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Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:11, Jun 28 2014
CHICAGO -- Matt Wieters is starting to figure things out at the plate, and thats not good news for opposing pitchers. The Orioles catcher homered and drove in four runs Friday night as Baltimore beat the Chicago White Sox 10-4 in the series opener. Wieters hit the ball well in his first two at-bats, but found himself 0-for-2 with two fly outs when he came to bat in the sixth inning. With a 3-0 count and a runner on, Wieters delivered a two-run shot off of Chicago starter John Danks to give Baltimore a 5-3 lead. "Matty had a lot of yardage on his fly balls. He finally got a hold of one," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Hes in a good spot right now." Wieters doubled in two more runs in a five-run seventh to help the Orioles put things out of reach. "3-0 might be your best chance to get a fastball and get something straight," the 24-year-old catcher said. "I probably should have taken it." Starter Jake Arrieta (3-1) pitched five innings for the win but was pulled early due to right hip soreness, though he said after the game the injury was not serious. "Physically I didnt feel good tonight. I wanted to stay in but they made the call," Arrieta said. "Youre going to have those days. I had to battle." Arrieta gave up three runs in the second inning before settling down and keeping the White Sox in check. He gave up five hits and two walks, striking out two. The loss was the 13th in the last 16 games for Chicago, which slipped to 10-17 overall. "Its frustrating, theres no other word for it," said Danks, who fell to 0-4 after giving up five earned runs on eight hits. "Were all putting the work in and theres no reason why its not going our way. "Theres still plenty of time to bounce back in it." Danks added. "(But) if we go too much longer, it isnt early ... We need to turn around quick." White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was suspended by Major League Baseball before the game after an ejection and derogatory comments made on Twitter earlier in the week. Bench coach Joey Cora managed in his place. The White Sox opened a 3-0 second inning lead as A.J. Pierzynski lined a 2-0 pitch from Arrieta to right for a two-run home run. With one out, Mark Teahen doubled and scored on Juan Pierres bloop single to left. Danks gave up a pair of third inning runs, first on a one-out RBI single by Brian Roberts that scored Mark Reynolds. Derrek Lees two-out single to right then scored Robert Andino. Luke Scott tied it 3-3 in the third with a homer to right, his fourth of the season. Wieters gave the Orioles a 5-3 lead in the sixth with his fourth homer. Brent Lillibridge hit his second home run in the sixth. He lined a 1-1 pitch off reliever Clay Rapada to left-centre to trim the Oriole lead to 5-4. Danks left in favour of reliever Jesse Crain after six innings. He gave up five earned runs on 8 hits, walked one and struck out three. The Orioles sent 11 batters to the plate in a five-run seventh. They loaded the bases and Crain walked in one run with two out before being relieved by left-hander Chris Sale. Wieters greeted Sale with a double to right that scored two runs for a 8-4 lead. Roberts then singled home another run. NOTES: Chicago right-hander Jake Peavy pitched 5 2-3 innings in a rehab start at Charlotte on Friday, giving up three runs and one home run while striking out eight. Hes been on the disabled list recovering from surgery to repair of detached muscle in his side. ... Baltimores Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero have batted 1 through 4 in each game to date. The last time the Orioles had the same 1-4 batters through the first 23 games was in 2004 ... The White Sox unveiled a plaque saluting longtime TV broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, now in his 26th season with the team. Cheap MLB Jerseys .C. -- The Bobcats announced theyve signed centre Justin Hamilton to a 10-day contract. Wholesale MLB Jerseys . The As rallied for their two runs in the eighth inning, chasing Romero from the game, and Brian Fuentes worked around a two-out single in the ninth to get the save. An All-Star last season, Cahill (1-0) allowed just one run on three hits, striking out seven batters without a walk. http://www.salejerseyswholesale.com/Mlb-jerseys.html. -- Roger Clemens tried to get across a sense of urgency to Houston Astros pitchers Wednesday. BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi criticized a Barcelona vice-president on Friday for saying the Argentina forward didnt deserve a better contract. Javier Faus, the vice-president in charge of Barcelonas finances, said two weeks ago he didnt see a reason to further extend Messis contract. Last year, the club extended the 26-year-old Messis contract through 2018. "Mr. Faus is a person that doesnt know anything about football and wants to run Barcelona like a business, which it isnt," Messi told Catalan radio RAC1. "Barcelona is the best team in the world and deserves to be represented by the best executives. "I remind him that neither I nor any of my representatives have asked for a contract extension at any moment, and he knows that very well." Messi is Barcelonas all-time leading scorer and a four-time world player of the year. He is in Argentina recovering from a hamstring injury and expected to return to Barcelona in January. Messi rarely speaks about the bbusiness side of his career.dddddddddddd This is the first time he has openly criticized an important board member of the club he joined when he was 13 years old. Besides a series of injuries, Messis season has also been marked by legal problems. Messi and his father Jorge are being investigated for allegedly not paying all their taxes. Messis father made a payment of more than 5 million euros (then $6.6 million) on Aug. 14 to cover alleged back taxes and interest. Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes called for calm and downplayed any conflict between the club and its most valuable player. "We are all pulling in the same direction in this club," Valdes said. Even so, it appears that a better deal for Messi could be in the works. Barcelona president Sandro Rosell said on Thursday he had not spoken to Messi about his contract, while adding "but my door is always open. I have no doubt that the best player in the world deserves to be the highest paid." ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:10, Jun 28 2014
NEW YORK -- The bidding for Japanese star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has begun. All 30 major league teams have been notified that the 30-day period to sign the star 25-year-old right-hander began at 8 a.m. EST Thursday, according to Major League Baseball spokesman Michael Teevan. Clubs have until 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 to attempt to reach an agreement with the ace. If Tanaka and a major league team come to terms, that franchise is required to pay his Japanese club, the Rakuten Eagles, a posting fee, now capped at $20 million under the new deal between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball. Tanaka went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with the Eagles during the regular season. He will be represented by Excel Sports Management during the process. cheap nfl jerseys . Dr. Bill Meyers in Philadelphia performed the operation on Verlander, who is expected to need six weeks of rehab before being evaluated again. The first workout for Detroits pitchers and catchers at spring training is scheduled for Feb. cheap jerseys . -- The Washington Redskins have re-signed defensive lineman Chris Baker to a three-year contract with $12 million. http://www.jerseyscheapwholesaleonline.com/. Ever since he arrived last week, the Kings have been a solid offensive team -- and the power forward finally added a couple of goals himself during Los Angeles latest win in the Freeway Faceoff. wholesale nfl jerseys . The Portland Winterhawks defenceman finished the 2012-13 season as Buttons No. 1 prospect in Craigs List and never gave up the top position since the first ranking was released last October. Jones, the top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scoutings final ranking and ranked second behind MacKinnon in the final list released by International Scouting Services, had 14 goals and 56 points in 61 regular season games with Portland along with five goals and 15 points in 21 playoff games. wholesale jerseys . Billy Slater and Brett Morris both crossed twice and Cooper Cronk added the other try as the Kangaroos produced a near-flawless performance at Old Trafford to win the trophy for the 10th time in 14 editions. New Zealand forward Sonny Bill Williams was bidding to become the first player to win World Cups in both rugby codes but his subdued performance was summed up when his pass was intercepted in the lead-up to Australias final try, a length-of-the-field score finished off by Morris.CHEONAN, South Korea - South Koreas Kim Hyung-tae shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a four-shot lead in the Korea Open, while sixth-ranked Rory McIlroy had a 75 to drop 10 strokes behind.dddddddddddd Kim had a 9-under 204 total in the OneAsia Tour event. South Koreas Hong Soon-sang was second after a 71. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:09, Jun 28 2014
NEW YORK -- Max Scherzer did most everything on the mound this season -- led the majors in wins, started the All-Star game, helped put his team in the playoffs. Now, the newly minted AL Cy Young Award winner said he will "wait and see" whether hes returning to the Detroit Tigers next year. Scherzer went 21-3 and was an easy pick Wednesday as the American Leagues top pitcher, drawing 28 of 30 first-place votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL Cy Young Award for the second time in three seasons, coming within one vote of a unanimous selection. Scherzer -- like Kershaw -- can become a free agent after the 2014 season, and the Tigers are trying to figure out if they can afford him along with all their other stars such as Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander. Thats prompted talk they might trade Scherzer before opening day. "I love it here in Detroit," Scherzer said on a conference call. "Who wouldnt want to be a part of this?" "The business side will take care of itself," he said. "It really depends on what Detroit wants to do." Scherzer and agent Scott Boras said theyre open to talking to the Tigers about an extension. Scherzer lost only three times this season and was the lone 20-game winner in baseball. He ranked second in the majors with 240 strikeouts and was fifth in the AL with a 2.90 ERA. The 29-year-old righty smiled and raised both arms Wednesday when the Cy Young results were announced. "Its unbelievable. It just vindicates everything Ive done," Scherzer said, acknowledging all the run support he received from Detroits powerful lineup probably helped his candidacy. "Ive been working so hard all these years to get better and better," he added. "I think I took a big step forward in 2013." Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers was second, marking the highest finish by a Japanese-born pitcher in Cy Young voting. Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners came in third. "It was an honour to be a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award," Darvish said in a statement. "Both Max Scherzer and Hisashi Iwakuma had tremendous seasons. Max is a very deserving winner." Texas is the only AL team thats never won a Cy Young Award. Before Darvish and Iwakuma, the highest Cy Young finishes for Japanese pitchers had been fourth place, by Hideo Nomo in the NL in 1995 and 1996, and by Daisuke Matsuzaka in the AL in 2008. "It is such an honour to be one of the finalists for the best award as a pitcher," Iwakuma said in a statement before the voting totals were released. "I had never thought I would become a finalist here in the U.S., so this is very special to me and is a big surprise." Scherzer won his first 13 decisions of the season and made the All-Star team for the first time. He helped pitch the Tigers to their third straight AL Central title, joined in a deep rotation by Verlander, the 2011 AL Cy Young Award winner, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister. Scherzer went 16-7 last year, then added a curveball to an impressive repertoire that already included a hard fastball, slider and changeup. He beat Oakland as a starter and in relief during the AL division series, then went 0-1 in two starts against Boston in the AL championship series -- he was pulled both times with the Tigers ahead. Scherzer is distinctive for more than just his record. His eyes are different colours, with the right blue and left brown. Hes also unusual for another reason: Hes made 174 regular-season and post-season starts for Detroit and Arizona, yet has never pitched a complete game. Scherzer threw eight innings on seven occasions this year, and sometimes was taken out with a big lead. His big strikeout totals tend to run up his pitch counts, and he said he wants to be more efficient in the future. And maybe even pitch a complete game. "It is definitely something I want to achieve," he said. "To throw a complete game, you have to have the right context of the game." Darvish led the majors with 277 strikeouts and went 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA. Iwakuma was 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA and 185 strikeouts for the Mariners. Sanchez was fourth and Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox was fifth. They each got a first-place vote. Kershaw won his second prize as the National Leagues best pitcher after posting a 1.83 ERA -- lowest in the majors in 13 years. "This is such a cool thing. I cant even explain what it means to me," he said in an interview on MLB Network. "It really is a huge honour." The 25-year-old lefty with a big-breaking curve drew 29 of 30 first-place votes. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals was picked first on one ballot and finished second. Kershaw went 16-9 and topped the NL with 232 strikeouts. He also won the Cy Young Award in 2011 and finished second last year to knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Darvish gets a $200,000 bonus and a $1 million raise to $11 million next season. Wainwright gets a $100,000 bonus and Sale gets $60,000 for finishing fifth. The AL and NL Most Valuable Player awards will be presented Thursday. cheap jerseys from china . The New York Rangers seethed at what they didnt. Steve Oleksy, Jason Chimera and Mikhail Grabovski scored second-period goals in the Capitals 4-1 win over the Rangers. cheap nfl jerseys . The Montreal native won both her singles matches in a playoff tie with Slovakia, including the clinching match on Sunday, as Canada advanced to the 2015 Fed Cup World Group. http://www.wholesalenfljerseysplay.com/. -- The Arizona Cardinals have released quarterback John Skelton, who started 17 games for the team over the past three seasons. wholesale jerseys . He knocked the third one into the seats. Swisher hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning Sunday night, snapping a tie and leading the Yankees to a 10-4 victory over the Cubs in the rubber match of an interleague series at Wrigley Field. cheap jerseys . Five minutes from time, Guarins ill-advised pass back to defender Walter Samuel was intercepted by Livorno forward Innocent Emeghara, who then did well to beat goalkeeper Samir Handanovic with a long shot.WINNIPEG -- Given that the Winnipeg Jets were a big reason why the NHL had planned a major realignment, team chairman Mark Chipman took the news remarkably well that changes wouldnt be made next season. "Im a little disappointed, I would say not overly," he said Saturday. "Honestly, I think this is something that will occur in due course." The leagues plan to move from six divisions to four conferences was approved by the board of governors in December, pending input from the NHL Players Association. But the plan was stalled Friday after the union opposed the changes. Instead, the NHL will maintain its current alignment and playoff format for the 2012-13 campaign. Chipman said the only real option now is to work out a schedule for next season under the current structure. "There just isnt time to explore whatever (legal) remedies the league might have." It leaves the Jets in the Southeast Division with Florida, Washington, Tampa Bay and Carolina. "If it allows the league the opportunity to create something better for all of us, I dont know that its that big a sacrifice for a year," Chipman said. The move of the former Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg in the off-season was a catalyst for change and Chipman said theres no question the Jets travel situation would have been better. Under the plan, Winnipeg would have been in one of two eight-team conferences along with Detroit, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota and Dallas. There were also two seven-team conferences. "It would have been improved travel for us for sure because the bulk of it would have been in the Central time zone," Chipman said regarding suggestions that travel would have been harder on some teams under realignment. "I think there may be some concerns ... in terms of travel that result from everybody playing everybody." But he added both the league and the players have said they see value in that and he doesnt know whether such fears were valid in the first place.dddddddddddd Jets coach Claude Noel told reporters in Buffalo on Saturday that he would not answer any questions about realignment, but did deflect a question about travel concerns. "I coach the team," said Noel. "Ive come from the American League where youre on the bus forever. So travel to me is a non-issue." Defenceman Ron Hainsey, the player union representative for the Jets, offered his thoughts on the travel concerns Saturday. "The playoff format, with eight teams in two conferences and seven teams in the other two, there was no willingness on the other side to have a conversation about how to possibly tinker with that," Hainsey said. "The travel, from the limited stuff we got, could potentially be worse for some western teams, including Winnipeg. Without knowing what it looked like, its hard to consent or not consent." The Jets have spent a lot of time on the road this season without a lot of success. Going into Saturdays game in Buffalo, their road record of 5-10-4 was 26th in the league. But Chipman isnt blaming travel for their lack of wins away from the cheering crowds in the MTS Centre. The Jets started this road trip in seventh spot in the Eastern Conference but were 10th going into Saturdays game. "The travel has been challenging at times but it hasnt been overly burdensome, given the fact that we walked into a schedule," he said. That wont be the case next season, when the Jets have a chance to set their own priority dates rather than inherit them from Atlanta. "Because were not walking into an already determined schedule, I already talked to the commissioner about this on a couple of occasions, I believe theyll be very fair and very accommodating to us in terms of scheduling next year," Chipman said. In the end, he said be believes the new plan will likely be adopted. "I think that either what we approved or something similar will result." -- With files from The Associated Press. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:09, Jun 28 2014
