heath Pearce slide inside to play centre back. This may very well be Camaras best position, but I expect to at least see him start the season at right fullback. Camara is good in the air, likes to get forward, and has even shown a knack for scoring goals. If he can cut out the mental lapses that crept into his game at times last season, he will be an ever-present in Klopas team. Left Fullback - Heath Pearce Aside from suffering a badly broken nose that forced him to miss four games, Jeb Brovsky was a fixture at left fullback last season. Right now, though, Brovsky is nursing his way back from a knee injury and will likely miss the start of the season. Montreal have been looking at options at this position, and their first round draft pick, Eric Miller, can play left fullback. But it is likely that Frank Klopas will prefer to go with former New York Red Bull, Heath Pearce, who has signed for the club after impressing in pre-season. Pearce is versatile, and can play both left fullback and central defender. That could prove useful for the Impact, who have injury and form concerns at both of these positions. Central Defender - Matteo Ferrari It is essential for Matteo Ferrari to remain healthy this season. With doubts over the fitness of Nelson Rivas, and question marks over whether or not Wandrille Lefevre can perform week in, week out, Ferrari is the rock upon which Frank Klopas back four needs to be built. Ferrari is arguably the best central defender in MLS - his pedigree is unmatched. He reads the game supremely well, and at times seems to be strolling through the game. He needs to ensure that he remains fully focused though, as his experience will be vital for the Impact in 2014. Central Defender - Nelson Rivas* The asterisk is there for one reason and one reason only - Nelson Rivas is never healthy. Rivas played only one game last season - the 3-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Playoffs - and managed to get himself sent off in the process. Hardly a ringing endorsement, but anyone who has tracked the career of the Colombian over the years will know that Rivas is more than capable of being a star defender in MLS. He is big, strong, fearless and comfortable with a ball at his feet. If he can miraculously get himself healthy, he will play alongside Ferrari. If not, expect Wandrille Lefevre to be given an opportunity to hold onto the position, as Adrian Lopez – signed last season from Wigan Athletic – is still not fully fit after recovering from ACL surgery. Defensive Midfield - Patrice Bernier Recently installed as the Impacts captain, Bernier has been a reliable performer for Montreal - despite having to overcome some obstacles in 2012. Dropped from the starting lineup by then head coach, Jesse Marsch, Bernier took the high road. He didnt complain, he didnt voice his disapproval in the media; he worked harder, got back in the team, and in the end, was voted team MVP. That is the kind of leadership that made selecting the Montreal native as the clubs next skipper a no-brainer. Luis Scola Raptors Jersey. Expect Bernier to anchor the midfield yet again this season. Defensive Midfield - Hernan Bernardello It was difficult to gauge the ability of Bernardello at times last season; it is always a challenge for players who join a club part-way through their season to really show their best form. But I saw enough from Bernardello to think that he is going to be a very good player for Montreal in the years to come. His touch on the ball is exquisite; his vision and passing range is superb. His effectiveness will increase as he becomes more familiar with his teammates and their tendencies - something that a full pre-season should do wonders for. Barring injury, expect to see B&B - Bernier and Bernardello - patrolling the midfield for Montreal this season. Right Midfield - Justin Mapp With two goals and eight assists, Justin Mapp had a good season for Montreal last year. But I think that Frank Klopas should expect more from the talented left-footer. When he is on form, Mapp can dominate games. He likes to play on his off-wing, so that he can drift inside on his left foot and strike for goal or slide passes through gaps between defenders. If he can pin his fullback high, he will create space for Camara to drive into, or for Bernier and Bernardello to slide across. The one area that Id like to see improvement in is consistency. If Mapp can bring his best game week in, week out, he will be a major asset for the Impact. Left Midfield - Sanna Nyassi This is a problem position for Montreal - because no one has really claimed it as their own. Cue the arrival of Uruguayan, Santiago Gonzalez. Nominally a forward, if Montreal goes with a 1-4-2-3-1- formation, it will be Marco Di Vaio playing up front on his own. So if Klopas wants to get his most talented players on the pitch at the same time, hell need to find room for Gonzalez on the wing, or as an attacking midfielder. But Gonzalez has played sparingly in preseason, as both a winger and as an attacking midfielder. It will take him time to acclimatize to his new team and to MLS, so until he is deemed to be ready, expect Sanna Nyassi to start over Blake Smith and Andres Romero. Nyassi can be very effective, but needs to be far more consistent in 2014 