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Friday marks 20 years since Kevin Keegans I will love it rant and two decades on, it remains one of the Premier Leagues most unforgettable moments. Tiago Splitter Hawks Jersey . Back on April 29, 1996, Keegans Newcastle side won 1-0 at Leeds to close to within three points of leaders Manchester United with a game in hand and two to play.Keith Gillespies goal gave them their third victory in a row and talk among supporters on their way home would likely have been about the exciting end to the campaign which lay ahead. That was, of course, until Keegan gave his post-match thoughts to Sky Sports.Before the game, Old Trafford manager Alex Ferguson had suggested the likes of Nottingham Forest might not try as hard against Keegans men as they did against his side.Newcastle were due at the City Ground three days later to play a team who, curiously, United had just beaten 5-0. Newcastle were also providing the opposition for Stuart Pearces Forest testimonial later the same year.Yet Keegan took the bait and if you ask football followers for their outstanding memory from that campaign, most will tell you of his remarkable reaction in the aftermath of that win at Elland Road.Referring to Fergusons comments, Keegan said: When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds - and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce...Ive kept really quiet but Ill tell you something, he went down in my estimations when he said that. We have not resorted to that. Keegan made his comments after Keith Gillespies goal gave Newcastle a 1-0 win at Leeds You can tell him now, were still fighting for this title and hes got to go to Middlesbrough and get something - and Ill tell you, honestly, I will love it if we beat them. Love it.It really has got to me. Ive voiced it live, not in front of the press or anywhere. Im not even going to the press conference but the battle is still on and Man United have not won this yet. 20 years on from Kevin Keegans iconic rant, David Beckham discusses the impact it had on the Manchester Utd changing room Alas, that would soon change as, in the culmination of an apparently masterful bout of mind games, Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw by Forest.They recorded the same score against Tottenham and with United duly going to Middlesbrough and winning 3-0, they took the title by four points after Newcastle had led by 12 at one stage. Manchester United went on to claim the Premier League title in 1996 As you can see in the video at the top of the page, Keegans rant is by no means the only one we have seen from English-based managers over the years.This Saturday marks a year since former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson called reporter Ian Baker an ostrich in response to a question asking him to specify what criticism his team had taken.Roy Keane was unamused when a journalists phone began ringing during a news conference while he was in charge of Ipswich in 2009.Ron Atkinson also wasnt happy when he was asked how Coventry could get out of relegation trouble in the same season as the Keegan flashpoint. Rafa Benitez launched a famous facts rant while at Liverpool Who could forget Rafa Benitezs facts rant - he only actually used the word fact six times over several minutes - in response to Fergusons claims Liverpool could choke in the 2008/09 season?And then there was Jose Mourinhos minute 30, 33, 43, 69 interview, when he refused to discuss moments he felt aggrieved by following Chelseas 1-1 draw with Burnley last season.Mourinhos relationship with Arsene Wenger is a strained one and the Frenchman objected to Sky Sports News HQ reporter Andy Burton suggesting he was under more pressure than his rival.Paolo Di Canios outburst at his own fans when he was Swindons manager was as extraordinary as anything.He said he would give them their season ticket money back and said they should go to watch neighbours Oxford if they were unhappy following his row with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, produced a dossier to dispel Sam Allardyces assertion his Manchester United team were a long-ball side following a 1-1 draw with West Ham in February last year.Click the video at the top of the page to relive all of these moments as some of the countrys most well-known managers lose their cool! Also See: Premier League video Fixtures Table Live on Sky Get Sky Sports Get a ￡10 free bet!Paul Millsap Hawks Jersey . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN. Dikembe Mutombo Jersey .Y. -- The "for sale" sign is up at the Buffalo Bills with the hiring of financial and legal advisers who may begin talking with prospective buyers within the next month.BOSTON - An anonymous Raptors player stepped into the elevator descending from the third floor following a Saturday afternoon practice at Air Canada Centre and with the mental and physical grind of a long season beginning to weigh on him he let out a long sigh. "I just want the playoffs to start," he said in a moment of refreshing truthfulness. Hes not alone. He cant be. They can see the light at the end of the tunnel, a tunnel that has led to darkness so many times before for the bulk of this Toronto roster. On Wednesday they moved one step closer. "That was a character test for us," Dwane Casey said after his teams bounce-back 99-90 win in Boston. "I think this team has a lot of character. I get upset with them but theyre mine, just like youre kids. They compete hard and they make mistakes but its not from a lack of fight or togetherness." It was their first victory in Beantown since 2008, the last season in which they qualified for the playoffs. Now, theyre on the cusp of returning to the postseason, and theyre in the drivers seat. The Raptors are just one win, or Knicks loss, away from clinching their first postseason berth in six years and can do so as early as Wednesday evening if the Kings defeat New York in Sacramento, a game Kyle Lowry says he wont watch but admits hell have to keep an eye on. "I said that before the game, I said look, we can take care of our business tonight," Lowry told the assembled media after the win. "We cant count on anyone else but we can take care of our part. I aint going to lie; I think tonight everybodys rooting for that Western Conference team over there." Going into the game, the Raptors were in danger of dropping their second straight and five of their last seven, following Tuesdays botched comeback attempt in Cleveland. Even after getting off to a better start - scoring 31 points in the opening 12 minutes after totaling 33 in their last two first quarters - they looked like a team going through the motions at points in the middle of the game, exchanging the lead with a lackluster Celtics club. Then the sense of urgency kicked in. Lowry scored nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and the Raptors closed out a win they needed to have. "[Casey] challenged us," Lowry said. "He challenged us big time and I think we responded tonight." With a little help from the Bobcats, who defeated the surging Nets in overtime, the Raptors have a two-game cushion sitting stop the Atlantic Division, also moving into a virtual tie with the Bulls for the Easts third seed. Although theyre anxious, theres still work to be done and each game, regardless of opponent, is increasingly meaningful with playoff seeding at stake and things to shore up over the seasons final three weeks. "We cant afford to look ahead," Casey cautioned. "Weve got to take care of business. Weve got to continue to get better and improve and shape up some areas that we have thats leaking a little bit." Only five of the Raptors 15 players have appeared in a postseason game over the last three years. Only three on the roster have logged time in more than 20 playoff contests. The teams starters have a combined 24 games of playoff experience, all from Lowry and Amir Johnson, who havent been to the dance in five years. "Its tough just because guys havent been there before," Cassey told TSN. Adreian Payne Hawks Jersey. a. "Playoff runs are tough. Theres a mental toughness, a physical toughness you have to have. Fight through injuries, little nicks and bangs that we have. You cant feel sorry for yourself because its a marathon. Youve got to be able to do that. This is the first time for some of our guys so its a new frontier for them." Many of them are heading into unchartered waters. Its only natural to fixate on the final destination but theyve come too far to lose focus now. "I think its kind of human nature," said Landry Fields, who started eight playoff games for the Knicks in his first two NBA season. "We see the playoffs and theres a pretty high probability that well get in but at the end of the day you cant really focus on that. These last few games are important, not just for us growing and building and getting momentum for the playoffs but also seeding. Seeding is huge in the playoffs and I think as long as we keep that as a focal point rather than thinking these games are just filler games until we get into the playoffs than theyll become more meaningful for us." "Were going to finish it off strong," echoed DeMar DeRozan, who scored 20 on Wednesday and will be making his playoff debut next month. "Weve worked too hard to just to get complacent with where were at. Weve still got a long ways to go and everybody in this locker room loves the game too much to sit back and say, were going to wait until the playoffs." Big