SOCHI, Russia -- Jennifer Jones is one win away from Olympic gold at the womens curling competition after defeating Britain in Wednesdays semifinal. Jones, lead Dawn McEwen, second Jill Officer and third Kaitlyn Lawes scored a hard-fought 6-4 win to maintain their perfect record in Sochi. It is Jones first trip to the Olympics after failing to make the 2006 and 2010 Games. Jones rink defeated South Korea 9-4 on Monday to improve to 9-0 and become the first womens team to go through an Olympic round-robin campaign undefeated. Canadas Kevin Martin, who did it four years ago in Vancouver, is the only other curler to go through the preliminary round undefeated. Jones is a four-time Canadian champion and 2008 world champion. British skip Eve Muirhead was 2013 world champion. Canada has not won womens curling gold at the Games since the late Sandra Schmirler did it in 1998 in Nagano. In the second semifinal, Sweden advanced to the gold medal game against Canada on Thursday (8:30 a.m. ET) by defeating Switzerland 7-5. Britain and Switzerland will battle for the bronze medal (3:30 a.m. ET). Stitched Cavaliers Jerseys . With the players association in the midst of meetings in Las Vegas, a vote will be held on Friday to decide the CFLPAs presidency and other executive positions. John Williams Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors set their sights on a second straight victory with the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Air Canada Centre tonight riding a two game streak of their own. https://www.cheapcavaliers.com/152q-aust...liers.html . Listen to the Rangers vs. Kings live on TSN Radio starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also stream the post-game press conferences live on TSN. J. R. Smith Jersey . -- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wanted to keep Logan Mankins with the team for a long time. Custom Cleveland Cavaliers Jerseys . The game was the first of two international friendlies that Canada is playing during the international break, with the second game against Slovenia set for Tuesday in Celje. Canada looked uncomfortable defensively throughout the game, and every free kick that came into Canadas penalty box looked like ending up in the back of the net.ROME - Roma coach Rudi Garcia has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with the Giallorossi through the 2017-18 season. Roma announced the extension Friday, which was expected after Garcia guided the club to a second-place finish in his first season — and a direct berth in the Champions League. Garcias previous deal was due to expire after next season. Romaas American president James Pallotta says, "After I spent the first 30 minutes with Rudi in New York last year, I knew he would be the right choice to lead Roma for hopefully a long time.dddddddddddd ... This is one more step in accomplishing our long term vision." A Frenchman, the 50-year-old Garcia previously managed Saint-Etienne, Dijon, Le Mans and Lille. ' ' '
MILWAUKEE -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright knew how tough it was for the Milwaukee Brewers to play Saturday after finding out that shortstop Jean Seguras 9-month-old son had died. But Wainwright had to push those thoughts aside as he pitched seven strong innings to lead the Cardinals to a 10-2 win over Milwaukee for a tie atop the NL Central. The Brewers lost their seventh in a row. Segura left the team and travelled home to the Dominican Republic, a day after his 9-month-old son died. The Brewers observed a moment of silence for Janniel Segura, and the clubhouse was closed before the game. The 24-year-old shortstop was put on the bereavement list when he learned after the Brewers 7-6 loss to St. Louis on Friday night that his son had died. Manager Ron Roenicke said the boy had been ill. "When something like that happens, you become a family," Wainwright said. "Baseball as a whole becomes a family. Theres bigger things than baseball. I understand that hes going through something that I hope I never, never have to go through. So our hearts and prayers go out to him." Cardinals manager Mike Matheny was catcher for the Cardinals when St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile died of a heart problem on June 22, 2002. "The extended family in (Milwaukees) clubhouse is hurting right along with him," he said. "You cant help but take a step back and just prioritize life. Prioritize just how fragile it is. It gives us perspective." "When that happened (Kiles death), we had a lot of guys having a bunch of conversations you typically wouldnt have inside a clubhouse," Matheny said. Wainwright (12-4) gave up two runs and five hits. He has allowed just four earned runs in his last six starts. Wainwright helped himself with an RBI single and tied Cincinnatis Alfredo Simon and the Yankees Masahiro Tanaka for the most wins in the majors. St. Louis trailed Milwaukee by 6 1/2 games on July 1, but Wainwright knows how quickly a teams fortune can change in a week. In fact, he said that a week ago. "My quote was In a week from now, we could be doing a completely different kind of interview," he said. "It could be what has turned the season around for. And, thats whats happened. This game is a funny game of ups and downs. The teams that have the most ups and the least amount of downs end up winning the whole thing." Tony Cruz drove in a career-high three runs and Kolten Wong homered for the Cardinals. "Its nice to be able to make a little ground," Matheny said. "It just comes back to playing each game the right way." For the Brewers, it was a most difficult day. "I think everybody in the clubhouse was affected quite a bit," manager Ron Roenicke said. "I dont want to make excuses. We knew that we still have a game to play and a job to do, but we did not play well today." The Brewers have lost 11 of 12. They had held sole possession of first place since April 9. Frustrated Brewers star Carlos Gomez struck out swinging in the fifth inning and tried three times without success to break the bat over his leg. He slammed his helmet and tore up his batting gloves. Jimmy Nelson (1-1) went 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs and eight hits. He was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Thursday to make his first start since replacing ineffective Marco Estrada in the rotation. St. Louis took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. A two-out error by second baseman Scooter Gennett on a grounder set up Cruzs two-run single. Wong hit a two-run homer in the second. It was his fifth home run in the last six games since coming back from the disabled list. Cruz doubled home a run in the third. NOTES: Milwaukee recalled INF Elian Herrera from Triple-A Nashville to replace Segura on the roster. ... The Brewers will start RHP Wily Peralta (9-6) in the series finale Sunday against Carlos Martinez (2-3). Charlotte Hornets Store . You can watch all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Pineda won his second straight start last Wednesday against Chicago, as he held the Cubs to just four hits over six scoreless innings to run his record to 2-0, while lowering his ERA to 1. Custom Charlotte Hornets Jerseys . Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, James Harden was in the building. https://www.cheaphornets.com/ . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. Fake Hornets Jerseys . Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Allen Craig on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee contusion on Sunday. Caleb Martin 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. CONCORD, N.C. -- About the only one not worried about Jimmie Johnsons victory drought this season was the Sprint Cup defending champion. After his dominating show this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Johnson gave his competitors plenty to worry about. Johnson reached Victory Lane for the first time this season at the Coca-Cola 600, finishing off a dominating week at a track many have called "Jimmies House." "Its great to win, but believe me, and I promise you, all the hype and all the concern and worry, that was elsewhere. That wasnt in my head," Johnson said. Now, Johnson can think about his record-breaking seventh Cup win at Charlotte, about his 13th straight NASCAR season with a victory or about his fourth 600 victory to trail only Darrell Waltrips five in the series longest race. And maybe throw a scare into opponents that Johnsons run at top isnt over yet. "They know we are awake," Johnson said. "Hopefully, the 48 is heading that way and we can give other people something to think about." This time, Johnson swept past Matt Kenseth nine laps from the end and was never pressured after that. Johnson earned the pole Thursday night, was strong at practice Saturday and led 165 of 400 laps Sunday. Kevin Harvick, who led 100 laps, was second. Kenseth finished third with Carl Edwards fourth. Jamie McMurray, the All-Star race winner last weekend at the track, was fifth. Kurt Buschs attempt at motorsports history ended with 129 laps to go when he blew an engine. Busch finished sixth in the Indianapolis 500, but could not complete the 600 and become just the second racer ever -- Tony Stewart was the first -- to navigate all 1,100 miles on auto racings biggest weekend. Harvick had won two of the past three 600s and led 100 laps this time. He fell back in the latter stages as he dealt with car problems and could not get back to the front. "We needed a 700-mile race to get back to where we needed to be," Harvick said. Brad Keselowski held the lead and appeared to have out-pitted Johnsons No. 48 group with a final stop 55 laps from the end. But a vibration in the Penske machine sent Keselowski back to the pits and a lap down. Much of the pre-race attention was centred on whether Busch or points leader Jeff Gordon would make to the starting line. Busch because of his 850-mile trek South from Indiana and Gordonn because of back spasms that cropped up Thursday after qualifying and were still severe enough Saturday for him to leave the track early after just a few laps of practice.dddddddddddd But both were there when the green flag dropped, although Buschs arrival was far more dramatic with the helicopter circling the track and landing on the infield close to the start-finish line about an hour before the race began. He received loud cheers and plenty of high-fives from fans and took a seat on the bench where driver introductions were made. As colleagues and competitors made their way up the steps, most made sure to chat up Busch or shake his hand on a job well done. Busch had a bit of luck to stay on the lead lap, twice earning a lucky dog bid after going a lap down to return among the leaders. He eventually reached the top 10 and was running 16th when smoke started pouring out of his Stewart-Haas Chevrolet and sent him behind the wall and to a 40th-place finish. "Kind of a shame, kind of symbolizes how its been for the Haas Automation team," Busch said. "We gave it our all with the way we were clawing our way up there." The 42-year-old Gordon, a four-time series champion, has dealt with back problems before and his No. 24 team had driver Regan Smith on standby if Gordon couldnt go. But if Gordons back bothered him during the race, he didnt show it with his performance. He spent much of the night in the top 10 and was out front until Kenseth passed him on a restart 16 laps from the end. Gordon finished seventh, his ninth top-10 finish in 12 events this year. "It was tough. I was aching in there. There was one time when I got on the brakes into (Turn) 1 and it triggered something. I didnt know what was going to happen after that, but it settled down," Gordon said. Gordon maintained his points lead by 11 over second-place Kenseth. Danica Patrick had hopes of a strong showing after qualifying fourth, her best starting spot of the season. But like Busch, she too, was out early with a blown engine 119 laps from the end. She was 39th, her poorest finish in three 600s. Dale Earnhardt Jr. came into this one with seven top 10s in 11 races and the hope he could finally win a points race at his beloved home track. He led 13 laps late in the race before he had engine problems as well and faded from contention. He ended 19th. ' ' '
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- The Lions extended their unexpectedly bright start to Super Rugby when they beat the Blues 39-36 for the first time since 2006 in a see-saw battle at Ellis Park on Saturday. Although the hosts were outscored five tries to three by the team from Auckland, Marnitz Boshoff landed four penalties and two dropped goals to give them their third win in five games since returning to the competition. The Lions missed out on Super Rugby in 2013 when they lost their place to the Southern Kings, and were expected to struggle after earning their way back into the tournament through a playoff victory. However Saturdays win put them fourth in the standings, while the Blues were 13th after a third loss in four games. The first half belonged entirely to the Lions, as they bounced into the break with a 17-0 lead. After the game had gone scoreless for the first 30 minutes, Blues prop Charlie Faumuina was yellow carded for collapsing a maul close to his own tryline, and two minutes later scrum-half Francois de Klerk capitalized on the numerical advantage to score the games first try. Boshoff added the conversion and a dropped goal, before Courtnall Skosan went over on the stroke of half-time gave the Lions a significant advantage. Boshoff added a penalty after the break to push the gap to 20 points, and the Blues earned a second yellow card when Tom Donnelly failed to use his arms whilst clearing out a ruck. However when the lock returned, the Blues came roaring back into the match with two tries in three minutes to narrow the deficit to eight points. Coenie van Wyks try with 20 minutes remaining gave the Lions some breathing room, but the Blues kept coming and Frank Halai held off a defender to score under the posts moments later. Boshoffs penalty made it 33-22 with 10 minutes to play, only for centre George Moalas converted try to put the Blues within four points. However a couple of penalties from Boshoff made the game safe, ensuring that Benji Marshalls 80th minute try gave the Blues no more than a losing bonus point. ------ Lions 39 (Francois de Klerk, Courtnall Skosan, Coenie van Wyk tries; Marnitz Boshoff 3 conversions, 4 penalties, 2 dropped goals), Blues 36 (Charles Piutau, Bryn Hall, Frank Halai, George Moala, Benji Marshall tries; Chris Noakes 2 conversions, penalty, Simon Hickey 2 conversions). HT: 17-0 Edmonton Oilers Store . The Italian side scored twice in a four-minute span in the second half to defeat former stars from S. Oilers Jerseys 2021 .Carla Fontes hadnt cut her hair since intermediate school, but her coach at Waiakea High School, Stan Haraguchi, thought the locks flowing below her waist were interfering with the sport. https://www.cheapoilers.com/ .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Oilers Jerseys China . The Reds will host the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in the opener of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park, and the debut matchup will feature a pair of pitchers whose recent resumes have included a fair number of bases-clearing hits. Edmonton Oilers Gear . Andrews, Scotland - Oliver Wilson fired a final- round, 2-under 70 on Sunday and he held on to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by one shot.NEW YORK -- On a night usually dominated by news of players let loose, the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics filled pitching needs with trades. Washington obtained right-hander Doug Fister from Detroit for infielder Steve Lombardozzi and left-handers Robbie Ray and Ian Krol on Monday. Oakland acquired closer Jim Johnson from Baltimore for infielder Jemile Weeks and a player to be named. Fister was 14-9 with a 3.67 ERA last season for the AL Central champions, who last month traded slugging first baseman Prince Fielder to Texas for second baseman Ian Kinsler. "It gives us some flexibility for some other things we want to do," Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said, insisting the trade wasnt made to free money for a long-term deal for AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, who can leave after next season. Fister joins a talented Nationals rotation that already includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez. Oakland, which also closed in on a $22 million, two-year contract with left-hander Scott Kazmir, is revamping after losing to the Tigers in the AL division series. The 30-year-old Johnson led the majors with 51 saves in 2012 and tied for the big league lead last season with 50. The two-time AL West champion As found their closer to replace All-Star Grant Balfour, who became a free agent after the season and is expected to command a multiyear deal. Meanwhile, 43 players became free agents at midnight EST when their teams failed to offer 2014 contracts, a group that included 2009 NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan (Miami) and St. Louis reliever John Axford. Clubs often use the so-called tender deadline as leverage to force agreements