if he is to stay in the team. Attacking Midfield - Felipe Martins Felipe Martins had an outstanding debut season in MLS in 2012. His four goals and 10 assists underlined his role as a creative force in the Impact midfield. In 2013, he put up decent numbers again - 5 goals and 8 assists - but didnt seem to be as influential in Marco Schallibaums team. He wasnt an ever-present in midfield, and often had to make do with a place on the bench. This season, if the Impact are going to succeed, they need Felipe to be on the ball, facing goal as often as possible. He has good feet, an eye for a pass, and isnt afraid to shoot when in the attacking third. If the Impact are going to get goals from midfield, they will need to come from Felipe, in particular. Forward - Marco Di Vaio Aside from the first three games of the season (when Di Vaio will be suspended), expect to see the Italian legend leading the line for Montreal. At the age of 37, Di Viaos best years are behind him. But give him the ball anywhere close to goal, and he will once again show that he is the most clinical finisher in MLS. His 20 goals last season were the reason the Impact made their first-ever playoff appearance. He will need to come close to matching that in 2014 if Montreal is to make a second appearance in post-season play. The reason for that is that the Impact have very little else up front. Andrew Wenger - the number one draft pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft - has not shown the instinct and tactical understanding to be an effective forward in MLS. Work rate and fitness are of little use if they are not paired with tactical nous and finishing ability. Wengers two goals (from 24 appearances, eight as a starter) in 2013 will need to be increased considerably if he is to have a career in the game as a striker. Santiago Gonzalez will likely see time up front as well this season, and it will be hoped that he proves to be more prolific in front of goal that his American counterpart. For head coach Frank Klopas, the objectives will be the same as they were for Schallibaum: win the Canadian championship and qualify for the playoffs. As weve seen time and time again, the regular season goes out the window when the playoffs get under way, so that is the first step to winning MLS Cup. The key for the Impact this season is this: their experienced players (Camara, Bernier, Bernardello, Di Vaio) must stay healthy and must play well. If they dont, the Impact does not have the depth in their squad to cope. 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SAN JOSE, Calif. Chris Mullin Jersey . -- The San Jose Sharks have agreed to a three-year contract with restricted free agent forward Tommy Wingels. Agent Dan Plante on Monday confirmed the move that will keep Wingels in San Jose. CSNBayArea.com first reported the signing and said the contract is worth $7.4 million. Wingels was a key component for the Sharks last season when he ranked fifth on the team with 16 goals to go along with 22 assists in 77 games. He also led the Sharks with 218 hits and was used as a penalty killer and on the second power-play unit. Restricted free agent defenceman Jason Demers has also filed for salary arbitration for next season. Chris Mullin Warriors Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Stephen Curry Warriors Jersey .The Hanwha Eagles said the team was impressed with Morgans contact ability and base-running skills.The 34-year-old debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007 and hit . FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tom Bradys rookie receivers are starting to catch on. And the New England Patriots are 3-0 for the first time in six seasons. After slow starts to their NFL careers, Kenbrell Thompkins caught two touchdown passes and Aaron Dobson had seven receptions as the Patriots beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-3 on Sunday. "Theyre doing a great job," Brady said. "Theyve worked really hard to understand what were trying to do on a weekly basis." That effort didnt pay off in the first two games when Thompkins and Dobson, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury, combined for just nine catches and several drops. But on Sunday, Thompkins, an undrafted free agent, scored on plays of 16 and 5 yards in the first half. And Dobson, a second-round draft pick, led the Patriots with his seven catches and 52 yards receiving. "I feel good. 3-0. You cant ask for anything better," Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. "We know our offence, sooner or later, theyre going to start clicking." On his fourth possession, Brady completed passes of 15 and 6 yards to Dobson then got the ball to the Bucs 16 on a 4-yard completion to Julian Edelman. Then Thompkins caught a pass over the middle and ran it in for his 16-yard touchdown, the first of his career. "Thats a play that we work on every day in practice," Thompkins said. "For me to be open and to have Tom trust me to throw me the ball felt good." The Patriots led 17-3 at halftime as the Buccaneers (0-3) wasted several opportunities. They turned the ball over twice on downs, Rian Lindell missed a 38-yard field goal attempt before making a 30-yarder and Josh Freeman threw an interception to former Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib with 11 seconds left in the first half. Three plays later, Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 53-yard field goal on the final play of the half. "We did some things at times offensively, but then were unable to finish drives," Bucs coach Greg Schiano said. "Youre not going to win in this league that way." The Patriots (3-0) have allowed just 34 points this season but havent played a top quarterback. They faced rookies EJ Manuel of the Buffalo Bills and Geno Smith of the New York Jets before going against Freeman, who entered the game with a completion rate of 45. Anderson Varejao Warriors Jersey. 