CLEVELAND -- A trip to Progressive Field last month began a downward spiral for the Detroit Tigers. Their return visit could signal the start of a significant reversal. Max Scherzer pitched six strong innings, Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in three runs, and the Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 10-4 on Sunday for a three-game sweep. The Tigers, swept in a three-game series at Cleveland in May, have won four in a row overall and reclaimed first place in the AL Central. "Were playing good baseball right now," Scherzer said. "If we play good baseball and do the little things right, were as good as any team in the American League. Thats what we did this series." The first trip to Cleveland began a 9-20 tailspin that dropped the Tigers out of first place for the first time this season. Manager Brad Ausmus is pleased his team finally seems to be out of its funk. "We played well here," he said. "Were playing better, obviously, but Im not going to make any declarations that anything is starting or finishing." Scherzer (9-3) bounced back from one of the worst outings of his career. The reigning AL Cy Young winner allowed 10 runs in four innings against Kansas City on Tuesday. Scherzer gave up one run and six hits, striking out eight. He was struck in the side of the right leg by Lonnie Chisenhalls line drive in the sixth, but recovered to throw him out and completed the inning. "That one hurt," Scherzer said. "He hit it good. My leg is planted into the ground, so it has no give. I wore the whole thing." Ausmus and a team trainer checked on Scherzer, who quickly indicated he wanted to remain in the game. Nick Swisher doubled, but David Murphy grounded out and Scherzer pumped his fist as he headed to the dugout. "His velocity actually went up after that," Ausmus said. Cabrera hit his 13th homer in the first, added an RBI single in the third and drove in a run with a grounder in the fifth when Detroit scored seven times. Josh Tomlin (4-5) allowed eight runs in four-plus innings. He faced six hitters in the fifth and all reached base. Cabrera, whose RBI double in the 10th inning Saturday gave Detroit a 5-4 win, lined a full-count pitch to right after Tomlin retired the first two batters in the first. The Tigers took advantage of errors by shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and centre fielder Michael Bourn in taking a 9-0 lead in the fifth. "Against any team, if you give them extra opportunities, theres a decent chance you pay for it," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "They just blew it open and we helped them. They dont need the help." Singles by Ian Kinsler and Austin Jackson placed runners at the corners. Cabreras grounder scored a run -- the call of an apparent force play at second was overturned when a replay review requested by Ausmus showed the shortstop dropped the throw from Jason Kipnis before completing the out on Jackson. Bourn charged in for Victor Martinezs line drive but dropped the ball, loading the bases. J.D. Martinez, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, doubled to right before Nick Castellanos doubled to left for a 7-0 lead. Austin Romine added an RBI single off Kyle Crockett. J.D Martinez is batting .447 with four homers, five doubles and 11 RBIs in his hitting streak. Even though Torii Hunter is expected to return Tuesday in Texas after missing six games with a strained right hamstring, Martinez will remain in the lineup. "I dont see how I can take him out unless he tells he doesnt want to play or cant play," Ausmus said. Michael Brantley drove in three runs for Cleveland with an RBI double in the fifth and a two-run double in the ninth. NOTES: Cleveland has lost four of five at home since winning 10 straight at Progressive Field. ... Tomlin, who has lost three straight starts, has allowed a team-high 10 homers in 55 1-3 innings. ... The Indians committed three errors, bringing their season total to a major league-high 67. Cabrera leads the team with 14. ... ... Indians RHPs Justin Masterson and Corey Kluber have been taking batting practice and running the bases to get ready for interleague series at Arizona that begins Tuesday. ... Tigers LHP Patrick McCoy, called up from Triple-A Toledo following Saturdays game, made his major league debut and pitched a scoreless eighth. He replaced LHP Ian Krol, who has a sore shoulder, on the roster. ... Detroit RHP Chad Smith also made his first major league appearance and allowed three runs in the ninth. William Perry Jersey . Theres little time for rest, too. The Flyers and Rangers play again Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Simmonds scored in the first period and twice more in the second for his first career post-season hat trick. Mason survived a busy first period and stopping 31 straight shots until Carl Hagelin scored late in the third. Roquan Smith Bears Jersey . -- Stacy Lewis shot 7-under 65 to lead the LPGA Tour team to the championship of the 3Tour Challenge on Tuesday. http://www.chicagobearfootballauthentic....rs-jersey/. The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Richard Dent Bears Jersey . The Canadian defensive tackle suffered the injury on Monday and had tests done on Tuesday. He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Youth Jersey . - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum.SAN FRANCISCO -- Ryan Vogelsong is staying put with the San Francisco Giants, reaching agreement on a one-year contract Friday. Assistant general manager Bobby Evans says the deal is pending a physical, expected to happen later next week. The Giants declined to exercise Vogelsongs $6.5 million option for 2014 on Nov. 4, but the parties agreed to keep open the possibility of potential negotiiations down the road.dddddddddddd Vogelsong went 4-6 with a 5.73 ERA in 19 starts and 103 2-3 innings during an injury-shortened season. He broke two bones in the right pinkie area of his pitching hand and also dislocated a knuckle on a swing May 20 and underwent surgery the next day. He had five pins inserted in his hand. Vogelsong won 13 and 14 games the previous two seasons. ' ' '
WILLINGEN, Germany - Severin Freund of Germany won a World Cup ski jump event for his third victory of the season on Sunday.The ski flying world champion soared 149.5 metres for the days longest jump with his first effort and then 146 with his second to gain a total of 270.3 points - just one ahead of Norways Rune Velta, who had jumps of 145 and 143 metres.Roman Koudelka of the Czech Republic was third with jumps of 146 and 139 for 252.4 points.Stefan Kraft was sixth and maintained his overall lead. The Austrian has 1,083 points, ahead of Slovenias Peter Prevc on 1,054. Koudelka has 916, three more than Freund with 11 events remaining. Frank Gore Womens Jersey .com) - Patrick Reed poured in a 19-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Monday to defeat Jimmy Walker and win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. Joe Montana 49ers Jersey . The 7-foot-1 Hawes, who is in the final year of his contract, is averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, both career highs, and shoots 40 per cent from 3-point range. The 25-year-old Hawes is in his seventh NBA season. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Yout...rs-Jersey/. Raonic, the No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., had 18 aces in the match. He needed one hour 39 minutes to complete the victory. Kwon Alexander 49ers Jersey . The Brazilian-born strikers brace drew him level with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the leagues leading scorers with 17 goals apiece through 16 rounds. "The important thing is to help the team win, not the goals," Diego Costa said. After a first half dominated by defence, Atletico pressed Valencia into its area and Diego Costa did the rest. Solomon Thomas 49ers Jersey . -- Jim Furyk was 10 shots worse and right where he wanted to be Saturday in the BMW Championship.RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Luis Suarez told FIFAs disciplinary panel that he did not deliberately bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup. "In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite," the Uruguay striker wrote in Spanish in a letter dated June 25. The players defence is in paragraph 6 of FIFAs disciplinary committee ruling, which has been seen by The Associated Press. "After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent," Suarez wrote in his submission to the panel which met Wednesday, one day after Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 in a decisive group-stage match. "At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth," Suarez said. However, the seven-man panel which met on WWednesday evening dismissed the argument.dddddddddddd The bite was "deliberate, intentional and without provocation," the ruling stated in paragraph No. 26 of the panels conclusions. Suarez was banned for nine Uruguay matches and four months from all football. He was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000). The panel, chaired by former Switzerland international Claudio Sulser, included members from the Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Panama, South Africa and Singapore. The ruling confirmed that referee Marco Rodriguez of Mexico acknowledged in his match report that he missed Suarezs bite. So did his two assistants and the fourth official. "I havent seen the incident because the ball was in another sector of the pitch," Rodriguez writes in paragraph No. 4 of witness submissions in the 11-page document. ' ' '
Late 1977. Roger Peart receives a call from the president of the Fédération Automobile Québécoise. Its the Labatt beer company, the then-title sponsor of the Canadian Grand Prix held annually at Mosport near Toronto. They want to know if Montreal can host a Formula One race. "Great question," says Peart, who then asks for a little time for reflection — 30 minutes to be precise. "I first thought of Île Notre-Dame. Then, I looked at a route that would start and end at the Olympic Stadium, but that would have been devilishly complicated to implement. I even looked at [building a track at] Laval." "We didnt have to go far down those roads," says Peart. "The first idea was always going to be the best." After 30 minutes, he phoned his interlocutor back to tell him yes, Montreal could accommodate a full-fledged Formula One Grand Prix, and that the best venue was Île Notre-Dame – a man-made island built to host Expo 67 a decade earlier – if for no other reason than its excellent access to public transit. The timing was perfect. Montreals then-Mayor Jean Drapeau had just announced that the artificial island would be devoted to sporting events, while the neighbouring nature-made Île Sainte-Hélène would host cultural-type events. By April 1978, Montreals city council had accepted the idea of a racetrack — "on the express condition that it cost the taxpayers nothing," recalls Peart. Peart, an engineer, is well-known in the world of international racing. Over the past five decades, he has not only competed as a driver (largely in amateur races) but has monitored and inspected racing circuits all over the world. Now 80-years-old, Peart is still president of the Canadian National Sports Authority (ASN Canada), and the only sports commissioner in the country recognized by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA), Formula Ones governing body. Unsurprisingly, it was Peart who was given the mandate to design the Île Notre-Dame track, which would need to meet Formula Ones rigid standards. The Briton, who was then living in Montreal (he now calls Ontario home), still remembers the moment he went to first inspect what would become Canadas most famed racetrack. Mother Nature had dropped a major snowfall on top of the island, forcing him to develop the initial drafts without even being able to inspect the actual ground he was surveying. "I remember those days at my cottage in Saint-Sauveur in the Laurentians; when skiing conditions were poor, I drew up plans, plans and plans again." The challenge was more than he expected. "First, I had to ignore the old pavilions of the Expo 67 scheduled for demolition. Then I had to deal with some elements – the lake and park in the center, the river on one side, the Olympic basin on the other – that were obviously there to stay." "There wasnt much space and I had to fit a circuit in there, with rights and turns." Despite the challenges, the track, by and large, remains almost the same as Peart originally designed it. The buildings to the east of the island, where the boathouse was situated and where the hairpin turn is still today, were originally used as the pits. One weekend a year, the boats would then give way to the F1 cars — "It was an economical solution," recalls Peart. Because of the impracticality of this arrangement, new pits have subsequently been built in their current location, to the west, just before the Senna turn. This is the most significant change in the circuits 36-year history, a testimony to the excellence of Pearts original design. "Everything Was Going Too Fast!" The construction of the circuit that would later bear the name of Gilles Villeneuve was executed in record time. "It was a crazy time," says Peart. "Everything was going too fast!" After a winter spent developing the best possible layout, the British engineer travelled to Europe to attain approval for the plans by the FIA. By May 1978, after a meeting in Monaco, approval was granted and the construction began shortly thereafter, in July 1978. The first F1 race was held barely three months later. A Fairy Tale for All Sunday, October 8, 1978. The first of 35 Grand Prix of Canada races to be held on the new Circuit Île-Notre-Dame – its been held there every year since 78, except in 1987 during a sponsorship dispute between Labatt and Molson, and in 2009 when event funding became an issue – unfolds like a fairy. Its a fairy tale for Peart, who, serving as the race director, gets to hear firsthand from racers like Jackie Stewart that "his circuit" is "a little paradise in the middle of a great river." Its also a fairy tale for the Quebec public. In a race seemingly scripted by the gods of motor racing, Quebecs own Gilles Villeneuve takes the inaugural checkered flag in his Ferrari to the delight of more than 72,000 excited spectators. Its Villeneuves first win in 19 races, and he receives his much-deserved trophy from Prime Minister Pierre-Elliot Trudeau. For Ferrari, it is the companys first success in eight years. The track would be renamed in 1982 to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in honour of its first champion after Villeneuve tragically died in a crash during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix 36 Years Later: Peart Still Hasnt Missed a Race A technical track - Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve requires full concentration at all times and leaves little room for error. It is a circuit of long fast rights, interrupted by tight corners where, even today, the tires, brakes, engines and transmissions are strained to their limits. However, "unlike so many other F1 racetracks, Montreal has several opportunities for overtaking," says Peart. "That means the races are always exciting." Peart has not missed a Canadian Grand Prix since 1978. He watches every race from the control tower, as one of the three sports commissioners delegated by the FIA. This year will be the first exception as Peart has delegated his position to another steward — hell still be there, just with a different view. And if you happen upon him and ask if, after all these years, he would change anything about his original design? Hell tell you that, to this day, throughout the world, he has never seen a track as perfect. Encounter With A Young Gilles Villeneuve Early 1970s. Peart is, at the time, chief instructor at the Fédération Automobile du Québec, when as he recalls, "a quiet little man from Berthierville comes to see me." "He wanted to drive race cars. I asked him about his experience, and he replied that he was racing, of all things, snowmobiles. "As our summer events were all finished, I suggested he rent [some time at] Sanair [Super Speedway], bring along a car and we would see what kind of automobile racer he would make." "The day he showed up with his brothers Mustang, I had to leave for a business appointment. But I asked a fellow instructor to work with him and give me a report. Later in the day, the instructor called me, excitedly saying, Hey, boss, we may have something here!" "Each and every lap, the young Gilles Villeneuve was faster than his instructor. Obviously, we gave him his racing license." "I remember that to thank me, he wanted to give me a five-dollar tip." Via http://www.Autofocus.caJakub Zboril Bruins Jersey .Y. - Geno Smith still thinks of himself as the New York Jets starting quarterback. Jakub Zboril Jersey . "Canada," Bolland said with a smile. "Is that a question?" One day earlier, though, fellow Toronto Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri wasnt so sure his home and native land could pull off the win against the United States in the semi-finals of the Olympic hockey tournament. http://www.cheapbruinsjerseys.info/authe...ns-jersey/. Showing more spark after not taking enough challenging shots on goal in their 1-0 loss Friday night, the Bruins had 18 shots in the first period after managing just 25 in the entire opener. Luke Glendening cut Bostons lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Zdeno Chara added a power-play goal early in the third. Phil Esposito Jersey . Mako Vunipola was promoted from the reserves, with Matt Mullan called up to the bench on Thursday. "It is important that Joe is with his partner at this exciting time," England coach Stuart Lancaster said. Jaromir Jagr Bruins Jersey . Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon; a brief, poor outing that served to highlight two trends that have developed this season. PITTSBURGH -- Russell Martin has played long enough to realize that games in early June are rarely pivotal. Yet the Pirates veteran catcher admitted that Friday nights win felt good as Pittsburgh tries to stay with striking distance of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Martin had three hits, including a three-run double during an eight-run sixth inning, and the Pirates rolled to a 15-5 victory over the Brewers, handing nemesis Kyle Lohse his first loss since April 1. The Pirates still trail the Brewers by six games, primarily because they have gone 3-8 against Milwaukee this season. The win was Pittsburghs sixth in its last eight games. "Anytime in the season where you can just feed off each other like that, its going to be a fun time," Martin said. "Especially against a team that were trailing right now. If you can beat up on a good team, it definitely does give you confidence." Martins double keyed an inning that increased Pittsburghs lead to 13-3 and included Jose Tabata hitting two RBI singles and reliever Tyler Thornburg issuing two bases-loaded walks. The Pirates sent 13 batters to the plate. "We were able to barrel some balls and we took some walks," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The hits were nice, the walks were kind of runaway walks. Not many pitches were close in the walk sequence, it is what it is." Lohse (7-2) had won seven consecutive decisions, the longest active streak in the major leagues, but was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. He had won his last six decisions against the Pirates, dating to 2011, and pitched a three-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs five days earlier. "I could go inning by inning about everything that went wrong but it was just one of those games where they hit good pitches and they hit bad pitches," Lohse said. "The best thing to do is forget about it and get ready for the nextt one.dddddddddddd Thats the approach I took after I threw the shutout and thats the approach this time." Rookie Brandon Cumpton (1-2) allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings after giving up 11 runs -- the most by a major league pitcher this season -- in 3 2-3 innings in losing his previous start at the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday. "I really just put my head down and got back to work after that last start," Cumpton said. "I was just trusting my stuff and know its going to be there. It was great to get out there and get back on the horse." Andrew McCutchen homered and doubled for the Pirates while Jordy Mercer homered and hit an RBI single. Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez and Scooter Gennett all had two hits for the Brewers. McCutchen doubled in a run and scored on Martins single in the first inning as the Pirates jumped on Lohse early. McCutchens seventh homer, a solo shot in the third, made it 3-0. NOTES: Pittsburgh LF Starling Marte, who is hitless in his last 20 at-bats, did not start for a third straight game. Tabata took his place for a second straight game. ... Milwaukee LHP Tom Gorzelanny, who is rehabbing from off-season shoulder surgery, pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for Triple-A Nashville on Friday night against Memphis in a PCL game. Though he has allowed two runs in 14 innings in nine games, Gorzelanny likely wont be ready to be activated from the DL when his 30-day rehab assignment ends next Friday. ... Pirates RHP Stolmy Pimentel, who is on the DL with right shoulder inflammation, pitched three scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Altoona against Trenton in the Eastern League. ... RHP Vin Mazzaro accepted an outright assignment by Pittsburgh to Triple-A Indianapolis after clearing waivers. He was designated for assignment May 26. ... Brewers RHP Matt Garza (3-4, 4.42) faces RHP Edinson Volquez (3-4, 4.25) on Saturday. ' ' '
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Carlos Boozer added 19, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-91 preseason victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night.Boozer also had nine rebounds and six of the Lakers 17 steals. Los Angeles converted 29 Jazz turnovers into 34 points and outscored them 17-8 in second-chance points.Alec Burks scored 21 for the Jazz, who had only one field goal after his jumper with 5:16 remaining. Enes Kanter had 14 points in 38 minutes before fouling out with 15.2 seconds left.The lead changed hands six times in the fourth quarter before Ed Davis hook shot put the Lakers ahead for good at 86-85 with 4:50 to play. Wayne Ellington added two free throws and a 3-pointer that extended the margin to 91-85 with 2:50 remaining, and Bryant helped close it out with five free throws in the final 1:24.Trailing by 16 at halftime, the injury-riddled Lakers opened the third quarter with a 23-3 surge that put them ahead 61-57 with 5:51 left in the period. Boozer helped fuel the rally with eight points.Burks helped the Jazz build a 54-38 halftime lead with 13 points. Bryant, who missed five of his first six shots, reported back in with 7:13 left in the second quarter and the Lakers trailing 41-22. He made a 3-pointer on his next shot, ending the teams 0-for-19 drought from behind the arc. The two-time scoring champ was 3 for 7 on 3s and 7 for 22 overall in 31 minutes.The Lakers shot just 28.3 per cent before halftime. Ellington, the first player off the bench, missed all six shots in the first and finished 2 for 9 from the field after going 0 for 8 in Thursdays 119-86 loss to the Jazz down in Anaheim.Ellington signed with Los Angeles as a free agent four weeks ago after spending last season with Dallas. The Mavericks traded him to the Knicks in June before he was dealt to Sacramento in August. The Kings waived him on Sept. 3. Torry Holt Womens Jersey . - Novak Djokovic beat John Isner 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-1 on Saturday to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open, where hell resume his longtime rivalry with Roger Federer. Aaron Donald Rams Jersey .com) - The Oklahoma City Thunder will try to get back on track Monday night when they welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves to Chesapeake Energy Arena. http://www.laramsfootballshops.com/eric-...on-jersey/. General manager David Poile called signing Ribeiro a great opportunity to add a talented, experienced and creative centre Tuesday when he introduced the veteran at a news conference. Ribeiros contract is worth $1.05 million after being bought out of the final three years of a $22 million contract by the Coyotes recently. Todd Gurley II Womens Jersey . Vonn flew back to Vail, Colo., last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France. "Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press. Torry Holt Jersey . Harrison Barnes had 15 points and Reggie Bullock scored 11 for the Tar Heels (17-3, 4-1 ACC), who took the court for the first time without starter Dexter Strickland. The junior guard tore his right ACL last Thursday at Virginia Tech and will miss the rest of the season.Every night of the Stanley Cup playoffs, TSN hockey analyst and former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan breaks down each goalies performance. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (3) - He was sharp on Wednesday night with big saves in the first period on Brian Gionta and Brendan Gallagher and had no chance on the backdoor goal by Dale Weise. He also had huge saves in the second on Brian Gionta twice, Rene Bourque and the Thomas Vanek/Kevan Miller deflection. He kept it close with no chance on the backdoor max Pacioretty goal and kept it at 2-1 on a huge save on Andrei Markov. There was no chance on the deflection off of Chara in the third. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (5) - Price was dialed in all night with good saves on Jarome Iginla and Loui Eriksson and it looked easy because of his positioning. The statement save was on Patrice Bergeron with a 2-on-1 in the second. There was nothing to shoot at and it forced him to makee a bad play.ddddddddddddAnd he was sharp again in third when Bruins had a big push. You could feel that he wasnt going to lose this game. He outduelled Rask head-to-head and came out on top. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks (3) - He had no chance on the Jake Muzzin goal, as it was a backdoor play and made good saves on Justin Williams and Anze Kopitar in the first. He allowed a bad goal to Trevor Lewis in second period which may have touched Bryan Allens skate, but it still goes through the five-hole. He also had a huge save on Doughty to keep it at 2-1. He was solid, but the difference was one soft goal and we are going to a Game 7. Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (5) - He had big saves on Lindholm, Koivu and Palmieri in this game. On the Palmieri goal, he was late to get across and tried to use flexibility with no push on it. His save on Devante Smith-Pelley in the last minute was vintage Quick, as he scrambled and got to post. The last second sequence was a true battle in the crease and he held up. Outstanding. ' ' '
The St. Louis Blues have invited defenceman Ryan Whitney to training camp on a professional tryout basis. Whitney, 31, played seven games last season in the NHL with the Florida Panthers and 45 with their AHL-affiliate San Antonio Rampage after failing to make the Blues upon trying out with them last fall. A native of Scituate, Massachusetts, Whitney has played 481 NHL games over a nine-year career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and Panthers. His best season came in 2006-2007, when he posted career highs with 14 goals and 45 assists. On an international level, Whitney won a silver medal with the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Whitney is the second high-profile player to join Blues camp on a tryout basis. Last week, the team brought in former Phoenix Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnette. Blues camp is underway now at the Scottrade Center. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys . Phoenix got injured centre Emeka Okafor and a top-12-protected first-round draft pick in 2014 -- giving the rebuilding Suns potentially four choices in the opening round. The Suns also sent guards Kendall Marshall, Shannon Brown and Malcolm Lee to Washington so the deal will work financially. http://www.nbajerseyschinawholesale.com/ . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Authentic NBA Jerseys Cheap . Kalish got his first hit since Sept. 11, 2012, when he rapped an RBI triple in the first inning Sunday in the Chicago Cubs 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . Playing in his 19th career final, the second-seeded Tsonga was favourite to win the Open 13 for the third time and to secure an 11th career title, but he struggled with Gulbis attacking approach.The Toronto Raptors will be without the services of Amir Johnson on Monday night when they entertain the New Orleans Pelicans at the Air Canada Centre. Johnson has been dealing with ankle pain after turning on it in a January 29 win over the Orlando Magic. An MRI on Johnsons ankle came back cclean according to coach Dwane Casey, but he will be given the night off as the pain persists.dddddddddddd Patrick Patterson will replace Johnson in the starting line-up. In 50 games this season, the 26-year-old Johnson is averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. ' ' '
Cullowhee, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - After improving by five wins this past season, Western Carolina will face an 11-game schedule in 2015 that includes visits to two Southeastern Conference teams. The Catamounts, coming off a 7-5 season and their most wins since 2001, will go to Tennessee on Sept. 19 and Texas A&M on Nov. 14. But the main focus of coach Mark Speirs team is to challenge for the Southern Conference title. Among the Catamounts five home games are dates against conference foes Mercer (Oct. 10), Samford (Oct. 24, Homecoming) and Furman (Nov. 7). They also will host Mars Hill (Sept. 5) and Presbyterian (Oct. 3) out of conference. Were excited about the 2015 schedule and the big opportunities we have to capitalize on the positive momentum from the 2014 season, Speir said. 2015 Western Carolina Football Schedule: Sept. 5 - Mars Hill Sept. 12 - at The Citadel* Sept. 19 - at Tennessee Oct. 3 - Presbyterian Oct. 10 - Mercer* Oct. 17 - at Wofford* Oct. 24 - Samford* (Homecoming) Oct. 31 - at Chattanooga* Nov. 7 - Furman* Nov. 14 - at Texas A&M Nov. 21 - at VMI* * - Southern Conference game Adrian Wilson Womens Jersey . Diego Costa headed in Gabis corner seven minutes from time to secure victory ahead of the return match in Madrid on March 11. "We know that at Madrid it will be another game, which will also be important and very difficult," Milan coach Clarence Seedorf said. Christian Kirk Womens Jersey . Carling Bassett-Seguso was a world No. 8 almost 30 years ago. Currently 13th, Bouchard is assured of equalling that when the next rankings are released Monday. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/C...en-Jersey/ . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. Adrian Wilson Youth Jersey . It was the quickest three-goal sequence in Olympic history, with the latter two coming just eight seconds apart. Kessel, Lamoureux and Kendall Coyne all scored twice for the Americans, and Molly Schaus made 10 saves in her Sochi debut. Chandler Jones Youth Jersey . Fabio Fognini pulled off a surprise 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over two-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray to level the best-of-five quarterfinal at 2-2 before Andreas Seppi defeated James Ward 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the decisive match.We all know the history from there. Dave got the job and Trebek became a game show host in Hollywood. He even hosted shows before hitting it big with Jeopardy!, like High Roller, Pitfall and Classic Concentration.Heres some vintage Trebek for you to enjoy:And, while we are at it, seems like a perfect opportunity to leave you with our personal favourite version of Trebek, "Celebrity Jeopardy!" ' ' '
SAO PAULO - Fans of one of Brazils most popular soccer clubs will have a chance to spend eternity near some of their greatest idols.Corinthians said it is building its own cemetery, complete with a mock soccer field and VIP tribunes where some of the teams greatest players will be offered burial spaces.The Corinthians Forever cemetery is expected to open late in 2015, but fans can already start booking one of the 70,000 burial places available.Those willing to spend a little more will be allowed to choose exactly where they want to be laid to rest — either close to the former players or near midfield, the goalposts or one of the penalty spots of the mock field.Aimed at satisfying the eternal passion of the Corinthians fans, the project will enrich the clubs centenary history, Corinthians said in a statement.Brazils second most popular club behind Flamengo, Corinthians is also offering funeral services to its nearly 30 million supporters, known as some of the most fanatic in the country.Those adhering to the funeral plans can make monthly payments that will allow them to be buried in coffins draped with Corinthians flag and be entitled to a ceremony where the clubs anthem is played. Flower arrangements with the teams black-and-white colours are also available.The private cemetery, located in a city about 30 minutes from the teams base in Sao Paulo, is being built in partnership with Grupo Memorial, a company specialized in funeral services. The club said its not spending any money in the cemetery.Company officials said they are already contacting some of the teams former players to offer them burial spaces. Past stars who have already died can be transferred to the new site if their relatives wish.Price details for burial spots were not immediately released, but the club said fans who book their place now will get a discount.A five-time Brazilian champion and FIFAs club world champion in 2000 and 2012, Corinthians said the cemetery will be the largest of its kind in the world.We wont restrict anybody, marketing director Alexandre Ferreira joked when asked by Brazilian reporters if rival fans would be allowed to buy burial spaces. We are expecting to see the most fanatic Corinthians fans, those who dedicated their lives to the club, but everybody will be welcome.Popular Argentine club Boca Juniors also announced plans a few years ago to build a private cemetery, but the project never materialized. German clubs Schalke and Hamburg also have their own cemeteries, and earlier this year Barcelona announced a mausoleum for its fans.Corinthians Brazilian rival Sao Paulo baptizes fans at its Morumbi Stadium, although the event is not considered an official religious ceremony.___Follow Tales Azzoni at http://twitter.com/tazzoniNFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap .C. - Goodyear has warned teams that increased speeds at Charlotte Motor Speedway will put a heavy emphasis on the right front tires in Saturday nights race a€” a potentially key development for drivers trying to advance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship. Wholeslae Jerseys China .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to complete a sweep of the Washington Capitals when the clubs cap a quick home-and-home series Tuesday night in the Steel City. http://www.authenticwholesalejerseys.net/ . Completely. Two days after releasing Peyton Manning, the longtime face of the franchise, the Colts announced they were cutting four fan favourites: running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark. Authentic Jerseys Cheap . Dane Dobbie and Shawn Evans each had two goals and two assists for the Roughnecks (8-5), who outscored Minnesota 6-2 in the fourth quarter after being tied through 45 minutes. Curtis Dickson scored once and set up three more for Calgary and Dan MacRae, Geoff Snider, Tor Reinholdt, Karsen Leung and Matthew Dinsdale. Cheap Jerseys From China . 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.HALIFAX - Saint Marys University says it has suspended six members of its football team for allegedly tweeting messages of hate, racism and sexual violence. The move comes after an online publication produced by students at the University of Kings College School of Journalism cited a number of tweets from accounts it said belonged to members of the football team. A spokesman for Saint Marys University said Monday that officials have spoken to the football players and are trying to confirm if they sent the tweets as reported in UNews. Steve Proctor said if a player denies he sent the tweet, the university will conduct an investigation. "Weve told them they are suspended," Proctor said. "If theyre denying that its their posting, then well go back and well say, Lets look and see what the evidence is." Proctor said the uuniversity may also decide to impose further academic discipline.dddddddddddd David Gauthier, the universitys academic and research vice-president, said in a news release the tweets arent consistent with the schools values, calling them "completely inappropriate and unacceptable." One of the tweets quoted by UNews said: "to that b**ch that bit me last night. Hope your dead in a ditch. you are scum." Another tweet included an offensive term for gays. The university attracted national attention last September over a student-led chant that glorified sex with underage girls. In December, the university endorsed a report from an independent council that contained 20 recommendations on cultural changes to prevent sexual violence and inspire respectful behaviour and a safe learning environment at the school. ' ' '
MIAMI -- Chris Bosh watched his first 3-pointer bounce once, twice, three times, four times before finally dropping into the net. His next try, from almost the same spot, swished. And the third one essentially saved the Miami Heat. A threesome of 3-pointers -- he had never made that many in an NBA quarter, say nothing of his 79-second span Sunday night -- highlighted a run where Bosh scored 13 straight Miami points, and the Heat beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-98 to extend their winning streak to 10 games. The Heat led for the final 1:20, the time remaining when Boshs third 3 put Miami up 93-91. Charlotte had held the lead for the previous 23:21. "It kind of just happened," Bosh said. "I was wide open so I figured I would take a step back and in the words of our late teammate Mike Miller, let it fly. That was really it." LeBron James led the Heat with 26 points, Bosh finished with 22, Dwyane Wade scored 17 and Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami, which has beaten the Bobcats 14 straight times. Kemba Walker scored 27 points for the Bobcats. Gerald Henderson scored 17, and Al Jefferson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte. "Its disappointing because I felt we had them. We outplayed them," Henderson said. "They just came up with the plays at the end of the game that championship teams tend to do." The Bobcats outscored Miami 25-14 in the third quarter and led by 14 points with 9:14 left. And then Miami scored 34 points in the final 8:20, which works out to a 196-point pace over a full regulation game. The Heat made 11 of their final 13 shots, with Boshs 3s leading the way -- Wade getting the assist on all three of them. "It started with us," Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. "Instead of playing possession by possession, we made mistakes. They started going to the basket and we couldnt get them under control." James was highly effective again, scoring his 26 on only 13 shots and while dealing a balky back that has bothered him all season and flared up Friday in Toronto. James got treatment Saturday, received more Sunday until the start of pregame warmups, and played 38 minutes. "I dont think we did anything bad in the game," James said. "We defended. They hit some tough shots. We didnt turn the ball over, I think we had only 14 turnovers, they didnt have a bunch of offensive rebounds, they didnt have many fast-break points. Just one of those games where youve got to gut it out. And well take it." The Heat were down 12 when James re-entered the game with 8:04 left. He quickly got a three-point play to cut the lead to 79-70, and things got interesting. A 3-pointer from James with 6:18 left cut the lead to six. He made a pass to Chalmers for another 3 about 90 seconds later, getting Miami within three. Soon, the Bosh long-range display began. "Chris stepped up big," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Once he hit the first one, the second one, you could tell he wanted it." Charlotte scored the first six points of the second half, then opened things up with a 16-8 run. The Bobcats made five straight shots, all jumpers from an average of 18 feet, while the Heat missed their final five of the quarter and trailed 73-61 entering the fourth. Things werent decided until the final seven-tenths of a second. Walker was fouled while shooting a 3 with Miami up four. He made the first two free throws, tried to miss the third intentionally, but his shot bounced in and time expired one pass later. "We didnt think we had it," Walker said. "This is the NBA. Guys can score and be back in the game in a heartbeat. Thats what they did." Miami led by 10 twice during the first half, before the Bobcats put together an 18-7 run and took a one-point halftime lead. Wade was credited with his second block of the night on the final play before halftime, the swat being No. 676 of his career, the most recorded by an NBA player standing 6-foot-4 or shorter. Dennis Johnson was the holder of that distinction, getting 675 blocks in 1,100 games. Sunday was the Wades 679th game. NOTES: During one stoppage in play late in the first half, James shot a pair of 3-pointers that bounced off the rim, noteworthy because he shot them left-handed (he writes with his left hand, but plays with a dominant right hand). ... Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned to the Charlotte lineup after missing one game with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Ottawa Senators Jerseys . - Joao Plata scored twice in the final 24 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time, to help Real Salt Lake remain unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the winless Chicago Fire on Saturday night. Mikkel Boedker Senators Jersey . Stiverne stopped Chris Arreola in the sixth round Saturday night, claiming the WBC heavyweight title belt vacated by Vitali Klitschko. http://www.senatorssale.com/authentic-ja...rs-jersey/ . - Veteran Kings defenceman Robyn Regehr, sidelined since Game 1 of the Anaheim series, says hes close to returning. Colin White Senators Jersey .C. -- Steve Spurrier was much happier about South Carolinas improved performance than about his lastest career milestone. Christian Jaros Jersey .ca presents a week long look at some of the teams and stories that will shape the up coming campaign.JUPITER, Fla. -- Miami Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez will miss his first scheduled start of spring training because of an infection in his right shin. Alvarez had the infection drained at a hospital Tuesday. He was at Roger Dean Stadium in street clothes Wednesday and walking with the aid of crutches as the Marlins went through their morning workouts.dddddddddddd The 23-year-old right-hander had been scheduled to start Sundays game against Washington. The Marlins did not provide a timetable for his return, but Alvarez said he could miss up to a week. ' ' '
Chinese speed skater Zhang Hong won the womens 1,000 metre event at the Adler Arena in Sochi on Thursday, with a blistering time of one minute, 14.02 seconds. The Netherlands continued to bolster their medal haul in long track speed skating when Ireen Wust won silver with a time of 1:14.69. Wusts teammate Margot Boer earned the bronze in 1:14.90. Christine Nesbitt skated against Zhang, and the Canadian finished the event in ninth position with a time of 1:15.62. The London, Ont native won the distance at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and dominated the event on the World Cup circuit up until last year. Calgarys Kaylin Irvine had to dodge Monique Angermueller when the German fell and slid across the Canadians path. Irvine finished in 1:17.24, sitting in 18th. Kali Christ of Regina was the first Canadian to skate, finishing in 1:17.41, ranked 21st. Winnipegs Brittany Schussler was 30th overall, posting a time of 1:18.53. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Authentic . -- Thirty years ago, the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple overtime, a game that remains the highest scoring in NBA history. Authentic Cheap Jerseys . RAPTORS STRUGGLING: The bottom line is the true test in sports isnt just how you handle failure, but how you handle success. http://www.wholesalechinajerseys.net/ .ca. Hi Kerry, Love reading your column and loved watching your analysis on the TSN broadcasts!And were now in Round 2! Bruins! Canadiens! We know all about the great games of the past from the players, the broadcasters and the writers. Supply NFL Jerseys . After a 99-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, his Celtics coaches and teammates have only positive things to say about the Toronto-born rookie. Wholesale Jerseys Authenitc There were only 14 games remaining in the regular season when the trade was made. The then-Pat Quinn-led Maple Leafs were jostling for top spot in the Eastern Conference and wanted to add some Hall of Fame punch to their lineup. So on Mar. 3, 2004 - with John Ferguson Jr. installed as general manager - Toronto swung a deal with New York for Brian Leetch; a swap that would cost them two prospects, (and of much more significance to the future) a first round pick in 2004 and a second round pick in 05. Six days later they would fire another draft selection - a fourth round pick in 05 - to Carolina for Ron Francis. It was only one year earlier that they surrendered their first round pick in 03 and two young players - Alyn McCauley and Brad Boyes - to San Jose for Owen Nolan. Theyd sacrifice another second round pick (04) for Glen Wesley less than a week after that. Later was constantly being sacrificed for now in an era when draft futures held little of their current premium for a big spender like the Leafs. But it was that strategy of now for later - two firsts, two seconds in a string of three drafts - that helped damage the club in the years that followed the second lockout; useful (and inexpensive) prospects in a cap era were nowhere to be found. Sending out another first (07) in the Vesa Toskala trade and two more (10, 11) in the Phil Kessel swap, the Leafs had, over the course of nine drafts (03-11), traded five of their first round selections. The result was a prospect cupboard continually lacking in NHL-caliber talent and an organization short on internal depth. That prospect could be changing with a collection of youthful talent - the likes of Petter Granberg, Josh Leivo, Jerry DAmigo, Stuart Percy, and Andrew MacWilliam among others - edging closer to potential jobs with the Leafs and others - such as Matt Finn, Connor Brown, Tom Nilsson, and Carter Verhaeghe - in line to follow. With the eighth overall selection (at the time of this writing) in the 2014 draft, the club will add another asset to that mix. Fronting the charge for that selection is Dave Morrison, the teams director of amateur scouting, who spoke with TSN.ca about the Leafs draft history, Brendan Shanahan and his role in the draft process, high-risk, high-reward picks, a burgeoning group of blueline prospects and an unpredictable draft in Philly. SIEGEL: Youve talked to me in the past about looking for indicators as far as prospects go, indicators that will tell you that a prospect can play in the NHL - whether thats speed, size, or a shot. In terms of that personality, how would you say its progressed from when Brian Burke was in charge to now that you have Brendan Shanahan at the helm? MORRISON: Well, those things never really change because I think some of those core indicators really do need to stay the same. They have to be able to get to a certain proficiency in skating, if theyre not already elite skaters. Some kids just are naturally very gifted on their feet; other kids have to really work at it. Does their brain function fast enough to be able to play at the next level? And if theyre not a good skater does it function fast enough to compensate for their lack of foot speed? Do they have enough courage? The game has changed a lot and courage, probably the definition of it and how it pertains to the player being able to play in the game has changed too a little bit. Its a little different than it was 10, 15 years ago. But a lot of those things havent changed in the sense that you have to be able to put a value on them and make sure that down the road theyre going to have those things that are going to enable them to play or give themselves a chance to play. SIEGEL: Is foot speed more important now than maybe 10 years ago? MORRISON: Absolutely. I think pre-original lockout there was a lot more hooking and holding. I think strength, size, the ability to battle through things was really, really important. Its still important. As you can see in the playoffs, teams that are big and strong and have those bodies can be really effective at this time of year. But it has changed in the sense that the smaller player is maybe getting a little bit more of an opportunity. I think speed, you can really see speed and what it can do in a game. So it has changed a little bit in that sense. I think all things being equal you would like a big player with great speed, with great hands and with great hockey sense (laughs). SIEGEL: Perfect player. MORRISON: Yeah, its always been that way, but unfortunately its never as clear-cut as that. SIEGEL: We got a pretty good understanding when Brian was here; he liked that North American player, black and blue style. His first draft in 2009 you picked seven North American players. So now that youve had one draft under Dave Nonis and obviously Dave Nonis and Brendan Shanahan are now at the top [together], what does a Brendan Shanahan player look like now? What kind of player has he passed along to you that he would like in the system? MORRISON: You know Brendan himself was a black and blue, skilled player. He was a very competitive, skilled player. I think he himself likes those kind of players as well. We as an organization, weve always sort of wanted those kind of guys. Yes, along the way weve maybe tried to get a different type of player at different times and sometimes thats difficult to do. But I think anybody in our organization would tell you that competitiveness is really important and obviously you need to have skill on your team. Those are important ingredients. But you also have to have a certain number of physical players that play hard and can play the game two ways; preferably everybody plays hard and two ways. You do have different types on your team. Competitiveness is really important to us. Certainly you want to be a big, strong, skilled team if you can be. SIEGEL: When you look at the current group that you have, youve got some prospects that look like they could be ready to take that next step...but when they project right now you can see them more as role players at the NHL level. Do you feel like youve got to keep injecting more skill into the prospect cupboard? MORRISON: I think you always want to inject everything into your prospect cupboard every year. If you look at the past it always sounds like our cupboard is bare of skilled players - what I read and what I hear - but if you look at a kid like Andreas Johnson, who was just the Swedish Elite League rookie of the year with 15 or 16 goals as a 19-year-old in that league, I see a skilled player. I see a Connor Brown, who won the scoring [title] in the CHL. Does he need some development time? Yes. But hes a very skilled player. Fabrice Herzog [scored] over 30 goals in his first year with Quebec last year. Do we have some skill in the pipeline? Yes. Do we have role players? Yes. Do you need to inject skill players? Yes. You always need to do that. Kids like Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly, I think those kinds of players you do have to draft and weve drafted them in the past and well draft them again. SIEGEL: Well and I think you could probably add Carter Verhaeghe to that list as well - you look at what he did last year in Niagara. But whether its Andreas Johnson, Fabrice Herzog, can you look at those guys and say theyll be high impact players at the NHL level? MORRISON: I think they have a chance to be [high] impact players, Jonas. I think any prospecct has a chance and an opportunity to do that.dddddddddddd The blue-chip type, those franchise-type guys, theres not many of those available every year. And I think you can throw a lot of other players in as they develop, the closer they get they get closer maybe to being a blue-chip [prospect]. But its always an opportunity and a chance for these kids to become those players and thats part of the development process that weve been putting a lot more work and effort into the last few years. Were hopeful that were going to see the fruits of that labour at some point here. And I know theres an impatience in Toronto and I understand it totally and its incumbent upon us to change things and put a winning team on the ice - thats just the bottom line. SIEGEL: Whats the balance when youre putting together your list, and its obviously a really rigourous process, but whats the balance between ranking a player who is maybe a safer bet to make the NHL as opposed to a player whos higher risk, but potentially offers higher rewards? MORRISON: Thats a million dollar question. Sometimes if you think you can get a third line player, big centre like Fred Gauthier well use an example. Is he going to be an impact player in his own way? Well, we believe he is. Is it going to be as an offensive player? No. Is he going to be an integral part of a winning team at some point? We certainly hope so and we think so. So theres a lot of these different things that you think about. And it takes a lot of different pieces to make a winning team and some people get focused on the idea that you have to get 150 points in junior to be a good NHL player and that certainly is a good indicator, but its not everything. Weighing everything out, yes, youd love to get that high-impact offensive, first-line player with every pick. The reality is thats very tough to do. So when were doing that youre weighing well what are the odds of this guy getting there versus this guy? And what will he bring to your lineup? And is it going to be valuable? And is it going to be tough to find when you need that? Thats another question. Teams will give up first round picks for players because they dont have [that specific skill] at some point. SIEGEL: But couldnt you make case that its more difficult to find skill than it is a role player? If youre going to get that player dont you have to draft him? MORRISON: Yeah, I dont disagree with you in that sense. Yes. Skill, a guy that will be a top-line player, is definitely harder to find and we are trying to do that at all times. Certainly at some points youre looking at that guy and youre saying Well, how far away is he? Does he have a chance? And then youre ranking him versus another guy, whos maybe not a first-line player, but a second-line player, but you say Hey this guy has those intangibles, maybe we do that? We havent done that with every pick weve made. Again Jonas, were always trying to get that top guy with every pick and we feel like we can get a guy that can impact our lineup were going to take him. SIEGEL: Yeah, I guess its just easy to look at some of the teams that have advanced deep into the playoffs, Chicago, L.A., and theyve managed to find some steals later in the draft. I understand its a crap-shoot and picking Andrew Shaw in the fifth round, theres got to be some degree of luck to that, but when you look at the [Leafs] organizations drafting history, is there something youve identified and said You know what, we can do that better? MORRISON: Well, youre always trying to get better. In our group, our amateur scouting group here, we talk about it constantly throughout the whole year every year. What can we do better? With this particular pick what did we do wrong? What can we improve upon? What did we miss? Whats something we can make ourselves better at? We do that constantly. And I think most scouts would tell you theyre extremely proud of the players that theyve picked that have made it, but they also talk about the failures. We often compare it to a batter going up to the plate; youre going to fail more than youre going to succeed. And thats an unfortunate reality that we really dont want to come to grips with and we dont. We go into that draft thinking with seven picks were going to get seven players and we want to get seven players out of every draft. So were always, always trying to get better at. I believe in this scouting [staff]. I think if you look at a lot of scouting staffs, over time with experience, they all tend to get better. SIEGEL: When you look at the group that youve put into place, are you most excited about some of the prospects that youve been able to assemble on the back-end? You look at Petter Granberg, you look at Tom Nilsson, Matt Finn, the year that he had. Is that the area where you probably have the most strength right now? MORRISON: Thats the group right now thats further along in the cycle. Am I proud of that group at this particular point? Yes, I am. But they havent got there yet Jonas and until they get there Im not satisfied and neither are they. I see a group of forwards too that I think have a lot of potential and are trying to get to that ultimate goal as well. I just think that all the picks weve made weve put a lot of our heart and soul into and these kids we know are doing the best they can to get there. We just need them to take those extra steps and a lot of them seem to be doing it. And right now it appears some of these defencemen we have are getting very close so thats a good thing. SIEGEL: When you look at this years draft, does the unpredictability at the top make it difficult to project what youre going to be able to land at the eighth pick? MORRISON: I would say so. You look at a lot of these independent lists and things online and different publications and theres a real difference in the lists. Maybe, other than a few guys at the very top, there seems to be a real difference in who likes who. I would think that its probably the same with 29 teams. Its difficult, but at the end of the day we know what we like and we know what wed like to get and thats I think the most important thing going into the draft. SIEGEL: When you look at some of those publications, aside from the 2-3 guys at the top, it seems to be winger-heavy at the point where youre picking. If thats the case and obviously this organizations strength, one of its strengths is on the wing, are you okay with picking another winger or do you look and say weve got to find a way to keep addressing the need at centre? You added Gauthier last year. How do you balance that juggling act? MORRISON: I think we take the best player. I think we dont think about the position so much as the player and the talent. And thats the way were going to look at it. We want to get the best player we possibly can, the player with the most NHL potential and potential impact at the NHL level when they get there. So thats what were going to do. We wont be position-specific; its more about the player. SIEGEL: I dont want to go through all the different guys, but is there a type that youre looking at within that group, because you seem to have some power wingers, youve got a couple two-way centres; what about the group coming into this draft strikes you? MORRISON: This group, theres all different flavours there. Theres really a different bunch of styles and types in that group. We like quite a few of them. Weve got a framework now for our list obviously. We know who we like and were confident were going to get a good player. Its exciting going in. ' ' '
LOS ANGELES -- Consistent and timely perimeter shooting by Blake Griffin and Jared Dudley, along with a season-high 36 assists, helped the Los Angeles Clippers to a satisfying start to 2014 following their most lopsided defeat of the season. Griffin scored 13 of his 31 points in the final 7:05 and Dudley got 11 of his 20 points in the third quarter, leading the defending Pacific Division champions to a 112-85 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. "Dud is a shooter. Every time I see him shoot it, I think its going in, so were going to keep feeding him like that," Clippers point guard Chris Paul said. "Its all about confidence. We also have the utmost confidence in Blake. He works so hard, and it was great to see it all come together for him tonight. That was unreal. They didnt know what to do." Dudley faced his second former team in two games, making seven of 10 shots against the club that selected him with their first pick in 2007 and traded him to Phoenix after one season. He had nine points against the Suns on Monday in the Clippers 107-88 loss. "For me, to see the ball go in once or twice, it breeds confidence," said Dudley, who came in shooting a career-worst 44 per cent from the field. "Ive just got to be aggressive, and obviously make shots. I know when I play well, our team usually plays well. When you move the ball from side to side, it opens things up more. Sometimes when I do score, it just gives the other guys the confidence to do other things. But when Im not shooting the ball well, I have to do all the little things." Paul had 17 points and 14 assists, helping the Clippers beat the Bobcats for the sixth straight time and send them to their 17th straight road loss against Western Conference opponents. "We had 36 assists tonight, and you could see what we worked on yesterday at practice with ball movement," coach Doc Rivers said. "It was quick. The ball was flying around the floor, and that makes us really good. It makes it harder to guard Chris and Blake because you cant key on those guys. I think we got away from that a little bit, so its good that that came back tonight." Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker each scored 14 points for the Bobcats, whose previous six losses all were decided by five points or fewer. "Those guys played really well," Walker said. "They picked up their defence, made us take tough shots, and we werent able to make them. On the offensive end, they moved the ball really well, shared the ball and made shots. We just couldnt get over the hump in the second half." Dudley jump-started the Clippers in the third quarter with a 3-pointer and a 22-footer, and they pulled away to a 75-62 lead on DeAndre Jordans tip-in with 6:19 left in the third quarter. Dudley opened the fourth with another 3 to give Los Angeles an 84-69 cushion. But as hot as he was at the time, Dudley passed up a 3-point shot and drove the lane before dishing off to Ryan Hollins for a layup that resulted in a three-point play and an 87-71 advantage with 10:05 left. Griffin, who began the final quarter on the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 5.2 seconds left in the third, reported back in with 7:56 remaining and made four perimeter jumpers during a 1:33 span -- the first two from 21 feet and the next two from 18 feet -- to give the Clippers a 97-78 cushion with 5:32 left. "You never want to give anybody anything, especially a very good player like him. But thats the toughest shot in the NBA -- the long 2," Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts said. "Defensively, maybe we could have done a bit better job." For good measure, Griffin added his seventh 3-pointer of the season with 1:50 on the clock for a 102-83 lead. The Bobcats didnt make a field goal after Jeffersons 16-footer with 4:04 remaining. Charlotte shot 38.2 per cent from the field, making the Clippers 40-1 since the start of last season when holding an opponent under 42 per cent. "It was all about our defence and energy, and moving the ball," Paul said. "We had a great practice yesterday where we competed and just talked about moving the ball. We did tonight, and things came a little bit easier." Paul had 17 points and seven assists during a seesaw first half that included 18 lead changes, and both teams shot over 50 per cent before leaving the court at intermission tied at 56. Neither club led by more than four points until Chris Douglas-Roberts converted an offensive rebound into a layup to give the Bobcats a 43-37 margin with 6:41 left in the second quarter. The Bobcats came in having allowed the second-fewest points in the paint (35.8) and second-fewest fast-break points (9.9). The Clippers ended up with 38 and 15, respectively, after averaging 40.2 and 16.3 in both categories. NOTES: The Clippers are 4-2 on New Years Day since the franchise relocated to Los Angeles in 1984-85, and 6-5 including the years in Buffalo and San Diego. ... Charlottes Steve Clifford is one of nine rookie coaches in the NBA this season. The only ones with a winning record are Phoenixs Jeff Hornacek and Atlantas Mike Budenholzer. ... Griffin has committed 43 turnovers in his last 12 games, including a career-worst eight last Saturday against Utah. ... Walker has scored in double figures in 22 straight games, the longest such streak of his career. ... Charlotte came in having allowed an average of 93.8 points, third-lowest in the league. Last season the Bobcats had the second-most porous defence, giving up 102.7 per game. ... The Bobcats have gotten double-digit scoring from both Walker and Jefferson in each of the last 20 games. The club record for a tandem is 28 games, by Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace in 2007-08. Hydro Flask Cz . Burkes Flames are one of several teams involved in heavy trade speculation going into next Wednesdays 3pm et deadline, with the most prominent name in play being forward Michael Cammalleri. Hydro Flask Lilac .“I always did my stuff ahead of the deadline. The best deal Ive ever done was the Darryl Sydor deal. We did that at the end of January in 04, and Syd was the missing piece. http://www.hydroflasklahev.cz/ .com) - Ryan Johansens creative moves and hometown appeal highlighted Team Folignos successful night at the NHL All- Star Skills Competition. Hydro Flask Termoska . The Australian is competing in his final season in Formula One and still looking for his first win this year. He will look to end Vettels run of six straight race wins on Sunday. Webber, who is fifth in the championship, earned his second pole from the past three races and 13th of his career. Hydro Flask Cena . Nat Borchers headed in the sole goal in the 54th minute, getting on the end of a Kyle Beckerman free kick. The defeat cost Sporting top spot in the Eastern Conference. Even a draw would have moved the Kansas City club above Columbus. ORLANDO, Fla. -- At this point in the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to make one last run at the playoffs and the Orlando Magic are looking for luck in the NBA draft lottery. Both improved their chances of reaching those goals Wednesday night as the Cavaliers beat the Magic 119-98 behind 26 points from Dion Waiters and 20 each from Spencer Hawes and Tristan Thompson. The easy win moved the Cavaliers within two games of New York and Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs play at Atlanta Friday night. "This was a big game for us, but every game is big because of the position weve put ourselves in," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "There is nothing tricky that we have to do. We just have to out and play hard and give ourselves a chance." Waiters shot 10 for 15 from the field, including 3 for 3 on 3-pointers. "Weve still got a chance, we just need to take full advantage of it," he said. "We came in knowing we should get a win, but every game is hard. We have no choice at this point. We control our own destiny. Everybody knows what is at stake. We just have to stay focused." It helped the Cavaliers that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving returned with a thump in his step after missing the last eight games with a torn bicep muscle. Irving had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a seemless transition from the bench to the court. "Kyrie came in and got right in step with us," Brown said. "He helped us get the ball up the floor quickly and get into our attack. He gave us another weapon with a very high skill level." The Magic had little to be satisfied with other than solidifying their lottery spot with the third-worst record in the NBA. The Magic gave up 70 points in the first half, the best half all season for Cleveland and the most points Orlando has allowed in a half this year. "There is going to be a game in the course of the year where you just dont have it and when its coupled with a team like the Cavs who had it ... it just wasnt a good mix," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Some days, its just not your day." The Magic placed only one starter, Maurice Harkless, in douuble figures and he had 10 points.dddddddddddd Rookie Victor Oladipo led Orlando with 16 points, Doron Lamb had 14, Tobias Harris 11 and ETwaun Moore 10, all off the bench. "Terrible, terrible game," Harris said. "Its not how we wanted to play and that shows us that there is no effort." Every Cleveland player in uniform scored as the Cavs shot 60.5 per cent in the first half and 57.7 per cent for the game in rolling over a defenceless Magic team that lost its second straight. Cleveland was 9 for 18 from beyond the 3-point line, most of them wide-open looks as Orlando struggled with defensive rotations the entire game. Cleveland had four of the five starters already in double figures by halftime. Hawes was 6 for 8 in the first two periods, including 4 for 5 on 3-pointers on his way to 18 points. Thompson had 14, Irving 13 and Waiters 10 as the Cavaliers starters combined to hit 24 of 33 shots (72.7 per cent) in the first two quarters. Deng was the only starter not in double figures, but still shot 4 for 5. The Magic, by contrast, didnt have a player score more than six points in the first half. Orlando had 11 turnovers that Cleveland turned into 16 points. The Magic trailed 49-42 after Oladipos 3-pointer with 6:11 left in the second quarter, but got only one field goal the rest of the half and were outscored 21-6 as Cleveland rolled to a 70-47 halftime lead. The closest Orlando got in the second half was 17 when Arron Afflalos 3 with 4:11 left in the third quarter made it 82-65. Afflalo, the Magics leading scorer this season, finished with seven points. Cleveland responded with a 10-0 run that started with a floater in the lane by Jack and ended with two free throws by Thompson to make it 92-65. Cleveland led by as many 28 points and cruised through the fourth quarter with little effort. NOTES: Cavs C Anderson Varajeo sat out the game with a sore shoulder. ... Magic C Nikola Vucevic, who had three straight games scoring 20-plus points for the first time all season coming into the game, scored only seven. ... Cleveland has beaten Orlando seven straight times. ... The Magic are 1-18 this season when teams shoot over 50 per cent. Cleveland shot 57.7 per cent in the game. ' ' '