with players they wont go to arbitration with. Among the players let loose were Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia, Boston right-hander Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Kalish, Mets right-hander Jeremy Hefner, Yankees infielder Jayson Nix, Tampa Bay outfielder Sam Fuld and Kansas City infielder Chris Getz. The Los Angeles Angels gained nearly $10 million of payroll flexibility, declining to offer contracts to pitchers Tommy Hanson, Jerome Williams and Juan Gutierrez along with third baseman Chris Nelson. With an excess of catching after reaching an agreement to sign Brian McCann, the New York Yankees traded Chris Stewart to Pittsburgh for a player to be named, and Stewartt agreed to a $1 million, one-year deal with the Pirates.dddddddddddd The Yankees also finalized a $5 million, two-year contract with shortstop Brendan Ryan, who became their starter in September when Derek Jeter went back on the disabled list. Kazmirs deal with Oakland is pending a physical, a person said, speaking of anonymity because the team hadnt finalized the contract. The 29-year-old left-hander went 10-9 with a 4.04 ERA in 29 starts and 158 innings last season for Cleveland and becomes part of a rotation that includes Sonny Gray and A.J. Griffin. The Athletics probably wont pursue a new deal for 40-year-old Bartolo Colon, an 18-game winner. Utilityman Willie Bloomquist agreed to return to Seattle pending a physical expected to take place later this week, a baseball official with knowledge of the deal said, also speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement wasnt final. Bloomquist spent his first seven big league seasons with Seattle and the past three with Arizona. He hit .317 for the Diamondbacks this year but had just 139 at-bats. Catcher Dioner Navarro agreed to an $8 million, two-year contract with Toronto that pays $3 million next year and $5 million in 2015. The 29-year-old batted .300 with a career-high 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 89 games for the Chicago Cubs last season. An All-Star in 2008, he has not played more than 89 games in a season since 2009 because of injuries. Another catcher, Jose Molina, agreed to a $4.5 million, two-year contract to remain with the Tampa Bay Rays. Thirteen players eligible for arbitration agreed to one-year deals: San Diego left-hander Eric Stults ($2.75 million) and right-hander Tim Stauffer ($1.6 million); Baltimore outfielders Nolan Reimould ($1,025,000) and Steve Pearce ($850,000); Atlanta left-hander Jonny Venters ($1,625,000) and infielder Ramiro Pena ($700,000); Washington right-hander Ross Ohlendorf ($1.25 million); Detroit outfielder Don Kelly ($1 million); Chicago White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers ($950,000); Philadelphia first baseman Kevin Frandsen ($900,000); Oakland right-hander Fernando Rodriguez ($600,000); and Cleveland right-handers Frank Herrmann and Blake Wood ($560,000 each); In agreements announced Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers reached deals with outfielder Mike Baxter and catcher Drew Butera ($700,000 each) and left-hander Scott Elbert ($575,000). ' ' '
Cristiano Ronaldo put his enormous talent on display with a hat trick in World Cup qualifying, and the reward may be the Ballon dOr after a voting deadline extension on Wednesday improved his chances of beating out Lionel Messi for the honour. St.Louis Blues Shirts . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. 29. FIFA said it was reopening the deadline due to the low number of responses received by last Fridays original deadline, and invited voters to switch their preference. Ronaldo became the favourite on Wednesday to beat Messi and Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery for the world player of the year award, which will be presented on Jan. 13. Portuguese and Spanish sports dailies splashed Ronaldos photo across their front pages on Wednesday, when FIFA president Sepp Blatter expressed his congratulations to Ronaldo in a tweet reading "fantastic performance." Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in six games since Blatter said last month that he preferred Messi, an Argentine who plays for Barcelona. Ronaldo has scored 32 goals in all competitions this season. "Every year I show what Im about. Ive scored 40 or 50 goals a season and thats not enough for everyone. Im not obsessed with the (Ballon dOr)," Ronaldo said Tuesday. "I did my job as I have been doing all season. I dont have to answer to anybody. I do my talking on the field." Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008, has watched as Messi has won the award the last four years. But Messi has the edge in trophies over Ronaldo after Barcelona won the Spanish league last season. Ribery helped Bayern win a treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League titles. Blatters slight -- when he said Ronaldo spent more time at the hairdresser and compared his on-field personality to that of a commander -- has seemed to energize the player, who also equaled Pauleta as Portugals record scorer with 47 goals. At the Friends Arena in Sweden, Portuguese fans carried a banner reading "Commander Ronaldo" in response to Blatters comments, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also appeared to applaud Ronaldos heroics. Ronaldos scoring run comes with Messi sidelined by injury and unable to add to his own collection of awe-inspiring goals. Messi is expected to be out until the end of December because of a hamstring injury. The Barcelona forward said his left leg was pain-free on Wednesday as he collected his third Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in Europes domestic leagues last season. Messi, who has scored 14 goals in 16 games this season, was not asked about Ronaldos performance or his Ballon dOr prospects during the presentation, when questions were not allowed. Ronaldo will take the field again Saturday when Madrid plays Almeria. Blues Jerseys 2021 . "I only want to go through this one more time," Crosby said Friday. The 24-year-old captain hasnt played since the symptoms resurfaced following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5. Doctors allowed him to return to full practice on Tuesday and while Crosby is pleased with the way his body is responding he refuses to put on his return. Custom St.Louis Blues Jerseys . He reps the 4-1-6The insecurity of Canadian basketball fans is not what it once was with the home grown talent making its way to the big leagues, but it is still nice to see the local kids remembering where they come from once they make their way south. https://www.cheapblues.com/ . A better question yet may be this: How many times has the same player been involved in both? Morneau hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and helped the Colorado Rockies turn the third triple play in team history as they beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 on Sunday. CURITIBA, Brazil -- Nigeria and Iran delivered the first draw of the World Cup on Monday as they ground out a scrappy 0-0 stalemate in their opening match in Group F. The draw at the Arena da Baixada in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba followed 12 mostly high scoring and attacking games. After a first half in which Nigeria failed to capitalize on its dominance, chances were few and far between in the second. In the early passages of play, Nigeria had shown menace, with much of its attacking thrust coming down the left with Emmanuel Emenike and Victor Moses combining to cause problems for the defensively-minded Iran side. Nigeria came closest to scoring in the seventh minute when an Ahmed Musa goal was disallowed after John Obi Mikel was adjudged to have fouled Iran goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi at a corner. Iran grew more confident as the game progressed and came close to scoring in the 34th when a Reza Ghoochannejhad header required a sharp save from Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. In the second half, both sides were guilty of sloppy passages of play, to the growing annoyance of the mainly Brazilian crowd. Players from both sides snatched at chances, and neither goalkeeper was troubled despite some frantic late pressure in the final minutes. "They had 11 people behind the ball, which made it hard for us to create chances," Mikel said. "Its frustrating because they sat back." Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi said his team became anxious when it failed to score during a dominant opening 25 minuutes. St.Louis Blues Store. . But he added: "Respect to Iran, they had their game plan to sit back and defend and they did well." Keshi, who played for Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup, is already anticipating a backlash after the draw. "Win or lose Im criticized," said Keshi, whose side won last years Africa Cup of Nations. "A draw now, Ill be criticized. Its part of the game. In my country, its win at all costs and sometimes it doesnt go that way." The best chance either side has to progress in the tournament is to beat debutant Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Argentina is the firm favourite to top the group. Lionel Messi scored one of the tournaments best goals in Argentinas 2-1 victory over the Bosnians on Sunday. Iran coach Carlos Queiroz said the result was "fair" and that his players deserved "sympathy and respect" for performing on the biggest stage despite the impact of economic sanctions on the country -- which made it difficult to arrange friendlies. "Were not here to perform the role of the happy loser," Queiroz said. "The fans need to know the conditions we have endured for three years to get here." Queiroz wouldnt talk about the teams next game against Argentina. "Now Im so tired just let me enjoy this point we collected from Nigeria," he said. The draw means the winless World Cup runs of both teams continues, dating back to France 1998. For Iran, though, this was the first time it had not conceded a goal at the World Cup finals. ' ' '
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N. Vans Sk8 Hi Clearance .J. -- Jennifer Johnson matched the course record with a 9-under 62 on Friday to take the first-round lead in the ShopRite LPGA Classic. The 22-year-old Johnson, the winner last year in Mobile, Alabama, had 10 birdies -- five straight on Nos. 9-13 -- and a bogey on the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. "Ive been playing well the past few weeks, so I felt pretty good about my game," Johnson said. "If you just let it happen and just let a good round come together, normally it does." Haru Nomura had a bogey-free 63, and Christina Kim opened with a 64. Top-ranked Inbee Park and Na Yeon Choi shot 66 in the morning session. But theyre all chasing Johnson, who matched the record set by Laura Davies and Jimin Kang in 2005. Johnson had a shot a 63 on the course two years ago. "On 17, thats when I was 8 under and I was trying to beat my 63," Johnson said. "So then I started getting a little nervous because my goal was to get to 10 under, but I only got to 9. But when you shoot something that youve never shot before, nerves are going to happen." Nomura had eight birdies in her career-low round. "All in all, my putting was on, my shot was really good and the conditions were great," Nomura said. "So everything was perfect today." Kim finished with seven birdies, including a 35-foot putt on 11 that she called "one of the longest putts Ive made since the 90s." Park, winless this season, had five birdies a week after missing the cut in Alabama to end her streak at 22 events. Focusing on not letting her shoulder dip down too much, which she said caused her putts to veer to the left last week, Park drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole. For Park, ranked No. 1 for 59 straight weeks, that was all she needed to get back on track. "I was a little bit worried before I teed off today because of last weeks finish," Park said. "But after I birdied the first hole, that really gave me a lot of confidence going into the rest of the 17 holes." Choi closed her round with an eagle on the par-5 ninth. She said she felt "good vibes" all day after watching Rory McIlroy shoot a 9-under 63 at the Memorial Tournament on Thursday. Chois swing coach, Robin Symes, and caddie, David Jones, are both friendly with McIlroy, which has turned Choi into a big fan of the PGA Tour star. "Ive heard a lot of good stories about him," Choi said. "Ive never met him but it feels like we are good friends with each other. And hopefully one day I will see him and meet him." Second-ranked Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie shot 67, and 17-year-old Lydia Ko was another stroke back. Wie, who has seven top-10 finishes in 10 events this year, finished with five birdies but was disappointed that only one of them came on a par 5. "Going into this golf course, I always want to take advantage of the par-5s on the front nine, but I didnt quite do that today," Wie said. "I think I did well on the par-4s and par-3s today. And tomorrow Ive just got to keep doing the same and try to take advantage of the par-5s." Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, the winner last year, opened with a 69. Vans Old Skool Clearance . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (5) – He had a brilliant game; it was a huge response for his average games before. Vans Sk8 Low Sale . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. http://www.vanssalestore.com/ . - Pierre-Maxime Poudrier scored twice and added an assist, and Antoine Bibeau made 43 saves as the Val-dOr Foreur downed the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 6-3 on Sunday to force Game 7 in their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final series. LOS ANGELES -- There was no emotional letdown by the Utah Jazz following their stunning upset of the two-time defending champion Miami Heat over the weekend. The Los Angeles Lakers just didnt have enough healthy front-line players to make that happen. Reserve Alec Burks scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Jazz sent the injury-riddled Lakers to a franchise record-tying sixth straight home loss, 96-79 on Tuesday night. It was the second time this season that the third-year shooting guard led Utah in scoring during a victory. The other was Jan. 13 against Denver, when they rode his career-high 34 points to a 118-103 triumph at Salt Lake City. "Alec is kind of our Jamal Crawford in some games, and we need him to come in and score for us," Gordon Hayward said. "He brings a lot of energy off the bench, and hes had some really huge games for us this year. We can usually tell from the beginning that when hes active and hes more engaged in the game, hes going to have a good night. "And, tonight, you could tell right away that was going to happen." Hayward scored 15 points and reserve Jeremy Evans had 14 for Utah, which enjoyed a 55-40 rebounding edge. Derrick Favours had 11 points and 10 rebounds. "It was a great effort by the bench and the starters," Burke said. "Everybody played great. Everybody was aggressive and fought hard." Chris Kaman had 25 points and 14 boards for the Lakers, who have dropped nine of 11 overall and 21 of 26 since Dec. 21. The loss to Utah put Los Angeles in 14th place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Jazz and a game ahead of last-place Sacramento. Undermined all season by a run of injuries, the Lakers most likely will miss the post-season for only the fifth time since the franchise relocated from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960-61. Five of their top six scorers -- Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry -- are still on the shelf. The only one from that group who played Tuesday was newcomer Kendall Marshall, who had seven points and seven assists. "Its frustrating," Kaman said. "A lot of our guys are just trying to figure out where theyre supposed to be and what theyre supposed to be doing, because weve had so many guys hurt and then come back." Marshall had 20 points and 15 assists against the Jazz on Jan. 3 -- the last time the Lakers won a game at Staples Center. That was the first of his 15 starts at point guard before Steve Nashs return to the starting lineup on Sunday. The 40-year-old Nash made a quick recovery from Sundays loss to Chicago, which he left in the third quarter after geetting hit in the his left leg -- the same one that was fractured last season. Vans Old Skool Cheap. The two-time MVP, who missed 39 games with a nerve problem in his back before returning to the lineup last week, played 16 1/2 minutes against the Jazz before sitting out the second half. He had two points and two assists. "He wanted to come back in the second half when we had so few guys to play," coach Mike DAntoni said. "We just have to get through this period and get guys back after the All-Star break. Well have three or four guys back then, and that will help." Then there was Steve Blake, who also left the building less than 100 per cent. "My arm got stuck in a screen between two guys and I hyperextended my arm again," said Blake, who recorded his 500th career steal in the fourth quarter. "It hurt, but I wasnt going to sit down. I just played through