3 per cent, the worst in the NFL. He had another bad game Sunday, completing 19 of 41 passes for 236 yards. But Schiano said Freeman still gives the Bucs the best chance of winning. "Its a rough start, obviously, but we played three quality football teams," Freeman said. The Patriots held Doug Martin to 88 yards on 20 runs one week after he gained 144. And Vincent Jackson had three catches before leaving the game in the third quarter with a rib injury. There was no update on his condition. The Bucs lost their first two games by a total of three points on a field goal with 2 seconds left and another as time expired. They were out of Sundays game much earlier. New England punted on its first three series as it continued to struggle without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who hasnt played this season while recovering from forearm and back surgery, and wide receiver Danny Amendola, out the past two games with a groin injury. "We were playing good defence," said cornerback Darrelle Revis, who had played the Patriots 11 times before being traded to the Bucs before this season. "Then they up-tempoed us a little bit, and they executed on their plays." The first touchdown to Thompkins stretched Bradys streak to 51 games with at least one scoring pass. The only longer streak in NFL history, 54 games by Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, ended last year. The Patriots got the ball back after the Bucs failed to gain the 1 yard they needed on third and fourth downs. Brady started a 62-yard drive with a 9-yard pass to Dobson and ended it with a throw to Thompkins in the end zone as the Patriots went ahead 14-3. Brady had his best game of the year with 25 completions in 36 attempts for 225 yards as part of a balanced offence that gained 156 yards rushing. Gostkowski added two field goals in the second half, a 46-yarder in the third quarter and a 33-yarder in the fourth. NOTES: The Bucs had only four penalties after entering the game tied for the NFL lead with 23 in two games. ... LeGarrette Blount, traded by the Bucs in the off-season, led the Patriots with 65 yards rushing.Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
MINNEAPOLIS -- Adrian Peterson is still working his way back from off-season groin surgery. Kevin Long Jersey . He says he is eager to rejoin his Minnesota Vikings teammates for the teams off-season program once his body is ready. Peterson spoke on a conference call on Wednesday. Peterson played in 14 games last season and rushed for 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns. But he injured his groin in November and Peterson says that contributed to a foot injury that slowed him toward the end of the season. The Vikings opened their off-season conditioning program under new coach Mike Zimmer on Monday. Peterson has not been present because he is still rehabbing in Texas. Peterson says he "cant sit here and say Im back right now. But Im not far off at all." Asdrubal Cabrera Jersey . Lawries batting helmet hit an umpire during his ninth-inning outburst in the Jays 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The 22-year-old threw his helmet to the ground and it bounced up and hit home plate umpire Bill Miller on the right hip after Lawrie was called out on strikes for the second out. Nolan Ryan Jersey . Lineup news, Fantasy and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES St. Louis Blues – After rolling the San Jose Sharks for seven goals, for the second time in a week, the Blues have a bunch of players on hot streaks.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to continue their recent surge when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tuesdays battle at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers are 2-0 at the start of a four-game homestand and enter Tuesday on a five-game point streak. Despite a 3-0-2 mark in its last five outings, however, Philadelphia is still five points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning, meanwhile, are tied with Detroit for first in the Atlantic Division, but Tampa enters tonight having lost two straight and four of its last five games. The Bolts fell Monday evening in Pittsburgh, dropping a 4-2 decision against a Penguins team that played without Sidney Crosby. Philadelphia has been able to dial up the offense so far on its homestand, scoring a total of nine goals in wins over New Jersey and Carolina. The Flyers notched a 4-1 win over the Devils on Thursday and downed the Hurricanes 5-1 on Saturday afternoon. Wayne Simmonds, Scott Laughton and Jakub Voracek led Saturdays offensive onslaught with