night for the sophomores Both Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas stepped up in Wednesdays win. Ross led Toronto with 24 points, hitting five of his nine attempts from three-point range, while Valanciunas registered his team-leading 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds. "I thought Jonas had one of his better nights, not only scoring but he rebounded," Casey said. "[Ross] kept us afloat. He knocked down some shots. We needed it." Struggling second unit The Raptors second unit - still without injured forward Patrick Patterson - mustered only seven points, all from Greivis Vasquez, who made just three of his 10 shots. Meanwhile, the Celtics bench scored 51, led by Jared Sullingers 26, 19 of which came in the fourth. "Again, point production from our bench has been an issue," Casey said. "Thats something we have to rectify. Thats just putting too many minutes on our starters." Toronto bench has now been outscored by a total of 129 points in 11 games without Patterson, who was cleared for contact earlier this week. Although theres no timetable for the return of Patterson - out with an elbow injury - the team hopes to have him back later this week. The stat The Raptors snapped an 11-game losing streak in Boston, the fourth time theyve snapped a skid of eight road losses or more against an opponent this season. Earlier this year, Toronto ended a 10-game slide to the Lakers in Los Angeles, also snapping a nine-game skid against the Nuggets in Denver and an eight-game losing streak versus the Bucks in Milwaukee. The quote "We cant worry about those other teams," Lowry said. "We control our own destiny. When you start worrying about other teams is when you lose focus and I think tonight we did a good job of focusing in on our team and not worrying about nothing else."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 ' ' '
ORLANDO, Fla. Cheap Maurice Canady Jersey . - Magic coach Jacque Vaughn is blocking out any talk about his job security and remains focused on helping his team turnaround its recent string of losses.Vaughn said Friday morning before Orlandos practice that he is taking his third season as the Magics coach day-by-day and that his approach hasnt changed despite a season-high, seven-game losing streak. The Magic have lost 13 of their last 15 overall and given up 100 or more points in 11 straight games.The seven-game losing streak is Orlandos second such skid of at least five games since the start of 2015.Day by day, Vaughn said when asked about his approach to the remainder of the season. Thats what I do, Ive always done. I do my job the best I can that day. I went home, I watched film — nothing changed. I got up this morning, met with my group, ready for practice and ready for a game.Asked if reports that his job could be on the line affected the way he did his job, Vaughn said he is blocking everything out. That includes choruses of boos that could be heard during the Magics 115-100 home loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.Do my job every day, partner, he said. I dont abide by the tyranny of other peoples attitudes and moods. Im ready to rock and roll.Magic team officials picked up a fourth-year option on Vaughns contract this past off-season. That was followed up by a major off-season roster overhaul that brought in eight new faces, including first-round draft picks Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton, as well as free agent acquisition Channing Frye.But preseason injuries and a slow start have sunk the Magics hopes of improving upon the first two seasons under Vaughn, which produced just 20 and 23 wins, respectively.Second-year guard Victor Oladipo said Friday that he thinks his coach remains confident that things can improve. Oladipo said Vaughn hasnt mentioned anything about his job status or security with the team.No, I mean I dont think hes really worried about that, Oladipo said. I think his worried about us going out there an winning games, and worried about our team. Thats the biggest thing. We just gotta go out there and perform at a high level.We have no room for error right now. So we just gotta figure it out.Orlando hosts Dallas Saturday night.___Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower Wholesale Ravens Jerseys .That means, of course, that John Wall beat the Spurs for the first time ever — within weeks of his first wins in head-to-head games against nemeses Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. Cheap Lardarius Webb Jersey . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win.The Carolina Panthers didnt win a football game for over eight weeks at one point this season and now they are set to host a wild- card playoff game as the favorite. Such is life in the war of attrition that is the NFL. The NFC South champions will open up the NFL postseason on Saturday against an 11-win Arizona team that will likely be relying on its third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley. Despite ping-ponging from Carson Palmer to Drew Stanton back to Palmer and back to Stanton before Lindley due to injuries the Cardinals tied a franchise record with the 11 victories and have won 21 total games in their first two seasons under the likely NFL Coach of the Year, Bruce Arians. Arizona has also won four of its past six postseason games, including a 33-13 win at Carolina on Jan. 10, 2009 in the divisional round, the only prior matchup between these teams in the playoffs. Its a whole new season now, Arians said. Were all 0-0 and were in the tournament. Were going to get ready for this playoff game. Were not planning on being one-and-done. Few ever plan to be one-and-done but the Cardinals have an uphill battle in trying to avoid that fate. Arizona comes in having lost two in a row, including a 20-17 Week 17 loss at the 49ers in what turned out to be Jim Harbaughs final game as San Franciscos head coach. Lindley did throw his first two career touchdown passes to Michael Floyd in the setback and completed 23-of-39 passes for a career-high 316 yards but he also was picked off three times. Floyd, meanwhile, made eight catches for 153 yards and Kerwynn Williams ran it 17 times for 67 yards. Its a loss and no one wants to lose in the NFL, but I think we gained some confidence, said Lindley. We ran the ball a lot better this week. We did a great job of pass protection ... Floyd had a great day. Despite their less-than-stellar record, the Panthers enter the tournament red hot, having won four straight while outscoring opponents 111-43 over that span. Under head coach Ron Rivera, Carolina became the first team to win back-to- back NFC South division titles after a dominating 34-3 winner-take-all road win at Atlanta last weekend. In the month of December, the Panthers formula for turning things around was running the football coupled with stingy defense, ranking second in the NFL in both rushing offense (199.3 yards per game) and points allowed (10.8 points per game) during the month. We put ourselves in this position by playing the way we did in December, Rivera said. Weve won the NFC South two years in a row and thats something to build on as we move forward as a football team. Against the Falcons, Carolina returned two Matt Ryan interceptions for touchdowns and scored a total of 21 points off three turnovers. The Panthers defense harassed Ryan all day, piling up six sacks and hurrying the veteran QB into uncharacteristic mistakes, resulting in an overthrown pass that was returned 31 yards for a touchdown by Roman Harper in the second quarter. Later in the third quarter, an underthrown pass was picked by Tre Boston and returned 84 yards to put the game out of reach. They played the way you need to play in these types of situations, said Ryan. They executed at a high level and we did not, across the board. Cam Newton didnt have to do much against the Falcons, and finished with 114 yards passing and a touchdown while adding 51 yards on the ground, including a 4-yard touchdown scramble after an Atlanta fumble in the first half. This game meant so much to, not only myself, but my teammates, said Newton. We were playing for so much. We did a lot that a lot of people didnt expect us to do. Jonathan Stewart carried the ball 13 times for 49 yards while starting again in place of DeAngelo Williams, who sat for the fourth straight game with a broken hand. Carolina leads its all-time series with the Cards by an 8-5 margin, including the prior postseason loss. In the playoffs as a whole the Panthers are 6-5 all-time while the Cardinals are under water at 6-7. The winner this week will advance to face either top-seeded Seattle or No. 2 Green Bay in the divisional round. If Dallas beats Detroit on Sunday, the winner will play at the Seahawks. If Detroit wins, the winner travels to Green Bay. WHAT TO WATCH FOR If you are wondering why Arians is the odds on favorite to win his second Coach of the Year award, consider this: Injuries have been an issue for Arizona dating all the way back to training camp when star defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was lost for the season to a knee injury. When you add it all up, the Cards have been without 21 different players at some point this season and that group has missed a collective 109 games. Add in suspended star linebacker Daryl Washington and those numbers jump to 22 and 125. The health at the quarterback position has been particularly troubling. Palmer has missed 10 games, first with a nerve issue in his shoulder before a season-ending ACL tear. His backup, Stanton, then went down with a knee injury of his own, which has been complicated by an infection. Palmer won all six of his starts this season and 133 of 15 dating back to 2013 so this is a completely different club with him under center, one that was on its way to earning the top seed in the conference. Cheap Baltimore Ravens Jerseys. Without Palmer or Stanton, Arizonas big-play defense will have to carry the day if the team hopes to leave the Tar Heel State with a win. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is getting a lot of bites as a head-coaching candidate because he has cobbled together a solid unit despite the absence of stalwarts like Washington, Dockett and John Abraham (concussion issues.) The group isnt that great on paper, ranked 24th in the NFL by allowing 368.2 yards per game, but it does force the issue as evidenced by the teams plus-8 turnover ratio, which is third in the NFC. Talented cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie are prone to taking chances but can shift momentum at any time with their impressive man- to-man coverage skills. The Cardinals defense had 18 total interceptions in the regular season with four players snaring three-or-more, safety Rashad Johnson (four) and Cromartie, Peterson and fellow corner Jerraus Powers with three apiece. The Panthers offense is the definition of mediocre, 16th in a 32-team league at 346.7 ypg but they have some real threats in rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin as well as star tight end Greg Olsen, who both finished with over 1,000 receiving yards. Carolina could also get a boost in the backfield with the potential return of Williams from the broken hand. The veteran was actually probable last week but was deactivated because he was deemed a liability in pass protection. Stewart, meanwhile, has been solid in his absence, rushing for 486 yards since Williams was forced to the sideline. (Williams is a) part of why we are where we are today, Rivera said. When hes healthy and ready to go hell get his opportunities to get on the field. Arians, meanwhile, is very concerned with the dual threat Newton brings to the table, calling him tougher to defend than other QBs who have a similar skill set like Seattles Russell Wilson and the Niners Colin Kaepernick. He presents different problems than Colin and Russell, Arians said. Hes more of a combination of both those guys. He can really throw the football extremely well from the pocket. It presents a multitude of problems for us. The Panthers wont be having those same problems. There is no other way to say it than other than Arizona is behind the 8-ball on offense with Lindley, who simply isnt a competent starter at this level. Conversely the Panthers defense has been hitting its stride lately and finished the season 10th overall (339.8 ypg) after the strong December. Without the exiled Greg Hardy, linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis are the unquestioned difference makers. The All-Pro Kuechly led NFL with 153 tackles and also leads with 473 stops since entering the league in 2012. His running mate, Davis, is almost as productive, finishing second on the club in tackles with 100. In Hardys absence. Charles Johnson has taken over as the units best pass rusher with 8 1/2 sacks, his fifth consecutive season with eight-or-more QB takedowns. The consistent Johnson is the only NFC player with 50-or-more sacks (52 1/2) and 13-or-more forced fumbled (13) since 2010. The defensive backfield is headlined by Harper, who led the team with a career-high four interceptions, but really took off when rookies Boston, Harpers running mate at safety, and cornerback Bene Benwikere entered the lineup. We were trying to find answers as a coaching staff, the right combination of guys -- and we found it, Rivera said when discussing his rookies. With all three levels hitting on all cylinders in December the group has limited opposing quarterbacks to a 64.6 passer rating -- second only to the Seahawks dominant defense. Lindley, meanwhile, is 1-5 as a starter as a professional and had thrown an NFL-record 229 pass attempts without a touchdown before finding Floyd on a gimmick flea-flicker play last week. It was good to get the monkey off my back a little bit, Lindley said. The real hope, though, is that Stanton could make the miracle recovery and be under center by Saturday. Hes progressing and nothings really changed, Arians admitted when asked about Stanton. Weve got our fingers crossed that possibly he could go later in the week. OVERALL ANALYSIS Since 1936, no team has scored fewer points than Arizona over the final six games and still made the playoffs. The Cardinals have continually called Stantons knee injury a sprain. In reality, though, it was a partially torn ACL and a Grade 2 MCL sprain further exacerbated by an infection which had to be drained. Hes not walking through that door at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to save Arizona. Carolina, though, is bringing what has been the second best defense in football over the past month. It tells you that no matter what you do during the regular season, it just doesnt matter, Stewart said of his teams renewed optimism. Things amp up to a whole different notch in the playoffs. Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Panthers 21, Cardinals 17 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 ' ' '
HARTFORD, Conn. Raptors Jerseys . -- Connecticut went down to the wire with another opponent. This time there was no clutch shot by Shabazz Napier. UConns star guard, known for heroics such as a last-second shot that beat Florida earlier this month, missed three times in the final 40 seconds and the 10th-ranked Huskies lost for the first time this season, 53-51 to Stanford. "With Shabazz, you live with that, because hes put this team on his back a lot of times," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "But he could have taken it to the basket a couple of times, but he settled for the long 3-ball." Chasson Randle scored 22 points and the Cardinal (8-2) beat a Top 25 team away from Palo Alto for the first time since the 2008 NCAA tournament. The Cardinals previous seven wins this season came over teams that were a combined 32-41. "I think its an important win for our conference," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said, referring to the Pac-12. "A number of teams have had some real signature wins, and Im just happy that we were able to have one as well." Josh Huestis added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Dwight Powell had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Stanford which overcame a 10-point halftime deficit. DeAndre Daniels had 15 points for UConn (9-1), which was 6 of 10 from behind the arc in the first half and 0 for 12 in the second. Connecticut this season already had beaten Maryland, Indiana and Florida by a point and won by two against Boston College. But the Huskies could not get a clutch basket down the stretch against Stanford. Randles jump shot with 3 1/2 minutes left gave the Cardinal a 52-49 lead. The Huskies pulled within a point when Daniels tipped in a missed 3-point attempt by Niels Giffey. Napier, who finished with 12 points and eight assists, missed two 3-pointers on a key possession with the Huskies trailing 52-51. Stanford got the ball back with 28 seconds left after a scrum underneath the basket. Napier fouled Huestis on the inbounds play and he hit one of two free throws. Napier missed another shot with 8 seconds left, forcing UConn to foul again. He got the ball back on a rebound after Huestis missed another free throw; dribbled down the court, but instead of trying a contested shot, he passed to Omar Calhoun. His long jumber from the right wing bounced off the rim. "I felt like Omar was the most open guy at the time," Napier said. "I felt like it was going to go in, and I bet he did too." UConn led by 10 points at halftime and pushed the lead to 43-30, before consecutive 3-pointers by Anthony Brown and Randle. That started a 14-0 run by the Cardinal, who used a stifling zone defence to hold the Huskies without a field goal for more than 6 minutes. The Huskies were just 5 of 31 from the field in the second half. "It was just a matter of us being aggressive on the defensive end," Randle said. "Just being active, getting our hands moving, getting our feet moving and getting our feet moving and just hustling." A driving basket and free throw by Randle gave Stanford its first lead of the second half at 44-43. The Huskies closed the first half on a 14-3 run that ended when Napier stole the ball from Randle and found Lasan Kromah ahead of the field for an easy layup just before buzzer. UConn came in shooting better than 46 per cent from beyond the arc, with five players having made 10 or more 3-pointers. The loss snapped a 54-game home winning streak against nonconference opponents that dated to 2007. Connecticut was coming off its annual hiatus for final exams. The Huskies had not played in 12 days, since a 95-68 win over Maine, a game in which UConn hit 14 3-pointers. Stanford ended a 13-day break last Saturday with a 27-point win over UC Davis. UConn plays at Washington, another Pac-12 team, on Saturday. The Huskies had dominated that conference, coming into Wednesday they were 17-2 and had won 13 straight since falling to UCLA in the 1995 NCAA West Regional championship. "Well learn from this," Daniels said. "Were not going to have all the time when (Napiers) going to be the hero of the game and knock down a shot." Vince Carter Raptors Jersey . Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch the game on TSN Habs at 7:30pm et/8:30pm at. Jason Thompson Jersey . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion.VANCOUVER - A weak second period, marred by a soft goal on Eddie Lack, was all the Vancouver Canucks needed to extend their losing streak to five games.Kari Lehtonen stopped 27 shots for his second shutout of the season and the 29th of his career as the Dallas Stars defeated Vancouver 2-0 on Wednesday night.Lack, starting for the first time since Dec. 7 in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller, said Dallas first goal — off a weak backhand shot from Colton Sceviour at 2:53 of the second — helped sway the momentum of the game.Its a weak goal, what else can I say? said Lack, who made 27 saves. I was kind of in between — should I get it with my stick or with my glove? — and it just screwed me.Sceviours goal deflected off the back of Lacks glove and in to give the Stars (12-13-5) the only offence they would need. Antoine Roussel added an empty-net goal with 26 seconds remaining in the third period.I was just trying to throw it out to the front to maybe get a rebound, Sceviour said of his goal. I was fortunate enough to get a bounce and it went in.After a slow first period, Dallas increased its pressure throughout the second, forcing 11 saves out of Lack, while Vancouver could only muster four shots — including a clear breakaway from Alexandre Burrows that Lehtonen denied.Vancouver (18-11-2), which hasnt scored a goal on the man advantage since a victory over the Capitals on Dec. 2, were blanked on the night as the Stars goalie made some key saves throughout the game.We got to at least get the momentum in our power-play, said Henrik Sedin. That didnt happen in the second, I think thats what turned the momentum around for them.The Canucks best chances came in the first and third periods as they peppered Lehtonens goal with shots.A Chris Higgins breakaway in the first period was denied by the Stars netminder.I thoought our third period was good, created stuff on the last power play but you know our second period wasnt a good period for us and it probably cost us the game, said head coach Willie Desjardins. Pascal Siakam Raptors Jersey. Jannik Hansen had a great chance for Vancouver seconds before the Stars opening goal, stripping Jyrki Jokipakka at the Dallas blue-line before Lehtonen stopped him with a glove save.The Canucks came out stronger in the third period with both Chris Tanev and Linden Vey aiming one-timers at Lehtonen.Lack had to make a couple of big saves to keep his team in it as the period wound down, including a breakaway shot from Curtis McKenzie, which Lack stopped with his pads.Vancouver pulled its goalie with 1:35 left as the Canucks piled on the pressure, but Roussel scored into the empty net with 26 seconds to go.Unlike Saturdays game when the Canucks found themselves down 3-0 after just 6:46 of the first period, they came out stronger Wednesday. Radim Vrbata had the first chance, forcing Lehtonen to make a glove save just 36 seconds into the game before Hansen hit the side of the net a few moments later.Lack was largely left alone for the first period as the Stars only managed five shots, but Tyler Seguin rang a shot off the crossbar before Jamie Benn had a good look from the slot that the Canucks goalie snagged with his glove.Theres still bumps in our road where we know if they get momentum it takes it away so we got to find ways to be better every shift, said Desjardins.Notes: The Canucks have two games left on a four-game homestand including Saturday against the Calgary Flames. ... Dallas has two remaining games on its three-game road trip, playing Friday against the Flames. ... Tom Sestito was a scratch for the Canucks. ... The Canucks last home win against Dallas came on March 30, 2012. 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MIAMI -- Saying they reaffirm the teams commitment to the city, the Miami Heat announced Wednesday night that they have agreed to extend their partnership with Miami-Dade County another 10 years through 2040. Russell Westbrook Thunder Jersey . The deal is still subject to approval by the countys commissioners, with a vote possible on May 6, and the announcement hardly assures that the extension is done. Heat managing partner Micky Arison, whose team plays in the county-owned AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami, said the team struck the deal with Mayor Carlos Gimenez and that the pact includes an inflation-adjusted operating subsidy of $147 million from the countys Convention Development Tax fund, money he said will be reinvested into the building. "By any measure, the partnership between the Miami Heat and Miami-Dade County has been a hugely successful one," Arison wrote in a statement released by the team shortly before Game 2 of its Eastern Conference first-round series against the Charlotte Bobcats got underway. "Today, we are committing to keep that success going." Terms of the arena deal have been the source of much debate in South Florida for years, and not long after the Heat released their statement, Gimenez told The Miami Herald that the subsidy issue remains a major concern. "We dont have a deal that Im recommending," Gimenez told the newspaper. Arison cited an economic impact study conducted last spring that found the Heat and the arena generate $1.4 billion annually for the South Florida economy. "From the communitys perspective, this extension has already paid for itself and then some," Arison said. The team also says the deal provides "cost certainty for the franchise, a necessity in this age of punitive NBA luxury taxes." Arison said that will help the team plan future basketball spending. The tentative deal also calls for the Heat to make an annual payment to the county, earmarked for what Arison called "perpetually underfunded" parks and recreation activities for residents. Thunder T-shirts . The 22-year-old Spanish midfielder recently signed a new three-year contract with Chelsea, and after spending last season on loan with Valencia in La Liga, Romeu will move to the Bundesliga for the 2014-15 campaign. Ray Allen Jersey . The Flames announced Monday that Treliving, a former assistant general manager with the Coyotes, will take over the vacant GM spot in Calgary. "Im ready for this,"Treliving said.NEW ORLEANS - Drew Brees pushed himself up vigorously after being slammed to the Superdome turf, angrily shoving the first player he saw in a purple jersey. Brees soon realized hed shoved the wrong guy, but still thought his intensity sent the right message. "You need to create some fire. You need to create momentum, stuff that guys can feed off of," Brees said. "Obviously I wasnt too happy about getting suplexed, so I showed a little emotion. "After that, it was: All right fellas, weve got to stick it to em." The Saints capitalized on Captian Munnerlyns personal foul for the overzealous sack, driving for a touchdown that gave New Orleans breathing room en route to a 20-9 victory over the seemingly star-crossed Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Brees passed for 293 yards and two touchdowns to help New Orleans (1-2) celebrate its home opener with its first victory this season. The Vikings (1-2), meanwhile, were left still searching for a running game in the absence of Adrian Peterson — and with a rookie at quarterback for the foreseeable future. Minnesotas loss capped a week of distractions as the club first announced that Peterson would play, then later changed course and said the star running back would leave the team indefinitely to deal with child abuse allegations. The Vikings then lost starting quarterback Matt Cassel with a broken foot early in the second quarter. He was replaced by rookie Teddy Bridgewater, who completed 12 of 20 for 150 yards while leading two scoring drives that both ended with field goals. Brees scoring passes went for 34 yards to tight end Josh Hill and 18 yards to receiver Marques Colston. The Vikings were as close as 13-9 on Blair Walshs 40-yard field goal early in the second half, but Munnerlyns penalty squandered what would have been a drive-stalling, third-down sack late in the third quarter. "I pride myself on not making crazy plays, and I felt like that cost us the game," Munnerlyn said. "I wasnt thinking about a flag at all. I never heard a whistle, so I was just finishing the play." Safety Robert Blanton piled on at the end of the sack, then was slow getting off Brees, inducing the shove. But no flag was thrown on Brees, and the Saints wound up with a first down at their 47. Brees thought Munnerlyn committed an obvious penalty with a move reminiscent of professional wrestlingg. Mitch McGary Jersey. "That was straight Hulk Hogan, 1985, WrestleMania suplex," Brees said. "Hey, it got us 15 yards, got us another set of downs and obviously ended up helping us go on a 90-yard drive to make it a two-possession game and chew up a lot of clock and got the momentum swinging back in our favour." Soon after, Brees found rookie Brandin Cooks on a screen for a 19-yard gain to the Minnesota 18, then hit Colston, who surged through Blantons tackle attempt and stretch across the goal line. Colston had two catches for 25 yards, one week after he was held without a catch for the first time in 87 games. Cooks had eight catches