it." DAntoni used his 26th different starting lineup, with Kaman replacing Robert Sacre at centre and Shawne Williams at power forward instead of Ryan Kelly. Kaman made 11 of 24 shots, after scoring 27 points with a career-high 13 field goals against the Bulls. Williams, who signed a 10-day contract last Thursday after getting waived on Jan. 7, had 11 points in 37 minutes. The Lakers first four baskets of the night came on 3-pointers, but they didnt make another one the rest of the way and finished 4 for 16 behind the arc. "We tried to keep them on the same side, and they werent getting as many looks," Hayward said. "We had our hands up, contested their shots and made them put it on the floor." The Jazz rallied from a 15-point first-quarter deficit to lead 48-37 at halftime as Los Angeles shot 4 for 18 in the second period. Utah wants to keep things going when it hosts Philadelphia on Wednesday night. The 76ers are coming off a 43-point loss to the Warriors, which followed a 45-point drubbing by the Clippers. So this is a golden opportunity for Utah to improve on its 4-10 in the second half of back-to-back sets. "Tomorrows going to be a big game," Hayward said. "Obviously, Philadelphias been beaten pretty handily the past couple of games, so theyre going to come out with something to prove." NOTES: The 1992-93 Lakers lost six consecutive games at the Forum in March of that season under rookie coach Randy Pfund. ... The Jazz are 15-9 when their starting five consists of Hayward, Al Jefferson, Marvin Williams, Favors and Trey Burke. The rest of the time, they are 3-24. ... The 18-34 Lakers have been taken off a nationally scheduled telecast for the third time this season, with ESPN scrapping plans for the Feb. 23 at home against the Brooklyn Nets. ' ' '
The Mannequin Challenge is the latest craze to hit social media - and the stars of WWE NXT may have produced the best one yet! The aim is simple enough - stand still and strike an amusing pose - with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund and NFL side Pittsburgh Steelers providing fantastic efforts. Fake Golden Knights Jerseys .WWE may have just raised the bar, though, with their attempt at the companys Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ?£6.99. No contract. Watch the video above to check out their work, as stars such as NXT Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and NXT Tag Team Champions The Revival act like statues.Never has time in the gym or in the ring been so static!Head to skysports.com/WWE every week for the latest set of WWE NXT results. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are two NXTs top stars WWEs next pay-per-view, Survivor Series, is live on Sky Sports Box Office on Sunday, November 20.WWE Survivor Series booking detailsWWE Survivor Series will be shown live on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) and Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) from midnight on Sunday, November 20 (Monday morning).WWE Survivor Series will repeated on Sky Sports Box Office (channel 491) BUT NOT Sky Sports HD Box Office (channel 492) between 10am on Monday, November 21 and 10pm on Thursday, November 24.WWE Survivor Series will cost £19.95 for viewers in the United Kingdom and €24.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland, while a live blog of the event will run on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps.You can order the show online by visiting this link: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/?DCMP=...rSeriesYou can also order the pay-per-view over the phone from Tuesday, November 8: UK viewers should call 03442 410 888, while customers in the Republic of Ireland should call 0818 220 225. (There may be an additional charge for telephone bookings).You will be able to order the show via your Sky remote nearer the event:Sky+: Press the box office button on your remote, then click the sports tab followed by WWE Survivor Series.Sky Q: Press Home on your Sky Q remote, select TV guide, then Box Office and then WWE Survivor Series. Enter your TV Pin if prompted. (Only bookings via Sky TV remote are recordable using Sky Plus).Sky TV residential customers only. Commercial customers contact Sky for price and to order. Sky Box Office terms apply. Cable customers should contact their local cable operator. Also See: WWE news WWE videos WWE features WWE on Sky Sports Golden Knights Jerseys China . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. Golden Knights Jerseys 2021 . Some will say that Martin is too sensitive while others will say that it is part of the way football is in the locker room. But to have to absorb what was said to him for any rational and intelligent person is too much. https://www.cheapgoldenknights.com/ .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games.BARCELONA, Spain -- Morocco striker Mounir El Hamdaoui scored a hat trick and set up another goal in his first start for Malaga on Sunday in a 5-0 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league. El Hamdaoui joined Malaga at the close of the summer transfer window, and with one start he has already equaled his goal scoring tally from last season with Italian club Fiorentina. "(El Hamdaoui) had a perfect start," coach Bernd Schuster said after getting his first win with Malaga. "You cant ask for anything more. He scored, gave assists. Hes a player that is going to help us a lot with his talent and effort. Hes always moving and always wants to receive the ball in a good position. Im happy for him, because it wasnt easy." Elsewhere, Real Betis led by midfielder Salva Sevillas brace dealt Valencia its third straight loss, a 3-1 defeat in Seville, before both teams turn to the Europa League. Espanyol won 1-0 at 10-man Granada thanks to Manuel Lanzarotes 76th-minute free kick, while Getafe striker Nicolas "Miku" Ladislao netted a double in a 2-1 win over last-place Osasuna. El Hamdaoui volleyed in Vitorino Antunes out-swinging cross to open at their La Rosaleda Stadium in the 31st, and nine minutes later the former Ajax played generously squared the ball for Francisco Portillo to make it 2-0. Malagas Eliseu Pereira put the result beyond doubt three minutes after halftime with an unstoppable shot inside the far post. El Hamdaoui finished off a great team buildup in the 62nd with the ball passing through the legs of Portillo, Pedro Morales and Jesus Gamez before he pushed it home. He then used a hard left-footed strike to drive his third goal between the goalkeeper and the post to cap Malagas much-needed victory. "What we saw today was what we were lacking, a great win, with five goals," said Schuster. "We took a step forward today." Valencias sloppy passing helped Jorge Molina put Betis ahead in the ninth, and the striker threaded a through ball for a charging Sevilla to fire by goalkeeper Diego Alves in the 22nd. Diego Alves made the first of several saves to deny Molina in the 32nd, but he failed to stop Sevilla from poking the baall between his legs in the 35th for his second goal of the night. Vegas Golden Knights Shirts. Valencia defender Ricardo Costa pulled one back with a header from a free kick in the 67th, but his team never threatened after. "We are trying to improve, but we gave too much away and its difficult to win playing like that," said Valencia coach Miroslav Djukic. "We lose the ball too easily. We need to keep it simple and play more long balls if we cant make the short pass." Valencia hosts Swansea on Thursday in the Europa League while Betis welcomes Lyon. Espanyols victory at Los Carmenes Stadium kept the Barcelona-based side unbeaten through four rounds to start the season. Lanzarote gently curled the ball off the post and into the net from a free kick inside Granadas area awarded to Espanyol after the referee ruled that goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez had handled a back pass from a defender. Televised replays showed that the ball appeared to take a deflection off an Espanyol player, suggesting that the free kick should not have been given. Granadas tempers boiled over in the 82nd when substitute Odion Ighalo received back-to-back bookings, both for protesting to the referee. "It felt like an evenly-matched game and that we had to stay alert to take our chances," said Espanyol coach Javier Aguirre. "It looked like a sure 0-0 that could only be broken with an individual action, and thats where Manu Lanzarote was great." Mikus goal-scoring performance for Getafe helped ruin the debut of Osasunas new manager Javi Gracia, who replaced the fired Jose Mendilibar two weeks ago. Osasuna started brightly on the road in Madrid with Roberto Torres scoring in the 24th, but Miku headed in a corner kick that had sailed over goalkeeper Andres Fernandez to level in the 35th. After his acrobatic kick had sent the ball off the woodwork, Miku used a nifty touch to slip the ball under a defender before placing his second goal just inside the post in the 52nd, sending Getafe on its way to its first win of the season. Osasuna almost grabbed the draw when Oriol Riera hit the crossbar in the 85th, but it remained the only team yet to take a point in Spains topflight. ' ' '