each player posting a goal and an assist. Laughtons tally, which made it a 4-1 game before the midway point of the second period, was the rookies first career goal. Its nice to get that one to get it out of the way and just keep going, said Laughton. Michael Raffl and Sean Couturier also scored while Steve Mason made 25 saves for the Flyers, who improved to 8-4-2 as the host. Philadelphia is hoping to get as many points as it can from this homestand. New York Mets T-shirts. After completing the residency Thursday against Florida, the Flyers will play eight straight on the road, where they are 3-9-3 this season. The Lightning have dominated the Flyers over the past several years and enter tonight on a five-game winning streak in the series. Tampa also has taken eight of nine and 12 of the past 15 encounters overall and four of six in Philadelphia. Tampa lost the second stop on a five-game road trip with Mondays setback in the Steel City. Four different players scored for Pittsburgh, while Jonathan Drouin and Nikita Kucherov tallied for the Lightning. Making matters worse, the Bolts also lost their No. 1 goaltender Ben Bishop, who allowed a goal on five shots in the first period before exiting with a lower-body injury. Evgeni Nabokov finished the contest with 18 stops in defeat. I thought we carried the play for a lot of the game, to be honest, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. We scored three goals on ourselves; three went off us in the net. Its hard to win when you put three in the net. We put three in our net and two in theirs. Nabokov will start tonight and the Lightning recalled goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to serve as the backup. The severity of Bishops injury has yet to be revealed. Mason is 1-2-1 with a 3.25 goals against average in his career against the Lightning and he expects to start tonight for the Flyers. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
With the increased importance of every call and non-call, the criticism and analysis of officiating during the Stanley Cup Playoffs tends to get ramped up to a new level. Andre Reed Bills Jersey . Former NHL official Kerry Fraser joined TSN 1050 on Monday to address some of Round 1s debatable refereeing decisions including the Lightnings goaltender interference, no-goal call and the nastiness developing between the Blues and Blackhawks. Fraser: Bolts no-goal, Blues/Hawks bad blood Andre Reed Jersey . On Friday night, after a long rain delay, he was scratched from his scheduled start. Bruce Smith Authentic Jersey .ca presents a week long look at some of the teams and stories that will shape the up coming campaign.PHOENIX - So many times this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves failed in close games down the stretch. On Tuesday night, they turned the tables on the Phoenix Suns. Kevin Love fell an assist shy of his second triple-double in three games and the Timberwolves used a fourth-quarter outburst to beat the Suns 110-101. Love, whose first career triple-double came at Utah on Saturday, had 33 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who trailed by eight with 7:57 to play, then outscored the Suns 24-6. He knew late in the game about that one missing assist. "I think when we were up 10 they told me that if I can get an outlet here, you get your triple-double," Love said, "but at the point I just wanted to secure the rebound and get to the free throw line, get the lead up a little bit more so we wouldnt have to worry about much. Nine assists again, I have been there a few times." Rookie Shabazz Muhammad, not even in the rotation much of the season, had a career-high 20 points. "He was terrific," Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. "You have to give him all the credit in the world. He kept working and working and working, " Muhammad also had six rebounds and two steals with just one turnover in a season-high 24 minutes. "Im just happy Im finally getting some playing time," he said. "Like I said, Ive been staying after practice working with the coaches and its really paying off for me." Corey Brewer added 18 points for Minnesota. Markieff Morris scored 24 and Gerald Green 19 for Phoenix. Goran Dragic scored 16 but fouled out with 3:46 to play, the third time hes fouled out in his career and first this season. The Suns P.J. Tucker grabbed a career-best 16 rebounds. "It is still just one loss," Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. "It is just the way you lose it. Giving up 35 points tonight in the fourth quarter, 34 (Sunday) night in the fourth quarter. You are not going to win gaames. O. J. Simpson Womens Jersey. quot; Dragic twisted his right ankle in the third quarter and went to the locker room to have it re-taped, then returned. He said hed have to wait and see if he would be able to play Wednesday night at Utah. On Dragics sixth foul, Love made two free throws to put Minnesota ahead 96-95. "I think the momentum had swung prior to him fouling out anyway," Hornacek said. "He twisted his ankle and wanted to come back and give it a shot. In hindsight maybe I should have just left him off of it." Markieff Morris made a 16-footer to give Phoenix its final lead, 97-96, with 3:26 to go as the Suns lost their second straight at