for 74 yards while tight end Jimmy Graham added five catches for 54 yards. Greg Jennings led Vikings receivers with five catches for 70 yards, while Cordarrelle Patterson added four catches for 61 yards. But without Peterson, Minnesota finished with 59 yards rushing as a team and was outgained by New Orleans in total yards, 396-247. Still, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer focused on the improvement he saw in his teams effort and perseverance since a 30-7 loss to New England a week earlier. "The guys hung in there," Zimmer said. "Our whole thing was that if we get punched, we will punch back. I think we did that." The Saints entered the game looking as competitive as a winless team could be, having held leads in the final 10 seconds of regulation in each of their first two games — on the road — before losing by a field goal or less. The Saints have won their past 18 home games in which coach Sean Payton was on the sideline. They were 9-0 in 2011, including a playoff win, before Payton was suspended in 2012 in connection with the NFLs bounty probe, then went 8-0 in 2013. Brees looked comfortable early, completing his first nine passes for 108 yards while engineering touchdown drives on the Saints first two possessions, and New Orleans never lost the lead. Notes: Colstons touchdown marked the 64th time he and Brees connected for a score. Only six other quarterback-receiver tandems have combined for more in NFL history. The score moved Brees and Colston ahead of the Hall of Fame pair of quarterback Johnny Unitas and receiver Raymond Berry. ... Saints veteran C Jonathan Goodwin left the game in the third quarter with a left leg injury. He was replaced by second-year pro Tim Lelito. 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 ' ' '
Jesse Joseph, a 2013 Montreal Alouettes draft pick from UConn, has been invited to the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Paul George Pacers Jersey . Joseph wasnt given a contract by the Bears but could earn one with a solid showing at the minicamp. Joseph was taken in the third round, 23rd overall, in last years CFL Draft. Monta Ellis Pacers Jersey . -- Andy Granatelli, the former CEO of STP motor oil company who made a mark on motorsports as a car owner, innovator and entrepreneur, has died. Monta Ellis Jersey .Y. -- Nothing seems to phase No.TORONTO - Jose Bautista entered Wednesdays play at or near the top of most of baseballs important offensive categories. The 33-year-old is the league leader with 34 walks. His 1.058 OPS and 191 OPS+ are the best in the game. Bautistas hit nine home runs, which ties him for fourth in the majors. Hes reached base safely in each of the Blue Jays 33 games to begin the year. Thats a club record. "I think Ive had a pretty strong first month, as strong as I might have had ever in my career," Bautista told TSN.ca during a conversation in Philadelphia. "But the seasons long and its hard to look at small samples and how thats going to portray into a complete season. I try not to pay attention to those things and just focus on the preparation and the work and my effort and hopefully at the end of the year everythings taken care of itself." As teams around the league rely more heavily on spray charts and advanced offensive data, Bautista, like most sluggers around the league, often hits with three infielders on the left side of second base. The percentages show that if Bautista hits the ball on the ground, most of the time hell pull it. With that in mind, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has encouraged Bautista to occasionally take pitches the other way. Manager John Gibbons believes the approach helps Bautista stay on breaking pitches down and away. He sees those often as opposing pitchers often work around him or, at least, are particularly careful about keeping the ball out of the middle of the strike zone. "The only difference I see with him is hes taking some hits the other way and I think its making him a tougher out," said manager John Gibbons. "You hear some people who complain about, well, hes a home run hitter, youve got to do it this way. Well, you know what? His home run numbers havent suffered one bit." Bautistas coaches and teammates took notice of his approach in the 10th inning of Tuesday nights 6-5 win over the Phillies. Melky Cabrera led off with a single. Bautista worked a 2-2 count and with the infield pulled around to the third base side he pushed a 93 miles per hour fastball through the gaping hole where the second baseman would usually stand. Cabrera advanced to third on the play and one out later scored the game-winning run on Juan Franciscos sacrifice fly. Manager John Gibbons called it "winning baseball." "Its good to see, thats what winninng players and winning teams do, the little stuff," said Jose Reyes. Jeff Teague Pacers Jersey. "In that situation he didnt try to hit a two-run home run and pop it up to the infield or something. He just tried to move Melky over, he saw that huge space there at second base and he hit the ball that way, first and third and we win the game right there." Outfield coach Tim Leiper paid Bautista the ultimate praise last week, equating his pregame preparation and in-game adjustments to that of a coach. Bautista doesnt want the label but he is involved in every pitch. From the dugout hes studying the opposing pitcher, watching for tendencies that may indicate which type of pitch will be thrown. Not a base stealer himself, Bautista tries to help his faster teammates get a read on a pitchers move. Defensively, hell involve himself in outfield positioning based on his extensive knowledge of hitters. "I try to pay attention to things like that and I share all kinds of information with my teammates," said Bautista. "I also encourage them to share stuff that they know and information that they have with me. I like to listen to that kind of stuff and put it into my database, I guess." Gibbons recalls a game in Kansas City early last year when injuries to Jose Reyes and Brett Lawrie forced Bautista from his usual spot in right field and in to play third base. Bautista would frequently hover around the mound in between outs, giving the pitcher a scouting report on the next hitter. "Joses not just out there playing," said Gibbons. "He studies this and hes paying attention to whats going on. Hes played against a lot of these guys over the years so hes got a pretty good idea of what they do." The Blue Jays entered Wednesdays action with a record of 16-17 following a 4-4 road trip to Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Like on their previous road trip, they left some games on the table due to poor, late-game pitching. Bautista isnt panicking, however, because the American League East remains tight six weeks into the season. Torontos just a game and a half back of first-place Baltimore. "The only thing that would matter if we were 15 games back," said Bautista. "That would mean wed dug ourselves a big hole to come out of. From that perspective it doesnt really matter. What matters is how we play from here on out and weve got to focus on that." 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 ' ' '
NEW ORLEANS -- Jimmy Graham insists he isnt miffed about his lack of a contract extension, even as his highlight-reel catches and gaudy statistics put him on track to be one of the best tight ends the NFL has seen. Trevor Story Jersey . Then again, if Graham were angry, it might not be such a bad thing for the New Orleans Saints. Graham, wholl seek a third-straight 100-yard receiving game when New Orleans (3-0) hosts the Miami Dolphins (3-0) on Monday night, says he thrives on anger on the field. That would explain the force of nature hes resembled in the Saints air attack since Tampa Bays attempts to intimidate him backfired so badly a couple weeks ago. You can watch the game on TSN and TSN Mobile TV at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. "If somebody hits me big, you can probably tell Im probably jabbering a few things back at him, telling him that, Im going to be here all day," the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Graham said. "I find it as a challenge and I invite all of it. ... It gets me angry, which is good." In helping the Saints to victories over the Buccaneers and Cardinals in Weeks 2 and 3, Graham made 19 catches for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Much of that production came after Graham was folded backward on a penalized blast to his head by Tampa Bays Ahmad Black. What looked at first like a knockout blow produced an opposite result. Now, stopping Graham has become the problem of another Florida team. "His production over the last two weeks has been off the charts," Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said. "He obviously has great size and weight. He seems to be a natural running down the field and going up and catching the ball. He can catch the ball in traffic. He can catch the ball when he gets hit. He has excellent concentration and hands. His size and length are an issue, and its a concern when you go play him." Many Miami sports fans are familiar with Grahams character and toughness. He was abandoned as a child before being adopted by a woman who counselled Grahams youth group at a North Carolina church. The stability his adoptive mother provided helped him earn a basketball scholarship to Miami. He was a physical power forward, and now offers a self-effacing smile while describing himself as a player who had more