SANTA CLARA, Calif. China Jerseys Fake . - The San Francisco 49ers might be getting closer to adding a couple of big names back to their injury-depleted defence.Linebacker NaVorro Bowmans 21-day evaluation window is set to begin Tuesday. That means he could start practicing again this week as the Niners determine whether he will be able to play this season following a devastating left knee injury in last Januarys NFC championship game that required surgery.With NaVorro, well see where he falls and how much he can do, coach Jim Harbaugh said, noting Bowman initially might be limited to walk-throughs or individual drills.Bowman tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee in the loss to eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle.On Monday, San Francisco activated nose tackle Glenn Dorsey following his 21-day stretch, putting him in position to play for the first time Sunday at home against Washington if he is deemed ready by the coaches and medical staff.Dorsey tore his left biceps Aug. 1 and required surgery. He was placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list with the hopes he would be able to come back this season.San Francisco cleared room on the 53-man roster for Dorsey by placing nose tackle Ian Williams on season-ending IR because of a fractured left fibula suffered at New Orleans on Nov. 9. Its been a rough two seasons for Williams, who was sidelined last year following a Week 2 ankle injury against Seattle that required several procedures. Williams was in a walking boot and using crutches last week.The 49ers (6-4) withstood a daunting two-week stretch by winning close games at New Orleans and New York, the latest victory coming in a week that San Francisco lost star linebacker Patrick Willis for the season and also rookie cornerback Jimmie Ward. And, now, Williams.The backups have been stellar, while the regular faces in the secondary have done their part. Cornerback Chris Culliver sprinted up to Harbaugh with his interception game ball Sunday and handed it off to the coach along with a hug.He competes like a maniac, Harbaugh said of Culliver, who missed last season with his own serious knee injury.Rookie linebacker Chris Borland piled up some more big numbers.Borland, who has filled in since Willis injured his left big toe at St. Louis on Oct. 13, had two of the five interceptions against Eli Manning in Sundays 16-10 road win against the Giants. He also added 13 tackles, giving him 48 over the past three games.Theyre young guys stepping up, running back Frank Gore said. Coach, every week he challenged the young guys who got the opportunity to play, and theyre stepping up to the plate.Also Monday, Harbaugh said he spoke to linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who played just 12 snaps Sunday. Brooks played just a few snaps — and none in the second half — after Aldon Smith entered early in the second quarter to make his season debut following a nine-game suspension.After the game, Harbaugh said, We have something were working through.Harbaugh said a day later that he expects Brooks to play against the Redskins. With the emergence of rookie linebackers Borland and Aaron Lynch and with Smiths return, Brooks playing time could diminish.Yes, weve addressed it and had those conversations, onward, Harbaugh said. Yeah, I can be specific, I can be very specific. Its something I dont want to share with you or share publicly.___AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFLChina Jerseys Knockoff . Webb birdied the 18th hole to take the outright lead, then watched as Choi, who shot a course-record 62 on Saturday to take a share of the third-round lead, pushed a 10-foot putt wide of the hole at 18 to miss the chance for a playoff. China Made Jerseys .5 million, four-year contract with the Texas Rangers that could be worth $32. http://www.chinajerseyspaypal.com/ . An unconventional night for Texas-El Paso nearly led to the Miners getting a huge upset. Down by 14 with 2:21 left, the Miners went on a frantic closing spurt that fell just short, and UTEP was beaten by No.BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has decided to leave the club at the end of the season, preferring to take some time off after several injury-filled seasons and putting his football future in doubt. The 35-year-old Puyol has spent his entire career with Barcelona, debuting in 1999. But he has made only 12 appearances this season after returning from a long-term knee injury in October. Puyol has been an essential figure in Barcelonas and Spains recent achievements, including helping Spain win the 2010 World Cup and leading Barcelona to three Champions League titles. Puyol said Barcelona has agreed to rescind his contract at the end of the season despite two years remaining on his deal. "The recovery from my knee injury was more difficult than expected. I cannot perform anymore at the level Id want," Puyol said Tuesday. "When the season ends I need to rest and then we will see. Ive got three months left and Im going to give my all for Barca, but I dont know what Ill do at the end of the season." Puyol did not take questions Tuesday as teammates Gerard Pique, Cristian Tello and Jose Manuel Pinto, and former teammate Ivan de la Pena watched. China Jerseys Paypal. Puyol is a homegrown success story for the Catalan club, coming through the La Masia youth program like teammates Xavi Hernandez, Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. He was nicknamed "Tarzan" for his scraggly locks which shielded his face and intimidated opponents despite his small stature. His energetic and physical style of play fit perfectly with his leadership qualities, earning him the captains armband at Barcelona until recent injury spells. Puyol, who was raised in the Catalan town of Pobla de Segur, trails only Xavi in appearances made for the club. He scored his first goal of the season in Sundays 4-1 win over Almeria. Puyol won his first trophy with the club in the 2004-05 season -- the first of six league titles. He also won the Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and European Super Cup to go along with Champions League titles in 2006, 09, and 11. At the World Cup in South Africa, Puyol headed in the winning goal in the 1-0 semifinal victory over Germany. "Hes a reference for every player and a leader on the field of play," Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. ' ' '
BARCELONA, Spain - Barcelonas president says Lionel Messi wants to stay at the Spanish club amid speculation about his future. Fake Bruins Jerseys .Josep Bartomeu tells Catalunya Radio that Messi told me that he wants to finish his career at Barca and his commitment and willingness are maximum. There is no debate about this future.The president spoke after Messi said at the Ballon dOr gala on Monday I am not sure where I will be next year.Barcelona has had one of its most convulsive months in recent memory after it lost an appeal of a one-year transfer ban, fired its sports director and called for early elections this summer.Messi had repeatedly said he would play out the better part of his career at Barcelona until finishing it in Argentina. Boston Bruins Store .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday. Wholesale Bruins Jerseys . Cilic cruised to victory, beating the seventh-seeded Seppi 6-1, 6-3 in just 72 minutes. He faced only one break point, winning 24 out of 29 points played on the first serve. https://www.cheapbruins.com/ .com) - The Calgary Flames are spoilers once again.DAVIE, Fla. -- Ryan Tannehill plans to take the first snap on offence Sunday for the Dolphins against the Oakland Raiders, at least temporarily putting an end to questions about Miamis quarterback situation. Head coach Joe Philbin hasnt said Tannehill would be the starter but the third-year quarterback insisted that where he stands has been made clear to him. He has taken all of the snaps with the first team. "Ive been preparing to play Oakland in London and to go out there and win," said Tannehill, who has completed just 56.5 per cent of his passes and ranks 29th in the NFL in passer rating at 74.1. "Im taking the first snap of the game and playing the game." Philbins approach has created a distraction in the locker room, and Tannehill said that was an issue and was not a good feeling for him. But Tannehill said he understood Philbins handling of the situation, and remains confident in his abilities and the potential of Miamis offence. "Obviously, it doesnt feel good. It creates a bunch of stir and a bunch of distraction in the locker room, mostly from the outside coming in," Tannehill said. "Just guys having to deal with the distraction of it, its not a good feeling but hes been clear with me and I know where I stand. I dont know how it first came to me. I think I received some texts from basically everyone Ive ever known offering me support, which is a good thing I guess, and then coach came to me." Backup quarterback Matt Moore confirmed that nothing has changed with his role and that he has not taken a snap with the first team since training camp. Cheap Bruins Jerseys. "Ive taken zero reps. Ryans prepared the same way he always does and Ive prepared the same way I always do," said Moore, who is the highest paid backup quarterback in the league and won six games as a starter for Miami in 2011. "We showed up on Tuesday and everything was the same. Obviously, I did get a couple of text messages from friends who read things and it caught me off guard but nothing was said in here." The quarterbacks lockers are near each other and they are together in the position meetings and on the practice field. Moore didnt notice any difference in Tannehills demeanour this week. With the Dolphins trying to avoid going into the bye week at 1-3, Tannehill understands the importance of this game with Oakland and he feels like he has the full support of his teammates. He spoke confidently about the running game and the offensive line, while saying he wished Philbin had handled it differently. "Does it feel good to deal with all the distractions that have been created because of the situation? No," Tannehill said. "Thats life. You face distractions. You face adversity in life and you have to be able to handle it. "You have to be able to fight through it and become a better man, become a better player because of it. Were going about our normal week. Its all this stuff on the outside that seems like the worlds collapsing. . I think the guys are confident, not only in their abilities but in mine." ' ' '
Optimal player deployment is a hockey question thats never going to have a definitive answer. Fake Saints Jerseys . Each team has unique roster and character traits that necessitate different use of skaters and goaltenders and some teams are afforded luxuries other teams dont possess. But trying to extrapolate the best possible performance from a 23-man roster is a league-wide question - one thats ingrained in a hockey operations or coaching staffs ability to maximize performance for each player on the roster. Like never before, todays NHL has an insatiable appetite for competent even-strength hockey players. And there are a lot of factors at play here. For one, the phasing out of enforcers and specialists has created a window of opportunity for a wave of skill players to take on larger roles at both positions. Front offices in Vancouver and Toronto have pointed to successful models in Los Angeles and Chicago - two franchises which have enjoyed reliable production from those bringing up the rear. And teams are cognizant that first lines and first pairings win a lot of hockey games. But finding the appropriate balance between maximizing their ice-time and minimizing fatigue effects has led to further prioritization of back end guys who can pick up the slack as needed. Theres another factor at play – the creation of more even-strength ice time by the continued decrease in penalties. Take for an example, this seven-year graph of the average NHL teams total power play minutes: In just seven seasons, the NHL teams full season average power play time has dropped more than 100 minutes from 528 to 426 – a 19 per cent decline. Its substantial - and there are shot and goal differentials to be won in the additional minutes created for five-on-five play. Have organizations handled their deployment as a result of this? I think the answer is yes. Take, for one example, the comparison chart below showing ice time for forwards (meeting our minimum criteria of 245 minutes played) in 2007 and 2014: The rightward shift here should seem apparent – a higher concentration of guys playing larger minutes now as opposed to seven years ago and fewer guys picking up scrap minutes in smaller roles. The number of forwards playing ten or less minutes a night has dropped from 109 in 2007, to 65 in 2014. And the number of forwards playing between 13 and 16 minutes a night has moved from 153 in 2007 to 231 in 2014. As a group, teams may still be leaning on their star players, but theres also been a more balanced spread of total ice time than there was seven years ago. So on a league-wide scale, forwards have experienced considerable change in deployment. But what about defencemen (meeting our minimum criteria of 245 minutes played)? Other than defensive defencemen, specialists on the blue line have been far less common than specialists (be it special teams specialists or enforcers) in the forward ranks. I think a large part of that is the fact that teams only carry six defencemen into a game and at least four of those guys play significant minutes every night. That said, I anticipated less overall change - at least relative to the forwards: My intuition, of course, was wrong. The rightward shift is rather clear here, too. There are far fewer players picking up scrap minutes on the blue line today then there were seven years ago. And again, there is a noticeably larger concentration of defenders picking up significant minutes per game. The 16- to 20-plus minute band is particularly interesting. In 2007, 38 per cent of regular defenders were playing 16 or more minutes a night. In 2014, that number has jumped to 64 per cent. Combine the importance placed on puck possession and territorial control with dissipating non-even strength minutes and you have a premium placed on guys who can skate regular shifts at five-on-five. This premium is more evident in some cities than others. But at the league level, talent and depth are no longer a luxury – they are a necessity. Popular hockey analytics writer Travis Yost joins TSN as a columnist appearing every Tuesday and Thursday during the season on TSN.ca and as a frequent guest on TSN Radio. Yost has appeared as a regular contributor to The Sporting News, NHLNumbers.com, Ottawa Citizen and HockeyBuzz.com, where he served as one of the sites lead analytics writers in addition to covering the Ottawa Senators beat. Stitched Saints Jerseys . Jesus Navas bookended yet another huge home win for City by scoring after 14 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time, with Sergio Aguero also netting in each half to add to an own goal by Sandro and a brilliant strike by Alvaro Negredo. Saints Jerseys 2021 . Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the club. Clemons spent his first five NFL seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of Clemson. https://www.saintsjerseyssale.com/ .com) - A chant of Zeke reverberated around AT&T Stadium before Ezekiel Elliott powered into the end zone for his fourth and final touchdown.Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (SportsNetwork.com) - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton captured his second Formula One world championship by winning Sundays Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while his teammate and title rival, Nico Rosberg, finished 14th in the season-finale. Rosberg, who entered this race 17 points behind Hamilton, started on the pole, but Hamilton quickly pulled ahead of Rosberg for the lead heading into the first turn of the opening lap. It was a great start, probably the best Ive ever had, Hamilton said. While Hamilton had pulled away from the field, Rosberg experienced a problem with his ERS (Energy Recovery System) on lap 25, causing a loss of engine power. Rosberg gradually fell behind in the field and was lapped by Hamilton on the second-to-lap lap. Hamilton only relinquished the lead during his two pit stops. Felipe Massa from Williams chased down Hamilton in the closing laps, but Massa finished 2.5 seconds behind him. Woooooaaahh! World champion. I cant believe it. Thank you so much everyone, Hamilton radioed to his Mercedes team after he crossed the finish line in first. An emotional Hamilton then grabbed a British flag and waved it during his cool-down lap. At the same time, Britains Prince Harry, who was in attendance for this race, congratulated Hamilton over the team radio, saying, Well done, Lewis, youre an absolute legend. It was the 11th win for Hamilton this season. He also earned his 33rd career victory, allowing him to surpass Fernando Alonso for fifth on the all-time F1 race winners list. Hamilton concluded the season 67 points ahead of Rosberg (384-317). This race awarded double the amount of points for the first time in F1 history. Hamilton scored 50 for the win. His first F1 world championship occurred in 2008 when he drove for McLaren. He claimed the title by only one point over Massa, who drove for Ferrari at the time. Massa won the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix, but Hamiltons fifth- place finish in that race allowed him to clinch the title. I cant really explain how much this means to me, Hamilton said of his second world championship. This one means more than the first (title). It feels like its the first time. I feel so blessed. Hamilton became the fourth British driver to win multiple F1 world championships, joining Jackie Stewart (1969, 71 and 73), Jim Clark (1963 and 65) and Graham Hill (1962 and 68). Hamilton is also the 16th different driver with two or more titles in the sport. Throughout the season, there has been an inttense rivalry between Hamilton and Rosberg, which at times reached the boiling point, particularly in Monaco and Belgium. New Orleans Saints Store. After the conclusion of this 55-lap race at Yas Marina Circuit, Rosberg approached Hamilton to congratulate him for winning the race and the championship. It was the second time Hamilton won in Abu Dhabi. His first victory here came in 2011. Nico put on an incredible fight throughout the year, and he was a phenomenal competitor, Hamilton said. We met each other back in 1997, and we always said that it would be pretty amazing to race on the same team and fight for the world championship. He did an amazing job today. His car wasnt quick enough in the end, so he couldnt fight, but he was still graceful enough to come up to me, being very professional, and said, Fantastic. You drove very well. Rosberg concluded the season with five grand prix wins and 11 pole victories. Two weeks ago, he won the Brazilian GP to keep his title hopes alive. Im very disappointed with the ending, of course, but congratulations to Lewis, Rosberg said. Lewis deserves to be champion this year, but for me, it wasnt a nice ending. All in all, its been a great season for the team, and Im proud to be a part of that. Lewis was a little bit better of a driver this year, a tiny bit, so he deserves the win. Massas second-place run marked his best finish in a grand prix since October 2012 in Japan. This was his first season with Williams. It was an incredible race for us, Massa said. I did not expect to have that pace...I wanted so much for victory, but we were close. I hope this is the beginning for next year. Massas teammate, Valtteri Bottas, finished third, followed by Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull and McLarens Jenson Button. Force India drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez placed sixth and seventh, respectively, while Sebastian Vettel, the four-time and outgoing champion, was eighth in his final race with Red Bull. Vettel is moving over to Ferrari for the 2015 season, replacing Alonso, who finished ninth. I think the last six years (with Red Bull) have been an incredible journey, Vettel said. Id like to thank Red Bull and the team for everything they did, and I will miss them. I feel ready for the next step. Alonsos teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, completed the top-10. This might have been Buttons last race in F1, as it is widely rumored that Alonso will replace him at McLaren for next season. Button, the 2009 world champion, has been competing in F1 since 2000. ' ' '
GIRONA, Spain -- Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Spanish Open on Sunday after a three-way playoff to become the European Tours first winner over the age of 50. Cheap Vans Sk8 Hi Shoes . Jimenez extended his own record as the oldest European Tour winner at 50 years and 133 days old. "There is no secret," Jimenez said. "Good food, good wine, good cigars and some exercise." Jimenez beat Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Australias Richard Green in a playoff after he was the only one to make par on the first extra hole. All three players finished on 4-under 284. It was the Spaniards 21st European Tour win and his second of the season after he won at Hong Kong in December, also following a playoff, at the age of 49 years, 337 days. Pieters led by two shots going into the final round at the PGA Catalunya Resort but only managed a 3-over 75 despite an eagle on No. 15. Jimenez shot a 73, while Green carded 72. It was the first win for Jimenez at the tournament in 27 appearances. "Theres no words to describe what it means to me, you need to be into my skin but Im not going to let you," joked Jimenez. "Its amazing. I have been close a couple of times. Today it was very tough out there but I got it in the end." Vans Shoes Sale . The Toronto Argonauts signed the veteran linebacker to a three-year deal Tuesday, hours after the start of CFL free agency. Vans Old Skool Pink . Torres scored the first goal by an English team in the knockout phase of the Champions League this season when he met Cezar Azpilicuetas cutback in the ninth minute of their first leg match in the last 16. But Chelsea failed to make the most of its counterattacks and the Turkish champions equalized in the second half after gaining in confidence and cutting out their defensive mistakes. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/ . Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits.(SportsNetwork.com) - The surging Los Angeles Clippers are back on the road for the next three games and will visit the Indiana Pacers Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Clippers are scheduled to visit Washington and Milwaukee on this trek and went 6-1 on a recent journey. They have won eight in a row and closed out a perfect four-game stretch at Staples Center with Mondays thrilling 121-120 overtime victory versus the Phoenix Suns. Clippers forward Blake Griffin sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and got a friendly bounce off the iron. He scored a season-high 45 points. I stepped back thinking three, but also to get open, said Griffin, who is fifth in the NBA with 24.0 points per game. I thought it was short and then I saw it bounce and it went in. I then took off running. Griffin, whose 45 points were two shy of a career high, finished 14-of-24 shooting and Chris Paul delivered 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. The Clippers are 35-5 when Paul posts at least 20 points and 10 assists. J.J. Redick had 17 points and DeAndre Jordan grabbed 14 rebounds for Los Angeles. Jordan leads the NBA with 12.3 rebounds per game. Eric Bledsoe had a triple-double of 27 points, a career-high 16 assists and 11 rebounds for the Suns. The Clippers are 10-1 in their last 11 games overall and are first in field goal percentage at 48.4. Thhey are third in scoring (107. Vans Old Skool Black. 1 ppg) and 7-2 away from home this season. LA is 5-1 against the Eastern Conference (4-0 on the road) and won 11 in a row from Feb. 23 - March 16, 2014. It has won 12 straight when scoring 100 points and is 14-1 when reaching the century mark. Indiana has lost five in a row and suffered a 108-92 loss versus the Atlanta Hawks Monday night. Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles scored 15 points apiece and Luis Scola added 12 points. Roy Hibbert and David West only had eight points apiece for the Pacers, who fell to 7-14 on the season and made only 9-of-27 3-pointers. Miles sank four of his seven attempts from downtown and Indiana shot 44 percent on the night. Clearly the Hawks were a more energized team, said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. We seemed a step slow. West needs 21 points to reach 12,000 in his career. The Pacers had 17 turnovers and have been outscored by an average of 10.4 points during the five-game slide. They are 4-6 at home and have posted a winning record on their home court in each of the past 25 seasons. Indiana is 2-7 against Western Conference foes and won both meetings with the Clippers last season. The Pacers were healthy last season and had Paul George running the show, but hes been out with a leg injury suffered this summer. The Pacers have won three straight against the Clippers. ' ' '