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Reliever Jordan Walden and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a $1.49 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Walden would earn a $10,000 performance bonus under Thursdays deal if he has 30 games finished next season. Acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in November 2012, Walden was 4-3 with a 3.45 ERA this year with 54 strikeouts in 47 innings. He made $541,500. Eight Braves remain eligible to file for arbitration next month: right-handers Brandon Beachy, Craig Kimbrel and Kris Medlen; left-hander Mike Minor; first baseman Freddie Freeman; infielder Chris Johnson; and outfielders Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer. wholesale nfl jerseys . The Pittsburgh Pirates starter also knows, however, that hes running out of time this season to prove it. cheap jerseys .C. - Panthers coach Ron Rivera says wide receiver Steve Smith is "highly doubtful" for Sundays game against the Atlanta Falcons with a knee sprain. http://www.wholesalenfljerseysplay.com/. Playing time has proven more difficult in the post-season. Glass has watched six of Pittsburghs last seven games from the press box. Its an ego-testing vantage point for a player who helped the Vancouver Canucks to the Stanley Cup Final two years ago. wholesale jerseys . Parise already had scored a hat trick Friday night before he was hit simultaneously by forwards Brooks Laich and Matt Hendricks near the boards. Play was stopped while Parise was checked and stayed down on the ice for a bit. cheap nfl jerseys . -- Finally, the Florida Panthers got an easy win.PHILADELPHIA -- Cole Hamels had the perfect opponent for a milestone win. Hamels threw seven sharp innings to earn his 100th career victory, Domonic Brown had a career-best five RBIs and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-1 on Saturday night to end a four-game losing streak. Cody Asche snapped Philadelphias 23-inning scoreless streak with a two-run double that sparked a six-run fourth. Cesar Hernandez capped the scoring with his first career homer. Hamels (1-2) didnt need much run support. Coming off a career-high 133-pitch outing at the Mets last Sunday, the three-time All-Star left-hander was impressive. Hamels gave up one run and three hits, striking out 10 on 90 pitches. Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, was stuck on 99 wins since last Sept. 14. He improved to 9-0 against the Reds, including the post-season. The Phillies are 12-0 when Hamels starts vs. Cincinnati. "I guess its good karma," said Hamels, who earned his first career win against the Reds. "I know its supposed to feel like a big deal, but to me its just a win. In a few days when you digest it, its special to do it with one team." Homer Bailey (3-3) gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings. "I didnt have command with anything," Bailey said. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg used his 23rd different lineup in 40 games. Jimmy Rollins led off for the second straight game instead of Ben Revere, who has a stomach virus. Asche moved up to sixth from eighth and Brown was dropped to seventh from sixth. It worked. "Its good to get runs for Cole," Asche said. "Hes been pitching his (behind) off." Ryan Howard started the fourth with a walk and Marlon Byrd hit a double to end an 0-for-13 slump. Asche then lined a double to right on an 0-2 pitch for a 2-1 lead. "That was the hit that loosened up the bats," Sandbergg said.dddddddddddd Brown followed with a two-run shot into the second deck in right field. Brown got a green light on a 3-0 pitch and didnt miss it, connecting for only his second homer in 234 at-bats, dating to last season. Brown led the Phillies with 27 homers in 2013 and was an NL All-Star in his first full season in the majors. "It definitely feels good. Its just one game, though," Brown said. "Im trying to build forward, stay positive and just keep having fun. With getting my number of at-bats, Im going to do what I have to do on the field. Its just all about keeping my confidence level up and having fun, playing the game of baseball." Carlos Ruiz chased Bailey with a two-out RBI single. Chase Utley greeted reliever Logan Ondrusek with an RBI single to make it 6-1. Asche had an RBI single in the seventh, Brown followed with a three-run double and John Mayberry Jr. snapped an 0-for-14 slump with an RBI double. NOTES: Rollins passed Ed Delahanty for third place on the Phillies all-time list with his 2,212th career hit. He is six hits from moving ahead of Richie Ashburn and 23 shy of replacing Mike Schmidt as the leader. ... Hamels moved into third place on the teams all-time list with his 25th double-digit strikeout game. He is the seventh pitcher to win 100 games with the Phillies. ... Phillies CF Tony Gwynn Jr. snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a fourth-inning single. ... Reds slugger Joey Votto remained in Cincinnati and the team is uncertain whether hell need a stint on the DL. Votto has a distal strain of his left quadriceps. ... Reds RHP Mat Latos threw his third bullpen session since suffering a setback in his rehab for a strained flexor. Latos is scheduled to face Reds hitters in a simulated game on Tuesday. ... LHP Tony Cingrani (2-2, 3.34) faces LHP Cliff Lee (3-4, 3.23) of the Phillies in the series finale Sunday. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:08, Jun 28 2014
STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria won his first ATP tour title on Sunday by beating top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Stockholm Open final. The 22-year-old Dimitrov broke the No. 3-ranked Ferrers serve three times to finish off the match in 2 hours, 10 minutes and defeat the Spaniard for the first time in four matches. "It is a dream come true," said Dimitrov, who has trained in Sweden. Dimitrov started the year by reaching his first career final in Brisbane, but arrived in Stockholm on a four-match losing streak. cheap jerseys wholesale .C. -- Vijay Singh has withdrawn from the Wells Fargo Championship, citing a sore back. cheap jerseys free shipping . Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves and St. Louis got goals from five different players as the Blues ran their win streak to seven in a row with a 5-0 victory over the slumping Flames, who were shut out for the fifth time in the last seven games. http://www.forsalecheapjerseys.com/. The 34-year-old from Pilot Mound, Man., won gold in 2000, 2004 and 2007. Collins also played at the world championships in 2005 and 2008 when Canada won silver. cheap jerseys . -- With 3 1/2 minutes left and Duke trying to close out its first road win in the conference this season, superstar spectator LeBron James was on his feet -- to leave. wholesale jerseys usa .Maylan picked up two assists as the Prince Albert Raiders defeated the host Lethbridge Hurricanes 6-3 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action.MINNEAPOLIS -- Cris Carters entry into the exclusive club in Canton will be commemorated with a bronze head-and-shoulders bust, like all of the Pro Football Hall of Fame members before him. His hands might be a more appropriate body part to feature. Over 16 seasons in the NFL, with fire and grit and flair, Carter exemplified just what a wide receiver is paid to do: catch the ball. After overcoming some well-publicized troubles in his early years, Carter became a highlight-reel fixture and unflappable performer in the 1990s for the Minnesota Vikings. He wasnt the fastest, the biggest or the most elusive of the bunch, but he made happen some of the most impossible grabs and often did so at the most opportune times. Tiptoeing both feet at the sideline and successfully pulling in a pass in the split-second before falling out of bounds. Leaping to his feet after being whistled down and sticking his arm straight out to signal a first down. Jumping in front of two defenders to corral a ball in the end zone with his fingertips. Those are the images of what set Carter apart. After missing the cut five times for the Hall of Fame, Carter was finally voted in. Hell be inducted on Saturday with this years group about a 3 1/2-hour drive from where he grew up in Middletown, Ohio. "I catch everything that the normal people catch and I catch a few things that no one catches. Thats what I used to say to myself before every game," Carter said recently. Four of his former Vikings teammates, Chris Doleman, John Randle, Randall McDaniel and Gary Zimmerman, preceded Carter with enshrinement over the past five years. Carter retired after the 2002 season behind only Jerry Rice for all-time receptions and touchdowns. Hes fourth in those categories now, passed by Tony Gonzalez and Marvin Harrison in catches and Randy Moss and Terrell Owens in scores. Wherever he landed on those lists was always going to be a product of his fierce determination. Raised in poverty in a four-room apartment with a single mother and five siblings, Carter couldve easily strayed from his Hall of Fame track. He was ineligible for his senior year at Ohio State because of a federal investigation for organized crime that revealed he signed early with an agent. He forced Philadelphia coach Buddy Ryan, who famously said of Carter, "All he does is catch touchdowns," to cut him after the 1989 season. Then, Carters abuse of alcohol and drugs were destroying his career, let alone his life. But with arguably the best invvestment in franchise history, the Vikings paid the $100 waiver fee to claim Carter.dddddddddddd Ten years later, he had been picked for eight Pro Bowls, made the playoffs eight times and, in the latter part of his career, helped lead one of the most potent passing games in the league. The Vikings never reached the Super Bowl with him but were NFC runners up twice in that span. Carter hatched an off-season conditioning plan with his personal trainer to fuel all those accomplishments, using Rice, the San Francisco star, as his motivation and a time-zone advantage as his reward. The addictive behaviour that fueled his chemical dependency worked in his favour on the field. "By the time Jerry Rice woke up I was done with my work," Carter said, adding: "I knew that if Jerry Rice was ahead of me, that day I had caught up to him a little bit." That drive to be the best also produced a brash personality and the potential for conflict with opponents. There are many memorable video clips, too, of Carter shouting at a teammate or a coach. Moss thrived under Carters mentorship as a rookie but later grew tired of him and blasted him on Twitter last year after critical comments Carter made as an ESPN analyst of Mosss work ethic. Carter later wrote in his autobiography "Going Deep," that the two are back on good terms. "If you didnt do what you were supposed to do on the field he really held you accountable," former Vikings wide receiver Jake Reed said in a phone interview. "Some guys couldnt deal with it because he was so strong of a personality. Some guys responded to it well. It was fine with me, because we wound up being best friends." Reed recalled a game at Atlanta in 1991 when Carter caught a touchdown pass with one hand over two defenders. From then on, he was never surprised by any of the grabs his buddy made. "Hed stand sideways, turn the Jugs machine to 55 miles per hour and catch the ball with one hand, standing 10 yards away," Reed said. "I wouldnt try that because Id break my fingers." Carter was rarely hurt. He played in every game in all but one of his 12 seasons with the Vikings. "Every minute that I stepped on that field from the time that I warmed up, I was trying to put on a show for those people," Carter said. "So they would be proud. I come from some humble beginnings, and I just believed that when people pay their money, hard-earned money, that they deserve a certain level of performance." ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:22, Jun 27 2014
Charles Hamelin led three Canadians into the quarter-finals of the mens 1,000 metres Thursday at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi. Hamelin, of Ste. Julie, Que, who won gold in the mens 1,500m on Monday, finished first in his heat with a time of one minute, 25.742 seconds. There was an anxious moment for Hamelin, who nearly ran into Wenhao Liang as he passed his Chinese skater. But a review cleared Hamelin of interference, allowing the Canadian to move on. Hamelin won three World Cup races in the 1,000m this season and is a two-time world silver medallist. Charle Cournoyer of Boucherville, Que., (1:24.787) and Olivier Jean of Lachenaie, Que., (1:26.089) also qualified for the mens quarter-finals. Both won their respective heats. Canadas historic total was increased to eight gold medals and 26 medals overall since the sport debuted in 1992 after Hamelin on Monday crossed first in the 1,500m. Hamelin captured his third career gold, to go with a silver from 2006. Should the 29-year-old capture another medal in Sochi, and its expected, hell tie Marc Gagnon and Francois-Louis Tremblay for the most medals ever by a Canadian in the sport. cheap jerseys from china . He spent the rest of the game making up for lost playing time. Green scored a career-high 36 points, including eight in overtime, and the Phoenix Suns beat Denver 112-107 on Tuesday night to hand the Nuggets their fifth consecutive loss. wholesale jerseys . Truchon, 21, from Sainte-Adele, Que., earned his first World Cup title with 176.75 points. Finlands Petja Piiroinen was second with 172. http://www.cheapjerseysnflchina.us/. -- Steve Blake scored 16 points and Pau Gasol added 14 to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 90-88 on Tuesday night with Kobe Bryant watching from the sidelines. cheap nfl jerseys .J. -- Darrelle Revis is a step closer to getting back on the field for the New York Jets. cheap jerseys . 1 Rafael Nadal says he wont play at the Swiss Indoors in Basel starting on Monday. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Panthers reached a five-year contract extension with running back Jonathan Stewart on Saturday. Panthers general manager Marty Hurney says the team is "thrilled" to keep Stewart around to work with fellow running back DeAngelo Williams, who received a five-year contract last year, and new fullback Mike Tolbert. The new deal keeps Stewart a Panther through 2017. Financial terms of the deal werent immediately available. ESPN, citing sources, reported the deal includes $22.5 million in guaranteed money and is worth $36.5 million overall. Hurney calls Stewart a "playmaker who came make a difference in games" and that "we have seen the impact he and DeAngelo Williams have had on our team." The move came before the Panthers opened the preseason Saturday night at home against the Houston Texans. The decision also closes speculation the Panthers (No. 20 in AP Pro32) might attempt to trade Stewart because of their depth at running back. Stewart was in the last year of his contract. However, Hurney said that was never an option. "We didnt even consider it," Hurney said. "Hes a valuable player for us. All you have to do is look is look at his production. I think you look at itt as if you try to add as many weapons as possible on offence, regardless of position.dddddddddddd And Jonathan and DeAngelo have been a proven to be a solid 1-2 punch for us. They have been a proven commodity and we wanted to make sure we didnt lose Jonathan." Technically Stewart is a backup running back for the Panthers, but in name only. In fact, Stewart had 189 total touches last season, 18 more than Williams. Hurney said Stewarts "multi-dimensional" skills are a huge help. Along with rushing for 761 yards and four touchdowns last season, Stewart also caught 47 passes for 413 yards receiving with three scores. He served extensively as the teams third-down back last season. Stewart has run for 26 touchdowns in his four seasons. Hurney said re-signing Stewart, a first-round draft pick in 2008, has been a priority this off-season. "We feel like you have to keep your good players," Hurney said. "Thats why we arent active in free agency. We place an emphasis on re-signing the players weve drafted. And Jonathan is a valuable player for us." A fifth-year running back, Stewart is the teams second leading career rusher behind Williams with 3,500 yards. In 2009, Stewart ran for 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:22, Jun 27 2014