fouls than points. He thrived as a student and athlete at Miami, and Hurricanes fans, including university president and former Clinton cabinet member Donna Shalala, held him up as an inspiration. Football coaches saw his ability to run the floor and grab rebounds, and figured hed make a great tight end. He gave it a shot in 2009, his final year of NCAA eligibility, and Saints scouts werent the only ones who noticed. He could have become a Dolphin if Saints coach Sean Payton hadnt taken Graham off the market in the third round of the 2010 draft. Paytons mentor and former boss, Bill Parcells, was an executive with Miami at the time and had his eye on Graham. "I do remember 30 seconds after the selection, getting a phone call from Parcells," Payton said, adding he could tell Graham was someone Parcells targeted. "That makes you feel good, rather than him saying, What did you take him for? To Jimmys credit, hes come in and his transition has been fairly quick with maybe the lack of experience that a lot of players would have in college." Since 2011 (including playoffs) Graham leads NFL tight ends with 219 catches for 2,808 yards, and leads NFC tight ends with 27 TDs. His numbers might have been even better if not for a wrist injury that led to what would be considered a down year by Grahams standards in 2012: 85 catches, 982 yards, nine TDs. "It feels good to be healthy. I cant lie about that," Graham said. "This off-season is the hardest that Ive worked in not only rehab but just on little things -- you know -- film room. But I think more than anything, Im playing with more emotion than I ever have." The Saints want to lock down Graham long term, but general manager Mickey Loomis tends to be a deliberate and patient negotiator. The Saints could use the franchise tag to prevent Graham from leaving. Graham could have held out, but noticed a collective sense of purpose at Saints headquarters as Payton returned from his 2012 bounty ban, and he wanted to be part of it. And like quarterback Drew Brees in 2011, Graham has faith the Saints will ultimately treat him right. "For me, it really is all football," Graham said. "Im a very hungry player right now." Nolan Arenado Jersey . After a tight first half, the Croatians took command in Reykjavik after Skulason was dismissed for a professional foul in the 51st minute, but couldnt find a way past Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson and his packed defence. Eduardo had a weak shot cleared away from near the goalline after barely a minute for Croatia, whose substitute Ivica Olic forced a fine reaction save from Halldorsson in the 55th. Charlie Blackmon Rockies Jersey . The team said Saturday that the 36-year-old Robidas is expected to miss four to six months, jeopardizing his return this season. He was injured when he slid hard into the boards in the second period of a 2-1 shootout loss to Chicago on Friday.TORONTO - Road closures in Toronto forced Raptors coach Dwane Casey to ditch his car and ride the subway to the Air Canada Centre for Game 7. Casey said he was stuck in traffic for 30 to 40 minutes Sunday before deciding to do a U-turn and head for the subway. "Good old reliable subway," Casey said, laughing. "I dont think anyone expected us to be here today in that they had a marathon and a Game 7 in the same day." The downtown road closures were due to the Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon. Fellow TTC riders posted pictures of Casey seated on the subway, dressed in a bllack Canada Goose bomber jacket and a black Raptors T-shirt. Gerardo Parra Jersey. His garment bag hung on the glass partition next to his seat. "I didnt think anybody recognized who I was but I think the shirt gave it away," Casey said. Asked if Raptors fans gave him any advice during the ride to the Air Canada Centre, the coach replied: "They just said Go get em." Casey said it wasnt his first subway ride in Toronto. He most recently travelled via the TTC last summer. "Its great," Casey said. "I recommend it to everybody. Just not on Game 7." 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 ' ' '
Whered they play? Met CenterWhen they were active? 1967-93Playoff appearances: 17Stanley Cup Victories: 0Teams overall record: 2062 GP – 758 W- 970 L - 334 T (. Charles Harris Youth Jersey .449 winning percentage)Most goals: Brian Bellows 342Most assists: Neal Broten 547Most points: Neal Broten 796Notable players: Neal Broten (1980-93), Brian Bellows (1982-92), Dino Ciccarelli (80-89), Bobby Smith (1978-1993), Craig Hartsburg (1979-89), Brad Maxwell (1977-87), Mike Modano (1989-93) Tim Young (75-83), Fred Barrett (70-83), Gilles Meloche (1978-85), Cesare Maniago (1967-75) and John Casey (97-93).Best Jersey: To me the North Stars logo and colors were classic, like these jerseys the North Stars wore from 1981-88.(Image via NHL Uniforms) Worst Jersey: While I dont think the jerseys are particularly ugly, the fact the North Stars new 1991 logo foreshadowed its impending move puts these North Stars jerseys in this grouping.(Image via NHL Uniforms)Best goalie masks:Jon Casey:(Image via Third String Goalie)Gilles Meloche(Image via THC Vintage Mask)Cesare Maniago(Image via Third String Goalie)Best moustache: Dennis Maruk(Image via The Hockey Legendz)Best/Worst mullet: Mike Modano (Image via Third String Goalie)Did you know? The teams biggest margin of victory in a single game in franchise history was 13 goals when the North Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 15-2.(Image via Sarasota Herald-Tribune)Do they have a goal song? Yes. Like many teams they used Gary Glitters Rock and Roll.Biggest fight: Check out this sweet brawl between the Bruins and North Stars.The announcement of the teams impending move:Plus the final minute for the North Stars at the Met Center:Last game: April 15, 1993. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Minnesota North Stars 5-3.Captain: Mark Tinordi(Image via Classic Auctions)Whyd the move? The team had poor attendance, they couldnt secure a new arena and owner Norm Green was facing an ultimatum from his wife to move the team after a sexual assault lawsuit. After failing to move the team to Anaheim, the NHL said Green could move his team wherever he wanted. He eventually moved to Dallas where the team became the Stars.Check out the video of their opening ceremonies..What does a former player have to say?Todd Elik(Image via Trading Card DB)What was it like to play in Minnesota?It was great; its a hockey town. High school hockey is big there. They were great fans.What was your North Stars experience like?I got traded there from L.A. and they just went to the finals the year before against Pittsburgh, so I was coming into a team that was kind of the same. I was just trying to find my role it was great because they had a lot of great players there.What were some of your best experiences playing there?Getting to play on a line for quite a bit with Mike Modano. Played with some great players in Dave Gagner and Ulf Dahlen. What was it like to play with Modano when he was entering his prime?It was fun. I mean just watching him fly. To be a teammate of his was great because he was such a great player and great guy. I also got to play with a great scorer in Brian Bellows.What did you think when the team moved to Dallas?I felt sorry for the city and for the fans because they wanted and expected the team to stay. You could actually feel it, you could sense that they were going to move because of the rumblings and rumors and the way things were going. The fans werent coming as much and you could just sense it.Do you think it was bizarre that a crazy hockey market like Minnesota had trouble drawing in fans?It was strange. High school and college hockey was so big and now with the Wild in the NHL. I have no answer, it was weird. The Met was a great stadium and it probably had the best ice.What do you think playing with the North Stars taught you for the rest of your career?Be good defensively because [coach] Bob [Gainey] wanted that. He made me a good all around player and defensively sound. He let me use my creativity and I took advantage of that.Previous #TBTsAtlanta ThrashersHartford WhalersCalifornia Golden SealsColorado RockiesQuebec Nordiques Cordrea Tankersley Youth Jersey .C. -- Colin Kaepernick raced into the end zone, then pretended to rip open his shirt with both hands imitating Cam Newtons Superman touchdown celebration. Cordrea Tankersley Womens Jersey . Will Venable and Ryan Ludwick drove in a run each for the Padres, who have taken six of their last seven contests and clinched their third straight series win after winning the first two in this set. Clayton Richard (4-9) allowed five hits and a pair of runs over seven innings, while fanning five.Melbourne, Australia - Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka rolled to another straight-set victory Monday, while third- seeded former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova suffered a surprising upset in the fourth round at the Australian Open. Azarenka cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over American Sloane Stephens on Rod Laver Arena to secure a spot in the quarterfinals with her 18th straight win at Melbourne Park. Sharapova seemed destined to advance after taking the first set from Dominika Cibulkova, but the 20th-seeded Slovakian roared back to take the final two sets and claim a 3-6, 6-4,, 6-1 triumph over the 2008 Aussie Open champ. Charles Harris Womens Jersey. The 24-year-old Cibulkova will meet Simona Halep in the quarterfinals after the 11th-seeded Romanian upended eighth-seeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 on Hisense Arena. Cibulkova will be making her first ever quarterfinal appearance at Melbourne Park, while Halep became the first Romanian to reach the quarterfinals here since Irina Spirlea in 1997. Azarenkas quarterfinal opponent will be decided later Monday when fifth- seeded Agnieszka Radwanska squares off with unseeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza. 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OAKLAND, Calif. Dalvin Cook Jersey . -- David Ortiz saved his only hit for a key moment for the Boston Red Sox. Ortiz connected for a leadoff home run in the 10th inning, and the Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Sunday to avoid a four-game series sweep. "I like to go out there and make things happen," Ortiz said. "Weve had a good game, had a good series and then we go back to struggles. So hopefully everything changes at some point." Ortiz was the only Boston starter without a hit until he lined a 1-2 pitch from Fernando Abad (2-3) over the wall in left-centre for his 17th homer. The Red Sox had to go extra innings after letting a 6-1 lead slip away. The As scored three runs in the eighth, and then homered twice in the ninth against Koji Uehara (3-1). The closer had converted 31 consecutive save opportunities dating to 2013. "Im getting hit on day games," Uehara said through an interpreter. "I think its because Im old. Im not woken up." The Red Sox pulled within 6 1/2 games of first-place Toronto in the AL East. New York and Baltimore are 1 1/2 games back. Ortizs homer came four days after the designated hitter belted a tying drive in the 10th inning of a 2-1 victory against Minnesota. "He does have the knack for the moment," Boston manager John Farrell said. "More than anything he stays at rest or at peace mentally in those key spots and doesnt miss his pitch when he gets it." Mike Napoli and David Ross also homered for Boston, which had been limited to two runs or fewer in eight consecutive games. Napoli scored another run as part of a double steal, and former As player Jonny Gomes added a two-run single. Oaklands late surge negated a strong outing by Boston starter Jon Lester. Lester, who had a career-high 15 strikeouts against the As earlier this season, allowed two earned runs and four hits over 7 2-3 innings. He struck out four and walked two. The veteran left-hander left after hitting Craig Gentry and walking Jed Lowrie with two outs in the eighth. Burke Badenhop came in and gave up three consecutive RBI singles to make it 6-4 before Andrew Miller got pinch-hitter Coco Crisp to line out to shortstop. Uehara, who had the longest successful save streak in the majors, blew a shot at extending his impressive run when he yielded home runs by Stephen Vogt and pinch-hitter John Jaso. "Thats a good example of the kind of grit and determination this team has," said Oakland closer Sean Doolittle, who grounded out to second as a pinch hitter in the 10th. "Night after night it seems like its only a matter of time before our offence finds a way to come through and push some runs across." Oakland catcher Derek Norris had to leave the game in the 10th after a frightening situation when he was hit in the back of the head by Gomes bat on a follow-through swing. Norris immediately dropped to the ground as home plate Greg Gibson quickly called for As trainers. Norris was eventually helped to his feet and walked to the dugout. He was taken to a hospital as precaution and was scheduled to undergo a CAT scan. Boston broke out of its week-long scoring slump and got to Tommy Milone after loading the bases with two outs in the first on two singles and a walk. Gomes two-run single put the Red Sox up 2-0. Ross, who homered off Milone earlier this season at Fenway Park, did it again on the first pitch in the second. NOTES: Oaklands last four-game sweep of Boston came in 1971 at Fenway Park. ... Oakland 1B Kyle Blanks left after getting thrown out at home in the second. Blanks has been nursing a calf strain and aggravated it while sliding into home plate. ... With two days off in the next week, the As plan to skip Sonny Grays turn in the rotation. Gray, who has yet to pitch a full season in the majors, has already logged a team-leading 99 innings. ... Boston OF Shane Victorino (right hamstring strain) took batting practice with Triple-A Pawtucket but did not play. .. Red Sox RHP John Lackey (8-4) pitches the series opener against Seattle on Monday. ... It was Oaklands eighth sellout of the season. Ben Gedeon Vikings Jersey . -- Zach Johnson is like most players at the World Challenge, not sure whether hes still playing in 2013 or if hes in the middle of the new wraparound season that officially started in October. Ben Gedeon Youth Jersey . With the Nets winning streak in jeopardy, Williams scored 23 points, 11 in the final six minutes, to lead Brooklyn to a 104-99 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The game had been over for hours. Kauffman Stadium had gone dark. The roars of a sold-out crowd, which had rooted the Kansas City Royals to a sweep of the mighty Los Angeles Angels, had drifted away into the cool night air.A few miles away, at a bar and grill called McFaddens, the party was just beginning.Greg Holland had showed up, the All-Star closer watching with a grin as highlights of the game played on television. Salvador Perez and Jarrod Dyson, both integral parts in the Royals playoff push, posed with fans for more pictures than they could count. First baseman Eric Hosmer put down his credit card and for a full hour picked up the tab for hundreds of strangers.Its fun to get to enjoy it with the whole entire city. Its a special time, Hosmer said a few days later. I think the buildup to this, its been so long. Theyve been hungry for a winner. What were doing now has just been a blast.So much so that Hosmer didnt mind his credit card taking a hit — he shared the $15,000 bar bill with some teammates — after beating the Angels in their AL Divisional Series.We realize how bad the fans want it, how bad the city wants it, Hosmer explained. I think this team symbolizes the attitude of this city — tough, were not going to quit and were going to fight to the end. Its a pretty special bond weve created.Its a pretty rare bond, too, in modern professional sports.As the Royals prepare to play the San Francisco Giants in the World Series on Tuesday night, capping their first post-season appearance since winning the title in 1985, the relationship they have established with their long-suffering fans harkens back to a bygone era.Its reminiscent of a time when players lived in the same neighbourhood as working-class fans, because they too were working class. When they had to find off-season jobs just to make ends meet, long before million-dollar contracts. When you walked into the barbershop or the supermarket and would see Duke Snider or Red Schoendienst getting a trim or perusing the vegetables.Only now, players and fans are connecting over drinks at a bar in the trendy Power and Light District of Kansas City. Or theyre connecting on Twitter in 140-word bursts.Didnt hear about that one? Well, life-long Royals fan Nicholas Knapple didnt have the cash for playoff tickets, so he messaged a few players on Twitter with a pplea. Dalvin Cook Youth Jersey. . One of them was Brandon Finnegan. The rookie pitcher promptly hooked him up.Knapple found himself watching Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles with his girlfriend and Finnegans mom — and an entire section filled with friends and family of other Royals players.After the seventh inning, his mom told us we were going downstairs for the celebration, Knapple said in a phone interview. So after the game, we got to go down outside the clubhouse. We got to meet Danny Duffy, take pictures. It was unbelievable.About as unbelievable as the Royals post-season run.The happy marriage between the Royals and their fans was a rocky relationship earlier this summer. Third baseman Mike Moustakas was getting booed off the field. Manager Ned Yost had gone back to using an alias when he ordered at Starbucks. Even longtime designated hitter Billy Butler was starting to feel the wrath of a fan base that had been pining for success.Then two fans popped onto the Royals radar, and things seemed to change.One was Tim Grimes, a 28-year-old fan battling Stage 4 cancer. Doctors gave him a 5 per cent chance of surviving the next 18 months. He is spending it relishing every pitch and every hit.The other was SungWoo Lee, a fan from South Korea. He wakes up in the middle of the night, every night, to watch the Royals online. In August, he finally made it to Kansas City.Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was fate. But at the same time their stories were told, the Royals started to win. They climbed out of a deep hole in the AL Central, made a big push for the pennant, and then qualified for the wild-card game.Then they rallied from a four-run hole to beat the Oakland Athletics in 12 dramatic innings.I think thats really when it all came together, said Bob Fescoe, the host of a popular morning talk show on 610 Sports in Kansas City. The players saw the way the fans reacted, and the way fans cheered for them and stayed through that entire game.In fact, they keep staying through games, until long after theyre over. When the Royals clinched their first pennant in 29 years, security had to begin ushering them out of the ballpark so the cleaning crews could begin their work.No matter. There was almost certainly a party they could go to somewhere.Good chance that some of the Royals were already there. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
VANCOUVER - A freelance journalist from B. Mack Hollins Womens Jersey .C. charged in the United States after allegedly threatening to kill her junior hockey player boyfriend has pleaded not guilty to felony harassment. Twenty-five-year-old Tieja MacLaughlin appeared in court in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday, and prosecuting attorney Brenda Siefken says the womans bail was reduced from $50,000 to $10,000 by a judge. An affidavit filed by Siefken alleges that MacLaughlin, who has worked for several media outlets in Kelowna, had been dating 19-year-old Tri-City Americans player Jackson Playfair. The court document alleges MacLaughlin was planning to visit Playfair in Kennewick last weekend when he told her over the phone that he had "cheated" on her. The document says MacLaughlin threatened Playfair, and that she drove across the border to find him, prompting the hockey player to call the police. None of the allegations have been tested in court, and police documents indicate MacLaughlin denied threatening to kill Playfair. Donnel Pumphrey Womens Jersey .com) - Patrik Elias registered the winner in the shootout as New Jersey nipped Toronto 2-1 at Prudential Center on Wednesday. Sidney Jones Jersey . According to a police report, Douglas is accused of grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and slamming her against the wall several times while he carried her from the elevator to their Hartford hotel room early Sunday morning. MINNEAPOLIS -- Oswaldo Arcia -- and about everyone else at Target Field -- had time to admire his three-run home run in the fourth inning that hit close to the top of the pole in right field. The young slugger made a stronger impression and an even bigger impact two at-bats later. Arcia had four RBIs, including the go-ahead single in the seventh, to push the Minnesota Twins past Milwaukee 6-4 on Wednesday night for their seventh win in the last eight meetings with the Brewers. Arcia went deep for the third time in 10 games since his recall from Triple-A to give the Twins a 3-1 lead. Through translator and teammate Eduardo Nunez, Arcia said he waited at the plate for several seconds to watch the ball soar because he knew it was close to hooking foul. "He thinks it was a home run, right away," Nunez said. Said manager Ron Gardenhire: "Pretty impressive. Hes a strong young man." After Aramis Ramirez tied the game with a three-run homer in the seventh inning against Ricky Nolasco (4-5), the Brewers brought in lights-out left-hander Will Smith to face Arcia after Josh Willingham had doubled with two outs against Rob Wooten (1-3). Arcia hung in there long enough to stroke a 2-2 slider into right field to drive in Willingham, who forced in an earlier run against starter Marco Estrada with a bases-loaded walk. Arcia, who swung and missed at the same slider one pitch earlier, took second on the throw home to get in position to score on a single by Trevor Plouffe. That was just the second earned run against Smith all season and the first in 15 games. "Against Will Smith, not many left-handers are going to hit his breaking ball," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. But Arcia did, picking up Nolasco and the Twins. Nolasco, who retired 13 straight batters until consecutive singles by Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez to start the seventh, recovered after Ramirezs wallop to finish the inning. Nolasco struck out seven without a walk while allowing six hits, another step forward from an awful first month with the Twins after signing the richest free agent contract in club history. "They made me pay. Thats what this lineup can do, quick,," Nolasco said, adding: "Im not going to take one pitch and ruin my night. Mack Hollins Youth Jersey. " Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save in 18 chances. Ramirez started the season strong but was slumping badly when he strained his left hamstring 22 games ago, and the first-place Brewers havent missed a beat without him, with Mark Reynolds and his 13 home runs at third base. "Thats what Im here for, to drive in runs and help the team," Ramirez said. The Brewers started this string of 15 of 18 games on the road with the lead after consecutive two-out doubles by Rickie Weeks and Reynolds in the second, but for the second straight game the Twins had success against part of what has been a sturdy rotation for the Brewers. The return of Willingham and Arcia to the heart of the order after missing a combined 74 games with wrist injuries and rehab assignments was a big boost for the Twins last week, and they gave Estrada trouble. Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher gave Estrada some trouble, too, with several close calls going against the right-hander. "They just werent going our way," Estrada said. NOTES: The four-game burst between the border-state rivals finishes Thursday, with Wily Peralta (4-5, 2.73 ERA) pitching for the Brewers and Kevin Correia (2-6, 5.87 ERA) taking the mound for the Twins. Peralta is 0-4 in his last five starts, but with a 3.64 ERA. Correia lost to Mashiro Tanaka and the Yankees in New York last week while giving up just one run in six innings. Both teams will wear throwback uniforms from the 1980s, with the Twins in their powder-blue road jerseys from that era. ... Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey, put on the DL more than a month ago due to a strained groin, will have his elbow examined next week Dr. James Andrews, who performed the Tommy John ligament replacement procedure on his arm in 2012. Pelfrey has been bothered by inflammation in the joint. ... Gomezs success in the No. 4 spot, where he batted for the 12th straight game, allowed Roenicke to ease Ramirez back in at No. 5. But Roenicke said his ideal order is Gomez leading off. The Brewers have used at least four different players in each of the nine spots this season. 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 ' ' '
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nick Foligno may miss the final six games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets without one of their leaders in the thick of a playoff race. Harrison Butker Panthers Jersey . Foligno has 18 goals, 21 assists and a plus-5 rating in 70 games. He was hurt late in Thursday nights 2-0 victory at Philadelphia when he banged knees with Flyers forward Scott Hartnell. Coach Todd Richards says its "more than likely" Foligno will miss the rest of the teams regular-season games. Matt Frattin was set to take his place in the lineup Friday night against Chicago. Folignos younger brother, Marcus, was also injured in the Buffalo Sabres game Thursday night and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Daeshon Hall Womens Jersey .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Christian McCaffrey Panthers Jersey . -- The Chicago Bears say they have agreed to a one-year contract with centre Roberto Garza.Sept. 7, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY D Georgia 1 Republic of Ireland 2 D Germany 2 Scotland 1 D Gibraltar 0 Poland 7 F Faroe Islands 1 Finland 3 F Hungary 1 Northern Ireland 2 F Greece 0 Romania 1 I Denmark 2 Armenia 1 I Portugal 0 Albania 1 Sept. 8, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY C Luxembourg 1 Belarus 1 C Spain 5 Macedonia 1 C Ukraine 0 Slovakia 1 E Estonia 1 Slovenia 0 E San Marino 0 Lithuania 2 E Switzerland 0 England 2 G Russia 4 Liechtenstein 0 G Austria 1 Sweden 1 G Montenegro 2 Moldova 0 Sept. 9, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY A Kazakhstan 0 Latvia 0 A Czech Republic 2 Netherlands 1 A Iceland 3 Turkey 0 B Andorra 1 Wales 2 B Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Cyprus 2 H Azerbaijan 1 Bulgaria 2 H Croatia 2 Malta 0 H Norway 0 Italy 2 Oct. 9, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY C Belarus 0 Ukraine 2 C Macedonia 3 Luxembourg 2 C Slovakia 2 Spain 1 E England 5 San Marino 0 E Lithuania 1 Estonia 0 E Slovenia 1 Switzerland 0 G Liechtenstein 0 Montenegro 0 G Moldova 1 Austria 2 G Sweden 1 Russia 1 Oct. 10, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY A Latvia 0 Iceland 3 A Netherlands 3 Kazakhstan 1 A Turkey 1 Czech Republic 2 B Belgium 6 Andorra 0 B Cyprus 1 Israel 2 B Wales 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 H Bulgaria 0 Croatia 1 H Italy 2 Azerbaijan 1 H Malta 0 Norway 3 Oct. 11, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY D Republic of Ireland 7 Gibraltar 0 D Scotland 1 Georgia 0 D Poland 2 Germany 0 F Romania 1 Hungary 1 F Finland 1 Greece 1 F Northern Ireland 2 Faroe Islands 0 I Armenia 1 Serbia 1 I Albania 1 Denmark 1 Oct. 12, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY C Ukraine 1 Macedonia 0 C Belarus 1 Slovakia 3 C Luxembourg 0 Spain 4 E Estonia 0 England 1 E Lithuania 0 Slovenia 2 G Austria 1 Montenegro 0 G Russia 1 Moldova 1 G Sweden 2 Liechtenstein 0 Oct. 13, 2014 GROUP HOME AWAY A Kazakhstan 2 Czech Republic 4 A Iceland 2 Netherlands 0 A Latvia 1 Turkey 1 B Andorra 1 Israel 4 B Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 Belgium 1 B Wales 2 Cyprus 1 H Croatia 6 Azerbaijan 0 H Malta 0 Italy 1 H Norway 2 Bulgaria 1 Oct. 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