home. Minnesota has won four of five. The Suns were up 91-83 after Ish Smiths three-point play with 7:57 left, then the Timberwolves scored the next nine. Brewers 13-footer put Minnesota ahead 92-90 with 5:29 to go. Dragic scored twice, then Love made one inside before Dragics final foul. Brewer had two baskets and Love capped the big run with a 3-pointer and the Timberwolves led 105-97 with a minute to go. Neither team led by more than eight in the first half, with the Suns up 52-50 at the break. Loves 3-pointer gave Minnesota a 66-64 lead with 7:03 left in the third quarter. Greens inside basket tied it and started a 15-4 run that put Phoenix up 79-70 on Markieff Morris dunk with 2:18 left in the quarter. The Suns led 81-75 entering the fourth. Minnesota outscored the Suns 35-20 in the fourth quarter. The Suns were just 3 of 15 from 3-point range. Notes: The Suns were without Leandro Barbosa for the third straight game with a sprained toe. ... The teams have split two games this season, with the third March 23 at Minnesota. ... The Timberwolves are 2-1 on a five-game road trip. ... The Suns are at Utah on Wednesday, their only road contest in a stretch of nine games. ... Muhammads previous high was 12 points. ... Archie Goodwin scored 12 for his first double-digit game since Nov. 13. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
TORONTO - Kyle Lowry laid flat in the centre of the key, hands on his head as he stared straight up at the top of the Air Canada Centre, likely seeing nothing at all, having just missed the biggest shot of his eight-year career. Paul Krause Youth Jersey . Although, technically it was not a shot. With their season on the line, the ball was in Lowrys hands, deservedly so. The clock showed 6.2 seconds as the Raptors inbounded, trailing by only one in the dying moments of a deciding Game 7. Jason Kidd and his Nets team had little doubt the ball would find Lowry. The star point guard caught the pass, with Deron Williams draped all over him, and went straight toward the rim as Kevin Garnett came over to trap. Lowry split the two defenders and floated a shot up at the basket just as Paul Pierce entered the fray in time to block it. As the buzzer sounded, putting an end to Torontos magical season, Lowry - the teams heart and soul - fell to the court. What was going through his head? "Whats not?" he shot back. DeMar DeRozan was the first one to come over. Crouching over the sprawled out Lowry, DeRozan offered up some words of encouragement. "He said, If anyone is taking that shot, Im living and dying with you taking it and trying to get that shot off," Lowry recounted after the Raptors heartbreaking 104-103 Game 7 loss. "It was one of those things, a brotherly moment." DeRozan helped the point guard up and the Raptors two best players walked off the court - Lowry with his jersey over his face - to a rousing ovation from their appreciative fans. "It was big time," Amir Johnson said of the scene. "Just them showing their appreciation, how well we did this season and how hard we worked. So it was a sad moment but bittersweet, I guess." The Raptors couldnt hide their disappointment after falling just short of advancing to the Conference Semifinals Sunday afternoon, it was written all over their faces, but they have no reason to hang their heads. The sellout ACC crowd stood and chanted in salute of their team, the game - however frustrating - served as a good reminder of why. With five minutes left, the Raptors appeared dead in the water. Frustrated and coming undone in the moment, down 10, their season was on life support but, like hes done so many times before, Dr. Lowry refused to let them die. Lowry scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the final quarter and the Raptors came storming back. That resiliency has been their most admirable quality all year. They had led the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring differential, earning 11 comeback wins, eight more than the season prior. "Were going to fight until our last breath," said DeRozan after scoring 18 points, playing with the flu, as Casey revealed following the game. "Were going to leave it out there, every single thing we have there on the court." "We battled," added Johnson, who recorded his first playoff double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. "I would go to war with these guys any day and they showed a lot of pride and a lot of heart tonight. We just ran out of time." Lowry and his unwavering resolve have a lot to do with the teams late-game tenacity and so, with their season in the balance, they had no qualms with letting him decide their fate. "That young man did everything he could to get to the basket," Casey said of Lowry on the final possession. It was what they had drew up, Lowry going to the rim, though it was a slight variation of what was intended, with poor spacing that ultimately led to the blocked shot. "He tried to will his way to get that extra point." One point separated the teams Sunday and after 11 meetings - in the regular season and playoffs - Toronto and Brooklyn each scored 1,070 points. The series was as close as they come. "We were right there," Casey pointed out, and if a few calls from another highly critiqued officiating crew went their