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed free-agent safety Major Wright and wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins. The team also announced Monday that linebacker Marvin Booker has been waived. Wright spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2010. Hes started 42 of 54 career games and returned three of his nine interceptions for touchdowns. Hawkins was a fourth-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2008. He spent five seasons with them before moving to the San Diego Chargers in 2013. He has 71 career receptions for 771 yards and one TD. cheap nfl jerseys .J. -- A Super Bowl hero is returning to the New York Giants. cheap jerseys from china . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. http://www.wholesalechinatmall.com/. Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. cheap jerseys .com) - If recent history is any indication, the Anaheim Ducks will keep their point streak on home ice alive on Friday night. wholesale nfl jerseys . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle.Vancouver Canucks defenceman Alex Edler will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday for a hit to the head on Sharks centre Tomas Hertl on Thursday night. Edler hit Hertl near the Canucks bench in the second period, knocking off Hertls helmet on the play.dddddddddddd No penalty was assessed on the play and Hertl remained in the game. San Jose won the game 4-1. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:21, Jun 27 2014
Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, Bruins fan here, so probably biased. In the game on Wednesday against Detroit, there was a definite loss of sight of the puck on the Wings second goal. After what I believe was at least five seconds, it dropped out of Andrej Meszaros uniform and was kicked over to a Tomas Jurco for a goal. No one seemed to have any idea where the puck was. Maybe the official was guessing it was hung up in a uniform, but is that a valid reason for not blowing the whistle? Im thinking there is no definitive amount of time in the rules before blowing the whistle, so its subjective, but would you have blown that play dead? Thanks, Joe Joe: Presented with the same set of circumstance and perspective that the referee had on the play, I would most likely have delayed blowing the whistle as well. Let me explain how the hot spots in front of the net required the refs immediate focus of attention and ultimately delayed any action he might have taken to blow the play dead. Niklas Kronwall fired the puck from the point and it was immediately swallowed up in a tightly knit maze of eight players engaged in hand to hand combat directly in front of Bruins goalkeeper Tuukka Rask. The referee was in very good position just ahead of the goal line, approximately 15 feet from the action but looking through the backs of the majority of the players. From this location, the referee was intent on looking for the presence of a foul committed in the pack of players as much as he was trying to locate the puck. Brad Marchand grabbed Tomas Tatar around the head and ripped his helmet off then proceeded to clamp down on the Red Wing players stick that was located in Marchands midsection. Other players battled and pushed for position. In the next couple to few seconds, that I am sure seemed like minutes to you and the other Bruins fans Joe, the referee can be seen moving the whistle to his lips to kill the play. Player separation began to take place in this moment and the puck dropped from its concealed location in the equipment of Andrej Meszaros and visible for the referee. The ref immediately withdrew the whistle from his lips prior and allowed play to continue. Tomas Tatar could not extricate his stick from the clutches of Brad Marchand so instead he kicked the puck to open ice and onto the stick of teammate Tomas Jurco. The referee raised his arm to call a penalty for the hooking restraint that was being applied to Jurco by both Meszaros and Patrice Bergeron when the puck entered the net. While the puck was concealed in Andrej Meszaros equipment for approximately three seconds (my unofficial count) I cant fault the referee for not blowing the whistle given the action in front of the net that required his more immediate focus and attention. I have noted that the whistle was moving to the refs lips until the puck became visible which demonstrates his shift in visual and mental focus during the action. Given the circumstance surrounding this play, I cant think of many referees that would have ruled upon this any differently and delayed blowing the whistle; present company included. Joe, your Boston Bruins are playing incredible hockey. It is going to take more than a slow whistle for any team to beat them most nights if they continue to maintain this playoff form! cheap nfl jerseys . Madrids win matched Barcelona and Atletico Madrids victories on Saturday to keep the trio level after 24 rounds, and 16 points clear of the nearest chaser Athletic Bilbao after it lost 2-1 to visiting Espanyol. cheap jerseys from china . The 34-year-old from Pilot Mound, Man., won gold in 2000, 2004 and 2007. Collins also played at the world championships in 2005 and 2008 when Canada won silver. http://www.cheapnfljerseyfromchina.us/. In the eyes of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, the two-time defending NBA champions pretty much botched the whole thing. cheap jerseys .ca! Hi Kerry, I dont know if you watched the Oiler game Sunday night, but what was with the five-minute major for Ryan Smyth? All he did is go in and hit Kunitz and that is all - he had forward movement, but nothing in my mind for a five-minute major! Can you explain why this is a five, maybe a two at the most? Thanks! Curtis Horvey ----- Congratulations Curtis - Cmon Ref has selected your question from the mail bag as the very first one of the 2011-12 season for me to answer! First question of the season is akin to a rookie player in the NHL scoring his first goal just like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins did in that Oilers 2-1 shootout win over the Penguins that you reference. wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Right-handed reliever Pat Neshek and the Oakland Athletics reached agreement Wednesday on a $975,000, one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.LONDON -- England edged Ireland 13-10 in a test of breathless intensity at Twickenham to open up the Six Nations into a four-team race at the halfway point on Saturday. Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. But England, with unexpected daring, overturned a 10-3 deficit to lead again within eight minutes, and more than a quarter of the match to go. In a match marked by gritty, desperate defence, the young English withstood a firestorm finish from Ireland to register what coach Stuart Lancaster called the best win in his tenure, considering the context. "Given the experience of the Ireland team, the form they were in, the quality of the coaching and the players theyve got and some of the relative inexperience we have, Im just so proud of the boys," Lancaster said. "We showed great maturity in closing out the game. It was character, spirit, playing for the shirt. Ireland, fair play to them, threw everything at us, and once we got that lead we just clung on in there." Four teams were tied at the top, with Ireland ahead only on points difference from England, Wales and France. The next decisive matches appeared to be England hosting two-time defending champion Wales in two weeks, and France closing the tournament at home against Ireland. England and Ireland scored one converted try each, with the difference on the scoreboard provided by Englands Owen Farrell, who knocked over two of his three penalty attempts. Jonathan Sexton hit the only penalty shot he had. Irelands scrum was dominant, taking advantage of England tighthead David Wilson playing with basically only a half of rugby in two monthss.dddddddddddd But for all of the ball Ireland had, it couldnt turn pressure into points as Englands defence and discipline was top shelf. England fired the first shot in the thriller. Left wing Jonny May should have crossed in the right corner early but he was slowed by Ireland flanker Peter OMahony and scrumhalf Conor Murray arrived just as May was diving over the line to knock the ball from his grasp. Then Ireland worked a brilliant move, with Sextons crosskick caught by Andrew Trimble on the right wing, but his offload inside to fullback Rob Kearney was bobbled, and he was swallowed by Englishmen. Farrell was lucky soon after not to be sin-binned. His late shoulder charge on Murray conceded only a penalty. Referee Craig Jouberts decision was critical, because Farrell then kicked the only points of the half, a penalty from 50 metres. Farrells second penalty chance hit the upright, and the teams could both be happy where things stood at the break. Just 90 seconds into the second half, Ireland was even happier. Ireland worked lineout ball to the middle of Englands 22, No. 8 Jamie Heaslip stood wide of a ruck and England believed he was spreading it wide. He was waiting for Kearney to scream up inside him, slice clean through and curve towards the posts untouched. Sexton converted for 10-3, and added a penalty in the 49th for 13-3. Then England turned on the pressure, and Ireland was happy to concede three points rather than five. Farrell obliged and the deficit was four. Englands try came from surprising ambition inside its own half. Farrell, under pressure in space, could have kicked the ball for relief but passed to Jack Nowell, who found Mike Brown inside speeding into a gap on halfway. Brown blew through, and scrumhalf Danny Care came up his inside to finish off between the posts. Farrell converted, England had the lead back, and this time kept it. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:21, Jun 27 2014
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild traded for goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on Tuesday in conjunction with their decision to shut down ailing veteran Niklas Backstrom. The Wild sent a fourth-round draft pick to Edmonton to complete the deal one day before the NHL trade deadline. General manager Chuck Fletcher said the team must assume that neither Backstrom nor Josh Harding will be healthy enough to mind the net again this season. Rookie Darcy Kuemper has been stellar in their absence, but with a finishing stretch of 20 games in 37 days starting Saturday, hes not enough. "We have a lot of work ahead of us to get where we want to get to, but clearly having two quality goaltenders was very important," Fletcher said. Kuemper has started 15 straight games, so Bryzgalov is more for insurance, though hes certain to have his time, too. The Wild are 14-4-2 in 2014 and in firm control of the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race. "I will do my job as best I can. Making the decisions on who is supposed to play is not my job," Bryzgalov said on a conference call. He added: "I look at this as a great opportunity for me to play, and yeah its like a new challenge." Backstrom has been bothered by injuries all season, most notably to his midsection that will probably prompt surgery, and the 36-year-old has a career-worst 3.02 goals-against average over 21 games. Fletcher told him Monday of their preference to hold him out until training camp. "His pain threshold is tremendous," Fletcher said. "Hes a competitive guy and I know hes really disappointed because the team has taken a really strong step the last couple months. Hes been through some of the lean times, and I know he wants to be a part of it but our goal for Nik is to get him healthy." Harding was superb early in the season, but the 2013 Masterton Trophy winner -- for sportsmanship, dedication and perseverance -- has not played at all in 2014 due to illness related to medication for multiple sclerosis. With not much more than a month left in the regular season and Harding not yet ready to resume skating, Fletcher said hes probably finished until the fall, too. The search for a replacement intensified in the last couple of days. Martin Brodeur and Jaroslav Halak also were potentially available via trade, but their price was far higher than what it took to nab Bryzgalov. The 33-year-old Russian has a 5-8-5 record in 20 games for the Oilers this season, with an ugly 3.01 goals-against average. Hes on an expiring contract, a requirement for the Wild. This is a rental, plain and simple. Thats largely because Kuemper has tied a Wild rookie record with 11 wins and since Jan. 7 has a 1.70 GAA with two shutouts and a .939 save percentage. "Weve always felt hed be a very good No. 1 goalie down the road, and we just didnt realize down the road would mean this January and February," Fletcher said. The pick sent to Edmonton was originally acquired last year from Buffalo in the trade that brought first-line right wing Jason Pominville to Minnesota. Bryzgalov has 38 games of playoff experience over five postseasons with Anaheim, Phoenix and Philadelphia, including three stellar starts against the Wild in the Western Conference quarterfinals in 2007. He stopped 73 of 77 shots in the first three games of that series, all Ducks victories. Bryzgalov struggled in defeat in the next game, Jean-Sebastien Giguere replaced him thereafter and the Ducks went on to win the Stanley Cup. Bryzgalovs career record is 213-157-50, including a 42-20-6 mark for the Coyotes during the 2009-10 season, his best in the NHL. He had a 2.29 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Then came his ill-fated time in Philadelphia. The Flyers signed him to a $51 million, nine-year contract in 2011 and used a salary-cap compliance buyout to release him last June, just two seasons into the megadeal. General manager Paul Holmgren said then the contract was "a costly mistake." Bryzgalov didnt sign with the Oilers until last November. After signing goalie Ben Scrivens to a two-year contract extension last week, the Oilers took their first step away from Bryzgalov. Then they acquired goalie Viktor Fasth from Anaheim on Tuesday for a fifth-round draft pick this summer and a third-round selection in 2015. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Jackson, the NFLs active career-leading rusher, missed the past four games with a hamstring injury, but he participated fully in practice on Friday. Wholesale Jerseys . Hes now on their roster. Tate signed a two-year, $7 million free agent deal on Saturday with Cleveland, which has been desperate to find a quality every-down running back since trading Trent Richardson to Indianapolis early last season. http://www.cheapnfljerseybest.com/. Chris Eversley scored 19 points to help Cal Poly avoid its 20th loss of the season and win its first NCAA tournament game, 81-69 victory over Texas Southern on Wednesday night in the First Four. Cheap Jerseys . Arsenal moved above Chelsea into fourth place in the standings thanks to Henry volleying home a cross from Andrei Arshavin in the first minute of stoppage time to complete a comeback at the Stadium of Light. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . -- Two top Penn State officials charged with covering up allegations of an explosive child-sex abuse scandal related to a former defensive co-ordinator stepped down late Sunday after an emergency meeting of the universitys board of trustees.Germanys Carina Vogt has won the first Olympic gold medal in womens ski jumping after competition Tuesday at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Centre in Sochi, Russia. She set the best scores on both first and second round jumps, finishing with a combined total of 247.4 points. The silver medal went to Daniella Iraschko-Stolz of Austria, with a combined score from both rounds of 246.2. Coline Mattel of France scored 245.2. Sara Takanashi of Japan finished her second jump to garner a total score of 243.0. Canadian Atsuko Tanaka jumped 95 metres in the seccond round, scoring a combined total of 231.dddddddddddd3. Fellow Canadian Taylor Henrich flew 96 metres, and scored 230.4 points. Reigning World Cup champion Sarah Hendrickson of the United States scored a final total of 217.6. The result comes from a strong performance considering five months ago, Hendrickson had surgery to repair damage to her knee. Ski jumping has been part of the Olympic program since the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix, France. However, Sochi 2014 marks the first time womens ski jumping has been on the Olympic program. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:21, Jun 27 2014
MIAMI -- By now, Lance Stephensons list of egregious acts from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals are well-known: He blew air into LeBron James ear, interrupted a Miami Heat huddle and got caught flopping for the second time. And on Thursday, the Heat tried to get their focus back on themselves. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra almost never holds a practice the day after a road game, especially when the team plane lands around 3:30 a.m. as was the case in the wee hours of Thursday. But Spoelstra deviated from the norm on the day before Game 6 of this East title series, not for any one on-court issue but rather so the two-time defending NBA champions could relieve some frustration. "Clear heads ... and to connect," Spoelstra said. "We didnt want to leave it all to tomorrow. There were some things we wanted to go over, and for times sake, splitting it up was a little bit more efficient." The Heat still lead the series 3-2, and get the chance to close the Pacers out for the third straight year on Friday night. The game is in Miami, where the Heat have won their last 10 playoff contests. Predictably, the talk on the off day wasnt so much about Paul George scoring 37 points to lead his team to a season-saving win, or even how James was held to seven points on a night that he was rendered silent for long stretches because of foul trouble. Instead, the buzz was almost entirely about Stephenson, who has simultaneously become a Heat frustration and Internet sensation. Images of his already-infamous ear-blowing stunt were widely distributed on social media moments after it occurred in Game 5, and he didnt back down Thursday when asked about his desire to pester the Heat. "Just playing ball, man, having fun and enjoying the moment," Stephenson said. Spoelstra didnt react when Stephenson -- who said James was showing signs of "weakness" earlier in the series -- crashed the Heat huddle. Much like his players, Spoelstra didnt bite when asked about the excitable Pacer guards attempts to throw Miami off its game. "Very bizarre game," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "Weird game. But its over." Indiana coach Frank Vogel didnt seem to mind the huddle move, though suggested the ear-blowing decision was a bit much. "People are in my huddle all the time. Every player in the NBA does that. Thats nothing," Vogel said. "Blowing in his face probably crosses the line. Thats not really who we are. We want to be a competitive team, but we dont want to cross the line." Stephenson and Pacers centre Roy Hibbert flew to Miami with slightly lighter wallets; Stephenson was fined $10,000 by the NBA on Thursday for his second flop of the series, Hibbert $5,000 for another flopping violation. It marked the second time in as many games that a Pacer has drawn a fine, with George having gotten dinged for $25,000 after blasting the officiating following Indianas loss in Game 4. In Georges case, the money might have seemed well-spent. Indiana took 22 free throws in Game 5 to Miamis eight, a total that matched the fewest any team has shot in a playoff game since 2006. "We just didnt get to the free-throw line," James said. "We were aggressive ... we shot the ball extremely well. We just didnt get to the line." Almost everything went wrong for Miami in Game 5, and the Heat still nearly won. James shot just 2 for 10 in 24 minutes, and got his fifth foul with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, with the Heat leading by eight. Miami went scoreless on nine of its first 12 possessions after James checked out and the Pacers used that stretch to build a five-point lead, the margin eventually reaching seven when George connected on a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. Down by as many as 11 in the fourth, Miami had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Chris Boshs 3-pointer bounced away. And with that, the Heat started the process of turning the page to Friday night, when they could punch their fourth straight ticket to the NBA Finals. "Its Game 6," Bosh said. "Its our Game 7." wholesale jerseys . The 18-year-old Calgary product is slated to make his Major League Soccer debut, as a starter or substitute, when the Caps (12-12-9) close out their campaign, after missing the playoffs, against the visiting Colorado Rapids (14-10-9. cheap nfl jerseys . - The Detroit Tigers will start the season without Jose Iglesias, though just how long the injured shortstop is sidelined will not be known until after he sees a foot and ankle specialist on Tuesday. http://www.cheapjerseysnflchina.us/. Huddling up, Casey consulted with his assistants for over 30 seconds before looking to the far side of his bench and reluctantly calling for Jonas Valanciunas. The Raptors starting centre had been a spectator since late in the third quarter, amounting to roughly an hour of real time spent on the bench since he was last on the floor. cheap jerseys from china . "She played well. I dont think I was playing so bad," Li said. "Maybe, sometimes the wrong choice made me lose a lot of important points. cheap jerseys . Cito Gaston led them to back-to-back World Series titles and one day will be in the Hall of Fame. CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Former Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson has been hired as an assistant with the Cincinnati Bengals. On the staff with Cincinnati from 2004-06, Jackson will help with the secondary and special teams, and work closely with the position coaches for both slots, Mark Carrier and Darrin Simmons, respectively. A native of Los Angeles, Jackson played quarterback at the University of the Pacific and began his coaching career there in 1987. He coached in the NCAA through 2000, when he was offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach at Southern California. He entered the NFL with the Washington Redskins in 2001. Jackson was fired after the Raiders missed the AFC playoffs with an 8-8 record last season. "I relied on Hue greatly when he was with us, and his success overall in the NFL, including being selected for a head coaching position, is well documented," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. &"He has expertise in all aspects of the game, and we are fortunate to have obtained his services.dddddddddddd" As the coach with Oakland, Jackson agreed to the deal that sent former Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to the Raiders during the season. Upset with Cincinnati management, Palmer was prepared to retire, or simply sit out of the NFL until the Bengals found a suitor. Eventually, Oakland, which lost quarterback Jason Campbell to injury, stepped up. Palmer could not save the Raiders, however, from losing the AFC West title on a tiebreaker to the Denver Broncos. Palmer threw for 2,753 and 13 touchdowns for Oakland, but was also picked off 16 times. He was dealt on Oct. 18 for draft picks. Incidentally, Cincinnati, without Palmer for the entire season, made the post-season as a wild card. The Raiders, meanwhile, havent been to the playoffs since losing the 2003 Super Bowl. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:20, Jun 27 2014
David Poile earned a chance to be general manager of the U.S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey.Since last summer, he spent countless hours trying to shape a roster that would give the Americans a shot to win Olympic gold for the first time since he witnessed whats known as the "Miracle on Ice," in 1980.Poile, though, wont be at the Sochi Games to see the team he helped set up.The Nashville Predators GM and former Washington Capitals executive was hit in the face by a deflected puck during an NHL game last week, a freak accident that will force him to watch the U.S. go for gold on TV from his home in Tennessee."Serving as GM of the U.S. Olympic Team has been the opportunity of a lifetime and I am forever grateful to USA Hockey," Poile said Monday in a statement from the Predators. "However, it is not possible for me to travel at this time, but I will remain in contact with Ray Shero, Brian Burke, Jim Johansson and our coaching staff during the games."Team USA is in great hands and I will be there in spirit. I wish all the best for our players, coaches and entire group as they begin play in the 2014 Olympics and go for the gold."Poile is recovering from surgery and stitches he needed after the puck hit him while he was standing in a tunnel behind the Predators bench in Minnesota."I first want to thank everyone who has reached out to me since suffering this injury," Poile said. "The outpouring of support and comfort has been overwhelming."He led a selection committee that picked the Olympic team after months of work, and his role during the 12-day tournament would have been largely behind the scenes in a supporting role."To hear that he had been hurt and to know that hes not going to be coming over is a huge disappointment," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma said.Shero, who is general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, will be acting GM in Sochi."Having worked with Dave for eight years in Nashville, and knowing, as I told the team, how much passion, time and effort he has put into putting this team together, its disappointing," Shero said.Poile won the Lester Patrick award in 2001 for his contributions to hockey in the U.S., and is a three-time finalist for NHL GM of the year. He has also filled various roles with USA Hockey.He was the associate GM for the U.S. at the Olympics four years ago, when he assisted Burke after he dealt with tragedy. Burkes 21-year-old son, Brendan, died Feb. 5, 2010, in a car accident, and he skipped the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games. cheap nfl jerseys . LOUIS -- Albert Pujols and the St. cheap jerseys from china .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury. http://www.jerseyscheapwholesaleonline.com/. -- The Atlanta Falcons have announced the signing of offensive guard Harland Gunn after backup lineman Joe Hawley received a four-game suspension for violating NFL rules on performance-enhancing substances. wholesale jerseys . Yet the vicious sack by San Franciscos Ahmad Brooks also drew a flag that cancelled out Brees lost fumble with 3:12 left and gave the Saints prolific quarterback one chance too many. cheap jerseys . This week they discuss Edmonton leaking oil, quiet diplomacy in soccer, taking charge of the Lakers and that "Minor League Guy on Third".KONIGSSEE, Germany -- It was an emotional first win for Canadian Justin Kripps. Kripps, of Summerland. B.C., claimed his first career World Cup bobsleigh race as he and brakeman Bryan Barnett of Edmonton posted a two-run time of one minute 39.71 seconds in a two-man event Saturday. The victory comes after Krippss grandmother passed away Jan. 6, his 27th birthday. "I know Baba was there with me today," he said. Switzerlands Beat Hefti and Alex Baumann were second, 0.15 seconds back. Canadians Lyndon Rush of Humboldt, Sask., and Calgarys Lascelles Brown were third, 0.32 seconds behind their victorious teammates. American Steven Holcomb was seventh but still managed to capture the overall crown. He finished with 1,645 overall points, 35 more than Hefti. After posting the fastest first run, Kripps thought of both his grandmother and advicee he received from Rush.dddddddddddd "I had that great first run and couldnt stop thinking I could win this thing," said Kripps. "Lyndon pulled me aside and said Anytime trophies, medals, victories or anything gets in your head slap yourself and focus. "Im so glad he did that because Id be lying if that didnt keep coming into my thoughts." Rush followed suite with his first World Cup medal of the season. Calgarys Chris Spring and Jesse Lumsden, of Burlington, Ont., were eighth in 1:40.31. With the Sochi Winter Games upcoming, Kripps says anything is possible. "I dont have much experience in Sochi, but this win sure gives me confidence," he said. "I think this shows anything can happen in bobsleigh. "If I can put two good starts and two good runs together, who knows what may be." ' ' '
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TORONTO -- Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins will be the captains for this years NHL all-star game. The pair were named to the posts Wednesday, with the honour especially significant for Alfredsson, considering the game will be played at Ottawas Scotiabank Place on Jan. 29. Alfredsson and Chara were selected by their fellow all-stars and as captains will set their team rosters for both the skills competition and the game at a draft Jan. 26. The all-star squads will be designated as Team Alfredsson and Team Chara. Alfredssons squad will wear white jerseys and red pants, while Charas team will wear blue. "I think both are well-deserved," said Rob Blake, who is part of the NHLs executive hockey operations department and is overseeing the organization of the all-star game. "A lot goes into the players references on who they thought would be good leaders on the team. I think being in Ottawa with Daniel Alfredsson was kind of a for sure right from Day 1 -- hes represented the league and the Senators for so many great years. " Alfredsson is in his 16th NHL season, all with Ottawa. The 39-year-old Swede will make his sixth career all-star appearance. The 34-year-old Chara is the captain of the defending Stanley Cup champions, but spent four seasons with Ottawa before signing with the Bruins. The towering six-foot-nine, 255-pound Slovakian will also make his sixth all-star appearance. "I think its an interesting storyline with Zdeno Chara -- obviously being part of the Stanley Cup champions last year and the year that theyre having this year, and also starting his career there in Ottawa has a little bit of intrigue," Blake said. "I think theyll do a great job and therell be a lot of excitement around them." Each team will have one assistant captain named next week. cheap jerseys . The Philadelphia Daily News dressed up the Pittsburgh Penguins captain as a lion on its Wednesday cover under the headline: "The Cowardly Penguin. cheap nfl jerseys . The bout, a rematch of the pairs 2011 "Fight of the Year," served as the headliner of Sundays "UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2," which took place at Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. http://www.wholesalenfljerseysplay.com/. -- Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley has left the team following his fathers death. wholesale nfl jerseys . When it wasnt, the puck banked off the boards and Berniers skate and into the net to give the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 comeback victory Thursday night at Air Canada Centre. cheap jerseys from china . Geoff Snider and Curtis Dickson each had three goals for Calgary (4-3), while Jeff Shattler helped with two goals and six assists. Curtis Manning, Karsen Leung, Daryl Veltman and Matthew Dinsdale also scored for the Roughnecks.VANCOUVER -- It took a while, but Dallas Eakins has posted two consecutive wins, which he has rarely done in his first season as coach of the Edmonton Oilers. David Perron helped his coachs cause by scoring three goals as the Oilers doubled the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Monday night. "It was a real good road game," said Eakins, enjoying a rare occasion to offer praise to his forwards, defence and goaltender alike. The Oilers (17-32-6) earned consecutive wins after six straight losses while the Canucks (27-18-9) suffered their second loss in the past three games. This is only the fourth time this season, and the first time since December, that the Oilers have won two games in a row. Edmonton also posted its first win in four tries against Vancouver this season. Eakins was especially grateful for the tight win after the Oilers were blanked 4-0 in their last visit to Vancouver in December. "Were slowly getting stronger and its good for the group," said Eakins. Jesse Joensuus goal at 2:20 of the third period secured the win before Perron completed his hat trick with an empty netter with just over a minute left. "You dont want to give David Perron two much room out there," said Eakins. "He can hurt you quickly. Hes a deadly shooter and he was able to get freed up a couple times tonight." Perron now has 22 goals on the season, offering a beacon of hope to an Oilers squad that has often played in a fog like the one that engulfed parts of Vancouver earlier Monday. But with the Oilers destined to miss the playoffs, he hoped the win would serve as a catalyst for success in the more distant future. "We have to be able to look them straight in the eyes and tell (the Canucks) to go away in not always the nicest way," he said. "We need to be able to play with these guys in other years, and it starts right now. We need to set it up for next year. "The last four or five games are the way we need to play and we are going to get a lot of points if we do that." The loss spoiled a strong effort from Jordan Schroeder, who had the two goals for Vancouver. They were his first since March 21, 2013. With just over four minutes remaining in the game, Edmonton goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov denied Schroeder a hat trick, stopping his shot from the slot. The Edmonton goaltender then lay back on the loose puck and prevented Daniel Sedin from jamming it in as players from both teams crowded the crease. Schroeder excelled in his first game since he was sidelined Oct. 19 with a fractured ankle. Before hurting his ankle, Schroeder sustained a broken foot in the pre-season and spent the off-season rehabilitating from shoulder surgery. "Some hockey gods repaid me tonight," said Schroeder. "It was fun to get to play again and gettiing some minutes on the top line there, that was fun.dddddddddddd. It felt good. Its disappointing we didnt get the win, but we made some mental mistakes, a few turnovers and (they) cost us the game." Acting Vancouver head coach Mike Sullivan called, "Schroeder an infusion of energy," but lamented his top players inability to do likewise -- and fail to keep pace with the Los Angeles Kings as they also won Monday. One night after scoring five goals in a win over Phoenix, the Canucks continued their offensive struggles. Daniel Sedin, clearly missing his injured brother Henrik, has now gone 13 games without a goal. Alex Burrows remains scoreless in the 22 games that he has played in an injury-riddled season. "Its hard to win unless your best players are your best players," said Sullivan. Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo lived up to his reputation as one of the Canucks best players as both teams were playing the second games of back-to-back contests against different teams. Although its customary for the starting goaltender to rest the second night, Luongo played his second game in two nights while Bryzgalov replaced Ben Scrivens following his first win as an Oiler. Luongo finished with 16 saves while Bryzgalov posted 25. The Canucks were blanked on two power plays while the Oilers failed to score on three. Perron put the Oilers ahead 2-1 at 17:34 of the first as he jammed in a loose puck from in front after Vancouver defenceman Dan Hamhuis knocked it away from a driving Nail Yakupov. The goal camec Schroeder drew the Canucks even at 2:39 of the second period as he put the puck in off Edmonton defenceman Corey Potters skate. Joenssu gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the third period as he put in Ryan Smyths pass from behind the net before Perrons empty netter gave Eakins a rare chance to celebrate consecutive wins -- without getting too excited. "We know we have a very long way to go," said Eakins. Notes: Winger Dale Weise, who has two points in his last three games, was scratched as a result of Schroeders return. a Edmonton captain Andrew Ference was sidelined with a head injury suffered Sunday against Nashville. Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin remained sidelined with an upper-body problem. a The Canucks wore dark green camouflage jerseys in the warm-up in tribute to Canadas Armed Forces. Winger David Booth also wore a similar green camouflage baseball cap bearing a 1980s-era Canucks logo. Booth returned to the lineup after sitting out Sundays win over Phoenix as a healthy scratch. a Joensuu is one game away from 100 for his career. a Canucks coach John Tortorella missed the fourth game of his 15-day suspension for storming the Calgary Flames dressing room area Jan. 25. ' ' '
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CONCORD, N.C. - Jamie McMurray started his day at home with his young son, who vowed to spend the day playing in his sand box. Then Carter McMurray asked his dad what he had planned for Saturday. "Im going to race for a million bucks, " McMurray told him. Race for it? Sure. Win it? With his Las Vegas odds at 40-1, McMurray was one of the biggest long shots Saturday night in the Sprint All-Star race. But he pulled off a masterful upset, staging a tense door-to-door battle with Carl Edwards to grab the $1 million prize with his first All-Star victory. McMurray, who led a race-high 31 laps, had never before led a lap in the All-Star race, and his previous best finish in seven appearances in the exhibition was eighth. McMurray was second on the restart for the 10-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Lined up outside of pole-sitter Edwards, McMurray flirted several times for the lead on a frantic lap around Charlotte Motor Speedway. Although he surged slightly ahead several times, and the two cars appeared to touch more than once, McMurray finally cleared Edwards for the lead two laps into the fifth and final segment. "As a kid, that is what you grew up wanting to do, is have a shootout like that and have a possibility to race for 10 laps," McMurray said. "He got a little bit of a jump on me on the restart and I was able to hang on to his quarter panel, and when we kept entering Turn 1 and 3, I was like, It is for a million bucks. If we wreck, its not that big of a deal. "Its so cool to come out on top." Once he cleared Edwards, McMurray easily pulled away for the victory. Edwards, who faded to fifth, immediately watched the replay after the race. "Jamie just did a perfect job on the start. I had him cleared for a minute," Edwards said. "If I would have pulled in front of him in Turn 1, if I would have gone high, I think we would have won that race. But I was just so reluctant to give up the bottom. It was a drag race. My hat is off to him. He earned it." McMurrays first career victory came at Charlotte in 2002 in his second start with Chip Ganassi Racing. He also won in 2010 and goes into the Coca-Cola 600 next Sunday needing a win in that race to have career victories in all three of Charlottes main events. Kevin Harvick finished second, Matt Kenseth was third and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who complained earlier in the race he was driving a dump truck, was fourth. Kurt Busch was 11th after qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day. "Really happy to see Jamie win, its always nice to see good guys win," said Kenseth, a former teammate of McMurrays at Roush Fenway Racing. It seemed to be a popular victory as several drivers made a point to congratulate McMurray in their post-race interviews as the driver took his Chevrolet to Victory Lane. He was met there by team owners Felix Sabates and Chip Ganassi, who flew into North Carolina before the race after Indianapolis 500 qualifying. It was a tough day for Ganassi in Indianapolis, where none of his five cars made it into the Fast 9 qualifying round and Scott Dixon was his fastest driver at 15th. "We obviously didnt have a good day in Indianapolis and youre damn right this turned the day around," said Ganassi, who kissed McMurray as he and Sabates cut the post-race news conference short to head back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch won the first segment, but his night ended early in the second 20-lap segment when he used an aggressive move in a fast attempt to avoid running into the back of older brother, Kurt. "His brother forced his hand," Clint Bowyer said of the accident that nearly collected his car. "Hell, I dont know how I didnt wreck." The Busch brothers were running together when Kurt was too close to the outside wall and Kyle tried to dart into the middle lane to avoid hitting him. Instead, Kyle hit the back of Bowyer as he tried to swing around Bowyer into a third lane. Bowyer clipped him as Busch surged ahead, and it began a spin that sent Busch into the path of Joey Logano. Busch failed to finish the All-Star race for the fifth time in nine years. "I saw Kurt get really bottled up and about get in the wall, so he had to check-up real hard and my shot was in the middle, to go across three lanes and underneath Bowyer," Busch said. "But Bowyer blocked it and when he did, I got into him. Those are the opportunities you have to take in the All-Star." Kasey Kahne went on to win that segment, and the third segment. "I say just leave the car for now, felt pretty good right there," Kahne radioed after the third segment as his crew debated pit strategy. But his night fell apart in the fourth segment when he hit the wall to damage his Chevrolet. "I hit it hard. I blew it bad," he radioed. "Sorry, guys. I cant believe that happened. We had the best car here by far. Great, great car." Kahne wound up 14th. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . The Toronto Raptors have just one game left in a season to forget before an off-season full of question marks. Neither Trianos job as head coach, Bryan Colangelos position as president and GM, nor the immediate continuance of the league itself is a given right now. Cheap NFL Jerseys . "It was nerve-wracking, but we pulled through," said Collaros, who threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts (8-4) to a 33-27 win over the Calgary Stampeders (9-3) in front of 28,781 fans at McMahon Stadium. http://www.cheapnfljerseybest.com/. Sure, they still miss injured captain Sidney Crosby and other sidelined stars, but Evgeni Malkin is doing his best to pick up the scoring slack. Richard Park scored the go-ahead goal 2:23 into the third period, and Malkin padded the lead with two late tallies to give the suddenly hot Penguins a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night. Wholesale Jerseys . Following back-to-back wins against the Western Conference-leading Grand Rapids Griffins, the Marlies found themselves over confident against the Syracuse Crunch on Friday and fell 6-3 in American Hockey League play. Cheap Jerseys From China . The pair reclaimed their Canadian ice dance title on Saturday, winning with a score of 180.TORONTO - Winning the game was not important, Dwane Casey repeated leading up to his teams sixth exhibition game Monday. Apparently nobody told the young group of reserves that shared the floor as the Raptors heroics forced two overtime periods before clinching the victory in a game that exceeded three hours in duration. For Casey this game, like the five that proceeded it, was all about finding cohesion amongst his second unit, determining the right combinations as he works to trim down his rotation and seeing what he has in the young players who will make up the end of his bench. On Monday all of that meant playing to win. With 11 seconds remaining, down two coming out of a timeout, Casey considered going for the win; an all or nothing three-point attempt that may have appeased the working media, many of whom grew restless as the rare preseason thriller crawled along. Instead, Landry Fields inbounded to Tyler Hansbrough on the elbow, who faked the pass back to Fields and blew by an unsuspecting Metta World Peace for the two-handed slam to tie the game. "I owed it to the players," Casey said of his decision to force overtime. "Weve got to try to execute down the stretch. It crossed my mind [to go for the three] but it wasnt the right thing to do." "It was good for us to learn," he explained following Torontos 123-120 win over the Knicks. "I know its excruciating for [the media] to have to stay up late and miss [their] deadlines but its good for [the players]." No starter played in the fourth quarter or in either of the extra periods as Casey continued to experiment with his reserves, many of whom have failed to stand out over the first six games. Hansbrough and Terrence Ross, who both figure to be mainstays off the bench this season, came through down the stretch while Quincy Acy, Dwight Buycks and Julyan Stone - who still hasnt made the team but is a safe bet to snag the final roster spot - played like they have something to prove. "The guys fought, scraped [and] got their way back into the game," Casey said. "Its a great experience for those young kids to be able to play in those situations because in the regular season most likely, unless something catastrophic happens, theyre not going to be in the game." "It prepares you for future games," said Ross, who scored a game-high 27 points including a buzzer beating three-pointer that forced double overtime. "If you ever get in that situation you know what to do and what not to do." "You really just get comfortable in that situation," he continued, "because the first time you go out there its always kind of nerve-racking no matter how many times you go over it in practice so just getting that live experience helps." Raining Ross Triples With 4.1 seconds remaining in the first overtime period, Julyan Stone found Ross - the inbounder - coming off a screen. The sophomore rose up, faded away and drilled the game-tying triple at the buzzer. By that point Ross was on fire. The Raptors guard was just one-for-three, all three-point attempts, through seven minutes in the first three quarters. He finished the game seven-for-15, including six-of-13 from long range, in just over 25 minutes. "My teammates kept passing me the ball," he said, "so I knew if they were passing to me I was going to shoot it. They gave me the confidence to keep shooting so thats what I did." At times Ross has been the most impressive player on the floor during the preseason, scoring most of his points in bunches. Other times, specifically early in games, hes gone relatively unnoticed, something Casey has noticed and is working with him to correct. "It took Terrence a little while to get going," the Raptors coach said of Ross, who should be the second units biggest source of offence if he can become more consistent. "Once he got going he was okay but hes got to do that as sooon as he comes in [the game] in that second quarter.dddddddddddd" Shades of Hakeem Once again in the preseason DeMar DeRozan put on a show in the paint, completely dominating smaller defenders in the post and making it look easy. From his trusted up and under move, to a devastating spin that made rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. look silly, to the fake behind the back pass that fooled former defensive player of the year Tyson Chandler en route to an easy lay in, DeRozan continued to turn heads and earn high praise. "I thought his footwork when they had single coverage [on him] was big-time," Casey said of DeRozans work in the post. "He looked like hed been working with Hakeem [Olajuwon] down there." "Its a footwork thing," said DeRozan, who has been studying film of great post-up guards including Kobe Bryant and Andre Miller. "Understanding how a players going to play me and just using my advantages. I know if I get a player in the air either I get the foul or get the lay-up. I just have different options and Im starting to understand that more." DeRozan had 21 points in just under 30 minutes, shooting 8-for-15 from the field, including his first two treys of the preseason. After going a perfect 5-of-5 in the paint Monday, he is now shooting 19-for-25 (76 per cent) in the restricted area, where he has taken 43 per cent of his field goal attempts during the exhibition season. Chemistry on the Wing The league, or at least the Knicks, have noticed the evolution in DeRozans game as hes beginning to see double teams intended to put pressure on him as a ball handler. "I thought his passes out of the double teams were huge," Casey said. "I think Rudy [Gay] got a three off of one of them. So hes got to punish them with the pass as much as his scoring out of the post." DeRozan improved his ball handling and court vision last season and looks to be taking the next step playing alongside another dangerous offensive weapon in Rudy Gay. Gay finished with 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting, also hitting a couple of three-pointers, in just under 26 minutes. Continued Search for Second-Unit Symmetry Again, the group of Ross, Fields, Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin and Austin Daye struggled to begin the second quarter on Monday. That group, which has given up early leads on a couple occasions this fall, gave up a one-point advantage that the starters had earned coming out of the opening frame and allowed the Knicks to rip off 15-6 run before Casey was forced to call a quick timeout and regroup. "I was disappointed in the approach in the second quarter," he admitted. "When you come in the game theres nobody guaranteed minutes. We cant come in soft. Weve got to get rid of that tag of teams coming in, pushing us under the bucket, grabbing offensive rebounds, taking the ball away from us with us being non-physical and I thought in the second quarter we did that." The Raptors, who finished the game with a 57-52 advantage on the boards, were outrebounded by nine in the first half. Augustin and Daye played just seven minutes and gave way to Buycks, Stone and Acy in the second half. An Uneventful Return for Bargnani Andrea Bargnani made his second preseason return to Toronto in a span of 10 days. The former Raptors forward was booed by the sparse crowd during pre-game introductions but the harsh reception was a bit more subdued than it was during his first game back and tailed off as the night went on. Bargnani scored 13 points, five of them from the free-throw line, on 4-of-12 shooting after starting off 1-of-8. Up Next The Raptors will host Memphis at the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday. Hear it live on TSN 1050 Radio at 7pm et. With just two exhibition games remaining, Casey has indicated he will begin to tighten the rotation and give his starters more playing time, including minutes in the fourth quarter as they prepare for the start of the regular season. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:20, Jun 27 2014
DENVER -- Aaron Brooks got word just before game time that he would start in place of an ailing Ty Lawson, and then took advantage of his opportunity. Brooks had 27 points and a career-high 17 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets past the Detroit Pistons 118-109 on Wednesday night for their fourth win in five games. "Aaron did a great job of picking those guys apart," teammate Darrell Arthur said. "He did whatever he wanted to. He got to the rim. He got guys open for easy looks. He did a great job managing the floor today." Brooks said he found out Lawson, who was suffering from a sinus infection, wouldnt be able to play when Lawson walked off the court and told him after struggling in pregame warm-ups. "I thought he was joking at first," Brooks said. "I was like, Quit playing around. Get back out there. But thats what you have to do. We all stepped up." Randy Foye added 22 points, Kenneth Faried had 14 and J.J. Hickson had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets. Wilson Chandler also sat out after receiving an injection to treat a hip injury. Greg Monroe scored 22 points to lead the Pistons, who lost their 11th in a row on the road. Rodney Stuckey added 18 and Kyle Singler and Charlie Villanueva each had 13. "Aaron Brooks was able to get in the lane and Randy Foye just caught fire from 3," Monroe said. "Anytime you have a backcourt that ones getting to the rim and the other is knocking down 3s, its going to be tough on any night." Trailing by seven at the half, the Nuggets rallied to take an 85-84 lead into the fourth quarter. After Singlers 3-pointer put the Pistons in front 82-75, the Nuggets outscored Detroit 10-2 over the final 3:20 of the third quarter to regain the lead. Brooks started the spurt with a 3-pointer and a driving reverse layup and Foye closed it by hitting a 3 and finishing a fast-break with a layup after stealing an inbounds pass. Denver used another 10-2 surge to stretch its lead to 104-91 midway through the final period. Detroit pulled to 113-109 with 54.2 seconds remaining as Singler and Villanueva hit 3s around a layup by Hickson. But Hickson had another layup and Anthony Randolph converted a three-point play to give the Nuggets a nine-point cushion with 31.7 seconds remaining. Stuckey scored 14 of his points in the first half, helping the Pistons take a 61-54 lead. Detroit led by as many as 11 points early on. NOTES: Pistons C Andre Drummond sat the game out after injuring his neck on Saturday against Indiana. ... Pistons G Chauncey Billups, a former Nugget and native of Denver who has been sidelined by a knee injury, returned a warm ovation from the crowd with a couple of waves of his hand. ... The Pistons lost Josh Smith to ejection midway through the third quarter after he picked up a pair of technical fouls in quick succession. ... Brooks previous career high for assists was 13 against Phoenix on Nov. 17, 2009. Cheap NFL Jerseys .com) - If recent history is any indication, the Anaheim Ducks will keep their point streak on home ice alive on Friday night. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . The 38-year-old, a two-time All-Star, had been relegated to part-time duty and was batting .208 in 24 at-bats for the last-place Angels (6-14). http://www.cheapnfljerseybest.com/. Not that the Mercedes driver expected to win his first race since the United States GP last November, saying beforehand he would need "a miracle" despite qualifying in pole position for the third time in a row. Wholesale Jerseys . Prosecutors want the "immediate" interruption of work in all areas where labourers need to be high above the ground. They said work should only restart after constructors show that all safety measures are in place at the Arena da Amazonia, the stadium hosting four World Cup matches next June, including England vs. Cheap Jerseys .C. -- Al Jefferson had a pretty good inkling it was Charlottes night when he banked in a 31-footer from well beyond the top of the key to beat the shot clock midway through the fourth quarter.Wayne Smith appears to be ready block for Ricky Ray again this year. A CFL source told TSNs Matthew Scianitti that Smith will re-sign with the Toronto Argonauts. Smith, a 10-year CFL veteran, has been with the Argonauts since 2012.dddddddddddd He has also spent time with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Smith was the first overall pick in the 2004 CFL Canadian college draft. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:19, Jun 27 2014
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. His career wasnt even a minute old and the Brampton, Ont., native was already leaving his mark on Kansas. While Wiggins disappeared at times, the highly touted freshman dazzled at others, finishing with 16 points in leading the fifth-ranked Jayhawks to an 80-63 victory over Louisiana-Monroe on Friday night. "He did some good things," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. "I think he can be more aggressive, but I think all the guys can be more aggressive." Aggressive may not have been such a good thing on this night, though. New rules designed to clamp down on hand-checking resulted in 58 fouls and a slew of free throws. It also resulted in a herky-jerky affair for both sides. "Im telling them not to freak out. Thats what Im telling them," Warhawks coach Keith Richard said. "The players have to adjust and not lose their minds. Its not going away, and so its difficult. It sure is. And there were some bad calls tonight, pitiful, but both ways." Andrew White III and Perry Ellis finished 12 points each for the youthful Jayhawks, who wont have a whole lot of time for all their freshmen to work out the kinks. Kansas, which is replacing all five starters from last season, plays No. 4 Duke on Tuesday night in Chicago. "Its going to be a pretty good matchup, two high-profile teams," White said, "but were not paying too much attention to the hype thats out there." Marvin Williams had 19 points and six rebounds to lead the Warhawks, who sure didnt look like a team that won just four games last season. They trailed 47-41 early in the second half before the quicker more physical Jayhawks finally went on a 15-5 run to seize control. Williams fouled out with 8:16 left in the game, and Louisiana-Monroe struggled the rest of the way as Wiggins and Co. made the final score appear much more comfortable. "Obviously we want to come out and win bigger than we did, and finish the game off stronger, but were still fresh," senior transfer Tarik Black said. "Were still learning each other." The Jayhawks started three freshmen in Wiggins, Selden and Frank Mason, who got the nod at point guard with junior Naadir Tharpe serving a one-game suspension for playing in an unauthorized summer league game. Black also was in the starting lineup after arriving from Memphis. That left Perry Ellis as the only holdover from last season in the starting five. Still, the unknown of all the fresh faces resulted in the same kind of energy inside Allen Fieldhouse that has accompanied just about every other home opener -- Kansas has won 42 of them in a row. Students waited in lines hours before the doors opened before rushing to their seats. All that fervour quickly subsided when it became apparent how far Kansas has to go. Consecutive dunks by Williams in the first half, the second one after a turnover by Wiggins at the other end, gave the Warhawks a 15-13 lead and forced the Jayhawks to call a timeout. "I definitely felt like we were in the game," Williams said. Making waves of substitutions, Kansas methodically regained the lead, and then pulled away on a jumper by Brannen Greene and a parade of free throws. But it was still just 42-32 at halftime, and Selfs jaw was clenched as he followed his team to the locker room. He wasnt any happier early in the second half, when the Warhawks had closed to within 47-41 and Mason was whistled for a foul on a loose ball. Self stomped up the sideline, his face red in fury, and screamed at the officials while the crowd roared their disapproval. Asked whether he was surprised that he didnt get called for a technical foul, Self replied: "I would say that would be an accurate observation. Yeah, probably so." His impassioned tirade finally woke the Jayhawks from their slumber. Black scored moments later to kick off a 15-5 spurt that allowed Kansas to seize control. Wiggins coasted to the rim for two layups during the run, and White knocked down a 3-pointer off a feed from Connor Frankamp, then converted a conventional three-point player. Louisiana-Monroe got into foul trouble down the stretch -- Tylor Ongwae picked up his fifth with 14:40 to go, and Williams picked up his fifth 6 minutes later. The Jayhawks took advantage of the Warhawks lack of depth to put the game away. "Its an entire team of younguns, and its going to be frustrating from time to time," Self said, "but hopefully it will be very rewarding at the end." cheap jerseys . Dragic was a game-time decision because of a sore right ankle that had kept him out of Wednesdays loss at Utah, but played all but the last 10 seconds of the second half in the first 40-point game for a Phoenix player since Amare Stoudemires 44 on March 19, 2010. cheap nfl jerseys . Instead, Iguodala was slotted into the Dwight Howard blockbuster, with Denver winning his rights in exchange for Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington and a first round pick (the lesser of two picks, Denvers own or New Yorks, in 2014). http://www.wholesalenfljerseysplay.com/. Maxim Lapierre scored the winning goal in the third period and Roberto Luongo made 31 saves for the shutout to help the Canucks take a 3-2 series lead. wholesale jerseys .Y. -- Drew Stafford scored the winning goal in the third period, and Ryan Miller made 34 saves in the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. cheap jerseys from china . -- Ryan Hunter-Reay deftly guided his car around the rain-soaked track, stayed out of trouble and wound up with a much happier ending.KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia -- Frida Hansdotters wait for her first World Cup victory after eight second places finally ended Sunday, in good time for the Sochi Olympics. The 28-year-old Hansdotter won on a soft course in heavy snow after American teen Mikaela Shiffrin failed to hold on to her opening-run lead. Hansdotter, who trailed Shiffrin by 0.31 seconds going into the final run, finished in an overall time of 1 minute, 50.17 seconds. Shiffrin dropped to seventh after getting stuck in a rut early in her final run. "Most of the time Ive finished just behind Mikaela Shiffrin, she is just so good. But I knew that some day, it would be my day," Hansdotter said. "Now I am looking forward to the Olympics. I want to leave Sochi with a medal around my neck." Austrian sisters Marlies and Bernadette Schild were second and third, coming 0.05 and 0.15 behind respectively. The last racer on the visibly deteriorating course, Shiffrin caught a hole in the snow early in the run and was thrown forward. She recovered but, having lost her pace, ended up 0.72 behind Hansdotter. Shiffrins chance to retain her World Cup season title even before the Olympics was already gone before her final run as both Hansdotter and Marlies Schild had secured podium spots by then. Shiffrin saw her 144-point lead over Hansdotter in the slalom standings reduced to 80 points, 438 to 358. Marlies Schild is third with 325 points. The event was moved from Maribor because of a lack of snow there, but the Podkoren course in Kranjska Gora had been softened by days of rain and snowfall. The unfavourable weather conditions forced organizers to cancel a GS on the same course Saturday. "To ski that good when conditions are so hard is great," Hansdotter said. "Normally I am not at my best on soft snow. On a course like this, you can only just go for it.&quoot; Marlies Schild, a four-time World Cup slalom champion, called it a "run in hell.dddddddddddd" "It made me nervous," the Austrian said. "The next race is at the Olympics, I am now really fired up for that." Shiffrin overcame the tough conditions earlier to post the fastest first-run time. The 18-year-old slalom world champion was chasing her third straight win and fourth of the season. "It was not great conditions but it was better conditions for me than for the girls coming down later," Shiffrin said, who was the third starter in the opening run. The American had one mistake in the steep middle section but quickly recovered. Olympic slalom champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who leads the overall standings, came 2.25 back in 23rd and criticized the conditions. "I saw already at inspection this morning that the course is very bad," the German skier said between runs. "We knew they would push through this race today at all costs, which is questionable for me so shortly before the Olympics ... The snow broke and with my start No. 7 there were already some big holes." Austrian Kathrin Zettel, who was seventh after the opening run but failed to finish her second, said "Nobody is feeling well here ... Its a very tough race." Hoefl-Riesch still extended her lead as her closest competitors dont compete in slalom. After 24 races, Hoefl-Riesch has 1,079 points, 136 clear of Liechtensteins Tina Weirather. Anna Fenninger of Austria is third with 871 points. Defending overall champion Tina Maze failed to finish her second run after already having struggled for most of her first run and coming in 19th in front of her home crowd. After the Sochi Olympics, the womens World Cup continues with a downhill and a super-combined event in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on March 1-2. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:19, Jun 27 2014
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Danica Patrick cleared a path for her teammates in NASCARs new knockout qualifying that led to a Turner Scott Motorsports rout at Daytona International Speedway. Dylan Kwasniewski won the pole for his Nationwide Series debut -- the first rookie since Rusty Wallace in 1985 to win the pole at Daytona -- by following Patrick and Kyle Larson through traffic in Fridays qualifying session. The 18-year-old topped the speed chart with a lap at 192.078 mph in the rain-shortened qualifying session. Larson qualified second with a lap at 192.074 and Patrick was third as Turner Scotts cars went 1-2-3 for Saturdays race. "Danica did a fantastic job of leading us through the pack and getting us clean through there," said Kwasniewski, winner of the K&N East title last year and the K&N West title in 2012. "Being a rookie, it was hard for me to make the decisions on where to go," he said. "Danica did a fantastic job, she got us through clean and I was coming up to a sea of cars on the back straight and I was like, I have no idea how we are going to be able to get us through this. But she picked her way through perfectly, got us in the right position and got us all three a great lap. We stuck together and made sure we could be a team out there." The qualifying session was the first for NASCARs new multicar, knockout-style format. All cars were on track for the opening 25-minute segment that was interrupted twice by rain. The fastest 24 cars were scheduled to advance to a second, 10-minute round, but it was rained out. There were as many as 30 cars on the track at one point, which made the one segment that was run far more entertaining than the traditional single-car runs NASCAR had used. Patrick acknowledged the session was worth watching, but could be interesting as the season progresses. "I think there are some times when its going to be a total disaster," Patrick said. "Like when we go to short tracks. I just cant imagine where its going to be like. (At Daytona), theres plenty of room, people can go wherever, theres many lanes, its all about momentum. But when you go to places like Bristol, Martinsville and even Phoenix. Short tracks in general are just going to be a really big challenge. And then youve got the mile-and-a-halves where youre just going a lot faster." wholesale jerseys . - This might be the best way for Peyton Manning to get over the Super Bowl - a week at Pebble Beach. cheap nfl jerseys . - The Baltimore Ravens and left tackle Eugene Monroe reached agreement on a five-year contract Friday. http://www.forsalecheapjerseys.com/. LOUIS -- It all happened so quickly. cheap jerseys . These articles are, by no means, a complete prospect listing, nor are they rankings...those will come later. Also, with that in mind, the term "Potential Sleepers" is used in this series to describe players who could sneak into the earlier rounds of the draft, as opposed to the traditional reference to a lesser known or lower ranked prospect. cheap jerseys wholesale . Hes been on the disabled list enough during his 16-year career to have a greater appreciation for the time he does spend on the field. DOVER, Del. -- Season ticket holders on Tuesday were given an official voice in the Los Angeles Dodgers bankruptcy case, winning two seats on the teams creditors committee. The U.S. trustee for Delawares bankruptcy court agreed to appoint two representatives of the season ticket holders to the Dodgers official committee of unsecured creditors. In return, lawyers for an ad hoc group of season ticket holders withdrew a motion seeking court approval of an official committee of ticket holders. Lawyers argued in the motion that season ticket holders had invested millions of dollars in the team and deserved an official voice in the bankruptcy, but the motion was opposed by both the Dodgers and the creditors committee. "Our concern is that there would have been protracted litigation over the appointment of an official season ticket holders committee while significant matters are being decided in the bankruptcy cases that will determine the fate of the Dodgers franchise," Robbin Itkin, a lawyer for the ticket holders, said in a statement released Tuesday. "This resolution allows for the immediate participation of two season ticket holders on the official committee so that hopefully the perspectives and salient interests of the season tickets holders will be represented in the actions of the official committee." Meanwhile, lawyers for the Dodgers and Major League Baseball continued their war of words as they gear up for a court fight starting next week that will determine the fate of the ball club. In a court filing Monday, lawyers for commissioner Bud Selig reiterated accusations made in court papers last month that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt had siphoned off more than US$180 million in revenues from the club for personal and business obligations that had nothing to do with baseball. "The Dodgers are in bankruptcy because Mr. McCourt has taken almost $190 million out of the club and has completely alienated the Dodgers fan base," wrote lawyers for Selig, arguing that the money had been "looted.dddddddddddd" The Dodgers released a statement claiming the league had again "mischaracterized the facts with inflammatory allegations that are not supported by the evidence." "As the commissioner knows and as our legal documents have clearly shown, he approved and praised the structure of the team about which he belatedly complains," the statement read. "We look forward to the opportunity to show the truth next week in court." In their own court filings, Dodgers lawyers renewed their attacks on Selig, accusing him of deliberately starving the club of needed cash and destroying the reputation of the team and its management in an effort to seize control and force a sale of the Dodgers. The Dodgers sought bankruptcy protection in June, blaming Selig for refusing to approve a renegotiated multibillion-dollar TV deal with Fox Sports that McCourt was counting on to keep the franchise afloat. The Dodgers are now asking Judge Kevin Gross to approve an auction of the teams television rights as the best path to exit bankruptcy. But the league is asking for permission to file its own reorganization plan for the Dodgers, which calls for the team to be sold. Gross has scheduled four days of hearings starting Monday to consider the dueling motions. Lawyers for Selig argue that any plan by the Dodgers to sell television rights without the leagues approval is "dead on arrival" and would spell the end of the ball club. They argue that such a sale would breach the Dodgers existing contract with Fox Sports, leaving the team subject to substantial legal claims, while also providing grounds for termination from the league for failure to abide by its covenants. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:19, Jun 27 2014
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Liverpool will play Manchester City, AC Milan and Olimpiakos during a preseason U.S. exhibition tour, and Manchester United will face Inter Milan and Roma. Liverpool opens against Olimpiakos on July 27 at Chicagos Soldier Field as part of Group B in the eight-club Guinness International Champions Cup, organizers said Thursday. The Reds face Manchester City at New Yorks Yankee Stadium on July 30 and AC Milan on Aug. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., home of the NFLs Carolina Panthers. Manchester United plays Roma at Denvers Sports Authority Field on July 26, then meets Inter Milan on July 29 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. In other games in the tournament, AC Milan plays Olimpiakos at New Yorks Citi Field on July 24 and Manchester City faces Olimpiakos at Minneapolis TCF Bank Stadium on Aug. 2. Other group Group A matches include Real Madrid-Inter at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on July 26; Real Madrid-Roma at Dallas Cotton Bowl on July 29; and Inter-Roma at Philadelphias Lincoln Financial Field on Aug. 2. The site of the Manchester United-Real Madrid match on Aug. 2 was not announced. This will be the seventh U.S. trip for Liverpool, which is owned by Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of the Boston Red Sox. "Touring from a business perspective and a commercial standpoint, its incredibly important," Liverpool chief commercial officer Billy Hogan said during a news conference in Charlotte. "Its something we do to try to bring the club closer to our fan base. We have hundreds of millions of fans around the world from the U.S. to Asia. ... Not everybody gets a chance to get to see where we play in Liverpool. Its a 3,800-mile flight. So were excited to bring the first team out here." Some stars may not be available for the matches, depending on when their national teams are eliminated from the World Cup. The final will be Aug. 4 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The match in Charlotte will be the first sporting event at Bank of America Stadium after it completes a $112.5 million renovation. The city agreed to pay part of the renovation cost in exchange for the Panthers hosting five rent-free events annually over the next six years. "Our ultimate goal with getting international soccer here was to secure an event that has a strong potential for significant economic impact," Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon said. "The teams announced here today can certainly help us achieve that." Cannon said Liverpools visit to Boston and Fenway Park in 2012 generated $9.4 million in visitor spending. Cannon wants to attract more soccer games to Charlottes stadium, which was completed in 1996 and was built with sightlines for football and soccer in mind. "Bringing two high calibre teams here is something our soccer community will treasure and remember for the rest of their lives," Cannon said. Liverpool, led by midfielder Steven Gerrard and forward Luis Suarez, has 18 English league championships — but none since 1990 — and five Champions League titles. AC Milan has won 18 Series A championships and seven Champions League titles. cheap jerseys . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. wholesale jerseys . -- Michael Yormark resigned as president and CEO of the Florida Panthers on Monday, taking a job with rap mogul Jay Zs Roc Nation and setting off a front-office shake-up for the long-struggling franchise. http://www.jerseysfromchinahome.com/. The Jets (17-18-5) are sixth in the Central Division with 39 points. They are 10 points behind the third place Avalanche (23-11-3). cheap jerseys from china . Gerber stopped each and every one of the 49 shots peppered by Team Canada en route to a highly improbable 2-0 victory for Switzerland. In a two-week tournament like the Olympics, goaltending performances of that caliber have the potential to shock, rattle and awe even the most powerful foes, hindering medal hopes with save after unlikely save. wholesale nfl jerseys . The win gives Canada its fifth title at the World Sledge Hockey Challenge. "Weve got to keep pushing," said Westlake, who led Canada with five goals in the tournament. "The second you let off the pedal, everyone catches up. PHOENIX -- Victorias Steve Nash is slowly playing his way into shape. scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter and rookie Markieff Morris added 16 points, helping the Suns beat the Golden State Warriors 102-91 on Monday. "Its going to be tough," said Nash. "I havent played basketball in a long, long time and then to have only two weeks of camp. Today would normally have pre-season game No. 7. Its going to take some time." Jared Dudley had 15 points, and Channing Frye and Shannon Brown added 10 each for the Suns, who have won two of three overall and six straight against the Warriors. Phoenix has not lost to Golden State at home since March 8, 2005, a 13-game stretch. "We just kind of grinded it out," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "Were not shooting the ball the way were capable of shooting it but we shot a lot better today." Monta Ellis had 18 points, Dominic McGuire scored 14 and Brandon Rush finished with 13 points for the Warriors, who lost their first road game after opening the season with four in a row at home. "You shoot 50 per cent on the road, you should come out ahead with a win," said Warriors coach Mark Jackson. "You put teams on the foul line, turn the basketball over and give up 16 offensive rebounds, its a recipe for disaster. "I understand this is a process but this is a 66-game season and we need to speed up the process," Jackson said. "I will find guys that are playing well, competing and executing the game plan and if that means playing five guys 48 minutes, I will." Golden State was without second-leading scorer and top rebounder David Lee, who was a late scratch after being hospitalized earlier Monday with an undetermined illness. Lee was receiving intravenous fluids at the hospital as doctors worked to determine if he had food poisoning, the flu or another virus. The Warriors started the second half on an 8-0 run to take a 55-51 leead with 9:10 left in the third quarter, aided by the Suns 0-for-5 shooting and two turnovers.dddddddddddd But then the Suns started to click, connecting on eight of their next 12 field-goal attempts and opening a 70-61 lead with 3:21 left in the quarter. Morris helped serve as the catalyst, scoring on a layup and hitting a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions during Phoenixs run. "Im learning but Im picking it up fast," Morris said. "Im trying not to speed through things, to take my time, dont get too high or too low, just keep it levelled out." Phoenix led 72-69 at the end of the third then scored the first nine points of the fourth, including a basket and two free throws by Hakim Warrick, to take an 81-69 lead with 8:25 to play. The Warriors closed to 83-80 on Brandon Rushs 3-pointer with 5:24 to go. But Nash had a pair of 3-pointers, and Dudley and Frye each added another to give the Suns a 94-83 lead with 2:23 left. "Channing hit a big three and they had two straight possessions where they got buckets and they increased the lead and we had to start pressing from them on," said Stephen Curry, who scored 10 points while being limited to 23 minutes by game-long foul trouble. "We just needed those stops." After making only 1 of 10 3-pointers in the first half, the Suns connected on 7 of 13 in the second half. Morris had 11 points and all eight Suns who played scored for Phoenix in the first half en route to a 51-47 halftime lead. NOTES: After the game, Phoenix waived C Garret Siler. Siler, a second-year player out of Augusta State, had not played in any of the Suns first five games. . Morris is the Suns first rookie with at least two double-digit scoring games in his first five games since Amare Stoudemire in 2002. ... Phoenix finished the first quarter with more successful free throws (nine) than field goals (eight). . G Michael Rudd, signed by the Suns on Thursday, was inactive for the second consecutive game. ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:18, Jun 27 2014
LONDON -- Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will miss Sundays FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham and two key matches in the teams Premier League run-in after his appeal against a charge of violent conduct was dismissed. Ivanovic was charged by the Football Association after video footage emerged of him punching Wigan forward Shaun Maloney in Chelseas 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. "A regulatory commission heard the claim today and Ivanovics three-match suspension will commence with immediate effect," the FA said in a statement. The ban deprives Chelsea of one its best defenders at a vital part of the season, with Ivanovic also missing league games against third-place Arsenal and west London rival Queens Park Rangers, which is fighting to avoid relegation. With five matches remaining, Chelsea is sixth in the standings and in danger of missing out on a top-four finish that secures Champions League football next season. Ashley Cole missed Mondays 1-1 draw at Fulham with an ankle injury and is reported to be a serious doubt for Sunday while another defender, captain John Terry, is playing through pain after cracking two ribs in a recent match. Jose Bosingwa is likely to replace Ivanovic at right back this weekend. wholesale jerseys usa . Morel, 26, appeared in 12 games for the White Sox last season, batting .200. He had .266 average with six home runs and 54 RBIs in 106 games for triple-A Charlotte. wholesale jerseys free shipping . First, they have all been against an opponent he has never fought before, and second, he has won them all. http://www.forsalecheapjerseys.com/. Trailing 6-1 from the first leg last month, Egypt took a 2-0 lead on goals by Amr Zaki in the 25th minute and Gedo in the 84th. Kevin Prince-Boateng scored for Ghana on a counterattack in the 89th. cheap jerseys free shipping .J. -- Darrelle Revis is a step closer to getting back on the field for the New York Jets. cheap nfl jerseys . Lauzon rushed for 42 yards on 15 carries for the Vert et Or (2-3) while quarterback Jeremi Roch completed 19-of-32 passes for 251 yards and one interception. Alexandre Aube scored the other touchdown for Sherbrooke.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- No team had a more productive weekend at the NHL draft than the Winnipeg Jets. The franchise unveiled its name, hired Claude Noel as coach and added seven prospects during a busy couple days in Minnesota. Its been a common theme for members of the organization in recent weeks and isnt likely to change any time soon. "I was sitting with (assistant GM Craig Heisinger) after we made our last pick and I turned to him and said, All right, cross that one off the list and lets go on to the next thing," GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said Saturday. "Theres lots of different things that we have to accomplish, but bit by bit well get it all done." Among the immediate plans will be filling out Noels coaching staff and continuing to work through the logistical issues that remain with the relocation to Winnipeg -- not to mention their AHL teams move to St. Johns, N.L. The Jets wont hold a development camp in July but they do plan to participate in a rookie tournament prior to training camp. "Atlanta wasnt having a development camp so really the infrastructure wasnt in place," said Cheveldayoff. "The picks from the draft are one thing, but having your prospects that you already have in your system coming as well (would have been too difficult)." It will likely be some time before any of the players selected at Xcel Energy Center make the jump to the NHL. The Jets selected Barrie Colts forward Mark Scheifele seventh overall on Friday night and added six more prospects on Saturday: Swift Current Broncos forward Adam Lowry (67th overall); defenceman Brennan Serville (No. 7
of the Ontario Jr. As Stouffville Spirit; Tri-City Americans defenceman Zachary Yuen (No. 119); Belleville Bulls forward Austen Brassard (No. 149); goaltender Jason Kasdorf (No. 157), who spent last season with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League; and defenceman Aaron Harstad (No. 187) of the USHLs Green Bay Gamblers. The organization is prepared to be patient and doesntt feel the need to rush any of those players along.dddddddddddd "Theyll be given a chance to show where theyre at," said Cheveldayoff. "The play will dictate what level of development theyre at at this time." Lowry was one of several players taken in this draft with good NHL bloodlines. Hes the son of Dave Lowry, who played more than 1,000 games in the league and is now an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames. The Jets were drawn to that pedigree. "I think that you know what youre going to get from him as far as how hes going to play," said Cheveldayoff. "Our scouts really like his compete level, really like his character. I think that fits in with the mould that we talked about wanting to bring players into this organization." The players selected Saturday got the added bonus of meeting Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien, a Minnesota native who spent some time at the teams draft table. "It sounds like theyre pretty happy with what theyve picked so far," said Byfuglien. "I just actually got done talking with a few of them. Everyones excited and I think everyone should be excited right now." He took some time to introduce himself to Noel, who was hired after the team decided not to retain Craig Ramsay in the move from Atlanta. The big defenceman came away with a pretty good impression of his new coach. "Ive got no problem with him yet so far," Byfuglien said with a laugh. The team will now turn its attention towards free agency, but isnt expected to be a major player on July 1. In fact, the most important task will be getting captain Andrew Ladds signature on an extension. Beyond that, the Jets are looking at building patiently. "I think were going to look at all avenues and be as aggressive as is feasible and reasonable," said Cheveldayoff. "Again, this is going to be a process that takes some time. There is not going to be a quick fix thats going to be out there, one guy thats going to put us at the top." ' ' '
Posted in IYH Forums by lavender123456 at 01:18, Jun 27 2014
PITTSBURGH – The good was ultimately overshadowed by the bad. Unraveling at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, the Leafs dropped their third game in the last four, falling prey to the potency of a relentless Penguins attack. The visitors failed to land even a single shot in the third period and overtime. "I thought we did some things good for parts of the game," said James van Riemsdyk, who had three points in the 6-5 shootout defeat, "but obviously against a team like that you give them an inch and theyre going to take it all." A string of penalties, an increasingly ineffective penalty kill, and a submissive third period spelled doom for the Leafs on this night. Leads of 4-1 and 5-3 evaporated into another concerning loss, this one on the heels of a 6-0 pounding from Columbus on Monday night. "Therere some good things we did in the game tonight that put us in the position we were in," said Cody Franson, referring to the aforementioned leads, "but weve got to do a better job from the position of holding a lead." Riding out the wave of an early first period storm, momentum was firmly on the Toronto side in the opening moments of the middle frame. Bang-bang goals from van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel 29 seconds apart in the first minute of the second bumped the lead to 4-1 while ending the night of Marc-Andre Fleury. What followed, however, was a disastrous string of five consecutive penalties, the imposing Pittsburgh power play scoring three times before Evgeni Malkin finally evened the score at five early in the third. Owning the final frame, the Penguins outshot the Leafs 17-0, not a single shot coming the way of rookie netminder Jeff Zatkoff until the shootout; he stopped both Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson. "We stopped skating. We stopped forechecking. We stopped playing," said Randy Carlyle of his teams final 25 minutes, frustrated with a number of issues including the officiating on this night. "Theres no explanation for us not getting any shots in the third period." The Leafs are now 4-5-2 in the month of November – only two of those wins in regulation – the underlying concerns of a seemingly quick start coming to the forefront. Carlyle has been banging loud on the drum for improvements all year – even amid a 6-1-0 start – more urgently of late though. And while the Leafs certainly did some good on this night, including an effective fore-check that helped generate two of the four even-strength goals – they had 10 such goals in the previous 10 games – it was disturbingly overshadowed by the ills of what went wrong. Defensive issues, both at even-strength and on the penalty kill – Jonathan Bernier faced 48 shots, four nights after James Reimer faced 50 – amid an inconsistently produced style have left the group in search of answers as a three-game road trip continues in Buffalo on Friday night. "There was obviously some really good stuff," said Carl Gunnarsson, "but how it ended doesnt feel that good. "We got one point, but the way it looked going into the third I think we all wanted more than that." Five Points 1. Struggling Penalty Kill As the second-best penalty kill in the NHL last season the Leafs allowed only 19 power play goals in 48 games. Disjointed in recent weeks and now ranked 20th overall this season, the unit has already allowed 20 power play goals in just 25 games. The Penguins scored three on Wednesday night, the fourth time already this season that the Leafs have yielded two or more in a game (they gave up two or more only three times all of last season). Over the past 11 games, the special teams unit has yielded 13 goals on 44 opportunities for a shallow success rate of 71 per cent. "PK wasnt really there today," said Gunnarsson. "We took too many stupid penalties." Increasing the pressure on the troubled penalty kill has been the number of penalties. Only one team (Ottawa) has taken more minor penalties this season than the 113 the Leafs have been whistled for. Jerred Smithson was called for a questionable hold in the offensive zone moments into the third and van Riemsdyk was then penalized less than a minute later for hooking, also in the offensive zone. James Neal scored on the subsequent five-on-three advantage, the third Pittsburgh goal with the man advantage. "It gave them all the momentum," Carlyle said of the penalties. "You cant take penalties in the offensive zone. You cant take penalties when youre down a man. It was a hooking and a hold." 2. More Pressure on the Goalie Yielding 48 to the Penguins the Leafs are now dead-last in shots against this season (36.1 per game). While Bernier and Reimer both succeeded amid relentless onslaughts early and often this season, including a 49-save performance from the latter on Saturday night, the heavy pressure has, of late, been too difficult to withstand. During this recent four-game struggle, of which the Leafs have lost three, Bernier and Reimer have combined to post an .892 save percentage. 3. Disaster Frame Cody Franson hadnt realized his team had failed to generate even a single shot in the third until it was announced in the arena. It was the first time since April 2000 that the Leafs landed zero shots on goal in a period. "We received most of that period," Franson said. Unable to mount any kind of resistance to the Penguins attack the Leafs wilted under the considerable pressure and skill of their opponent. Rarely was a moment or more spent in the offensive zone, almost no work to be had for Zatkoff and plenty on the opposite end for Bernier. "They were coming and we couldnt really ride out the storm," said Gunnarsson. "Weve got an old enough group and a veteran core that should be able to grab a hold of it and make a difference with our structure and the way we were playing," Carlyle said. 4. Officiating Concerns Among the frustrations for Carlyle and the Leafs was the officiating. Most disturbing to them was the non-call on Malkins game-tying goal. "He pushed the goalie first and then deposited the puck," said Carlyle of Malkin, who edged Bernier into the goal before pushing the puck across the line. "But were not supposed to complain about that stuff." Asked if he received any explanation, Carlyle said, "By that time they didnt want to talk to anybody. They get to a position where they think that they dont have to talk to people I guess." The Leafs coach also wasnt pleased with the "soft call" on Smithson early in the third. "I dont know what hes supposed to do," Carlyle said. "He got on the right side of the guy and he took the man out. They saw it differently." Additionally befuddling Nazem Kadri was a goaltender interference call that opened the doors to the home teams comeback. Bumping incidentally into Zatkoff behind the Pittsburgh goal, Kadri and the opposing Penguins were initially told that no call would be made; Zatkoff, they said, had caused the contact. An official behind the play though deemed it a penalty. 5. Gardiner Scratched A healthy scratch 10 times last season, Jake Gardiner was scratched for the first time this season on Wednesday night. Gardiner, who actually led the Leafs with nearly 24 minutes against the Blue Jackets on Monday, didnt appear pleased with the news but seemed to understand it. "I didnt play good so I wasnt too surprised," Gardiner said of his last game, which also saw him on the ice for three goals against in a 6-0 defeat to Columbus. "Ive just got to make better decisions with the puck." Carlyle, who had a lengthy chat with Gardiner at Wednesdays morning skate, said lineup changes would be made with the "best interest of the team" in mind. "That wont change," he said. "Thats our DNA and weve been very honest and forthcoming with our players that thats the decisions we make and sometimes it doesnt always sit well with individuals and it shouldnt. If your numbers not called you should be upset." Paul Ranger replaced Gardiner in the lineup against the Penguins. Teamed with Morgan Rielly, Ranger played nearly 22 minutes after sitting the past two games himself. "Just be a little more consistent, just all around with decisions," Ranger said of re-entering the lineup. "Keep pushing to get back into the pace of the game here. Be reliable in my own and make some good breakout passes and play the system that were playing." Bonus Point - Lupuls Luck Over the course of his first five seasons in the NHL, Joffrey Lupul rarely missed a game. Lupul played in 372 of 405 games (with the Ducks, Oilers and Flyers) or 92 per cent of the time. The next five seasons would bring with it a different strain of luck. The now 30-year-old played in 181 of 316 games (with the Ducks and Leafs) or just 57 per cent of the time. Having already missed time in Toronto with a dislocated right shoulder, fractured right forearm, concussion, and bruised foot, Lupul will now miss at least two weeks with a groin injury. "Thats the ballpark figure they gave us," said Carlyle, who replaced Lupul in the lineup with Peter Holland. Stat-Pack 71% – Success rate for the Leaf penalty kill in the past 11 games. 19 – Number of power play goals allowed by the Leafs in 48 games last season. 20 – Number of power play goals allowed by the Leafs in 25 games this season. 3 – Multi-goal games for James van Riemsdyk this season. 0 – Shots in the final 25 minutes for the Leafs on Wednesday night. 2 – Even-strength points for Phil Kessel in November. Kessel scored his team-leading 13th goal this season in the middle frame on Wednesday night. 24:37 – Ice-time for Tyler Bozak against the Penguins, first among Leaf forwards. 113 – Minor penalties for the Leafs this season, second most in the NHL. Special Teams Capsule PP: 1-3 Season: 24.7% PK: 2-5 Season: 79.4% Quote of the Night "We cant expect our goalies to stop 50 shots a night." - Carl Gunnarsson, following a 48-shot outing for Jonathan Bernier on Wednesday night. Up Next The Leafs make their final trip to Buffalo on Friday, clashing with the Sabres for the third time this season. wholesale jerseys . Its no exaggeration to call it a game saver. Rolen led off the seventh inning with a homer that ended Barry Zitos shutout, and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 4-2 victory Wednesday night, extending the San Francisco Giants misery at Great American Ball Park. wholesale nfl jerseys . To put the pieces back together, they have to get younger. So their decision Saturday to drop three established, expensive players from the roster was no surprise. http://www.cheapjerseysnflchina.us/.J. -- During the course of a season, New Jersey Devils coach Pete DeBoer draws up hundreds of faceoff plays in practice or on the bench. cheap jerseys from china . -- Masters champion Bubba Watson struck one of his fans in the head with a hooked drive during Fridays second round of the Zurich Classic. cheap jerseys . -- Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley has left the team following his fathers death. PHILADELPHIA -- Wayne Simmonds scored three goals and Steve Mason stopped 34 shots to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. 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. Mats Zuccarello also scored for New York in the final minute. By the third, Simmonds had already helped stake the Flyers to a 4-0 lead and the outcome was a mere formality. Erik Gustafsson also scored and Claude Giroux had an empty-netter for the Flyers, who will try for a second win in New York this series. Simmonds, a 28-goal scorer who had one in the first five games, completed the hat trick with 4:41 left in the second. With a short turnaround, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was yanked for Cam Talbot to open the third period. Lundqvist stopped 19 of 23 shots. He couldnt stop Simmonds. Simmonds camped out in the dirty area, in front of the crease, and pounded home three short goals that had Flyers fans going wild. On the brink of elimination, about the only thing that could slow down the Flyers were their fans -- the game was delayed for a lengthy cleanup after they littered the ice with hats. Someone even threw a shoe. Outplayed for most of the series, the Flyers were lucky to escape the first period with a 1-0 lead. They were careless with the puck in their own zone and had nine turnovers, which led to a ton of work for Mason, who made 13 saves in the period. Simmonds put Philadelphia in front with his third hack at a rebound on a power play. Across the street, the rain-delayed Philaadelphia Phillies rang the home run Liberty Bell in celebration of the goal.dddddddddddd Simmonds, a 6-foot-2, 183-pound forward, was just warming up. Brayden Schenn stripped New Yorks Dan Girardi of the puck, and then lost control in front of the crease. Simmonds was perfectly positioned off to Lundqvists right side and pounded in the trickling puck for a 2-0 lead just 1:32 into the second. Simmonds again was just outside the crease to knock in his third goal late in the second for the 4-0 lead. After a sloppy first, the puck just seemed to bounce Philadelphias way. Gustafsson, who did not play the first five games, came storming out of the penalty box in the second period, his stick hit the puck in a flash and he scored for a 3-0 lead. "It was a lot of fun when I saw the puck come down to me," he said. "I think it took a fortunate bounce. I almost thought Lundqvist was going to get it, but luckily the puck went in." Mason, who had never won a post-season game until this season, was hardly challenged in the last two periods as he chased the shutout. He snared Benoit Pouliots point-blank shot in the second period and made an out-of-nowhere kick save against John Moore in the third to keep the comfortable lead. The Rangers had scored four goals in three other games this series. New York is 13-2 in series it has led 3-2, but the Rangers have lost 12 straight games in which they had a series lead. NOTES: Flyers D Nicklas Grossmann underwent surgery to repair tendon damage in his right ankle suffered in Game 4. He could miss up to 10 weeks. ... Simmonds gave the Flyers their first two-goal lead of the series since his empty-net goal in the final minute sealed the win in Game 2. ... The Flyers beat the Rangers 4-3 on May 5, 1974, in the only other time the teams played a Game 7. They went on to beat Boston to win their first Stanley Cup. ' ' '
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New York Islanders forward John Tavares, who suffered a partially torn MCL in his left knee during the Sochi Olympics, will not require surgery. Speaking to members of the media on Tuesday for the first time since returning home from the Winter Games, Tavares said he will need eight to 12 weeks to fully recover. Tavares sustained the injury during Canadas quarterfinal game against Latvia when he was hit by defenceman Artus Kulda. Despite being injured in an Olympic contest, the 23-year-old said he has no regrets about playing for Canada and would make the same decision again. "I think its important for us to play," Tavares said. "I love playing for my country and if I got the call again, I would." The former first overall pick of the Islanders said he also understood general manager Garth Snows anger at the IIHF and IOC after his injury because Snow cares solely about his team. "You understand why teams are concerned about injuries. I know he cares a lot about the Islanders and so do I." Prior to the Olympic break, Tavares was third in the NHL in points, tied for the Islanders lead in goals and leading the team in assists. Wholesale MLB Jerseys . Geoff Snider and Curtis Dickson each had three goals for Calgary (4-3), while Jeff Shattler helped with two goals and six assists. Curtis Manning, Karsen Leung, Daryl Veltman and Matthew Dinsdale also scored for the Roughnecks. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Evans had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists, and the short-handed Pelicans overcame the loss of Anthony Davis to extend their winning streak to a season-high five games, 102-95 victory over Utah on Friday night. http://www.salejerseyswholesale.com/Mlb-jerseys.html.ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable.ARDMORE, Pa. -- The affection was genuine. Even better was beating Jack Nicklaus in a playoff. So when Lee Trevino got his hands on that U.S. Open trophy in 1971, the guy who never lacked for one-liners gushed, "I love Merion, and I dont even know her last name." For this generation of stars, Merion is more like a blind date. No other course with four U.S. Opens had to wait such a long time -- 32 years -- for another chance to test the worlds best players. Even with Tiger Woods back to No. 1 and winning at a ridiculous rate, so much of the talk at this major championship has been about Merion. For years, it was considered too small to handle such a big tournament and the big hitters with their modern equipment. And with soft greens from more than 6 inches of rain in the last week, the question is whether the course will yield the kind of scores rarely seen at the toughest test in golf. On Thursday, the mystery of Merion will start to unfold. "Its been how long, 32 years? And with all the technology since then?" Steve Stricker said as he headed to the first tee Wednesday for one last practice round. "Someone asked me the other day about someone shooting a 62. And what I wanted to say was, Youre crazy. But you just dont know. We dont know whats going to happen. And in a way, thats kind of cool." Not so cool was the weather expected for the opening round. Merion already took a beating last Friday when more than 3 inches of rain sent water over the edges of some bunkers and left small streams on fairways and greens. More rain on Monday caused the course to be closed three times. The forecast called for increasing clouds, gusts and showers Thursday morning, with stronger storms likely to arrive around noon. "Sure, we want it firm and fast," USGA vice-president Thomas OToole said Wednesday. "We happen to play a sport thats played outdoors. We received significant rain over the last week, and some tell us that well have even more significant rain tomorrow. So its not a perfect world. Its not a perfect game. But we take what were dealt with." Whether a golf course is big or small, soft greens typically are a recipe for low scores. Then again, Merion is not a typical golf course. It measures 6,996 yards on the scorecard -- the shortest of any major championship in nine years -- and has a stretch of seven holes in the middle that are short even by yesterdays standards. Compare those holes with the scorecard from when Ben Hogan won the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion, and four of those holes were actually longer by a few yards in Hogans day. Players typically reach for the wedge to chip out of the rough around the greens at the U.S. Open. At Merion, they could be hitting wedge into the green for their second shot on at least six holes. Thats what has caused all the clamour about low scores. And with the rain, its reminiscent of how Congressional was vulnerable two years ago, when Rory McIlroy shattered U.S. Open scoring records at 16-under 268. "Ive been reading about how many scoring records are going to be broken," Nick Watney said. "Ive been around here once. And I think thats insane. Its funny to me. People look at the yardage and think its going to be easy.dddddddddddd Even if its soft, the greens are sloped. The rough is thick. OK, well have wedges into some of the greens, but that doesnt mean you make birdie on all those holes. Theres enough tough holes to counteract that." Even so, the winning score has gone down in each of the four previous U.S. Opens at Merion, from Olin Dutra at 13-over par in 1934 to David Graham winning at 7-under in 1981, the last time this major championship was here. "Where did David Graham shoot 7-under? From there?" Nick Watney asked as he pointed the end of his driver to a spot some 30 yards from where he was standing. "Because he didnt do it from here." Watney was standing in the middle of the putting green. He took three steps to his right and was standing on the 14th tee. As an example of longer holes being made more difficult, a new tee on the 464-yard hole is where members practice putting. The biggest fear with rain on the horizon is what will happen the rest of the week. The forecast is reasonable after Thursday, but in soft conditions, balls start to pick up clumps of mud as the sun starts to dry the course. And while players often are allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway in muddy conditions on the PGA Tour, they dont do that at the U.S. Open. Remember, the USGA famously referred to the local rule as "lift, clean and cheat." "We wouldnt be adopting that rule this week," OToole said. It all begins with Cliff Kresge hitting the opening shot of the 113th U.S. Open at 6:45 a.m. Thursday -- weather permitting, of course. Woods, McIlroy and Masters champion Adam Scott play Thursday afternoon in the power grouping of Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the world. Sergio Garcia plays on the opposite side of the draw, teeing off Thursday morning. So does Phil Mickelson, who left Philadelphia on Monday when the weather was bad to practice in San Diego. He planned on being home, anyway, so he could watch his oldest daughter graduate from the eighth-grade. Mickelson was scheduled to arrive about 4:15 a.m. Thursday, just three hours before his tee time. Stricker called Merion the "longest short course Ive ever played." Graeme McDowell is another guy who isnt buying into the fear over low scoring. "Everyone is saying that its going to be 62s and 63s on this golf course, which I kind of disagree with at the minute," McDowell said. "I think 10 or 11 of these golf holes are as tough as any U.S. Open Ive seen." The lowest score in major championship history is 63, and it has happened only four times in the U.S. Open -- Johnny Miller at Oakmont in 1973 on a soggy course, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf on the same day at Baltusrol in 1980 during a wet week, and Vijay Singh on a rain-softened course at Olympia Fields in 2003. "Youve got more birdie opportunities than ever," Ernie Els said. "Im playing my 21st U.S. Open, so Ive seen a lot of trouble out there. But this is one where you can get on a run. You can make some 3s. Thats not a number thats really familiar in the U.S. Open. But as I say, you start missing shots, the rough is as bad as Ive ever seen it." ' ' '
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