way they may have pulled it out. But in the end, the Nets were the better team Sunday and that was the case, more often than not, throughout the series. Joe Johnson - the best player on either side over the seven-game span - proved un-guardable again, scoring half of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, while the Raptors youth and inexperience continued to rear its head. Although Terrence Ross turned in his best game of the series, securing the steal that made Torontos final possession possible, the bar had been set low. Fellow sophomore Jonas Valanciunas scored just three points to go along with five rebounds in one of the quietest outings of his brief career. As a team, the Raptors wanted to go further, they believed they were ready and came just one play short of proving it. Even after the loss, with their season now over, the progress theyve made does not go to waste. Three of their starters had never appeared in a playoff game. Only four players on their roster had ever experienced a Game 7, no one has emerged victorious from one. This experience is invaluable and can only serve them well, both individually and as a collective, going forward. "Im proud of our guys," Casey said. "Nobody gave them a snowballs chance in you know where to be here. They competed all year. This group has a lot of stuff in front of them, a lot of basketball in front of them. The organization is in a great spot." "This playoff run is nothing but positive for these young men and anyone that thinks any different doesnt know basketball." John Randle Womens Jersey . -- Jerome Verrier scored once and set up two more as the Drummondville Voltigeurs downed the visiting Chicoutimi Sagueneens 5-1 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Custom Vikings Jerseys .com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No. NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of these playoffs, and Marc-Andre Fleury earned his second shutout of the New York Rangers in two nights as the Pittsburgh Penguins regained home-ice advantage with a 2-0 victory in Game 3 on Monday night. Crosby snapped a 13-game goal drought in the playoffs to give the Penguins the lead in the second period, and Jussi Jokinen added a breakaway goal. Fleury stopped 35 shots to back up his 22-save effort Sunday in a 3-0 win in Pittsburgh. He has eight career post-season shutouts and 51 wins. The Penguins, who lost the opener in overtime, lead the Eastern Conference second round series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in New York. Henrik Lundqvist made 13 saves for the weary Rangers, who played for the fifth time in seven days. They have consecutive losses in these playoffs for the first time. The tide turned in Pittsburghs favour in the second period for the third straight game. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said earlier Monday that he "hated" the second period in Games 1 and 2, and he couldnt have liked this one, either. New York had 2:15 remaining on a 4-minute power play that began in the first period, but couldnt cash in. To make matters worse for the Rangers, Crosby took a long stretch pass from defenceman Robert Bortuzzo, outraced Marc Staal, and beat Lundqvist between the pads from the left circle just 19 seconds after James Neal left the penalty box. It was Crosbys 41st career playoff goal. Although Crosby didnt score in Game 2, he played a dominant game. "Eventually youre going to see him get a goal," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said before Game 3. "Eventually youre going to see him break out. Theres no question about that." The Penguins struck for their second goal again right after killing a penalty. Jokinen jumped out of the box and got to a loose puck in the neutral zone after Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello failed to connect on a backward pass in the Pittsburgh end. Jokinen came in alone on Lundqvist and scored his fifth of the playoffs with 4:40 left in the second -- 8 seconds after his penalty ended. Brett Favre Youth Jersey. The Rangers were suddenly down 2-0 and had the weight of their anemic power play enveloping them even more. They finished 0 for 5 and have failed on 34 straight advantages overall -- including one in the final minutes. During their last man-advantage in the second period, the Madison Square Garden crowd implored the Rangers to "Shoot the puck!" They did, but to no avail. New York led 26-14 in shots through two periods, yet trailed by two goals. Zuccarello thought earlier in the second that he had tied the game at 1, but his drive struck the crossbar behind Fleury, skittered across the goal line, and stayed out. The Rangers received their first power play of the night 5:16 in when Marcel Goc was called for roughing Dominic Moore after an icing call. Neal later got a 4-minute power play for hitting Jesper Fast in the mouth with a high stick with 1:45 remaining. Benoit Pouliot had the best chance during the first half of the advantage when he fired a drive off the right post with 14 seconds left in the period. Before that, Zuccarello had the best scoring chance when he one-timed a pass from Pouliot during 5-on-5 play from the left circle that Fleury snagged with a stretch of his glove hand with 2:41 left. Lundqvist was sharp early for the second straight night and turned aside Chris Kunitz on a breakaway, for the second time in as many days, during New Yorks first power play. NOTES: Crosby was nominated as a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, given annually to the "Most Outstanding Player" as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players Association. Crosby won the award last season and in 2007. ... The Rangers replaced rugged forwards Daniel Carcillo and Derek Dorsett in the lineup with Fast and J.T. Miller, and put defenceman Raphael Diaz in for the first time in these playoffs. John Moore sat out. ... Lundqvist made his 77th playoff appearance, the most for a Rangers goalie. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '
Matthias Mayer of Austria won the Olympic downhill in Sochi on Sunday. Trevor Daley Jersey . Mayer finished the Rosa Khutor course in 2 minutes, 6.23 seconds. Christof Innerhofer of Italy won silver and Kjetil Jansrud of Norway won bronze. Canadas Erik Guay finished 10th. Teammates Ben Thompson, Jan Hudec and Manuel Osborne-Paradis finished 19th, 21st and 25th respectively. Pre-race favorite Aksel Lund Svindal fourth and American Bode Miller finished eighth. Mayer was one of the first contenders to come down, with the No. 11 bib, and he hardly celebrated when he reached the finish. But his smile grew wider as all the favorites failed to catch him. Miller was one of the fastest skiers on the top section but lost speed when he hit a gate on a right turn a bit further down. "He pinched it off and went into the gate," Italian skier Dominik Paris said. "It was a critical section there." After crossing the finish, Miller sat down on his skis with a look of bewilderment on his face. That was understandable, considering that the American had dominated two of the three official training sessions. Svindal was also fast on top but lost speed when his large frame went soaring into the air over the big jumps lining the rest of the course. Mayer is short and compact and appeared more aerodynamic over the jumps. Mayeris one of the more surprising gold medalists in the sports marquee race, as he has never before finished better than fifth in a World Cup downhill. But Mayer led the second downhill training session and was third in the opening session. His father, Helmut, won a silver medal in the super-G at the 1988 Calgary Games. Mayer was not even supposed to be Austrias top contender but he was thrust into that position when Hannes Reichelt was sidelined with back surgery after winning the prestigious Kitzbuehel downhill on home snow two weeks ago. Ski-loving Austria has won more mens downhills at the Olympics than any other nation, six of 17, but the last came in 2002 from Fritz Strobl, who happens to be from the same region in southern Austria as Mayer. So is Franz Klammer, who won the 1976 Innsbruck Games downhill. Mayer has had more success in super-G, including a silver medal at the 2008 junior world championships and two second-place World Cup showings. Those super-G skills suited him well for the Olympic downhill course, which was extremely technical. At 3.5 kilometers (2.17 miles), the Rosa Khutor piste was also one of the most physically demanding tests skiers faced all season. With three big jumps, one of which sent skiers soaring into the air for 70 meters (yards), it provided for a spectacular race. However, the stands were only half full at the start due to an apparent traffic problem. They only filled up as the race wore on. Skies were cloudy and the temperature was slightly above freezing. The next event on the Alpine schedule is the womens super-combined Monday, followed by the womens downhill Wednesday. Bobby Smith Stars Jersey . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said. Mattias Janmark Stars Jersey .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback.West Ham are leading the chase to sign Lyon centre-back Samuel Umtiti, Sky sources understand. The Cameroon-born France Under-21 international made 30 appearances for Lyon last season and is regarded as one of Europes brightest young talents.Umtiti has previously been linked with moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Spurs. France manager Didier Deschamps has named the 22-year-old on the standby list for this summers European Championship.The news of West Hams efforts to sign Umtiti comes on the same day news emerged of a bid from the Hammers for AC Milans Colombian striker Carlos Bacca. West Ham have made a bid for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca West Ham have already had bids for Alexandre Lacazette and Callum Wilson turned down this summer, but co-chairman David Sullivan told Sky Sports News HQ last week the club are keen to add a world-class goalscorer to their ranks. Bobby Smith Jersey. West Ham have already agreed a deal to sign Norway international Havard Nordtveit, who will join the club on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with German side Borussia Monchengladbach. Havard Nordtveit has already agreed to join the Hammers this summer Also See: West Ham in talks for Tore Batshuayi: Ill move for Euros West Ham face stadium issue Hammers to spend big on striker Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '